Today’s bite was uninspired and underwhelming. I shouldn’t blame the manic day, as I’ve been doing that way too much lately, and I can’t blame my lack of creativity, as I do think I am a pretty imaginative person, even when it comes to food choices and last-minute menus. Unfortunately (but hopefully not for too long) I am going to blame hormones or chemicals or something that is making me feel just a tad blue and in a bit of a funk. Now I know myself well enough to know that this too shall pass, and it usually does in a few days. But in the meantime, I can live vicariously through my lucky, lucky boss and his gorgeous, gorgeous boyfriend who are currently eating their way through Paris. He was kind (sadistic?) enough to share his eating pleasures with me. Are you seated comfortably? Get ready. Today’s lunch was abalone with foie gras in a mushroom, walnut, and snail sauce; Parmesan soup; mushrooms with potatoes and leeks in a butter sauce; rice pudding; and structured Beaujolais. And then they had dinner at Bofinger. Thanks and santé, boss.

I had two rather unexpected – and totally delicious – bites today. I was completely prepared to crunch through my crudités (and smoked trout) for lunch. But I was coaxed out to lunch by a colleague to talk work, and I begrudgingly agreed. I was looking forward to my carrots, celery, red pepper, and smoked trout, and was feeling rather virtuous about them, not only because of the calorie count, but also due to how I had scored the veggies. (They were leftover from a college alumnae event.) However, the spicy tuna roll I consumed did put my low-calorie lunch to shame, and actually made me feel much better about my day. My second bite was a delectable Thai green curry with chicken. Again I was persuaded to join some work colleagues after a publishing evening, and I agreed to do the sociable (and networking) thing. My taste buds have been satisfied, although my virtue has taken a hit. (I had planned on having more crudités for dinner.) So I shall be pounding the pavement in Central Park at stupid o’clock tomorrow morning to reinstate my virtue. And the crudités will be waiting . . .

It was a long Monday, the Argentinean is away for 4 weeks, and I feel like a bowlful of jelly so I wasn’t feeling very inspired on the food front. I won’t bore you with the very basic fare I prepared tonight (although I guess the photo might give my simple dinner away). But tomorrow is another day, and I will endeavour to do a bit better. Am meeting up with the programmer/digital artist tomorrow night; let’s see if I can persuade him to indulge in a bit of Rioja and tapas. (He’s not much of a drinker, but that’s never stopped me.)

Another relentless day at work – and I’m still suffering from whatever pollen is floating through the air.  So I’m feeling like a bit of a grizzly bear.  Compounded by the fact that I came home to a letter from my UK mortgage company notifying me that last month’s payment got kicked back.  Great – so a penalty fee and I’m going to have to spend most of tomorrow morning on the phone with my UK bank and mortgage company sorting this out.  So to make myself feel better I’m watching a rerun of Modern Family – it takes away the pain. And today’s bite was a lovely bit of smoked trout that the Argentinean brought me.  Delicious smoked fish – could have done with a nice white burgundy, Greco di Tufo, or Gewurztraminer to go with it.

Well, no bite today. Although the cool autumnal feel in the air should have inspired me to take a bite of something. (I should have celebrated a totally A/C-free day perhaps.) But the Argentinean is in Miami (I was invited, but the call of the office won out), so between that and whatever pollen/allergens were in the air that made my head feel like it was filled with cotton balls persuaded me to be a slug tonight. So I treated myself to two “delicious” slices and watched the U.S. Open men’s final. (Congratulations to Andy Murray!) Let’s see if I can rally tomorrow and get a decent bite in. Have plans to check out a little Manhattan wine bar, which should get my mouth in the mood for a bite.

I’m back. I think I was a bit optimistic when I first started this blog. I didn’t realize it would take me this long to really settle in and for New York City to feel like real life.  For a while I felt like I was on some kind of strange extended business trip and that I would eventually be returning to my “real life” in London. As much as I miss friends and the familiarity of life in London, I know I did the right thing in moving and THIS is real life. (And OMG is New York City real life!) So New York City, get ready as I’m going to start taking big ol’ regular bites of this most delicious apple. I took a nice bite of New York today at Tertulia.  How do you say “yum” in Spanish?

Escaped NYC last night and headed up the Hudson to Cold Spring to spend the evening with a lovely Argentinian.  Homemade salsa verde, guacamole, and grilled shrimp, chicken, sausage, and beef were accompanied by a lovely Primitivo and Rioja.  We were up bright and early (thanks in part to the lack of curtains) and hiked up Breakneck Ridge to burn off last night’s meal.  Perfect day for it and the views from the top were stunning.  (And the 5-foot snake we encountered was obviously thinking the same thing.)  Having burned off last night’s dinner, we caught up on calories with sirloin tips and vegetables grilled over a wood fire.  (The Argentinian can’t stand American charcoal.)  And what better than a Malbec to accompany our red meat.  So now I smell like a campfire, have had enough red meat for the next few weeks, and will sleep very well.

Spent with night with a lovely Sicilian and Corsican – alas not men, but wines.  But what Mediterranean man would have sat at the bar and breathed while my friend and I had a good ol’ girlie catch-up.  So all in all a good night.  The wines were accompanied by some delicious baccala balls, smoked ricotta, and Across the Pond (an Irish style wash rind raw cow cheese).  The only hiccup in the night were the rather loud, suited-and-booted money boys at the far end of the bar.  Did they know how and what to order? Or were they only referring to the right side of the wine list (where the dollar signs live)? Yes, I am painting with my rather large broad brush of judgment, but I feel that age, my WSET credentials, and  life experience give the justification to do so.  Think I might look to hang out with some French and Spanish next time – wines that is.  But happy for the bottles to be joined by some compatriot men.

Until the next bite . . .