Sept. 11 to Sept. 18 A late evening snack, and a desperate one at that, of salty feta cheese and slices of firm, sweet banana. Unexpectedly good.

Homemade palacsintas (my home) with a filling of marmellata di arance di Sicilia (gift from Arthur Schwartz). Powdered sugar.

Salad of canned salmon fillets, hard-boiled egg, chickpeas, romaine & baby spinach, and pickled beets with whole lemon vinaigrette (recipe below).

I bought a bottle of Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Hot Sauce at a $1 store (out of town) and now we put it on everything we eat. It lights up your taste buds and creates ISR (instant salivatory response!) We're using it in droplets because we don't want to finish it. Desperate to find more.

Fabulous aromatic bunches of basil at the farmer's market at Grand Army Plaza. Bought some and made soupe au pistou (inspired by lunch at the home of Diana Carulli and Bryan Dunlap over Labor Day).

Delicious meatballs from Agata & Valentina at a cocktail reception for Arts Horizons at Celeste Holm's apartment. Arts Horizons is a wonderful non-profit that brings the arts to city schools in the tri-state area.

Topped a simple pasta dish of shells with freshly-made marinara sauce and mounds of garlicky sauteed spinach.

Recipe: Whole Lemon Vinaigrette

1 small lemon 1/2 cup olive oil 1 large clove garlic, chopped

Remove the rind and pith from lemon. Remove seeds. Cut the lemon into small pieces and put in a blender. Add the olive oil and garlic and process until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.