My Week in Food

Started the week off with a celebration…a family birthday party where my brother cooked up a couple of epic, bone-in pork roasts. We were all lucky enough to cart home leftovers.

Which was good since I was off to New York to do a cooking segment for The Better Show. Instead of filling my suitcase with stilletos and silk as one might normally do on a trip to the Big Apple, I packed it to the brim with lunch box gear, leaving just enough space for a single change of clothes.

This is how it looked on the set of the show.

 This gave me butterflies as I waited to go on.

Celebrated afterwards by meeting my sister and her baby for a mildly boozy lunch in the West Village. Everyone got to pick their poison (in case you’re wondering, the white wine was mine).

Made a big bowl of  Oodles of Sesame Noodles from Best Lunch Box Ever for my sis and her family as a thank you for putting me up for a few nights.

I did manage to get in enough shopping time to find a killer pair of “summer’s over sale” sandals and a trio of these: tiny silicon “dressing-2-go” bottles.

 Which I put to immediate use for the kids’ lunch box salads when I got home.

Speaking of coming home, a highlight of  the trip was arriving to find this sign propped up outside our front door. 

I showed my gratitude by waking the kids the next morning by whispering, “I made donuts!” to which Rosie rolled over, eyes still closed, and croaked, “Pumpkin ones?” … “with icing?” Apparently she doesn’t get out of bed for just any donut.

It became clear how busy people were in my absence…busy buying Halloween candy (something I typically do at the last minute since some of us (me) can’t keep their hands out of the candy jar).  This arrived the day of my return, and lest I worry that one box wasn’t enough, Amazon sent an email assuring me that indeed the Sour Patch Kids would be arriving in a separate shipment.

It’s been Indian Summer in San Francisco all week. I’m enjoying my new office.

Virginia took over in my other office — the kitchen — and made this Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes from Amanda Haas’ Real Family Food.  Total keeper.

Another keeper is this photo shot by Lily, the 12-year-old daughter of a good friend, who apparently is putting my cookbook to good use for her school lunches. Here:  Peanut Butter Pinwheels.  Love that!

How was your Week in Food?