Unsettled Times and Surprises!

The past two years have been fraught with excitement, worry and new beginnimgs. The arrival of the Covid virus has changed the way we live, how we interact and work. It has altered relationships, created political issues and impacted the way our children learn. It has hurt many businesses and given birth to new ways we shop, eat and socialize. It often amazes me to see that while there is a vacine availabe to, if not totally prevent getting the virus, at least lessen the symptoms and worst effects...and yet there are those who refuse to get vaccinated. As a child I remember that one day in school the teacher asked us to put down our pencils and line up in front of the room. We were then marched up to the nurse's office where we got the polio vaccine... escorted back to class and continued our lessons. No one called my parents for permission, no one asked if I wanted to be innoculated...it was something done for the greater good. Have you heard of a case of Polio lately...no? I didn't think so. Same thing happened when we needed the Tuberculosis vaccine... When my children and grandchildren were babies they were innoculated against measles, chicken pox and an assortment of other illnesses. A certificate assuring that this had been done was needed in order to enroll them in school. In this age of entitlement and political whining we have those who refuse, for one reason or another to do something for the greater good. Jim

>Odd the way things have a way of happening. Many years ago we bought a little vacation home in the Berkshires. I had a good friend, Bobbie, who lived nearby and just after we moved in, she suggested that I should meet her friend Rita who lived very near to our new house. We met and hit it off immediately! And that was the beginning...we attended concerts at Tanglewood, shared meals in each others homes and also met in the city. We went out socially as couples and met with "the girls" for lunch. I did some design work for a family member of hers and we attended events for eachothers' children and grandchildren. A wonderful, solid friendship was born. Fast forward to a year ago. We spoke a few times a week and bemoaned the restrictions caused by Covid-19. I was in my apartmemnt at North Shore Towers and she was quaranteening at her daughter's country home in the Berkshires as an alternative to her Upper West Side apartment. One day, during a phone conversation, she shared that a friend of her daughter Lainie's had lunch with esteemed producer Meryl Poster and had suggested Rita as a subject for Meryl's forthcoming podcast, "Call Your Grandmother". After speaking with the producers Rita was cast and suggested a group of her friends as possible subjects...and lo and behold...I too was chosen. Once the producing team heard the conversations and easy, loving and carefree banter between the two of us...well...the rest is history...they asked us to co-host the podcast!

Suddenly, instead of the plethora of clothing, shoes, linens, cosmetics, books,etc (ad nauseum)that the Pandemic MADE ME purchase... Amazon was now delivering fancy headsets and microphones from production. We established Dropboxes (OK... considerable help from local grandson needed here) and became Zoom Queens as we "met" with the brilliant, delightful and saintly patient production team to record. We listened and we learned. And with each session we became more comfortable with the technology and free-er with our conversation. We reminisced about our childhood and youth...about the differences in life then and now...about food...marriage...politics...and any other subject that floated through our minds with regard to the Grandma and grandchild to whom we were listening to at that particular time. Much is simply stream of consciousness conversation about our life's philosophies and how they were formed, funny memories and some sweet reminisces...and of course, outstanding editing! And at last,the first episode was set to drop. And what a reception it got! I now know how a politician feels on election night as the numbers come in. But we had no need to worry. Meryl and her team always knew what they were doing and we were a HIT! A photographer was dispatched to our homes (Rita was now back in NYC) for a photo session for a full page article that appeared in the New York Post...a local PATCH did an article about Logan, my grandson who appeared in my segment of the podcast with me, and then Rita and I did a radio interview with Joan Hamberg which followed the second episode. More interviews ensued... Friends from all over contacted Rita and me with such glowing reviews. I spoke to someone I know who works in the movie industry and told her that Meryl was the producer and her reply was..."Meryl Poster? Wow, you are really in the big time now!!" Again more interviews followed and now...wait, brief pause while I pinch myself...we are going to be on the TODAY SHOW with Hoda and Jenna this Friday!! Since this was shared we have recorded the second season and the first two episodes have already dropped to great reviews. Last May Steve Harvey flew us down to Atlanta to be guests on his show and just this week, Rita and I were the bartenders on WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE with Andy Cohen and appeared with Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. Sometimes life throws a really good surprise at you and it is like a gift! A touch of "fame" ...elbow rubbing with celebrities and best of all having the spectacular Meryl, and Anna, Lindsay and Nikki guiding us along this incredible journey!

I know that the reception to the podcast has been amazing. We are in the top 100 on I-Heart-Radio and I believe in the top 2 new podcasts on Spotify! The reception by literally everyone who listens to it is one of delight and laughter. I also know that this whole experience has been one of the most exhilarating and exciting of my life. That it came at the most dismal and disheartening of times was part of it's miracle. And that Rita and I have bonded even further is the most cherished part. Meeting and working alongside such women as Anna, Lindsay, Nikki and Meryl lets me observe first hand how women in media actually could rule the world!! Where will this go from here...well...just have your people call my people...in the meantime, I have a load of laundry to fold and a meal in the oven!! In lieu of a recipe today, just call your favorite restaurant and place an order to be delivered! They need the business and you can use a day off!

Saying Farewell to an Old Friend

Saying Farewell to a Dear Old Friend...

The Waldorf Astoria...The Grand Dame of Park Avenue and an old family friend.  As a little girl I always heard stories of The Dornsteins, some relations of my maternal grandfather, and how they became the kosher caterers at the Waldorf.  My grandparents were caterers too so fine dining and food preparation were sort of woven into my DNA, thus my interest was always aroused whenever the Dornstein's were mentioned.  

As I grew older I became aware of how special an event at this hotel was. Every year my parents attended a business event in The Grand Ballroom.   My mother's excitement for this gala was only surpassed by her preparation for it! Hairdresser... manicure.. new chic outfit...a trip to the bank vault for my grandmother's jewelry and she was all set!  What a gorgeous couple they were as they set out for a gala evening at the Waldorf.  When they came home they described the beautiful hotel and the majesty of the grand ballroom.

My mother described the food served and the elegant presentation...the way that the tiers of balconies reminded her of an opera house ...and the attention to fine service.

When I was in my teens my Aunt Lucy took me to Peacock Alley for dinner.  It was as if I had entered a dream world.  We entered the lobby from Park Avenue and walked up the grand staircase and through the marble entryway into the beautiful lobby.

Park Avenue Entrance

 
I could barely catch my breath, so glorious were my surroundings!  Marble, what seemed like miles of it, polished and gleaming. An art deco inlay of marble graced the floor center. Railings of shining brass and soaring marble pillars were surrounded by lush green potted plants and beautifully arranged flowers sat in vases on the tables.

As we entered the lobby my young heart thought it would burst!  People bustled around while bellmen piled luggage on to gleaming brass carts. Beautifully upholstered furniture provided a comfortable place to wait to be checked in or out or just wait for a friend. The walls were paneled in polished wood and the floor was a magnificence of marble inlay.  The clock in the center was beautiful and intricate and I saw people waiting there and then suddenly smiling and going toward someone who had just entered.  I understood...this was a special meeting place...By The Clock in The Lobby of The Waldorf! 

                                                          

We made our way over to Peacock Alley and I knew this was just the most special place I had ever been.  Chic ladies and well dressed gentlemen were seated around tables with sparkling glassware and crisp white tablecloths.  A shiver of excitement crept through me as we were ushered to our table.  Never had I seen such grandeur.  Glowing woods and inlaid marble, attentive waiters and delicious food.

Peacock Alley

And now my introduction was complete and I tucked this experience away and savored its memory, knowing that I would return again and again.

Some years later I became engaged.  My mother called Rae Dornstein and Rae said that of course, the wedding HAD to be at the Waldorf.  My heart sang!!! Off the three of us went to see the banquet manager.  When he heard who had come with us he leaped from his chair and came into the waiting room to greet us and escort us back to his office.  While the Dornsteins were no longer at the Waldorf (the hotel now brought in kosher foods from outside since the Dornsteins retired) they were obviously still held in high esteem and my mother, Rae and the banquet manager went to town.  Ideas flew...florists were recommended... musicians... photographers...menus discussed.  Now...which room?  We settled on the Sert Room (which now has another name and the paintings of Jose Maria Sert have been removed from the walls) for the ceremony and dinner dance  and across the lobby the Empire Room would host the reception following the ceremony.

It was everything we had hoped it would be.  The ceremony was glorious.  The Sert room was resplendant, with chandeliers gleaming, as we said our vows.

My husband and I say our vows

What a stunning event it was.  The bar was opened, the champagne flowed and food was superb... music was fabulous and we danced beneath those chandeliers with the joy of a new beginning.   This was the first day of the rest of our lives and the folks at the Waldorf wanted to make sure that we never forgot it...from the moment we entered the room as husband and wife

to the presentation of the fabulous cake that was a gift from the Dornsteins, it was an event that was Waldorf spectacular in every way.

  This was the stuff dreams were made of and we were now bona fide members of the Waldorf family. From the early tales about the Dornsteins to the sweet memories of my parents attending the galas in the Grand Ballroom, and my introduction to Peacock Alley all those many years before, I now had my very own wonderful piece of this grand place!

As time passed we had many occasions to visit the Waldorf. The years had been good ones...two sons and a daughter had blessed our lives.  We were established in our businesses, my husband in fine art supplies and I in interior design.  We had many reasons to celebrate...the children's college graduations, anniversaries, birthdays...There were dinners at Bull and Bear, events that I chaired as a vice president for NCJW, Afternoon Tea with friends and my sister's gift to us on our 25th anniversary of a night in a suite at the beautiful place where we had been married.  

When my daughter got engaged she said she would love to carry on a tradition and have her wedding at the Waldorf Astoria.  

With my years of experience planning events for NCJW coupled with my background in interior design I knew I could do this!  So, with the spirit of my mother and Rae Dornstein in my heart, my daughter and I met with the banquet manager!  As soon as my daughter saw The Starlight Roof she had he mind made up.  This amazing space was perfect.  We visited the florist, listened to many musicians, settled on a color scheme and listened to the wise counsel of the banquet manager, who soon practically became a member of our family.  We decided to have our guests greeted, as they got off the elevators, with champagne and strawberries...

                                                                               

Ceremony

the ceremoony would be on the raised end of the long, art deco room with a classical ensemble playing, out of sight, on the balcony above.  Candles would line the aisle and a simple bower of dogwood as the chuppa.  Toweriing centerpieces of white flowers and candles sat on tables covered in white silk-satin. Two captains kept things flowing at a perfect pace and a precision team of waiters kept food and drink flowing.

Ceremony

DINNER AFTER CEREMONY

Once again the Waldorf outdid themselves in service and quality and another dream was made to come true for our family.

Two and a half years ago my husband and I celebrated our 50th anniversary!! (I know, I can't believe it either!) Our children surprised us with a weekend never to be forgotten.  Theater tickets and a suite in the Waldorf Towers!!  The hotel was contacted and made aware of our celebration and  complimantarychampagne, roses and candy were delivered to our room with an invitation to enjoy a complimentary meal. (If we had the original bill it would have all been free!)  The next morning all of our children, our seven grandchildren, my sister and a surprise visitor...a dear, dear friend from Texas gathered for brunch.

The Waldorf has been a dear friend and will be missed terribly.  Her new incarnation will never measure up to her old world elegance and majesty.  I prefer to remember her just as she was!  Farewell, old friend!

...and what recipe other than the classic Waldorf Salad could I put here?

                                                              

                                                         

  

1 1/2 cups diced apples 

juice od 1 lemon

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup raisins (you can use grapes sliced in half in lieu of raisins)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1- Cover the apples with lemon juice immediately after dicing

2- Add other ingredients

3- Mix ingredients with mayonnaise

It can also be served as a meal by adding cubed chicken, shrimp or ham

                                                       

  

A Night(mare) in the Emergency Room

                                                                               

  

 First, I need to say that I am basically a very healthy person.  As one gets older a few screws disengage and some issues arise...and some of these issues have found their way to me.  I have a wonderful doctor who keeps any problems under control, but sometimes...just sometimes... a little glitch sneaks in. And this was the situation the other night...  It was about 10:30 pm and I began to feel ill.  Finally, I told my husband and he insisted we get to the ER because the first time this issue had arisen I was hospitalized for three days.  Remembering that time, I put a small bag together with my toothbrush, "good" robe, some cosmetics and things I might need if I was forced to stay.  I also took my pillow...my down, wonderful, sink-in pillow (that does not make me sweat like the vinyl covered hospital pillows do)...and off we went.

  Our hospital is a beautiful, well endowed facility and I had recieved the highest quality care here before, as had my husband (who could be considered a platinum member of their "frequent flyer" program).  Their ER is fully staffed and the wait, even during Flu Season, is not very long. My last experience there found compassionate and highly capable personnel and a tremendous efficency.

We arrived to find only one person before me in the Triage Area.  A second triage nurse was on the phone but motioned me to enter her cubicle. Still on the phone with someone who was obviously her boyfriend, she motioned me to stick out my finger to put the little gizmo on it for a reading.  That done, and still on the phone, she motioned that she was about to take my BP...she wrapped the cuff around my arm, pressed the button to automatically inflate it and take my pressure...still talking to the boyfriend...However, when my BP showed sky high she disengaged ...("gotta hang, Babe, problem here" uttered to reassure me, I suppose!) and this time she paid attention.  She retook the BP, this time off the phone, and it had miraculously gone down to a safer place!  She took some information and directed me to a seat in the waiting area, but I was called at once and proceeded to the examining room.  This inauspicious beginning did not bode well!


I was ushered into an examining room that was fitted out in state-of-the-art emergency room style.  It had doors and windows into the common area that become clear or opaque at the push of a button at the nurse's station, (no ordinary curtains dividing the beds in this classy joint!) Two comfy visitors chairs, a stretcher/bed with removable side rails and every life saving apparatus known to medicine.  There was an overhead TV and a hand held remote for it that was part of the nurse's call button apparatus.  A nurse arrived, started a fluid drip and took an ekg.  I was then tethered to a monitor while another nurse (I guess she was the one with the longest fangs) removed vial after vial of blood from my arm.  After a long wait a doctor arrived to examine me.  (My pre-pubescent grandsons look more mature than this young man!)  After a cursory stethescoping he said he would contact my own doctor, and disappeared!

 So, here I was tethered to a drip and a monitor, with my husband dozing in a chair beside me. And the clock is ticking...At about 3:30 AM a nurse arrives and says that they want me to be admitted but no room is available so I was to stay here until the morning when the check-outs begin.  I made my husband go home at this point and I wanted some sleep. There was no way I could fall asleep until my cell phone rang and I knew he had not fallen asleep at the wheel on the way home.  Once I got that call, try as I might, there was no sleep in me. Tick...tick...tick...I realized that I needed to use the bathroom but attached as I was, I could not just go, so I rang for a nurse...tick...tick...tick... no response...tick...tick...tick. The door wsas closed and the only way to get anyone's attention was the call button.  Was it broken? I had pressed it over and over but no one came.  I was beginning to panic.  Had they forgotten me? Even with my own pillow, the stretcher was grossly uncomfortable and my attachments precluded much position changing.  I felt claustrophobic and abandoned.  But I am determined!! After about an hour and a half I grabbed my cell phone, called information and got the number of the hospital...I called and asked for the Emergency room...when connected I informed them that I was a patient and had been ringing for a nurse for over an hour with no response and someone better get in here ASAP!  Almost immediately the door flew open and a nurse unhooked me.  I took care of the first problem and was then determined to tackle the second...sleep.  Back in my room the waiting nurse re attached the monitor and said she would leave the door opened in case I needed anything. Mistake!!! An ER is like an all night party in a college dorm. People calling out to each other in loud voices...laughter...crying...groaning...carts rolling...personnel loudly coming and going like it is anywhere but pre-dawn in a place where sick patients are. Sleep was out of the question at this point.  Thank goodness for my cell phone.  I played WWF...I read the NYTimes...went on Facebook...(all the while patting myself on the back for remembering to grab the charger as we left for the hospital!)...

Following shift change a new nurse arrived.  Theresa.  A throwback to an old-fashioned care-giver with a heart of gold and fine nursing skills.  She took more of my blood, gently and skillfully ...and brought me breakfast (the "egg thing" on my tray could surely be entire blog entry itself!)  and told me that my own doctor was making rounds and would be there soon. And he was.  He examined me...said I was asymptomatic and looked fine. He said to just wait until the new blood panels were read and I could probably go home.  And wait I did!  Peter arrived in time for lunch (which they called quiche, but looked like someone had thrown up into a pie crust... accompanied by synthetic looking mashed potatoes, vegetables that looked like they had been grown on Mars and a roll ...all these starches together on a hospital tray?  Where was the dietician?)...and we waited and waited and waited...bloods were normal...I could go home...and we waited and waited some more...finally I was untethered and discharged at 3:00pm!!!  

What a night.  I have therefore decided to remain healthy!!!

...and because I saw the  Quiche destroyed in such a terrible way, I want to share this excellent recipe for quiche...Quiche Lorraine

*From the New York Times...(Andre Soltner)

Quiche Lorraine 

1 tart dough recipe (*OK, I cheat...I use a pre packaged pie crust)

6 ounces bacon (preferably mild smoked), cut crosswise in 1/4-inch strips

1 tablespoon butter 3 eggs

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/4 pound Swiss Gruyère, grated

Salt

Pepper

Pinch nutmeg.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Roll out the dough and line a buttered 10-inch tart pan, bringing the edges of the pastry up to extend slightly beyond the edge.

3. Top the dough with parchment paper. Fill it with dried beans as a weight. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove the beans (they can be reused for this purpose) and discard the parchment paper. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees.

4. Blanch the bacon for 5 minutes in boiling water, remove, and pat dry. Then sauté the bacon over low heat with the butter. Spread the bacon and the grated cheese in the prebaked tart. (*you can use regular bacon but get a good brand)

5. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly and mix in the cream. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour this mixture gently over the bacon and cheese.

6. Bake the quiche for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown and set.

7. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving warm.

Serves 6 to 8.

*Lovely lunch dish...I serve it with a salad and a chilled Sauvingnon Blanc

Friends, indeed!

                                                                         

FRIEND...the dictionary says, "...one attached to another by affection or esteem..."  but those are just words.  I believe that friendship is comprised of actions, experiences and yes... love. A friend is someone you can count on to have your back, and in turn, should they ever need you, you will be there for them.  In good times they will share your joy and laughter...in bad times they share your burden and dry your tears.  Friends can be as close as next door or as far away as across the country, or even in another country! A friend can be someone you see every day or someone with whom you have had no contact in ages.  Friendship is a connection of the heart!  Sometimes frindship is close and intimate and sometimes it can just start on social media, when a kindred soul pops up and you click...often, that's all it takes. You just know intrinsically that regardless of the situation, friends support, encourage, laugh or cry with you, no matter what!

We meet friends in so many different ways...in school... at a party...at work...in the neighborhood...at events...through another friend...through like interests...on social media...I could go on and on.  When people "click" a friendship is born.

And this is how I met Irene...

It was probably June, fifty years ago because I remember that it was very hot and humid.  I had just completed my final term teaching Special Ed in New York and was now busily fixing up our new apartment and readying it for a tiny new tenant that was due to arrive in December (or so we thought!).  I am a New York girl and moving to New Jersey to be near my husband's work was a wrench for me.  It was lonely being away from my friends and family.  Now we had moved to this new building, and while I was still learning how to get around in strange surroundings, my husband had already made a friend.  He traveled to work by bus and a young man who lived in our building and coincidentally worked for the same company traveled with him. They hit it off immediately.

One morning I gathered the laundry and headed down to the laundry room in the basement.  As I loaded the clothes into the washing machine another tenant arrived with her laundry.  She was young...she was smiling at me...and she was pregnant too!!  And there it was...that C L I C K.  As soon as we struck up a conversation we were instant friends.  We were both from New York, both just left our jobs, and both expecting babies around the same time.  From that day on we spent lots of time together.  We shopped, shared recipes, talked on the phone and went for long walks exploring our new neighborhood.

One day my husband suggested that we invite the friend that he traveled to work with and his wife, for dessert that Friday evening.  Great idea!  Let's make it a party and I would ask my new friend Irene and her husband. I called immediately, but unfortunately they were unable to come.

Now, Friday rolls around.  Dessert was baked, coffee made, table set and I was listening to my husband "selling " me his new buddy...I remember words like, "really great guy"..."warm and friendly"..."great sense of humor"...this was a bromance if I ever saw one!  I was really bummed not to be able to introduce my husband to my new friend, too.   

And then the doorbell rang...I opened it to see my husband's friend Arthur and right next to him...holding his hand...his wife...IRENE...my Irene!  We simply had no idea! 

And here we are...50 years later...six children...twelve grandchildren...much laughter...many tears... sickness...health...we have shared it all.  And that, my friends, is FRIENDSHIP!

  






I remember the dessert I baked that night...a fabulous apple tart that I still make, to the delight of all who taste it!
                                                             
                                                                  

MOST INCREDIBLE APPLE TART

Ingredients:

Topping:

3 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs         4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp. sugar     1 tbsp. cinnamon

Blend with fingers and line 8 or 10 quart spring form pan with 2 1/2 cups of the mixture.  Reserve 1 cup.

tart ingredients:

7 large apples (Rome or Granny Smith are good) peeled, cored and cut in 1/6ths.

3 tbsp. butter     3 tbsp. sugar

1 pint sour cream           6 eggs

1 cup sugar

Simmer apples, 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp. sugar until apples are tender.

While apples simmer light oven to 350 degrees.

Blend sour cream, eggs and 1 cup sugar and mix well.

Turn off flame under apples but leave on burner, slowly add sour cream mixture, constantly stirring .  Light very low flame as mixture can curdle.  Leave on no longer than 2 minutes and remove from stove.

Pour into prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes.

... serve chilled with whipped cream...



                                                         

...Yet Another adventure Outside of My Comfort Zone!!

   Living in this complex, peopled by self-important, rude people is quite a mind trip, indeed!  With all of the lovely ameneties, services and conveniences one still has to put up with the residents!!  As described in an earlier entry, although this is not a specifically a senior residence, it seems that... it is!  Younger people, people with childen and young professionals seem to eschew the conveniences here in favor of living in a more pleasant, less selfish atmosphere.  Let me describe a recent experience...

Among the ameneties of living here, there is a diner style restaurant right in the building.  One need only step into the elevator, press the button to the arcade level and you will walk out only feet from the door of the eatery.  Mostly patronized only by residents, it is actually open to the public, but with a menu that is filled with badly prepared, old-fashioned diner food, it is usually a convenience for those of us who live here as a last ditch choice when you don't want to cook or the when weather is particularly foul making driving the more difficult option .  For the less discerning it is a place for meals for those unable to cook or for get-togethers for a cup of coffee and conversation.  The decor is straight out of the 70's, with lots of formica, wood, mirrors and naugahide.  A cadre of middle-aged waiters in white aprons and black vests serve the tables with varying degrees of pleasantness.  (*The restaurant has recently been purchased by a new owner and will undergo renovation in the near future).  

And now, the scene is set....

Last summer my cousin visited from Florida.  She was our guest for several days and it was such fun having her company.  The weather was so bad that her return flight had been cancelled and she had to spend some extra time with us (a treat, indeed for this cousin starved for her company!!).  One morning we decided that instead of preparing breakfast we would go downstairs...after all...what could they do to an egg?  Since my cousin is a very early riser, we were downstairs by 8:00 a.m.  Only one other patron was there, finishing uo at a table on the other side of the space, sipping the last of her coffee, alone. We proceeded to an empty round table and sat down.  A waiter came at once, took our orders and brought our coffee.  What fun to have my cousin here, sipping hot coffee on a nasty, rainy morning and chatting animatedly.  Suddenly I was aware that somone was standing over me...

I looked up to see an elderly man with a huge scowl on his face just standing and glaring at us.  I looked up and smiled...nothing...finally he took a deep breath and informed us..."You are at OUR table".  I looked around the restaurant and saw that every table but ours was now empty.  He remained standing there with that nasty scowl as if expecting us to get up, move our pancakes and find another table.  We remained seated.  He continued to scowl!  "We sit here every morning..."  he grumbled.  I smiled and said that today he would just have to choose from any one of the many EMPTY tables, and he stormed off to a nearby table...just as another old man arrived...Oy!  He was headed straight for us. "This is OUR table!!"   he shouted. 

His face was becoming crimson and he waved his cane over our heads as if to delineate the boundaries of his table!  Now I was getting annoyed and said, "Sorry, we missed seeing a Reserved card with your name on this table when we sat down!"   ...  and before he could reply, in came another of The Knights of the Round Table!!!  Red faced, seated in a wheel-chair pushed by an aide, he rolled up and asked the cane waver, "Why are they at our table? Where will we sit?"  ...and before I could say that perhaps they could choose from one of the many empty tables surrounding them...the last of the Knights arrived.  

A look of total disbelief clouded his face..."They're at OUR table?"  he asked.

 At this point our little party of three was laughing so hard we could not answer him.  In a room full of empty tables they could not get past the fact that we had the unmitigated gall to sit at "theirs". All through the meal the four of them glared at us repeatedly, incredulous that we could have made such a faus pas.  Even the waiter mentioned it when he brought our check.  I suppose it would be too easy to suggest that a simple "Reserved" card be placed on the table every morning so that the spectre of four coronaries did not loom so large...however, THIS morning the Knights of the Round Table had a ready-made topic of conversation with which to do battle!

And this is my life outside of my comfort zone...sometimes a little further out than others and a lot further out than I'd like!!

Since it was breakfast what is better than a frittata?...here is a wonderful Potato/Basil Frittata from one of my favorite chefs...Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa...

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

2 cups peeled and 1/2-inch diced boiling potatoes (4 potatoes)

8 extra-large eggs

15 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium-low heat. Add

 the potatoes and fry them until cooked through, turning often, about 10 to 15 minutes. Melt

 the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, then stir in the ricotta, Gruyere, melted butter, salt, pepper, and

 basil. Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake

 the frittata until it is browned and puffed, 50 minutes to 1 hour. It will be rounded and firm in

the middle and a knife inserted in the frittata should come out clean. Serve hot!

Catching up...

   This week we received the sad news that a beloved, longtime friend had died. This man was a  brilliant, gentle, highly gifted person ... the husband of a cherished friend with whom I had sadly lost connection.

Sometimes a friendship comes into your life in a most unusual way...and that friend becomes a part of your life and your sweetest memories..and then life interferes and you go your separate ways, but somewhere, down deep, that connection, that love, that friendship is always there.

...It was 1966...Everything was so new.  I had a precious baby boy who was 8 months old...a brand new sporty yellow Mercury car...

and we had just signed a lease for a big new apartment in a much sought after building in New Jersey.  The sun was shining and I was off to deliver the lease and a deposit to the building's agent.  Behind the wheel of my new car, with my son with me in his little seat that hung next to mine (in the FRONT!) I basked in knowing we were off to start a new adventure.  Little did I know how right I was!! We arrived at the building and I parked right in front.  The baby picked my keys up, and because he was teething, began chewing on the little leather key case.  I got out of the car to walk around to get the baby out from the safer curb side, closed the door, and must have inadvertently pushed the lock button down.  I had locked him in!!  I could see his little face looking at me through the window...first smiling...then a frown and at last...the tears!  As I banged on the windows trying to distract him I heard a voice behind me say, "Can I help?  You are so upset!!"  I turned to see a lovely young woman pushing a stroller with a little boy a just bit older than mine.  She saw my dilemma and ran back upstairs to get a wire hanger...(we had both seen this maneuver with car-jackers on TV!!)  When she returned we bent the hanger and tried, with no luck to shove it between the closed window and the rubber seal.  At this point I was lying on the hood of the car trying to distract my screaming, terrified baby and she was trying to jam the hanger through the rubber seal.  A crowd began to gather...mostly women and mostly sympathetic but unsure of how to help...funny, no one suggested calling the police.  (This was long before a cell phone could unlock the car or call the police!) And then, two men in a huge truck pulled up, asked how they could help and before we finished telling them, they had opened the door and my baby was in my arms.  My new friend and I exchanged names and she asked me upstairs for a cup of coffee...and that was it!  From that day on we were inseparable.

When I went into labor with my daughter,  I called and asked her to watch my son until my parents could arrive from New York...and she and her husband came down to our apartment, armed with crayons and worksheets and games to be the first to ease my son into big brotherhood!  When I came home from the hospital I found a gorgous, sumptuous chocolate cake that she had baked to welcome us home! And what a baker she

The day I came home from the hospital
with THE CAKE!!

was!  She was also an excellent cook and we could spend hours sharing recipes ... no holiday was complete without a long phone call as we cooked and prepared and laughed.

She and I decided to do charity work and we attended many meetings, searching for an organization that fit our needs and talents.  We found NCJW and dove in with gusto.  I still belong to that organization today!

I met her parents and her sister and she met mine and we attended each other's family functions...laughed together...cried together...but always...together.

Our families were growing and we were all looking to purchase homes in the suburbs. And one day she said they had found a house.  She said she loved my apartment and asked if I would help her decorate her new house.  I said my mother was an interior designer... but she wanted me!  So with a list of sources from my mother we set out to decorate her house.  It was the most wonderful experience and when it was finished it was beautiful...it was truly a labor of love.  ...And then her neighbor called and wanted her house done...and thus, my business was born!  

We bought a house in a nearby town and she and I still spoke many times a day. We visited often... and I supplemented my education to include design.  

As our children grew up we still spoke daily.  Several years we lived in south Jersey interrupted our frequent visits but we still spoke often and when we moved back to North Jersey it was like we had never been away. I often sought the wise, and gentle counsel of her wonderful husband who was a psychologist. He was so generous with his time and expertise.  I loved going to her house to listen to him play the piano, which he did so magnificently.

  I had a huge luncheon in my house for her friends and family to celebrate her 40th birthday and she reciprocated with a gorgeous luncheon for my 40th at the very chic Lutece restaurant!

My mother, me and my daughter at Lutece... my 40th B'day

She was like a wonderful sister, trusted confidant and teacher all rolled into one.  We rejoiced in each others' children and wept together when we lost our parents.  

And our children grew up... suddenly I was an empty nester...A lawyer, a college graduate working in fashion and my youngest son in college ...my husband had his own company now and I had a wonderful, thriving design business that took me to many new, far away places...  so we decided to move into the city. And 
somehow at about this time, my friend and I began to slowly disconnect.  I don't think it was ever one big thing...just life and proximity. Visits and calls got to be fewer and fewer and finally none at all.  Once in a while, on a holiday we would have that marathon preparation call...and years went by and all I had left were her wonderful recipes and a random phone call. In later years I tried to reconnect but she had moved on and I guess, so had I...but that empty place in my heart was still reserved for her.

When my daughter called to tell me that this friend's husband had passed away I went to New Jersey to see her.  The house was still decorated  exactly way I had left it over 40 years before...she embraced me and I felt like I had come home.  Her friends and relatives who were there, whom I had known so well for so long, were loving and gracious... it all seemed so familiar.  I don't know if we can ever recapture what we once had...but I do know that I have missed her terribly and I want to try to get together more. I feel like a missing part of me was found.

Some of my favorite recipes come from this friend and I have shared them before, but I will again, because they are WONDERFUL!
                                                   
                                                    

Cold Pasta Primavera
 2 lbs of pasta (different shapes) cooked and cooled
1-2 pints cherry tomatoes
2-3 cups blanched broccoli florets
1 bunch chopped scallions (white and green parts)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Any other veggies you like
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp salt...1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
juice of 1 lemon

1-Mix veggies with pasta
2-In a large measuring cup, add mayo and all other ingredients and blend well. 
3-spoon dressing onto pasta and vegetables until well blended.  If there is extra dressing left refrigerate.  Refrigerate pasta salad over night or at least several hours...when you remove from 'fridge, add remaining dressing if needed. 
You can add shrimp or chicken to this to serve as a main course.

My Friend's Cousin Arlene's Mother-in-Law's Noodle Kugel..

1 lb fine noodles, cooked and drained
6 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup sugar
small container of creamed cottage cheese (I use riccotta...it's creamier!)
4 eggs
1/2 pint of sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
Topping:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp sugar (I use 3 white and 2 dark brown)
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp. cinnamon (I use more because we are cinnamon lovers here)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients with hot, drained noodles, (butter first, to melt it)... and pour into a Pam sprayed baking dish and cover  with topping
Bake about 40 minutes until set
(I usually add raisins to the raw custard before baking ... you can also add apricots, apples or cherries.)