About a month ago, as I was sitting in church, my mind bounced from one hymnal to another as we sang something familiar from our song book and the next thing I knew the song playing in my head was an old Sunday night favorite from my Baptist days: Redeemed, how I love to proclaim…

I love watching Top Chef. I’m particularly intrigued by the scenarios the contestants are forced to face, which often call forth skills beyond cooking that they may or may not have. A couple of weeks ago, the episode was called “Restaurant Wars” and the eight remaining contestants were divided into two teams and given the…

were you to ask what I did todayI might be tempted to say nothingbecause I had the day off from workbut that answer would be lazyI went to the grocery storeand the bank, baked bread,made a couple of soups,ate lunch with my wifeplayed with the pupsand took a nice long nap,which may have been mygreatest…

I’m tired. Things are going well at the Duke restaurant, and well means thirty more customers a night without any more help in the kitchen. I’m going early and staying late – and having fun as well. I’ve worked hard to put a new menu together for our newly renovated space and some of the…

Twenty years ago this weekend I met Ginger. Last night, as a way to celebrate, we went to see the Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble at the Carolina Theatre, since the love of my life is a dancer. The evening was full of good things both because of the dances and because one of the…

Billy and I were lucky today:we had a TV down the hall –and a radio in the kitchen.In between getting the lastof the buffet ready for theprofessors who would cometo satisfy their post-inauguralmunchies, I listened to theproceedings until the time came.“Let it burn, Billy,” I said.“It’s time.” And we ran downthe hall in time to…

it was a short notean old friend wroteall he said washe was “vinlying”John Denver recordsthat’s all, yetthe mere mentionof the melodiessent me “memorying”across layers of timeto long ago nightswhen we playedand sang and talkedof poems, prayersand promisesand things thatwe believed inI still know the chordsand the wordsand the feelingsthey have agedright along with me,as have…

I’m back in full swing at the restaurant at Duke since the second semester is just finishing it’s first full week. The big news for us is Duke Dining dropped some serious change to renovate our dining room; now it looks like a real restaurant instead of, well, a college dining hall. I’ve spent a…

Here are few things I brought home from church with me yesterday, thanks to our hymnal,Hymns of Truth and Light, in the order I found them. In the face of human suffering, one has no right to turn away, not to see. In the face of injustice, one may not look the other way. When…

My mind is all over the place. Perhaps I would state it better to say my mind has been bombarded by several things that have set it swirling. I can’t help thinking about what is happening in Gaza; part of the reason it bothers me is I feel helpless to do anything about it. I…