First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Marcella Hazan, RIP

Marcella Hazan, one of my culinary heroes, died yesterday at the age of 89.  I turn to her recipes more than any other cook, and that’s because they’re perfect. Season after season, I prepare her minestrone, cabbage with meatballs, Ossbucco, pesto and Bolognese sauces. Last week, when a hint of autumn leapt into the air, I had a longing for Hazan’s beef stew. With just a few simple ingredients added in stages, the result is always sublime. I stored an extra portion in my freezer, which I’ll now savor with reference.

Photo by Josh Engmann

End of Week Zen

Illustration by Lisa Congdon

Sweating the Small Stuff

I’ve been fuming about petty things this week. Like people dumping ripped sofas and mattresses on my street with signs, “Take me. I’m free.” No one wants the crap, and it’s such an eyesore. But finally I decided to take action and call the city, and it’s a miracle! A big truck came and hauled them away. Made my day.

Image by Johanna Goodman

Why I Love Twitter

Stephanie Smith, a reporter from the New York Post, just wrote a piece, “I’m 124 Sandwiches Away from an Engagement Ring” describing the process of luring her boyfriend into a proposal by making him every possible variation of “bread and meat creations.” Twitter responded with a fury. Her cringeworthy post might have slipped into obscurity, but thanks to the trending hashtag #300femininstsandwiches, it’s now immortalized. Here’s a sampling:

Ham and Germaine Gruyere     @flurrious
Betty FriedEgg and Bacon     @NorthernMNer
Ruth Bader Ginsburger       @c_heller
Shawarm-up-your-own-dinner   @expatcook

Photo by Jon Chonko

The Reluctant Bride

Amelia Earhart’s letter to her future husband in which she explains her views of marriage.

Illustration by Lisa Congdon

Brrr. It’s Autumn

Perfectly timed a few days ago, the weather in Los Angeles changed. The temperature still hovered in the seventies, but fall was definitely in the air. In preparation, I pulled out my Uggs, which is proof that I’ve become a wimpy Angeleno. This afternoon I got a reprieve. it was 88 degrees.

Cheap Thrill

Mani/pedi this weekend. What’s on tap for your cheap thrill?

Essie, Coral No. 2 by Nicole Newsted

Guilty as Charged

A recent post: Have you ever had a crush on an accessory?

Art by Barbara Kruger

Another Upside to Cats

2 days left to our contest.

Illustration from “Natural History” by Donald Barthelme published in Harpers

Thinking about my Dad

My father made his way through life eating carbs. He began each morning with a slice of buttered rye toast that was cut in half diagonally by my mother and placed in the middle of a napkin on top of the plate. He had a sandwich for lunch, except on the weekends, when he would eat a piece of layer cake instead. After dinner, he’d help himself to a few scoops of chocolate ice cream. My Dad was slim and graceful, and weighed the same at 80 as he did in his youthful army days. It is from him that I inherited a love of all variations of spaghetti, potatoes, bread and cookies. And the icing on the cake? I got his skinny genes.

Photo via things organized neatly