August 16, 2018 at 2:15 am (Books, Food and Drink, Lists, Women Writers)
Tags: angst, Daphne du Maurier, English writers, noir, novel, reading lists, summer
Her aunt, who had not uttered a word since her husband entered the room, was frying bacon over the fire. No one spoke. Mary was aware of Joss Merlyn watching her across the table, and behind her she could hear her aunt fumbling with ineffectual fingers at the hot handle of the frying pan.
Some Thoughts:
- The frying of the bacon in the middle of the night is a very interesting touch.
- Joss Merlyn is an utter pig and Mary has certainly landed herself in a pickle, stuck with him and his cowed wife in an inn of uncertain repute in the middle of a nightmarishly stark and unfamiliar landscape.
So far, the novel reads like one of those dark fairy tales where a damsel in distress has to endure trial by fire before she encounters a) a prince; b) a fairy godmother; c) an inheritance.
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
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August 13, 2018 at 7:23 pm (Books, Conversations, Flowers, Food and Drink, Recommended, Surprises, Women Writers)
Tags: Daphne du Maurier, Mondays, novel, reading lists, summer
SPOILER ALERT!
Having discovered that her husband is a murderer, the narrator is exhilarated because at last she has proof positive that he is not still in love with Rebecca!
Well-armoured with that knowledge, she goes calmly snipping roses in the rose-garden.
Then comes the moment of truth: the climactic confrontation with Mrs. Danvers.
It’s over that day’s menu.
The narrator finds it unsatisfactory, so she draws a pencil slash across the whole thing and sends it back to the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Danvers materializes to ask why the menu has been sent back.
“I don’t understand,” (Mrs. Danver says)
I looked at her, a rose in my hand.
“Those cutlets and that salmon were sent in yesterday,” I said. “I saw them on the side-board. I should prefer something hot today. If they won’t eat the cold (leftovers) in the kitchen, you had better throw the stuff away. So much waste goes on in this house anyway that a little more won’t make any difference.”
She stared at me. She did not say anything. I put the rose in the vase with the others.
Excellent shade, Narrator. Methinks you are moving from being Alice in Wonderland to becoming Joan of Arc.
Stay tuned.
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August 11, 2018 at 3:23 am (Books, Conversations, Food and Drink, Recommended, Surprises, Women Writers)
Tags: Daphne du Maurier, English writers, Fridays, humor, novel, reading lists, summer
“What are you going to have?” he said.
“I’ve had mine already,” I told him, “and I can only stay four minutes anyway.”
“Bring me coffee, a boiled egg, toast, marmalade, and a tangerine,” he said to the waiter. And he took an emery board out of his pocket and began filing his nails.
lol
lol
lol
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July 29, 2018 at 4:46 pm (Food and Drink, Links, Niece, Places, Relatives)
Tags: Cee Neuner, desserts, San Francisco, Saturday, weekends
Another Cee Neuner Fun Foto Challenge! For the next few weeks, Cee asks us to take inspiration from a photograph. Here is the photograph for Week 3.
Self got to spend time in the City yesterday. She was with her niece Angela, who introduced self to the wonder of Tea Bear Café, whose walls were either real or synthetic wood. And self has no idea what the dice were meant to represent:
Saturday, 28 July 2018: Tea Bear Café, San Francisco Chinatown
And there’s an adorable picture of the bear in Tea Bear!
The Bear Has Its Close-up
And here’s the view just outside the café: Washington Park, where a Chinese dance performance was happening.
Washington Square, Chinatown, San Francisco
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
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July 19, 2018 at 6:22 pm (Artists and Writers, destinations, Family, Food and Drink, Lists, Places, Recommended)
Tags: art, desserts, exhibits, happiness, museums, praise, restaurants, San Francisco
Self has seen it three times.
The Magritte-themed food in the fifth floor café is so much fun:
In the adjoining sculpture garden, you can pose in front of this sign and you will look fabulous and so ‘San Francisco’:
Andrew and Jennie, 14 July 2018
There is a great, really great interactive portion at the end: Raise your arms, and YOU’RE the Magritte!
More later. Stay tuned!
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July 7, 2018 at 5:34 pm (Food and Drink)
Tags: California, Cee Neuner, farmers markets, Redwood City, Saturday, summer
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is PILES AND STACKS.
A few days ago, self showed stacks of books.
Today, since she was just at the Redwood City Farmers Market, she’s showing stacks of produce. Everything from cactus to organic chips.
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June 30, 2018 at 3:40 pm (Books, Food and Drink, Personal Bookshelf, Recommended, Surprises)
Tags: Just published, Miami University Press, poetry, Saturday, summer
excerpt from Tanka Notebook, in the collection Climbing into the Orchestra (2017)
On the sidewalk a giant onion perfectly peeled
tucked in a plastic baggie and still fresh
three days after I notice it.
Keith Tuma teaches at Miami University (Ohio), where he edits the Miami University Press. Recent books include On Leave: A Book of Anecdotes (Salt, 2011).
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June 26, 2018 at 3:41 pm (Artists and Writers, Conversations, Food and Drink)
Tags: causes, politics, The New Yorker, Twitter
The New Yorker‘s Adam Gopnik on Sarah Huckabee Sanders and who deserves a place at the table:
- Never before in American politics has there been so plausible a reason for exclusion from the common meal as the act of working for Donald Trump.
@realDonaldTrump:
- The Red Hen restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
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June 19, 2018 at 3:09 pm (Artists and Writers, destinations, Food and Drink, Links, Lists, plans, Recommended)
Tags: Anthony Bourdain, causes, Events, restaurants, San Francisco
In honor of World Refugee Day, June 20, San Francisco this week is hosting the Refugee Food Festival.
The festival kicks off today in one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite San Francisco restaurants, the Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry Building.
The chef, Pa Wah, from Burma, “spent the majority of her life in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand.”
The other participating chefs are from Bhutan, Iraq, Myanmar, Senegal, and Syria.
More information on the festival, here.
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
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June 18, 2018 at 5:55 pm (Food and Drink, Lists, Recommended)
Tags: causes, Events, Mondays, restaurants, San Francisco
In honor of World Refugee Day on 20 June (Ironically, the same day a judge will hear the case of the U.S. Dept of Justice against the State of California), this week (Tuesday, 19 June through Saturday, 23 June) San Francisco hosts the Refugee Food Festival.
Selected San Francisco restaurants will open their kitchens to refugee chefs.
- Tuesday, 19 June: Cuisine from Myanmar prepared by Pa Wah at the Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry Building
- Wednesday, 20 June: Cuisine from Iraq prepared by Muna Anaee at Tawla
- Thursday, 21 June: Cuisine from Bhutan prepared by Anu Mapchan at DOSA
- Friday, 22 June: Cuisine from Iraq (Part 2) prepared by Muna Anaee at Son’s Addition
- Saturday, 23 June: Cuisine from Senegal prepared by Vito at Jardiniere
For more information: refugeefoodfestival.com
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
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