This is why I have a growing collection of books by M. Sasek

The This is series by Miroslav Sasek may have been written to teach kids about travel, but they've got all the things this grown-up likes: sweet, smart copy combined with bold, colorful, streamlined illustrations of places I've lived, places I've been, and places I plan to go.

And, really, who needs tripadvisor.com when I've got all the basics covered in books that also look chic on my bookshelf?

PLACES I'VE LIVED

This is New York

This is Texas

This is London

This is Britain

PLACES I'VE LOVED

This is Paris

This is Rome

This is Greece

This is Venice

This is Ireland

This is San Francisco

This is Edinburgh

PLACES I'D LIKE TO LOVE AND/OR LIVE

This is Hong Kong

This is Australia

This is Munich (not yet republished)

This is Israel

This is the Way to the Moon

Obligatory snowy-day photos

Get 'em while they're hot. Or cold. Or whatever. Just get 'em.

See a few more snowy pics on my Flickr page.

Things my garbage disposal has met vs. things I wish it could meet

Has met:

• An entire bag of Trader Joe's frozen peas "mistakenly" left out overnight


• Stubborn crusts from pizza slices bought at My Little Pizzeria


• A whole loaf (a whole loaf!) of burnt banana bread


• A series of unfortunate q-tips, plastic forks, and earring studs


• Suicidal chocolate chips trying to escape mousse-making sessions

Wish it could meet:

• The word "moist"


• The phrase "that's what she said"


• Ms. Sallie Mae


• My aversion to peas, frozen or otherwise


• Any movie starring Matthew Lillard


• Snuggies for dogs


• The day I that I decided I needed a Little Orphan Annie perm in 1983


• Any photo taken of me in 1983


• This commercial

Holden calls it

My friend Cad has a twin brother whose favorite line from The Catcher in the Rye has always been, "Anyway, it was December and all, and it was cold as a witch's teat."

And if you live in New York City and you were in town this weekend, you know that that line is the perfect description of what we all just suffered through.

I am happy to report, however, that I personally got through it in the best possible way: Cad was here for a visit. She's one of my forever-friends who swooped into town for a much-needed girls' weekend. You know the kind--the ones that include long conversations about big things like relationships, careers, and religion, and little things like music, shopping, and Arrested Development. There's always wine. There's always someone who almost cries. There's always those "I wish we lived closer" moments. And best of all, there is always, always food.

These photos are from an afternoon at Noodle Bar on the Lower East Side. But we also whooped it up with burgers at Bar Tabac, scallops and pork chops at Little Giant, eel and a cheese plate at Public, and Sunday brunch at Apartment 138.

(And yes, if you add that up, I am pretty sure that we just consumed approximately 100,000 calories in about a three-day period. But my personal philosophy is that increased caloric intake due to circumstances such as vacationing, falling in love, celebrating a holiday, or just catching up with a girlfriend is completely acceptable and should be encouraged.)

Thank you warming up a witch's-teat-cold weekend, my friend. I'd eat my way through New York City with you any day.