Megan Blocker

Great pics, Susan! I particularly like the one of the pasta hanging on the drying rack! Hee hee!

For me it's not germs - it's that, in the context, the touch feels inauthentic, like it's a bid to get a bigger tip. Because I don't understand or like the motivation, the touch is unwelcome. I think we have here a case of good touch, bad touch. I have no problem touching the vast majority of people - as mentioned in my earlier post, shaking hands with a particularly friendly restaurant owner or maitre d' would not strike me as odd or off-putting. Greeting aquaintances or friends of friends with a kiss or two on each cheek - same deal, totally fine. But having a total stranger put their hand on my shoulder in a familiar way just seems...weird.

Wouldn't that allow us to include everything Dylan Thomas ever wrote? I think Rumi is speaking of God, ling. I found the poem while reading on Sufi-ism. But yes, how pleasant it would be to be so Goddess-like to think that those words could be personally taken. . . ← The Sufi mystics wrote some really beautiful poetry - I'd never heard this one, though. Great choice, Carrot Top!

Brownies are my go-to quick dessert - when you combine prep and cooking time, they're probably more in the 45-minute range, but still really manageable. To dress them up, I make Ina Garten's brownie tart. I serve it with homemade whipped cream and berries (rather than the creme anglaise she uses), and it has never once failed to be a huge hit. For just day-to-day brownies (very popular in my office), I use this recipe. You can make either of these a day ahead!

Dijon is great to add to a stew, as well...

Oops. I am interested to see what goodies come out of that kitchen, though. The marble countertops alone had me drooling.

My mom bought some of her stock back when she first went public, and she's stuck with it all this time. She's a very happy camper this year, too. Speaking of Sesame Street, her website tells me that Elmo will be on today: ← How's that for synergy? Wowza. Nothing like a children's entertainment icon sporting the products of prison knitting.

Shut up. Diddy? Damn it. I really don't want to watch her new show... but somehow I don't think I'll be able to stop myself. Trainwreck television in the making. ← Martha and Diddy? Shut up indeed, Girlfriend. Damn, I wish I had a working TV. ← I will definitely tape the Diddy episode (unless it's today and I missed it, in which case - oops), and do my best to summarize it for all who may miss it. Something tells me it will be both intentionally and unintentionally full of all kinds of hilarity. Gawker may also do a play by play - I'll keep an eye out and keep you all posted. Edited to add: OK, Just checked the Martha website, and Diddy is on this Thursday. Oooooh, baby. Here we go!

There's a great poem about finding cold plums in the icebox by William Carlos Williams... Also, "The Fish," by Elizabeth Bishop. I guess it's not really food poetry, since the fish in question is thrown back. But it's been one of my favorites ever since studying Bishop in high school. Great thread idea!!!

Mmmmm, lavender creme brulee. Delicious!

Thought you might all enjoy the commentary New York media gossip blog Gawker has been giving to the new (And un-improved?) version of Martha Stewart. HI-larious. I myself have not seen the new show, but think I will program my VCR to tape it for a few days this week...there is absolutely no way I can miss the P. Diddy (Or is it just Diddy now?) segment. Uh-uh, no sir.

Well, that's really more about having fun (and high hopes) on vacation, no? Sigh.

There's more to creating warmth than touching. Recently, a group of friends and I decided to splurge and have dinner at Jean-Georges. We had a fantastic time, in part because the waitress in charge of our table was a blast. Since this was J-G, she was clearly of high-quality waitstaff stock, and she did an excellent job of reading our mood and attitude (down-to-earth, upbeat, food-loving, and just on the proper side of boisterous). She was clearly the kind of waitperson who is able to adjust their demeanor/approach from table to table, and it paid off - we left a huge tip. I was very impressed by her, and we've actually spoken about her several times since as the ideal waitress. And not once did she touch a single one of us. If she had, the outcome would have been very different. I get enough of strangers touching me on the subway. I don't need it in a restaurant. I'm a very physically affectionate person, but that's just completely inappropriate (unless, as has been mentioned, you've met the waitperson before). Even a handshake before or after dinner is fine. But touching me during the meal? NO WAY.

Quiet night tonight...decided to have some toasted leftover boule (had it in the freezer from when I had my friend Lisa over a couple of weeks ago) topped with a little unsalted butter and some blueberry preserves (my favorite!). To go with it, an orange. My Chinese delivery place includes them with every order, but I never have room for them after those dinners! Otherwise, I really only eat the oranges my grandmother sends me from Florida every winter. Yum.

Oh. My. Goodness. I am a caffeine addict (it only affects me in positive ways, I swear). In any case, I think your pictures of that cappuccino have made me salivate harder than anything else on this blog. Joie, it looks gorgeous. Thank goodness for non-corporate coffee.

Ahhh, yes, have made it often! I love the pictures that accompany this recipe! Forty clove Garlic Chicken ← Ina Garten has a similar recipe in her new book (Barefoot in Paris) - it is one of my faves and is to die for. I never have cognac on hand, but often sub in bourbon - and it's really, really good. It also keeps beautifully - I live alone, and I usually make a big vat of this on Sunday and eat it all week. Of course, there's sometimes nothing better than a classic spaghtti aglio olio.

I ended up making the puree on Thursday night for Saturday afternoon shower - it was delightful! I just pureed the peeled white peaches, adding a bit of sugar and some lemon juice (about three of four lemons). I hoped the lemon juice would keep the puree that gorgeous pink color, but it did go a bit brown in the end. However, the flavor and texture stayed, and the Bellinis turned out gorgeously. We discovered that popping them into the blender for about 5 seconds blended the cocktails really well, and left that classic bit of foam (a al Cipriani's itself) on the top. Yum!

Enablers? Saviours? Incredibly nice and accomodating human beings? I'm good with bartender, myself.

Perhaps they are lurking on this very thread...one never knows!

I was browsing on Recipe Gullet earlier today and saw this one, which looks like it might fit the bill! Fricasseed Chicken with Vinegared Peppers Roast chicken is a classic - it can be eaten alone, in salads, in pastas...yum. I'm a huge fan of breakfast for dinner, and, even though it's not a one-dish meal, I usually make a double batch of waffles and freeze them. They're great as dinner, dessert, whatever, and they freeze really well. Meatballs are also a good call. They, like chicken, can be eaten alone, with pasta, on a sandwich... Do you have a grill? When I lived at home, we would always grill extra chicken or steak, and then eat that over the course of the week, usually in what my family calls "leftover salad." It's still a huge favorite with me. Plus, if you're already grilling, it takes such little work to throw a couple of boneless breasts on there.

Yum, yum, yum! Sounds delicious and so comforting. Perfect for fall!

I'm sure it will be gorgeous - you're too modest. Besides, what really matters...is how it TASTES!!!

I do hope we'll get to see pictures of the final product of all this delicious experimentation!

Had some leftover white cake layers in the freezer, so broke them up and layered them in a trifle dish with some leftover lemon cake filling (essentially a runny lemon custard - I got the recipe from a friend's mom), with a little cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar mixed together and spooned on top. Yum - lemon trifle? Wanted to add some blueberries, but the ones I had in the fridge were a little past their prime, and I didn't want to miss one minute of the tennis!

All the good ones really are taken!