Happy Saint V
My grand-niece, Gracie, turned three. Here she is helping to bake her own
birthday cake. Only the women in my family can bake worth a damn.
I've read about a lot of fantasy literary journals, but the
Shit Creek Review
is actually publishing.
Valentine's Day News: "scientists believe that when you fall in
love,
the ventral tegmental floods the caudate with
dopamine."
Sigh, isn't that romantic? From
CNN:
"Researchers who wanted to find out why it is not only taboo to kiss your
sister, but also disgusting, said Wednesday ..." Among Women's 10 Favorite
Romantic Movies is Braveheart (!?). Researchers have
linked
vasectomies with higher risk of dementia. Zoos around the country are
holding special Valentine's Day
tours
(Wild Love at the Zoo, Jungle Love, Woo at the Zoo) so visitors can learn about
the sex lives of animals.
Funniest
headline from The Onion: "Nation's Joggers Sick of Finding Dead
Bodies".
My son, Kyle, is apparently a complete wizard at
The Spoils.
He has completely dominated the competition and expects to win the Regionals and
go on to the Nationals. I'm sure this amazing skill at tournament card
games has at least a little bit to do with the amount of poker that he,
Der and I played when they were kids.
Dean and Deluca have outdone themselves again with their latest catalog of
epicurean goodies. Valentine fare include: Kimono Chocolates (left) that
come in flavors such as Apricote Bask, Soy Salt, and Pampered Pecan, each
adorned by "elegant vintage kimono designs"; Bonnet Truffles, shaped like
Easter bonnets; Shoe and Purse Cookies, hand-decorated in stylish icing; Mini
Coconut Cakes with roasted coconut, lemon curd and white chocolate whisk.
D&D's specialty cakes include The Handbag Cakes, which come in "brown leather"
or "pink fabric", and look just like, well, handbags, though they're made out of
cake and icing. The New York Cheesecake looks pretty wonderful, and is one
of the least expensive things in the catalog at $40 for a two-pound cake.
I'd pass on the Americana Cookies ($40 for oatmeal raisin, peanut butter,
ginger, and double fudge chip), and just let Junie bake me up a batch. For
breakfast, they have signature teas and coffees, and an assortment of H&H
bagels, $36 for 24. In this catalog, they've started listing my favorite
Spanish starting dishes: Lomo Iberico (cured pork loin), Manchego (the
ubiquitous and multifaceted cheese from La Mancha), Chorizo Pamplona, and mojama,
an unbelievably powerful and delicious steak of tuna cured in sea salt. In
their new wine section, they feature a number of little-known and mostly
reasonable vintages. When you're placing your order, make sure to sign up
for a chance to win a trip to the Culinary Institute of America's Boot Camp.
Rebecca Cures The Common
Cold And Other Stories.
Dusie, seemingly based in Switzerland, a small press for dusi/e chapbooks,
as well as Dusie, the online poetry
journal, lists her favorite poetry books of 2006 (pretty eclectic).