“I don’t want to stand overly simplistic, but this is how this country works. When it involves white people is when it matters.” –Rebecca Carroll Well. Impeachment. We’re going there, at long last? I’ll believe it when I see it, but it does appear House Democrats are now presenting a united front in its favor.…
“We don’t really celebrate the accomplishments of government employees. They exist in our society to take the blame.” –Michael Lewis, author of The Fifth Risk Yesterday was a typical Thursday morning, in that I sleepily grabbed my phone and read Slate Magazine’s Dear Prudence column. Then – also a somewhat typical Thursday occurrence – I…
“At some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.” –Vivian Morris, protagonist of City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert Hello again! My jaunt away from blogging was temporary, I’m back, and I have a really good…
“…love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” – Kabil Gibran Two weeks ago I mentioned that we were awaiting test results to see if our beloved kitty had lymphoma or not. His test came back negative. You’d be forgiven for thinking this story might have a happy ending. We hoped it…
“In the presidential debates leading up to the last election, only four minutes total were spent on climate change, that’s one big reason I’m running: to ensure that doesn’t happen again.” –Jay Inslee The 2020 Democratic presidential primary chugs along with, despite the recent spate of dropouts, still far too many contenders. Dropouts are good,…
“Inhale for four, exhale for four. Count your breaths. You, my dear, are alive.” –Theresa Avila, girlboss Last Thursday night I got high and watched two episodes of Great British Baking Show. I laughed and laughed despite the fact that the show isn’t that funny, and sadly enough, it might be some of the most…
I’m waiting on a call from the vet to find out if my beloved fourteen-year-old kitty has lymphoma or not. While I’m well aware that my unpleasant situation is hardly unique, and that the world keeps turning anyways, and that TRUE ADULTING is recognizing that, the truth is that my brain is pretty scrambled and…
“Try this recipe once, and you’ll understand why we call the Mexican elote one of the best ways to serve corn, hands down.” –Serious Eats Mexican street corn. Elote. You know it. You’ve bought it from a taco truck or casual restaurant. You’ve likely made it at home. You know it originated in Mexico…
“Members of the press, what the fuck?” –Beto O’Rourke This most recent spate of mass shootings has left me completely gut-punched, more so than usual. It’s pathetic and infuriating that I live in a first-world country where it’s normal to type such a sentence. Despite growing up in Texas, I’ve never been a fan…
“When people do inexplicable things, it’s always tempting to project qualities onto them that would offer a more innocuous explanation of their behavior than bad judgment, fecklessness, or stupidity. And this particular bias has infected contemporary political analysis with a virulence that rivals Ebola.” –Elizabeth Spiers Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi enjoys a reputation,…
“Fun fact: A dog’s willingness to meet eyes with humans is one of the things that separates them from wolves.” –Renee Jaques, Huffington Post Last weekend was Mr. Wallace’s birthday, and seeing as he has reached those echelons of middle age where one begins to decline to divulge which particular birthday one is celebrating, the…
“Even though the multiracial coalition that re-elected Obama in 2012 and stayed home in 2016 was large enough to change the outcome of the election, the Democratic leadership has focused on voters who swung from Barack Obama to Donald Trump.” –Tory Gavito and Sean McElwee, GQ On November 6, 2018, we witnessed the successful culmination…
“Since Vietnam, every time a Democrat has won the presidency, it’s because Democrats voted with their hearts in a primary and closed ranks around the candidate who inspired them, promising an obvious break from the past and an inspiring vision that blossomed in the general election.” –Peter Hamby, Vanity Fair I was 17 in November…
“And you know what? A few of us went down on guys in theaters.” –Nicole Cliffe In addition to physical books and a few regular columns and blogs, I read many articles each week, most of which are fairly depressing. The news just blows serious chunks right now. But every once in a while, you…
“Every town has the same two malls: the one white people go to and the one white people used to go to.” –Chris Rock While the 2018 midterms are certainly in the rear view mirror by now, I, a native but transplanted Texan, have been unable to tear my nerdy self away from studying the…
“As long as it refuses to examine the culpability of its explicitly patriarchal theology in fostering abuse, the SBC’s [Southern Baptist Convention] systemic abuse problem is going to remain unsolved.” –Chrissy Stroop, Playboy You may remember reading the bombshell investigative report on sex abuse scandals and the ensuing cover-ups plaguing the Independent Fundamental Baptist denomination,…
“…it took Planned Parenthood and EMILY’s List a long time to start diverting money toward her. [Marie] Newman’s eventual primary loss to [incumbent Dan] Lipinski was so close that it seemed possible that an earlier willingness to take a chance on her candidacy could have meant a different result.” –Rebecca Traister, Good and Mad …
“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” ―W. Somerset Maugham Last December, I realized I had inadvertently spent the previous two years letting my book reading habit slip, the (I think) good habit I’ve steadfastly held since, well, I guess elementary school.…
“I have heard your pro-Aidan arguments, and they will not move me—because Aidan Shaw is bullshit and will remain bullshit, for as long as his five almost-empty deodorants gather dust on a bathroom shelf. (So, forever.)” –Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair Today is the 21st anniversary of the first ever televised episode of HBO’s cultural phenomenon…
“Ask anyone who has ever tackled a home renovation project – no matter how big or small, it always takes twice as long, costs twice as much and sucks 8 times as much as you thought it would.” –Melissa Terzis, D.C. realtor Remember me kvetching about how my flooded basement necessitated a full-on rehab, like,…
“The Spanish fucked everything up! The only thing they did right was seduce the pig.” –Diana Kennedy, on Spain’s colonization of Mexico 500 years ago Last week I gave you Houston-Style Carnitas, and today as promised, I offer you the original carnita, from Michoacán, Mexico. This dish was created after Spanish colonists brought over pigs…
“I’ve stood in a sanctuary singing songs I didn’t feel like singing, pretending to agree with a political ideology I no longer agreed with, praying to a God I wasn’t sure I believed in anymore. It whittles down your spirit, a little at a time, until one day you realize it’s not you going to…
“Of course, with the cold weather and lack of spirits, I was ready to get cracking right away. Problem is, dried beans are not exactly fast food, taking at best several hours, and at worst, a full day of soaking, followed by simmering. So I did what any sensible, sober man would do: I bought…
“If there are people in the House or the Senate who want to say that’s what a president can do when the president is being investigated for his own wrongdoings or when a foreign government attacks our country, then they should have to take that vote and live with it for the rest of their…
Today I offer you a mea culpa of sorts for my absence the past week and a half. I’ll not blather on about the week we spent at the beach in Miami. I’ll spare you the details of the warm sun, the white sand, the resort pool, the Cuban cuisine, the week off work… we…
“The fact that the dish emerged during the 1950s would seem to dispel any romantic notions of pasta alla puttanesca in nineteenth-century Neapolitan bordellos. Brothels were outlawed in Italy in 1958.” –Jeremy Parzen Good day, readers. Today’s post will have you travelling within the inner workings of my brain in a series of random…
“…they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time.” –Alex Rojas The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC, nicknamed D-trip), the arm of the House Democratic Caucus responsible for getting Democrats elected…
“Would-be ‘respectable’ Evangelicals who value education and want to be taken seriously are acutely aware that when it comes to ‘training up’ the next generation, too much critical thinking, or the ‘wrong’ kind of education can lead to the community losing a potentially talented culture warrior to ‘the world’.” –Chris Stroop A few months…
“Hot take: ‘a piece of deliberately provocative commentary that is based almost entirely on shallow moralizing’” –Simon Maloy When I was in high school in the mid-nineties, I had a classmate who brazenly and arrogantly declared that the song “Layla” was, like, so overrated. He obviously found his claim edgy and enlightened as “Layla” endures…
“Making pasta for the first time felt like a mature act, on the level of hiring an accountant or buying A Love Supreme on 180-gram vinyl.” –Kevin Pang of The Takeout Making your own pasta is a joyous experience, a relaxing and satisfying escapist endeavor, the hallmark of true adulting. Why yes, this is going…
“If you’re not going to impeach Donald Trump, for a multitude of extremely serious crimes, who is impeachable?” –Sarah Kendzior I was enraged and demoralized at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment comments last week. I assumed everyone else would be too. I… was wrong. The swift eruption of social media support quickly descended into the worst…
“…nothing went on in Trump world, especially the campaign, without Mr. Trump’s knowledge and approval.” –Michael Cohen Of the many, many talking points we’ve been subjected to since Donald Trump took office, it seems like one of the more universally accepted claims is that he didn’t really want to win. Yes, actually, he did; and…
“When I first moved to New York City and discovered that the Tex-Mex was seriously lacking in this town, I embraced Indian food.” –Lisa Fain, of Homesick Texan Last week I shared a drink, the unique and uniquely delicious Paloma with Chaat Masala, which can be found in blogger Tara O’Brady’s amazing cookbook, Seven Spoons.…
“Telling people not to complain is an act of power, a way of asserting that one’s position is more important than another one’s pain.” –Sarah Kendzior Senator Kamala Harris has officially announced her 2020 presidential bid! Appearing on Rachel Maddow’s show for her campaign’s kickoff media appearance on January 23rd (2019), Harris said that her…
“It would be out of line for a typical boss to ask an employee to clean her lunch utensil. But a senator’s job isn’t typical.” –Laura McGann via Vox Senator Amy Klobuchar has officially announced her run for the presidency, and apparently she’s an abusive boss, a stark contrast to that “Minnesota nice” public face…
“Hold me closer, Tony Danza. Count the head lice on the highway.” –Elton John, except not When the two human states of Wanting to Be Really Unproductive and Needing a Good Laugh happen to intersect, I personally prefer to peruse a comment thread about misheard song lyrics. Those things never fail to have me cracking…
“It’s mostly women telling these stories. Congratulations, you’ve found a new, not particularly original, way to say ‘shut up and cook.'” — Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen Because there is apparently nothing more pressing to discuss on social media these days, one of the emerging HOT TAKES of 2019 appears to be, groan, food blog…
Print Recipe Pimento Cheese with Herbs and Capers Author: Taste of the South Magazine Ingredients2 cups mild Cheddar cheese (I prefer yellow because tradition)1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened1 4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained½ cup mayonnaise¼ tsp kosher salt¼ tsp garlic powder¼ tsp onion powder¼ tsp cayenne¼ cup scallions, chopped, plus more for…
Print Recipe 5 from 1 vote Dirty Blue Cheese Olive Martinis Servings: 2 Author: Alex Guarnaschelli, The Home Cook Ingredients~2 tbs crumbled blue cheese I used Valdeon, Roquefort works nicely and may be easier to find6 large pitted green olives with nothing in the middle of them plus ¼ cup (2 oz.) olive brine1 tbs…
Welcome back to your own space, Julie! I do so appreciate everyone’s patience, I’ve been working on some technical upgrades, and I’m abominably slow at such things – I’ll blame the blatant nepotism in my high school’s computer science department (I learned NOTHING!). I should update you on my kitchen (mis)adventures though! I made…
Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! We survived another week of the new year! That’s awesome. I feel like the news cycle this week was bombshell-heavy, but when you think about it, is this really any different from any other week these days? Eh, probably not. The weather (at least in the Northeast US) seems ……
Last week, I shared some 2018 Cooking Goals I have arbitrarily set for myself – not New Year’s resolutions per se, because really, who keeps those longer than a maximum of ten days? No, they are just goals, just a few kitchen skills I’d like to finally master. I wanted to let you know that…
We have our first Sunday Morning Coffee of 2018! How has it been, being back to the grindstone? Personally, I’m freezing my ass off. It’s all good though! I’m very excited about any and all fresh opportunities 2018 might have to offer, and there’s a stack of cookbooks to be happily explored on my coffee…
At the end of 2016, it seemed like most people were commenting on what a terrible year it was; and indeed, the year ended with one of the most abominable jokes of a presidential election this nation has ever seen. There were hopes for 2017, like, how can this get any worse? And 2017 was…
There are very few first-world problems in this life I find more maddening than the uber-annoying, completely unnecessary rhinovirus – yup, the common cold. Seriously, WHAT is the point. This completely harmless virus hitches a ride into your system via one of your orifices, and can your immune system just leave well enough alone? Oh…
Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! Wishing a Happy Hanukkah to all my friends, family, and readers who celebrate it. You’re all making me crave latkes. So I guess we had more celebrity chef sexual misconduct news this week, huh? I’m truly horrified at the stories I’m reading, but glad this dam is breaking wide open.…
It’s here, it’s here, it’s HERE! Only now can the holiday season officially begin. I’ll explain. About three years ago, my husband, who understands my warped sense of humor quite well, introduced me to the writing of Drew Magary, a GQ and Deadspin columnist – or more specifically, he introduced me to the wonder and…
We put up our Christmas tree Sunday afternoon. It’s the first year in our decade-plus of togetherness that we’re using an artificial tree. And I’m pretty sure we screwed it up, because as I type this, I’m sitting on the couch, directly across the living room from the tree, and I can see a near-perfect…
Welcome to another Sunday Morning Coffee, and this one is snowy! We in the good ol’ NJ got a few inches yesterday – they were mostly the really pretty fat snowflakes that everyone except my cat loves (he chases them from the windowsill and feels sad when he pounces at the window and can’t actually…
As all Top Chef fans are WELL aware, the premiere of Season 15, set in Colorado, is tonight on Bravo! We’ve all been waiting and waiting for this, so in celebration of this momentous occasion, I decided to give my review of the franchise by ranking the previous fourteen Top Chef seasons in reverse order…
It’s Top Chef premiere week (Season 15, people!) and yesterday I gave you a Tom recipe. Today, as promised, we have a Padma Lakshmi recipe. And tomorrow is going to be the mother of all Top Chef posts: my rankings of season 1 through 14. I’ve been a loyal TC fan since the pilot season,…
One random Wednesday in the spring of 2006, I woke up with a nasty head cold. Given how contagious these rude viruses are, and that I only had one class that day anyway (I was in law school at the time), I decided to stay in bed and be grouchy all day. I felt like…
The first week back after time off always feels like a cruel slap in the face, and to add insult to injury, we’ve spent this week worrying about tax bills and drowning in shocking (or maybe not shocking?) news of more and more sexual harassment/assault claims against famous men, and then there was the bombshell…
On Tuesday I mentioned having read Hacks by Donna Brazile over Thanksgiving, and that I had many thoughts. I’ve attempted to streamline my popcorn brain to record just a few of them. Then I made nachos and put green veggies on them. Don’t worry, they are amazing and hey, now your mom approves! The book.…
I spent my Thanksgiving break as promised, doing not much other than some light cooking, some heavy eating, and burying my nose in some books I had on my to-read list. Football was on almost non-stop, and pants were considered, like, so overrated. I blew through Hacks by Donna Brazile. I found it fascinating. I…
Welcome! How was Thanksgiving? I feel we still have one more day of long weekend to enjoy some relaxing, and then do we really have to get back to the workweek tomorrow? Kitty says no. Alright, without further adieu, please enjoy today’s offerings! War on Christmas 2017: Fox News Asks If Starbucks Holiday Cups Are…
Well, here we are, the week of Thanksgiving, and Donald Trump has not been impeached yet. Perhaps it was naïve, I admit, but I’d hoped it would’ve happened by now. I mean, I just don’t want to have to live in a world where we have to endure the yearly presidential turkey pardon with ……
Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! What a week. Alabama *might* elect a Democratic Senator, many Republicans are actually defending a pedophile, Thanksgiving is early this year (eeek!) and I made a chai butternut squash bundt cake and forgot to put eggs in the batter! Facepalm. No matter, let’s get down to it, shall we? Speaking…
Saturday, August 12, 2017. For me and Mr. Wallace, it started out normal. Boring, even, as we had no set plans other than maybe eventually getting around to vacuuming the area rug. Of course you, reader, are well aware of how that day progressed, of the senseless tragedy that happened in Charlottesville, VA, and by…
I must admit, I struggle to understand exactly where we as a society are on the whole Pumpkin Spice Everything Backlash thing. Of course, I struggle with this in the same way that one might struggle to pass an exam they didn’t bother studying for. I’m unsure on the finer points of this argument: are…
Welcome to what I’m calling Sunday Morning Coffee! This will be my weekly round-up of interesting and/or humorous articles I want to share with you, plus recipes you and I absolutely need to make. Why Sunday Morning Coffee? Well, I am what they call an apostate: someone who has abandoned some or all of the…
John Besh. Damn. I did not see that coming. Then again, I’m not in the restaurant industry. My experience working front-of-house for a very casual family-oriented chain restaurant one summer in high school was completely free of untoward behavior by the male employees and customers, and simply left me with a few meager paychecks and…
Welcome to my new blog! As I struggle and attempt to construct this very first post, feeling the high stakes of establishing myself and compelling you to return, I’ve been recalling a section in Tina Fey’s excellent, highly-recommended memoir Bossypants, where she briefly discusses trying to write the pilot of 30 Rock, and why pilots…
