Ha Jin on reading, writing and ‘Waiting’
He started learning English when he was 20 years old; 23 years later, he would win the National Book Award for his remarkable novel, “Waiting.” (Updated: 11/19/09 9:02 AM )
The Buzz: Metallica vs. Jackie Jocko
Clash of the titans: Happily, Metallica took time out on its recent visit to Buffalo to catch piano man Jackie Jocko at the Hyatt. Unhappily, the admiration was not mutual. Jocko said an “old fogey” from Metallica said: “Holy #$*&, can that guy play the piano.” (Updated: 11/19/09 9:04 AM )
Social notes / Upcoming events
The Abigail Fillmore Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet Friday at the Buffalo Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, for a meeting and guided tour on American Heritage and Conservation. (Updated: 11/19/09 7:08 AM )
Best bets
1. Budding artists learn more at the Botanical Gardens. (Updated: 11/19/09 7:08 AM )
Miss Manners: Elopement is romantic, not selfish
Dear Miss Manners: I am getting married next spring and had been planning a wedding of about 75 guests. The wedding planning has taken on a life of its own, and I have been overwhelmed by the details and the cost. (Updated: 11/19/09 8:44 AM )
Cook’s day off: Make these Thanksgiving dishes ahead of time
Before Paul Schultz’s friends come over to his Sloan home for Thanksgiving dinner, some of them skip meals. (Updated: 11/18/09 9:30 AM )
Former hair stylist finds success running Tastings Cafe at the Burchfield Penney
Maria Kahn dreamed for years about opening her own place. When she got a chance to stop being a hairstylist and run the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s cafe, she expected restaurateur headaches: staffing, taxes and workers’ comp. (Updated: 11/18/09 9:23 AM )
Make quick meals before the week’s centerpiece dinner
Family Sunday (Updated: 11/18/09 8:51 AM )
Olives punch up pasta dish
The first Middle Eastern oil boom wasn’t based on petroleum. It was fueled by olives. Neolithic people were plucking the bitter fruit of the wild oleaster tree some 10,000 years ago, and by 3000 B. C., the tree was cultivated, probably in Palestine or Syria. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Holy guacamole! Fajitas are easy
Southwestern fajitas filled with meat and colorful vegetables make a delicious, light meal. They’re fun to eat and easy to serve. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
More wineries focus on going green
Rodney Strong Wine Estates announced last month that it is now “carbon neutral.” The Sonoma County winery joins several in California, South America and New Zealand that, through conservation and investment in clean energy (by buying carbon credits), have reduced their carbon emissions enough to essentially zero out their contribution to greenhouse gases. (Updated: 11/18/09 7:29 AM )
Squeak! Screech! Those creepy things that make us cringe
The flu hit Jennifer L. Smith hard. The Allentown woman suffered from symptoms for two weeks, including fever, chills and coughing. (Updated: 11/17/09 7:49 AM )
Jeff Simon: Will Palin talk the talk?
“Should I be worried?” asked Oprah Winfrey of Sarah Palin. It was her final question. In truth, it was the only question I wanted an answer to –the only reason I watched the full hour “Oprah Winfrey Show” launch of Sarah Palin’s book tour on behalf of her memoir, “Going Rogue” (HarperCollins, 432 pages, $28.99). (Updated: 11/17/09 7:37 AM )
Lifeline
Master gene makes ‘killer’ cells (Updated: 11/17/09 6:48 AM )
Easing the way home: Adoptive parents get help from employers, Uncle Sam
Jody Hansen-Walker, a single mother, has adopted 10 children over 20 years through the foster care system. While the process at times may have been bureaucratic, it was never expensive. (Updated: 11/16/09 7:43 AM )