It's Fresh Forkin' Friday and the eve of the month of Julia. Her birthday is on August 15th and the movie Julie & Julia will be released on August 7th. There has been a surge of interest for her recipes on the internet, and there's a cadre of loyalists who are furious that the movie actually features other people. Having seen a sneak peek of the movie, I can tell you that it's sweet and will leave you craving boeuf and wondering why you don't live in Paris. Amy Goetz of Bramblewood Cottage and I are plotting to set up crepe stand outside of each showing. We'll make millions.

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July 30 is National Cheesecake Day, who knew? (I imagine the folks at Cheesecake Factory did.) 

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I seems like all I did this weekend was rehash the burger story with everyone I know. Such passion, such opinion, such ballyhoo. I thought I should give you the full scope of our journey, expressed with apologies to Harper's and math geeks everywhere.

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This Fresh Forkin' Friday celebrates service and training! The following conversation took place at one of our new establishments this last week:

Me: Do you know if this is made with any flour besides chickpea flour, my friend is allergic to wheat.

S: Let me go ask the kitchen. ... goes to kitchen ... I guess it has some flour in it, but it’s white, so she should be ok.

Me: Actually, white flour is made from wheat.

S: Oh, really? … Since when?

Since the dawn of recoded history. Since the Egyptians. Since forever. Enjoy.

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Last night was the opening reception at Sea Change, and I am happy to report there were no fishing nets hanging from the ceiling, nor any smelly knick-knack fish dioramas employed to spruce the place up.

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Having slaved on my computer slavishly for the past week, I was looking forward to this weekend for some sun-fun in hopes of diminishing my ghostly pallor. You know, that's what July is good for, sweating out the toxins, lazing around with a beer all Saturday, barefoot in the grass and all that. Well, this Fresh Forkin' Friday, I'm bundled up in a fleece and wondering what it's going to take to make this weekend work. The answer: chili, cooked in a big pot on the fire pit. Perfectly warming, but not in a pot-roasty way, and yet still summer acceptable. Flip flops and fleece, it can work.

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Although it was actually COLD the other July night, this Fresh Forkin' Friday promises to be muggy and rather thick. There are many of you for whom these conditions are ideal, you humidity hags, but I am not one of you. I crave the crisp, not the soggy and leaden. So today, as I cut out of work on the classic Summer Hours stroke of noon, I go in search of the crisp. Will it lead me to a Pimm's Cup on the lawn at Brit's? Will I find it with an El Toro michelada  and spicy shrimp taco on Barrio's patio? Or is there a decidedly chick-ish Crispin drink in my future? It might be up to the clam fries at Sea Salt to cut through the day.

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No longer just a rumor that you keep hearing and poo-pooing. Rustica Bakery is on the move.

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It's a Fresh Flaggin' Friday and if you're at work, hopefully it's only a half day. By sundown, I'll be sippin' mash and talkin' trash with my friends, loved ones, and people who just tolerate me because I cook them dinner. I'm telling a pulled pork, elote, and fennel slaw story this weekend. Happy Fourth!

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