I have butter ... and I’m not afraid to use it.

If I ever write a cookbook, that's what I will title it.

I thought of that line as I slapped a tablespoon of the fine, fatty dairy product in a pan last night. Sometimes a recipe says you must use margarine and I know it has different properties and whatnot, but when given the option, I will always choose butter.

Semi-related thought: My cookbook would probably have a whole chapter – maybe even a section – dedicated to why I think cheese should be its own food group. I’d find a way to include that great quote from Charles de Gaulle, “How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese?”

A noticeable panty line

Quote of the week from the BDO: “Cool. I really liked that panty line.”

There was this ad series. The style was very irreverent and over-stated. One of the concepts for which I was to write copy was the “We’re that good” concept. The visual was a black and white image of young girls, circa 1959/60, overcome by emotion at the sight of some teen pop sensation. The copy I wrote ended with the line, “But please, don’t throw your panties at our reception desk. It gets a little awkward.”

When it seemed as if this particular ad was not going to be part the series, I inquired as to its status. When I was told that, yes, indeed it will be included, but just hasn’t yet, I replied, “Cool. I really liked that panty line.”


(And props please, for refraining from posting about tomatoes again today.)

Tomania

This has been the lunch special at the BDO cafe for the last two weeks.

Little cheese, little salt and pepper, little olive oil and red wine vinegar, some basil. This particular plate was prepared for the purposes of pre-dinner snacking (for two) while we waited for the rest of dinner to be ready.

Jersey Fresh Freakshow

We grew a tomato with a NOSE!!



I know I need to stop with all the tomato stuff. But it's sort of my thing. I can't help myself.

Jersey Fresh, Part III

A-canning we will go. A-canning we will go. Hi-ho the dairy-o a canning we will go.



Why is it called "canning" when you actually put things in jars?

I don't have a real canner, just a big pot with a cookie rack in the bottom. I can only fit four pint jars at a time in it, so I don't do Amish-sized quantities of preserving.

But it's late August and the plants are heavy with delicious ripe fruit. I eat a few each week, give a few away to dear neighbors and friends, and then I still have about 7 lbs of tomatoes left (from only four plants). I canned about 6 lbs last night. The rest are in the fridge (skinned and ready for the jar or some other cooking purpose).

This is what they looked like fresh off the vine. Aren't they SOOOO pretty?!?!

And while we're on the subject, this is my new favorite T-shirt: