I’m Going to Trinidad

My friend A. was invited on a press trip and could not go, so he recommended the organizers take me instead. “You’ll love it,” he said, “the music there is amazing. You should go.” I filled out the paperwork and traded email with the PR gal who’s organizing the trip. “I don’t have an assignment, …


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Where the Story Starts

It’s hardly a state secret that the Austrians weren’t very nice during WWII. Yes, there was a resistance movement, there’s always a resistance movement. But we all know what happened. The Nazis robbed and murdered millions of people. After the war, Austria quietly integrated stolen art into its museum collections and returned to their genteel …


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Dandy

I’m supposed to curse dandelions because I have a lawn, but I just can’t. They look like little universes of exploding stars. And a friend reminded me that Carl Sagan’s original Spaceship of the Imagination was shaped like a dandelion seed, so now that they’re mostly blown away, I wonder where they’ve gone.  

Elsewhere, Vanity Link Edition

  I wrapped up my cake series over on Gadling with this short expose about Vienna’s iconic Sachertorte. Podcast producer Katy Sewell came over while my friend Jessica Spiegel was in town — Katy interviewed both of us about freelancing and expat life. Spoiler alert: I was an unhappy expat. My friend Alex asked me …


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The Matzo Ball Soup Waffle

No, this is not a joke, yes, they’re delicious. Let my people waffle, already. This makes four waffles, you’re probably going to want more, they’re that good. One packet Streit’s matzo ball soup mix Eggs Vegetable oil Chicken stock Make the mix as per the instructions on the box. (That’s what you need the eggs and …


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You’re a Stranger Too? Have Some Soup.

“Jews are tied together by irrational bonds of memory…” — Simon Schama, The Story of the Jews I am not a religious person, not even a little bit, but you would never hear me say I wasn’t Jewish. I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to it until my ex-husband’s parents tried to get …


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