Book Review: The Lonely Polygamist

This book was essentially Big Love in novel form.  That works for me because I am a Big Love fan...well I was while I still had HBO.  Being extremely intrigued by polygamous culture, I enjoyed reading the fictional account of a family straining to manage the inevitable stress that comes with being a part of such a large family.  As one of only two children, I never had to beg and plead for love and attention, but that is what every character in this book is doing.  Yes, you're talking about a man with four wives, but don't expect anything racy - it is more of a description of the day-to-day lives and emotions of a larger-than-normal family.  At 600 pages, it was not an incredibly quick read, but everything seemed to come together in the end.  I give it a 5.5 - 6 out of 10: interesting but didn't blow me away.

Egg-celent Day

After a couple days of being extremely lazy, yesterday was certainly a turn of events.  I headed to Brooklyn to meet Jen for lunch.  Jen let me pick the restaurant, so I chose one I have heard a lot about.  egg is constantly written up for their breakfast sandwich and Southern-style cuisine, but the brunch line on weekends is too long to make the trip from Manhattan worth it.  A Tuesday brunch seemed like the perfect way to avoid the crowds and see what the fuss is all about.

We only waited about 10-15 minutes before being seated at a table with white butcher paper and a fully stocked bowl of crayons.  Points go to egg for giving the good colors - I hate when it's just a jar of brown cayons.  No good doodling comes from brown crayons.  I quickly ordered a coffee to warm up and it arrived in its own adorable single serving french press.  I've never used a french press and was unsure how to pump and pour the contraption (remember, I'm a country mouse), but I eventually managed to get the java into my mug and found it to be a particularly smooth and delicious cup of coffee.

When a restaurant is named egg, you pretty much know what you're going to order.  I figured it would be blasphemous to order anything other than the restaurants namesake, so I chose the eggs rothko (easy-cooked egg in brioche, topped with grafton cheddar, served with broiled tomatoes and a side of meat).  Sounds good, right?  Too bad they were out of brioche and regular bread just didn't sound as special.  If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right so I scratched the eggs and went down the completely opposite road: lunch fare.  I told you they specialize in Southern food and I saw my favorite Southern item on the menu: pimento cheese.  I ordered the ham and pimento cheese sandwich, served on grilled baguette.  The ham was more like prosciutto and was salty enough to stand up to the slightly spicy pimento cheese.  Jen ordered an egg and chorizo biscuit whose filling was spilling all over the plate.  Yums all around.


egg is extremely easy to get to.  It's steps away from the Bedford stop in Williamsburg, which means it only takes about 5 minutes from Union square.  I suggest going on off-hours to beat the crowds, but go you must because this is brunch done right.

With the boys away (or should I say boy, since Jen is the only one of us with a mate), the girls will play so after lunch we got our nails done.  With a full belly and fresh fingernails, it was time to head back to the city so I could do something I dread: shoe shopping.  I was desperate to find shoes for Greg and Susan's wedding and could not put it off any longer.  Knowing me, I probably would have tried to put it off just a little while longer, but my Mom has been calling and emailing twice a day to make sure I found new heels and would not be disappointing her/shaming the family by showing up to the wedding in ratty shoes.  Thankfully, I found a suitable pair...if you listen closely, you can probably hear my Mommy sighing with relief right now.  


Errand complete, I was free to do something fun like see a movie with Raych.  With the hopes of crossing all potential Oscar nominees of our list, we chose The King's Speech for our viewing pleasure.  Loved it.  Though it doesn't seem like there would be enough meat to sustain a film about a king overcoming his stammer, the movie was utterly enjoyable.  Both funny (British quip style) and very sweet, this movie is Academy Award worthy, particularly Colin Firth's performance.


Today isn't as exciting, but it's not over yet!

Snowed In Success

It's a very good thing I stocked up at the grocery store yesterday because there was no way I was going to head out in the three feet of snow now covering New York City.  Since the almond pasta I wrote about in the previous post didn't turn out as perfectly as I had hoped, I thought it was time to try again.

When I was at Eataly yesterday, I picked up some fresh ravioli, filled with butternut squash and amaretto cookies.  I tossed it with cremini mushrooms and, instead of a sauce, browned some butter with cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment the sweet filling.  It can't all be sweet - this is lunch after all - so a little freshly grated parmesan on the top rounded out the dish.

The almond pasta was ok.  This was truly toothsome.  I'm glad the dish was successful because it is literally the only thing I did all day.

Competing with Giada

Between Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner, I've been enjoying other people's cooking a lot of late.  Time for me to pony up to the stove and do some cooking of my own.  A while ago, I saw Giada making pasta with almond sauce on the Food Network and I said, "huh, I could do that."  The pasta looked creamy and easy, and her boobs always look so perfect while she's cooking.  What can I say, I was inspired.  Before the blizzard got too bad yesterday, I headed to the store to get the ingredients (and a push-up bra) so I could see if there was any way I could compete with Giada.

I made a few adjustments: Giada used penne; I substituted fresh squid ink fettucini from Eataly.  Giada used peas and rotisserie chicken; I thought cremini mushrooms and rotisserie chicken went better.  The flavor was on target and the nutty sauce was a new (and welcome) flavor profile for me, though I don't think my almonds were chopped as finely as Giada's were and the sauce didn't combine quite as well.  Plus, even with the help of Victoria's Secret, I don't think my boobs were as perky as hers.  You win this round, Giada.  My dish may not have been as perfect as it was on tv, but it was still tasty.  Good thing I think so because after eating three portions of the pasta, there is still enough leftover sauce to feed an army, which will come in handy when I don't want to head out in the snow.

Merry Christmas...or Should I Say, "Feliz Navidad"

Last night, while other Jews were eating Chinese food and going to the movies, I went to Karina's apartment to enjoy a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner.  Karina already had apps ready to go when I arrived, so I stuffed my face with two types of crostini (one with portobella mushrooms, the other with shrimp) while waiting for the rest of the meal to finish cooking.

While the main course was sittin' pretty in the oven, we chit chatted and poured ourselves a couple drinks.  The wine was good (what could be bad?), but my favorite was the coquito, Puerto Rican egg nog.  It tasted like a pina colada with cinnamon and filled me with Christmas spirit.

The main meal was unlike any Christmas dinner I have ever seen.  Instead of a spiral ham, we had tender pernil (roast pork).  Instead of mashed potatoes, we had potato salad and arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas).  And instead of figgy pudding, we had pineapple flan.  I love flan.  It's like if my favorite dessert, creme brulee, decided to take up Spanish as a hobby.  The meal was an unexpected take (well, unexpected for me, the white girl) on holiday favorites.  

After dinner, we let our food digest a bit (and let the coquito wear off) by watching The Town.  I should have made time to watch this movie sooner.  It was great and Jeremy Renner's performance was impressive.  He was thug-tastic.  Blake Lively's performance was also applaudable, but I still found her to be a little too pretty to be believable as a strung out baby mama.  After the movie, Matt and I revved ourselves up again by playing a game of Scrabble.  I am proud to say I won by a seven point margin and, feeling victorious, was ready to head out to the bars.

You may find it hard to believe, but on Christmas, much of the city that never sleeps does, in fact, snooze.  It wasn't easy to find an open bar, but my cousin Aaron had just arrived in town so we were determined to find a place to booze.  After driving around the LES we settled on Spitzer's Corner.  The picnic-style tables, extensive beer list, and tasty bar snacks (like hand cut fries and truffle mac) make it a great day drinking spot, but it worked just as perfectly as a laid back evening venue.

I hope your Christmas was as holly jolly as mine!

The Eve Event

I write this Christmas Eve recap from the comfort of my bed with 24 hours of A Christmas Story playing in the background.  Life is good.

I didn't know what to expect for my first NYC Xmas (usually I am with my fam, either skiing or in Savannah/Hilton Head), and I was a tad nervous to be left in New York while everyone else went home.  Thankfully, not everyone fled the city because Wendy had a nice little group of us over to her house for Christmas Eve dinner.

While waiting for the other guests to arrive, we worked on the apps and drinks: pigs in a blanket, spinach artichoke dip, hot spiced cider with rum, and eggnog.  Apparently, Sam doesn't own a watch because he arrived an hour and a half late.  Anger melted away, however, once I saw that he came bearing gifts.  How nice to bring me a present!...until I opened it and realized I had just been ICED.  Allow me to take the time to explain this little game to my Mommy who is likely reading this and scratching her head.  Surprise someone with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and they have to get down on one knee and chug - the more creative you when Icing someone, the better.  I didn't expect to be Iced at Xmas Eve dinner, so I was certainly taken aback.  I applaud you, Sam.

Once everyone had arrived, it was time for the main course.  Inspired by the Feast of Seven Fishes, Wendy prepared shrimp fra diavlo with the perfect amount of spice.  Then it was my turn.  When I asked Wendy what I could bring, she said I could take care of the dessert.  Now, most desserts require baking - not my strength - so I had to figure out how to make something sweet that I wouldn't ruin.  I landed on chocolate bark, a no-bake treat.  I made two different types: candycane and marshmallows (very festive) and cashews and craisins.  I managed to make a dessert and not screw it up!  It was a Christmas miracle!

After a game of charades, it was time to leave the apartment, so at 12:45 we headed to Pine Tree Lodge.  I have never heard of this place, which is a shame because it's great.  It feels way more East Village than its Murray Hill location.  Tucked away on 35th between 1st and 2nd, it is hard to believe you're in the same zipcode as Tonic, Joshua Tree, and those other Murray Hill bars.  The only downside is the bathroom situation.  There is only one and it is small and smelly.  Other than that, no complaints from me.  You feel like you're in a deer stand while waiting for a drink.  With life jackets swung over deer heads, it's the perfect place for lumberjacks with a sense of humor and with all the red plaid, it was the perfect place to celebrate Xmas.

No. 7 is #1

Since my two-week Xmas break started today, I wanted to make the most of it by trying a new restaurant.  Then there was the problem of deciding where I wanted to go.  The Ace Hotel (a new-ish boutique hotel on the random corner of 29th and Broadway) has one of the greatest lobbies in New York.  It is a combination coffee house and dim lounge so I thought it would be the perfect place to weigh my restaurant options while catching up on some reading.

I'm sure that it would have been a great place to figure things out but instead, it led me to the restaurant itself.  Located at the base of the hotel (though it must be entered through a separate door) is No. 7 Sub.  I have never been to No. 7 restaurant (hello, it's in Fort Greene, Brooklyn - too far for this Manhattan gal), but it must be good because it has spawned this brilliant sandwich shop (which, thankfully, is in the proper borough).

There are 10 very inventive sandwiches on the menu, all for $9.  All are served on crispity, toasted French bread that is not so thick it takes over the fillings, which are extremely original.  You wouldn't dream of finding fried mussels with cheese, pickled beets, and frisee at Blimpie.  And don't think you need to settle for plain roasted veggies and goat cheese if you're a vegetarian.  The meat-free options include brussels sprouts (with french dressing and potato chips) and broccoli (with cheese, soy bacon, and shallots).  I, myself, decided to go with the braised short ribs with red wine vinaigrette, sweet potato, and marshmallow.  Good choice, self.

There is no place to sit so I took my sandwich to the ledge by the window where the passerby could peer in the window and watch me hunker down.  They looked jealous, probably because they already knew what was inside the small shop.  When you see the list of ingredients you think it's just a little too out there.  It's like Willy Wonka decided to abandon the chocolate factory and devote all his energy to sandwiches.  I loved my sandwich (the salty, juicy, shredded meat couldn't ask for a better match than the sweet potato and marshmallows), but I'll be sad to see it leave.  Like all good things, this, too, shall eventually pass.  While this sandwich is perfect for winter, it will have to make way for new favorites once Springtime arrives.  I'll miss my short rib, but I'm sure the newbies will be equally lip-smacking.

Book Review: Dracula

It's about time I read this classic, so I was happy that it was my book club's latest pick.  Had I not been given that push, I probably never would have picked it up.  I am particularly glad I read Bram Stoker's Dracula now, in the height of vampire frenzy (Twilight, True Blood, etc), to best understand the origin of the phenomenon.  I also liked that the entire story is written as journal entries or letters by the story's characters.  It was an interesting way to expose information and kept the story moving.

That said, it was not my favorite read.  I was expecting a book that would make me scared to turn my light off at night, considering most consider this title the authority on the horror genre.  The beginning was interesting, but it seemed to slow down in the second half.  It just was not as exciting as I would have liked and I found it difficult to relate to the characters.  The letter/journal perspective should have given the reader a stronger connection to the characters but by the end of the novel, I didn't feel like I knew them as well as I should have after 444 pages.  Now I can say I've read it.  Moving on.

Movie Review: Black Swan

Loved Black Swan.  Natalie Portman is pretty much the bomb diggity.  Her acting is phenomenal and the Oscar mumblings are merited.  Let's not forget, she lost 20 lbs for the role, making her about 17 lbs.  That's dedication.  I thought they were kinda beating us over the head with the symbolism (ahem, Mila Kunis' back tattoo), but I'll overlook it because the movie was that good.  Plus, the symbolism was obvious enough that I was able to figure it out, which made me feel smart.

Flushing Field Trip

Matt texted me this morning that he and Jen just got a car and they were planning to go on an adventure to Flushing for Korean food.  Would I like to join?  Um, yes.

Matt and Jen heard from a Korean friend that Ham Ji Bak was legit.  As we drove up, I had a feeling we were in for a genuine Korean feast based solely on the surroundings.  Not a word of English in sight and I saw some mini pigs curing on the front terrace of an apartment.  The people who live in this neighborhood mean business.  

I'm not at all picky so I let Matt do all the ordering.  The waitress was very impressed with Matt's Korean pronunciation and appreciated our willingness to go with a spicy dish.  We may have only ordered four dishes, but we may as well have ordered 40 with the amount of food they placed in front of us.  There were about 15 dishes of [free!] banchan including pickled cucumbers, bean sprouts, tofu, broccoli, fish, kimchi, and much much more.  Next came our main courses.  I couldn't tell you what their real names were or exactly what was in them since there was little English on the menu. 

We ordered beef cooked on a hot plate, pork belly (prepared the same way), a seafood pancake, and squid with noodles in a sweet and spicy sauce.  It was all amazing.  I love DIY food, so I was happy to assemble mini wraps with the beef and pork belly (beef in lettuce, pork belly in pickled radish, both with scallions and sauces) as the waitress instructed.  If I had to choose favorites, I would probably say the pork belly and squid were the two best things we tried, but it seems like you can't really go wrong at this place.  To finish the meal, the waitress brought out a complimentary beef soup followed by complimentary pumpkin slush and pineapple slices.

It was an incredible meal and now that Matt and Jen are equipped with an automobile, I have a feeling we'll be enjoying plenty more adventures.  Bring it.

 

  

Modern Love

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I am newly obsessed with Modern Family.  Don't worry, like How I Met Your Mother, it will not invade the recap portion of the blog.  (I think GG and Glee are enough to keep me busy when there's no food to talk about.)

Modern Family is funny and, unlike most, it is a true situational comedy (that's where the term sitcom comes from, brainiacs).  You don't need to see any other episode to follow the story.  Each episode is its own little unit.  The best part is that it's clean.  You will have absolutely no problem watching this show with your parents.  And take it from the girl who had to sit through all of Unfaithful (including the sex scene by the stairs) with her parents, it is good to avoid those awkward moments whenever possible.

If you're smart, you won't wait forever to watch this show like I did.  It's time to hit up your Netflix queue and play catch-up.

A Wright Night

If you're a chef, receiving the James Beard award is pretty much as good as it gets.  I may think I'm a foodie, but I am nothing compared to Mr. Beard.  His love of food led to the James Beard Foundation and the James Beard Awards, aka the pinnacle of the chef/restaurant pyramid.  I was lucky enough to snag an invite to one of the James Beard House dinners on Monday night with some co-workers.  The menu was as follows:

• Hors d’Oeuvres:
• Pork Belly with Apple Cider Jus: The only one I didn't try.  Sad face.
• Tuna Sashimi with Cucumbers, Scallions, and Ponzu
• Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seed Mousse: The pumpkin made this much better than the other squash soups I see on every single menu this time of year.
• Short Ribs with Carrots and Citrus: Good, but difficult to eat standing up, clutching a glass of wine.
• Paired with: Hermann Wiemer Dry Riesling 2008 or Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2007
• Dinner (each course paired with wine):
• Lightly Smoked King Salmon with Warm Apples and Vanilla: I thought this was a good first course, although the portion was a little large.  Mine was a perfect medium rare and it worked with the apples, though I never would have thought to put them together.
• Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet 2006
• Maine Lobster with Matsutake Mushrooms and Arugula: Solid dish.
• Far Niente Chardonnay 2008
• Gently Cooked Veal Loin with Golden Potatoes and White Truffles: A tad overcooked and the truffles didn't really shine.  This was probably my least favorite course - I could have done without it.
• Etude Carneros Pinot Noir 2007
• 28-Day Dry-Aged Beef Sirloin with Port, Marrow, and Shallot Marmalade: The sauce wasn't very thick but still packed tons of rich flavor.
• No Limit Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Syrah 2008
• Dessert
• Winter Citrus Fruit with Spiced Red Wine Gelée, Yuzu, and Greek Yogurt Sorbet: the fruit and gelee were tasty and refreshing, but the yuzu was a tad bland for me
• Dark Chocolate–Chestnut Mousse with Roasted Pear Sorbet
• Paired with: Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2007

I ate everything.  Our meal was compliments of Chef Rodolfo Contreras of The Wright in the Guggenheim museum.  I have not been to the restaurant, but I have to imagine this was better because it was a more personal experience.  When the chef walked around to each table at the end of the meal, I was like a giddy school girl.  Before I could stop myself, I was asking if I could take a picture with him.  He happily obliged.  In case the meal wasn't enough, as we walked out, the chef handed us each our own loaf of cherry bread (like banana bread or pound cake studded with fresh, juicy cherries).  It has made a wonderful breakfast all week long and acts as a reminder of my great meal.  [I was unable to rotate some of the pics.  My apologies.]

 

Call Me an Idiot...

...but I am on the fence when it comes to how much I enjoyed American Idiot.  As a Broadway fanatic, I was overjoyed to receive a free ticket to the show last weekend.  I had heard mixed reviews, so I was happy to formulate an opinion of my own.  Unfortunately, my thoughts are just as mixed as everyone else's.

• Downside: 
• Zero plot.  It's basically just Green Day songs that aren't clearly strung together.  They could have done much more with the album's material since all songs were inspired by 9/11, but it fell short.  
• The ending was depressing.  So basically, you're telling me life sucks and there's no hope for it to get better?  Cool, I'm psyched.
• It was trying to be the new Rent (love gone awry, drugs, punk).  Don't try.  There can only be one.
• Upside: 
• True, it was basically just a concert and that's not what I expected when I went to see a Tony nominated musical, but it was a good concert.  Their renditions of the Green Day songs we are all so familiar with were great. 
• I got to see not one, not two, but three of the boys from Spring Awakening (aka one of the best musicals of ALL TIME).  
• The show is only 90 minutes with no intermission, making it a fun Sunday night activity that doesn't eat up your entire day/night.

In the end, I realized I loved the performances but wasn't blown away by the show itself.

Shower Power

On Sunday, Greg, Susan, and I threw a baby shower for Matt and Jen because we are all so excited there will soon be a baby girl added to our group.  And because we live to throw parties and will take just about any excuse to do so.  I am sorry to report there were no games played.  The shower was co-ed and we didn't want to subject boys to what they would consider the torturous activities of measuring Jen's belly or guessing what melted candy bar is in the diaper.  The fact that the shower was game-free meant we had more time to mingle, ogle at Jen's growing belly, and EAT.  I split the cooking responsibilities with Greg and Susan, so we wound up with a ton of food:

• Cheese and chive turnovers
• Sundried tomato dip
• Deviled eggs
• Biscuits
• Chick-fil-A (That's right, we made it happen by sneaking into the NYU building and everyone now thinks we're gods.)
• Grits casserole (grits and cheese in cake form that I could eat for days)
• Brownie bites with cream cheese icing and butterfinger topping
• Chocolate covered red velvet cake balls (Haven't you heard?  Cake balls are the new it thing.  Susan made these from scratch and they were incredible.)
• Carrots and a fruit plate (we had to have something healthy on the table)

We had a house full of almost 30 people - many of them Southerners whose palates we had to appease, hence the Chick-fil-A, grits, biscuits, and deviled eggs.  I like to think these transplanted Southerners don't get to enjoy their favorite foods from home very often so we made sure to give them a little taste of Savannah.

Am I really old enough to have friends with babies?  Apparently.  I now know what a Boppy is.  For those in the dark (as I was), it's a pillow thingy that is THE item for new parents.  I also now know I am totally unequipped to have a baby.  I suppose I'll have to learn how to change a diaper fast because I plan to be the best Aunt EVER.

Harry Hotness

A big thanks to Sasha for sending this video my way.  She knows I was one of those losers dedicated fans who went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I.  Yes, I liked the movie and no, I did not dress up.  (I have to save something special for the final movie.)  If you love Harry Potter as much as me, this is a must-see:

Gleecap: Diva-meter - 12/7/10 Episode

I was surprisingly very happy with this week's episode of Glee.  I thought a Christmas episode would be too cheesy for my taste, but it was all warm and fuzzy with some funky Glee-ness mixed in.

• The one rule for this episode was that every song had to be a Christmas song and somehow they made all of them seem plot-relevant.  I'm not sure how they managed to do that, but I think it's deserving of a +2.
• When Emma sits down with Will in the teachers' lounge, he's eating a cookie...again.  Why is he always bringing a small ziplock baggy of cookies from home?  -1 because it gives me the heebie jeebies for some reason.
• Other Asian's wish to Santa is for Channing Tatum to stop being in stuff.  +1 because I know this is a reference to Harry Shum Jr's role in Step Up 2: The Streets.
• Kurt: "I'm in love with him and he's actually gay.  I call that progress."  So do we, Porcelain.  +1 for your realization that straight guys are not the best object for your affections.  
• Sam worked so hard on that cord blood explanation.  I award it a +1 because it was just bizarre enough for me.
• When the Glee club girls are going to chop off their hair, Santana explains, "Oh it's cool, most of this isn't mine anyway." +1 for this reminder that Santana is the ghetto one of the group.
• Sue gives Mr. Shuster a razor - I think the ensuing hair joke was my own personal gift from Santa.  +2 
• Rachel seems way too into Christmas for someone who is always talking about how she's a Jew.  -1
• +1 for the Ricki Lake reference when Beiste is telling Brittany about a girl who put being husky to good use and why Santa can't help Artie walk.  I've missed Ricki.
• My only regret about this episode is that "All I Want for Christmas" wasn't used.  -1 (I would have subtracted more, but I'm hoping the only reason they didn't use it is because they're saving it for next year).

Total: 6--> This week's episode is the diva equivalent of the Jonas brothers.  Squeaky clean guys that everyone can agree are fun for the whole family.  Perhaps I awarded extra points because I was in the Christmas spirit and because I may have gotten a little choked up when I saw the Christmas miracle of Artie walking.  In the end though, I was happy with the episode and am now super sad we have to wait through a break before the second half of the season begins.  I suppose reruns will have to hold me over.

Unanswered Questions: Gossip Girl Recap - 12/6/10 Episode

Finally!  It's about time we learned why Ben was in jail and Juliet has been out for Serena's soul all season. So many secrets were let out of the bag this week!  It was almost too much to handle...almost.

• Has Dan finally caught on that it's weird he is in love with his sister?  When he and Blair are trying to see Serena at the Ostroff Center, I sense a tinge of shame as he says "I'm her brother."
• Why is there a neighborly postman that knows her by name when Juliet steps off the bus?  It's Connecticut, not Pleasantville.
• While we're talking about Juliet getting off the bus, why is she wearing 2010's sparkly dress but carrying 1920's suitcase?
• When Serena lets Juliet off the hook for trying to ruin her life, Juliet looks a tad too smug.  You do realize you drugged the wrong girl, right?
• How is the captain allowed to use Vanderbilt money to lease a house without his wife's consent?  Wouldn't her lawyers be a tad suspicious since he's in JAIL?
• Lily, from where do you summon the power to keep all these secrets locked away?  Sending an innocent man to jail and selling Chuck's company behind his back: those are a couple of bombshells you just dropped on us, my chignon-loving friend.  Private school is great (trust me, I'm a private school kid, myself), but framing a man for statutory rape just so your daughter can get into one is a tad excessive.
• Also, not really a question, but I think I noticed a couple of goofs this episode...
• I don't think you're allowed to join an inmate for tv time.  It's not like visiting a friend at a hotel - they're prisoners.
• It looks like the picture behind the couch (when Rufus calls Lily out for selling the company) is of Lily from that night - same dress and hair.  Considering I haven't heard anything about time travel suddenly becoming possible and Lily would never wear the same outfit twice, I think somebody messed up here.

So this was a pretty major episode and I have no idea where it will go from here...

Blown Away

For the uninitiated, a blow out is when you go to the salon to get your hair washed, blown dry, and styled - no cut.  Apparently there's a ton of women in New York who do this - and not just for proms and weddings.  Enough people that there are several salons dedicated to the blow dry practice.  Last night, I went to one such establishment, Blow, to get my hair did.  It's a blow dry bar.  Seriously.  They have a whole task force of people employed there who do nothing by blow dry your hair.

I don't really get the point of doing this on a Monday night.  Why get my hair pumped full of hairspray just so I can go home, go to sleep, and wash it all out in the morning?  So, to make it worthwhile, we made sure to get a few drinks afterwards to show off our new 'dos.

While it may not be something you want to do on a random weeknight, I may be into it before big events.  I am not very talented with a hairdryer but by the time these ladies were done with my locks, I was looking all sorts of va va voom.  "Who's that movie star?" I asked as I looked in the mirror.  Oh!  It's me!  I could get used to this sort of pampering.

It'll cost you $40-$100 to get your hair blown dry, which seems steep next to the free ConAir I have stashed under my sink.  However, next time you have a big event to go to, save money on the dress.  Use something you already have in your closet and spend the money on some Serena Van der Woodsen hair.

Pick the Burger When You Go for Pizza

When I visited Pulino's, I was not overly impressed with the pizza.  That can be a problem since it's a pizza place.  However, after the one and only time I ever went to Pulino's, I ended up meeting someone out at a bar who worked in the restaurant scene.  He seemed pretty in-the-know, so when he told me the only thing worth eating there is the burger, I filed it away in my rolodex of foodie facts.

Last night, Steph and I went with Gav and some of his friends to Bowery Electric for a birthday but it wasn't long before we remembered we don't really like that bar that much.  There's no way to move and it's certainly not worth the crowds of 23-24 year olds.  It's fine if you're wasted, but I only had one drink under my belt so it was a little much.  Steph and I decided to leave to sit at the bar at Pulino's since we knew it would be calm and spacious.  After two carafes of wine, we deemed it appropriate to order food and this is when I pulled out my burger knowledge.  They didn't even ask us how we wanted it cooked, but it came out a perfect medium rare - just how I like it - with cheese and tons of caramelized onions.  I know it's a pizza place, but the burger is the best thing on the menu.

So Pulino's may be trying to establish itself in the pizza community of New York, but don't bother yourself with going for the pies.  Instead, here are the reasons to check it out:

1. The weird bathrooms
2. See for yourself what caused so much controversy (after New York Magazine gave it a poor review, owner Keith McNally fired back with a letter to the reviewer - research the childlike behavior for yourself)
3. The burger

New York Chanukah

As I briefly mentioned in the last post, I didn't know it was Chanukah until after it started.  That got me feeling like the worst Jew ever.  Large amounts of self-inflicted Jewish guilt ensued.  So on Friday night, I set out to redeem myself by making a Chanukah meal just like my Grandma and invited Matt and Karina over to help me celebrate.

Every year, my grandma cooks the same meal for Chanukah: fried chicken, ribs, gumbo, biscuits, and latkes.  Being a New York City career woman, there was no way I would be able to cook all that before Matt and Karina arrived so I did was most NYC women do: I assembled.  You know the girls I'm talking about - the ones who only use their stove to store extra clothes.  I followed their lead and instead of cooking everything I picked up from a bunch of places and just served it on real dinnerware.  It turned out great.  Let it be known that Whole Foods makes some bangin latkes that are made with spaghetti squash and zucchini.  It looked great, tasted better, and took hardly any time to make.  Of course it wasn't as good as my Grandma's meal, but it was a great substitute in a crunch.  And meant fewer dishes.

In New York, everything either delivers or pre-prepares for pick-up.  Everything.  There's no excuse to not throw a little dinner party and I now know there's no shame in taking a little help from the store.  Less time in the kitchen means more time drinking wine.

Mexican Chanukah

It's been almost two years since I've seen Heather, which is way too long to go without seeing one of your best friends from college.  Thankfully, my friends are not just cool, they're smart, too, which is why I had the opportunity to see Heather while she was here interviewing for a residency program.  It was a very short visit (about 18 hours), so we only had enough time to do dinner, but at least that gave us more face-to-face catch-up time than we've had in a while.

We did not want to stray far from her hotel since Heather had to be up early for her interview, so we went to Toloache.  Not only did I pick Toloache because it's a tried and true Midtown Mexican spot, I picked it because I had heard about their special Chanukah menu.  Apparently, the Hispanic chef's wife is Jewish so he developed a special menu to celebrate their combined cultures.  We didn't go with the full menu, but we couldn't pass up the latke trio:

• Potato Jalapeno with Horseradish Crema
• Zucchini with Tomatillo Apple Salsa
• Mexican Ricotta with Chipotle and Agave

The horseradish crema was so yummy we ended up putting it on all of the latkes, including the ricotta (a creamy, fried ball of cheese - not super latke-like but delish).  It was a fun way to celebrate the 2nd night of Chanukah, which I needed to do since I actually didn't know it was Chanukah until it had already begun.  Oops.  They're also doing the menu at their sister restaurant, Yerba Buena (which I actually prefer to Toloache), so no matter where you live in the city, you don't have much of an excuse to miss out on this fun Chanukah menu (through 12/9).

Now all you blog readers need to start crossing your fingers and toes so Heather chooses NYU for her residency and moves here because one of these dinners every two years is not enough for me.

Lemon Love

After eating like crazy and only working out a little over Thanksgiving, it was time to tone it down (in the burgers and fried food area) and step it up (in the exercise department).  I haven't quite made it to the exercise reform part of my plan, but Tuesday night I made sure my dinner was a tad healthier so I made a big salad, pistachio crusted salmon, and, best of all, lemon pasta.  The pasta was so simple: just add a little cream to the pasta (and I mean just a touch), salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan.  It had so much flavor and took minutes to make.

A very well-rounded meal, non?

Gleecap: Diva-meter - 11/30/10 Episode

Good songs!  Drama!  Last night's episode was everything we could have hoped for from our Glee divas.

• What Emma says to Will about how he runs glee club was everything every blogger has been writing for over a year. +1 because it seems like, finally, someone's been listening.  Perhaps the writers follow this blog?  Not likely, but a girl can dream.
• Santana dropped a huge bomb on Rachel by telling her she slept with Finn.  +1 because she called her Yentl when she did it.
• Although I just gave Santana a point, I would now like to deduct one some because now she's just being mean telling Rachel Finn brought her dinner and the whole situation in her face.  -1
• Rachel's Dads almost broke up over wallpaper.  +1 because for some reason of love any mention of Rachel's gay Dads.  Maybe one day - if we're lucky - we'll actually get to see them.
• +1 to Artie for knowing that the only way to deal with Brittany is the same way you would deal with a 5 year old.  Though, I'm pretty sure he got the idea from watching Big Daddy.  
• "Don't Cry for Me Argentina": Yes the song fit and the transition between Rachel and Kurt was great, but the real points are awarded to Blaine having to hold his hand down to keep it from rising to the the sky like a diva during Kurt's performance. +1
• Brittany has motocross practice: +1

Total: 5--> This episode is the diva equivalent of Tina Turner who can put on a fab performance, just like each of the performing choirs at sectionals.  Also, Tina went through some serious relationship dramz, much like most of the couples in this episode.