There was a restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that was my introduction to tiramisu, and I haven't tasted anything of equal or better quality since. The place was called Trio's. I'd go there with my then-boyfriend just for that cake. The perfect mild sweetness in the mascarpone cream, they didn't use lady fingers, but whatever baked good it was, it was soaked just right, not too soggy, not too dry, so that it squished with the espresso and brandy.

I tried making it at home once, messed up the recipe so it was basically soup, but it was still delicious. Everything since has been dry and overly sweet. And man, when I went to Italy and thought I'd landed on the jackpot, I discovered, to my unending horror, that it was this mass produced frozen concoction.

I grew up in the multicultural paradise of New Jersey -- at least, if you compare it to some other places.

Every trip to my relatives growing up involved a return trip with the car packed full of Italian bread, two dozen bagels, a cheese pie and these little sesame seed cookies. I used to love those little egg deserts from their cooler, can't remember the name. Lot's of Italian and Irish food growing up. Army days taught me to love Southern cooking (all but the hamhocks and the chitlins). In highschool we had an international potluck night, and I'd always make spanikopita (filo dough, marry me!).

I feel lucky that I had ties to Long Island/New York, or else I'd have been stuck in hum drum NH quisine. We would still have to go to Maine or Massachusetts for decent seafood.

Timelies all!

I'm sorry, Cash. ~ma for the best possible outcome.

Back in the early 80s, my cousin was surprised to find that nobody she met in rural Florida had heard of bagels.

I saw a review of a bagel shop in New Orleans, from sometime in the nineties, where the reviewer explained to the readers what a bagel was. (No idea if it's still there. Bayou Bagelry, behind all the sports fields at Tulane. When I was there, it was the only place in New Orleans to get a decent bagel.)

I don't think it's around anymore, but there is Artz Bagelz! [link]

You guys, I just bought a plane ticket to Paris. I have decided fuckit, maybe I AM made of money.

Damn girl! When are you going to Paris? For how long? For just fun or an event? I wanna go!

Yeah, it looks like Bayou Bagelry never reopened after Katrina.

Damn girl! When are you going to Paris? For how long? For just fun or an event? I wanna go!

February, for a week. A friend of mine is living there for the academic year, so what better time?? I never went when she lived there before, and this is a sabbatical, so the next chance isn't for another however many years.

Until I left Southwestern Pennsylvania, Chinese food was La Choy chow mein. Polish and German food were common, due to our proximity to Pittsburgh, but beyond that, the Betty Crocker Cookbook was our menu.