Les Halles Was Wrong

Or else the place I went for mussels tonight just doesn't care about DOH guidelines - which is fine by me.

Don't Worry, We Can Always Order More

A colleague of mine is moving to China so we went to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown for a going away lunch. Eating with nine other people you can order as much as you want because it's not like you're eating four orders of soup dumplings yourself (although there is nothing wrong with that). But despite the abundance of food (and ability to order more) there was a reversion to a more base instinct. The food is served on a lazy susan so it's very easy to share by turning the lazy susan to ensure that everyone gets some of everything. Yet there we were, reaching across the table to get the crispy beef (which is going in my planner's review) or pan fried noodles - almost more embarrassing than one of our team members asking for a knife and fork. It wasn't a relaxed or shared meal.

Big Government Has Its Paws in Your Doggie Bag

This is not a political site, but when the government fucks with my eating I tend to get a little cranky. My dad is in town for Easter weekend and I have been noticing that things just a little off at our usual haunts.We all know that Mayor Bloomberg is against transfat and salt (with all due respect sir - transfat and salt don't kill people, and you shouldn't legislate personal choice). But what really pissed me off was what happened when I asked my waiter at Les Halles for the amazing au jus Normand that my mussels had been cooked in to go. It was delicious and what better an afternoon snack the next day than dipping a baguette (with butter) in warmed up sauce Normand, perhaps with a glass of red wine to counter the cholesterol. Well I was informed that the NYC Health Department wouldn't allow them to pack it up for me as it had been used to cook fish and had dairy in it so if I didn't handle it properly I might get sick. Well I would like to send a big fuck you to the NYC DOH. If I don't properly reheat the stock and I get sick, that's my problem and it's none of you business. In fact you owe me $4.27 for the au jus Normand that I paid for and couldn't finish.

A Little Bit About Me

My first memories are being in the kitchen with my mother. I think the best way to connect with friends and family is over food. Differences in politics, musical taste and choice in baseball teams disappear when breaking bread or sharing an artichoke.

I am a savory cook, not really into desserts. If given the choice between dessert and a cheese plate I will always choose the cheese plate. It may stem from my first attempt at cooking dessert. A chocolate cake. Put in salt instead of sugar. Some may say that was a mistake, I think it was just my affinity with savory showing at an early age.

Let's get the bitter "cooking for one" crap out of the way. Yes, to me the ultimate joy is in cooking for people you love on a regular basis. And as an old fashioned gal this fantasy includes a husband a kids (but not the kind that only eat chicken fingers because they will starve in my house). But in the meantime I don't mind cooking for one - although I sometimes wish you could buy fractions of eggs so you don't have to eat the same thing for a whole week. I have fucking (does this mean I have to check the adult content box on the blogger form?) fabulous friends that have yet to turn down a homemade meal. And family who is willing to come to NY and only eat a few meals out to allow me to cook for them - sorry Dad, we're skipping Daniel this weekend for Chez Me.