Well hello there…

So there are like 4 people who regularly read this blog, but in my absence Google Reader was put out to pasture and I’m not sure that any of those 4 people would’ve bothered migrating their 26 Dishes feed over to Feedly. If a blog is written and no one is there to read it, does it exist? Too existential?

OK, here’s what happened. When I started this blog I was cooking for one and that was fine. Then, for a little while, I got myself an taste tester and it was really nice to have someone to try these recipes with me. However, back in April, my taste tester decided that he no longer wanted the job (or any with me) and I was sad. Suddenly cooking for one just seemed like a chore and so I decided to put the project and this blog on hold.

After a little while I wasn’t sad anymore, but I was really busy. Like really, really busy. I am famous for over-committing myself, but these past few months took that tendency to new heights. Between my job, my volunteer work, visits to see friends and family, Jewish holidays and a million other things; I had no time to even think about cooking and blogging.

Sometime in August I started to feel the pull of this blog again and I started wondering if I should make time for it again. then, in early September, I was visiting my grandmother when she asked if I’d ever finished the 26 Dishes project. I told her that I hadn’t and she replied, “But baby, you were all the way at W; almost finished!”

I knew that it was time. Well, past time.

My September was just too insane though so I thought I’d start some time later in the fall. Then a funny thing happened; out of the blue I found myself a new taste tester! I made the decision to come back to this blog long before my new taste tester, Chris, was in the picture but it is nice to have someone to cook for.

So here’s how this is going to work. I’m going to crank out my Y and Z recipes and finish the 26 Dishes project. Then I’m going to start work on a new project (which I’ll announce at another time) and of course I’ll continue to use this space to highlight non-project related recipes, restaurant reviews and other food related items.

For now, you’ll have to settle for a photo dump of some things I’ve eaten in the past few months. I’ll caption what I can remember, but I can’t promise the accuracy of my recollection.

Thanks for being so patient. It’s good to be back!

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Back in June I spent a week in St. Louis for work. I got to finally meet Nora! And I also got to try toasted ravioli and Ted Drewes frozen custard; both of which were amazing and both of which I didn’t take pictures of. I did get some amazing local beer though, courtesy of Schlaflys Brewery.

For Father’s Day we took my dad to Union Square Cafe

This picture was in my phone. I have no idea where it’s from.

Or this one

OK probably my greatest regret of the blog break is that I didn’t get to write about visiting Michael Symon’s flagship restaurant, Lola! I went on a road trip with a friend to visit her family is Wisconsin and we stopped halfway through to stay overnight in Cleveland. I’m a huge Michael Symon fan and there was no way that I could be in Cleveland without visiting Lola. It definitely did not disappoint.

Then it was on to Wisconsin. FYI, deep fried cheese curds may be the greatest food ever.

In July my co-worker/one of my besties, Mary and I started going weekly to one of my favorite local restaurants, The Mermaid Inn because the offer $1 oysters and half priced drinks from 5-7pm every day!

In August I was so luckily to have Lisa come and visit me for a long weekend. Because she’s a fellow Top Chef fan, we had dinner at Colicchio and Sons one night. We also ate out by the water one day in Brooklyn at Smorgasburg, bought salted caramels in Chelsea market and had some other great food adventures. Of course all I took a picture of that weekend was my corned beef sandwich. On the other hand, what could sum up NYC better than a corned beef on rye with mustard?

On Sunday of Labor Day I was back at the Mermaid in for Lobsterpalooza! $26 for a 1.25lb lobster, corn and potatoes.

A few weeks ago, Becky‘s little sister Jen was in New York for the day and so I met her for lunch at Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. This place opened a few years ago to great fanfare, but I was disappointed. The pizza was good, but in the way that all pizza in New York is good. There was nothing spectacular about it.

Some days you just need an egg sandwich for lunch.

Two weeks ago I flew to Pittsburgh to visit Mandy! Mandy lives in the Ohio River Valley, right next to Wheeling, WV and about an hour from Pittsburgh so I got to eat yummy food in three different states in the course of one long weekend.

When I was at Mandy’s house, she and her mother were asking me to describe some Jewish dishes to them. When I started speaking about noodle kugel they were eager to try it. Since it’s so easy to make and the ingredients are readily available at any grocery store, I whipped them up one that night. I’ll post the recipe soon.

And finally: Pickles!

*In case you’re wondering about the title of this post, this was the inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPoZ1BOyaDU