Archive for October, 2009

Feng Shui and Kimme’s Chili

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Kimme, Tara

Sometimes I inherit friends.  Kimme is one .  She is Kimberly, my best friend’s other best friend.  Over the years she has become one of my best and dearest friends.  The three of us celebrate our birthdays together and we stick by each other in a crisis. We had that crisis a few years ago when Kimme’s husband fought a two-year battle with cancer.  It’s now been two years since he died ( not sure why but I like the word die better then passed ).  There is no describing Kimme because she’s a “gotta see her for yourself” kind of a girl, but let me try.  Kimme is an original, authentic, deep, funny and spiritual person.  She’s adorable beyond belief, stylish (beyond belief).  Kimme is the most loyal friend and partner and did I mention yet that she’s a truly gifted chef?  If only I were a man, I have thought over these past few years, I would surely love to be married to my best friend Kimme.  Alas, I am a woman and I’m married. (more…)

Mogull sisters and the brilliance of Blini’s

Monday, October 26th, 2009

There are certain friendships you make over your life that you just know you were meant to meet.  The Mogull girls are that and more to me.  We met in the 70’s, they were younger and adorable.  My father always said you make your own family in the friends you choose and I certainly feel apart of the Mogull family.  Our fathers were in fact friends and our children are friends so it’s now going on three generations of friends.  Cathy Mogull gives a great Christmas Eve party where she serves blini’s with caviar and smoked salmon.  In the past few years her “friends”, family really, have been displaced by moves.  Alison Mogull moved a few years ago with husband to Colorado. Cathy moved with her husband to Carpenteria.  Cathy Mogull’s best friend Kym moved last year to New York.  I’m still here and I miss our blini parties.  A quirky thing would happen each year, sometime during the year I would want the blini recipe but couldn’t remember where I wrote it, which just gave me the great excuse to call Cathy who would then have to call Alison to get it again.  Not sure what all of our problem was about remembering it because it’s so simple.  And now anyone reading this blog will be able to make these absolutely wonderful and easy blini’s

Blini’s

2 Eggs

One cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

One cup flour

2 Tablespoons melted butter

cover and let stand for 30 minutes, we like to put all the ingredients in a blender but you can make it the way you would a pancake batter

New York Week at a Glance

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

new_york_skyline3

I was just in New York, celebrating both my birthday which I like to consider a national holiday and my anniversary, that I tend to consider a miracle.

The first great restaurant involved some intrigue. I’m reading the restaurant critic Frank Bruni’s book right now and one night he was being interviewed by Charlie Rose. Charlie Rose asked him what I thought was a great question. “ What are your few favorite restaurants here in New York?” There I was on the edge of my seat, couldn’t wait to hear the answer to that and suddenly Charlie Rose talks over the answer of the favorite Italian in all of Manhattan, but you couldn’t hear the answer!

When I spoke to my husband about it the next day he said not to worry that he had the interviewed tivo’d. I said you don’t understand Charlie Rose starts speaking over the answer. So my husband became a detective and played the interview over and over and actually finally read Frank Bruni’s lips to decipher what was said and he promptly made us a reservation at Convivio. Thank you to my husband and to Frank Bruni for this amazing find.

I tend to love my chicken livers and I ordered fried one served over a soft polenta.

Spectacular, perfect in that it was not too rich and polenta is sometimes over kill with the Parmesan, not this time. My husband ordered the most amazing part of the meal which were sardines and peppers served over a light mozzarella. Though the restaurant is clearly fancy, it’s not overly snooty, in fact not the least bit snooty.

Our waiter was so real and lovely and I will go back to Convivio Restaurant anytime.

Convivio Restaurant, 45 Tudor City Place. Oh and the area around here is so charming, it’s called Tudor City and I had never been there. Quite magical.

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