I’m in the middle of watching The Golden Girls for the first time (can you tell?) and this scene absolutely gutted me. Rose is absolutely the best character for so many different reasons, but this scene especially? God. Too, too good.
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Best beginning of a movie ever? THINK SO.
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God, some parts of this show are so sincere and sweet.
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Taste: My Life Through Food By Stanley Tucci - A Review
Available everywhere
Available everywhere
Truly, what a great book. There are only a handful of books I’ve read in a day (Animal Farm, The Bell Jar, White Noise, Mr. Vertigo) and now I get to add this great one to the list. I didn’t intend to read it all on this past Sunday, but a cold kept me in bed and each chapter kept me enthralled. I love days like that. Favourite parts ahead.
The line, “Culinary creativity may be the most perfect art form. It allows for free personal expression like painting, musical composition, or writing and yet fulfills a most practical need: the need to eat. Edible art, what could be better?”
When his father would always comment, “My God, what does the rest of the world eat?!!!!” when his mother would cook some wonderful dinner reminds me so much of any time I cook something especially decadent for my own father and he always says, “I feel sorry for what the peasants are eating tonight!“
Genius idea: “The buttering of the corn… well, it wasn’t just “put knife into butter, put butter on corn with knife.” No. No. Good God. No. A piece of homemade bread was buttered and then used to slather the salted ear of corn, thus, in true Italian fashion, creating two dishes out of one, the ear of corn being the first dish and the homemade bread (now saturated with the melted butter, salt, and sweetness from the buttered kernels) being the second. This may have been the single most delicious part of an an already delicious meal. An act so simply it’s almost stupid.”
I love his entire rant on page 129 about what bullshit it is that certain celebrity chefs don’t really taste their food on certain food shows and that you can always tell.
When he’s talking about how fettuccine Alfredo should only be made with butter and cheese: “Over the years, in many restaurants, the sublimely simple combination of butter and cheese has been altered to satisfy American palates. Cream has crept its way in (unnecessary), as well as chicken (yuck), broccoli (why?), and turkey (really? Fuck off).”
I absolutely loved the chapter on his wife’s way to cook English roast potatoes. My dad has been trying to explain this to me for years and I still haven’t got it quite figured out because of all the smoke involved.
The entire chapter on his battle with cancer is absolutely wild and must have been so hard to write in such detail, especially since it’s all so recent. How his pregnant wife handled all of it is truly beyond me.
Reminders to myself:
Why on earth haven’t I seen his movie Big Night yet?! Christ. I think it’s just so difficult to find. Have to get on this. Must also watch Babette’s Feast (he said it was part of his inspiration for making Big Night).
Must remember to make the tomato salad on page 46.
He mentions that “the truest ragu alla Bolognese recipe” is in the cookbook Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well, published in 1891, by Pellegrino Artusi so now I must make it.
When in Rome, eat the carbonara at the restaurant Pommidoro.
For dried pasta, buy the Cav. Giuseppe Cocco spaghetti, can by found online. It’s supposed to be among the best dried pasta available.
I have never tasted bottarga, but now I must?
Visit the beautiful seaside town of Deauville in France, but do not order andouillette.
Visit Dukes in London for a memorable martini.
If I ever start making martinis at home, see page 201 for reference.
Visit Lo Scoglio on the Amalfi Coast to eat the zucchini pasta that this man talks about at least once a day, it seems. (It’s also a beautiful hotel, so maybe stay there as well).
Fully recommend this book, especially if you want to stay in bed all day and dream of each dish he describes. (Thank you so much to my dear friend Diana for gifting this gem to me!)
2022 Resolutions
Honestly, all years after 2020 seem impossible so I’m not even gonna acknowledge the madness that it’s 2022. Before I let you know what my 2022 resolutions are, I need to let you know what you should also be doing right about now.
Every January I make sure to:
Mark down all important holidays/birthdays/anniversaries/weddings (also Daylight Saving Times, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving) on my calendar.
Check expiration dates for passport/license/health card/insurance/vet vaccinations and write down any important renewal dates.
Schedule all your doctor, dentist and hair cut appointments for the entire year.
Go through your entire fridge and throw away anything expired (this should really get done every month, but I’ll tell you right now that I never remember to do that).
RESOLUTIONS
Read at least one book per season.
Take Baby Dog on an adventure at least twice a season.
Try at least one new restaurant each month.
Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.
Make a receipt box to track monthly expenses.
Go on a solo, alone trip.
Wear FUN clothes.
On the first of each month, try something new.
Vow not to do eyelash extensions ever again.
Have my book published by the end of 2022.
Do these seem lofty? Resolutions should be lofty. We’re all slowly rotting towards death, let’s get some more loftiness in our lives. Happy new year!
(UPDATE: To see how these resolutions went, come on over here.)
2021 Resolutions Revisited
Making resolutions in 2021? What a concept. Even though we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, I managed to do a couple of notable things last year. I started out the year in Canada since I tested positive and had to stay put, so I spent most of those days watching the snow fall and never missing an episode of Jeopardy with my Dad. I kept making my seasonal lists (spring, summer, autumn, winter). I did Nathan’s podcast eight times:
#2: ”Great Companies”
#3: “Accountant Part Two“
#4: “Accountant Part Three“
#5: ”What’s A Rat King”
#7: “Girl Guides For Life“
#8: “Ten Years in NYC“
I got fully vaccinated and got a booster too, I took Baby Dog to Coney Island, I worked as a hostess on the Upper East Side for a few months (where I seated Woody Allen and then quit the next day), I went strawberry picking in Connecticut and ended up eating at Mystic Pizza, I went to two beautiful summer weddings, Nathan & I celebrated twelve years together, I started working part time as a literary agent, I saw so many Broadway plays (Wicked, Aladdin, To Kill A Mockingbird, Dear Evan Hansen, Girl From The North Country), my niece Layla came to NYC for the first time, I started taking online classes to help make my site better, I went to Salem in October, I got fake nails four times and look how gorgeous.
I finally saw the pumpkin float in Central Park, I took tours of gorgeous old mansions upstate, we all dressed up for Halloween, Nathan drove my parents to Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia while they were visiting, I wrote about my very favourite Thanksgiving recipes, I went blonde, I compiled my favourites of 2021, my parents met Nathan’s mom for the first time, I spent Christmas with my whole family for the first time in two years, and I found my favourite photos of the year. My two biggest failures of the year? Trying to eat these A-Z foods and my attempt at wardrobe challenge. Here’s how my 2021 resolutions went.
1. Read at least one book per season.
Winter: The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
Spring: Enter Talking by Joan Rivers
Summer: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Archor and The 5 Buckets: A Framework For Living With Intention by Bobby Dysart
Autumn: Okay so here’s the thing, I was so bored by Charles Grodin’s book that I didn’t even think about reading for months. I blame the Grod.
2. Juice at least five times a month.
I feel like I was a completely different person at the beginning of 2021 and all the prior years before that? Juicing is not the answer, honey. I did start out the year still doing them, but like, what a weird thing to track each time…? Eating disorder much? I’m not stating how many times it happened and I promise it won’t be on this year’s list. I’m sorry to anyone I’ve ever triggered any time I’ve talked about juicing.
3. Take Baby Dog on an adventure at least twice a season.
Winter: we took her to Canada for four months, so I think that counts for at least two adventures.
Spring: one trip to Central Park and one to Coney Island.
Summer: took her to New Jersey for a wedding and then to upstate New York for another wedding.
Autumn: took her to Canada for Thanksgiving & then to Central Park to see the fall foliage.
4. Get Nathan to take more photos of me.
Okay, I need to amend this one to include more people than just Nathan, especially since 99% of men I know have zero idea how to take a flattering photo.
5. Try at least one new restaurant each month.
January: Old Bagel House (woof, bagels should be illegal outside of New York, come at me)
February: <the whole month I either had COVID or was recovering>
March: Bar Primi (great spot, dim lighting, you can’t go wrong)
April: Bar Dalia (wonderful, intimate)
May: Dame (absolutely stellar fish and chips), Vicolina (oddly subpar, overpriced Italian)
June: dell'anima (very okay, but not worth the trek to 11th Avenue), Forsythia (one of my favourite new Italian places), Mystic Pizza (wildly average, but very cool to be there because of the movie)
July: Mimi Cheng’s (great dumplings), Spunto’s (great pizza), Marks Off Madison (crazy good turkey club sandwich)
August: Society Cafe (decent!), Ten Bells (very cute, even for Brooklyn), Vic’s (perfectly okay, but don’t think I’d return), Ruta (best new Mexican place I’ve tried in a long time)
September: Amylos Tavern (pretty good!)
October: Minton’s Playhouse (decent for a venue)
November: Red Hat on the River (incredible mussels), Di Fara’s (great but not worth the trek)
December: Carbone (thoughts over here), Via Carota (so so good), Dolly Varden (great food and cocktails)
6. Submit pieces to publications at least five times each month.
It’s better if I don’t tell you how little I did this. I didn’t do zero per month, but I definitely didn’t do five.
7. Save $50 every Monday to use for travel spending money.
I did this for the first half of the year and then lord only knows what happened.
8. Buy nothing from Amazon or Wal-Mart, or at least limit it to once per month.
All right so I went nuts with the Wal-Mart shopping anytime I was in Canada. And you don’t want to see my Amazon orders from November and December. I want to stop, but I guess I’ll just have to come to terms with being a terrible person.
This one really fell off the rails. I’m not against finishing the list, but this feels more of a within-a-decade kind of goal…? Haha?
10. Stop being so afraid.
Truthfully, I’m still pretty afraid. But this is a baby steps kind of resolution. I’d never have even dreamed of dying my hair blonde even a year ago, so that’s big for me. I’m also getting better at communicating boundaries in my relationships, so that’s also big.
One thing that I’ve very pleased to have kept up with? My monthly roundup posts. They’re my favourite to write, so I’m grateful that anyone wants to read them. Here are the links to the last twelve months of them: December 2021, November 2021, October 2021, September 2021, August 2021, July 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, March 2021, February 2021 & January 2021.
And here are all the best tweets posts from 2021 as well: January tweets, February tweets, March tweets, April tweets, May (part one) tweets & May (part two) tweets, June (part one) tweets & June (part two) tweets, July (part one) tweets & July (part two) tweets, August (part one) tweets & August (part two) tweets, September (part one) tweets & September (part two) tweets, October (part one) tweets & October (part two) tweets, November (part one) tweets & November (part two) tweets, December (part one) tweets & December (part two) tweets.
2022 resolutions coming tomorrow!
December Dalliances 2021
December was a complete whirlwind but when is it not? I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! Other than getting my booster (!), here’s what else went down last month.
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I compiled my very favourites from the year.
Here are two great things to do when a new year has begun.
I wrote about the Christian Dior exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum (which closes in February).
Did you know that Costco has candles? There’s a four candle box for $20 and they’re only two-wick each, but extremely good quality.
I don’t think I’ve ever had pecan pie before in my life (I don’t even know why, I think I thought it might be too nutty?) but I tried a slice at JG Melon and whoa. Who the hell knew?
I attempted to read Charles Grodin’s memoir and I just… I couldn’t. I don’t mean to show any disrespect, but what a bore. Some people shouldn’t write books, I simply had to softly put it down on Nathan’s desk and walk away.
Incase you need to know the Bob’s Burgers Christmas episodes in one handy chart.
I am obsessed with the snow drop scent from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. I’ve got the all purpose cleaner as well as the dish detergent and I’m so angry I didn’t buy any more to use throughout the year because it’s currently sold out everywhere. And look, the pine one is very good too, but the snow drop one just takes your breath away. Oh god… is this my life now… excitement over cleaning supplies scents?? End me.
Speaking of things that bum me out, I also tried the basil scented Method dish soap and Nathan and I both agree: not for us. The bottle shape is weird and the smell of basil to clean your dishes is confusing.
The best of the holiday recipes that I made over the Christmas break: Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding, Upstate-Style Roast Beef Sandwiches, Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese, and Chocolate Pumpkin Pie (I didn’t do the marshmallow part, I went with whipped cream instead although a rum whipped cream would have worked well, too).
The dill pickle chicken nuggets at Burger King in Canada? Shock of all shocks: not good.
But the tim biebs at Tim Hortons? Pretty good!
Food lesson I learned: gruyere does not taste good as a shredded cheese on top of garlic bread, it must be mixed into some sort of mixture to taste good since it’s way too overpowering on its own.
Tried the chicken sandwich at Jollibee and honestly? It’s a definite contender for the Popeye’s one. Really great.
New nails alert!
I finally made Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies and they are fantastic. I had no idea how much I love demerara sugar, it’s that beautiful crunchy sugar that you can find atop the classiest of muffins and it’s too too good.
They have the dairy-free Boursin at Trader Joe’s! And it tastes exactly like the dairy version! Why does this excite me!
My niece Layla introduced me to the brand Native and I’m loving their holiday scented body washes (Sugar Cookie & Candy Cane).
I finally ate at Carbone with my dear friend Paul and it was good! Was it as special as the world seems to think it is? Of course not, but that reality is okay, too. The service was great, the place is beautifully decorated for the holidays and the food was very much adequate. The cons of the place are mainly due to its inaccessibility and food quality for its price. And maybe we should've gotten more meat entrees instead of only sticking with their pastas but I mean... it's an Italian restaurant... shouldn't all of their pastas wow you with a reputation like theirs? The best things we ate were the tortellini al ragu ($34) and the garlic bread (free). Both truly great. The spicy rigatoni vodka ($32) is their most celebrated pasta and honestly it was good but not at all worth the hype. The fettuccini con funghi ($32) was disappointing mainly because of the inclusion of bell peppers... why put bell peppers in such a dish? Such a gross flavour with the creaminess of a soft fettuccine. I really did want to love this place, but there are far superior Italian places in this city (L'Artusi, Lilia, Portale). Take your money elsewhere.
I’ve never even heard of shapable soap, but I bought a can from Bath & Body Works (it’s on sale for $5 right now) and it’s so fun to use. Kids especially seem to love it. Apparently they only have them around the holidays but there are four scents to choose from.
I bought this faux leather vest from Zara that I love and have absolutely no idea how to style.
I won a lottery ticket to see Girl From The North Country and it was really good, I sat in the second row from the front and I might be ruined forever because seeing a play that close was unreal and so cool. Also, seeing the Belasco Theatre was a dream. Also, Austin Scott can GET IT.
Had a drink at the Ophelia Lounge and the view is wonderful, but the drinks and food aren’t terribly special.
The candy cane green tea at Trader Joe’s? Award-winning.
Finally ate at Via Carota with Irene on her birthday and it was really good. All the pastas were wonderful, skip the rice balls.
I made my way to Via Porta (the smaller, casual outpost of the L’Artusi crew) to get some of their jarred sauces and I was a little disappointed unfortunately. It just didn’t taste the same as in the restaurant. I only tried the bolognese one, so maybe the mushroom ragu will be better? I’ll definitely give it one more try, especially since they’re supposed to start selling their fresh pasta in the coming weeks. (Also, the baked goods they’re selling are extremely good.)
My friend Casey kindly invited me to the dress rehearsal of Dear Evan Hansen and I’m so happy to have seen it! But good lord, never again. The music is mostly wonderful and the actors were great, but every other aspect of the production? Yikes. Forever love seeing something on Broadway, though.
My And Just Like That… thoughts (spoilers ahead):
God, where do I begin…
In a time when death, sickness and darkness literally surrounds our every waking moment, why in the world would a team of writers want to start out a “beloved” series with the death of a major character? I mean… read the room??? Why start an entirely new season with grief? On what planet does this make sense? Especially when you have these characters living in this post pandemic existence that still isn’t a reality here and now? It’s nonsense.
Also the cringey nature of every single podcast scene? I have to almost ignore these parts entirely because of how bad they are. It’s as though someone wrote this script and then a team of woke writers came in to make it fit into today’s culture but completely missed the mark and just ended up making this vomit-inducing trash. It’s all just so embarrassing to watch.
I know this has been said to death, but them even doing this series without Samantha was the wrong decision. The balance is completely off, I don’t care about the new characters, none of this should ever have been made.
We bought this new pineapple print for the living room and I can’t wait until it’s hung up.
I tried the eggplant parm at Cutlets and it was pretty good but nothing to write home about.
In love with the new feathered evening coat I got for Christmas.
I tried the KFC potato chips from Walkers (brought over from the UK) and they were delicious.
I’m sure you saw my new hair, but incase you’re living under a rock. (Note: this is the first time in 36 years I’ve dyed my hair. Why did I want to do it? Mainly because I wanted to stop being afraid of doing it.)
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: seeing The Phantom of the Opera with Nathan (his first time!), I’m excited about the return of Restaurant Week, the Bath & Body Works semi-annual sale has already started incase you like cheap candles (the hot buttered rum one is NUTS), I’m excited about making new resolutions for the year because I’m clinically insane, and I might make the trek to Governor’s Island now that it’s opened for the winter.
If you have any interest in other monthly roundups of 2021, they can be found here: November 2021, October 2021, September 2021, August 2021, July 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, March 2021, February 2021 & January 2021.
Favourite Photos of 2021
(You can find my favourite photos from 2020 over here.)