One It all started, as these things often do, at Costco. I came home with two giant, cheap, squeaky dog toys – two llamas. Or alpacas. Nobody seemed to know. When I brought them home, I presented them to my boys, who immediately became interested and started sniffing. Even more interested was Irina, who decided…… Continue reading Snapshots II
Găluști cu prune (gomboți)
Înainte de a-mi lua avânt și de a mă așterne pe scris, mi-am pus singur piedică și am dat o raită pe la DEX să-mi aduc aminte cum se scrie corect: găluște sau găluști? Corect e găluști. Ardelenii le zic gomboți și au închis discuția. Să purcedem, dară. Am primit aseară (Irina și cu mine)…… Continue reading Găluști cu prune (gomboți)
Saint Alexander (Sf. Alexandru)
I posted the “How Are You” on the Facebook groups for grieving parents (I am member of two such groups). This next piece is for you. I read through every single response. I didn’t reply in the moment, but please know how much each one meant to me. What I wrote was deeply personal, but…… Continue reading Saint Alexander (Sf. Alexandru)
Life With Dogs
This post is written by Irina. It is her perspective on the little drama that took place at our house on Friday night into Saturday, captured from midnight chats with friends on Whatsapp. When I chime in, I will use Italics. Also, I translated it (duh) and I changed a bit here and there. So……… Continue reading Life With Dogs
Viața cu câinii
Acest post este scris de Irina. Este punctul ei de vedere în ceea ce privește dramoleta ce a fost la noi în noaptea de Vineri spre Sâmbătă, exprimata în dialoguri cu prietenii, pe la miezul nopții. Când mă bag și eu în seamă, voi folosi Italics. Deci… I: Vineri spre sâmbătă noapte la 1 am…… Continue reading Viața cu câinii
When “How Are You?” Isn’t Small Talk
Two days ago, I had a brief, unexpected conversation with my doctor’s assistant and I haven’t been able to stop replaying it since. This morning, while walking the dogs, the dialogue echoed in my head with the strange clarity of a dream you can’t quite shake. It started the way most every interaction in this…… Continue reading When “How Are You?” Isn’t Small Talk
Viața cu dulăii #245
Plimbarea matinală prin mahala. Dintr-n tufiș, țuști, un iepure. Se oprește, se uită la noi, mai fuge puțin, se mai oprește … și tot așa. Mâinile mi se albiseră de cât de tare strângeam lesele. Baloo, întorcând leneș capul după iepure: “Ia la el!” Gicu, întorcând repede capul după iepure: “Ia la el!” Eu, urmărind…… Continue reading Viața cu dulăii #245
A So-Called Update
I stumbled upon the domain donsteffano.com and, naturally, I snatched it (my friends know why naturally). Years ago, it was taken. Two weeks ago, it was available. Apparently, the internet decided that I had waited long enough. Useless information: it’s on WordPress, and I’m keeping the basic plan. I don’t foresee anything fancy happening there.…… Continue reading A So-Called Update
Podcast Episode: Zacapa 23 – Centenario
Pip: A hapless Romanian in America walks into a liquor store with a backpack full of memories — which is either a metaphor or a customs violation, and Stefan makes a compelling case for both.Mara: This episode follows one post from the site, and it is genuinely a story before it is a review —…… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Zacapa 23 – Centenario
Podcast Episode: Chocolate Cake
Pip: Stefan has filed a recipe that reads less like a cooking post and more like an incident report. Mara: This episode covers the full construction — and consequences — of a homemade triple-chocolate layered cake. Let’s start with the build itself. Chocolate Cake Mara: The post walks through an ambitious home baking project: a…… Continue reading Podcast Episode: Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake
The Base We started with a triple chocolate brownie mix and followed the recipe on the box, with a few minor adjustments (per YouTube cooking gods): Replaced the oil with butter. Added two extra eggs. Once cooled, the brownie was sliced horizontally into two layers. The operation proved challenging because the brownie had achieved approximately…… Continue reading Chocolate Cake
Breakfast Strata
The original recipe is here. INGREDIENTS I adapted and changed it and based of what I had in my kitchen: 4 tablespoons neutral oil (?), divided 5 thin Costco cabanos-like smoked beef sausages 1 big, whole sweet yellow onion 2-4 garlic cloves 4-5 ounces baby spinach 6 large eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 4…… Continue reading Breakfast Strata
Soare si ploaie
Plimbati cursorul pentru comparatie Unu Doi
15 iulie: Între dor și haos
15 iulie 2017. La patru și jumătate dimineața, tata a plecat dintre noi. Cumva, prin vocea sângelui, am știut. M-am trezit, deși mă aflam la celălalt capăt al lumii. 15 iulie 2026. Nouă ani mai târziu, m-am trezit tot la patru și jumătate dimineața, cu gânduri și apăsări. Presimțeam o zi specială. La cinci și…… Continue reading 15 iulie: Între dor și haos
Zacapa 23 – Centenario
This wonderful rum from Guatemala deserves a story, not a simple review. It is a story about how it found its way into my life, blended with my own, and in doing so, became our story. Bucharest, spring of 2019. I was drowning in sadness, melancholy, and homesickness. I was tired of pretending that everything…… Continue reading Zacapa 23 – Centenario
Blanton’s
My resolve to review what I drink began with enthusiasm. That was before I opened my photo library and saw the evidence. The sheer number of bottles staring back at me was somewhere between astonishing, head-spinning, and demoralizing. I took a deep breath, poured a glass, and decided to keep going anyway. I thought about…… Continue reading Blanton’s
July 4th – America 250
Cacti Edition This Celebration, in my view, is a wonderful occasion filled with joy and gratitude. And yet, the following quote perfectly summarizes my feelings and, it seems, not only mime: “If you’re feeling sadness, grief, or ambivalence about celebrating the 4th of July this year, that’s actually a sign of how deeply you love…… Continue reading July 4th – America 250
Ardei Umpluți
Fiind sâmbătă, îmi încep turneul plecând după pătrunjel. Ajung la Aprozar, iau una-alta, 8 ardei grași frumoși, 2 kg de capia colorați (să mai coc ceva), umplu portbagajul cu fructe și legume, aflu ca de fapt e Vineri, și o iau din loc. Pe drum mă hotărăsc să fac ardei umpluți. Mă duc la SuperPrăvălia…… Continue reading Ardei Umpluți
The Cooking Lesson
Before we get to the recipe, the customary blah-blah-blah. Being the nice guy that I am, I won’t make you scroll through a million ads before getting to the actual recipe. And yet, a few things need to be said first. How did we end up cooking at Rita’s? Nobody remembers exactly how it started,…… Continue reading The Cooking Lesson
The Influencer Wannabe
I decided, at some point in my life, like three days ago, that I should become an influencer. But not any kind of influencer, but one who tastes bourbon, whiskey, gin, and other liquors. Not drinks it. Not pours it into a glass, drinks it all, and then contemplates poor life decisions. Nooo, tastes it.…… Continue reading The Influencer Wannabe
