The Day I Ate A Lot

First I have buttered toast and coffee with milk & sugar (tons) for breakfast.

Then as I go to a work meeting I have another coffee with milk & sugar (tons), this time iced and huge. Tastes like sugary coffee water, but I drink it all anyway.

On my way to a class I meet a friend and stop for a treat- a hazelnut caramel chocolate cream puff the size of my hand that tastes like John Hamm, and another cup of coffee with milk & sugar (tons).

My class, by the way, involved a great deal of physical activity. So at least there's that. 

After class I stop for avocado sushi and water- I gulp down about 1.5 bottles. 

Off to another meeting, this time a creative one. I get another treat- cheesecake, and coffee with... well, at this point you get it. The cheesecake is also awesome, but not as awesome as John Hamm, so I only eat 3/4's of it. That makes me feel better.

I walk 6 blocks instead of taking the subway. So at least there's that.

Then I go home and my parents have arrived and my mom has made Brazilian cheese breads. (By made I mean she opened a bag of frozen ones, placed them on a baking sheet, and stuck them in the oven.) I eat 5. Plus four crackers with hummus. I think about having another cup of coffee, but when I try to think of how many I've already had today, I can't remember, and that's a good time to stop drinking coffee. I drink water instead. And pee. I always pee a lot.

We go to dinner and my body is screaming for something healthy. So I order steamed vegetables. I might as well have eaten a warmed up iphone, such was the lack of deliciousness in this meal after a day of bursting-with-flavor carbs and sweets. But my body thanked me. I drank a ginger ale, which I always think is okay because it's made with ginger. But it's really not.

I got home. And there were Brazilian chocolate truffles filled with marshmallow fluff. I only ate one. Then I drank two cups of water.

I brushed my teeth. No way am I eating anything else today! 

Then I blogged about it, and I got hungry again. So now I'm eating another cheese bread...

And I may very well eat two... I mean, wouldn't you?

Chef Lala's First Thanksgiving

Making a traditional Thanksgiving meal from scratch had been on my mind for a few years, ever since I really fell in love with cooking. Born and raised in Brazil, I didn't really celebrate Thanksgiving, so I don't smell stuffing and cranberry sauce and go, "Oh that takes me back to the time my mother lost the carving knife in the turkey and Uncle Maurice dropped sweet potatoes on the baby's head..." But, I did grow up with a very tight, supportive, and loving family, and celebrating holidays has been a huge part of my upbringing. Having lived in the U.S. for eight and a half years, I have experienced Thanksgiving in many different ways, but never taken part in the planning, cooking, and hosting of it.

This year, I wanted to take it on. My parents would be in town, my brother and I live together, and I was ready. Even though my kitchen is tiny (tiny!) and my apartment was upside down because of recent problems we've had in the building, I was determined to make a delicious meal.

I planned it for a month. I read hundreds of recipes, watched videos on turkey mastering, drafted a budget and a grocery list, practiced certain dishes (like the stuffing, sweet potatoes- which were a disaster the first time- and cranberry sauce), figured out a way to do the recipes with the materials I had in my kitchen, and created a daily plan for the week-of. Here's how it went down:

Saturday, November 19th: Cleaned out my refrigerator and all the pots and pans I'd need. (approx. 1 hour.) Made my grocery list, complete with researched prices. (timeless.)

Trader Joe's 9:00am

Sunday, November 20th through Tuesday, November 22nd: Got my groceries! I went to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and the Union Square Farmer's Market. Spent a total of $85.00 for the whole shabang, not including wine. I even went to TJ's at 9:00am, to avoid the madness. I had a plan, kids. (many hours.)

Bobby Flay's recipe

Monday, November 21st: Made my cranberry-blackberry sauce. (approx. 1 hour.)

Tuesday, November 22nd: Made my butternut squash and apple stuffing. (approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes.) Made a brine for my Turkey parts, dunked it in there, stuck it in the fridge. (I actually didn't do a whole turkey, but separated the parts, breast from legs and wings. I didn't have the space or equipment for a whole turkey, but maybe next year.... approx. 20 minutes.)

stuffing is actually my favorite part

Wednesday, November 23rd: Made my maple bourbon sweet potato souffle with candied pecans. (approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes.) Took my turkey out of brine, buttered it up, placed it on a bed of vegetables. (approx. 1 hour.) Assembled my pear and apple crisp. (approx. 1 hour.) Macerated berries to top the crisp with. (approx. 10 minutes.)

Thursday, November 24th: Got my turkey roasting! (3 hours.) Made my green bean casserole with homemade mushroom soup and fried onions. (approx. 3 hours.) Made my mashed potatoes with sour cream, chives, garlic, and cream. (approx. 1 hour.) Set the table. (I kept it simple. approx. 10 minutes.) Made hot apple cider and rum cocktails (approx. 15 minutes). Got a little crazy in the last two hours, having to warm everything up and make the gravy after the turkey had roasted (approx. 15 minutes), placed my crisp in the oven (approx. 1 hour) and the ice-cream in the fridge, so it would get ready while we ate, and VOILA! Thanksgiving was on the table.

carving my turkey breast. also in the picture: my brother, and my parents' wine glasses

Luckily, it was just for my parents and my brother, so I didn't have to get my hair done or dress up, because I don't think I would've been able to- but my food was delicious. Everything turned out perfectly, everyone was super happy, and we had leftovers for the next three days, including a delicious left-over harvest soup I made on day 3 and a blueberry-blackberry-cranberry jam. 

What I would do differently in the future:
- Make the gravy separately, just serve the turkey over its bed of veggies, and avoid all the straining and reducing that make a mess in the kitchen in the last 15 minutes.
- Make the green bean casserole and mashed potatoes ahead of time too. I thought that because they both have cream in them, I couldn't do them the day before, but as leftovers, they tasted even better the next day, and actually lasted for three days in the fridge, so I'd just go ahead and do those ahead of time too. Get as much out of the way before the day! That way, I could've showered and gotten dressed up for the actual meal.
- I think I could attempt a whole turkey next time. I could use a bucket to brine it and keep it outside on my balcony. But, I must say, everyone was a fan of the separate parts, no carving, and no unused meat.
- Have someone else in charge of taking pictures! Very important in the era of social media. =) 

What worked really well: 

pear and apple crisp with vanilla ice cream

- Making a grocery list, drafting a budget, and researching prices. Made a huge difference. People have told me they spend up to $400 on their thanksgiving meals, and I was determined to do it for under $100. Trader Joe's and the Farmer's Market were key in this part. Two tips: don't buy anything pre-chopped, it costs twice as much, and if you want organic, get it from the Farmer's Market, otherwise, go for conventional at the grocery store.
- A crisp is the perfect dessert, it's easy, can be assembled ahead of time, and heats up while you're eating your meal.
- Easy appetizers. I just served some of the candied pecans that were going to be in my sweet potato souffle, and some of the extra green beans sauteed in olive oil.
- Hot apple cider and rum cocktails were a hit. And super easy. Just dice some apples and pears, put it in a pot with store-bought apple cider (or make your own ahead of time) and a cinnamon stick, warm it up, and serve it in mugs with a shot of rum, some of the fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top.
- Using my sink and dishwasher and fruit basket to store food while I waited for other things to warm up. Having aluminum foil pre-cut in large rectangles.
- Let someone else think of the wine.
- Simple table. The food is beautiful, there's no need to decorate.

And that's it, my friends. I made my first Thanksgiving, all on my own, all from from scratch, in my tiny kitchen, and it was a success. It took five days, but it was a lot of fun, and I was very proud of it. I think I can say that all my husbands will be very lucky men.

Extreme Deprivation: The Vegan Challenge

I set up for myself a one-month challenge called "Extreme Deprivation," where I would tackle the vegan lifestyle and not eat any animal by-products for the entire month of November. I had three reasons to do it: First, I had been feeling unhealthy and indulgent; it was time for a change in my diet. Second, I knew I would be asking for a lot in the upcoming month, due to The Body Stories, and I wanted to sacrifice something, in order to complete the karmic cycle. Third, I have always judged vegans and vegetarians very harshly, believing that they are not "really" living their lives. I judged the soft-spoken, always in control, unemotional stereotype I associated with people who don't eat meat. And I figured it was time to know first-hand just what I was so critical of. 

I had to call it "Extreme Deprivation" because I eat meat and dairy every day. I grew up in Brazil, where the word "vegan" brings forth expressions of confusion and disdain. I went to Sarah Lawrence, where there were a lot of vegans, and they always annoyed the hell out of me; I thought them extremist and often hypocritical. And, I'm a foodie. It is one of the great pleasures I find in life, and the thought of restricting what could inspire me in the kitchen made me very sad. For me, being vegan was extreme.

But it was just for one month. I can do anything for just one month. On September 30th, I stocked up on vegan cereal, nuts, almond milk, vegan bread, fruits, and vegetables. And on October 1st, I was pretty excited to get started. I liked the idea of changing my diet to what I supposed was a lighter, kinder lifestyle.

The excitement lasted about four hours. By the afternoon, I was hungry. I was paranoid that anything I bought to eat would have butter or milk in it and not tell me. I had long stretches of time throughout the day when I wouldn't be able to sit down for a meal, so I was depending on snacks, and all I had were nuts and dried fruit. I don't really love nuts and dried fruit, so I was kind of miserable. Also, I wanted coffee with tons of milk and sugar in it. I already knew I didn't like the taste of soy or almond milk in coffee, so I was left with the milkless coffee option, and what was the point of drinking coffee that tasted like coffee? This was starting to suck.

I was ready to give up by day 2. Not only was I not enjoying the things I was eating, it seemed to be inconvenient for the people around me. My family was in town, and they love it when I cook for them. Suddenly I was this boring vegetable and fruit person who couldn't even eat dessert. I was also about to go to LA to visit my aunt and uncle for a few days, and I was really anxious about making it hard for them to host me.

But I didn't give up. I knew that there would always be an excuse. No month would be easier than another. And that's when I learned the first lesson of this challenge: I was going to have to come to terms with being inconvenient company and stop caring about being fun for other people. I'm a big people-pleasing entertainer and can't stand the thought of giving anyone any trouble on my account, so this lesson came in due time. 

After the first week, I lost 4 pounds, and I felt amazing. My skin looked better, I had more energy, I was very alert, I felt a lot of lightness and space, and I was starting to enjoy the flavors of a fruit-vegetable-nut-and-grain based diet. I learned to pack things for the day and not let myself get too hungry. It's pretty easy to be vegan in New York City, there are tons of options and waitstaff is generally used to the question, "Is there any dairy in this vegetable dish?" This was starting to seem like a good idea.

By the end of week 2, I wasn't as excited. I was really missing the flavors of meat and dairy in my meals. I wasn't having cravings yet, but I was tired of fruits and vegetables. And my energy level wasn't that great. I didn't feel amazing all the time anymore, I felt pretty normal. I started eating more tofu and what I call, "fake food," meaning- vegan chocolate cake, made from ingredients I neither recognized nor understood.

By week 3, my stomach wasn't doing so good. I probably had too much soy and wasn't making sure my meals were balanced. I got to the point where I was tired of paying attention, and my meals consisted of a lot of guacamole and vegan chips. I didn't feel the physical benefits anymore; I was just as tired and worn out as usual. I had cravings and I was absolutely sure I couldn't be vegan forever. I kept telling myself that as soon as this month was over I was going to sink my teeth into a turkey and cheese sandwich, one of the things I was craving the most. This is incredibly dumb, I thought, and I can't wait for it to be over.

When week 4 started, I was ready to be done with this. I wanted a cheeseburger, a milkshake, an omelet, chicken rice soup, and real chocolate cake. And then, I got my period. Under normal circumstances, I know I'm getting my period a week before it comes. I have very clear physical symptoms, and I usually get cramps and headaches when it finally does come. This month, I was completely surprised by it. I even thought maybe it wasn't my period, because I didn't have a single symptom, and that maybe something was wrong with me. But it was my period indeed, and it was the healthiest, most pain-free period I have ever had. Enough to have me swearing off meat and dairy for the rest of my life. I started collecting vegan recipes and made delicious vegan pumpkin-coconut-walnut bread. I even looked up a vegan thanksgiving meal recipe and planned to make my family enjoy my new lifestyle with me. I can do this! I can be vegan forever!

And then, on October 30th, I started feeling like I was getting a cold. I took a bunch of vitamins and drank a lot of liquids, but my body shut down. I was pretty sick yesterday, still drinking lots of liquids and taking vitamins, and didn't even get to enjoy my last day of the vegan challenge. I woke up today feeling like crap, and my body screamed at me, Give me chicken soup! I could feel it; I needed protein. And so, I write this with a bowl of chicken soup next to me. I didn't eat the chicken in it, just the vegetables and broth, because I'm not ready yet, but I am pretty sure I will eat it all soon.

It has been an interesting and challenging month, and I am really glad I went for it. I learned to adjust my palate to milder flavors and appreciate vegetables in many forms. I got really creative making soups and salads, and I did feel kinder, less angry, and less impulsive. I found that I had more compassion for animals and genuinely cared about how they're being treated in farms, which was not something I used to consider all that much.

I am certain that I will cut down on my meat and dairy (especially dairy) intake a lot, but I don't think the vegan diet is for me. I feel proud that I didn't give up on this challenge, and I don't feel a huge need to run out and get that turkey sandwich I've been dreaming of. I do think that at least once a year, for one month, I may adopt the vegan diet again. It is a good way to appreciate food and pay attention to my body's needs and wants. And I'm not quite so critical of vegans and vegetarians now. But I learned what I needed to know: I am a meat-and-dairy eating girl, after all, and the best diet for me is to give my body what it wants.

My vegan pumpkin-coconut-walnut bread. Delicious, actually.

Please do share with me your experiences with veganism! I am curious and would love to learn more!

Bonus Road Trip- Theatre to Theatre

Since Washington, DC, like many places on the east coast, ranging from Myrtle Beach, SC, to Chapel Hill, NC, to Norfolk, Va, to.......well, you get the idea, is expecting massive chaos and flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Irene, it may be good to think about fleeing town.



Mike Madden of (Washington) "City Paper" blogged earlier tonight that an eastward shift in Hurricane Irene's path may help the nation's capital miss some 'real ugliness.'



So, we thought we'd compare the distances between two very historic theatres, the Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, and the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., relatively close to the Tenneesee border- just in case anyone still really wants to leave the DC-metro area, and perhaps that would include members of Congress.



The drive which passes through towns like Front Royal, Mount Jackson, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Roanoke and Radford will take awhile even though no state line will be crossed after one leaves Washington, DC, and enters the Virginia suburb of Arlington.



The Barter Theatre, which started in 1933, has seen actors like the late Gregory Peck grace its stages. Currently, the Barter is producing several plays, including "Elvis Has Left the Building," which deals with Col. Tom Parker's frantic mission to find Elvis Presley in time for a major concert in 1970.



Meanwhile, the Ford's Theatre, which is best known for being the place where President Abraham Lincoln was assasinated by John Wilkes Booth, prompting the following quip from comedian/author Sarah Vowell: "No one really goes to the Ford's Theatre to actually see a play," is going to be performing an interesting musical called "Parade" from Sept. 23- Oct. 30.



Though the play is a musical, the subject of "Parade" is a very serious one as it depicts the trial and eventual hanging of Leo Frank, a Jewish man from Atlanta in the early 20th century, who was accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl named Mary Phagan. It is now generally believed that Frank was wrongfully convicted and executed for the crime.



So, our question is just how far apart these two zip codes are.



Is the answer:



A) 4 hours, 15 minutes



B) 4 hours, 45 minutes



C) 5 hours, 15 minutes



D) 5 hours, 45 minutes



Alas, Hurricane Irene is devastating the communities of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, my state of residency, and my thoughts are with everyone in that area.



SIDEBAR: Even before we remembered that liberal turned neocon playwright David Mamet ("Oleanna/"American Buffalo") penned a roman a clef about Leo Frank entitled "The Old Religion" (1997), we were going to mention him because of his new memoir "The Secret Knowledge."



In this new book, Mamet apparently discusses the reasons which resulted in his radical political shift, which include disillusionment with labor unions and his partisan support for Israel.



Mamet's novel about Frank is told from the condemned man's point of view, and it is a work which illustrates the role of race, ethnicity and religion in America.



One has to wonder if there are any similarities between the new Mamet and the old Mamet, which was brought forth brilliantly by "The Village Voice" blogger Rosie Gray regarding a "Financial Times" piece in which Mamet talked about his Noam Chomsky to Ayn Rand conversion and the art of playwrighting.



Gray said that it was amusing to read that Mamet is an admirer of Sarah Palin, a person which one would think might make a convert revert to his old political orthodoxy. She added that everyone needed to remember that Mamet was no longer 'a brain-dead liberal' (his own words).



But, the blogger pointed out that during his interview with FT, Mamet had a meal which consisted of a 'very liberal' salad with balgamic vinaigernee. The playwright/essayist/filmmaker also resides in Vermont part-time; it is considered to be the most liberal state in the union?!

Teaser: New Miniblogseries Coming Soon...

I don't want to give away too many details quite yet, but starting around Sept. 1st, I am hoping to post a new mini-series called "The Backpackers Are in Front of BestBuy" regarding my recent quest to find and photograph all seven public sculptures/works of art in my hometown of Roanoke, Va., which are part of a city-wide art project. (More info can be found at artinroanoke.com)



There were some misadventures and mistakes along the way, and the reason why I am going to title the mini-series "The Backpackers Are in Front of BestBuy" is because a sculpture piece called "Traveling Wanderers" by Willis, Va. (near Floyd, Va.), artist Charlie Brouwer shows two backpackers. The art piece is actually located in the vicinity of the very busy Valley View Mall shopping area. And, in fact, one person told me that phrase as I was trying to locate the sculpture.



SIDEBAR: Last week, Chef Ludo Lefebrve hunted a buffalo down in rural Colorado and served it for dinner at Biker Jim's in downtown Denver for the Sundance Channel series "Ludo Bites America." This week, the reality show came to our neck of the woods as the chef went all over the Tarheel State (including a legal moonshine still in Madinson, NC- yes, I know that's an oxy moron) to fix a pigfest at Gravy Restaurant on Wilmington Street in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Among the items, Ludo served up were: fried pig ears and pigblood pudding (yes, we were wondering if that was a dessert item too).



Ironically, this episode is running during Ramadan. Since my late father Mehmet Gokbudak came from Turkey, I should mention that there are several good Turkish restaurants in Raleigh.



None of these restaurants serve pork (and, if I have to tell you why, then perhaps that explains why Republican candidate Rick Perry is turning to global warming denialism), and this would include The Bosphorous Restaurant in Cary, NC- Raleigh's largest suburb. They have a great chicken kebab by the way!



SIDEBAR TWO: We also want to wish kudos to Lewisburg, WV, for being named the 'coolest small town in America' by "Budget Travel" magazine. The tows in some 90 miles north of Roanoke, Va.



Oh yeah....so much for the proposed hiatus!

Quote of the Day- James Baldwin

During this month of August, we will be quoting from famous literary and creative radicals on Mondays, or whenever we can.

Today, we start with the late great poet/novelist/playwright James Baldwin who was also a civil rights activist for blacks and gays.

The liberal journal "The Nation" recently published quotes from famous people who have contributed articles and columns to the magazine over its long history. And, it was from a July 11th, 1966 issue of "The Nation" in which Baldwin made this provocative comment:

"The law is meant to be my servant and not my master, still less my torturer and my murderer."

SIDEBAR: We want to wish our Muslim friends a happy Ramadan season, an occasion which is alas soiled because of the political unrest in Syria which once again escalated on Monday. Many groups, such as the Divan Cultural Center, in Cary (Raleigh), NC, are holding special iftar dinners for the holiday.

If you are a Muslim living in the Washington, DC, area, (or just enjoy mutton) and you happen to have lots of capital wealth and enjoy very fine dinning, then we can recommend the Poste Brassiere at the Hotel Monaco on Eight Street, NW. According to "The Washingtonian" magazine, the restaurant offers roast lamb for $70. The restaurant also apparently requires a one-week in advance reservation.

America's Wackiest Fair Foods

Meal-Worm Covered Caramel Apples

MSNBC/Food&Wine: Cotton candy, corn dogs and candied apples once ruled the midway at the local fair, but visitors now want food that's exotic — as long as it's on a stick, or more importantly, fried. From health-defying anomalies like fried dough injected with Pepsi to squirm-inducing chocolate-dipped scorpions, the new sideshow is food. 

In 2005, the president of the State Fair of Texas, Errol Mckoy, asked the question, “How do we become even more famous for food?” His answer: Create buzz around new, never-before-seen items each year. McKoy founded The Big Tex Choice Awards to encourage the invention of over-the-top foods that have since included fried butter, chicken-fried bacon and fried beer. The competition quickly gained popularity among fairgoers, and vendors now covet the Big Tex trophy — which resembles an Oscar with a cowboy bobble head glued to the top.

The floodgates for infamous foods opened the second year, when fried Coca-Cola won for most creative entry. “By year two, we were needing to put a map in our daily visitors’ guide showing where the new foods were,” says Sue Gooding, the fair’s vice president of public relations, “The info booths were inundated.”

Innovators are sharing in the attention. “Year three, I had a vendor come up to me and say, ‘I feel like a star — I’m autographing visitors’ guides,’ ” Gooding says. Since then, Texas has been a trendsetter. If a food is distinctive enough to win the Big Tex, it’s likely to turn up at your local fair the following year. Fried beer is already omnipresent.

Fairs across the country vie to achieve Texas levels of fame for their own foodstuffs: The Florida State Fair sells a hamburger topped with fried ice cream, and Indiana’s State Fair serves a sundae that replaces the usual components with mashed potatoes, beef and corn “sprinkles.” Gooding traces the phenomenon of oddball eats back to loyal fairgoers who are looking for something to bond over. “They’re challenging themselves to ride the newest ride, see the most exhibits, spend the most hours at the fair,” Gooding says.

They are also daring one another to eat whatever’s fattiest, weirdest or most extreme. “It’s becoming a social event. You come out with two to three friends and you share,” she adds.

Still, eating the world’s most unhealthy foods is best reserved for once-a-year events. Gooding’s annual treat is a corn dog on a stick, a classic that probably also seemed bizarre when introduced at the Texas fair in 1942.

Click here to begin slideshow

Quote of the Day- Sinead O'Connor

Today, we are featuring quotes from famous people from Ireland, and today's quip comes from the always interesting and controversial figure who is singer Sinead O'Connor, who came to fame with her version of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U," which is written by Prince.

O'Connor battled breast cancer and in a 2009 blog entry on a breast cancer site, she said that she had lost six pounds after going through several rounds of chemotherapy.

The Irish singer, who is now 43, toured mostly European countries including Slovakia, Italy and Spain last summer in addition to an artistic trek through China.

These comments below were made in regards (we believe) right before a concert that she was to give in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1997, but things didn't go according to plan:

"I cannot put in danger the lives of my two children, my musicians, and my technicians, so I have decided to cancel this concert."

Speaking of controversy, the issue of where our food comes from will be broached again tonight.

The Current-tv series "Kill It! Cook It! Eat It!," which is a British show that airs at 10 p.m. New York time tonight focuses on the killing and eating of growse, a wild game bird.

Participants in the episode will either hunt and kill the bird, while others, like vegeterian contestants, debate the ethics of such a practice. They will gather in the Scottish Highlands during tonight's show for the growse hunt. The bird is apparently available in America as well, particulary in New England states such as Vermont.

Quotes from the Composers- Zoltan Kodaly

We conclude our Quotes from The Composers series with a quip from Hungarian master Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967) who was also an educator, linguist and philosopher. Kodaly is perhaps best-known for his orchestral/opera "Hary Janos" (1926) which Wikipedia describes as 'a Hungarian folk opera.' It was first performed by the Royal Hungarian Opera House in Budapest that same year.

We love this quote, and in case, you were wondering the image above is of Hungarian goulash, which they might serve at the Mirabell Restaurant in Chicago, which is actually a German restaurant:

"The laws of morals and the laws of music are the same."

Classical music fans in Pittsburgh, Pa., can hear a performance of "Mozart's Symphony, Number 4" on Jan. 28 at 8:00 p.m., followed by another performance on Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m.

SIDEBAR: Since I am a Turkish-American, it may surprise a few folks that I am a huge fan of the Greek film composer Mikis Theodakris, who is alive and well (we hope!) at age 85. Theodakris is known for his legendary compostions to "Z" and "Zorba the Greek" and he also scored the 1973 Al Pacino drama "Serpico."

One can listen to WUVT-FM (90.7 Blacksburg, Va), the student-run college radio station of Virginia Tech, for Greek music from 11 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. A Turkish music show follows on the same station from 1:00-2:30 p.m. I co-hosted a Turkish music show on WUVT in 1994 and I was told that I played too much music from the late pop singer Baris Manco which proves it's impossible to make people happy!

DC Diary- No Need for a Taxi Tonight

Since I managed to seriously lost and meander around aimlessly through Northwest DC on Wednesday night, my family who was eagerly awaiting my impending arrival on Thursday night (day four of our excursion) was delighted to see me arrive at our home away from home at 10:04 p.m. that evening.

If things had gone exactly according to my sincerest desires, I would've been dancing at the Gogol Bordello concert that night at the 9:30 Club. But, the show was sold out, and assuredly if I had gone, I would have not come back to the temporary residency until circa 2:00 a.m.

So, I opted to see the Finnish film "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale," which is about how an archaeological expedition to Antarctica yields the discovery of a Santa Claus who has been frozen stiff for eons.

When I first heard about the film, I thought it might be a bit of a subversive take on Christmas, which I would not have objected to (I am a Festivus kind of a guy). But, in actuality, it is merely a quirky comedy that is perhaps just slightly more "A Christmas Story" than "Bad Santa" though the distinctive Scandinavian sense of humor which one can see in films like "The Kitchen Stories" (Norway) and "Together" (Sweden) would probably be lost on most American audiences.

So, as it was, since I got home in time, there was no need for the friendly Indian or Pakistani taxi driver who had bailed me out the night before!

SIDEBAR: We love this tweet from comic book artist/cartoonist Chris Eliopoulos, who is always a hoot: "My wife made lobster mac and cheese ensuring that I will die of a heart attack b4 I'm 50."