Really interesting (short) interview in the Times with author Alain de Botton. I had to read some of his stuff for a law school class on emotions and psychology and the law, and it was a little too highbrow for me, but I took another book of his, Status Anxiety, out of the library last week and am hoping to get to it at some point.
Saw the shows Smoking Bloomberg, Flight of the Lawnchair Man, and Captain Gravy's Wavy Navy at the New York Musical Theater Festival in the past week. Captain Gravy would be a cool show to see especially if you've got kids you want to expose to theater -- it's basically a cartoon on stage, with some nice music and colorful characters. I think there's a Friday and Saturday show still to go.
Read "The Reach of a Chef" by Michael Ruhlman the other day. I'll add it to the sidebar. It's a nice book about the celebrity chef culture, a bunch about Thomas Keller (Per Se, where two friends of mine ate this past weekend for their 2nd anniversary and enjoyed) and Emeril and Mario Batali and a bunch more chefs. I liked it a lot, it's a good read if this stuff appeals, but I don't have a lot more to say about it. Also read Anthony Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits" last week but forgot to blog about it. "Kitchen Confidential" is Bourdain's hit book. I liked that one a lot. This one is a collection of columns. It wasn't bad but read Kitchen Confidential instead. Or The United States of Arugula, or Heat, or The Omnivore's Dilemma, or The Reach of a Chef, all of which I found more enjoyable.
I think that's the last of the food-related books on my reading list, which is probably a good thing because mostly they just make me hungry.
I did get to try a dessert last week at a place called Room 4 Dessert, which was written up in the New Yorker a few weeks ago. Interesting. Sesame flavored gelato and raspberry foam and something else I can't remember. Strong flavors. I'd go back, but I'd get something else, and I'd hope that once again someone else was paying, since $12 is expensive for a few spoonfuls of dessert.
An update on some stuff from last week: my mom had a follow-up surgery on Monday to make sure the cancer is all gone, and we're waiting on pathology results, hopefully it'll come back clean, and then she'll start treatment. And my first day tutoring at 826NYC last Thursday was cool, helped a bunch of kids with their homework, found it fairly rewarding, excited to go back this week.
A Times magazine article about satire that I keep meaning to read, but haven't yet. If anyone else has, feel free to tell me if it's worth reading.
Liked the season premiere of How I Met Your Mother a lot. Wasn't really into the show for most of last season, until the last couple of episodes, which I watched mostly just because a bunch of friends kept saying they liked the show. I could see why. Season finale last year was great, and the season premiere last night just as good. Check it out if you haven't, perhaps. I didn't watch the Studio 60 premiere last night, but only because I watched it on YouTube a few weeks ago. Looking forward to checking out the new episode next week, I think it's the show I'm most excited about this season.
Jer,
The satire piece was highly, highly good. It was very worth the read. Not highbrow, but not uninformative at all. Lots of mention of comedy - or rather, of funny satire, and not-so-funny.
Good luck re. your mom's cancer. We are all of us survivors or future survivors, and in the long run if we live long enough we all get some form of it. Here's hoping hers got "gotten," and best wishes for her speedy recovery.
Posted by: Eh Nonymous | September 20, 2006 at 09:54 AM
alan sorkin rocks!
i wish they had done a republican west wing, bush behind the scenes sort of thing.
someone other then alda's character taking over.
Posted by: yolantevonscheusslich | September 23, 2006 at 03:53 AM
Good Luck for your Mom!!!!
Posted by: Nina | September 25, 2006 at 11:14 AM