Last night Kendrick (or at least the left side of his face) and I boarded a bus at Port Authority headed for New Jersey, where we had been invited to celebrate the holiday with my friend (and colleague at Meredith) Seth, his wife Stacy, and their extended family.
It was…wonderful. It’s pretty rare to walk into a room filled almost entirely with strangers, and immediately feel not only completely at home, but almost like a part of the family. My family is pretty small, and nearly all of my relatives live in Canada, so I’ve very rarely been to gatherings like the one I attended last night. We’re talking love, laughter, singing, a feast that I’ll remember for years, and some of the most adorable children I’ve ever seen.
Also?
I ate chopped liver (for the first time ever).
I don’t know that it’ll end up in steady rotation on our dinner table, but it was light, gently salted, and unexpectedly delicious.
An even better discovery:
Mandelbrot: almond cookies that are basically the Eastern European equivalent of biscotti (pictured above in front of a 7-Layer cake). I’m not even particularly fond of biscotti, but these were like the cookies that float through my dreams (especially filled with chocolate chips and cherries). A great recipe can be found HERE.
Huge, huge thanks to Seth, Stacy and their families for having us.
Tuleste Market earrings (product sample generously provided by manufacturer).
