bergerka

Thanks so much, folks! As it turns out, a friend from a gig a couple of years ago is living in Asheville now, so she and I will be lunching together on Saturday (she suggested the Tupelo Honey cafe, glad it's yummy!). I'm going to try to go standby and get back Saturday night or Sunday morning...wish me luck. It'll curtail my Asheville eating adventures, unfortunately, but it'll get me home for brunch à la slkinsey, too. K

So I have to take that daily cappuccino off my list of vices? Wow...between this and red wine, I'm nearly perfect! I'd better pick up some more naughty habits, or no one will want to hang out with me. K

It's not quite THAT simple. We don't do Thanksgiving with family-style service, we do a plated multi-course tasting menu which he spends hours (days) and tons of energy preparing (he blogged it for egullet this year, in fact). It's become a little running joke between us that nowhere in the tasting menu do cranberries appear except during dessert. I wasn't clear enough about that, sorry. K

He not only won't have cranberries at Thanksgiving, he refuses to allow anyone ELSE to have cranberries. Goddamnit. I LIKE CRANBERRIES. Fortunately, Ed brings cranberry cheesecake, or I'd go into total withdrawal every year. K

Well, folks, once again I'm traveling for an audition. I hit Asheville late February 25, audition the 26th...but in order to get a stellar airline ticket price, I can't leave till early (like crack of ass early) Monday morning! Where's a girl gonna EAT? Has to be easy to get to (audition is on UNCA campus, I'll probably be staying near there) - I don't drive, so I'll be cabbing or walking. Has to be cheap - I'm a starving singer! Goes practically without saying that it has to be yummy. Thanks in advance & PM me if anyone in the area wants to have lunch or coffee. Or a martini. K

Thank you all so much for the suggestions! Because it was just a short walk from our audition site, we made our way to O'Shea's and were delighted (good bangers especially, and those fried won ton things stuffed with potato et al were completely addictive). I'm now home & exhausted & ready to hit the sack. K

One more clarification - we'll be auditioning at a place on Cathedral Street, if that helps at all. OMG, Morela - the whippet is to die for. CUTE! K

That looks fabulous, but isn't open till 5 on Sunday - we need to get in a little before that to get the rental car back in time. K

Hi, all. A couple of friends and I are doing a quick day trip to Baltimore on Sunday for an audition, and we'd like to find a fun place that's not too far off the beaten track to eat afterward. The specifics: It'll be between the lunch and dinner hours (probably around 4pm), so needs to be open during that time. We don't want to spend a ton of money. Two out of the three of us are not all that fond of crabcakes, so it would need to have other delicious items on the menu. It could also be accessible from the drive back to New York City. Any type of food is fine with us! We all eat meat, dairy and dessert. Thanks so much! K Edited to clarify that Sarah LOVES crabcakes. It's the other two of us who are the party poopettes.

Chufi, your blog is brightening an incredibly boring workday. I'm now dying to go to Amsterdam - the closest I've been is Ghent (of course, I'm dying to learn to speak Dutch, too, like my dad does). Hmmm...I wonder if the ferrets would enjoy a smoothie? A chicken smoothie, maybe - otherwise they might look at me like "Mom...what, you're nuts or something?" K

Grape nuts! Grape nuts! Grape nuts! on the hot end of things, I like steel-cut oatmeal. Grape nuts! K

Having just returned from an excursion (with SarahD and Eric_Malson) to the Fried Dumpling at Eldridge & Broome streets, I can vouch that the dumplings remain juicy and porky inside, crunchy and chewy outside, hot and delicious. And that the hot & sour soup is my favorite version...ever. And that the sesame pancake with beef is the perfect end to a perfect day. And that in total I spent $3.50. K

Lemme get this straight. You ate snake gall bladder and the slime of the snow frog and you wouldn't try cat? K, who would such a chicken she would eat none of the above even if it were offered

The GIGANTIC fresh-ground hamburger on a toasted challah roll with sauteed onions, ketchup and mayo (yes, I said mayo, get over it) that slkinsey just made for me, proving yet again that he IS the most wonderful boyfriend on the planet. oh - with Kettle Chips sea salt & vinegar chips. And a refreshing glass of Fresca. K

Got married in Phoenix in October, 1994. Had 300 people in my parents' back yard (they have a gazebo, under which the ceremony took place). Food was catered by the Wigwam Resort - barbequed chicken and ribs, potato salad, green salad, corn on the cob, wedding cake (good - alternating layers of white and chocolate cake with a raspberry filling, white frosting. Can't remember what kind). Finished up with tequila shots in my mom's kitchen. For the life of me, I can't imagine how I managed to plan such a great wedding and reception and choose such a lousy spouse ! (no, it wasn't slkinsey! One only gets this lucky once in life.) Chalk it up to serious youth and inexperience. The COOLEST wedding reception I've been to was my brother's. Slkinsey catered - he cooked a pig in a pit and made polenta and assorted other goodies for about 100 people - in THEIR back yard. K

We actually left the house and made our way down to New Green Bo in Chinatown, where we ate scallion pancakes, pork dumplings, vegetable dumplings, pork soup dumplings, mushroom and rice cakes, fried rice with pork and preserved cabbage and tong po pork. Unbelievably, we received water the first time we asked for it. More unbelievably, refills were immediately forthcoming whenever water level dipped below 1/2 in the glass. No, it was not just two of us ! Five people. Total bill including tax & tip: $45. It's obscene. And JUST what the doc ordered on a snowy cold blowy night. K

With apologies to Oscar the Grouch: Chicken Ice Cream With Pickles! K

Slkinsey roasted a head of cauliflower last night with a little anchovy butter. Oh my GOD, it was good...three of us were basically battling to the death over the last little bit in the bowl. K

Yesterday: a number that shall go unrevealed (oh, fine, four) of Petit Ecolier extra-darks. Today: toss-up between a fantastic anjou pear I got at Gourmet Garage and the veal sausage & onions Sam made for dinner. K

Cool Whip. need I say more? I don't know what that shit is, but it isn't food. There oughtta be a law. K

Nothing to do with the thread, but you, my friend, are not spending NEARLY enough time in my neighborhood (way upper west side - Morningside Heights). There are several cute little places (Noche Mexicana and Taqueria y Fonda come immediately to mind) that are serving excellent and cheap Mexican food. I'll be watching this thread with interest for a good crock-pot barbacoa recipe, as I'm also addicted to Chipotle's burritos...YUM... K

Most of this is "what they all said," but this is a combination of Sam's and Dr. Dad's sure-fire hangover preventative/remedy. For every alcoholic drink you consume, empty one eight-ounce glass of water. No exceptions or excuses. Make sure you EAT a substantial meal, either before you drink or while you're drinking (not after! It's too late by then!). Dr. Dad recommends you include plenty of "long" foods; that is, foods high in protein (and probably also high in fat - a steak or a burger is perfect, with baked potato or fries, or a huge helping of beans & rice or something) as opposed to only "short" (simple carbs high in refined sugar) or "medium" (complex carbs) ones, as "long" foods keep you going and going like the Energizer bunny. Take a multivitamin (or at least a B complex) and two ibuprofen or naproxen sodium (Aleve) before bed, and drink a couple more big glasses of water. Then, just before you lie down (this is MOST important), chew a couple of Tums or Gaviscon (I prefer the taste of Gaviscon...Tums are icky and will make me throw up even if I wasn't already feeling sick ) or other antacid. If, in the morning, you are nauseated, sip a glass of carbonated, full-sugar soda. Slowly. The sugar and the bubbles will help to soothe your stomach. As soon as you feel a little steadier, eat something substantial and drink some coffee with it (for the caffeine, which will help eliminate leftover headache. Don't drink the coffee alone, though - too acidic and will aggravate your already sensitive stomach). Blander, filling food like oatmeal, cheerios, toast, scrambled (or poached or hard or soft-boiled) eggs, waffles or polenta will feel better on your stomach than will fruit, fruit juice, FRIED eggs, bacon or other highly greasy or acidic foods. K

Did you compare online immediately after returning home (or the next morning), or wait a few days? Sometimes restaurants (like gas stations or car rental places, those that accept debit cards, that is) will put a "hold" on a larger amount (anywhere from $.50 more to $50 more!) for a few days, to ensure that funds are available, and then charge only the amount you specified. K

Ellen, I just have to tell you that your trip posts make my day. My mom's enjoying this one too...she says she can hardly wait for each installment. K

Ok. Ok. This has almost nothing to do with anything except that it happened in Starbucks this morning, as I was ordering my grande latte (no whip, no soy, no flavors, GRANDE LATTE. CAFFEINE AND STEAMED MILK. PERIOD). The woman ahead of me ordered - get this - a SKIM white chocolate mocha...with whipped cream. Say that again. A SKIM WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA...WITH WHIPPED CREAM. What the hell was the point of the skim milk? No one actually LIKES that shit, do they? K