TAGGING ALONG WITH — SANDY HO

The flavor of a perfectly ripe melon. The way water feels daunting-but-worth-it going in and miraculous-BUT-WORTH-IT coming out. The aromas of dinner made over flame. The boundless possibility of blazing golden afternoons where you have nothing to do and all of your favorite people to do it with…The magic of summer is tantalizingly unique in that fully basking in it asks us to balance a desire for nostalgia (that feeling) with a centering intention of being wholly present in the current moment (this feeling). On one of those recent perfect golden afternoons we packed a picnic, slipped a few of our new favorite pieces from our No Waste collection into our bags, met up with our dear friend Sandy Ho—the generous, genius chef behind Sandita's/of the beloved rainbow dumplings—and hit the road up the coast to make the most of this feeling and that feeling.

 

Sandy wears the Boxy Oversized Tee and No Waste Scrunchie.  

  

  





How do you maintain your connection to the natural world?

I cook outdoors every chance I get! I use flame and fire whenever I can and I get in the car and drive out of the city as often as I can. The natural world is my biggest inspiration. I’m always in awe of the ocean and its ever changing moods. I love seeing the mountains when I drive out of the city, especially as the sun is winding down and the skies in California are pink, purple and blue. I feel shot through the heart when I see the inside of a July flame peach, a Weiser yellow watermelon, or watch pink finger limes burst open. For me, there isn’t a sense of having to maintain connection to the natural world…I feel very lucky to be fully immersed in its presence in both my work time and down time.

 

What do you pack for a picnic?

Summer tomatoes, mortadella, salt, rice and nori.

 

Our new No Waste Collection is crafted from production scraps that would otherwise have been tossed as "waste". From meatballs to bone broth, bouillabaisse to dumplings, some of the best things come from having to make things stretch, to make something from nothing. What magic have you made from the extras?

Congee is a big one for me.. and anything with rice! Fish sauce is a game changer too - a real flavor pusher. I am always repurposing food and finding new creative ways to use what I have. In fact, Sandita’s Rainbow Dumplings began as I was using scraps and vegetables that were piling up from CSA boxes in the early days of the pandemic. Some weeks I would find myself with an abundance of beets or kale and I would end up juicing them to create the signature colors that we use now in all of our dumplings.

  

  

 

Sandy wears the Triangle Top and Crop Wide Leg Pant.





 

 

Sandy wears the Triangle Top

  

  

 

  





How do you want to feel in your clothes?

Free.



How does your personal style speak to that?

I wear a lot of colors and patterns mixed with classic vintage. My mum used to always dressed me in pinks and reds - I was always in an outfit. And I feel that I still pull at these moments from my childhood - of joy, fun, colors that start a conversation or shapes that are exaggerated. I love bold design mixed with timeless vintage pieces like a pair of denim. I wear what I want and that feels very free.

 

 

What must you always have in your kitchen? What must you always have in your closet?

Fish sauce, white jeans, white converse, silver hoops.

 

 

What does your perfect day look like?

Waking up early, being at the farmers market when no one else is there, a FaceTime and long morning giggling with friends from afar, a sneaky wine at midday, driving out of the city, arriving just in time for dinner, all my friends in the kitchen, building fires, cooking, eating, dancing and ending huddled under the night sky. Watching the fire breathing under the coals. Falling asleep to someone else reading you a story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Sandy on Instagram here. Photos by Hannah Mills.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

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