chew the chat

Oh dear God.  Of all the things to fall in love with at Harvest in the Square… amid the caramelized duck breasts, tender Latin chicken with plantains, I fell in love with the old standby of Mac ‘N Cheese, courtesy of Chat ‘n’ Chew.  Right, like that’s so hard to do?  Please.  Well all I’m sayin’ is, IT WAS A SIGN.

I’ve said things like this before, phoned family and squealed, “it’s a sign” about some boy I was dating.  I don’t know about signs, only that it’s a sign when we want to believe it’s a sign.  Isn’t that the real indicator, the fact that we want to see something there?  It means we want to believe it’s right.  That push we needed, even though it’s coming from within.  In a way, I think it makes me feel more alive when coincidence hits on me.  I feel more connected, more open, and ready to be the most me I can be.

MacncheeseEat more mac n cheese and maybe you’ll be more comfortable believing in signs too. So it looks like 30 is all about childhood favorites after all. It’s also all about the Macaroni & Cheese Cookbook!

More photos from Harvest in the Square >>

 

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COMMENTS:

  1. I love Kraft Mac Cheese cold – yummmm.

    But Chat'n'Chew's looks delish – Martha Stewart's recipe is perfect if you are going to go the Gruyère and Pecorino Romano route. But really any recipe is a good one… lots of breadcrumbs on the top and you're set!

    Excellent choice and in the meantime, that close up pic of the Mac would be a delightful wallpaper!

  2. I love your photography, but I could not identify about 80% of the food that you shot! Oh well. Everything looked wonderful. I'm glad to know that NY celebrates the Harvest season. It makes us all seem more connected than I thought. I agree with Heather – go with the rib-stickin' hearty meals. Who cares if it has a million carbs and fats – it's the memories brought out by the flavors that matters. It is YOUR birthday!

  3. A date took me to Chat n Chew once and we had so much fun. too bad a month later I found out he had mother issues…

    Never been to Harvest in The Square. Looks like a good time!

  4. Ahh the Macaroni & Cheese Cookbook. One of my absolute favorite cookbooks. Every recipe I have made from that book is a winner. My good friend gave me a copy as a present since she designed the cover. Go for the comfort food for your birthday. How about a Red Velvet cake for dessert? It's delicious and a real crowd pleaser. I had comfort food from Jake's (Columbia Street & DeGraw in Brooklyn) at my wedding. Meat loaf with gravy, fried chicken, baked beans, mac & cheese & collards. Six years later people still tell me how much they enjoyed the un-wedding food at my wedding.

  5. The event was really great and for a good cause- In support of Union Square Park. Union Square is traditionally a place for public speech, large gatherings as well as the Greenmarket. It is one of the places that make New York special.

    Each restaurant provided a signature dish which was accompanied by wine pairings as well as assorted eclectic desserts.

    New York needs more public spaces.

  6. The night before Harvest I introduced my wife to your blog. And the next day there you were. We actually wanted to introduce ourselves but you were busy photographing the girl with macaroni hanging out of her mouth (I'm glad to see it posted today). I'm the designer for the event, I hope you had a great time!

  7. What about this? It's a sign when we NEED it to be a sign. When we invoke magical thinking as evidence of something, that means we've pretty much run out of concrete evidence to support it. THAT's a sign, and an unnerving one. We don't go looking in mac and cheese, tv commercials, and horoscopes when we know that reality is a certain way. It's only when we doubt it, that we comb the random for assurances and hopes.
    I AM SENOR NUMBNUTS.

  8. When I was little we called macaroni and cheese "Dad's Dinner" because it was my dad's specialty. Nothing tastes as good as Dad's Dinner with soda crackers crushed on top…

  9. It's not that the black and white photo doesn't look good b/c it's B+W. It doesn't look good b/c with your hair pulled back just at the very top AND in a black and white photo, you look like a 45 year old high school drama teacher with too much makeup. And that's a shame because, as I wrote before, you're really very cute.

  10. Hi Stephanie:

    I saw you, too — but was shy. How *amazing* was that Harvest!? Those brownie parfait thingys from Olives (that you captured beautifully on film) were heavenly, second only to those incredible little chocolate cookies perched on the big piece of driftwood from Fleur de Sel…

    Looking forward to your book!

    Amanda

  11. Okay, I have to admit, my source of mac & cheese is baked ziti. I'm Italian, whatdya' expect? I never had it when I was a child, and when I finally did- it was too…mushy. I don't know. I guess I'm just odd. :)

  12. it's amazing how a blog entry.. or rather blog entries, written by a complete stranger can speak to you. like the person knows who you are inside.

    your blog is simply amazing and i'm so glad i chanced upon it. i only wish mine could be half or even a quarter as good as yours.

  13. Would you mind putting your original photo back in the sidebar? Or replacing the current photo with another one?

  14. Eat more mac 'n cheese and it's a sign that your ass will expand exponentially. It's my favourite food, but I save it for special occasions. I think I had it once last year, and that was right after I saw James Brown at Massey Hall.

  15. I have this terrible habit of reading your posts backwards, and when I noticed this one was filed under 'consumption', I thought you'd contracted tuberculosis. Thank goodness it was just a caramelized duck breast!

  16. Just an observation: For those of you who can't help but comment on the photo of Stephanie.. Is it the cloak of anonymity that enables you to make such inane comments? What makes it okay, in your mind, to type something to a person you would never, EVER say to them in person? If you are a regular reader, like I am, and you happened to encounter Stephanie on the street, you would probably be as giddy as I would be and utter something along the lines of 'love your blog' etc… She is a writer I like.. I would never send a letter to, oh say, Candace Bushnell-whoever, and say – 'could you please change the photo on the jacket of the book? makes you look terrible! The fact that you are welcome to comment shouldn't reduce you to seventh grade behavior.

  17. I found your link on "cosmopolitan". I think your blog is fantastic! Is you in the photo? very nice

  18. Awwww…TheGirlWho…you must be young to this world of ours. Such high hopes for people. It's lovely, really, to see that.

  19. Thegirlwho-

    Relax. The blog is open to commentary. Not all of the commentary must start 'oh Steph, you're the best'. H simply asked to have the photo replaced with the original. Justhavetosay said that she looked very cute in the original. These comments aren't negative; they're meant to be helpful. You're comments to them are much more critical than their comments to Steph.

    Besides, don't people appreciate constructive critcism anymore? If you were sending out a picture with a thank you note, wouldn't you appreciate having some honest friends tell you that one photo is much better than another?

  20. The comment(photo) never should have been posted here. It is a suggestion. Move this discussion to that section…

  21. Are you talking about Harvest in Harvard Square?
    I had my bridal shower there!
    Did you go to Burdick Chocolates? I used to be the manager there.

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