Rippers

Help!  The hipsters are invading Queens!  That’s certainly what it feels like when you walk up to Rippers at the end of Rockaway Beach.  It’s a throwback style surf shack with lots of neon.  The clientele with their ironic Flock of Seagulls haircuts look straight out of Brooklyn.  And that’s because they are.  Apparently there’s…

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Book Review: The Vacationers

The only thing perfect about the Post family vacation is the location.  They are all set to spend two weeks is picturesque Mallorca.  They have a mansion to themselves in the countryside and not a care in the world since husband Jim is embarking on early retirement and daughter Sylvia is heading off to college.…

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3 on Thursday

The best thing about a long weekend is coming back to a short week.  I’ve been easing back into life after Labor Day by not overbooking myself.  Things will be picking back up this weekend, though – Albert is heading out tonight to start a friend’s wedding celebration and I’ll be joining on Saturday. A…

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Thoughts On…Routines (Prompt)

Ever feel like you need to get something off your chest? Sometimes I’ve just gotta talk it out. That’s why I’ve decided to do a monthly feature called “Thoughts On…” At the beginning of the month, I’ll provide a prompt to stimulate discussion. The point is to get us to put our thoughts out there…

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Russ and Daughters Café

So I had this perfect plan.  Foolproof.  I was going to go to one of those trendy restaurants downtown over the long weekend and I was going to get in because the whole city (well at least the trendy residents) flee for the long weekend.  They go to places like The Hamptons and all those…

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White Nectarine and Raspberry Fruit Crisp

As you may recall, one of my main Labor Day weekend goals was to try a new recipe, preferably a fruit crisp.  There are some fruits that are just SO summerific.  Fruit, to me, seems very seasonally dependent.  We eat avocados and brussels sprouts all year long, but when fruit is out of season it’s…

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Tuscan Tuna Pita Sandwiches

One of my favorite Cooking Channel shows is Extra Virgin – and not just because I’m a fan of Debi Mazar’s acting work.  Mazar and her husband make great, authentic Italine fare that is actually simple enough for just about anyone to replicate.  On a recent episode, I watched them make this simple tuna salad and…

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Kale and Chicken Sausage Frittata

Since I wasn’t going on any sort of vacay over my extra long Labor Day weekend I wanted to take advantage of the time otherwise wasted sitting around my apartment by testing out several recipes.  Thus far, I had only made one recipe using the cast iron skillet I got for my birthday, but that…

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