sjrh wins jbfa in nyc

just back from a weekend in new york city where i had the great and moving pleasure of watching my husband win the most prestigious award in food journalism–the james beard mfk fisher distinguished writing award. he has worked so hard at his writing, and in a way has spent his whole life practicing to be a writer–always using language carefully, and precisely, and sometimes movingly, and often comically. the day after the ceremony,  he and i spent an aimless saturday walking through an enchanted new york city, from the west village through greenwich to soho and back. we drifted from one cappuccino to another, from coffee shop to coffee shop to hotel bar, on our way to a late dinner at balthazar, where they seated us in a corner booth, and the chef somehow knew who steve was, and sent out special little gifts all night long, and the whole city was illuminated by the glow of steve’s joy.

p.s. i’ve said it before but i want to say it again…i love catkin season. it is so short and so fleeting, and almost no one really notices it, and yet it’s like an arboreal mardi gras for about one week.

red oak catkins