Monthly Archives: December 2008

Here it is

Posted on December 22, 2008 | 1 Comment

with some new photo-reportage from the permanent amateur photographer:

Thanks for reading and writing in. That’s the infamous C-clamp on the bottom right. Dee, Reporter At Large

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Posted in Editorial, Friend Alert

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Posted on December 22, 2008 | 5 Comments

The dining room table has flowers for you. Alstroemeria like I carried at our wedding, but dark pink. Plus culinary ways to a man’s heart. Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, your favorite. Tortilla chips and salsa. Dr. Pepper with real Imperial sugar, and some funky pink grapefruit soda for you to try.

Cocktail pumpernickel bread with thinly sliced radishes, warm unsalted butter and salt a la James Beard for tomorrow evening before our event. I’ll even use my cutters for fluted rounds to decorate.

I braved the holiday crowds for you, dear and they were pretty scary. Even parking was an adventure. btw, you haven’t told me your ten movie choices yet, though I know Star Wars 4-6. Let me guess. Anything by the Bronte sisters or Jane Austen. The Queen, and Memoirs of a Geisha. I nailed it! Way to go, Dee!

Elopement 101

Elopement 101

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Posted in Editorial

Little Ray of Sunshine

Posted on December 22, 2008 | 2 Comments

That’s what Sunnegga means, and was.

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When her folks were away, when she had ACL surgery, she was my little angel. Now I can place her photo on our frig with our other loved ones, including her human “sister” Annie. Jim and I loved Sunni. I took care of her at home or she came to stay with us and she was a lovely guest dog.

Now I know why yellow Labs are close to my heart. Zoe’s an Aussie runty mutt but I’ve always wanted a Sunnegga. You’re going on the frig, Sunni! With all the people and dogs that I love. Miss you guys. Take care, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

C-Clamp

Posted on December 21, 2008 | 1 Comment

We showed up at Nanny’s shortly after 11:00 a.m. for Thanksgiving. She has a very interesting home, that allows one to go from room to room in circles trying to see someone. About 45 minutes after we arrived, searching for the elusive Nanny, she arrived by the front door (a place Jim avoids because he knocks his head on the new chandelier every time he walks through the space.)

Nanny said she’d been looking for me and had to give me a family heirloom. She handed me a very heavy square jewelery box. I looked around for Jim and he was not to be found given a cursory glance.

When Jim was a youngster he got his first tool set. Not Fisher-Price, but a real child’s tool set. In the box was a C-clamp of red cast metal, with his name on it in gold letters. If we decorated at all, with a really sturdy tree, it would be a great ornament.

Aside from the desk set Nanny has promised me in her will (Jim built a cursory phone pad, pen and paper from wood at age five) it was one of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received! Thanks, Nanny.

And you wonder why she needed a surprise for her 82nd birthday. It’s great to have a grandmother. Both of mine died before I was a year old and the only thing I remember is the song, Blackbird. Pack up all your cares and woes…. Cheers to you this Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa season. Make a hearty breakfast for your guests. Dee

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Posted in Editorial

Forever Young

Posted on December 21, 2008 | 7 Comments

Bob Dylan, childrens book, Forever Young. I did place it on my Amazon Wish List. I need to read it thoroughly before giving it to any child I know. Oblique references to “Lay, Lady, Lay” with a big brass bed? We’ll see. If it makes a child think of the world and his/her place in it, perhaps.

Can we do ten favorite movies next? My brother and I had a competition years ago and we both went way over the limit, but that doesn’t mean you can do so.

If you were stranded on a deserted isle with no-one, a 42″ flat screen TV and electricity and water and food and all the DVD’s in the world, what ten movies would you watch over all others? No. You have to look over the world of movies and choose ten that you can have on your isle. What would you choose?

Just like Gilligan’s TV show a boat will come to take away the other 50,000 movies but for some inexplicable reason, will not rescue you. Even if you just saw the re-runs, why didn’t the Professor and Captain get them out of there? Didn’t Tina Louise need more gilded dresses?

Go for it. It’s a wonderful life, and looks to be a white christmas here, but I have a letter out of Africa from both Meryl Streep and Katharine Hepburn that reminds me of little women and the song that Sam was not to play at Rick’s. The hills are alive with do-re-mi and Thelma and Louise need me to help a young Frankenstein get the flux capacitor working so that Michael J Fox can go back to the future.

I truly, madly, deeply love you for putting up with me these seven months. Please write in. Thanks, Dee and the Tin Man, who has a heart after all

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Posted in Editorial, Education

Tagged

Artificial Intelligence

Posted on December 21, 2008 | 3 Comments

Amazon now thinks it knows who I am and what I want. It sends me emails about Harry Potter books, Blu-Ray discs and cookbooks. Also European history and art.

But nobody, not even my husband, knows what book I want right now. Yes, I went back to the hardware store and bought the Spain book today while Jim was at the barber shop. I haven’t cracked it open yet. Lest you haven’t read earlier posts there’s a PBS series on Spain with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow. I checked out an episode at 2 a.m. yesterday and it was with Mark Bittman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Claudia, who is also very pretty and seems to speak fluent Espanol.

This is tough to say as my husband is a software maven, but robots, excuse me, computers, can’t always pre-determine human behavior. That’s why we have humans. Sorry, honey. After years of my cooking, he actually said that a robot could do what I do. Does that robot know how much thyme and energy went into that last dish?

Thyme and Energy may be my my blogosphere in the new year. Look for it. Cook and physicist, me and Jim. Signed, Not A Robot

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Posted in Editorial

Holiday Films

Posted on December 20, 2008 | 1 Comment

We’ve been home sick together for two days. Where are the sappy Christmas movies? The NYTimes just had a piece on It’s A Wonderful Life. Haven’t seen that advertised this year. Where is the Grinch, Rudolph, Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Where is Prancer? White Christmas? I’ve already made and ate Trifle, and am not an eggnog fan. Where can we gather ’round a piano and sing a few carols while eating cookies and watching the kids string construction paper chains and popcorn/cranberry garlands?

Perhaps I am Ms. Scrooge this year, though I certainly hope not. It appears that our reindog (no antlers) needs to go out as she has finished her dinner. I get to cook later for the humans. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get antlers for the car and dog. Nah, probably not. Tomorrow is movie day. Have a great weekend! Dee

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Posted in Editorial

Happy Holidays

Posted on December 20, 2008 | Leave a comment

Zoe grew out of her jingle bell collar so it was given away. I will not make her pose for a photo for you or make her wear reindeer antlers. So all I can say is enjoy this season, with family and friends. Cook a few healthy things but make them taste good. I’ll be around and probably writing about this and that, and you can catch up as one of your New Years’ resolutions. Cheers! Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

Tagged

Practical Cookware

Posted on December 20, 2008 | 4 Comments

I tried to go to our nearest Linens ‘n Things the other day and it had closed up shop and was gone. I’d just wanted to look for two small things. What does one do when one lives in a major city and everything is in the suburbs? My brother needed mincemeat and was told to drive outside Manhattan to Hackensack NJ to get it. He doesn’t own a car. Instead he called me and I shipped it directly to Dad.

The prices at Sur La Table are through the roof, but the service is usually stellar (except last time) and when I need a particular item and they have it, it’s a five minute drive. Our hardware store has a number of practical, interesting and decently-priced items, like when I needed two coeur a la creme molds. They have recently steered me to a restaurant supply store that can be useful if I know that what I need is what they stock. I now have their catalog and they’re only a five minute drive away. That’s where I got knife guards and a new knife case for traveling. No, I won’t try to take it on a plane except in checked baggage. Well-priced.

Emails come to me by the dozen from all kinds of cooking empires. In years of practice and study, other than having a state-of-the-art kitchen with beehive oven out back and grilling empire for Jim, I have 95% of all the stalwart multi-purpose equipment and tools that I need so can afford to be choosy.

For example, the restaurant supply store still sells real pastry bags, not the clear plastic ones to throw away. When it comes right down to it, you still have to fish out your pastry tip at the end, so why not wash the bag, let it dry and re-use it?

Two questions. I bought a slow-cooker two years ago for an event and used it once and it’s taking up space. Does anyone really use these? And I need a solution to storing glassware as I have no cupboard space and need them handy. Fellow “lofties” use their oven, microwave and perhaps dishwasher for storing dishes (after turning off at the breaker) because they need cupboard space for work items or such. I need to use all those appliances. Hanging a rack from a 10′ ceiling doesn’t work. Any thoughts? Dee

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Posted in Cooking Utensils, Editorial, Education

More Than Hardware

Posted on December 20, 2008 | 1 Comment

A couple of weeks ago Jim and I went to our favorite local hardware store to have a key made or pick up a new sink trap or A/C filter. I love going there because the folks are so helpful in finding things, and because over 1/3 of the shop is dedicated to cooking! Yep, that’s where I picked up Margie’s quiche pans.

And while we were on our way out I saw this gorgeous hardcover book with photos of Spain (I’ve never been) and a PBS show with a most unlikely duo, Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now, I’ve been a fan of both for years but just never thought I’d see them on the same book jacket. When one sees Mario he’s inevitably expounding upon the regional cuisines of Italy, wearing his chef coat, shorts and clogs.

When one sees Gyweneth Paltrow, one doesn’t necessarily think “food.” Well, I awakened with a sore throat at 2:00 this morning and after sitting up and taking a throat lozenge, I turned on PBS with no sound and found Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman and Claudia Bassois at the Alhambra palace eating persimmons.

Back to hardware. The gentleman at the shop told me about the cookbook, the show and that it would be back on PBS in January after their holiday money-raising marathon. Yes, it is public television and this show makes me want to support public television but spare myself the marathon and “free” mug.

It also makes me want to keep supporting our local hardware/cooking store and perhaps take a sojourn to Spain. Not that I think Bittman or Batali would offer to show me around, but I’d feel bad going with Jim because so much of Spain is seafood and he’s allergic to anything that swims.

While we’re not celebrating Christmas here, Jim’s birthday is the 23rd and, like his family, I like to make it special because it is easily absorbed into the holiday season. Hopefully he’ll be back at work, and we have an event that evening, so I’ll have to think of something. Most spouses would be touched by a homemade breakfast of bacon and eggs, huevos rancheros or an omelet but I do that for him every morning. I’ll think of something. No, I’ll bet Gwyneth Paltrow has other plans for the day that do not include SE Texas. Good try, though.

Next time I’m at my local haunt I’ll check out the book more thoroughly to see if it’s an appropriate addition to my overstuffed cookbook shelves. I definitely want to visit the Alhambra and learn more of Spain. Tapas, anyone? Paella?

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Posted in Cook Books, Editorial, Education, Travel