Mom once got some plastic wrap from a restaurant-supply house. I have no clue what was in the stuff, but it was ferocious. You could tear off a sheet, hold it near what you wanted to wrap, and let go; it almost wrapped itself. I was afraid to get the stuff near my face. I never before feared plastic wrap being…

I should add....my friend was marrying a burlesque performer. Going to see strippers was kind of redundant.

Truth. And a food truck wedding sounds like a blast...

My friends who married last year thought about having a potluck reception. The guests were all more than willing to contribute. I certainly was! But then they found a reasonable place for the reception....still, if you’re doing a low-key, simple, informal wedding, why not a potluck?

I was best man for a friend’s wedding almost exactly a year ago. I asked the groom what he wanted for a bachelor party; I was nervous because I’d just become unemployed and couldn’t afford much. He was happy for the two of us to just go to the movies and have a snack afterward. It was actually a really nice way to…

I was profoundly fortunate in that I had a well-off family member step in and bail me out when, years and years ago, I finally came clean with the fact that I was in over my head and was struggling to make a dent in it all. (I was also out of work, and in no position to do much.) I have never stopped feeling grateful;…

My favorite combo: homemade venison salami (courtesy of a family friend), sharp cheddar, whole wheat crackers, a hard-boiled egg, some baby carrots and some pickles, a little pot of my personal mustard mix, and an apple. That was my lunch for a week a couple of winters ago, and it was very good.

Your ethnicity, and also your age. I was advised to never put down when you graduated college, or indicate your age in any way, to at least help you get your foot in the door. Even then, you might still be ignored for being the wrong ethnicity/age, but at least you have a chance of dazzling them with your interview…

In her cookbook “Beat This!”, Ann Hodgman tells a story of the first time she made cookies (by herself) as a kid. They were molasses cookies, and the recipe called for 1/2 cup of molasses. Somehow she thought this mean 2 cups. After her mother smelled the burning and helped her pull the sheet of bubbling tar from the…

I was just listening to something today about the Survivor Fallacy: e.g., we look at the successes, the things that have survived, and forget about the things that failed. (A good example is watching old movies on TCM and griping that older movies are better than the ones being made today....when in reality the ones…

I disdained mayo for a long, long time, until I made my own. (Easy to do with a food processor.) It was like night and day; I find supermarket mayo revolting but could eat homemade mayo with a spoon. I make some every once in a while, especially if I decide to make some tuna (or salmon, or other leftover fish)…

If there’s an H-Mart near you, just check out the soy sauce aisle. Or any Asian market, really. Amazon has it in various sizes, including a 60-oz jug for $16.63. Just don’t break into my humble bachelor pad, OK? One of the neighbors might get the wrong idea and perforate you. (I’m in the Baltimore burbs, and our rate…

The stuff is pitch dark and pours like tar, but it has an amazing flavor and packs a wallop in very small doses.

Condiments: 378 different kinds of mustard (I joke that I am a mustard ho). Ketchup. My homemade red onion ketchup. Worcestershire sauce. Several different kinds of soy sauce (I found one flavored with mushroom). Horseradish.

My current job gave me a brain teaser; the interviewer pulled out a bag of different packs of pencils and asked me to sort out the differences. (It’s a research job that calls for a sharp eye.) I was able to point out the obviouses, like #2 vs. #4, sharpened or unsharpened, type of packaging, color, etc., but I was…

I just checked my local library system’s website...and SURPRISE! they have Kanopy and Criterion. Holy crap. Had a car with them since 2013 and never knew. Then again, it’s buried on their site; wish they featured it more prominently....

OK...for the vodka...take 20 cherry pits, crush gently with a hammer, and put in a jar with a pint of 80 proof vodka. Let sit for 10-12 hours, then strain. You can put the cherries themselves in another jar with another pint of vodka, and let steep for 3 hours. Other ideas for a pint of vodka: the zest of one lemon (4…

You can order them online, but hey, more power to you. Microwave for a minute or two and you have a heating pad....freeze for an hour or so and you’ve got a cold pack as well.

Yup, that was my mistake, not being clear when my feelings were beyond FWB (and I had assumed they were, but you know that old saw...). One I’m determined to not repeat. I once told someone, “I’m not interested in a one-night stand, but I am willing to go home with you if you’re interested in exploring the possibility…

I should add that the vodka thing is apparently a traditional Russian thing, not some trendy modern practice. At least that’s what the book claimed. I’ll look it up when I get home....