For those of us who like to feel we’ve snagged the best of the best, eating in Paris can cause Street Fair Anxiety. You know the street fair fear of Not Finding The Best, or, Settling For The Not So Good? Wandering from booth to booth not knowing where to stop? Oh. Maybe it’s just [...]
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Raw chicken is scary. But I like the cooked kind. Much as I love a perfect cashmere sweater, we can’t live on style alone. Turns out we have to eat. And there comes a time for almost all of us when we will be eating alone for a few days. Maybe you’re single and living [...]
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via Flickr, grand grrl’s photostream Pancetta, lemons, brussels sprouts, oven, 15 minutes. Or, in a slight expanded version, 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil2 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch pieces1 lemon, cut into quarters and then into paper-thin slicesKosher or sea salt and freshy cracked black pepper Preheat [...]
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My sisters are coming for dinner tonight. And sleeping over. In my world, sisters are A Very Good Thing. On the menu? Something that counts as comfort food for Northern Californians. Especially when one of them was a vegetarian for a rather long time. Oh, said vegetarian wasn’t me. I’m very fond of meat. Even [...]
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I love to cook. I used to do a lot of it. In my 40s I learned a few tricks that made the type of cooking I like to do – Cal/Asian, Cal/Italian, lots of chopping – easier. I thought that in the spirit of the High WASP sturdy gal I would pass them on [...]
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I5 is a long and ugly road. Takes you past tumbleweeds and dusty orchards and feedlots full of hot, sluggish cattle waiting to be processed. Processed is a euphemism. You will see signs saying things like “Congress Created Dust Bowls” attached to wire fencing running alongside. Not much resemblance to the California of our dreams. [...]
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Some things are universal. Thank heavens. You know how it feels, when you are driving down the freeway, and thinking about the next couple of hours, you realize you are hungry, and then realize your favorite food is waiting for you at the next off-ramp? Tacos. Carnitas. See that tomatillo salsa? The chopped red onions? [...]
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I love to cook. I’ve been buying stuff to cook with for 30 years. As such, and as a Californian besides, I’ve always looked for the best ingredients. Going to Asian markets for actual Chinese long beans. Googling aji amarillo to find out where I might buy Peruvian chiles in the Bay Area. (Failing but [...]
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Theme parties aside, the High WASP’s most favorite sort of entertaining is the family gathering. Let’s face it. It’s tiring being a High WASP. All that social signaling. I am sighing at the thought. At family gatherings, you will not offend anyone with incorrect signals. The language is shared. You may offend someone by calling [...]
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My best friend moved to Belgium last year. She has been my best friend for 18 years. When I call her, her cellphone says Best Friend. When she calls me, my cellphone says Belgium. My friend, never a fleshy person except when pregnant, has lost a lot of weight since she moved to Belgium. She’s [...]
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