So…the world is a-buzz with the latest news from Instragram – they’ve revised the Privacy Policy to indemnify themselves in the event they want to steal…and sell your photos.

(Update: apparently, that is NOT their intention…but people were freaking out all day yesterday anyway.)   With all this back and forth, I’m really not sure WHAT is going on exactly…

However, in the midst of all the hype, it did occur to me that perhaps I’m using Instagram wrong…and perhaps so are all my friends.  In fact, if Instagram decided to raid my feed, they’d have access to a treasure trove of pictures of:

people’s feet

Thanks, Jaimi

Thanks, Emma

and food

Thanks, Shannon

and precisely one bazillion photos… of Olive.  

I’m pretty sure that the only way Instagram’s news affected my life is that #Instagram was trending yesterday much higher than the #GossipGirl finale.  Which was pretty #outrageous.

Blair and Serena are not amused.  And neither am I. 

xx (and xoxo),

L

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I posted this guy last year, but I couldn’t think of anything more creative to post for Passover 2012.  Please enjoy…AGAIN.  Happy Passover, y’all! 

Tonight marks the first night of Passover.  Jewish folks all over the world will sit down this evening to have a traditional Passover seder with friends + family. 

For those who are unfamiliar with this holiday but curious about it, the Q+DD is here to help!  I’ve put together a Passover “quickie” guide below (many thanks to Slate.com) for your reference covering all major seder points.  (Fact: LK + I actually used this as our seder program two years ago.)  Check us out below with our homemade charoset.  Oh yeah, our seder was 80′s-themed.  Don’t judge…

Two key items critical to the Passover seder are matzah (unleavened bread) + kosher wine…lots of it.

So here we go…

The Passover seder, the oldest continuously observed religious ceremony in the world, tells the story of the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt.  Jewish tradition says that people of each generation must imagine that they personally departed from Egypt + the sages say that each generation must retell the story in its own terms.

(The sages probably did not intend this.)

Opening prayers:

Lighting of the candles

Blessing over the wine

Prayer over the matzah

Pour a glass of wine for Elijah.  This is NOT like “spilling some out for your homeys.”

Thanks, G-d, for creating wine.  (Drink wine.)

Thanks for creating produce.  (Eat parsley.)

Overview:

Once we were slaves in Egypt.  Now we’re free.  That’s why we’re doing this.

(Drink wine.)

Four questions:

1. What’s up with the matzah?

2. What’s the deal with horseradish?

3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs?

4. What’s this whole slouching at the table business?

(Drink wine.)

Answers:

1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry.  There was no time for making decent bread.

2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.

3. It’s called symbolism.

4. Free people get to slouch.

(Drink wine.)

A funny story:

Once, these five rabbis talked all night, then it was morning.

(Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children + how to deal with them:

Wise child – explain Passover.

Simple child – explain Passover slowly.

Silent child – explain Passover loudly.

Wicked child – browbeat in front of the relatives.

(Drink wine.)

Speaking of children:

We hid some matzah.  Whomever finds it gets a surprise.  Yippee!

(Drink wine.)

The story of Passover:

It’s a long time ago.  We’re slaves in Egypt .

Pharaoh is a nightmare.  We cry out for help.  G-d brings plagues upon the Egyptians.  We escape, bake some matzoh.  G-d parts the Red Sea. 

We make it through; the Egyptians aren’t so lucky.  We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in Israel, get a new temple + enjoy several years without being persecuted again.

The 10 Plagues:

Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness + Eliminating the Oversensitive 1st Child…OY!

(Drink wine.)

The singing of (one chorus of ) Dayenu:

Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu,

Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,

Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,

Da-ye-nu!

CHORUS:

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Dai, da-ye-nu,

Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!

(Drink wine.)

If G-d had gotten us out of Egypt and not punished our enemies, it would’ve been enough.  If he’d punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, it would’ve been enough.  If he’d parted the Red Sea…

(Remove gefilte fish from refrigerator now.)

(Eat matzah.  Drink more wine.  Slouch.)

Thanks again, G-d, for everything!  We promise we’ll remember!

SERVE MEAL. 

(Drink wine.)

The seder is complete.  Next year in Israel!

Well, there you have it.  You’re welcome + happy Passover to all! 

xx, L

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Lululemon is opening up in West Midtown.  Core Fusion Folks + Midtown Yogis + ITP-People-Who-Want-To-Look-Fab-In-Workout-Gear REJOICE!

I almost got in a car wreck on Howell Mill + 14th Street yesterday when I drove by the old West Egg space and spotted Lulu’s signature red motivational shopping bag plastered across the entire building!

OMG.  OMG.  OMG.  OMG.  OMG.

(I wonder if I can set up direct deposit each month for my paycheck with them to cover all the damage I am going to do there during slow workday lunches??)  Welcome to the WestSIDEEE, Lulu! 

xx, L

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BIG news, y’all! 

This week, Fifth Group Restaurants announced that they will open their newest restaurant, Lure, in July of this year!  (We’ve been super excited for this for a while now!)

The seafood restaurant will be housed in the space where Vickery’s Crescent Avenue Bar & Grill was formerly located. 

construction @ lure in midtown

Lure’s Midtown location holds a special place in the hearts of the restaurant’s partners.  Fifth Group Restaurants’ history began in Midtown with the opening of South City Kitchen on Crescent Avenue 19 years ago, and the company will own the property where Lure stands.  This restaurant opening signifies Fifth Group Restaurants’ successful expansion over the past two decades and the company’s commitment to Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.  “We have been talking about Lure for more than three years, and the basic idea of serving simple, high quality seafood dishes in a fun, uniquely designed atmosphere has been our inspiration from the start,” says Kukler.  David Bradley, currently the chef de cuisine at Ecco, will oversee the kitchen at Lure.

So exciting!  We can’t wait for July!!

xx, L

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Happy Valentine’s day, darling readers!

In honor of this most glorious day of love, I wanted to tell you about an aMAzing date I had recently…with Lindsay. 

Q+DD Date Night = Always a good time. Trust.

Last Tuesday we attended Ra’s Sake & Sushi Social and it was a BLAST.

Here’s the Q+DD:  

We arrived at Ra Sushi at 7pm and were directed upstairs to a small, private area where there was a big table with all sorts of sushi accoutrements, surrounded by 6 or so highboys with our fellow sushi-making students (and soon to be best friends)

We started with a brief lesson on Sushi and Sake by Ra’s General Manager, Andy Palermo.  It was thrilling to know a little history behind a main staple of my diet for sure.     

Then: the main event.  Chef David Lam, the aDORable head sushi chef at Ra gave us a demonstration on what our sushi SHOULD look like.  He also demonstrated his mad knife skills and informed us that we wouldn’t be touching any knives anytime soon.

Fine by us.

To be honest, we might have had a little trouble with our sushi rolls.

Ginormous...but delicious

Our sushi. With "Training Wheels"

We did NOT, however, have trouble with our Sauvignon Blanc.

We had SO much fun tag-teaming sushi making and sake sampling and making new best friends:

There was a sake course for each of our dinner courses, including a sparking sake with our Mochi!

I really heart mochi.

Sparkling sake. Who knew?

Linds and I gave the evening 4 freshly manicured thumbs up.  We already loved Ra, but this event was something special – you should absolutely go. 

The next Sake Sushi Social is 03/06/2012 at 7:00PM

You, too, can experience a fabulous night of interactive sushi making and sake swilling for a mere $35/person or $60/couple! 

Space is limited, so call 404-267-0114 to reserve your spot now! 

We miss you, Chef Lam!

xx, L

Ra Sushi
1080 Peachtree Street, Suite 8
Atlanta, GA 30309

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