More wonderful news on the heels of yesterday’s paperback launch – the good people at BookPage have named A GOOD AMERICAN as the “Top Pick for Book Clubs” for February. Here’s a link to the piece. I’m delighted by this, of course. I love book clubs and reading groups. The novel has already received great support from book clubs across …
Get Snappy, Get Happy
My recent trip to Maine has got me thinking a lot about lobsters. You can’t go for more than about two minutes up there without encountering a lobster somewhere – either on a roadside sign, a tea towel, a postcard, or – if you’re lucky – in a restaurant. I ate a lot of lobster while I was there. Once …
In Praise Of Eggs
I have developed a peculiar fondness for making scrambled eggs for my son. I have adapted a recipe I found in Eat Me, the brilliant cook book by Kenny Shopsin, proprietor of Shopsin’s in Greenwich Village. (We were introduced to Shopsin’s by our friend Don, who actually appeared in the hilarious documentary about Kenny that was made a few years …
A Wonderful Town
We spent last weekend in Chicago. Man, I love that town. Not even a three hour delay waiting for the train in La Plata, MO, was going to dampen our spirits. Why? Because we were on our own. Sunday was our twelfth wedding anniversary, and this was our little celebration. (The children were with their grandparents for the weekend.) Our …
Done. (Well done.)
It’s over. I realized last night that my last meaty meal would have been on the previous Tuesday evening, so technically my little experiment could end earlier than I had originally anticipated. Therefore, after a tomato, pesto and cheese sandwich for lunch (with hummus on the side) yesterday evening I ate some bacon. Interestingly, although I enjoyed it very much, …
Nearly There…
Tofu pad thai for lunch. Lentil soup for dinner. Really. It was delicious. What is happening to me? Chris Allen, one of an army of sympathetic commenters about this little project, was right: the yearning for flesh soon goes. I am no longer burdened by the yoke of meatless suffering that was getting me down a few days ago. I …
Whose Countin’?
Two days to go. Lunch was a homemade (= wife-made) cheese and tomato tart. Delicious. The trip to the parents-in-law was successfully negotiated, because we ate out. I had two grilled portabello mushrooms and some French fries, and a slice of “Texas toast”. I’m still not quite sure why Texas got the credit for it, but it was good. I …
No Meat Defeat: Days 3 and 4
That it should come to this. I’m eating so much fish my wife is worried I’m going to come down with Mercury poisoning. I’m so full of grains and pulses and assorted greenery that my digestive system appears to have gone into temporary shutdown. Apart from that, it’s all going swimmingly. Friday lunchtime was spent at 9th Street vegetarian institution, …
Carrot or Garrote? – Day 2
Still here, people. Here was yesterday’s menu: Breakfast: Special K again Altoids Lunch: Subway “Veggie Delite” Supper: Christina’s delicious homemade bean soup with sausage removed Yesterday was always going to be tough, as I spent all day down at the Lake, first meeting with a client and then doing Big Surf stuff. Hence the Altoids – my preferred method of …
Alex’s Neat Meat Feat – Day 1
Well, I made it through ONE DAY. Breakfast was easy enough: Special K poses no real threat. Sunday bacon will be a different matter, but let’s cross that bridge, etc. Lunch was slightly harder. I met Christina at Sycamore, one of our regular haunts for lunch. One of the most magnificent meals in all creation is Mike Odette’s utterly wondrous …