Ed

Today's NYT crossword utterly humiliated me. UBS had their new Trima machines set up -- and they are wonderful indeed -- but instead of a quicker draw I got to do a double platelet and single red cell donation. 83 minutes, not counting the stick and takedown, and most of that was spent staring in frustration at a barely filled in grid. Byron Walden, I concede. You have bested me.

Afterward, I was consoled by a Grande Handheld breakfast burrito -- chorizo green -- at Over Easy Cafe right next to UBS. This place really knows how to make a good burrito: crisp cubed browns, not soggy shredded potatoes. Tasty eggs, tender and fluffy and voluminous. Excellent chorizo. The chile was weak today, but we all have our off days (the chile last month was perfect). Second Breakfast at Over Easy has become something to look forward to on the first Saturday of each month.

I was pretty sure this was a no-nuts recipe, but there it was on the baking sheet as I took out today's second batch of shortbread: a lone hex nut with a sheared-off piece of bolt inside it.

"If the recipe didn't call for nuts", I reasoned, "I wouldn't have put in nuts". Besides, I usually prefer pecans. So where did this nut come from and why didn't I notice it on the baking sheet when I put it into the oven? I resolved not to rest until I had figured out this fiendish puzzle--or until I got tired, whichever came first.

Have you solved the mystery, dear reader? You might, once I give you one final clue: I need to spend most of tomorrow and Saturday baking a wedding cake, so this would be a most inauspicious time for the oven to break. Yep, it's the oven. There are two bolts holding the back panel in place, and both sheared off.

Fortunately, the oven still works: I have 8 dishes of creme brulee in there right now. And even more fortunately, Mike at Miele was able to find the parts and thinks I can replace them myself. They're sending me the parts at no charge, even though the oven is well past warranty. That's a huge savings over a service call.

..is a lot easier than I expected. Made some following the Jing Jing recipe (I wonder if Jing Jing is still there?). Time-consuming to fry the eggplant in small batches, but low-maintenance and easy to make. Burned my fingers pretty badly with spattered oil - one finger blistered and popped in seconds. Kind of interesting, but not recommended.

One eggplant soaked up about half a cup of peanut oil (don't tell Ginger, she doesn't want to know). Anyone know a good way to make this dish without frying? Baked eggplant is tasty but tough. Microwaved sounds too disgusting to try. How else?