Potpourri

We Love Lumpia!
That would be our friend Tony and myself. Richie doesn't go into spasms of joy at finding it on a menu (generally Hawaiian restos.) Lumpia, sometimes spelled "loompia," is a Filipino specialty. It's like an egg roll - with meat or a taquito - with vegetables.

When I spotted them in the Albertson's freezer section, I grabbed a box. Visit familylumpia.com for more information.

Naturally, I couldn't wait to e Tony - Lumpia at Albertson's! In return, he e'd me the recipe for the traditional dipping sauce.
White vinegar, Kikkomen soy sauce, a minced clove of garlic, one bay leaf. Mix the vinegar and soy capful by capful until you have enough for your lumpia. Add the garlic and bay leaf and you're set to go.

Tony also said that frying them is best for a crispy shell; this brand can be baked which I prefer.

Cultural Differences or This Would Be a Good Time to Invade France - They're Distracted
French newspapers and now our own are reporting that President Sarkozi and his third wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozi have taken up with others! She apparently left first and is said to be living with a musician in his Paris flat; he "sought consolation in the arms of" (I love that!) his Ecology Minister! The marriage is two years old. You may recall that they had a three month courtship before tying the note (loosely it would seem.)

All I can do is laugh. She has had a long string of, er, engagements - including dumping the father for the son (dipping into Cougar Country?) and he is known for hedging his bets -- he courted his second wife while still married to the first.

All well and good in licentious France; imagine the howls of outrage if this item concerned the Obamas. Americans aren't very good at adultry -- in public, that is.

Still in Shock
Yesterday afternoon, I took a friend for dessert at our local Denny's. Naturally, I scrutinized the menu just in case old Greedy Gut here was missing anything. My eyeballs nearly blew out of my head when I saw a new menu item -- five or six sausages lying spoke-like in a three egg omelet -- with a fried egg on top of the omelet! Paramedics optional, I guess.