Comic for Friday, February 20, 2009

Posted: 8:45 am, Friday, February 20th

Today may seem a little bit like filler, but I swear it's not. It doesn't move things along super-far, but I think it's important to note that, really, Lissa is the stable one of the Five Bucks group. She's never really needed advice before, so she doesn't really have anywhere to go when things go south, except for her family. Of course, Mena is not a solid source of advice, but it's all she's got.

My health is returning in small increments - I coughed up the least amount of yellow stuff this morning, so I guess this is the healthiest I've been - and I expect to be back to 100% *just in time* to go back to work on Monday. FANTASTIC. Yes, I guess it's better this way, so that I'm not taking sick time left and right, but, still, this is damned aggravating. I had a very lengthy to-do list for the break, and due to my lack of focus/physical fortitude, most of it has gone unaddressed. Today's big goals are to make up a vocab quiz for my freshmen for Wednesday, see Coraline, and hang a dart board. Notice that "run five miles" and "drink 18 martinis at Crownover's birthday soiree" are nowhere on that list.

One major goal that *was* scratched off the list was that I finally, finally got to DiFara's pizzeria on Ave J and 15th Street here in Brooklyn. Holy God, best pizza ever. DiFara's is the stuff of legend here in New York, and for very good reason - it is Goddamn awesome. Dom De Marco is the septugenarian pizza maker at DiFara's, and the only one who touches your pizza before you get it. He hand-stretches the dough, grates the buffalo mozzy right onto it, and after it comes out of the over, hand-cuts basil right onto it and sprinkles romano over the whole thing. What an amazing pie. Tree will be happy that Sal and Carmine's was listed on one of the countless best-of lists that DiFara's has on the walls (DiFara's constantly wins best-of lists), but this was easily the best pie I've ever had. They have a postcard in the store with this poem:

Popping, crackling Golden Betrolli! kisses the fresh dough
Tomatoes from Salerno
Bufflo mozzarella from Caserta,
and Fior di Latte,
and Parmigiano reggiano
Mysterious burnt bubbles -
hissing virgin olive oil,
slow & steady
spreading dough for the Grand Experiment
from early, early in the day We stand - Papa, the kids
and a million craving palates lining Ave. J -
for Brooklyn/Italian Pizza as an Art
'til the moon waxes and wanes and
the Mozzarella Master retires at midnight
with a vintage bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella

That pretty much makes me want more pizza.

I have received two e-mails from my kids over break - one telling me that the sender really wants to watch the film of Speak on Monday, and one begging me to help bring MMA to the school. As I have the disc for Speak in my backpack, and as I have no desire to see my kids get punched in the head - well, most of them, anyway - I think things are looking better for the first kid that the second.

Well, you workaday sorts are about to pull into the offices, so I'd better get this up before there are pitchforks at the door. Have a good weekend!

bullfrog

CK -- Friday, February 20 2009, 09:03 am

Have you ever wanted to make Goomba cupcakes? Pacman pies? See "Snack or Die: Video Game Cookies." http://www.snackordie.com/

Awesome. This one may be a bit esoteric for non-gamers, but is probably the most spot-on of the ones I looked at.

http://www.snackordie.com/2008/02/black_mage_ice_creams.html

I fucking told you about DiFara! Incredible shit! If anyone wants to make it out there, hurry. That old man is not going to be around much longer. Also, be prepared to wait. I spent a hour and a half waiting for my pizza on a Friday night once.

I walked right in, because, like I thought, noon on a Wednesday was not a busy time. Also, Dom's only in his early 70s. I think he'll be around a while longer.

Andre the Giant has a posse, but Golden Tate has a blog.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090218/BLOGS02/902189874