PicoBlog

The holidays are all about friends, family and food. Andrew is both a friend and my chosen family. As he puts it in the show, he’s like my “very annoying older brother,” and I love him for that. (Just don’t tell him I said so!) ;) Throwing this party with him was an absolute blast and crazy delicious. A mashup of all our favorite holiday foods from Christmas and Hanukkah, since both of us grew up celebrating the two holidays with our families.

Thursday, November 30, 2023 Good afternoon! Welcome to potluck season! Okay, maybe this isn’t a thing but I think it should be. As we head into December (in about 12 hours), and the cookie swaps, holiday lunches, and dinner parties start filling our calendar, I bet you’re going to be asked to bring “something” [food, homemade] with you somewhere soon and you’ll want some suggestions. I am here to help! I consider myself a master of the art of schlepping food from one place to another, incapable — due to my both constitution and also my profession — of showing up empty-handed.

I’m a big fan of gear reviews - both reading and writing them. I’m talking honest reviews here, and definitely not, “I took this out of the box five minutes ago and I’ve never used it, but it’s awesome!” Here are some of the products that were new to me this year (or last year, in one case), and how they worked for me: You can see the price and the short thumbs up/down assessment at the top of each item, and then read on for full detail if the product (or my experience with it) interests you.

Homemade crackers will be the star of the snack spread, and even the star of a whole party. Trust me. Typically they aren’t too much work to make, at least in my recipes (there are several in Snacks for Dinner). They keep well and therefore can be made well in advance and are a delightful gift for a host. And they always have a uniquely appealing, rustic look. And have you noticed how expensive store-bought ones are lately?

I’ve never made tomato paste before and have never thought about making tomato paste before…yet here we are, making tomato paste. I was trying to think of something different to do with my tomatoes that were softening at a rapid pace in my humid apartment (why is my apartment so humid?!) and thought, “tomato paste could be cute.” I was curious what the process would even involve, but assumed it was really just cooking tomatoes down to a paste (which is correct).

Hello Pizza Friends, Today we’re talking about ricotta, a cheese I thought I disliked for much of my life, thanks no doubt to years of dining hall lasagna and stuffed shells, whose chalky flavorless fillings left much to be desired. (Slimy, overcooked noodles didn’t help either.) As with so many foods, a taste of the real thing made me realize what I’d been missing. For me, this wasIna Garten’s homemade ricotta from her book How East is That?

Have you ever felt a connection with a person you’ve never met? Or a place you’ve never been? In my office, there’s a bookshelf where I keep a framed black-and-white photograph of my family. In the photo, my grandmother and grandfather, mother, and aunts are all gathered around the central figure: my great-grandmother. She’s wearing thick, dark glasses and a hardened smile. I never had the chance to meet her, but my mother has told me stories about her strength and tenacity.

Let’s hop in our time capsule and explore the first quarter of the 21st century together. I think wide receiver. Exceptional athlete. Exceptional ability to make you miss. Exceptional acceleration. Exceptional instincts with the ball in his hands, and that’s rare for a wide receiver: that’s A.B. [Antonio Brown] and who else? Name me another one who’s like that? Julio’s [Jones] not even like that. This guy is incredible in the open field and a great ability to separate.

Essays on literature, culture, society, and all things human. Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. A writer's renascent light against the darkness. "Sing of human unsuccess / In a rapture of distress." Launched a year ago No thanks“Jay writes with great passion, great knowledge, and great skill. If you love literature or history or ideas, subscribe!” “This is indeed "writing that dares." It's also writing that breathes with life and intelligence.