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Chesterton’s Fence
Few things are easier to ridicule than a regulation. Republicans have made a meal out of this since Ronald Reagan mockingly said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” Nobody wakes up in the morning excited about fire codes. No one tells friends…
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The day fish was cancelled
We had fish for lunch yesterday. To be more accurate, I should say they served fish for lunch yesterday. I had an egg salad sandwich. Around here, the kitchen always offers an alternative when seafood is the entrée. It’s usually chicken. But yesterday James whipped up a batch of the most delicious egg salad I’ve…
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You probably don’t need to know this
We have already established that as a young boy I was rubbish at sports. It wasn’t for lack of trying. My father, may he rest in peace, had me “try out” for everything, but when it came to a ball, I was simply no good at kicking one down a lawn, hitting one with a…
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In Defense, and Praise, of Bread
Few things in life are more satisfying than bread. And when it comes to bread, there really is only one choice: the baguette. The baguette is one of the simplest breads in the world, yet it is also one of the most beloved. Made from only a few basic ingredients — flour, water, yeast, and…
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March
March is the only month that feels like it’s arguing with itself. One day it is inspired by Mars – bold, blustery, and ready for battle. The next day it remembers it’s technically almost spring and shows up with sunshine and birds chirping like they’re auditioning for a woodland musical. You wake up, see golden…
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An unexpected surprise
Thinking about that title, aren’t all surprises “unexpected?” Hmm, well let’s not get bogged down in semantics. As an adult, I know that if I’m to pass along a food or beverage recommendation, it should be about a restaurant with a delicious grown-up entree (like the Corn Chowder Fettuccine at Grand Central at La Plaza…
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An abomination
Does two years in a row make for a tradition? Let’s say it does. My first post of 2025, on New Year’s Day, was about whether you should put pineapple on pizza (of course you should, it’s delicious!), so I thought I’d continue the tradition and write about food today. I am not one to…
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And the winner is…
I come from Glendale, in California, not to be confused with the city of the same name found in the neighboring state of Arizona. If people ask me where I’m from, though, I invariably say Los Angeles, of which Glendale is a suburb – a big one, big enough to have its own power generating…
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An Ode to the Dumpling
If we’re going Asian, I gotta have potstickers, gyoza in Japanese restaurants and jiaozi in Chinese eateries. Either way, they are dumplings – made with garlicky meat or shrimp and vegetables, wrapped in a thin noodle-like wrapper with pleated edges – and they are delicious. You can get them steamed or fried, and they are…
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Potato Meetings
I’d like to start today by talking about the potato. It is most often associated with Ireland. The Irish were first to adopt it as a staple of their diet in the 18th century, and by the mid-19th century, “reports describing the appearance of a mysterious disease on the potato crops in various parts of…
Your mileage may vary.