I have always assumed that people use coupons when they go to supermarkets. I am a newspaper and magazine freak, and I always clip coupons (and try to remember to take them with me, too.) In my much younger days, before I knew how to cook at all, I clipped newspapers coupons not only to save money (my ex-husband was a student and I was the full-time … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Dinner in Less Than 30 Minutes? Try Sheet-pan Gnocchi
Columnists
A la Carte: Roasted Chicken Under Garlic Bread Offers Taste of Autumn, Hint of Winter Meals to Come
Oh, no, it’s chicken again, I thought, as I looked at the last column I wrote weeks before I left to see my daughter in California. But during the many days I spent there, I thought about all she’d cooked for me—tacos on Thursdays and nachos on Friday (both made with a roasted chicken she’s bought at Costco.) I guess the acorn doesn’t fall from the tree. In addition to … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Roasted Chicken Under Garlic Bread Offers Taste of Autumn, Hint of Winter Meals to Come
Reading Uncertainly? ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ by Carlo Rovelli
Is it really possible to describe the mysteries of physics in 81 pages? Richard Feynman tried it in the 140 pages of Six Easy Pieces, published in 1994, but some afterwards described it as “Six Difficult Pieces.” Carlo Rovelli, the Italian theoretical physicist, has raised the ante. His work is a jewel of both brevity and clarity, especially to my curious mind that barely made … [Read more...] about Reading Uncertainly? ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ by Carlo Rovelli
A la Carte: Two Columns This Week and a ‘Nibbles’ Too! Enjoy Eggplant Parm Panini, Clam Chowder with Corn & Chorizo
A la Carte-1: Creamy Corn and Clam Chowder with Crispy Chorizo It was a really nice week. My oldest Troy childhood friend in the world visited for two days. (Her name is Rosalie. She is about a year older than me and, no, I was not named after her.) We ate lobster rolls at Captain Scott, I grilled steaks on the grill and we had sweet corn and a big salad, and the last … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Two Columns This Week and a ‘Nibbles’ Too! Enjoy Eggplant Parm Panini, Clam Chowder with Corn & Chorizo
A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
The healthcare landscape has changed remarkably in Connecticut. You may have noticed some name changes, new signage, and that “opportunities” for care have increased to a level that rivals access to coffee. In this essay, I’m going to review this new landscape, and consider why it developed. My goal is to help the reader make sense of Connecticut’s new, and still evolving, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Sunday of Summer’
August has always been one of my least favorite months in the garden; but plentiful spring rain this year has resulted in bountiful fragrance, bloom and foliage. We have such a short blooming and growing season here in New England that any extra time to have a good-looking border is much appreciated. However, by this time in the season, there are always a few gaps to fill in … [Read more...] about Gardening Tips from ‘The English Lady’ for August, ‘The Sunday of Summer’
A la Carte: Too Many Tomatoes? Lee Has All Sorts of Solutions for You
A couple of weeks ago I went to a small party at Washington Park in Groton. It was held outside in one of a half dozen “cabins,” each of which have concrete floors, a few dark-stained columns, good sturdy roofs and wooden picnic tables with attached “chairs.” It was a very casual party, with pizza, already-barbecued chicken wings and coolers of beer, wine, soft drinks and … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Too Many Tomatoes? Lee Has All Sorts of Solutions for You
A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
This has been an unusual summer. Christina and I have been very “COVID – cautious” and, of course, fully vaccinated. We’ve postponed or canceled trips, missed Brimfield, both May and July, and probably Sept. And so, I retreated to my secure baseball space, and drafted this essay. There’s a lot of baseball jargon here. In 2019, LymeLine published a series of essays on … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
Suisman Shapiro Atty. Kyle Zrenda Now a Member of Mohegan Gaming Disputes, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Courts
NEW LONDON/OLD LYME -- Attorney Kyle J. Zrenda of Suisman Shapiro Attorneys-At-Law was sworn in Aug. 11 as a member of the bar of the Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court. Atty. Zrenda is a resident of Old Lyme, Conn. As a sovereign Indian Nation, cases related to the gaming enterprise of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, including claims for personal injuries that … [Read more...] about Suisman Shapiro Atty. Kyle Zrenda Now a Member of Mohegan Gaming Disputes, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Courts
Reading Uncertainly: ‘Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel’ by Carl Safina
What are they thinking? Do we deliberately misunderstand other animals? And what is the result of this “miscomprehended relationship”? Carl Safina, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York and a most curious student of other species, writes a thoroughly loquacious and engaging view of some other sentient creatures whose consciousness may well equal or exceed our … [Read more...] about Reading Uncertainly: ‘Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel’ by Carl Safina
A la Carte: Chicken Tikka Masala Makes a Perfect Meal With Friends
The isolation, almost a year, actually, didn’t bother me as much as those who had to fill supermarket shelves, teach children at home or lose a job. Because I live alone, I have always pretty much eaten when I want to eat and pretty much eat what I want to eat. But I sure missed the fun of sharing food with friends. So when friends offered to come to my home and cook in my … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Chicken Tikka Masala Makes a Perfect Meal With Friends
The Movie Man: Ganey Highly Recommends ‘The Green Knight,’ Says it is ‘Unlike Any Other Fantasy Adaptation’
After more than a year of abstaining from movie theaters, as well as keeping up with new releases (since we were all so incredibly overwhelmed by the tumultuous year that was 2020), I was finally able to screen a new movie in the manner in which this medium was originally intended: on the big screen, sitting among strangers. I can say unequivocally that it was good to be … [Read more...] about The Movie Man: Ganey Highly Recommends ‘The Green Knight,’ Says it is ‘Unlike Any Other Fantasy Adaptation’
Legal News You Can Use: Liability of Social Hosts, Dram Shops in Connecticut
When a person provides alcoholic beverages to guests in his or her home, that person may face legal consequences for an intoxicated guest’s actions. Specifically, if an intoxicated guest causes an injury to him or herself or to another person in a car accident, the social host who served the guest alcohol could be held responsible. Social host liability Social host … [Read more...] about Legal News You Can Use: Liability of Social Hosts, Dram Shops in Connecticut
A la Carte: Stone Fruit Caramel Delights the Palate in Both Summer, Winter
I have in my Kindle at least four sample books waiting for me to read. No matter the weather, I probably read four to five hours a day. But at night, in bed, I read recipes. When I find ingredients that sound really good, I tear out the page and, within a day or two, buy the ingredients and make the food. If I like the recipe, I want you to have that recipe, so I … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Stone Fruit Caramel Delights the Palate in Both Summer, Winter
A la Carte: Time for Tea … so Let’s Have a ‘New Tea Cake!’
The recipe below is, I think, almost perfect. I have been playing for more than a year to find ways to use a new flavor bean found by the Callebaut chocolate company called a ruby chip (available on Amazon.com.) It is a deep pink and looks like any chocolate chip, but it takes nothing like a chocolate chip. Instead it has floral notes and when you taste it, you look for … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Time for Tea … so Let’s Have a ‘New Tea Cake!’