85percent

Great food writing

2009-12-11T21:02:08Z

This post made me happy. So well done.

Various

2009-11-30T21:21:16Z

An eventful long weekend, some good, some bad. Thanksgiving was terrific. Got to spend the whole day with D, we even walked up the street together with the dog to get coffee, something we never have time for. We had a great meal at kristenlou's followed by a long walk and some game playing. I made an apple pie with a crumb topping and a pumpkin tart with a graham crust. Both were very well received. The pumpkin recipe was one I hadn't made before from Ina Garten; she never lets me down.

On Friday, S and I braved the crowds to try to find some clothing bargains. Got a couple of cashmere sweaters at a good price. Would have bought more but really couldn't find anything I liked. The crowds weren't that bad; I think the early shoppers had left by the time we arrived. After shopping we went to H Mart, a new Asian supermarket with a food court. Had delicious bibimbap and had a great time exploring the food aisle. As a bonus, we ran into doctor_mama!

Friday night, D came home in a good mood having spend the day at the nightmare project while the owner was away and gotten a lot done. The same cannot be said for Saturday. She came home from her Thanksgiving trip and immediately started making him crazy. He was again ready to take his tools out of there and leave the project half finished. I won't bore you with details, but this woman is a piece of work. D also hurt his back during the week, so that isn't helping his mood. Every time I think the project is getting near completion, more bad things happen. He has promised not to work any more weekends now that the stove and fridge are back in the kitchen, and I hope he keeps to that.

Saturday morning, I took A out to breakfast. I figured she planned to be pleasant or she wouldn't have agreed to go, but with a teenager, you never know. We had a fine time, and she talked to me like a normal person. The way she acted when we were in France. She is doing better in school and seems a bit more upbeat. We did not talk about her living situation or the past hostilities, just chatted about regular stuff. We have four tickets to the Boston Pops right before Christmas, and I asked her if she still wanted to go, and she said yes, so she is certainly leaving the door open to a relationship of some kind. I plan to just take things as they come and not worry about the future.

Crap

2009-11-12T17:05:59Z

Having the crappiest day. Several companies are rewriting their stories, which is awful. But then they are insisting we run them, which is much worse.

Had to share

2009-08-05T19:03:14Z

I was reading Frank Bruni's recent NYT review of Union Square Cafe and had to share this paragraph, which I think is just brilliant:

It gives the best phone in the business, its staff so seemingly genuine in their yearning to accommodate you and their contrition when they can’t that Danny Meyer, the restaurateur who insists on this flamboyant hospitality, must be giving them either Method acting classes or major pharmaceuticals. Maybe both.

::snort::

And one more thing

2009-07-24T19:12:47Z

And the woman on the phone in customer support WOULD NOT stop talking to me as though I were a three-year-old. Even after I asked her! Twice!

"Well, the thing is, ma'am, our policy, ma'am, is to have you blah blah blah, ma'am." In an unbelievably condescending tone. "Excuse me, Frigidaire CSR, but I was wondering if you realize that there's an actual person here on the other end of the phone who did not recently have a lobotomy!"

Dead compressor

2009-07-24T19:04:48Z

We bought three Frigidaire fridges from Best Buy for the apartments in Lynn. One of them, bought on May 1, died this week. Called Frigidaire to get repair company names, called all three, got one to come. She tried replacing the relay, no go, which means the compressor is gone. On a two-month-old appliance!

Tenant had just gone grocery shopping, of course.

Repair woman does not have equipment to fix compressor. Call another. Also does not have equipment to fix compressor. Call another, cannot come until next week. Call Frigidaire, perhaps they will just replace it since it's ONLY TWO MONTHS OLD AND SHOULD NOT HAVE DIED? No, they will not unless one of their repair people says it's not repairable. Call first woman, will she do this? No, it IS repairable, she just can't repair it.

@#$@%^%E$$@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get more numbers of authorized repair people and call yet another. Yes, he can replace compressor. But not until next week. And even though a repair person has said it's not the relay, he has to come see for himself AND NOT FIX IT the first time. Then order the parts and wait a while and jack around and then finally come fix it.

We are buying the tenant a mini-fridge for the interim and paying for the groceries she lost. And D will have to come back early from our vacation to meet the repair person on Weds so he can look at--but not fix--the fridge. This is actually okay as he has a bunch of other work going on and really can't take a whole week off right now.

It's not the vacation part that I mind. It's the stupidity part.

Beach art

2009-07-17T13:48:44Z

I really like this guy's paintings. Yes, they're expensive.

Making fun of the Food Network

2009-07-15T15:20:56Z

If any of you watch Food Network, you'll appreciate this site. Very funny.

Great book

2009-07-09T19:05:57Z

Just finished The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee. Really worth reading. Well written, good characters, interesting setting. Hong Kong during WWII.

Sell your soul--sort of

2009-07-07T19:51:48Z

This article is very funny.

Gross

2009-07-02T16:13:18Z

This Web site is appalling. Go ahead, look anyway.

Eew. Just eew.

Progress

2009-06-29T18:47:12Z

A did two things this weekend she hasn't done in a very long time. First, she sat down and talked with me for about 15 minutes without asking me for anything. We talked about her summer reading requirements and her school schedule for next year. Second, she sat with S in S's room and chatted with her for about 30 minutes while they did their nails. She normally has no contact with S at all other than a few minutes during dinner with no real conversation.

She is obviously making an effort to act like a human. She did not complain when I told her she was on dish duty on Weds night. She left a few things for me to wash, of course, but hey, one step at a time, right?

Coolest cake ever

2009-06-23T16:43:07Z

Check out this cake. She made those bananas out of marzipan. She's amazing. Nuts, but amazing.

Boston Pops

2009-06-17T14:51:24Z

S and I went to the Boston Pops last night and had an incredible time. We were in the first row on the third balcony, and we could see anything. It was a tribute to Richard Rogers, the first half tunes from Rogers & Hart, and the second half was Rogers & Hammerstein. I had given S a few nights to choose from, and she chose this because she loves Broadway musicals. They had two major vocals (one male, one female), and large cast of secondary players. I had no idea there would be so much singing, and it was just perfect for S. The performances were excellent, and the girls wore beautiful silk gowns. My favorite number was Surrey With The Fringe On Top, an awesome arrangement in a swing style. We got to bed very late, and tonight is parent's night at her school, but it was worth it.

We had dinner at Betty's Noodle beforehand. The food was good, but it's really overpriced.

Gay Paris

2009-04-28T15:19:07Z

Back from Paris. Trip was great, flights were horrendous. Do not fly Aer Lingus--we had a three-hour Dublin layover on the way back that ended up being eight hours, and it was like 30 degrees in the cabin for the entire six-hour flight.

Here are some things we saw/did: rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower, spent a day at Versailles, walked along the St Martin Canal, went on a dinner cruise on a Bateau Mouche, climbed up Montmatre to see the Sacre Coeur, briefly toured the inside of Notre Dame.

Here are the museums we went to: Louvre, Rodin, L'Orangerie, and Musee D'Orsay. All kids under 18 get into museums for free--awesome! The D'Orsay is amazing not only for the art but the execution of turning a train station into a museum without making it seem like a very odd train station with art on the walls.

Here are food things we did: ate caramel ice cream at Bertillion (a top-five food experience), ate at two non-touristy bistros, bought macarons at Laduree (to die for), bought pastries at Pierre Herme (also to die for), bought caramels and chocolates at Jaques Genin (caramels awesome, chocolates we haven't eaten yet), had crepes made for us by a French man (my step-sister's fiance), ate crepes from several street vendors, went to an outdoor market, had a picnic in the Jardin de Luxembourg (so beautiful), and ate a six-course dinner at Dome du Marais.

The pictures are still in the camera, but I will post some this weekend.

Off to Atlanta tomorrow to speak at a magazine conference.

A little less growth, please

2009-04-02T13:28:19Z

I really liked this post from John Halamka, who blog I read regularly for work. It's an interesting way to look at what's been going on in the world lately.

House pics

2009-04-01T18:39:20Z

D has been working every weekend on the third-floor unit of the new house, and it's really coming along. He replaced one window, both entry doors and both bedroom doors. He also put bead-board up in one of the closets that was a mess and in the built-in pantry. I did some cleaning and some painting, and he'll be starting on the kitchen soon. Here's the living room before he started ripping things up.

Here's the kitchen now.

We'll replace that half cabinet with a regular-sized one so it won't look so stupid. The cabinets aren't the best quality, but they're new, so they'll stay. The countertop will be new (tiled) and extend around to the left in an L. New stove is coming, along with a fridge that will have to go on the other side of the kitchen because there's nowhere else to put it.

Into the Woods

2009-04-01T18:30:02Z

S played the witch in her school production of Into the Woods (junior). I know it's bragging, but she was the best one. For one thing, you could hear her (most of the kids talked and sang too softly). For another thing, she is really coming into her own in terms of being on stage, and she's got a great sense of comic timing. I attribute this to my dad, who taught everyone he loved about great humor. He would have been excited beyond belief to have seen her shine in this role because he was a huge Sondheim fan. Here she is in her wig and cape:

With her best friend, who played (obviously) Little Red Riding Hood.

The performance was a couple of weeks ago, and since then, S tried out for the local production of Annie and got the part of Lily St Regis. This is the woman who pretends to be Annie's mother, and in one of the movies, the part is played by Bernadette Peters--which is funny because Peters played the witch in Into the Woods on Broadway.

Extended

2009-03-13T19:42:14Z

Yeah, so, no surprise--no closing today. It's extended until the 19th. Onward.

Renovation, here we come

2009-03-04T20:20:59Z

The P&S is signed. If everything goes according to plan, we'll close on the 13th and start renovating right away. Which means this weekend is my last chance to get anything done for a while. Like shop for spring clothes. Mall, anyone?

Proud owners

2009-02-19T14:01:08Z

Of a three family in Lynn. Our offer was accepted, anyway. On to the P&S.

Why cakes sink

2009-02-03T17:28:59Z

There is a great post at Eggbeater today on why cakes sink. If you're a baking junkie like me, you'll love this post.

Delicious

2009-01-26T18:33:53Z

This is one of those dishes that is healthy but doesn't taste like it is. Try it--you'll love it. I adapted it from a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen.

Zucchini Sausage Rice Casserole

4 cups cooked brown rice (from 1 cup rice cooked in 2.25 cups water)
3 medium zucchini, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
5 plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus some for drizzling
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 turkey bratwurst, casings removed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Toss zucchini with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in one layer on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Repeat with tomatoes on another tray.

Roast zucchini in upper third of oven and tomatoes in lower third, turning vegetables once halfway through roasting, until tender and light golden, about 10 minutes for tomatoes; 15 minutes for zucchini. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic with in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 20 minutes. Push onions to the side of the pan and cook turkey bratwurst, breaking up into small pieces, until cooked through.

In a large bowl, stir together rice, turkey, onions, eggs, thyme, grated parmesan, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste.

Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and spread half of rice mixture in dish. Top with zucchini. Spread remaining rice mixture over zucchini and top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake in upper third of oven until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Mission accomplished

2009-01-20T20:22:48Z

Driving 1,100 miles in two days in a pickup truck. What fun. Actually, it wasn't that bad. D and I had fun lunching and shopping in Chicago proper on Friday before driving to his parents. Had a good visit with them and set out Sunday morning, making it about halfway through Pennsylvania before stopping for the night. Had a crappy dinner at Arby's (never eaten there, never will again) but got a nice room at a Hampton Inn. The second leg was uneventful, and we arrived home to a dog so tired she didn't even wake up when we walked in! (She had been playing in the snow with her playgroup friends, apparently.)

One fun part of the trip was playing Guitar Hero with D's sister and her boyfriend. They are really into it, and I was skeptical, but it was a blast. D wants to get one now, of course...

Today's mission was getting up to exercise and getting healthy eating back on track. So far, so good.

Wassup?

2009-01-12T21:19:35Z

So, I guess I haven't posted in a while, huh? What I have been doing--let's see. Celebrating New Year's Eve with kristenlou, philixer, Miss J, S and a friend of hers that slept over, some homemade pizza, and some glamorous cupcakes. I have a picture of them but it's still in the camera and doesn't seem inclined to come out.

I've also been plotting and scheming ways to improve A's attitude and behavior. I want to do a sort-of intervention week with no phone, no friends, no e-mail, no nuttin', but I need the ex's support, and so far he is not hip to it. I'm going to try again to get him to agree. The idea is to have her understand that she is not entitled to the latest electronics, unlimited spending on social activities, and name-brand clothing simply for BREATHING. In the meantime, she was a tiny bit more pleasant last week, so that's something.

I have been eating healthy and trying to lose a few more pounds. My effort was not helped by the fact that I was sick, again, most of last week and this weekend with an awful cold and couldn't exercise.

I made a green curry chicken dish Saturday night that I was quite pleased with. The recipe calls for making the curry from scratch, so I hope you're impressed. It came out great with just the right amount of heat. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the 97 small red Thai chiles I have left over. (The package D bought at the store had like a hundred, and the recipe called for three!)

This week we are gearing up for a trip to Illinois. Flying out, visiting D's rents for a couple of days, then driving back a pickup truck his dad is giving D so he can do lots of work and make lots of money!

One little peeve I need to share. D and I tend to argue about money, as he feels I'm extravagant and I feel he nickel-and-dimes me. Here's the thing: in 2008, we renovated our kitchen, put in a French door, and bought a big screen TV (old TV would not fit in the room wthout totally rearranging it after the door went in). Those three projects were fairly costly and were all instigated by him, not me. So, what should I say when he tells me I can't run the dishwasher only 3/4 full because it costs a lot in electricity and heat to run? I mean, what are we talking here, 30 cents?