fentona

No NYC restaurant; the original is at 4th and Bainbridge, in Philadelphia. The sandwiches are good quality, but I don't love that style of gigantic portions, even if I plan on taking half home. On the other hand, when I was regularly taking transatlantic flights, I would eat half of a pastrami sandwich on the plane and sleep like a baby.

Emily Bronte! Charlotte is basically a one-hit wonder as well; a couple more novels, but surely Jane Eyre overshadows them.

This recipe (from 101 Cookbooks) is very good. I've taken it to potlucks a few times and am always asked for the recipe: farro and roasted butternut squash

For what it's worth, here's the buffet menu at the restaurant: The Lady's Southern Buffet $15.99 Includes salad bar and one complimentary dessert. Some items subject to change. All you care to eat - children 9 and under $8.00 Buffet Items: Southern Fried Chicken Pork Stew Turkey Dressing Rice Creamed Potatoes Mac and Cheese Yams Collard Greens Lima Beans Green Beans Black Eyed Peas Salad Bar Your Choice of Dessert: Banana puddin' Peach cobbler Gooey butter cakes

I've never watched Paula Deen on the teevee, so I don't have an opinion on that. I have, however, eaten at the Lady and Sons a few times. It's definitely southern food, and pretty good southern food, at that. I certainly wouldn't call it "stupid junk cooking." Of course Stone right that much of the reaction to her in foodiedom is driven by class and gender; but there you go.

That's rough, Daniel. I'm sorry.

GG, sounds like a wonderful dinner. And I love those meringue mushrooms. So very cute!

Had two wisdom teeth pulled today. Turns out, I have very deep-seated, tenacious teeth that don't like being pulled; by the end, the dentist was apologizing to me.

Occasionally I love the NYT obituary page:

I'm going to have two wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon. I've no idea what the recovery will be like- not as bad as actual surgery, for sure, but I'm still not looking forward to it. Fortunately, I have avocados, ice cream, a quart of duck stock and a big pot of garlic-potato soup all ready.

The turducken meatballs sound good, though it's a shame that they don't layer the meats, jawbreaker-style. Is it a coincidence that the vegetables- or at least the brussel sprouts- are also ball-shaped? Maybe they could serve mini-croquembouches for dessert.

He defended Lewinsky. I think this had a lot more to do with him hating the Clintons than anything else. Oh, really, and why? Because Hitchens hated, hated, hated the Clintons. And as far as I can tell, when he hated somebody, that hatred was in a pure, black-and-white form that didn't allow for compromise or questioning. It's one of the things that made him entertaining to read; but did he ever change anybody's mind about anything?

I've been experimenting with cold-smoking salmon, and wound up with some failures. Not inedible, but over-cured and over-smoked. I didn't want to waste them, so I used them to make a smoked salmon stock, then added some cod, potatoes, cream and chives for a fish chowder. Nice and warming on a cold winter night.

He defended Lewinsky. I think this had a lot more to do with him hating the Clintons than anything else.

Everybody saw this coming, but it's still sad. Between the schlep to Trenton and the ridiculousness of not having a restroom, I didn't go often. Still, an exceptional pizza.