StephanieL

The Afghani chickpea-yogurt stew from a recent NY Times Magazine column. I used both the regular RG chickpeas and the black garbanzos. As much as I like being authentic, I probably should have left the serrano chile out.

Very sad to read that the Eater column in the magazine is ending this Sunday. I've gotten a lot of good recipes from that column over the years; in fact, I'll be making a recent one for dinner tonight.

37 when I got up this morning. There was frost on the car a few days ago.

Chaka Khan's hit "I Feel for You" was a cover of a Prince song that appeared on his first album.

The "American Masters" episode that ran on PBS last night featured him as well.

For my friends' annual Chrismukkah party, I made a curry carrot tzimmes, from the book 52 Shabbats. The recipe combines a standard Ashkenazi tzimmes with an Indian Jewish curry. In addition to the carrots, there's sweet potato, chickpeas, raisins, dried apricots, a mashed banana, and lots of spices. When I bring it to the party, I'll bring along some plain yogurt as recommended to top it off (for any non-vegan attendees).

Almond butter and cranberry-orange relish is a nice variation on PB&J, IMO.

High 50s here, making it feel like a very pleasant NYC October.

Wow, two major architects in 1 week. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/arts/design/frank-gehry-dead.html

Ditalini with RG Cranberry beans and loose Italian sausage, from the book Fagioli.

Restaurants catering to Orthodox Jewish communities will have communal sinks in the dining room for the ritual handwashing before meals. I think Muslims have the same requirement.

I found out that someone N and I had been friendly with died back in June, when an oak tree fell on her as she was running a race. What a horrible and tragic accident.

My sister had to take over hosting duties a few weeks ago; my cousin, who usually hosts, and her family had to go into isolation because her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is in the midst of 18 weeks of chemotherapy. The menu: Charcuterie & cheese, avocado deviled eggs, crudites, and mixed nuts as a general nibble "Turkey-in-a-bag" bought at Target. The dark meat was fine; N said the white meat was a bit tough Stuffing Mashed potatoes Mac & cheese Roasted vegetables Salad with shaved Brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds and other ingredients Dessert: fruit platter, apple-cranberry pie + vanilla ice cream, pumpkin pie + Reddi-whip, cookies

I broke the first rule of repair: make sure you have all of the tools you need before you start taking something apart. My main coffee grinder is still in pieces because at the last step I realized I didn't have this particular box wrench.

Shakshuka with RG King City Pinks; homemade parsley flatbread on the side. I've been told there will be baked apples for dessert.

A Too Good to Go purchase from a local panaderia yielded a lot of pan dulce, plus some rolls, a coconut cupcake and a chocolate cupcake, and a long thing filled with cream cheese and jalapeno pieces. So yesterday afternoon and breakfast today was very carb-heavy, and we still have more for tomorrow's breakfast/lunch/coffee break.

A gray weekend means it's time for chili con carne, using the RG Good Mother Stallards.

N got me an atomizer just for absinthe rinses. It seems to work well when a recipe calls for an actual dash or two.

Pasta e fagioli planned for tonight's supper, with RG Cranberry beans.

Tito Puente Jr. and Néstor Torres at SF Jazz last Thursday, with guests Juan Escovedo (Sheila E.'s brother) and San Francisco legend Roger Glenn. What an amazing show! People were literally salsa dancing in the aisles and near the stage. Of course, they encore'd with Oye Como Va. I really need to go to more Latin jazz concerts.

Here's another recipe that calls for absinthe. The Zeena (courtesy of the book Noir Bar, in homage to the movie Nightmare Alley [the original]) 2 oz. rye 3/4 oz. Benedictine 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth 2-3 dashes Angostura Absinthe Rinse a chilled coupe or cocktail glass with absinthe. Stir the remaining ingredients with ice and strain into the glass; garnish with an orange peel.

I now can't access MF from my work computer.

The most recent RG Bean Club shipment included California Coronas, a new bean akin to the Royal Coronas. I made the newsletter recipe using the beans plus kale, orzo, and canned whole tomatoes. It calls for making a "cheesy topping" out of cashews and nutritional yeast, but since I eat dairy I didn't bother with that and used real Parmesan. I may substitute Pecorino Romano for the leftovers.

Just found out that the husband of one of my cousins, who's just 2 months younger than me, has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Don't know what stage. Her older sister's husband also died young from cancer. Needless to say, we won't be having Thanksgiving at their house. My sister is probably going to step up to the plate--she has the room.