Menu planning, or playing with food

from an actual e-mail I wrote earlier today:

Are the striped lobster ravioli terribly expensive? They sound delicious.
Also, the chicken parm served at the [meeting earlier in the month] dinner was excellent; I wouldn't mind repeating that at this lunch. My concern with the chicken is the portion size. Chef has been giving us rather large sized breasts, and they are a bit intimidating.
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(Okay, there is no way that I can think of to write that so it doesn't sound perverted.)
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Would he be able to do a smaller portion?

Saving yee old movie house

RISING COSTS JEOPARDIZE REPERTORY FILM PROGRAMMING AT HARVARD SQUARE'S BELOVED BRATTLE THEATRE

Oct. 4, 2005 Today, the Brattle Film Foundation (BFF), the nonprofit organization that programs and operates the Harvard Square's landmark cinema, the Brattle Theatre, announced the most important fundraising effort in its 52-year history. The PRESERVE THE BRATTLE LEGACY CAMPAIGN is a two-year fundraising effort that is necessary to sustain repertory film programming at the Brattle. The Phase One goal is to raise $400,000 by the end of 2005; the Phase Two goal is to raise another $100,000 by the end of 2006. If BFF is not successful at meeting the goals set by Phase One of the campaign, BFF will be forced to cease operations at the Brattle Theatre, effectively ending the 52-year legacy of repertory film programming at the Brattle. The Brattle Theatre has outlasted most arthouse cinemas in the country. While landmarks like St. Mark's and Bleeker Street in New York closed their doors long ago, the Brattle has survived. Of the Brattle's current situation, Creative Director Ned Hinkle had this to say: "Repertory film programming at the Brattle simply cannot survive without significant community support. Our current challenges can only be overcome with the involvement of community members who want to keep the tradition of film programming alive at the Brattle Theatre."

While I haven't been there in a while, I have had major milestones at the Brattle. I spent the whole of my first summer in Boston going to the Brattle with my friends. It is where I came to regard indie cinema as de rigueur and not obscure. It is where I first saw Casablanca not on my television. To lose this place would be a real shame, so I am hoping that people will start turning out in droves to support the Brattle and its film series. Including me.

Shopping cut off

Curse you, Williams Sonoma catalogue, for coming into my home and tempting me with fancy wine pairing plates and stemware for seven different varieties of wine. I will not buy from you; I will put you into the recycling bin where you belong.

After I read through the whole thing and gaze lustfully at all the fancy plate collections. And appliqué linens. And the Le Creuset Dutch oven. And the cheese collections. And the peppermint bark.

I think that I am going to need a 12 step program just to get this catalogue out of my house. No Beau Manoir flatware, you will not be coming to this house. (But it isn’t because I don’t want you. Or the beef demi-glace for that matter.)

Right.

Sensible spending sucks.

Heard over the past two days

(after a very stressful week of planning a large scale outdoor photograph) "If it rains tomorrow, I'm heading for the Zakim." - Co-Worker Nina

(telling a colleague about the stressful week we are having at work) "If things continue in this fashion, we are all going to need a spa long weekend ...over at McLean." - me

(after telling my sister about my next door neighbor being robbed and how my neighbor and I think that we have figured out the culprits) "Looks like all those British mysteries are starting to pay off for you after all." - Sister #2

Please, sir, may I have some more?

Over the weekend, my friend "Miss Post" and I went to the cinema to see the new film by Roman Polanski, Oliver Twist. It was terribly depressing and slow, although very well acted. If you ever wondered what the Victorian slums of London really looked like, I think that this film gives you a pretty accurate idea. Only thing missing were prostitutes being slaughtered by Jack the Ripper and opium dens.

About halfway through the movie, I leaned over to Miss Post and whispered, "I think that I understand why this story needs to be a musical. You need the music to break up the monotony of just how awful their lives are. I mean, it doesn't seem so bad that they are poor and starving and have no clothes when everyone is singing "It's a Fine Life!"