I took t his picture was taken at the Four Seasons in NYC on December 28, 2019. July is ten days in and I have been hearing about or seeing Christmas type images or phrases since the end of June.  I have been wondering for a long time now; Why is there such a thing as “Christmas in July”?  There are actually two parts to my question, why if at all, and why not March, May, or August?  If we need to celebrate Christmas more than once a year (and I am not entirely opposed) than why again in July? If anything June makes the most sense to me because it’s the six month mark.  Through my research I found out a lot of information but no one seems to have a consensus on what the true answer is. Every story I have read seems to be plausible so I will share them all with you.  What we know for sure is that the phrase “Christmas in July” dates back to a French opera, “Werther” from 1892 that premiered in Chicago and NYC in 1894. Af

Last June I completed my first extensive blog about Brooklyn and bagels .  It was by no means my first such blog, nor as you will see here, will it be my last.  Aside from pizza, bagels are one of my most favorite foods. They are so versatile.  You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can have them with eggs, cold cuts, or even make pizza with them. You can have them on the sweeter side like cinnamon raisin or if you are like me and crave salt, then an everything bagel is for you.  There is really no wrong a bagel can do, EXCEPT when it is not crispy on the outside and chewy (but not doughy) on the inside. Just like my previous blog about the perfect first bite of pizza, the same is true about the first bite of a bagel.  Thankfully I live in Brooklyn, a town that is known for perfection when it comes to carbs. The bread found here continues to be a reason I get a warm welcome whenever I bring samples of these goodies to family and friends who l