happy merry!

as only richmond can do, someone driving by yelled this at us while we were smoking in front of The Byrd tonight. it could have been someone at least one of us knew, but it didn't have to be.
we just ate an amazing meal of rockfish baked with crab, Gruyere mac + cheese, yellow carrot soup and some delectably creamy lemon pie. thank you chef maya. the cat has built a nest out of wrapping paper and the dog is napping contentedly, filled with table scraps. the chef is now playing Wii and im ready for a nap.
i hope your holidays are equally filled with decadence. its not too late to start.
xoxoxo

Octopus fruit!

Look at this crazy octopus fruit! Actually it's called "Buddah's Hand" Maya brought me one from Tan A once but we thought it was a lemon gone wonky. Turns out it's a real thing that grows all the time and one of the oldest members of the citrus family. You can learn more about it here. Get a really good look at it.

"Grown primarily as a novelty, this large yellow citron looks like a large, lumpy lemon. Known as "fo-shou" in China and "bushukan" in Japan, the impressive Buddha's Hand is considered a symbol of happiness, longevity, and good fortune. This traditional temple offering and New Year’s gift is closely related to the lemon. It has an intense and long-lasting fragrance which makes it an excellent choice for a table ornament. The rind is very thick and extremely aromatic and can be grated for use in recipes that call for lemon zest, such as biscotti, fruit compotes, casseroles, and soufflés."

Source