Bedford-Pound Ridge RECORD-REVIEW, "Talk of the Town" - January 3, 2010

TALK OF THE TOWN
By Bonni Brodnick

Whether you rang in the New Year donning velvet and satin or polar fleece and jeans, we hope your celebration was memorable and brings good tidings for 2010. On our side, we gave a hale and hearty champagne toast to my Mom, who is 79 years old today on New Year’s Day. Happy birthday, Mom!

The Pound Ridge Neighbors & Newcomers Club enjoyed a hugely successful holiday luncheon at Oishii Asian Fusion Restaurant in Mount Kisco. More than 24 friends of PRNCC enjoyed fantastic food and service “… plus a delicious cheese cake with green-tea ice cream sundaes topped with sparklers to celebrate the holidays,” wrote Anne Cook. A highlight of the afternoon was a Yankee Swap Raffle with prizes worth over $200.00. “We would like to thank Billy Fortin (proprietor of Scotts Corner Market) for his generous contributions of gift certificates. Few went home without a gift and everyone received an ornament pine cone from PRNNC. Kudos to Anne and Donna Monaco Olsen, who did a terrific job coordinating the luncheon venue and menu, as well as decorating the restaurant and wrapping gifts. PRNNC, an organization comprised of longtime and just-moved-here neighbors, invites you join them in the coming year. (For more info, go to www.prnnc.org.) The Pound Ridge Women’s Republican Club is also grateful to townsfolk who contributed so generously to the Toys for Tots drive at Scotts Corner Market (thank you again, Billy). “Five overflowing shopping carts filled board games, dolls, stuffed animals, books, puzzles and toy cars went to children of our Marines in service and to less fortunate children in the upper Westchester area,” wrote Lisa Zaino. “We also collected more than $600 for the U.S.O., in memory of our fallen Pound Ridge son, Marine Captain Eric A. Jones.”

It’s so complicated. Editing a film, that is. We just saw the new Nancy Meyers film, “it’s Complicated,” with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. We L-O-V-E loved it. One thing though … did anyone else notice a slight editing blip? In the at-home kitchen scene, Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) takes two gorgeous Croque Monsieurs out of the oven. She then brings these open-faced fancy French grilled cheese sandwiches over to the island to serve Adam the architect, who is standing nearby with a glass of wine. He says how amazing they look; she tells him it’s one of the first recipes she learned when she lived in Paris in her early-20s. With a spatula, she then serves Croque Monsieur. In the very next scene, she takes the Croques out of the oven AGAIN and serves them again. Check, please!

Leaving Croque behind … for me, cold weather = chocolate. There’s something about the kick of winter that calls for a cup of hot chocolate, a nip of good chocolate, or a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I just used the word “chocolate” three times in one sentence and I still can’t get enough of it. In our research, we discovered this fun and EZ recipe. Not only does it actually work, but the scary thing is that we are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake—morning, noon or night.

5-MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed.
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
Enjoy! (If you want to feel slightly more righteous and/or guilt-free, this recipe can serve two.)

Happy New Year and all the best in MMX!