Goal March 24, 2015
Posted by indigobunting in Uncategorized.6 comments
I shouldn’t be spending the money, of course, I should be saving up for those Big Things that are to happen this year, but I am here in the City of Food Gods, and my goal is to not put anything in my mouth that doesn’t move past satisfaction into happiness. On arrival we split a dozen oysters, two local varieties and one from away (Nova Scotia, I think), and they send me into paroxysms of joy that bubble over with my celery mimosa. To finish, we order an oyster bun; after all, the chefs are nominated in the James Beard Best Chef: Northeast category, and there is nothing in that room that is not delicious. We follow this with a trip to the new dumpling place (its 26-year-old owner nominated in the James Beard Rising Star Chef category), where we eat boiled peanuts that make us swoon and two orders of dumplings, one lamb/black bean/chili/peanut and one steamed hake/burdock, and these are gigglegood, and we only wish that they’d served them in the opposite order. The next day I have fresh fruit and a hard-boiled egg and a (James Beard–nominated) croissant for breakfast, a toasted almond-and-ginger kale-and-quinoa bowl for lunch, and a lobster roll for dinner. Both nights I indulge in gelato: Sunday my traditional bacio and hazelnut from the Verona vendors, Monday toasted coconut and mango from their competitors, which makes me feel guilty out of loyalty to the there-first Italians, but my friends like the new place, and it was good. This morning I walk next door to the James Beard–nominated bakery for a ham-and-cheese croissant and a cup of strong black coffee, and as I begin to recount my culinary adventures thus far I discover that today is the day these nominees (and the other City of Food Gods nominees, many of whom will be seeing me soon enough) will find out if they move from semifinalist to finalist. I am excited for all these deserving people. But I am most excited for me, who doesn’t deserve any of this, but whose taste buds dance delighted at their luck.
AM4M: Whereabouts March 23, 2015
Posted by indigobunting in Uncategorized.8 comments
I know that I’ve disappeared. I do this. But I’ve been anxious and obsessed, about things I seem to be losing (my keys, my mind, my body, my youth, bits of my livelihood) and about possible future events, the thoughts of which trigger near panic-attack discomfort stemming from childhood (physical chaos of my living space, money worries). But I can’t write about these things without (a) it being one big whine or (b) boring myself silly. Enough already. As to those deaccessioning projects I need to accomplish, I consider writing about those, but then I think, write after you’ve done something, if you ever do. Stop stalling. This is bullshit.
Route 153 