the whole plate.

appetizer at do or dine in bed-stuy: deviled eggs with octopus and ume. this restaurant blew all my expectations out of the water.

dessert at do or dine in bed-stuy. foie gras doughnut. it happened.

mom’s birthday dinner at home in connecticut: roasted halibut with shiitake mushrooms and bok choy; brown rice medley cooked in broth and butter; string beans with lemon zest. followed by mom’s apple pie, aunt andy’s pumpkin pie, and port for dessert.

breakfast at my parents’ house in connecticut.  oatmeal cooked in milk with a peach, blueberries, and almond butter.  my mom had fresh frozen blueberries in the freezer and a perfectly ripe peach in the fruit bowl, and i couldn’t wait to turn them into breakfast.  this tasted especially delicious as my first breakfast after the yom kippur fast.

first helpings of yom kippur break-fast dinner at my parents’ house in connecticut.  mom’s famous cheese blintzes, honey-glazed wax beans, arugula salad with a mustard vinaigrette, and pinot noir.  these blintzes are a famous family recipe, and i swear they get better every year.  

dinner at tree in the east village. salmon with buttery israeli couscous, tomato, and fennel.  a quick pre-theater meal courtesy of a scoutmob discount.  my friend and i had each been here before on dates, so it was nice to make a new memory in the cozy heated garden.

dinner at peels on the lower east side.  shrimp and grits with a fried egg and bacon.  celebrated my sister’s birthday here for my second visit to this restaurant.  peels does savory food wonderfully, but their desserts need work.  this plate was rich, hearty, and perfect.

dessert at timothy’s ice cream in fairfield, connecticut.  malted vanilla and dutch chocolate ice cream in a cone with chocolate sprinkles.  perfect.

first helpings on the second day of rosh hashanah.  halibut with red pepper and olive tapenade; quinoa-walnut pilaf; green beans with ground almonds, garlic, and butter; roasted carrots and parsnips with thyme; snow peas with lemon-tarragon butter.  i love the food my mom cooks.

dessert on rosh hashanah.  my mom made baklava from scratch.  seriously.