Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

Boston Clam Chowder

Originally uploaded by japan-vincent

On July 1, 2007, 11,000 enthusiastic chowderheads will pay $10 a pop to sample contestants for New England’s signature dish–that hot, milky, salty, potato-ful, tomato-free, and clammy paradise known as New England clam chowder.

That and more will be going on in celebration of Fourth of July over at the big Boston Harborfest event.

I am delighted to learn that one earlier chowderfest winner is named Devine! Clam chowder recipes have gone through a big shift in the fifty-plus years I’ve been enjoying them–most notably starting in ’70s California when chefs began to add more and more thickening to the earlier just-milk-with-clam-juice-and-a-wee-tad-of-bacon broth.

My unprejudiced blogger verdict is that the clam chowders served at Legal Seafood and Jasper’s Summer Shack are way over-rated. The most delicious clam chowder in Boston, better than either of those and also much less expensive, is served at the little fast food outlets called Boston Chowda. There’s one inside “the Garage” at Harvard Square, another at Fanueil Hall.

If you go to Jasper’s or Legal, get just about anything except the clam chowder–and the chowder’s not bad, it’s just less good than Chowda’s. Both have great lobster rolls, and Jasper’s has awesome Rhode Island calamari.

One more local Boston-Cambridge-seafood-touristy note about Legal Seafood–their chain is so popular that most locations have people waiting for tables as soon as it’s mealtime. The Legal Seafood in Harvard Square (on the plaza with the Charles Hotel) is a welcome exception to this annoying rule–you can almost always get seated right away.

Hmmm, for some reason, I’m starting to feel very hungry!

Convalescent bichon

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

A. Therapy dog is to mopey doped-up patient.
B. Cute sailor dog look is to my glamorous Hollywood pajama look.
C. Patient with lots more to complain about but still wearing happy face is to patient with much less to complain about who is actually also feeling pretty good.
D. All of the above.

My little sister’s beautiful white dog had a whole buncha little lumpy things removed, so that she (the dog, not my glamorous sis) now wears a coverup on lots of bits she shouldn’t be biting. I have just a few stiches under my chin and thereabouts, but Marie and Bill and Dreama the Wonder Dog droved down to Cambridge to help Frank babysit me anyway.

I so much appreciate it. They’re so darn nice. And I still keep falling asleep. And I feel so lucky. Good night, I’ll be back to blogging at you soon.

…because I’m off to a few days of no web access.

I’ll miss you, all my internet companions! Keep on blogging and Twittering and Wikipedianizing on my behalf until I get back.

xxxx to all of you guys,
Betsy

"Wait–I see a square foot of empty space in the corner!"

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

…who are all these folks in my living room?

These two questions are strangely connected because our living room is getting each moment more crowded by crew members from the PBS TV show Closer to Truth, visible online via The Research Channel.

Having now Flickred some photos of them, I’m headed back downstairs to enjoy all the chaos, including free brownies!

Rob at West Side Lounge, Cambridge, MA

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Because Suw’s blog is “Chocolate and Vodka“, I wanted to introduce her to Cambridge’s reputedly best bartender–Rob of the West Side Lounge, also home to Cambridge’s best chef.

(In fact Rob is most famous for his mojitos, including (his own recipe) Mexican mojito, but that’s a different story.)

Consider this blogpost just a bit of local knowledge offered up to Google and you concerning a very good place to eat and drink in Cambridge, MA–well, at least a place I like a lot, and so now does Suw!

Suw Charman in photo destined for many Flickr notes

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Suw is in Cambridge, bringing joy and also swag from ORG.

Geeks love free stickers and stuff aka swag. This photo contains many examples, including a Tucows cow we got from Joey DeVilla, Mr. AccordionGuy.

In honor of Fathers’ Day…

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

…here’s my dad, Murray Devine, who was far too rarely the subject of photos. Most often, he was the one holding a camera, trying to get all the people and places and things he loved to hold still so that he could preserve us forever.

This early Polaroid shot was so overexposed that my dad’s face is almost eclipsed by a pale, pale blur.

So thank you to Photoshop for bring my dad’s face back to me, many years later. I still miss him so much.


Oh–and here’s a shout-out to so many other dads I love and admire–Frank A and Frank J and Kevin and Bill spring to mind. You are the Babe Ruths and Mickey Mantles of Dad-hood. You stepped up to the plate and took your best swing–not just once but again and again. Sometimes you hit home runs–other times tried just as hard but your luck was against you. Thank you for your love and your courage and your perseverance. Those of us with dads like you are lucky indeed.

English breakfast as served at Oxford’s New College

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

…the breakfast toast-destroyer known as a toast rack.

In my NH growing-up family, we liked our toast hot–fresh out of the toaster and quickly slathered with butter. So your first bite of toast would be hot with a dab of still-cool butter on top, while your last bite would be warm, all the non-crust somewhat sodden with melted butter.

My first encounter with an English toast rack left me incredulous–was this a machine for cooling off hot toast and creating cold dry bread slices?

Now years later, I think I understand. It’s not a machine to make the toast lose heat, it’s a machine to keep toast from getting soggy. The English prize crisp toast that crunches. My family didn’t mind soggy if it came with buttery. The English way is healthier–but of course I like my way.

Suw Pre-event

Originally uploaded by betsythedevine

Or should that be, guess whuw is coming tuw Boston?

Suw Charman! The always charming Chairman of Britain’s Open Rights Group. (Does this make her an ORG-head?)

I’ll show you my wedding dress, Suw, if you’ll show me your tiaras!