Yotam, my long lost chefriend

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Yes, chefriend is a word I just made up to invoke the spirit of chefs I love but don’t know. Yotam certainly falls into that category, and I’m certain that if we met, he would, at the least, like my enthusiasm. One look in my fridge today tells me that I have not used up enough produce yet this week: eggplants, peppers, zucchini and so forth. I sauntered over to Plenty, and sure enough, there is a fabulous sounding recipe -Tamara’s ratatouille- that wants to use all of those items plus onions, garlic, tomatoes and the green chile I also happen to have on hand. Thus, we will be enjoying this for dinner tonight. I might run by the market and get a crusty, seeded baguette and some delicious cheese, and serve these alongside the ratatouille also with a bottle of Rose’. How could you go wrong?!

*Random thought: do you have old ribbons lying around? I do and have put one pretty one in each of my cookbooks that don’t already have one permanently in place. Nice, and pretty bookmarks that enable you to reuse something that might otherwise a) get tossed or b) become something that your kids MUST keep forever (the little hoarders).

Queries

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1) Why do mosquitos and fruit flies exist? I, as you know, try to appreciate all life, but I cannot for the life of me, figure out what these two creatures provide except misery and irritation.

2) As you age, why do heat and alcohol - independently or, certainly, in tandem- have more negative effects on a person? It hardly seems fair.

3) Is there going to come a time that Oliver reliably sleeps past 5:30am?

4) Is there going to come a time that Jack no longer insists on sleeping in off-duty police attire?

5) Why do my Green Zebra tomatoes have blossom-end rot again this year? And why, despite their wildly successful- and healthy-looking greens, have my radishes produced no radishes?