Pisco Sour, Mmmmmm

I finally broke the Times

Having read the New York Times all my literate life, I've been trying hard to get my name fit to print. Today's the day. I'm quoted along with the more impressive big shots Jerry Skolnick, Frank Zimring, and David Kennedy.

We eat like this every day

Sometimes we when have guests over for dinner, they ask, “do you eat like this everyday?!” Well, basically, yes. I mean maybe not everyday. Because some days are leftovers. Or Mexican tortas. But we do eat pretty well most days.

Normally the East Asian Continent in my department. But tonight Zora whipped up this little gem of a dinner.

Shrimp and pork sautéed.


For an pancake filled with goodness.

Eggplant with spicy stuff on top.

Pork in a caramel sauce. This was sweet and, with a little extra fish sauce, delicious.

Grilled beef salad. It was my retro-nouveau cucumber garnish that inspired me to photograph the whole dinner.

Spicy Nuoc Cham sauce for the beef: Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam in Vietnamese, Nam Pla in Thai), sugar, lime juice, garlic, carrot, hot pepper.

Fish sauce? I love it. Here’s the best article I ever read about fish sauce. I found it just now.

The early bird got the worm!

I got up at 10AM today for no particular reason. That’s on the early side for me. I turn on the radio to find a woman I know, Beth Fertig, as the guest host on the Brian Lehrer show. WNYC. Public radio. She's normally on their transit beat, so I actually do know and like her reporting.

Then I hear that one of the topics is “Stop Snitching.” Hey, I’m thinking, why didn’t she call me?

[I’m trying to think of the number of WNYC and somehow my mind come up with the 866-9687. I google it to discover that that’s the number for WNUR, Northwestern’s radio station, where I was a DJ almost 20 years ago. How did I find that off in the dusty attic of my mind?]

She gives the number on air and I call right away and get through. And I know Beth Fertig from a few dinners at Tamara’s. Baltimore, AKA Charm City, just happens to be the spiritual home for the whole “stop snitching” movement.

So they put me on at the same time that one of their guests couldn’t make it. So in a few moments I go from “Peter in Astoria” to “Professor.” I was on for about 20 minutes. I start at about 8 1/2 minutes into the show. And I’m happy to have finally broken into both New York and public-radio airwaves.

The segment's link in the show is here.

And for the mp3 audio file, just go to my website.

Mohammed cartoons