Do you ever get a song stuck in your head?
Well, with the recent heat in St. Louis, I’ve been walking around the house singing a favorite from Nelly: It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes. I only know two lines of the song, and I sing them over and over. My daughter and husband just stare at me like I’ve gone mad. Perhaps I have. The heat makes it hard for me to focus, so this week’s column is a variety of random thoughts.
Yet again, I was not nominated for an Emmy! This is an outrage for several reasons, but not unexpected since I did not produce, direct or act in any television shows. Thus, I will have to watch it at home like everyone else … except for the three St. Louisans who were nominated: Ellie Kemper for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Sterling K. Brown for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Kevin Kline for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. I wonder who they are going to take with them. Hold on, let me Google and see if they are married or in a committed relationship. Yes, they all are, but fun fact: Kevin Kline is 69. He looks fantastic! Anyway, if any of them want to take me to the Emmys, I will pay my way to L.A. and start working on my manners.
Did you know that cauliflower is the new kale? I never got on the kale bandwagon. It tastes too bitter. The closest I got to ‘kind of’ liking it was the kale salad at Pastaria, but then I realized there were anchovies in the dressing. Back to cauliflower, I have always liked it, usually just raw. But as anyone who has cooked it knows, it stinks! I am a faithful watcher of morning news programs, particularly the cooking segments. The past two months, they have been grinding up cauliflower as a substitute for rice and other grains. The problem is, you can’t disguise the odor. I love Matt Lauer (not as much as Lester Holt), but the poor guy nearly lost his breakfast during a cauliflower faux fried rice segment. The smell got to him. Sometimes you just should leave a vegetable alone, and cauliflower is one of them.
I have two very different book recommendations for you. The first is Giant of the Senate by Al Franken. I tend to steer clear of writing about politics because I don’t want to argue with strangers. Friends, yes, strangers, no. Anyway, Al Franken is a funny guy, having spent time working on SNL, and eventually moving home to Minnesota and becoming a U.S. Senator. I promise, regardless of your party affiliation, it will make you laugh! The other is The Art of Southern Charm by Patricia Altschul. Now, if you watch the reality TV show Southern Charm, you know who I am talking about. For those unfamiliar, Patricia is a cast member, and there is no one who can pull off a caftan or throw shade better than her. The book is a mix of social etiquette, recipes, ideas for the home and a bunch of other information I don’t need. That said, if I am invited to the Emmys, I will be consulting it to determine how I should behave. It does make me wonder … if Patricia can write a book, why can’t I?
And there you have it. My mind on ‘heat.’ Is it getting hot in here?
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.