SCANS AND BAGELS

I had some tests done this week to get more specific information about the tumor. One was an Endoscopic Ultrasound. It was fun. They knock you out and put a camera with an ultrasound device on the end of it down your throat. The other one wasn't fun. You drink a gross shake (see above) and then they shoot your veins with something that is radioactive, you sit for an hour, and then you go in the tube. Test results from both showed nothing worse than what I already knew, which was good news. Since Myrna, Goldie and Ellen were in town, I got some friends together to meet them. At Mindy's we had a classic bagel buffet: bagels from Murray's, baked salmon, lox and whitefish from Russ and Daughters.

JOE'S SHANGHAI

Tony and I went to Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings. The best part is sucking the "soup" out of the dumpling, so that's what I did. We also did some cancer prep work. Kelly suggested David Foster Wallace's book of essays: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, so I got that to kill time in waiting rooms. I also got some pajama bottoms at Save, Tony thinks they need to be hemmed so I look really good lying around.

CANCER

I have cancer. There is a tumor the size of a mini-doughnut where my esophagus and stomach meet. This makes it hard to Eat, the same to be Dave and need Love even more. I'm going to be OK. I have excellent doctors treating me. Please don't send me inspirational stories, alternative medicines or ask me to wear a bracelet. Call me, visit me, email me, comment. I'll update here with progress.

Since the eating won't be that interesting for a while, here are some of my favorite food sites to check out:

http://newyork.seriouseats.com

http://eater.com/

http://markbittman.com/

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/

http://www.laweekly.com/columns/ask-mr-gold-27401/

http://www.addanegg.com/

Chiefs taking out Toomer.

RECETTE

Mac's in town to play some shows. For dinner we went to Recette in the West Village. The place is jammed with people but it's exciting. The food is great, it's mostly small tasters, so you order a bunch of stuff. I had salt cod fritters, snapper crudo stuffed with prawn (this seems to be their signature dish), and scallops in coconut broth.

For dessert we had "smores": toasted marshmallow* and graham cracker ice cream.
*In elementary school my friend Greg was asked to tell the class the definition of mellow. He said "mellow, like a marshmallow." The class cracked up and he got sent to the office.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

It was a rainy day in New York and my DVR was filled with old episodes of America's Test Kitchen, which got me in the mood for cooking. Ann suggested ATK's potato-leek soup with the addition of fennel, parsley and fennel-infused olive oil.

GOOD NAMES

Margaret Hamburg is the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Francine Prose is a writer and Literature Professor.

Kathy Goodwind is a kite designer.

Ryan Longwell is a place kicker for the Minnesota Vikings.

Jennifer Nawada runs a landscaping company featured on This Old House.

CARROT FENNEL SOUP

Driving around LA, I end up listening to KCRW all the time. On a show called Good Food, there was a woman on who told us how to make carrot fennel soup. At the Silver Lake Farmer's Market, I got all the ingredients, plus some pretty good tomatoes and and an avocado.