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January 27, 2026

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

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Fantastic Fungi Comes to Easton Thursday, March 26

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Temple B’nai Israel will join more than 500 locations around the world on Thurs., March 26 to host the presentation of Fantastic Fungi, a film directed by filmmaker and time-lapse photography pioneer Louie Schwartzberg. 

Schwartzberg is credited with Moving Art, Wings of Life, Mysteries of the Unseen Worlds 3D Imax, and more, with Fantastic Fungi offered as an immersive experience inspiring a shift in consciousness and a renewed love of nature. 

The film Fantastic Fungi comes to Temple B’nai Israel in Easton, Md. on Thurs., March 26, offering an immersive experience inspiring a shift in consciousness and a renewed love of nature through the world’s fungi. Mid-Shore partners will be on site during the screenings, including the Eastern Shore Food Lab, Evergreen Cove, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Chesapeake Harvest, the Maryland Biodiversity Project, Eat Sprout, and more. More about the screenings and advanced tickets are at dockstreetfoundation.org.

Fantastic Fungi will screen in more than 500 venues across the globe on March 26, and includes conversations with award-winning Director Louie Schwartzberg, Mycologist Paul Stamets and other special guests. Screenings in host towns and cities include Easton, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, Panama City, Mexico City, Vancouver, Toronto, Tokyo, and more. 

The Easton screenings begin at 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m., with tickets at $15 per person, and children ages 12 and under admitted free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at dockstreetfoundation.org or at the door on March 26. 

Out of the Fire restaurant and Dock Street Foundation of Easton, Md. are sponsoring the event, with Mid-Shore partners including the Eastern Shore Food Lab, Evergreen Cove, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Chesapeake Harvest, the Maryland Biodiversity Project, Eat Sprout, and more.

The beauty, intelligence, and solutions of the fungi kingdom, including Leratiomyces fungus, shown here, will be explored in the March 26 screenings of the film Fantastic Fungi at Temple B’nai Israel in Easton, Md. Tickets for the 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. showings and more information are at dockstreetfoundation.org.

“This stunning documentary explores the power, beauty, complexity and importance of the often-overlooked fungi kingdom,” said Out of the Fire owner Amy Haines. “This film helps present solutions to some of the most pressing medical and environmental challenges we face.”

Academy Award-winner Brie Larson narrates Fantastic Fungi, while taking the viewer on an immersive journey through an underground network with the potential to heal and save the planet. The stories are shared through the eyes of scientists and mycologists including Paul Stamets, and best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, and Andrew Weil to build awareness of the beauty, intelligence, and solutions the fungi kingdom offers in response to some of the most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges. 

From left: Mycologist Paul Stamets with Director Louie Schwartzberg while filming Fantastic Fungi, a film that will screen around the world and in Easton on Thursday, March 26. Out of the Fire restaurant and Dock Street Foundation are sponsoring the screenings, with three show times on Thurs., March 26 at Temple B’nai Israel. Tickets and more information are at dockstreetfoundation.org.

The film is being released in tandem with the book Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet, out Aug. 27 and available at the event. More is at dockstreetfoundation.org. 

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The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

The Indoor Farmers’ Market From Sprout by Georgia Foster

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Being surrounded by friendly faces, good food, and people passionate about what they do doesn’t sound like a bad way to spend a Wednesday night, does it? Well, this was the atmosphere created when a local business, local farmers, and the community came together at the recent Sprout’s “Valentines Farmer’s Market”. The Spy stopped by to check it out and learn more about the event.

Sprout is a fast casual, healthy, food company founded in Easton, Maryland, by husband and wife team, Ryan and Emily Groll. Their locally sourced ingredients are a staple of their business, as is supporting local farmers and assuring that their customers know exactly what they’re getting and eating.

Last year, Sprout held a “Farmer’s Appreciation Day” at its Easton location to spotlight the farmers that they are partnered with in the area. Upon opening their much larger St. Michael’s café, the Grolls decided to host an indoor farmers market in December, and another on Valentine’s Day 2020. Sprout is now in the planning stage for a Farmer’s Appreciation Day in April and a weekly indoor farmers’ market beginning in March to be held on a weekday evening.

“We do it for the farmers”, Groll says, “It’s important to create trust and transparency between the customers and the people growing their food.” Sprout doesn’t charge a fee for farmers to participate in the market. Groll says it is a win-win situation because it allows the farmers to market themselves and benefits Sprout by bringing a new crowd of consumers into the cafe to showcast Sprout’s healthy food options.

A farmers’ market is no easy task for the farmers; packing up, driving to the location, setting up, and marketing one’s products is time-consuming work. So why do the farmers choose to participate? According to Jenna Paice from Spirit Growers, an organic eastern shore farmer, it’s about “building relationships and connecting the dots” between the people who eat the food and those that grow it. Taylor Hale, another participant, looks forward to Sprout’s farmer’ markets as an “opportunity to promote his products out of season” and claims that it is a “new market for his spice blends”. Others in attendance, included: Abundant Grace Farms, Federal Brewing Company, Lyon Distilling, among others. According to Groll, Sprout allows all farmers to attend to help grow the local economy and convey a sense of community togetherness.

 You may be wondering if an indoor farmer’s market like this is for you. According to  Carol Chisholm, a consumer in attendance, there’s no question you’ll love it. She said that Sprout’s indoor market is a great idea as she gestured to the rain and looming, dark clouds in the skies outside the cafe window.

Eating locally sourced, healthy food and knowing where your food has been before it ends up on your plate is a growing trend in the modern food business. It would appear that the Sprout farmers’ markets, in partnership with local farmers and other businesses, is a creative way to increase such understanding and also have a good time. 

Georgia Foster is a Spy student journalist. She is a senior at Easton High School and plans to attend Salisbury University in the Fall where she will continue to pursue her interest in journalism.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Lyon Rum Distillery Announces Final Batch of ESLC Black Rum

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Three years ago, in January 2017, LYON RUM partnered with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) to launch a special edition spirit – one that would celebrate the Eastern Shore heritage and coastal history, and honor and support an organization dedicated to protecting it. Designed to stand apart from other LYON rums, the Black Rum has a notably heavier oak influence, is slightly lower proof, and has a soft, vanilla, earthy richness. $5 from every bottle funds ESLC programs, and custom neck tags on each bottle identify the partnership and provide info on the organization and mission, stating:
Together we are committed to protecting the land on which we work and play, and we encourage you to sip this delicious spirit soundly knowing that a portion of your purchase helps fund ESLC’s many worthwhile endeavors.

Since 1990, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has helped preserve nearly 60,000 acres of prime land, along with promoting sound growth practices in rural towns and working to incorporate coastal resilience measures in preparation for sea level rise.

“I feel lucky and grateful to be able to call the Eastern Shore my home, and the home of my business,” says Jaime Windon, CEO & founder of LYON RUM. “The work that Eastern Shore Land Conservancy does to preserve and conserve the natural beauty of our environment is truly priceless, and supporting that was such a natural, great fit for us. I’ve always admired partnerships like this.”

A successful inaugural batch led to multiple, seasonal releases and developed into a three-year long project – resulting in a total of eight batches, 1400 bottles of rum, and thousands of dollars for the ESLC.

On Friday February 14, 2020 the last batch of LYON/ESLC Black Rum #008 will be released at the distillery. Less than 200, 750ml bottles are available (43% abv, $40). Additionally, Hair o’ the Dog Wine & Spirits and Town & Country, in Easton will have a limited number of bottles, as will The Wine Source in Baltimore.

“At LYON we believe that we get more by giving more, and launching the ESLC Black Rum project was our first foray into sustainable philanthropy,” a core value of the company, according to Windon. To date LYON has contributed over $7000 from sales of the Black Rum, and with the generous matching contributions of fellow donors those dollars were doubled, and even tripled at times – far exceeding any initial expectations, and resulting in more than $13000 for ESLC.

The LYON RUM team is proud to have created a remarkable rum that helped fund and support the work of such a great organization, and to have had the opportunity to educate customers on ESLC in the process. Although this marks the end of this project, the company looks forward to finding new ways to work together with ESLC in the future, as well as launch other such spirited partnerships.

“I never imagined we could have such an impact by simply doing what we do best – making & selling delicious rum,” says Windon, “and this is just the beginning.”

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Maryland bill would Restrict what Foods may be Labeled ‘Meat’

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Foods made of animal tissues cultured from cells outside of the original animal, plants and insects could not be labeled “meat” in Maryland under a Republican-backed bill in the Maryland General Assembly.

Senate bill 188 is sponsored by Sen. Jason Gallion, R-Harford and Cecil, who called it “truth in advertising.” Eleven other GOP senators are co-sponsoring the legislation.

“Laboratory-grown meat will become more prevalent in the future, and this bill will proactively prevent these franken-meat alternatives from being labeled as meat,” Gallion said at Thursday’s bill hearing.

“We just think it’s unnecessary. Not only are our members in full compliance with all federal regulations on the subject, but we’ve even gone beyond that with our own guidelines,” Dan Colgrove with the Plant Based Foods Association told lawmakers Thursday.

“These products have to be very clearly marked as veggie, vegetarian or plant-based. That’s sort of the point, to offer alternatives to meat products.” Colgrove’s association represents more than 170 companies including Impossible Foods and The Tofurky Co., which make plant-based meat substitutes.

Cell cultured meat can not be purchased from stores yet, according to an email from Cathy Cochran, a spokesperson for the Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation, an industry coalition representing five companies working on bringing cell-grown meat to the market.

In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Food Safety Inspection Service announced they would oversee the production of foods made from cells of livestock and poultry to ensure they are “safely and accurately labeled.”

The meat-labeling bill, if passed, would cost the state an estimated $66,500 in the program’s first year to hire one full-time public health worker who would develop regulations, do outreach and look into who would be affected, according to a state legislative analysis.

The analysis estimated the costs would decrease after the first year.

The Maryland Farm Bureau, a nonprofit that advocates for Maryland farmers and rural families, supports the bill.

Parker Welch with the Maryland Farm Bureau told Capital News Service on Tuesday that the bill would provide customers more transparency.

Welch said the bill would “provide a kind of consumer confidence in the product they’re buying, so when they pick up a package (of meat) at the grocery there’s no confusion in what they’re buying.”

Impossible Foods labels their products “plant-based meat,” and last year they worked with Burger King to introduce the Impossible Whopper, a burger that contains no beef, according to an Impossible Foods press release.

In an emailed statement, Impossible Foods told Capital News Service that the company, “stands for truth and transparency. That’s why our products are clearly labeled plant-based meat.”

In December, a federal court blocked Arkansas from enforcing a law that made it illegal for companies to use words like “burger” or “sausage” for non-meat products like veggie burgers, according to an American Civil Liberties Union press release.

The ACLU challenged the law on behalf of The Tofurky Co., which makes “plant-based burgers” and other meatless foods.

The Maryland bill is different from the Arkansas law in that it would not prevent companies from calling their products “burgers;” it only deals with what can be labeled “meat.”

In Thursday’s bill hearing, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, asked Gallion what the harm is in labeling cell-grown meat, meat.

Gallion explained that this bill acts “preemptively” to protect meat industry farmers, while a milk labeling bill passed last year acted “reactively” in response to plant-based industries “piggybacking” off of the dairy industry’s Got Milk? campaign.

“I think it’s important to have some pro-agriculture bills that come out to support these hardworking farmers who are trying to make a living like everyone else,” Gallion told the committee.

Thirteen states, including Arkansas, have passed similar meat labeling restriction laws, according to a state legislative analysis.

Gov. Larry Hogan, R, signed into law Gallion’s legislation on milk labeling, which prohibits plant-based products, like soy or almond beverages, from being labeled milk — but only if 11 of 14 southern states also pass similar laws. Those states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

If that law does go into effect, it tasks Maryland’s Department of Health with developing and implementing milk labeling restrictions.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Food Friday: Chinese New Year

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We are getting ready to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year on Saturday. Happy Year of the Rat!

Every 12 years it is the year of the rat. The other 11 Chinese zodiacal animals are Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Rats work diligently, and people born during a rat year are destined to be prosperous. Go rats! (I was born in a year of the rooster. I am destined to be punctual. Sigh.)

Rats are thought to be amiable, honest, flexible, modest, serious, with a strong sense of self-esteem. They sound like nice folks. Let the celebration begin! String up the paper lanterns, stuff some envelopes with money, and let’s get cooking because we are going to have an unforgettable Chinese New Year dinner party.

We used to live across the street from people who would have grand Chinese New Year parties every year. They would buy lots of Chinese take out, string lights and paper lanterns, pour out generous glasses of wine and send all the children out into the neighborhood on a fanciful scavenger hunt. I feel sure they did this so the adults had a chance at the egg roll chafing dish, because when the children all ran back home, flushed and excited and demanding their red envelopes of prizes (one of which was a much sought after gold Sacajawea dollar), they would fall like locust and hungry dogs on what was left of the food. Some years we would sit on low chairs on the front lawn and watch their twirling sparklers as the stars began to come out. And then we would all drift home, filled with dim sum and fried rice, egg rolls and spring rolls, dumplings and inexplicably the traditional neighborhood bag o’Cheetos. Some western brownies would be smeared across the children’s faces as they protested that they weren’t ready for bed. But never mind, the adults were, and that was enough.

We haven’t got a good Chinese restaurant nearby this year, and we don’t have that pack of roving children, either, so it is just as well that we are going to cook at home. It is surprising how many good things can be had at the grocery store these days – and not just from an Asian specialty store. I found spring roll wrappers and won tons at the basic grocery store recently. I am even going to print some of the Chinese fortunes listed below to slip into the brownie batter so we can have some memories of our children. Maybe this time I will come up with a winning lottery number, too! I’ve got to remember to buy Cheetos…

Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

Ingredients
1 pound noodles, frozen or (preferably) fresh
2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste, or to taste
 Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch by 2-inch sticks
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes; they should retain a hint of chewiness. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic paste.
Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.
Thank you, Sam Sifton! https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9558-takeout-style-sesame-noodles

There really doesn’t have to be much mystery in cooking Asian recipes. This is fun, and saves money. Remember, the year of the Rat encourages thrifty practices on the road to prosperity and good fortune.

10 Quick and Easy Beginner Chinese Recipeshttps://www.thespruceeats.com/quick-and-easy-chinese-recipes-for-beginners-4118330

And is homemade cashew chicken better than take out? You control the garlic. You tell me. https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/cashew-chicken.html

I am stuffing rolled up fortunes into the brownie batter; but you know roosters, punctual, but probably deeply lazy. If you are more ambitious, you can try this recipe from the smart folks at Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/26343-toasted-almond-fortune-cookies

And here are some fortunes!
Thank you, https://quotes.yourdictionary.com/articles/funny-fortune-cookie-sayings.html

The fortune you seek is in another cookie.

A closed mouth gathers no feet.

A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.

A cynic is only a frustrated optimist.

A foolish man listens to his heart. A wise man listens to cookies.

You will die alone and poorly dressed.

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind, and won’t change the subject.

If you look back, you’ll soon be going that way.

You will live long enough to open many fortune cookies.

An alien of some sort will be appearing to you shortly.

Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.

Flattery will go far tonight.

He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.

He who laughs last is laughing at you.

He who throws dirt is losing ground.

Some men dream of fortunes, others dream of cookies.

The greatest danger could be your stupidity.

We don’t know the future, but here’s a cookie.

The world may be your oyster, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get its pearl.

You will be hungry again in one hour.

The road to riches is paved with homework.

You can always find happiness at work on Friday.

Actions speak louder than fortune cookies.

Because of your melodic nature, the moonlight never misses an appointment.

Don’t behave with cold manners.

Don’t forget you are always on our minds.

Fortune not found? Abort, Retry, Ignore.

Help! I am being held prisoner in a fortune cookie factory.

It’s about time I got out of that cookie.

Never forget a friend. Especially if he owes you.

Never wear your best pants when you go to fight for freedom.

Only listen to the fortune cookie; disregard all other fortune telling units.

It is a good day to have a good day.

All fortunes are wrong except this one.

Someone will invite you to a Karaoke party.

That wasn’t chicken.

There is no mistake so great as that of being always right.

You love Chinese food.

I am worth a fortune.

No snowflake feels responsible in an avalanche.

You will receive a fortune cookie.

Some fortune cookies contain no fortune.

Don’t let statistics do a number on you.

You are not illiterate.

May you someday be carbon neutral.

You have rice in your teeth.

Avoid taking unnecessary gambles. Lucky numbers: 12, 15, 23, 28, 37

Ask your mom instead of a cookie.

This cookie contains 117 calories.

Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

You think it’s a secret, but they know.

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is it naked or homeless?

Change is inevitable, except for vending machines.

Don’t eat the paper.

And here is a craft project – making your own red envelopes for scavenger hunt prizes. Or just give them as party favors. Enjoy yourselves! https://food52.com/blog/15769-how-to-make-your-own-lucky-red-envelopes-for-chinese-new-year

“When it comes to Chinese food I have always operated under the policy that the less known about the preparation the better. A wise diner who is invited to visit the kitchen replies by saying, as politely as possible, that he has a pressing engagement elsewhere.”
Calvin Trillin

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Food Friday: Cabbage is the New Kale!

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All hail the cabbage! Humble. Long-lasting. Tasty. Crunchy. Overlooked. Packed with Vitamin C and calcium. (Red cabbage is loaded with anti-oxidants.) So long, kale! You have outstayed your welcome.

I’m still flushed with enthusiasm for New Year’s Resolutions, which always include saving money and eating better. And I’d like to cut down on my carbon footprint. Luckily the grocery store is under 2 miles away, but if I only head in there once or twice a week, it is better than making a daily errand destination. It’s bad enough that I am going to stop off at Target later…

A cabbage is cheap, and packed with nutrition, as well as being versatile and large. The last cabbage I pulled out from the heap weighed 4 pounds, just brimming over with meal potential. You can easily spice up your weekly menu without spending lots of money. And cabbage doesn’t have to be just the stinky accompaniment to corned beef once a year. There are lots of new and enticing ways to prepare cabbage. I’ll bet you that right this minute someone in Park Slope is experimenting with an artisanal bespoke organic cabbage smoothie, infused with saffron and CBD.

Here is a lot of practical and basic info from the geniuses at Bon Appétit: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/tools-test-kitchen/article/cabbage

When winter rolls around we tend to think of oven-baked meals as a way to keep the kitchen cozy and our little bellies full. Whenever we do pork chops I always think of cole slaw and apple sauce as good side dishes. Samsin Nosrat (Of Salt Fat Acid Heat fame https://www.saltfatacidheat.com) has a better idea than my mother’s 1950’s Hellmann’s mayonnaise-inspired slaw dish. You should try this: Samin Nosrat’s Bright Cabbage Slaw. It incorporates cabbage and apples, without the fat and calories from nostalgic mayonnaise. It is a bright treat on a dark winter night. https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/samin-nosrats-bright-cabbage-slaw/ You can pretend you are in California. (This is originally Michael Pollan’s recipe from Chez Panisse.)

Nigella’s Sweet and Sour Slaw is a little more time consuming – it might be perfect for a Saturday night meal, and it is quite festive and tasty. https://www.sweetpaulmag.com/food/nigellas-sweet-amp-sour-slaw

Now you can take your new knife skills and try something fun for Taco Tuesday: Not Your Traditional Korean Tacos. Our friends at Food52 always have a tasty and clever solution for dinner, and these fresh Korean tacos will set you apart from the salt-laden Old El Paso-recipe dependent households. https://food52.com/recipes/17897-not-your-traditional-korean-tacos

An even more sophisticated take on cabbage and wraps comes from Bon Appétit: One-Skillet Hot Sausage and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Chives. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/one-skillet-hot-sausage-and-cabbage-stir-fry-with-chives Mr. Friday is always buying Italian sausage, and we wind up using it just for sausage and pepper dishes, or as pizza topping. This adds another meal to our burgeoning repertoire for 2020.

And where would we be in the midst of winter without a scrambler recipe? That is, a recipe where everything is already on hand; in the fridge, in the pantry, in the larder, ready to roll: Pasta with Cabbage, Winter Squash and Walnuts. This will take care of a lot of leftovers, particularly that half bag of walnuts from the Christmas baking. No need to go out in the snow! https://food52.com/recipes/78397-pasta-with-cabbage-winter-squash-and-walnuts

Cabbage probably won’t ever be the fleek media darling that kale was, but it is always dependable. Like an old friend, or an old pair of jeans. You remember it fondly and it soothes your soul.

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.”-Mark Twain

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Food Friday: New Year’s Resolutions

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I’m going to check back in three months and see if the enthusiasm I currently feel for for all my new 2020 rules of clean living are still true. It’s easy today, ten days into the new year to be proud of my new, adult approach to life. But as my daughter, the former Pesky Pescatarian has observed, sagely, that all this adulting is hard work.

Luke the wonder dog and I have been taking two walks every weekday. It’s been easy, so far. Sure, it’s been chilly in the mornings, but bright and sunny in the afternoons. No excuses have been sought. I’m trying to maintain that lofty goal of 10,000 steps a day, and so far, every day this week we have been successful. I don’t know what we will do on a rainy day, though. Luke hates to get his feet wet in the rain. Never mind that he loves pools and oceans and rivers. No; he does not like to go out in the rain. I’ll have to leave him here while I go off trekking.

Dry January is a little trickier. This is the second year that Mr. Friday and I have joined in Dry January – no alcohol for the month. We didn’t realize how much we like that glass of cheap white wine when he comes home at night, or choosing the right wine to pair with Friday Night Pizza. This abstinence is good for the liver, pocketbook and waistband. I’ve lost 2 pounds since Christmas, which included inhaling city blocks of créme pat in the Christmas cream puffs and acres of homemade peppermint bark. Plus a whole flock of Champagne; some really nice Veuve Clicquot Rosé, too. Weight-wise, it has been an excellent New Year, so far. https://www.npr.org/2020/01/06/793895415/dry-january-the-health-benefits-from-taking-a-break-from-alcohol

My dentist is sang froid and easy-going. She is just pleased that I wander through every year. Her martinet of a dental hygienist is another story. Every 6 moths I get Miss Minchin’s soul-crushing assessment. She knows that I don’t floss every single bloody night. Not so in 2020! 9 for 9! So far! And I replaced the head of my electric toothbrush on January 1. Who says I am not serious about oral hygiene?

Santa brought me a nice pile of books that I haven’t been able to find at the library, so I will not be indulging in an impulse buys on Amazon for a few months. I even tidied up the stack of waiting books on my bedside table. Now, if only the New York Times would call to see what I am planning to read this year. Among them are: Virginia Woolf’s Garden, Nigella Lawson’s At My Table, Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, Penelope Lively’s Life in the Garden, Nigal Slater’s The Christmas Chronicles, Donald Hall’s On Eagle Pond, and The Old Success by Martha Grimes. Murder, gardens, food, poetry, gossip and more food. (I’m thinking I might re-read Little Women, too. I know just where my well-thumbed copy is, too!)

Which brings us to the kitchen. For the most part our kitchen is fairly well organized. There are drawers dedicated to potholders and trivets, rolls of aluminum foil, parchment and waxed paper. A drawer for baking tools: cookie cutters, measuring spoons and cups, offset spatulas and icing bags. A drawer for tea towels, another for silverware, one for matches, straws, razor blades, twist ties, and other rarefied junk. There is just one for all the key cooking utensils. Mr. Friday and I have a lot of repeat items. I have two turners I like, thin and sleek and metal. He prefers a few of icky, clunky black OXO silicone pancake turners. I like an old fashioned, easy-peasy cork screw – he likes a fancy battery powered one. (Luckily that isn’t an issue this month!)

We have two sets of indoor cooking tongs, and an outsized pair for outdoors. We have cheese graters, micro-planers and a nutmeg grater. We are down to one garlic press, and one can opener. Several slotted spoons. Lots of sterling serving pieces. A basting brush. Two cooking forks we got from our mothers, that are exact matches, which makes us suspect they were both acquired through the assiduous application of child labor pasting S&H Green Stamps into books, as we both have vague recollections of being entertained as tots…

My next character improvement is going to be organizing this shambles of a kitchen drawer. Wish me luck. Luke says it is going to rain this weekend…

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.”
-A.A. Milne

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.