August

• new Mac, new (FREE!) iPod touch and hence, the demise of my social life 
• law school orientation
• mugginess and constant beads of sweat on upper lip (why does that HAPPEN?) 
• getting back on track, in every sense of the phrase
• singledom, happily
• kickball Thursdays
• trip home
• outdoor concerts
• the end of constant takeout meals 

Summer barbecue menu

I love to entertain, and tonight I'm having some friends over for a barbecue. Here's what I'm making, and I'm pathetically excited:

• Strawberry salsa (from the Gourmet cookbook) with cilantro-lime tortilla chips (the chips are from Whole Foods and they are fucking delectable)
• Grilled pork tenderloin with roasted raspberry chipotle sauce (I roasted it in the oven before, but it's better grilled!)
• Potato salad
• Prosecco and summer fruit terrine

Nerd Confession #94

I listen to movie scores while I write papers.

My favorites are:

1. Sabrina by John Williams (the Harrison, not the Humphrey)

2. Braveheart by James Horner (except not the battle scene music because it gets a little too intense, but I sure do love me some bagpipes)

3. The Holiday by Hans Zimmer (the one with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, it's alternatively peppy and sad and just plain pretty)

4. Titanic by James Horner (I know, you just threw up a little...)

5. Pride and Prejudice by Dario Marianelli (also did the score for Atonement, which I liked, but I can't deal with the constant clicky clack of a typewriter when I'm trying to focus)

6. The Notebook by Aaron Zigman (basically, the playlist should be called Chick Movie Overload)

Also, I may or may not have left my pocket protector in the A/V room, so if anyone's seen it, let me know...

Local Linkage

Here are some links for DC-area food blogs that I've been into recently. Enjoy!

So Good - An "absurd look at the world of food"

Cookography - great food photography and recipes

eatWashington - food news, restaurant reviews, and recipes from the nation's capital

French Laundry at Home - a brave blogger attempts to make every one of Thomas Keller's recipes at home

Spork and Knife - "adventures and misadventures" in a D.C. foodie's world

You're on the ride, you might as well open your eyes

One of the weirdest, most bipolar weekends ever. With illustrations.

High: Booked a cruise for spring break with seven of my girlfriends. I've never had a crazy spring break (call me a weirdo, but having drunken college guys paw me in a dirty, crowded bar in Mexico is not my idea of a rollicking good time), so this should be a lot of fun. I'm psyched. Yes, psyched.

Low: Trying to make Nutella meringues for World Nutella Day on Feb. 5th. Why I thought stirring the delicious, dense, chocolate spread into the lightest, fluffiest meringue batter wouldn't end in disaster is beyond me. I couldn't bear to let the Nutella go to waste, though, so I tried to transform the resulting glop into regular cookies, then finally ended up dumping the whole thing in a pan and sticking it in the oven to see what happened. I guess I thought little magic Nutella fairies would pop out and transform it into a magnificent hazelnut chocolate cake, but really it ended up looking and tasting like a sponge that someone used to clean off the bottom of their dirty shoes. Nutella, I let you down. You give and give and give, and then I do that to you. I'm sorry.

High: Singing karaoke at Cafe Japone with my friends last night. The waitresses there are the meanest, rudest ones I've ever met, the drinks are ridiculously overpriced and practically liquor-free, but their book of 15,000 karaoke songs makes up for it. (Tip: the popularity of "Sweet Caroline" increases exponentially with the amount of drinks the crowd consumes.)

Low: I got waitlisted. At my top choice law school. Which is kind of like them saying, "Well, you're not really good enough for us, but just to screw with you we'll leave you with the tiniest hope you'll still get in, and just to be really mean we won't outright reject you until August." Thanks, guys.

High: I. am. going. back. to. Paris.

Notes on Top Chef: The result of 1 NesCafé, a large iced coffee, and 4 Diet Cokes, all before noon

As I was rotting my brain in front of the television yesterday (having left work early to admit the plumber to my drainage-challenged house), I had the following thoughts about the cultural phenomenon that's changing the way we live, Top Chef Miami:

1. Bravo is a great television station, for having Top Chef marathons every other day. (The same goes for VH1 and Top Model marathons. Really, stations, are you purposely trying to render me a completely unproductive member of society?)

2. It's pretty sad that I watch marathons of anything, and that watching said marathons is the closet I'll ever get to actually participating in one of any kind.

3. I don't care what my friends say, I do not have a Daddy complex just because I find Chef Tom hot. (Something about his shiny bald head, the way his last name rolls of the tongue - COLICCHIO, Coliiiiiichio - and his ability to cut through contestants' bullshit -"Taking pannacotta and freezing it does not make a semifreddo!"- ugh, gets me every time.)

4. Several things bother me about Padma:
- the scar (I know she got it in some horrible accident and I should be empathetic, but it's just so shiny)
- the fact that she's married to Salman Rushdie (WHAT? he may be a genius, but how the F did that happen?)
- that she is a supermodel-actress-writer-FOOD EXPERT? huh? Plus, her voice just irritates me.

5. I would never eat at a restaurant where Howie worked, as sweat is not an ingredient I enjoy in a meal. The man perspires a bathtub's worth every episode. Why has no one addressed this? They literally show him DRIPPING IN THE FOOD. And his mood swings are those of a 13-year-old girl. ("I hate Joey. I love Joey.") Kick him OFF, already.

6. I have a huge girl crush on Casey. ("No, seriously. Can I be you?")

7. Rocco diSpirito: Major hottie. (Did I just say "hottie?") Major asshole. If Top Chef were high school, he'd be the guy that everyone follows around and wants to be (or bang), but no one actually likes.

I have way too much time on my hands.

Things I Can't Get Over Today: A List

1. The fact that I find myself mildly attracted to Daniel Radcliffe in the latest Harry Potter film. That's slightly creepy - Harry Potter should not be hot.
2. I saw a lone white tennis shoe hanging out in the middle of Canal Road in Georgetown yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about it.
3. My burning desire to make a salad involving any or all of the following: arugula, pine nuts, watermelon, feta.
4. How delicious the Hershey's truffle things are in the communal candy jar at work. I sneak them two at a time when no one's looking, because I feel judged if I take more than one in front of witnesses.
5. My daily existential crisis at my job. As in, why I am here? Do I serve any purpose? The answer I usually come up with is no.
6. My phobia that I'm going to screw up flip cup for my kickball team when we play tonight.
7. How disappointing the chicken fajitas were at Lauriol Plaza last night. Dry as a Mormon prayer meeting. C'mon, guys. You can do better than that.