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My 6 year old daughter is becoming addicted to junk food, and I’m scared she’ll become overweight?

  • Posted on July 25, 2010 at 1:27 pm

What should I do?

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San Lorenzo a Great Place for Italian Food and Calcio

  • Posted on January 24, 2010 at 4:08 am

There are places where one is always welcome not because one maybe rich or famous but simply because one showed up and took a liking to the what one found as well as the people. The kind of place I have in mind is the one where guests mingle with one another in an atmosphere that is created not by anybody in particular but by the little things for instance the way in which guests say “ciao” (hi or bye in Italian) to one another whenever coming or going or the way everybody knows ones name. It is these details and many more which make the bar-restaurant “San Lorenzo” located in downtown Warsaw on “John Paul 2nd street” be precisely that sort of place.

I am talking about a place where Italians as well as their descendents like myself or even people who have no traces of being Italian what so ever are never denied the affability and joy that is in the Italian way of entertaining. This holding true in San Lorenzo because of it’s main owner, Gianfranco who is equally charming when talking to the President of Poland (who can on occasions be found there nibbling away at his Lasagna) as when talking to the most modest of guest.

As for my relationship with “San Lorenzo” this dates back to late in the summer of 2001 when I accompanied by my wife and daughter ventured to take a table outside deciding to give this place a go. My wife and I were not hungry so we limited ourselves to ordering espresso for me and a cup of tea for her while our daughter (Paullina, The Star of “The Little Opera Singer”) needing to satisfy her youthful sweet tooth ordered Tiramisu with her favorite drink, apple juice to wash it down.

I as a person who had traveled to over 30 countries had encountered many a restaurant claiming to be Italian with not as much as the slightest connection to the “old country” apart from the name of the establishment or the fact that they served pseudo Italian dishes. I for my part can not claim to have immediately noticed from the outside or even the inside which I saw when I went to the men’s room that this was a restaurant whose proprietor was Italian. It was not that the interior of this restaurant was in bad taste as that was not the case but I also had seen places which though well decorated were not Italian. I had even been to this particular place before which I knew to have two stories as I had visited it on many an occasion when it was being used as both a clothing store which was the upstairs part and a cafeteria on the lower level.

The interior decorating I had to admit was nice even more then it had been but I was still curious to see if the owner was Italian so after having looked the place over both upstairs and down, I went outside again to join my wife and daughter who had already been served.

The tiramisu my daughter ordered tasted like the real thing (her allowing me a small taste) but I needed proof in regards to the authenticity of this place.

The verification came when Paullina stood up as she was 3 and a half years of age at the time and kneeled on the floor to play with a toy car she had brought with her and just as she was in the middle of playing a dark haired man approached the table and said “Hey Pokemon” due to my daughter’s t-shirt of the popular cartoon character. This man whose name I would eventually find out was Enrico Buscema, part owner, his partner in the business being Gianfranco Lucese, a Florentine man living in Poland married to a Polish lady whose mother is Stefania Kozłowska, a well known Polish singer of some years back.

There wasn’t anything special I noticed about Enrico till he sat down joining the group of people who were sitting at his table who were speaking Italian. I don’t know what it is but there is something about hearing people speak my language in a foreign country that unites me to them. Perhaps it is knowing that that person is also a foreigner from the same place I am from or curiosity to simply share impressions of another country but be what it might I always seek to became acquainted with people whom I hear speaking Italian outside of Italy.

This being a large group made me shy about approaching making me bid my time till the party that had been at the table nearby was reduced to a party of one. A well attired redheaded gentleman who was rather on the portly side had been left alone leaving me with my chance to speak.

“Excuse me, are you Italian?” me of coarse addressing him in Italian which seemed to catch him slightly of guard as he in Italian replied “yes, I am and you?”. I at this point having his full attention told him that I was American but my father was Italian, like the actor Sylvester Stallone. I also introduced by wife and child to this man whose name escapes my memory as it has been over 5 years since I last saw him. We must have conversed for about 5 minutes when Enrico came back to the table and upon hearing that I spoke Italian introduced himself to me and the rest of my family.

This was my first visit to San Lorenzo which like most firsts we never forget specially when they are not lasts as this place saw me come back the following week on August 9. This date being of significance because it was the one on which 4 years prior my then fiancée and I took our vows in the church in the act of holly matrimony. Our daughter was past the age of 3 and capable of proper conduct prompting my wife and I to let her join us on that occasion for a relatively late dinner. A dinner which delighted all of us specially Paullina (the restaurant having a special chair for her) by including some of the finest dishes in what is known as Italian cuisine with the wine that again could not be other then Italian.

One of the things that impressed me about that particular visit was that several of the guests whom I had not yet introduced myself to who saw me sitting at my table or walking around the place with my daughter seemed to know who I was. They knew my name, that I was a writer born in New York but could speak Italian because of my father and many other things all of which I had told the gentleman with the red hair in the short conversation I had had with him.

Another thing that caught the eye of my wife as well as my own (my daughter being to young at the time) was the photographs on the walls of all the famous people who had already been there. Then the place being open less then a year only included photographs of local celebrities such as Kasia Figura (Polish actress) but eventually this collection of photographs grew to include such noticeable patrons as Jose Carreras, Steven Segal, Roman Polanski, Alexander Kwaśniewski (then President of Poland), Lech Kaczyński (current President of Poland) and his brother Jarosław (current Prime Minister of Poland) and many others to numerous to mention.

The evening was a true enchantment for the 3 of us for many reasons but above all it had been the Italian cuisine. The dishes which we tasted not only on that evening but on many others to follow were the real flavor of Italy and it is with intensions of not influencing anybody who should go to San Lorenzo after reading this that I refrain from mentioning any by name.

The year was 2001 which like one can expect was followed by 2002. That being a world cup year which saw the greatest enthusiasm for the “Squadra Azurra” as its fans mostly Italians but not only gathered at “San Lorenzo” to show their support for what would be the fiasco of being eliminated by South Korea before even getting to the quarterfinals. It was a bitter pill for us the “Fratelli d’Italia” (this meaning brothers of Italy while also being the Italian National anthem) to have to swallow seeing our “nazionale di calcio” play 4 games which only yielded us one win combined with 2 losses and one draw.

However it was in defeat that we see the real character of the individual particularly the one who can keep his dignity as that is how we did it taking comfort in having previously won the world cup on 3 different occasions and with the hope that there would be brighter days for our “azurri”.

Another consolation for us was how some of the local television stations came over to our beloved San Lorenzo to see how the many nationalities living in Warsaw were following the world cup. Me being fortunate enough to be among those who were interviewed on TV.

Like the saying goes “it is always darkest before dawn” this meaning that Italy’s time would come as it did last year in the “2006 World Cup” held in Germany. This was the world cup in which Italy claimed its 4th F.I.F.A. world championship after 7 games the last two being the most grueling of all.

The last two games being the most arduous as they were the semifinal and the final. It was the first of these games which pitted Italy against Germany, the home team as well as 3 time champion and 7 time finalist. The second of these games pitted Italy against France who had won it all in 98 as well as being the team that had eliminated us from the 86 and 98 world cups and had defeated us in the 2000 final of the European Championship.

It was the way in which San Lorenzo was packed to capacity by all the people whom I had been seeing on a weekly basis for the last 5 years that gave me the courage to believe that such opponents could be overcome. These people after all had been with me through the tragedy that had been the previous world cup at least as far as Italy was concerned.

The semifinal against Germany was difficult to watch as we suffered at the agony of seeing two of our shots hit the woodwork in overtime but out of it all came the moment that allowed us to yell out the word “goal” in a huge action of relief as Italy was finally able to break the deadlock through Grosso who scored in the last minute of O.T.. however the game was not over nor was the scoring which would continue less then a minute later when Del Piero found the back of the German net for what would be our second goal guarantying us a place in the final.

If the semifinal was a spectacular show then the final could not be any less as the brave Italian tifossi at San Lorenzo some of which were Polish, Egyptian, Russian etc braced themselves for what would be a game against “Le Blue” of La France which would be winner take all. The place was naturally packed to capacity one more time on the Sunday of the final with tensions running as high as the expectations of being world champion for the fourth time. If truth be known I do not think I would have preferred to be any where else but at San Lorenzo with the sole exception of the site of the final itself in Berlin. This was where I would celebrate or cry with my fellow Italians like I had done 4 years ago but win or loose the friendships would not fade.

The final kicked off with us sitting in many tables drinking our beers and eating our pasta, pizza and other Italian dishes and just as we were getting in to the flow of the game a mistake by the referee gave France a penalty. A penalty which lead to France drawing first blood when Zidane barely converted giving France the early 1 to 0 advantage.

We the Italian tiffosi were down but far from out as it took a little over 5 minutes for San Lorenzo’s supporters to once again shout goal when Matterazzi’s header leveled matters at one a piece. As anybody who has ever seen his country in a final can confirm there is nothing like seeing ones country score and for us it was elation extraordinaire as we had not come this far to give up after trailing by only one goal.

The rest of the game including overtime went by with the score leveled at one a piece necessitating penalties which had never at least in a world cup seen Italy come out on top but this I felt deep down was our day as all the people whom I had known for so long were not going to be denied.

8 penalty kickers took their turn with only Trezeguet missing for France and it all came down to Grosso (scorer of Italy’s first goal against Germany) to deliver us to the promised land that was our 4th title leaving us with only one less title then Brazil. The moment of truth had arrived one kick, one goal to end all and earn all, would he do it? Our hearts were in our mouths as we saw Grosso step up to take the penalty which he converted sending me along with everybody else in to a wild frenzy that lead to fireworks on the street as well as an all night party.

Italy winning the world cup was wonderful and it no doubt would have been such no matter where or with whom I had seen it (as had been in 82 when we beat Germany in the final 3 to 1) but for some reason I felt that being at San Lorenzo made it just that wee bit better particularly because all those familiar faces were there to share it with me.

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Alchemy, Shamanism, Organic Food, and the Doctrine of Signatures

  • Posted on January 23, 2010 at 4:08 pm

The 16th century alchemist and philosopher, Paracelsus, introduced in his treatise the Doctrine of Signatures , the concept that the Creator has placed his seal on plants to indicate their medicinal uses.

Underlying Paracelsus’ treatise was the premise that nature was itself a living organism which must be considered an expression of “the One Life”, and that man and the universe are the same in their essential nature.

The 16th century alchemist and philosopher, Paracelsus, introduced in his treatise the Doctrine of Signatures , the concept that the Creator has placed his seal on plants to indicate their medicinal uses.

In this book of nature, Paracelsus noticed how the qualities of plants so often reflected their appearance – that the seeds of skullcap, for example, resemble small skulls and, it transpires, are effective at curing headache. Similarly, the hollow stalk of garlic resembles the windpipe and it is used for throat and bronchial problems. By the same token, willow grows in damp places and will heal rheumatic conditions.

Because of this, Paracelsus held that the inner nature of plants may be discovered by their outer forms or ‘signatures’. He applied this principle to food as well as medicine, remarking that “it is not in the quantity of food but in its quality that resides the Spirit of Life” – a belief familiar to those who choose to eat organic food and share the common concern over Genetically Modified substitutes that they lack ‘life force’, or spirit. According to Paracelsus, then, the appearance of a plant is the gateway to its spirit or consciousness

Shamans recognise the spiritual powers and qualities of plants in many ways: the colours of the flowers, their perfumes, the shape and form of their leaves, where they are growing and in what ways, the moods they evoke, and the wider geographical, cultural, or mythological landscapes they occupy

The doctrine of signatures treatise is not something known by indigenous shamans, but they understand the principles behind it well enough, that nature has spirit and communicates with us. These principles are not regarded as fanciful at all, but so important that they can save lives.

I discovered how the doctrine of signatures operates in the Amazon, for example, during my experiences with the Jergon Sacha plant.

Jergon Sacha (Dracontium peruviuanum)

My first exposure to this plant came about quite accidentally, when one day walking through the rainforest studying the properties of the plants, the maestro Javier queried why I always walked around with a machete. I jokingly replied “it’s against anacondas!”. He paused in thought for a moment and beckoned for me to follow him, a few minutes later we came across this tall stemmed plant. He proceeded to cut it down and then whip me around the body paying attention to my legs and the soles of my feet.. He then said “no more problems, you are protected against snakes”. I asked him why this plant was used in this way, and he indicated the pattern on the stem which looks identical to the snakes in the forest. Later as I started to investigate this plant even more, I discovered some interesting correspondences; this is a plant which is widely used as an antidote against snake bite venom in the Amazon.

This is accordance with the ‘doctrine of signatures’ concept. This doctrine is at the heart of homeopathy, folk medicine, and plant shamanism. The doctrine was revealed by the great alchemist and physician Paracelus who lived in the 16th Century. The underlying principle was that the healing properties of the plant are not only in the outer ‘physical’ form, but also in their inner or spiritual nature. The Doctrine of Signatures holds that this inner nature can be revealed by it’s outer physical form or signatures. This plant is a clear demonstration of the outer form indicating the inner qualities. It’s use is directly related to it’s physical appearance, the patterns on the tall stem closely resembles the skin patterns of the highly venomous pit viper known as ‘Bushmaster’ or Jararaca which is indigenous to the Amazon.

The large tuber of the plant is an well known and highly effective antidote for the bite of venomous snakes. The tuber is chopped up, and immersed in cold water and then drunk. Also the chopped tuber is placed in a banana leaf and used as a poultice which is wrapped around the bite area. These procedures are repeated every few hours. Of course the deal here is that it works, and as it not possible to store anti-venom vaccines in the rainforest without refrigeration, this plant has exceptional life-saving importance.

Mocura / Mucura Petivera Alliacea. This plant can be taken orally or used in floral baths to raise energy, or take you out of a saladera (a run of bad luck, inertia, sense of not living to the full). Gives mental strength and you can feel its effects as also with Ajo Sacha, both are varieties of ‘false’ garlic and have a penetrating aroma.

One of it’s qualities is that on a personal psychological level it can boost one’s strength. For example it is considered good in countering shyness, and can strengthen one’s own sense of personal value and authority. One of it’s properties is to help people overcome ‘irrational’ fears & fearful memories

Medicinal properties include asthma, bronchitis, reduction of fat and cholesterol. This plant grows widely in the lower Amazon, and it is used widely in purification (floral baths) .

Piñon Colorado Jatropha gossypifoilio

Has short lived effect after drinking but helps lucid dreaming later on when you go to bed. Can be used as a planta maestra and it is a plant that maestros can take when being during their initiation. Can also take with tobacco.

The plant’s properties on the physical level relate to problems such as, burns, swellings, intestinal parasites , Insect bites and stings, vaginal infections, and bronchitis. It is possible to take the resin which is much stronger but toxic if too much ingested. The resin can be applied directly to the skin.

Piri-piri, (Cyperaceae). Native people throughout the Amazon cultivate numerous varieties of medicinal sedges to treat a wide range of health problems, the native peoples for example, use sedge roots to treat headaches, fevers, cramps, dysentery and wounds as well as to ease childbirth. Special sedge varieties are cultivated by Shipiba women to improve their skill weaving and to protect their babies from illness.

Teresa a Shipiba craftswoman who joins us on our Amazon Retreats, told me that it is customary when the girls are very young for their mothers to squeeze a few drops of the ‘piri piri’ seed sap into their eyes in order to give their daughters the ability to have visions of the designs that she will make throughout her life.

The men cultivate special sedges to improve their hunting. Since the plant is used for such a wide range of conditions, it was once dismissed as being mere superstition. Pharmacological research has revealed the presence of ergot alkaloids, which are known to have diverse effects on the body from stimulation of the nervous system to constriction of blood vessels. These alkaloids are responsible for the wide range of medicinal uses. Apparently the ergot alkaloids come not from the plant itself but from a fungus that infects the plant.

Chanca piedra “Stone Breaker” (Phyllanthus Niruri)

This is a hybrid name “chanca” meaning “to break” in Quechua and “piedra” meaning “stone” in Spanish. This herb from the Amazon has been used by the indigenous peoples of the Rainforest for generations as an effective remedy to eliminate gall, and kidney stones. The plant has demonstrated its effectiveness against many illnesses including, kidney problems , urinary problems, colic, dysentery, jaundice and numerous other conditions. This herb has become widely used in South America as the herbal remedy for gall and kidney stones, and can typically be bought in capsule or leaf form from many stores. This plant is used only for its pharmaceutical properties, and is not a planta maestra. As a note, this plant is also starting to become known in Western Medical circles, as when I brought some back for my mother to help her with her kidney stones, her doctor was apparently familiar with this herb, but he still didn’t want her to use it due to possible contra-indications with the prescribed pharmaceutical medicine.

Reflections.

On reflection plant medicine is totally different than pharmaceutical medication which only affects one whilst it is being taken; these kinds of plant medicines seem to have a permanent effect in some way metaphorical or otherwise altering one’s consciousness or “DNA”. Paracelus, is still a source of inspiration to all those who work with the healing properties of herbs, and the plants.

One of the great revelations that we can experience in working with the plant spirit or consciousness is that we are not separate from the natural world. In our culture we perceive ourselves to be separate beings with our minds firmly embedded within our physical being (typically our head). The plants can show you that this way of being is an illusion and that we are all connected, all of us and everything else is a discrete element in the great universal field of consciousness or spirit.

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True Stories of Dangerous Food Allergies

  • Posted on January 19, 2010 at 4:07 am

Food allergies are quite common. In fact, a good percentage of the population suffers from food allergies. But the surprising thing is that most people just do not realize that they are living with food allergies. This is because in most cases, food allergies lead to symptoms that are ongoing and slightly troubling. Also, allergies may surface many hours after the food is taken in. So, victims do not make the connection. But, food allergies can interfere with your life because it can bring on unexplained problems, forcing you to lead a restricted and sometimes, pain-filled life.

However, in some people, food allergies can trigger an overwhelming, instantaneous reaction. Here are some real life examples of how food allergy can affect the life of people you love.

A 15 year old girl in Quebec, Canada died after she kissed her boyfriend. Examinations revealed that the girl had developed a severe allergic reaction to the peanut butter that the boy had eaten hours ago! The medical team that arrived to help the girl could do nothing to save her life.

Joanna was a healthy woman of 28 when she gave birth to her little daughter Kylie. Up until then, Joanna knew nothing about food allergies. But, 8 months after little Kylie was born, Joanna knew everything about nasty little food allergies. During a weekend vacation, Joanna happened to feed her daughter a formula that contained cow’s milk. Within hours of taking in the formula, Kylie developed angry red rashes all over her face, head and torso. Medical tests showed that Kylie was allergic to oranges and eggs besides cow’s milk.

For 15 years, Susan baffled doctors with her mild but persistent symptoms. She developed mild ear aches, felt listless and would throw up for no reason. Then, one day a chance conversation at a restaurant about food allergies made Susan carry out a food elimination test at home. She eliminated milk, then pepper, then fish, and finally eggs. A week into her egg free diet and Susan was a new woman.

On a night out with friends, Nathan was a little drunk when they decided to order a midnight breakfast. As it turned out, Nathan who knew he was allergic to Tobasco, ordered a pizza and spread tobasco sauce on it. Minutes after biting into the pizza, he developed breathing problems. His friends took him to the pharmacy but the pharmacist refused to give him a medication without a prescription. Nathan called his doctor on the cell phone, but the doctor did not answer. In desperation, Nathan called his mother who directed him and his friends to the doctor’s house, where the doctor gave him a prescription and accompanied him to the pharmacy.

As you can see, food allergies can hamper your lifestyle, whether they trigger immediate or slow, insidious reactions. In any case, it is important to know about your allergies and to carry medications or instructions regarding medications with you so people around you can help in case of a sudden allergic reaction.

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If You Love Lebanese Food

  • Posted on January 12, 2010 at 10:07 pm

Watch out for the invasion of the Lebanese food. Rich pastries, milk cakes, ground mutton in rice with lots of tomatoes, and tabbouleh are among the local favorites of the locals in the US, miles away from the Lebanese soil. The health conscious troop to restaurants with these specialties and the number of satisfied patrons are increasing.

Spaghetti Aside, There’s Hot Stuff Cooking

In a Lebanese restaurant, discover people milling for vegetarian specials. For meat lovers, there’s the mutton and beef served up in style and with the tastiest of flavors. There’s fish cooked in a special way. You’ll want more of the same in your next stop. For those with a sweet tooth, there are pastries stuffed with walnuts and almonds that will delight even the most persnickety of old maids.

What is a Lebanese specialty? Every meal is a balanced one. Expect fresh vegetables, stews, and salads. Ask for the Mezze or Maza. You’ll have a king’s meal of appetizers, cheeses, olives, and pita bread. By itself, this concoction is already a splendid one, especially when downed with a bottle of Muskar White.

Aside from the fusion of various spices that produce the distinctive and delightful dishes, the cook is a friendly fellow who does not run out of stories to tell while he shows off rows of bottled pickles, olives, nuts, grain, herbs and spices, and piquant cheeses made from goats milk. The cuisine does not focus on sauces, but on herbs and spices. That makes their food different from a host of other cusines.

There is a colorful array of fresh vegetables – zucchini, cabbage, artichokes, potatoes, carrots, and much more. Everything in the kitchen is used up from the mutton and beef bones. These are boiled for soup stock; excess meat is ground and even the surplus bread is toasted and recreated to reappear in an exciting new dish. Nothing is wasted in the Lebanese kitchen.

Biblical Food and Wine

Lebanese heritage can be traced back to biblical times, and even farther back. The bible mentions of bread and wine celebrated by the Jews in a foreign land – that was and is Lebanon. And for centuries, their culinary expertise was famous throughout the Mediterranean.

The wines of Lebanon are produced by vast fields of different grape varieties to produce different wines. The fame of the wines was even used to honor a person “his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:8).

It is not surprising that the Lebanese are famed for their warm hospitality. Go to a Lebanese restaurant and you will savor the warmth and good cheer. The cook will go out to greet you (that’s why you’ll love him) and perhaps you’ll be offered glass of wine and some tidbits on the house.

Get News and Good Food

If you are a Lebanese in foreign soil, you will not want for the latest news from Lebanon. Some restaurants offer the latest newspaper from which you can keep abreast of the goings on back home.

You can chat up the tavern owner and his sons and daughters and feel like you have never left your homeland. The hospitality extends to all people who drop in any of the quaint restaurants proudly offering the best there is in Lebanese cuisine. With such great food, you will really adore the cook.

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Borough Food & Drink: the Shopper’s Special

  • Posted on January 6, 2010 at 1:07 pm

I managed to work myself into a snit because we were early, our guests were late and the perfectly adorable young woman at the Borough Food & Drink’s desk — it’s an old fashioned double school desk — said we could not be seated until all our party…“No. No. No,” I said, refusing to let her finish my least favorite restaurant greeting, “We will be seated now. We willstart ordering as soon as we are seated.”

She smiled, not recognizing my hysteria, and urged us to be comfortable while waiting in the lounge or the bar. “I don’t want to be comfortable,” I hissed through clenched teeth, “I’ll stand right here.” I posted myself a few inches from her podium and her various official papers. Oh lord, the diva-ness of it. I was not exactly in a mood to appreciate a new and still tentative operation.

But at least I was near a window looking out at 22nd Street, which is how I happened to spot our slightly tardy friends, Bina and Georges, as they strolled past looking for a name on the restaurant’s awning and heading toward Broadway. I grabbed them; presented them to the head mistress and we settled at a bare wooden table on bare wooden chairs next to shelves of great-looking groceries in jars and tins.

I pretended not to mind when our perky waiter tilted his head to the right and announced he was Carmine and “I will be your server tonight.” It seemed a long while before he brought two covered jars of pickles…wonderful, lightly picked vegetables “from Gus’s pickles,” he said, unleashing the lids. The pickles were long gone when he showed up in another long while with the wine and poured me a taste.

I swirled and put the glass to my lips. And stopped. “I can’t taste wine,” I said. “My mouth is full of vinegar. Can you bring some bread?”

He shook his head, “That will be difficult.”

“No bread?” I looked all around. If this is not a restaurant, it’s a delicatessen, a market. No bread?

“Well, it will take a while,” he said. And it did. Fortunately, we were all being funny and interesting without really trying too hard…the conversation flowed.

But finally: “Can’t we just pour the wine?” my friends asked.

“What if it’s bad…? I can’t taste it with a mouth full of vinegar.”

All around us people were actually eating. Carmine returned, dropped a napkin-lined basket on the table with two slices of bread, touched my shoulder and turned away. “That’s all I could do.” Two slices of bread. I struggled to chew off a bite. Not just common, but stale as well.

I cleared my palate and swirled my red. The wine was fine. The medley of herrings from Russ & Daughters was lovely too, though meager for $14, and what was this plopped on top? Gorgeous warm pumpernickel bread.

I gave in. Okay, I thought, as I tasted Katz’s Delicatessen’s gargantuan and delectable matzo ball in shockingly bland soup that could have been heated up — okay. Now we know Zak Pelaccio can shop, but if it weren’t for Fatty Crab, we’d never know he can cook. And we can’t know what he could be thinking letting those weirdly watery clam flatbreads out of the kitchen. Or an unredeemable pea soup. House-smoked beef brisket arrived in a six-onion gravy that, alas, was no more remarkable than a one-onion gravy. And the Queen Anne’s rigatoni tossed with spring peas and chunks of Calabria Pork Store sausage under a melting half cup of lovely Creek Farms Toussaint cheese — was inexplicably dull.

Spoiled by a recent round of very good burgers, the Road Food Warrior was not annoyed by the BF&D cheeseburger — that caper aioli is a fine touch — but he wasn’t overly impressed even before he saw that the bacon was three-quarters fat. Yet the fries were great. And grilled hanger steak with spring herb chimichurri and crisp tobacco onions was a joy.

Eileen’s cheesecake is no match for the Brooklyn Diner’s. What can I say about a scoop of caramel ice cream for $2 with 75 cents worth of pecans? Provocative pricing.

Maybe you noticed that I haven’t once mentioned the unstoppable Jeffrey Chodorow trying yet another concept in this space, or dragged in the ghost of Rocco di Spirito or Caviar & Bananas. Nor have I confided that the last time we were here we had to sign a waiver that anything we said might wind up on TV. I thought I’d just give it to you without ribbons or party favors: a first tasting of the boutique fare.

It’s too soon to judge the kitchen, I grant. Still, can a Chinese dumpling carried out ever be as good as a dumpling en situ? Maybe a Borough sandwich would be a better choice. I get hungry just reading the options. Or maybe this is just an especially clever idea that isn’t going to work or will take a while to mature. The “gathering of great products” concept has its weird moments for me too, at BellaVitae on Minetta Lane, where the goodies come from Italy, but I have friends who love it.

I understand there’s a web site that tells waiters they get bigger tips if they touch the customers. I’m sure I just made Carmine nervous and he was not in love with me, but by dessert it was like a twitch. He couldn’t stop. If I counted the numbers of times he tapped my shoulder or squeezed my arm, the tip would have been fat enough to underwrite a weekend in the Hamptons.

12 East 22nd Street between Broadway and Park Avenue 212 260 0103

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my kitten is not eating dry food and not drinking water..help pls?

  • Posted on January 2, 2010 at 4:33 am

first timer. kitten is 2 months old and 3 days in our home. Is happy and playful and likes my daughter. He is eating the wet canned food. But he is not eating dry food – tried two different kinds already. he is not touching water either. How many times a day should I give the wet food?

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