In the cold winter months, nothing beats a hearty molasses cookie. These cookies are comparable to ginger snaps, but are a little more crunchy, with a hint of molasses. I took the recipe …
Pecan Shortbread
The march of progress often seems inexorable, with each passing step of time yielding new ground in our scientific and technical fields.
The digital age is the embodiment of this phenomenon. With the advent of computers, we’ve watched our lives become longer, our automobiles become safer, and our world become closer.
In the world of photography, the digital age has made film obsolete and our cameras smaller and faster. We’ve gone from the Polaroid to the point and shoot, and from carrying buckets of film to squeezing thousands of images onto a single photo card, no larger than the size of a half-dollar. We’ve traded film development for image software; our darkroom for a computer.
All of which makes the technical and artistic expertise of an Ansel Adams that much more compelling….
Garlic and Cheese Naan
The Cincinnati football team is named the Bengals, and takes, as its logo, an image of a leaping Royal Bengal tiger. The Bengal tiger is native to India and Bangladesh, and can be found in the aptly named Bengal region. With a population of close to 250 million people, the region is one of the densest and most populous regions in the entire world.
This is not the only link between the city of Cincinnati and the Indian sub-continent. Despite the city’s German roots, the city is home to a thriving Indian community, particularly given the relative size of Cincinnati. The public library’s collection includes a significant number of Bollywood videos and books in Bengali. The Clifton area boasts an Indian grocery, and the city itself is home to about a dozen excellent Indian restaurants.
When Caitlin first visited Cincinnati, we went Ambar India, which is now …
Grape Leaves
There is a certain joy to the art of discovery.
Four years ago, I rarely, if ever cooked. But then I discovered that it was something I really enjoyed, and that it could bring me pleasure. I found cooking to be fun and relaxing, irrespective of the process or outcome.
And cooking is only one example. We all have those moments of individual discovery, of learning of a new love or skill, place or interest. Scanning the radio and stumbling upon an artist that inspires. Picking up a paint brush and finding an innate command of the canvas. Walking along the street and feeling the vivacity and charms of a heretofore undiscovered neighborhood.
Most recently, I discovered books on tape. I have always enjoyed fiction and reading. I have pleasant memories of lying awake, in bed, reading – at various times …
Pumpkin Crepe Cake
Caitlin arrived in Cincinnati last Saturday, partly for work, and partly to celebrate her 27th birthday (that Monday).
After picking her up at the airport, we headed to dinner. After dinner, we returned to my apartment, where – as is her custom – Caitlin examined the contents of my refrigerator. After sampling the almond butter and my homemade tzatziki sauce, she concentrated her sights on the large, domed item, carefully wrapped in foil.
It was, obviously, her cake. But what kind of cake, she wondered. Alas, I could not answer the question; it was not yet her birthday.
After a small amount of pleading (it was, after all, her birthday weekend), I agreed to give her a series of hints.
It had pumpkin, I told her, knowing …