Knedle

I mean no disrespect to my family or my heritage, but these plum dumplings are the best thing about being Slovak.

Feast

Boy Scouts have been doing this for decades. Sure, clean water could transform the lives of many rural populations, but it's the stuff of amateurs. Scouts turn out whole turkeys and coffee cakes in their scotchbox ovens. But then again, my brother's troop also camps with a menu of "pre-breakfast," "breakfast," "lunch," "cocktails," "pre-dinner," and "dinner." Oh, and there are snacks available twenty-four/seven.

Sticking One's Neck Out

I've only seen "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" a handful of times, but in none of these episodes have I ever seen him win. The show's premise is that Flay challenges a chef who's an expert in a particular dish (pizza, pad thai, et cetera) to a cook-off. The idea that he could best an expert chef would seem a little arrogant, if Flay didn't work so hard to hone his own skills at the dish, and if he didn't lose so gracefully. I admire his willingness to put himself out there and risk failure. Either he would make a good fiction writer, or I should take up cooking.