@all: you all rock!! Culinary adventurousness is the BEST, isn't it?

@VirtuousVixen: @frugal: Awesome! Those dishes all sound fucking delicious—I'm excited about learning new risotto recipes as the weather gets colder.

I'm so pumped—I got some amazing food shots for the blog without the flash, and our dinner tonight rocked. We had a Ligurian-inspired pesto over fettuccine with broiled breaded shrimp with lots of lemon...lovely. Any notable weekend culinary projects?

@pumpkin pie martini: To Catch A Thief is just beautiful to watch over and over...

I was watching When Harry Met Sally today, and was laughing at all of the classic 80's yuppie cliches, such as Evian water (served in glasses!), "restaurants are to the eighties what theater was to the sixties," etc. I have two questions for you: what tropes do you think will become the elements that date a movie…

@Ratinski: I've been obsessed with Fiestaware since I was twelve. Carry on. :-)

GAH! That's my everyday stuff! Must replace my one broken plate.

@foregoneconclusion, battles the pink robots: I've had similar issues, and I'll be honest—if you want to reduce the drama, accept the money and send the thank-you. It might feel good to tear up the check, but it's usually more trouble than it's worth (as someone who has done that in the past).

@Steve Holt's Mother Part Deux: I'm upset that she's on the cover of InStyle Weddings—it's cursed! I hope she's the exception to the rule, though, because she and her fiance seem adorable.

@Officeholic: Virtual hugs sent your way. I hope all is well soon.

@Lizard in the Wires is on Rails: There's this old mansion at my alma mater that had been recently foreclosed (due to conditions inside) that was a HUGE party house—the last one held there had a beach party and they found sand all over the place.

It's been ages since I've been here, but for good reason: we moved. It's the first move the husband and I have done together with all of the stuff from the wedding, and it's daunting. But we have one room left to tackle, so things are looking up.

@TurnItOff: Gourmet shelf-stable foods arranged in a nice basket (think truffle butter, good chocolate, maybe some "good" vanilla a la Ina Garten)—always appreciated.

Hello Kay! Can't wait to read your posts!

@LaComtesse: She did the poached halibut with three whiskeys—very impressive...

@andromedeia: Get internships—not now, because you're still too young. Go for it sophomore and junior year when you've taken some classes and can BS your way into a low-level, thankless job.

Anyone watching the new season of Top Chef? I'm a huge fan of Jen C. (the chef Eric Ripert hand-picked to run his Philly restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton), but I'm happily surprised by the fact that this season has brought on some impressive talent.

@anteup: Couscous! For late night meals, just add shit in—specifically, always keep a container of plain Greek yogurt on hand and make a sauce with it, some minced garlic and some herbs. It's filling without being too heavy.

@queenieinmanhattan: You have listed nothing that I would feel is too crazy, but the beauty is—I'd LOVE to see how this differs among those who love to cook around the country—but if a show spent some time that even did a region an episode, offering meals that don't have to include a dessert, I think we would be…

@Penny: FWIW, my husband would be drooling over you if you had Aniston's early-Friends figure, because he never fails to say how great Jennifer Aniston looked in the first and second season.