Dec
08
The holiday season is upon us, boys and girls and everyone in between.
I made myself a drink and sat down to write you a little post, rocking to Elvis Presley’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” in my drinking hat, which I once named (after a few drinks, no doubt) Fimon Fez.
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Aug
20
I have a lot to think about today, so I had an idea that I would decamp to a cafe for a change of venue to help in the thought process.
Little did I expect the weather to come right out of central casting.
It is a comfortably warm day, but rainy and grey.
As chance would have it, I got a seat at the communal table right by the totally open front wall of the cafe, and my cappuccino arrived just as I sat down.
I take a deep breath and inhale it all…
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21
That thing in my mouth is called a Hellbone.
It is a specialty of a favorite restaurant of mine consisting of a perfectly tender, falling-off-the-bone slow-barbecued pork rib – the “bone” – slathered in what they call Inner Beauty Hot Sauce (a painfully spicy sauce made from habanero peppers – the “hell” part ).
Eating one of these is a sublime pain-pleasure experience; you sweat and pant, but you love it.
As I was just finishing, our waiter came over and said, “So how was everything, ladies?”
I looked up at him, my face covered in sauce, my lips burning, my brow glistening with perspiration, flecks of cornbread in my hair, and reached for a napkin. “It was wonderful,” I said, “but I don’t look like much of a lady at the moment.”
(Uh-oh, did I really say that out loud in public?!)
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May
07
Well, there goes my diet!
I have been in Las Vegas for not even 24 hours, and I have probably consumed more calories than I normally do in a week.
Instead of a small bowl of granola and yogurt for breakfast today, we went to Hash House A Go-Go – the local outpost of our fave San Diego brunch spot. I started with a Bloody Maria and finished with a giant portion of Sage-fried Chicken and Bacon-Stuffed Waffles with maple syrup.
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Apr
04
Every time we go to Philly, we have a total blast. Mostly shopping and eating and enjoying the historic streets of the city – and oh, yes, the great cocktail bars.
I am not sure why Philadelphia seems to offer the best selection of peculiarly-themed cocktail bars that take drink-making very seriously and merry-making equally so.
But, that’s been my experience.
Of course, there is no mystery when it comes to the Philly cheesesteak. Simple food made exceptionally well from fresh ingredients – there is no such thing as Philly cheesesteak anywhere but in Philadelphia.
I just LOVE IT!!
Mar
16
As I do a lot of work on my computer, I like to get out among people instead of being alone at home.
The result has been a sharp increase in coffee intake, and an appreciation for what’s good and and intolerance for everything else.
I generally drink cappuccino instead of regular coffee – and I do so primarily because it contains a full serving of milk (as opposed to a tablespoon of cream). That makes it less fattening and much healthier.
There are two main things that make or break a cappuccino: the coffee and the milk.
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Mar
05
I love to cook, but I seldom do any baking. It is just too exacting, and I prefer the creative freedom of throwing whatever catches my fancy into the pan and seeing what comes of it.
But, I felt like scones this morning, and they weren’t going to make themselves. So…
Surprisingly easy, these plain scones with orange zest took all of 30 minutes from setting foot in the kitchen to setting one in my mouth (scone, not foot).
Serve these up with jam and clotted cream or butter (and, of course some fine tea from Mariage Frères in Paris). Totally yummy!
(Yes, I am a bit of a gourmand. Sorry…)
Nov
22
I have had more than my share of disappointments trying Thai restaurants in America. Given that I am a lover of Thai, and that we have been spoiled with great Thai restaurants where I live, more’s the pity.
But all that changed last night in Manhattan, when I found Galanga on 4th Street W. near 6th Avenue. (Galanga, by the way, is Thai ginger.)
Finally, Thai food that hasn’t been Americanized! Finally, a place that doesn’t lump all Asian food onto one menu, as if Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian were all more or less the same.
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Nov
21
This past weekend was probably the tenth time I’ve visited the Big Apple. I have never been a big fan of New York; it was always too intense and aggressive for me. By contrast, I fell in love with Chicago the very first time I set foot in the place. But, I am about to relent… the place is starting to grow on me.
There is no denying that New York is a massive ball of energy, of people driven towards their own ends – each a contribution to the Manhattan mosaic of infinite variety of seek and find that goes on here. There is so much that it is impossible to take it all in as a tourist. It’s overwhelming.
There is a feeling that you are missing something all the time, that no matter where you are, something significant is going on somewhere else. The selection of things to visit, see, and do is so enormous that a cursory sampling of these would take at least a couple of weeks, instead of the two days I usually have.
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May
01
Hey, all!
I am starting my long journey that will take me to Las Vegas, and my first quick stop is San Francisco. I have a few hours between flights, so I zipped into the city for a few hours rather than cool my jets at the airport.
I picked the Mission District cuz I do love Mexican food and there’s lots of good, cheap and reasonably quick, but freshly prepared food to be had in this area of town.
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