tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38188501547327108142023-11-16T08:16:43.502-05:00Banana Under My CarI'll try anything once...but would I do it again?
Tracking down the best fun, the best sandwich, and the best cookie.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-84719439505701337232010-03-02T23:18:00.006-05:002010-03-02T23:43:07.948-05:00It's Been Exactly One Year Since I Last PostedOh how I've waited for today!<br /><br />The best Chocolate Chop cookie in New York City, for a long time, was found at The City Bakery.<br /><a href="http://thecitybakery.com"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The City Bakery</span></a> <br /><br /><br />But now the Chocolate Chip cookie at Jacques Torres reigns supreme.<br /><a href="http://www.jacquestorres.com/"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Jacques Torres Chocolate</span></a> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhr99zV0RREpaADzqxeLtam0GLlOB3L26AKZBeSH-HW-WbYLNv-mIUxT3nHuA6XAMijVZOmAfvLn-3No14nGbb1c12hiPl2ndom6ADhl2A-q7e55cg3fLBptr172GQhT3-ZmsoWnAX_I/s1600-h/IMG_6403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhr99zV0RREpaADzqxeLtam0GLlOB3L26AKZBeSH-HW-WbYLNv-mIUxT3nHuA6XAMijVZOmAfvLn-3No14nGbb1c12hiPl2ndom6ADhl2A-q7e55cg3fLBptr172GQhT3-ZmsoWnAX_I/s320/IMG_6403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444260198848359330" /></a><br /><br />It may be for the chocolate alone. Because the chocolate is fine-o-mite! But the cookie carries it with confidence. It's sweet, it's smooth, and it's best when they warm it on their flat grill.<br /><br />Much more to come!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-42628373421038928782009-03-02T15:42:00.004-05:002009-03-03T12:05:17.536-05:00What is the opposite of a potato?A man from Sierra Leone told me that I should visit there because I might really enjoy it...and because they have good food there too. I asked him what a good dish is and he said "foufou." I asked him what was in it and he said "cassava." I asked him what cassava is and he said it's just like a potato, but the opposite of a potato.<br /><br /><br />I want to try it.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-1678669739916103782009-03-02T14:17:00.013-05:002009-05-13T16:31:20.478-04:00Nam Kao - Thai Fried RiceNam Kao at <a href="http://www.e-santhai.com"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">E-San</span></a> in Portland, OR: <br />I tried it with high expectations, set by a friend who enthused on the glories of this dish, a dangerous action under most circumstances. But I wasn’t disappointed. Nay, I was enraptured by the full-yet-delicate flavors and pop-rocks texture of the fried rice. With each bite I tried to track each flavor so that I might, one day, recreate this wonder.<br /><br />That day came last night. <br />(recipe at bottom of page)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3V1iPZi7ftHcSk7Doz4F0ap-YnWPNM8fSQpBku-WsouDvJqu52a68RjJc9EcjB_8z2yCiReSSEVS76vPFaEqu2-SlVUgb-GZQts4GfNqzfGN68HUxrQeSzHCLTH9Q2FD_1CqTnmVyIGc/s1600-h/IMG_6264.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3V1iPZi7ftHcSk7Doz4F0ap-YnWPNM8fSQpBku-WsouDvJqu52a68RjJc9EcjB_8z2yCiReSSEVS76vPFaEqu2-SlVUgb-GZQts4GfNqzfGN68HUxrQeSzHCLTH9Q2FD_1CqTnmVyIGc/s320/IMG_6264.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308690115325441154" /></a><br /><br />Whenever I make analogies, I find that they are always about food - growing, preparing, cooking, eating — so now that I’m talking food, I (curiously) find my analogy in figure skating. It’s like I set out to do a One-and-a-half Toe Loop with a Split Jump and wound up executing a Double Axel. While it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t the dish I was going for.<br /><br />Would I make it again?<br />Yes! I will keep trying until I nail it!<br /><br /><br /><br />Thai Fried Rice (Lettuce Wraps)<br /><br />I added some marinated tofu to this.<br />Drain & rinse tofu, press water out, slice into 1” long slivers and toss gently in a mixture of soy, chili oil, sesame oil, minced garlic, and lime juice & zest.<br /><br />Get pan totally flaming hot. <br />Fry tofu slivers. Remove, set on paper towel.<br />Add oil (combo olive & veg).<br />Crack an egg and throw it in the pan. Get Japanese-Steak-House crazy with it. <br /><br />Add cooked rice (pre-purchased from the Vietnamese restaurant down the street, cheap and easy) <br />Heavy tsp fish sauce<br />2 tsp soy<br />juice from 2 lime wedges<br />tsp garlic chili sauce<br />ground pepper<br />2 cloves minced garlic<br />bunch chopped scallions<br /><br />Stir it up! <br />Then add chopped cilantro, peanuts. Stir that up.<br />I sprinkled toasted sesame seed on top too. Serve with lime garnish, bean sprouts, fresh cilantro on top, and lettuce leaves for wrapping!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-26349581229475353562009-02-28T01:57:00.008-05:002009-05-13T16:33:24.023-04:00Best Cookie: DetroitDetroit has got some good cookies going on. There is Astoria Pastry Shop in Greektown, with its never-ending case of cookies, baklava, and pastries. And Traffic Jam and Avalon Bakery in the Cass Corridor neighborhood are both home to exceptional cookie fare.<br /><br />But the best cookie ever, the go-to for the most intense craving of all, is Todd’s Evil Cookie. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EEu2jiBv-E-CMOD8I_jp_m7fqypkMrDrvNABY62b6TuOjE3MhUSrJkoLClIFfdkKedLO7XQzynsUkvC5hpc9cxTkU4-XzBrvqKnRuRpcgNeoimOcrsnAsrrxr9LyT6rNjtrAQ7ZyOIw/s1600-h/IMG_5624.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EEu2jiBv-E-CMOD8I_jp_m7fqypkMrDrvNABY62b6TuOjE3MhUSrJkoLClIFfdkKedLO7XQzynsUkvC5hpc9cxTkU4-XzBrvqKnRuRpcgNeoimOcrsnAsrrxr9LyT6rNjtrAQ7ZyOIw/s320/IMG_5624.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307739925558152114" /></a><br /><br />Once found at <a href="http://mercurycoffeebar.com/"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Mercury Coffee Bar</span></a>, I am unsure of the future of this formidable chunk of bliss—as Mercury Coffee Bar, after being open just four months, is closing. There is talk and hope of its eventual reopening and I optimistically wait for the day—both for the health of Detroit businesses and, selfishly, for my cookie fix.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso4Ya-wtVQRuRahjAig6c-YlqEzm5faO0JgOO7zcPIG16qPWhtwlPhbW-fmAlqrRj8_lyuhMp44omS5h4pSpkemg_wYGiXnpDR5aw5ozmijLlcl9SdClB3NCUMmw8w8Of94PU1Zj1btY/s1600-h/IMG_5620.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso4Ya-wtVQRuRahjAig6c-YlqEzm5faO0JgOO7zcPIG16qPWhtwlPhbW-fmAlqrRj8_lyuhMp44omS5h4pSpkemg_wYGiXnpDR5aw5ozmijLlcl9SdClB3NCUMmw8w8Of94PU1Zj1btY/s320/IMG_5620.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307740326267716338" /></a><br /><br />I love Detroit. I believe in Detroit. And I want to see the city, and its inhabitants, thrive. So, for the love of cookies, go to Detroit. Go to Detroit to listen to rock ‘n roll. Go to Detroit to see some great art and eat delicious food and talk to some exceptional and refreshing people.<br /><br />Seriously. Go to Detroit. <br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js"></script><script>if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('cf156c78-a7ad-4c8a-bb47-50c9aa501106');</script><noscript>Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/google-map">Google Maps</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/">great free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com">Widgetbox</a>!</noscript><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5SqJ6fu3MCswx_btJBzJjvZP0tAbTKcT2MnXhwxh8ejksEL9YioeR6QdyMtav_ViHQwdvpPow9zg4wWWZkqQYSNdObRaqEaPpxgc-1HUGljylF5GjU4J8_tCJxXaFrkJ3V_easNUIyg/s1600-h/IMG_5626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5SqJ6fu3MCswx_btJBzJjvZP0tAbTKcT2MnXhwxh8ejksEL9YioeR6QdyMtav_ViHQwdvpPow9zg4wWWZkqQYSNdObRaqEaPpxgc-1HUGljylF5GjU4J8_tCJxXaFrkJ3V_easNUIyg/s320/IMG_5626.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307740311641242178" /></a><br /><br />The view from inside MCB is of the old train station.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWjG_X61xlAkcLG_Cqi-jUuk_HPFX3Gs9XjAW3wKBI4e0500LwvTUxLLWE8wbunuV0BEm58OzLnNH6QaU-WvwoJXAQHi6TQ-5emcnlGzv2LVMpHAssXnaafclrdkKX31inyTgnclweME/s1600-h/IMG_5625.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWjG_X61xlAkcLG_Cqi-jUuk_HPFX3Gs9XjAW3wKBI4e0500LwvTUxLLWE8wbunuV0BEm58OzLnNH6QaU-WvwoJXAQHi6TQ-5emcnlGzv2LVMpHAssXnaafclrdkKX31inyTgnclweME/s320/IMG_5625.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307740323548801250" /></a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-74945213914593483662009-02-23T13:45:00.015-05:002009-02-28T01:45:02.702-05:00Best Cookie: Jersey City<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabrBDByoukZdu09fRicXbVMdtFhgctlgvnGGUQCHDg6ROOSB0x5y5lCSc4iOzatCCJtpH-400oMBVV1TdThn2kSVYd9gEqjMEurx0E6DOOIIDe3_OdTmQ5XBKrI52_OJ4BAx8Qhf_9yo/s1600-h/IMG_6246.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabrBDByoukZdu09fRicXbVMdtFhgctlgvnGGUQCHDg6ROOSB0x5y5lCSc4iOzatCCJtpH-400oMBVV1TdThn2kSVYd9gEqjMEurx0E6DOOIIDe3_OdTmQ5XBKrI52_OJ4BAx8Qhf_9yo/s320/IMG_6246.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307661815402934354" /></a><br /><br />My friend Kelly, who lives in Jersey City, was kind enough to help me find the best cookie in town.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js"></script><script>if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('30b402e5-cbd5-4ed2-9b03-429049f38846');</script><noscript>Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/google-map">Google Maps</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/">great free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com">Widgetbox</a>!</noscript><br /><br />Made With Love is the name of the bakery that sells cookies that are so easy to love.<br />Check out their website: <a href="http://www.madewithloveorganics.com"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Made With Love Organic Bakery</span></a> <br /><br />And it's not just a clever name. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Celeste Governanti, who created the cookies that you're about to meet. She exudes warmth and extends kindness to the people who enter her organic bakery; there is no doubt she infuses her inventions with the same such love. <br /><br /><br />The long and narrow bakery is lined with tables on one side and a counter stocked with goodies on the other. Pity I wasn’t searching out the best bread, pie, tart, cupcake, etc. because they all looked incrEDIBLE! Kelly and I decided on a getting an assortment of flavors to sample: Oatmeal, Coconut Butter Cookie, and Gargantuan Walnut Chocolate. <br /><br />We sat at the table next to the window, watching drops of rain gather, pool and roll in our periphery. We sat with a cup of Earl Grey each. We sat for a tea party on a chilly Sunday in late February.<br /><br />As soon as I bit into the Oatmeal cookie, I felt like an ooh-la-la-lady! The cookie, like 3-dimensional lace, was lightly spiced and ladylike.<br />The Coconut Butter Cookie read like a macaroon, with its abundant flecks of coconut, in the body of a shortbread. It had a fine gossamer outer crisp and a delicate chew (from the coconut) throughout. It was a perfect treat. <br />And the Earl Grey complimented both, wonderfully.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKK0zcBow9OGo-NJc2Kf-ZX3yIT_eouRNmE-KseK1U3dHpx1C6O8Pwc3UbGyL-sXCfzHk_GRt2-7gp0__uvN1eEgwhfC5gxfqhdIbpSRMhEifA69l_m3lcJ0nc2atg7xTfOrGd9XEuFU/s1600-h/IMG_6250.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKK0zcBow9OGo-NJc2Kf-ZX3yIT_eouRNmE-KseK1U3dHpx1C6O8Pwc3UbGyL-sXCfzHk_GRt2-7gp0__uvN1eEgwhfC5gxfqhdIbpSRMhEifA69l_m3lcJ0nc2atg7xTfOrGd9XEuFU/s320/IMG_6250.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307661814075126674" /></a><br /><br />Everything was femme-tastic. <br />And then we pulled out the Gargantuan Walnut Chocolate Chunk cookie. If Paul Bunyan made cookies, they would look like this...like an 8-bedroom apartment. There were actual “compartments” to this cookie—what, with the large walnut pieces and dark chocolate chunks. We pulled off three rooms to sample and the cookie still appeared to not have been touched. Remarkable! A good, firm chew. Yum-mum-um-yum. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3WnyLgqgBh7Z6iBI9TJ-9tQf4lQ83zNNevfAZ-KLm8Yip2oiqU0J8CpUwlIX9j6CiDE5GyHlL8Y20dTPl8N5Th1UxSnj9Oi6KxiFvi4cFj0OnjEjjDzIbHPyubQhqZXKjU4F88jNFhM/s1600-h/IMG_6242.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3WnyLgqgBh7Z6iBI9TJ-9tQf4lQ83zNNevfAZ-KLm8Yip2oiqU0J8CpUwlIX9j6CiDE5GyHlL8Y20dTPl8N5Th1UxSnj9Oi6KxiFvi4cFj0OnjEjjDzIbHPyubQhqZXKjU4F88jNFhM/s320/IMG_6242.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307661809202338466" /></a> <br /><br />Would I eat it again?<br />Yes! <br />On Yin days I'd eat the Oatmeal or Coconut Butter cookies.<br />On Yang days I'd eat the Gargantuan Walnut Chocolate cookie.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-8668033366879992992009-02-13T15:42:00.023-05:002009-02-23T13:54:38.324-05:00Best Cookie & Sandwich: Eugene, ORThe featured cookie and sandwich are neither a cookie nor a sandwich. But who's counting?!<br /><br />If you find yourself in Eugene, OR you've got to move your hooves to the Wandering Goat Coffee Company.<br /><br />Check them out on myspace <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thegoatherd"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">HERE!</span></a><br />Or at their website <a href="http://www.wanderinggoat.com"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">HERE!</span></a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js"></script><script>if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('1cab0152-06b3-4a48-bc23-086bf066c30c');</script><noscript>Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/google-map">Google Maps</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/">great free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com">Widgetbox</a>!</noscript><br /><br />I went just for the coffee. <br />But then life happened:<br />While waiting in line, I watched one of the bakers, through a window to the kitchen, rolling balls of dough. (They make all their food in house.) More specifically, I was watching a three-year-old watching the baker. Then the baker, holding three balls of dough, turned around to face the child. And he started juggling for the child! There were no words exchanged as he smiled from behind the glass—the only sound was the murmur of café patrons. The child was delighted. As was I.<br /><br />Then I noticed, not the cookies, but the peanut butter chocolate bars in the food display case. That, and the seeded bagels. <br /><br />These bagels are something special. I had to try one based solely on their appearance. They are LOADED, COVERED, BLINGED-OUT in seeds…sesame, poppy, sunflower!, pumpkin—what?—yes, pumpkin seeds! Toasted and served with a side of cream cheese, every bite was rewarding, for the taste definitely, but also for the texture. I couldn’t wait to feel the next bite! They were earthy, wholesome, and satisfying. And if you think they sound too healthy to be good, you have got to open your ears and listen when I tell you: They are 10,000-calorie-delicious! (But without all those calories--they're bagels, after all.) I assure you, they are made with love, sweet love.<br /><br />And the coffee was seriously delicious. They take their coffee so seriously, in fact, that when I returned the next day for an espresso and peanut butter chocolate bar, the barista took my espresso away before I could even try it, insisting that she pull another shot because the first one was uneven.<br /><br />The espresso was top-notch. And the peanut butter chocolate bar…well, let’s just say that eating it was only like frenching a soulmate. The bar: an inch-thick sweet peanut palette hosting…wait, are those pieces of crisp rice inside?…hosting a dark chocolate wonder-top that was a thinner consistency than fudge but thicker than frosting. I wanted to run away to South America with it. But it was gone before I could even say goodbye.<br /><br /><br />Would I eat it again?<br />Yes to both! I wish I could everyday.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-90288267358216245492008-12-22T02:06:00.003-05:002008-12-22T02:30:39.147-05:00Not A Good IdeaThe following is a conversation I had with my six-year-old niece as I was reading to her:<br /><br />Me: Did you just wipe a booger on my shirt?<br />Taylor: No, I was taking one off.<br />Me: How did it get there?<br />Taylor: I put it there but then thought it probably wasn’t a very good idea.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-40215611314950342412008-12-13T19:20:00.011-05:002009-02-23T13:53:33.100-05:00Best Cookie*: St. Louis EditionIn gratitude of my readership, I put myself in service to you by finding the best cookie and sandwich in each city I ever visit. <br /><br />*These are subject to change.<br /><br />For your pleasure, I introduce the best cookie available in St. Louis: <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaDTbZwpRbFyrMumnzpKqwiEqhk01C3h_sDoO-NnnsSmPsDQ4xCCDs3gFrQW4uL81JTyd_ZsZ-kfxbr0Tux4naCiHFY70cv6j1FDa5mmnjF9M80Ga4D76Ly4Bn4lPRjHcViTvQJStq0M/s1600-h/IMG_5752.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaDTbZwpRbFyrMumnzpKqwiEqhk01C3h_sDoO-NnnsSmPsDQ4xCCDs3gFrQW4uL81JTyd_ZsZ-kfxbr0Tux4naCiHFY70cv6j1FDa5mmnjF9M80Ga4D76Ly4Bn4lPRjHcViTvQJStq0M/s320/IMG_5752.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279437545430283474" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can find them at the Missouri Baking Company <br />("The Italian Bakery On The Hill")<br />2027 Edwards Street<br />St. Louis, MO 63110<br /><br /><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js"></script><script>if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('7f1bca21-fabf-4e90-9ca5-4ca79c833133');</script><noscript>Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/google-map">Google Maps</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/">great free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com">Widgetbox</a>!</noscript><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sv_M8141lL9hJ0Vj6idDwTfKjziOru79RprHKdipYD70CAKKyaw351WXlq6-Eaj5SWzg1rDOGuvMblUlRPPGTXlQGi55oD636iQFgWDS8MnPu7RspVPayRU0D81sTg6xuoVfgY78fUY/s1600-h/IMG_5755.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sv_M8141lL9hJ0Vj6idDwTfKjziOru79RprHKdipYD70CAKKyaw351WXlq6-Eaj5SWzg1rDOGuvMblUlRPPGTXlQGi55oD636iQFgWDS8MnPu7RspVPayRU0D81sTg6xuoVfgY78fUY/s200/IMG_5755.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279440221172315298" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2qGuV-AsOAOtHQQUEwiIKyVAFfsvSmQNqXPP_IFuFyXtWnIIggp_0CLz1Iu08SrFh_baN916hNdZhKKidjvHal0N8Ju24-7zrMrvX-pOehhiwcern3X23fj3UiBzN9Vu9rsGeE3GDT8/s1600-h/IMG_5758.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2qGuV-AsOAOtHQQUEwiIKyVAFfsvSmQNqXPP_IFuFyXtWnIIggp_0CLz1Iu08SrFh_baN916hNdZhKKidjvHal0N8Ju24-7zrMrvX-pOehhiwcern3X23fj3UiBzN9Vu9rsGeE3GDT8/s200/IMG_5758.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279441017539650866" /></a><br /><br /><br />Have you ever wondered what "delight" tastes like?<br />Crisp outside gives way to a perfect-chewy center, maintaining a solid almond flavor throughout the experience. They are delicate, both in hand and mouth, but wholly satisfying. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREPSZhW-fYm1JpjNLl11gEiOGidLdcS_B_3b_1bTHFt8toPhrtGzg9t8NvhOvGUatTjzCPhWlUtPo7dsFNFBixwxedM-84tPMACrPqNij9FuQ4Dge4eirBZu84cfovzatphedOI084AY/s1600-h/IMG_5762.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREPSZhW-fYm1JpjNLl11gEiOGidLdcS_B_3b_1bTHFt8toPhrtGzg9t8NvhOvGUatTjzCPhWlUtPo7dsFNFBixwxedM-84tPMACrPqNij9FuQ4Dge4eirBZu84cfovzatphedOI084AY/s200/IMG_5762.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279438992038172450" /></a><br />Thank you, David, for the recommendation. And for your artful presentation of the Chocolate Macaroon.*<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*Not as good as the Amaretto.<br /><br /><br />Would I eat it again?<br />Yes!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-65685020943028185742008-12-11T21:01:00.026-05:002013-02-26T18:02:18.998-05:00Who's Your Cabbie?I’ll start by saying that after seeing this video on MTV, when I was nine, I wanted to drive a Yellow Cab:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1nPPRQeTxTY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Other than being stuck on a desert island with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8b0IKQxx2k"> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Huey Lewis</span></a>, that was the most glamorous, sophisticated activity known to me. And that is why, for a few years in my youth, I wanted to be a sexy cab driver when I grew up. I would close each shift by driving out of the city, parking the cab, sitting on the hood, and admiring the skyline…<br /> <br /><br />Real Time:<br /> I’m on my way home, in a taxi, from a late night out in New York City. My cab driver is young and friendly and I will call him Paco. Paco and I, we get talking. He likes his job—meeting and talking with people and touring the city, all night long. <br />“You won’t believe some of the stuff that happens,” Paco tells me.<br /> “I can imagine!” I say. And then, “Do you ever take your friends along with you…like a ride along?”<br /> Paco shrugs a shoulder. “Sure,” he says. Which comes across as, no, he hasn’t but, yes, he would.<br /> “Could I do a ride along sometime?” I ask.<br /> <br />We exchange numbers. About a week later, I call him. We’re trying to figure out a good time…<br />Paco says, “What are you doing in an hour?”<br />And an hour later, I’m in the front seat of his cab. We’re cruising and I’m asking him all about his job, a million questions a mile. Somewhere in there I tell him that I used to want to be a New York City cab driver—how it has always seemed so glamorous and romantic. <br />“You wanna drive?” he asks me. <br />“That’s not what I was—-are you offering?” <br />“Yeah, you can drive,” he says. “Here, I’ll pull over.”<br /><br />Okay, so now would be a good time to mention that I don't like to drive and am, ipso facto, bad at driving. I’m easily distracted by people in the car and bright lights confuse me. I should mention this, but I don’t. This is one of the most exciting nights ever. I am about to make my nine-year-old self very pleased—which I figure I owe her. Up until this point I think she’d be really disappointed in me, for good reason. Example: Last night’s dinner was a can of soup I bought with change from a jar in my room. I ate it and then cried myself to sleep.<br /><br />But now I’m driving a taxi in New York City! <br />It’s like Make A Wish Foundation without the childhood life-threatening medical illness!<br />So sexy!<br />Paco tells me where to go. He tells me when to turn and brake and speed up. He even knows when a pothole is coming. He knows this city down to its details and I tell him so. Paco points out our first fare. I stop and two guys, going from one bar to another, climb in. They offer to buy us shots. We decline.<br /><br />The second fare is a couple. They ask Paco and I if we want to come up and smoke pot with them. And again, we decline.<br /><br />Oh, and guess what? Driving a cab is neither glamorous nor romantic. Fetid air fills the car. You can imagine. The passengers may be contributors but mostly it comes from my armpits. It is the smell of stress. And terror. My knuckles are bleached.<br /><br />The next fare is a guy and his English girl-cousin on their way to Astoria. <br />I ask them, “So where did you go on your date?” <br />The guy reminds me that they are cousins.<br />“But how long have you been dating?”<br />“We’re not.”<br />“Then why did you go on a date?”<br />I’m goofing and they don’t like it. I have made them uncomfortable and now they hate me. (Which probably means they do secretly fancy each other.) <br /><br />I apologize to Paco for losing his tip. And insist on paying the lost amount.<br /><br /> We pick up another guy who suggests getting a drink before dropping him home. I point out that a lot of people want to intoxicate us. <br />Paco confirms this. “You wouldn’t believe how many people try to get me to go out drinking with them,” he says. <br />That’s absurd! It’s like, before an operation, telling the surgeon “You’re cool, how ’bout we go get shitfaced together before you put knife to skin?” <br /><br />We pick up a group of college students. One of the girls can’t believe that a woman is driving the taxi. She really can’t believe it. <br />She asks, “Are you really allowed?”<br />No, I’m not really allowed to drive a cab. In fact, it’s very illegal for me to be driving this cab. Which is probably what makes it even more fun. But it would be a good idea to stop, because it would not be fun if anything happened to Paco and his job. And that’s where the wild night, and the story, end.<br /><br /><br /><br />Would I do it again?<br />No, way too stressful.<br /><br /><br /><br /> If you want to read stories from a real cab driver, check out <a href="http://cabsareforkissing.blogspot.com/"> Cabs Are For Kissing</a>.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818850154732710814.post-38655283885512205052008-12-10T21:49:00.007-05:002009-02-23T13:51:26.789-05:00Detroit, Michigan<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NjiTVbFnZcw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NjiTVbFnZcw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I'd do Detroit any day. I love Detroit.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17126216624973510723noreply@blogger.com0