StephanieL

Peanut butter on Irish soda bread (with raisins). The bread from our local baker isn't too sweet, so it works. The peanut butter I have currently is just peanuts--no sugar, oils, or salt.

Well, so far we've found a couple of well-known companies who will write policies for us. It looks like it's going to be cheaper to keep our auto insurance with our old provider and use the new provider for home only, rather than bundling home + auto with a new provider.

One of the giants of South African letters. I saw "The Captain's Tiger" off-Broadway in 1999 and the revival of "Sizwe Bandi is Dead" at BAM in 2008. I also watched "Master Harold....and the Boys" on TV as part of Showtime's Broadway series, with Matthew Broderick as Hallie.

Thanks! What's been your experience with the lender insurance?

We've had the same home & auto insurance provider since we moved to CA. We just got a letter from our mortgage lender saying that our provider is below the financial rating they find acceptable, so we have to get a policy from somewhere else or risk getting covered by the dreaded lender-placed insurance (aka The Policy of Last Resort). A lot of the major insurance companies, like State Farm and Allstate, are pulling out of the CA market and not issuing new homeowner's policies. We have a potential through N's work, but I did not want to have to deal with this.

And it still wasn't completely aphid-free. Extra protein.

There's an online exhibition! https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/new-yorker-100

N picked a Romanesco cauliflower and had to spend a couple of days de-aphiding it. It's currently in the fridge but smelling like, well, cauliflower, so I'm going to make an Indian cauliflower, RG yellow split pea, and potato curry for dinner.

Thanks! I'm in town 3 days a week for work, but sadly up by Fisherman's Wharf. I might have to check it out next time I'm in the Mission.

I make beans in the "usual" method, including presoaking. I can't tell the difference between the beans I make and the ones N makes.

Re: Hannah Goldfield's column on NOLA King Cakes: I managed to get a Dong Phuong cake by logging onto Goldbelly 5 minutes after they went on sale online. I got the classic version (cinnamon filling), and it was the best of all the King Cakes I've ordered over the years. (Gambino's came in second.)

N only uses our InstaPot to make beans, and she absolutely swears by it. No presoaking needed.

Chicken noodle soup, because I think I have a small cold.

We've been keeping an "emergency earthquake" supply of easy-to-open cans of food, swapping them out as they get closer to their best buy dates. We had a canned ham approaching that date, so N made a hash with the ham, potatoes, onions, and the other half of our red cabbage, along with some Middle Eastern-style baked beans (using RG Cranberry Beans).

Being able to buy really good pan dulce out of the back of a truck. 4 pieces cost me $6.50.

Chinese stir-fry chicken with bok choy and shiitakes. Believe it or not, this was my first crack at the "velveting" technique, where you marinate the meat in water, cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce for about 20 minutes. It worked!

I'm a medical writer/editor. I go to the smaller meetings to cover talks, to be written up as news stories afterwards, and our society's big annual meeting to film and edit video interviews (and also cover a few talks).

Two business trips later in the year: a short one to Long Beach, CA at the end of July and a sadly longer one to Orlando in October.

Funny to see a review of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. I remember its outpost near the Seaport--it was the first place I ever had plate lunch.

Well, thanks to our garden, at least I'll never have to buy parsley again. Think of the savings!

From The Bean Book, a Mexican-inspired dish of ground beef, red cabbage, white beans (RG Marcellas, in this case), and diced tomatoes. The recipe calls for either tostadas or rice on the side, but I went with regular corn tortillas.

I love turnip cakes. Will have to pay Hang Ah a visit sometime.

Back to basics: mussels in white wine with garlic, shallots, and sweet peppers.

Our condolences. We will miss his stories.

Reindeer's Tail, courtesy of the East Bay Times: 2 oz. dark rum (I used Gosling's Black Seal) 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1/2 oz. allspice dram 1/4 oz. Demerara syrup 2 dashes Angostura (or other aromatic bitters) Shake over ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.