latkes, cheapness, year in photos, joseph leonard, locanda verde redux, cookies!

ted had a little latke party which we'd have tried to pass off as a hanukkah party had any of us been at all jewish. but who doesn't like a latke, really? i had to bring dessert and the little pie co was closed. i know that because i walked up to the door, saw the 8pm closing sign (it was 8:15) and still knocked and pulled on the door anyhow just to see if maybe they'd let me in really quickly to get a pie. no dice. and just to be safe, i called, pretending to be someone else, asking whether the place was still open and whether i could come in super fast to buy a pie. still no. sigh.

so at the grocery store, i buy a ciabatta loaf and pumpkin pie. and then, of course, i had to get whipped cream because can you even eat pumpkin pie without whipped cream? no. the answer is no. if you actually answered "yes" to that question take a long look at yourself in the mirror and think about what kind of a human being you are. and how that kind of a human being is BORING and has no taste. but the point of all this, really, is to say that i was shocked, SHOCKED when i rang all that up and it was only $12. i'm guessing that some middle america (or, okay, anywhere besides here and LA) will feel like maybe that's expensive for a loaf of bread, pie, and whipped cream. but because i'd almost just spent $17 alone on a pie, i couldn't believe what a deal i was getting! you know that cereal here is like $6 a box, right? grizz.

these, from the boston globe, are always a highlight for me at the end of the year. part one was great but this part two makes me want to cry. i'm still so wrapped up and distressed about iran. i didn't sleep for days after the election, reloading twitter constantly and checking nico pitney's blog at the huff post and andrew sullivan for updates. how strong the women were who fought back, and how young so many of the protesters were and how incredibly brave they all still are. and neda, who became the face of an attempted revolution. the violence that was everywhere and captured on phones and handheld cameras...these deaths will not be in vain.

finally hit joseph leonard. gabe stulman himself was manning the bar. all the staff there was wam/accommodating. some rude-ass people sat at the bar drinking all night even though, you know, there are like 3 tables in the whole place so people have to eat there. we had the salted cod, the steak tartare, the duck confit cassoulet, the brussels sprouts with siracha (which i secretly wanted a second order of) and a bottle of syrah. it's a cozy, sweet little spot and all the rest of the food coming out of their open kitchen looked (and smelled) amazing. next time, i need to save room for dessert.

and finally brought david to locanda verde with me. i asked about his week and he says a client asked him to be in a national ad campaign, but because he works for the magazine in which the ad will run, he's not allowed to get paid. shrewd move by this software company, who gets a gorgeous model for free now. david and i had originally planned to go to nicaragua together (rather, i said i was going, he said he was coming with) but things have been de-railed as i've been given another case to hop onto. the news was bittersweet as it's good to be making money but DAMN, i really wanted the time off. this is meant to be a short-term gig so i may be able to reap the benefits of unemployment sooner rather than later. cross your fingers that by march, i'll be southern-bound. david wants to go to buenos aires instead. i'm not picky. dinner was fantastic and my favorite host bought us the cheesecake which was AMAZING. a no bake cheesecake, it was pure white and creamy with toffee sprinkles on top replacing any semblance of a crust and all jeweled with pomegranate seeds, a sorbet (passion fruit?) on the side. YES. we also had the gingerbread which was bigger and meatier than i'd expected and we were too full having maybe eaten one pasta too many and maybe a few extra apps.

speaking of gingerbread, my roommate made cookies. but she used real ginger which is kind of life-changing for me because my family has always used a grated powdered ginger in our little ginger men. hers have little stringy pieces of ginger coming out of them and a spicy kick that i'm pretty obsessed with. and OH MY GOD she made these gluten free cookie bars that i'm deeply, desperately, falling in love with.