More Late Summer Meals: Vegetable Tian

Every August, everybody is faced with the same dilemma: how do we use all those tomatoes and all that zucchini without getting sick of it? It's a good problem to have, I know - especially with respect to the tomatoes - but it's a problem nonetheless.

One simple way to use a lot of both vegetables at once is to make a tian. I use a slightly modified version of Ina Garten's recipe from Barefoot in Paris, and this is the (pre-oven) result:The combination of potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and cheese is a good one and, as long as you don't mind doing some slicing, it's a very easy side dish.

Vegetable Tian

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Olive oil
5-6 large shallots, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes (like Yukon gold), unpeeled
1 medium to large zucchini
1 1/2 pounds medium tomatoes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 sprigs thyme
2 ounces Gruyere (or Comte or Jarlsberg), grated

Preheat the oven to 375.

Brush a 9x13 pan with olive oil. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbs of olive oil and cook shallots over medium heat until translucent - about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about another minute, until fragrant. Spread mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini into 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish, making it tight, so you only end up with one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and olive oil, and place the thyme sprigs on top. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes.

Uncover the dish and remove the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until browned and tender.

Entertaining Friday: Miami Recap

If we learned one thing from Top Chef this week, it's that a bachelorette party is entertaining, right? Right?

Well, maybe not, but Cail's bachelorette party, held last weekend in Miami, really was entertaining. So entertaining, in fact, that I realized this morning that I took exactly two pictures, and they were both with my Blackberry. So glad I charged my camera battery for the trip.

As a result, I have only one picture from our snack at Nobu, and I don't have a single picture of our Friday night dinner at Yuca, where I loved the empanadas and the Asian-influenced sauce on the tuna. Or of our adventures later that night, which mostly involved champagne at the outdoor portion of the hotel bar.

Fortunately, Cail took lots of pictures, like this early-morning of the lounges at the pool at The Shore Club:The Shore Club, as previously mentioned, was a great hotel and the pool was outstanding. We spent all day Saturday sitting on those chairs and swimming in that corner of the pool, while we drank frozen drinks and gossiped with the other guests and the pool staff about all the famous people in our midst. Famous people that included Vin Diesel (very low key), several Carolina Panthers (as low key as professional athletes can be) and the owner of Penthouse, accompanied by 10 of his "pets," all in town to shoot a "film" (not very low key at all). I have never seen anything like that show in my entire life, and I don't expect to see anything like it again.

Dinner on Saturday night might have been my favorite part of the whole weekend. Based on several recommendations, we'd made reservations at Casa Tua, a pretty restaurant tucked into a prettier hotel, all hidden behind tall hedges, several blocks off the Collins Ave.

We started dinner with champagne, a surprise courtesy of Cail's parents, then moved into shared appetizers, including this tomato salad with burrata - possibly the creamiest, most fantasic mozzarella I've ever tasted:All of the dishes had the same simple look and feel, but they all also packed a huge punch, flavor-wise. In addition to the salad, we shared lightly fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella (why go easy on the cheese?) and a salad of crab, melon and proscuitto that was so light with just the right amount of savory.

For dinner, I had seared diver scallops (perfect) with a fennel gratin that reminded me of a more flavorful potato pancake. I also stole a bit of Erin's ravioli stuffed with quail, served with mushrooms and truffle. It was exactly as heady, intense, and amazing as it sounds.

We skipped dessert that night to head off to LIV, where we had a table waiting. Hours and hours later, we returned to the hotel, where I slept for a couple of hours, then got up to begin one of the worst traveling days of my life.

But worth it.

Old School Thursday: Housewives Edition

National Pots de Creme DayFeast of St. Monica, patron of homemakers, housewives.Nothing happened today. Nothing at all. Not one single food-related historical event.

That might be appropriate, though, because today is the Feast of St. Monica, and she is the patron saint of homemakers and housewives, and if there’s one thing homemakers and housewives deserve, it’s a day without a million things on the schedule.

Plus, it’s National Pots de Crème Day (reminding me that everyone has a lobby). So find your favorite housewife, make her some pots de crème, then, I don’t know, rub her feet or something.

Restaurant Review: B&O American Brasserie

As usual, this review is based on only one visit to the restaurant, so keep that in mind as you read it. Also, in this case, I wasn't exactly an anonymous diner, and my dinner was comped, as a part of a press preview deal. So keep that in mind, too.

I'd been looking forward to dinner at B&O American Brasserie (2 North Charles Street, 443-692-6172) for quite some time before the doors actually opened. The buzz surrounding the opening has been exciting and even if other bloggers hadn't gotten me riled up, reading Chef E. Michael Reidt's resume would have.

So as Cooper and I pulled up to the restaurant last Tuesday night, I was both hungry and ready to love everything I ate. I am so happy to report that the kitchen didn't disappoint.

First impressions: I love the lobby - the place has huge happy hour potential. It's in a great location - downtown, but right in between bars at the harbor and those in Mt. Vernon. I used to work in the building right across Fayette from the restaurant and believe me, we were hurting for places to drink (it was an ad agency - we needed booze+variety).

Upstairs, where we ate, the black leather banquettes made the look - fortunately, too, because otherwise that level had a little bit of a hotel vibe. That makes sense, though, since B&O is in a hotel, and it is likely to see more than a few business dinners. I think the decor hits the right mix of cool and buttoned-down. This is Baltimore, after all.

I was impressed with the drinks menu, which isn't extensive, but does feature seasonal ingredients and a handful of interesting and creative cocktails. No surprise, since Brendan Dorr, formerly of Ixia, joined the B&O staff after Ixia's closing. In fact, we overheard our waiter, a very tall, friendly, and efficient guy, telling the next table (which happened to be Liz and Nathan Stambaugh) that he also came over from Ixia, as did a lot of the staff. That bodes well for service.

I started with a Chamomile Cup ($10), a mixture of chamomile tea, Ketel One vodka, ginger beer and Pimm's. The tea was a nice balance for the ginger beer, and the was a nice prelude to the meal.

The wine list, which was also carefully edited, could've included a few more bottles at the less expensive end of the spectrum, but we managed to find a highly drinkable pinot-syrah-zinfandel blend called Mediterina ($38). When we ordered, we didn't realize it was an organic wine - the first we've ever had, and a good first experience at that.

So the beverages all worked out, but what about the food?

I started with a salad of heirloom tomato, watermelon, and goat cheese ($10):

As Cooper pointed out, that's just about my favorite mixture of summertime salad foods. It didn't disappoint. I loved the combination of soft and slightly tart tomatoes and crunchy, sweet watermelon, with just a little creamy goat cheese tang. Perfect.

Cooper, unsurprisingly, ordered the pork belly starter - he can't resist pork belly (who can?). It was accessorized with a mustardy sauce and pickled red onion: It was ridiculously good, as pork belly tends to be.

For dinner, I had ricotta gnocchi with asparagus, mushroom and parmesan ($17 full serving, $12 half) and I was so enthralled with its rich flavor that I completely forgot to take pictures. It was a heady dish, but I ate every single bite of my half serving, and really wished I'd ordered a full, just so I had some to take home.

Cooper went the steak frites route, ordering the ribeye ($34) that came with a side of duck fat fries:His steak was cooked with a ton of precision and the flavor was excellent. Plus, duck fat fries. They tasted like McDonald's, plus that little something special. Awesome.

For dessert, I couldn't resist the "wicked pissah" cupcakes, which combined salty peanuts with chocolate and dulce de leche:Cooper was all over his bread pudding, which came with a side of fantastic, just a little spicy, black pepper ice cream:Overall, it was a memorable meal and one we'd definitely like to repeat. On the way home, Cooper said he was reminded a little of Woodberry Kitchen. It's a different vibe - much more businessy - but the two restaurants share an obvious respect for ingredients, a high level of technical skill, and a creative approach.

However, one quick final note: my high school friend, R, and his girlfriend, M, visited the restaurant last week and were slightly underwhelmed. They loved the space, had good service, liked the margherita flatbread, and said the happy hour looked like fun, but they were a little disappointed in overly-coated oysters and too-charred rockfish, and they were turned off by the bacon notes in the smoked shrimp-pea risotto (neither eats bacon, which might do it) - though they mentioned that the risotto itself was perfectly cooked. I trust R's opinion - he eats out a lot and knows what he's talking about - but suggested that he give it a month or so then go back for another try.

I know I will.

Ideabook Tuesday: Inspiration Boards

I'm a big fan of bulletin boards of all types and a long time ago, before I even knew what an inspiration board was, I had created one for my office. Since I don't work in the office so much these days, I don't update it all that frequently, but one day that might change. Right now, it's full of postcards and stickers and little research tools.

And when I do have some time to focus my inspiration board, I'll be using this ideabook, created by Becky from Hatch, as, well, inspiration:

Kickin' Ideabooks Old School: Inspiration Boards

houzz- home design, kitchen design, bathrooms and more

Trendy Monday: More Cucumber

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about old drinks with a new twist, mentioning a cucumber gimlet one of my friends drank in San Francisco. It's been a cucumbery summer here, too, mostly because Cooper and I have been drinking a lot of Hendrick's gin.

Over the weekend, I was in Miami for Cail's bachelorette party (more stories to follow) where I had another cucumber cocktail. On Friday afternoon, during a snack at Nobu, which was in our hotel (The Shore Club), I drank a delicious Grapefruit & Kappa, a cocktail made with grapefruit vodka, lychee, and muddled cucumber. It was so refreshing and sweet. Perfect for post-pool time and a great match for sushi.

More Miami posts this week: dinners at Yuca and Casa Tua, plus some details about the weekend's celebrity sightings...

Old School Thursday: Bees and Stainless Edition

Today is St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s Day and no, he is not the patron saint of dogs who carry brandy in little barrels while they rescue skiers. He’s the patron of beekeepers. Obviously. Today is also National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day, though it would make more sense if it were National Baklava Day or something like that – something with honey.

Other than that, today’s only historical event of note was in 1913, when stainless steel was cast for the first time. The metal-that-updated-a-million-kitchens was discovered by accident by Harry Brearly of Sheffield, England. My appliances thank you, Mr. Brearly.

So, to celebrate? Pie and honey, made in a modern kitchen?

Artsy Wednesday: Top Chef Las Vegas!

Can reality TV be considered art?

I'll leave you with that question, along with a reminder that not only does Top Chef Masters wrap it up tonight, this evening also brings us the premiere of Top Chef Las Vegas, complete with more Marylanders than the show's ever seen.

And if you're into Top Chef, you should really be reading All Top Chef. I'm not just saying that because I'm one of the bloggers, either. I would read it anyway, even if my name wasn't on the sidebar. For real.

De-stressing

Some people make bread to relax.

I make stock.

Late Summer Eating Chez Pollard

Despite what most of my posts would have you think, I do consider this a food blog. And since right now happens to be the best season for local food, I've been doing a lot of cooking - and even some photographing.

Like last week, when I decided to make the most of my CSA vegetables, making Gourmet's zucchini, corn and basil fusilli with bacon. Gourmet, oddly enough, suggested using store-bought pesto, which I replaced with this simple recipe.

The pasta recipe was included in a recent Gourmet email, in a paragraph about "sexy" zucchini recipes. Was it sexy? Ummm...well, it did have bacon in it. And the corn adds a nice sweet element. The pesto was fantastic (especially after I doubled the garlic).

Unfortunately, zucchini is boring. But a least it's healthy, and the meal was easy: Last Saturday, we decided to kick it up a little bit, celebrating Julia Child's birthday in style with Kyle, Jen and Bill. That meant trying to have a sit-down dinner with three little kids in the house. It almost worked. Here's the table before dinner + kids wreaked havoc: To start, we drank Spice & Ice cocktails (perfect for summer - like a spicy margarita) and ate a few simple hors d'oeuvres, including smoked hummus from Neopol, pickled garlic scapes from the Heron Hill gift shop, and grissini smothered in truffle butter and wrapped in proscuitto (from Ceriello). Everything was good, but the breadsticks (and especially the proscuitto) were excellent: Before dinner, we also sampled Mary's family's red wine. Her family, which has a farm near Pittsburgh, makes both red and white wine, and we'd heard a lot about both. Namely, that they make better sangria than anything else. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised when a nose full of Welch's turned into a not-that-terrible taste.

When we sat down, we started with a chilled cucumber and yogurt soup that's heavily flavored by pureed pepperoncini and their pickling juice (plus dill). It was refreshing and really quite tasty (though Bill wasn't a fan): At that point, dinner really kicked off, and I stopped remembering to take photos. We followed the soup with a gorgeous heirloom salad that was everything I love about late August produce, roast chicken with herbes de Provence in an homage to Julia Child, and a trio of cheeses from Atwater's. For dessert, we had homemade marscarpone ice cream (not nearly as difficult to make as I'd expected!) topped with roast peaches in a honey-rosemary sauce. It was perfect (though more perfect on Friday, when I made it, then on Saturday, when it was served).

After slacking off and ordering pizza Sunday night (I was working!) I headed back into the kitchen yesterday to make use of the pile of tomatoes we've amassed. The ones in our yard haven't even ripened, but we've been the lucky recipients of tons of gorgeous tomatoes from a couple of guys who work with Cooper. In my search for fresh tomato sauce recipes, I came across this Jacques Pepin concoction, onion flan with fresh tomato sauce.

I don't have a food mill, so I did all of my pureeing in a Cuisinart, but I don't think it made a difference. Served with a simple salad of arugula, heart of palm and Sun Gold tomatoes, this made a weeknight dinner that was both delicate and satisfying:The eating doesn't stop here, either. Tonight we go to B&O American Brasserie for dinner and later this week, we leave for Tom and Cail's bachelor and bachelorette parties, which involve pig roasting in Nags Head (for Cooper) and lots of poolside drinks and hot Miami tapas (for me).

Then, back to the grind. Which is OK, especially when the grind involves such fabulous produce.

Ideabook Tuesday: Camping Chic

Everyone who knows me - and I do mean everyone - also knows that I'm not exactly the camping type. Conversely, Cooper is Mr. River Runs Through It-Telluride After College-Land Cruiser Boy. He outdoorsy, I'm chateauy. We're a match made in heaven.

However anti-camping I may be, though, I'm not sure even I could resist some of these posh tents. Especially if they come with nearby indoor plumbing and excellent carry-out options:

Not Exactly Roughing It: Fancy Camping

houzz- home design, kitchen design, bathrooms and more

Baltimore: Kind of Awesome Right Now

As I'm sure I've made abundantly clear on this blog, little makes me happier than seeing Baltimore's food scene recognized on the national stage for what it is (not what it isn't, Bourdain) - vibrant, eclectic, improving, and most of all, just plain good.

The past few weeks have been good ones for Charm City, with the opening of B&O American Brasserie, plus a bunch of other stuff:

• Roy Yamaguchi's in town, visiting his eponymous restaurant in Harbor East, and hosting a local Top Chef-like competition pitting culinary students against local chefs, including Jesse Sandlin, of Abacrombie Fine Foods (and soon to be of real Top Chef fame). The event takes place tonight and costs $85 per person (for a five-course meal, sans wine).
• Speaking of Top Chef, the new season debuts this week with three Marylanders as contestants. The aforementioned Sandlin, plus Bryan Voltaggio of Volt in Frederick and his brother (!), Michael Voltaggio, who works at The Dining Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa.
• In restaurant wine news, the Prime Rib just received an "Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator magazine and...
• Possibly most exciting, Woodberry Kitchen is featured in Bon Appetit as one of their top ten best new restaurants. The September issue does a good job of singing Spike Gjerde's praises, pointing out that he was sourcing "farm-to-table" ingredients long before the word "locavore" was more than a drop of ink on some horrific word creator's pen. The magazine also includes a recipe for one of WK's flatbreads. It's a keeper, even if I don't like making my own dough.

Good job, Baltimore!

Trendy Monday: Portland + Lunch Trucks

I've been writing "trendy Mondays" for a long time now and I'm a little bit cocky about some of my observations. With good reason, though - I have a tendency to be right a lot of the time. Oh, sometimes I'm a little late with a trend and occasionally I write about something that's not quite "trend" worthy, but overall, I've got a decent track record.

Right now, I'm feeling especially good about myself. Last week, as I read the September issue of Bon Appetit, I came across an article (not yet online) that covered not one but two of my noted trends - in the title, even. Portland's Lunch Trucks.

So that's really it: congratulations to me. Well, that and...Bon Appetit, it's been just barely over a year since your last feature on lunch trucks. I know you're in LA where the taco truck reigns supreme, but come on...a little variety, please?

Urbanspoon Hits 1,000

Urbanspoon just added their thousandth blogger and to celebrate, they've written a blog post of their own highlighting a handful of that thousand - including yours truly (thanks, Urbanspoon!).

And I swear that it's not just because of that that I'm saying this: they are an awesome restaurant resource - the main one I use - and I'm really happy to see how much the community there has grown. I'm not surprised, though. Since I first joined, everyone there (especially Ethan and Kate) have been friendly and responsive to questions and even requests. They're very tuned in to what their users want and I think it shows in the quality of the website.

Congratulations, Urbanspoon!

Entertaining Friday: Deep Glamour's Birthday Part

Deep Glamour celebrates its first birthday this month. Unlike many blogs (like this one) that either forget the day or simply post something self-congratulatory, DG is throwing itself a party at LA's Fashion Walk. Because, you know, that's the glamorous thing to do:

If you're going to be in LA next week, stop by. And pass the word along. Here's a PDF of the invitation for easy printing and emailing.

Old School Thursday: Celebrating Julia Edition

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Julia Child, whose birthday is on Saturday. The obvious way to celebrate this, of course, is to head to the movies to see Julie & Julia, then to cook a fabulous, Julia-inspired dinner.

As it happens, today is also National Filet Mignon Day. Filet mignon is, I think, best served with a sauce of wine and butter. Wine and butter – how Julia is that?

Bon Appetit!

Artsy Wednesday: Mona Lisa Crazy

If you haven't already, read this Guardian article about a Russian woman, mad at France for denying her citizenship, hurling a mug at the Mona Lisa.

I can picture the scene so easily - and it is hilarious. But here's what I want to know:

• Was she under the impression that the Mona Lisa was, actually, a French painting?
• How is it that she didn't hit any tourists?
• How funny is the Guardian for specifically mentioning that the mug thrown was produced in England?
• Why isn't this getting more press? Doesn't everybody find it as entertaining as I do?

Ideabook Tuesday: IKEA Hacking

We all do it, even if we don't think about it. What's "it"? IKEA-hacking, or tinkering with IKEA designs to customize them to our homes.

We've used one shelf as a headboard and another as a closet organizer. When the legs fell off our TV unit, we rolled with it. From little things like that to very big customizations involving more electronics than I'm interested in, IKEA hacking is a pretty active sport. Today's ideabook is an ode to all the great IKEA hacks out there. For more information on the specific projects - like how to do them - click through this link.

DIY Projects: 9 Easy(ish) IKEA Hacks

houzz- home design, kitchen design, bathrooms and more

Trendy Monday: Julie & Julia

The movie opened last Friday - and talk about buzz. I'm the target audience for this movie and based on the press I've seen, somebody in PR is doing their job well.

So I'll add a bit, with this ideabook comprised of chef's kitchens, starting with the movie's recreation of Julia Child's famous Boston digs:

In the Chef's Kitchen

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Entertaining Friday: Bringing Invitations Back

Miss Manners (and my grandmother) would hate to hear this, but I rarely send out invitations. We have people over all the time, and at least half the time we've actually planned the event with enough lead time that invitations are a realistic option. And yet, instead of addressing envelopes, I still find myself relying on email to get the word out.

kind of pathetic.

Especially when I see gorgeous cards like the ones above, found on the Kate Spade website. They're engraved, on heavy stock and are blank inside, perfect for a little note. Also, they're only $25 per box of 15, which, in the grand scheme of things, would hardly add anything to the cost of party planning.

Maybe that should be my second-half-of-the-year resolution: send more invitations. That's a resolution I bet I could even keep.

Old School Thursday: Logical Conclusion Edition

Today in food history, a photo essay.

1889: London's Savoy Hotel opens under the watchful eyes (and stomachs) of Cesar Ritz and Auguste Escoffier:

1911: Lucille Ball (aka Lucy Ricardo) is born, paving the way for countless parodies of the "grape stomping" and "candy factory" episodes of "I Love Lucy":

1928: Andy Warhol, the man who turned soup cans into art and pretty much predicted reality TV, is born:

And what does that all add up to? Why, National Root Beer Float Day, of course:

Actually, I think Lucy and Andy would approve. And Escoffier, too. After all, root beer floats are really quite delicious.

Quick Caffeine

Slate staffers rank the three big coffee-providing chains...and our Dunkin' buddies win. Also amusing: McDonald's beats Starbucks. And: Slate's surprisingly apt Starbucks-as-America analogy.

Artsy Wednesday: Grocery Store Semiotics

A long, long time ago, I was peripherally involved in some semiotic analysis of pubs in North Dublin. That project was, as you might imagine, extremely cool (and kind of funny, since it also included a video diary portion, with participants taping themselves as they got ready to go out and again when they got home from the pub. Priceless.)

Even before the pub project, though, I was interested in how retail spaces - their layouts and graphic elements - influence the way we shop. So, apparently, is Steven Heller. Writing in the NYT, Heller praises Berkshires artist Erin Piester for her hand-drawn signage that frames the produce in Guido's Market in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

The signs are pretty, but I wonder if they're as unique as Heller thinks they are. I have a vague impression of seeing similar signage someplace around here...Atwaters, maybe?

(via @deepglamour)

Julia Child, Glamorous Icon

I have a new post up at Deep Glamour today, explaining why Julia Child is my idea of a glamorous icon. An excerpt:

Julia Child is an unlikely glamour girl. Over six feet tall, with long arms and legs and a warbling voice famously parodied by Dan Aykroyd, she possessed none of the sultry airs of Marilyn Monroe or the cool confidence of Jackie Kennedy. But glamorous she was thanks to her larger-than-life personality and her role in helping Americans see food itself as something glamorous.

It goes and goes and goes from there...

Ideabook Tuesday: Birdcages

I think bird cages are cool, partly because at my very first concert (Edie Brickell) I bought a t-shirt with brightly colored bird cages all over it and I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. In retrospect, it actually was pretty cool.

And that was the inspiration for this:

Fly Away: Decorating with Bird Cages

houzz- home design, kitchen design, bathrooms and more

Things I've Made Recently

It's a big month for experiments around here, thanks to an overabundance of herbs, peppers and tomatoes. Here's this week's batch of cooking trials:

First, tomatillo salsa paired with pork tenderloin. I actually liked this better with chips than with the pork. It was good - chunky with nice flavor - but a little uneven in terms of spiciness. (I messed with the recipe ratios a little, just to amp up the spice.)

Next up, a slightly more successful roasted heirloom tomato, stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese and basil. This was pretty and tasty and very, very easy. I'd absolutely make it again. (In this case, I only made three tomatoes, instead of twelve, so the roasting only took about 20 minutes.)

Finally, and the results of this experiment remain to be seen, habanero and cayenne-infused vodka, inspired by this Infusions of Grandeur experiment. I prepped the infusion on Saturday afternoon and stuck the jar in the wine cellar. We'll pull it for a taste test tomorrow.

I have even more infusion plans, too, including basil-infused gin and maybe something with mint. We certainly have enough mint.

Can't wait to see what the farmers' market has for me tomorrow, too. More tomatillos? New peppers? Could this be the week the eggplant reappears?

Ten-Plus Things I Love about Keuka Lake

The four days we just spent at Keuka Lake (sans kids) were some of the most relaxing days we've had all summer. There's a lot to love about the place - more, maybe, than can be captured in one short blog post. But I'm going to try:

1. The Kelly family collages that cover the upstairs walls of Alicia's family's cottage. They start in the late 70's/early 80's, right after Alicia's grandfather bought the place. They tell an awesome story - a story of a family and a story of hairstyles. And bathing suit styles, too. 2. The party boat. Who doesn't love a pontoon boat? Perfect for sunset cruises with wine and cheese, or for a quick morning fishing trip.
3. Frolicking. Alicia is a champion frolicker, on land and on sea. When she's got the neighbor's trampoline, she gets even more air than usual. (As an aside, the lake is cold. Take-your-breath-away cold.) 4. Lolabear. Yes, Lola actually lives in Maryland with Mike and Alicia. But she is such a great lake dog. All day, she lays on the dock, only getting up when somebody's caught a fish (and then, only to sniff it). Also in this picture: morning coffee on the dock, watching the lake. 5. Fishing. I don't fish, but Keuka provides a perfect vacation for the boys. Bill's idea of a great day involves a whole lot of sitting, while Mike and Cooper need a lot of variety to stay entertained. Somehow, fishing meets all of their needs. 6. Wine tasting. The Keuka Lake area has several wineries, some of which even make good wine. This was my second trip to Bully Hill (below), where the wine is so bad that even Jen and I had to spit some of it out. But as bad as the wine is, the wine-tasting experience is so much fun.

Aside: I actually had to spit most of it out, as I'd gotten myself "rose-ed" the night before - which is exactly what happens when I break my self-imposed "only drink rose while eating" rule. I made the rule for a reason. I should stick to it.7. The Pinegrove Inn. From the outside, it looks like a slightly gussied up trailer. Inside, the menu boasts just about every type of fried food known to man, and beers are all under $3. The service is super-friendly, too. Oh - and the drive there? If you get lost, like we did, and drive in circles, it just might be the most entertaining 30 minutes ever. Gravy fries and Labbatt's Blue Light at the Pinegrove Inn. Because it's important to save on the beer calories when you're eating gravy fries.

8. Gertrude and Mr. Nibbles. I am generally unsympathetic to ducks (unless they appear on my plate) but Alicia's family and their neighbors have made a bit of a pet out of Gertrude and her ducklings, including Mr. Nibbles. Jen picked up Mrs. Kelly's slack last weekend, rushing out with bread everytime they came around. Lola tagged along to watch and scare the duckies.
9. Watching sailboat races from the dock. Since this is one of my favorite activities at home, too, it's no surprise that I'd do it for hours at Keuka.
10. Clammin' and Jammin' at The Waterfront. Unfortunately, Jen and Bill had to leave on Sunday morning, but Cooper and I stayed through until Monday so we got a chance to spend Sunday afternoon enjoying a little live music and a whole lot of people-watching at The Waterfront, just down the street from the cottage. The music was really very good and watching the dancing was more entertaining than words can describe. We might have even done a little dancing ourselves...
The food at The Waterfront ranges from steamers and salt potatoes to, well, a lot of fried stuff, all served in handy plastic baskets.
We were lucky enough, too, to sit through three short rainstorms, which finally culminated in a pristine rainbow - a perfect way to close out the trip.
Some other things I love about Keuka Lake, but that are not pictured:

11. The way water shoes really lengthen the line of your leg.

12. Alicia's cinnamon buns and not eating any healthy food at all for four days.

13. Watching Cooper sit inside and beat Medal of Honor, jumping up and running out only when his fishing line got a nibble. (Also, yes, Cooper did wear that hat ALL THE TIME. It's his vacation hat.)

14. The way sitting around encourages us to make up games that work with or without drinking. The new one: someone picks a word, then each person in the group has to sing part of a song with that word in it. Hours of entertainment, guaranteed.

What a great, great trip.

[Pictures mostly taken by Alicia, Mike me.]

A Couple of Links from the NYT

The NYT has, lately, been chock-full of interesting things. First, that Michael Pollan article I wrote about yesterday. Also, this excerpt from Frank Bruni's memoir.

Earlier this week, M&G reader Emily sent me a link to the Bruni piece, which I'd read about, but hadn't read. After a quick skim of the first page, I assumed it was an entertaining look back at his life of eating. What I didn't realize was that the title, "I Was a Baby Bulimic," was more than flip. The fact that men have eating disorders, too, is something so rarely addressed. Bruni's story is an important one, and it's touching. It's also funny, though, and as we all know, it has a happy ending.

On a happier note, Maira Kalman has a new piece up in the Times and as usual, it's brilliant (via Pigtown Design). It starts as an ode to Benjamin Franklin and by the end, gets to this:

Jell-O lightbulbs. She gets there in a logical manner, too.

I think Kalman is kind of brilliant - I like the way she draws and the way she thinks. In this case, I like her subject a lot, too. Last Thanksgiving, my brother and sister and I had a characteristically dorky conversation about which founding father was our favorite. We all agreed that though TJ was the logical choice (architect, foodie, wine lover, W&M alum and founder of UVA), there's just something about Franklin. His penchant for invention and his absolute devotion to America fit with our particular family values kind of perfectly.