Roots and Grubs

Iris: (putting her hands under the suds) I can’t see my hands!

Me: Maybe they fell off.

Iris: No, they just went to Vancouver to get some more Timbits.

Last night I made kung pao chicken from a Fine Cooking recipe. I liked it—it was just the kind of cornstarch-packed Sino-American glop I require from time to time, but better and cheaper than our local takeout options. (Probably next I’ll try the kung pao recipe from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty, for a less […]

The cover story in today’s New York Times magazine is a landmark piece by Michael Pollan called Unhappy Meals. I think it’s the best thing he’s ever written, possibly because it speaks so eloquently to my own prejudices.

Here’s the short version: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

But the meat of the article, so to […]

Meander through the average supermarket and you’ll see the tracks left by trends of the past. Nobody gets excited about pesto anymore, but it’s been fully assimilated: the jars and plastic tubs are easy to find, along with a big box of fresh bulk basil. And that’s a good thing; it means it’s ripe for […]

I give Iris an Almond Crush Pocky stick.

Iris: Why’d you give me this pocky? Me: Love. Iris: That’s not love, it’s just chocolate.