I am here today to discuss ice cream. Perhaps that seems inappropriate — it’s the peak of autumn, the northeastern portion of the United States has been hit by a devastating storm (electricity for an ice cream machine truly the least of most people’s concerns), Sandy continues moving north and, my mother tells me, it’s […]
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I visited the California Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this week to get a proper California license plate and registration for our car. My visit contained all that one might expect from a visit to the DMV: lots of waiting, non-native English speakers struggling to understand instructions that I hardly understand, men both very old […]
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I’m utterly fascinated by strangers. There’s just something about the fact that these people — next to me on the sidewalk, waiting for the same train, in an apartment down the street — are immersed in lives that, to them, feel as complex and weighty and wondrous and singular as my own. They have their […]
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It’s officially autumn, as you’re surely aware. I don’t know quite what that means here in the Bay Area. I’ve asked around, and some have told me nothing happens! But perhaps this is because they, too, are from the Midwest, where our fall days bring blazing colors to the trees and crisp winds that absolutely demand scarves […]
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This Swedish Visiting Cake has not only the most charming name but also a deep almond flavor, crisp top crust, sprinkling of toasty almonds and brief list of ingredients. But nonetheless, I would like to start with that name. The recipe comes to us from Dorie Greenspan, who got it from her friend Ingela, whose mother […]
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