Blue Devils win, Ol on the mend, awesome pasta din

It has been such fun for me to watch J's baseball team -the cutest, mostly-scrawny, mostly-clueless-re-baseball kids- come together over the past nearly-two seasons. Last year was borderline hysterical; few of the kids knew the rules of the game. Fielding? Running when you actually hit the ball? The Blue Devils were a darling learn-as-you-go band of brothers that finished the season 0-8. This year, however, as if Coach K came aboard, they're 3-2 (I think) and everything is coalescing beautifully. I'm not a terribly skilled athlete in any way so it's never mattered a lick to me if they win or lose. But for them, after a while, it really does matter, and I'm so happy that they're experiencing victory. J had two hits and an RBI tonight, and when he and T returned home, we had a fine celebration.

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Y'all, look at these mushrooms! I didn't use them tonight but plan to on Tuesday. Tomorrow night, two friends and I are going to hear Yotam (Ottolenghi) and Sami (Tamimi) speak, and I am totally grooved about it. I did, tonight, concoct a fabulous pasta dish for which I will work up a recipe to share. It was absolutely fabulous! Like, if I'd ordered it in a restaurant, I'd have been thrilled and later tried to recreate it at home.

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Olive oil, eggplant, peperoncino, fennel, lots of chopped fennel fronds, lemon zest, salt-packed capers, dates, pecorino, sweet Italian sausage and pici. Mamma mia! The sweet elements in concert with the savory, the umami layered in with the salt and starches...Heaven.

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Pleasing pasta, RomNO

I have been on a real tear to clean out the pantry lately so tonight we bid arrivederci to all available paccheri. Bye bye fat, tubular Italian yumminess. To top it, I used up the rest of our Cibola Farms sweet Italian sausage (seriously, head to some DC-area farmers market and visit Cibola Farms; wowzers!), the rest of my Tuscan kale, some mascarpone, Parm and red pepper flakes. This was not out of this world but it was good and was an easy, satisfying dinner.

You guys, is Romney pulling a Palin, by which I mean he's going down in flames and thusly avoiding the media at all costs? He cancelled his campaign event in Kettering, OH, by "suspending" it -John McCain redux anyone?- only to host another event in the same spot in Kettering, OH, during which he offered the Red Cross canned goods his campaign bought and which they (the Red Cross) don't want.

What is wrong with Donald Trump? Why is he orange? Why is his hair like it is? Why doesn't Melania do something about said hair? Why is he trying to pay off our President? And is he serious that he extended his offer because of Hurricane Sandy? Who keeps his/her passport application? Don't you have to surrender that when you apply?? Mother of god.

Go Chris Christie! NJ, I am so sorry.