StephanieL

Yes, more from eGullet than here.

At least you're not hearing "cringe" everywhere (as an expression/reaction, not as a verb).

Passover work is done! Sponge cake that I made for my friends' seder came out nice, the compote is likewise done, and I've already cracked open some of the sweets I ordered from Zabar's (well in advance this year). I used a South African recipe for the compote, where you soak figs and prunes in port for 2 days first (finally, a good use for the Cockburn's my parents "discovered" in Portugal, and if it's not OK for Passover, I don't want to know). Last Sunday afternoon, completely out of the blue, the doorbell rang and I saw a teenage boy standing on my doorstep holding a small box of shmurah matzah. Complements of Chabad of Fremont, he said. I went to Rosh Hashanah services there a few years ago, so they must have my contact info. I'm bringing it to the seder. Considering that the Fremont branch has a lot more resources than the Castro Valley branch, I'm hoping this shmurah matzoh isn't quite as awful as last year's.

Thank you.

On Tuesday, N made sausage and peppers. Yesterday, she combined the leftover sauteed peppers and onions with bucatini and RG Alubia Blancas. We now have beans left over, so those will probably go into a fish dish on Sunday.

Me too! All I care about is that the place is clean and I can hear my dining companion.

All combined in a blender!

We have a still. Maybe N will fire it up again.

OTOH, the couple whose Austrian wedding we're going to have made a very complete wedding site on The Knot, complete with links to the RSVP page, hotel, venue, and travel information, and sightseeing tips.

A very British lunch: Heinz Baked Beans on toast topped with grated Scottish cheddar.

I've heard through the grapevine that MF member Maureen O'Reilly passed away yesterday. I can't remember what her screen name was, as there are many folks here whose real name (or full name) I've never learned.

A mixture of traditions: a bialy followed by a hot cross bun.

Almost 91.

Ah, you do the full chametz clean then. Otherwise, lamb matzo pizza could be interesting.

And here I thought it was some kind of cokehead reference.

Last week, PBS re-ran a Ken Burns documentary from 2003 called Horatio's Ride, about the first successful cross-country trip made by automobile.....in 1903. You had to admire the optimism of Mr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, especially as seemingly all of his gear kept falling off the car and he and his driving partner (and later the bulldog Bud) were traveling muddy, steep, and near-impassable roads with no maps and no places to fuel up.

I also tried to eat on the early side, which is my preference anyway (though not at 5 PM--I'm not a retiree in Florida)--it worked best for restaurants that didn't take reservations and didn't have bars to sit at. I always bring something to read if I'm eating alone, though that's always been my MO in the same situations at home.

Pan-roasted bone-in chicken thighs, sauteed mushrooms and leeks, and mashed red potatoes. A nice, simple weekday meal.

Fusilli with kale pesto, roasted delicata squash, and RG flageolets.

Finding sfingi for St. Joseph's Day today. I haven't had one of those since I left New York.

N synthesized a few recipes to come up with a Spanish-esque stew with cod, fresh chorizo, RG Christmas limas, cabbage, tomatoes, and green olives. Beronia Crianza 2023 Rueda verdejo to drink--I picked it up at The Spanish Table in Berkeley for a good price.

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?