I know this isn’t supposed to be a personal blog. So go with me here as I make it about food.
I think I have a secret admirer!
As BS noted, it was my birthday last week and the cooking themed presents poured in: 3 spatulas from my parents; 2 mini-spatulas from 80P (to make up for this disaster); a beautiful wooden salad bowl with 4 matching mini-bowls from 80P; the Top Chef cookbook from my brother, SAG; a food writing anthology from 80P’s parents; and other non-related food items (like an awesome vintage blue clutch from my sister.)
Anyway, so I thought that my presents were over when I received another package in the mail! It’s a book about restaurant reviews and critic secrets written by the pair that now writes a wine column for WaPo, Dining Out: Secrets from America’s Leading Critics, Chefs, and Restaurateurs. And, there was no sign of who it’s from.
Feel free to identify yourself, either in the comments or to my email: gansie@endlesssimmer.com. I’d like to thank you properly.
And yes, I know, I do love the fact that I got FIVE spatulas for my birthday.
It was me!
Ok. It wasn’t me. I’m a horrible liar.
oh i knew it wasn’t you – you’re too busy trying to figure out which top chef contestants would be a fettuccine alfredo or a chicken picatta. (right, right…i smell a blog post!)
Insulted: why didn’t you mention the refugee doll amongst your cooking themed gifts… she’s wearing an apron, you can hang her in your kitchen…. I’ll come up with more reasons she should have been mentioned soon. oh and, the girl I was going to write the nutritional yeast entry with is out of town, but I’ll get it to you soon…. I cooked with NY last night. Ask Miked and E about the sauce….
and yes, thank you ms. maid for making me parade around the bar with a refugee doll tucked into my cleavage. unfort, i don’t think it followed me home. i’d love a replacement to hang in my kitchen!
happy birthday again gansie, glad you’re enjoying the book, was it a good guess on our part or from your hint??
love ya, mom & dad gansie
how are you going to use 5 spatulas??
wait a minute – dad gansie – this book is from you and mom?
it’s from me! ooh me me me!
Haha, glad you like 5 spatulas, I got 4 or 5 knives last Christmas and was disturbed to find that they were the best part of Christmas. Even despite my mom mumbling audibly that superstition dictates not giving people knives. Mm, knifey goodness.
effing right, wasn’t it one of your e-mail hints?? thank mom, she’ll be home around 1:00 pm before all my children starts ld
OMG dadgansie just said effing
thanks mom and dad! i guess i should have known that my admirers were my very own parents.
and you have no idea the cursing that flies around the gansie household!
I think I have some idea, actually.
Before Dad G wrote, I was going to say maybe it was from admirer Tom S as he recommended it in his chat. It was on my list of future Gansie presents until now!
aaahhh! i would have DIED if it was from my boy, Tom. maybe next year!
and happy birthday 80PMom!
in case anyone is still reading this bday thread, i forgot to talk about 2 kitchen gifts, both from 80.
80 hates my current pepper grinder b/c he thinks it doesn’t produce a fine enough grind. so he bought me this gorgeous, big chrome grinder that has 3 options for grinding – fine, medium, coarse.
and the best gift – 2 boxes of bulgur wheat! okay, so i am so not happy that both bestway and giant have stopped selling my go-to-grain. apparently 80 had to go to 2 stores to find it.
Maidelitala’s nutritional yeast pasta sauce was super yummy!