Falscher Hase

On our recent visit to Fairfax, Tom made us a really delicious meat loaf. Inside it were hard-boiled eggs, giving each slice a very pretty cross-section. (I regret having taken no photos.) I am a meat-loaf lover -- I often order it in retro restaurants and diners -- so I really enjoyed it.<br /><br />Tom told us that his mother often made this dish, and that it's called "Falscher Hase," or "Fake Rabbit." However, he had no idea why it had this name -- and it's not an Easter-dish, just one that his mother made from time to time.<br /><br />Franz and Rosi, Tom's parents, subsequently sent this explanation of the dish:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88BSSbzTuoAjrhbrKJ5q_BkJIeUfpgB9JIPTEl0b3LleZA84Kj_QLC-ZipF-Gs0zM6I_-blhFaVearij28hRoYDaThhZK9wl0dwfEpGFA8vekuRUA_TMXhqRa_VolFnjcD4aaCfEpPAWa/s1600/-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591315038688016594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88BSSbzTuoAjrhbrKJ5q_BkJIeUfpgB9JIPTEl0b3LleZA84Kj_QLC-ZipF-Gs0zM6I_-blhFaVearij28hRoYDaThhZK9wl0dwfEpGFA8vekuRUA_TMXhqRa_VolFnjcD4aaCfEpPAWa/s400/-1.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px;" /></a>Fortunately, our friend Peter made us this translation:<br /><blockquote>"Did you know? In days gone by, many a Sunday dinner had for its main course a so-called false hare. That's a meat loaf put in a form that shaped it like a rabbit which usually had an egg filling and had strips of bacon on top. Very tasty --but basically a hard times dish. Since only a very few families could afford an expensive rack of rabbit roast, along came an inventive lady of the house who came up with the idea to prepare reasonably priced ground beef, shaping it so that it looked like a fine rack of rabbit. And so it came about that the plain meat loaf became a dish that looked proper for the affluent folk."</blockquote>I write with gratitude to Tom for cooking us this great dish, Rosi for being its original author, Franz for the explanation, and Peter for the translation. Thanks, everyone!

Falscher Hase

On our recent visit to Fairfax, Tom made us a really delicious meat loaf. Inside it were hard-boiled eggs, giving each slice a very pretty cross-section. (I regret having taken no photos.) I am a meat-loaf lover -- I often order it in retro restaurants and diners -- so I really enjoyed it.Tom told u…

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Food in Detective Stories

In a conversation today, I mentioned that I had written several posts about food in detective stories, but that the posts were buried among many others. So here's a partial list:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2011/02/empty-tureen.html">The Empty Tureen</a></li><li><a name="7899325406294648336"></a><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2011/01/aurelio-zen-eats-hamburger.html">Aurelio Zen eats a hamburger</a></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/12/commissario-brunetti-eats-lunch.html">Commissario Brunetti Eats Lunch</a></li><li><a name="625818553267015832"></a><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-did-colombo-eat.html">What did Colombo eat?</a></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/real-nero-wolfe.html">Real Nero Wolfe,</a> <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/08/black-orchids-and-corned-beef-hash.html">Black Orchids and Corned-Beef Hash</a> and <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/secret-recipes.html">Secret Recipes </a>(about Nero Wolfe)</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/02/janissary-tree.html">"The Janissary Tree"</a></li><li> <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/12/murder-with-recipes.html">Murder -- with recipes?</a> about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Body in the Ivy</span> by Katherine Hall Page</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/12/inspectors-dinner-party.html">The Inspector's Dinner Party</a> about Martin Beck books by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/10/inspector-montalbano-identifies-himself.html">Inspector Montalbano Identifies Himself</a> and <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/06/snack-thief.html">"The Snack Thief"</a> about the works of Andrea Camilleri</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/12/p-d-james.html">P. D. James</a></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/11/bitter-feast.html">"A Bitter Feast"</a> and <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2010/02/reflecting-sky.html">"Reflecting the Sky"</a> (about S. J. Rozan)</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/03/fabulous-book.html">Fabulous Book</a> about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Chinese Chef</span></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/03/instance-of-fingerpost.html">"An Instance of the Fingerpost"</a></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-do-members-of-yiddish-policemens.html">What do members of the Yiddish Policemen's Union Eat?</a> about Chabon's book and some of the borscht-belt food that he invokes.<br /></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2008/06/tuna-noodle-casserole-literary-version.html">Tuna-Noodle Casserole, Literary Version</a> about Robert Parker's detective stories and one particular example of his pretensions about food.</li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2008/09/elmore-leonards-kitchen.html">Elmore Leonard's Kitchen</a> about one mystery where several key scenes take place in the kitchen, and where food is quite central to the characters' development.<br /></li><li><a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2008/04/dining-with-exotic-policemen.html">Dining with Exotic Policemen</a> and <a href="http://regional-food.blogspot.com/2009/10/weird-food-and-not-for-halloween.html">Weird Food and not for Halloween</a> about Chinese author Qiu Xiaolong’s mystery novel <span style="font-style: italic;">Death of a Red Heroine</span> and the exotic foods eaten by the detective, including snake.<br /></li><li><a href="http://maetravels.blogspot.com/2008/10/tony-hillerman.html">Tony Hillerman</a> (link to his obituary)</li><li style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">and <a href="http://blog.thejurorinvestigates.com/categories/Jury%20Duty%20Food.aspx">my guest posts</a> at the blog "The Hanged Juror" about Hillerman, Agatha Christie, and others.</li></ul>Note: to see all the posts, click on the label "Food in Detective Fiction" at the bottom of this post.

Food in Detective Stories

In a conversation today, I mentioned that I had written several posts about food in detective stories, but that the posts were buried among many others. So here's a partial list:The Empty TureenAurelio Zen eats a hamburgerCommissario Brunetti Eats LunchWhat did Colombo eat?Real Nero Wolfe, Black O…

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The Royal Wedding

Somehow I started reading about Royal Wedding food themes. The <span style="font-style: italic;">L.A. Times</span> <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/03/how-to-throw-a-royal-wedding-party-canape-recipes-from-the-la-times-test-kitchen.html">Daily Dish blog</a> reports that 10,000 canapes will be served, and offers recipes in case you want to have a party to celebrate the wedding. Their <a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-royal-wedding-canapes-pictures,0,1350341.photogallery">recipes</a> are amazing -- flavors from many, many cultures. Probably better than the real thing. Making all 22 of them would require a nearly regal kitchen brigade, I bet, though a few of them could make a nice party.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKftxe1hGLdUt_syswwWmvEjwslNy5GHm7sYGjgNaYRgt6nUoFaNB9gIzKsrkTlez7ZYjAWas-eATh8tbYsDqa9VUpJUTPSRgsi8yA5kXxFka9Ljn8Ubjt74Tkg4GtObNCwNYCGfDFG1ed/s1600/rich-tea.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589652245672992034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKftxe1hGLdUt_syswwWmvEjwslNy5GHm7sYGjgNaYRgt6nUoFaNB9gIzKsrkTlez7ZYjAWas-eATh8tbYsDqa9VUpJUTPSRgsi8yA5kXxFka9Ljn8Ubjt74Tkg4GtObNCwNYCGfDFG1ed/s400/rich-tea.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" /></a><a href="http://unveiled.blogs.cnn.com/?hpt=C2">CNN</a> has a general report on wedding events and trends, such as the Dunkin Donuts limited-edition Royal Wedding donut available only from April 24-29. Also <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/03/26/uk.royal.wedding.cake/index.html">a description</a> of the "groom's cake" to be served alongside the couple's official wedding cake. This will be made from McVittie's Rich Tea biscuits. And for a complete discussion and history of Rich Tea biscuits -- "invented in the 17th century for the upper classes as light snack between meals and impregnating the scullery maids" -- see <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/28/biscuits-royal-wedding-cake-william">this</a> at the Guardian.<br /><br />What a coincidence: I have been eating Rich Tea biscuits (though the wrong brand) for a couple of weeks -- I bought them at a grocery store when we were in Ireland. In fact, in Northern Ireland, so they really came from the English realm! I can report that they are not as sweet as American cookies -- in fact, a little tasteless compared to say, Girl Scout cookies. But there you are. The Royal Groom's Cake will contain 1700 of them, as attested by this photo, supposedly:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTUkoWXEBuUJZ4rla3oMPK7K1aCBYibR6eUZQ5OO-V4udh6WuvrQw_XioBtKG3Q683D2USe0WhbMS7XafMH3AqXlhD2WrtTYrIzC5TQRcOP4NdVTkW5aYSaE6IPRl_nbcZwD1pca2-M6Y/s1600/t1larg.cookiecake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589653279954261538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTUkoWXEBuUJZ4rla3oMPK7K1aCBYibR6eUZQ5OO-V4udh6WuvrQw_XioBtKG3Q683D2USe0WhbMS7XafMH3AqXlhD2WrtTYrIzC5TQRcOP4NdVTkW5aYSaE6IPRl_nbcZwD1pca2-M6Y/s400/t1larg.cookiecake.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" /></a><br />The best Royal Wedding Kitchen Item is a Royal Wedding Refrigerator (it's a joke from here: <a href="http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/whats-not-to-like/" rel="bookmark"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>What’s not to like?</a>):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXrT7Cb2x30qB6PdQur-l36LzA16Vy71DCvrY91aKzOsRdE4WZrOu42N6OwiJnKWyqBGvOoTCDIS4CmmsELny0Z8A1dyHwkunXFSuwH3aKZ56K0O1fXB67X_dwPrg9T9PY4sGVSV5aYYj/s1600/fridge-royal.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589653784855928050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXrT7Cb2x30qB6PdQur-l36LzA16Vy71DCvrY91aKzOsRdE4WZrOu42N6OwiJnKWyqBGvOoTCDIS4CmmsELny0Z8A1dyHwkunXFSuwH3aKZ56K0O1fXB67X_dwPrg9T9PY4sGVSV5aYYj/s400/fridge-royal.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 400px;" /></a>

The Royal Wedding

Somehow I started reading about Royal Wedding food themes. The L.A. Times Daily Dish blog reports that 10,000 canapes will be served, and offers recipes in case you want to have a party to celebrate the wedding. Their recipes are amazing -- flavors from many, many cultures. Probably better than the …

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E-Yah, the Hungry Spirit

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBck-H3an__lQukLVvak_daJFeA65Tg6znn59JHAthnNE4CXdtlY9VNqQ7d9yiF84FoRSYLplQeoJ0TQ3Vwx-h5uAuUutcEzL0i78bDCGCLfDXQ43PvgeNW8aD-KhUP8nYqMUTYQHZSALN/s1600/e-yah2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588904691259802098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBck-H3an__lQukLVvak_daJFeA65Tg6znn59JHAthnNE4CXdtlY9VNqQ7d9yiF84FoRSYLplQeoJ0TQ3Vwx-h5uAuUutcEzL0i78bDCGCLfDXQ43PvgeNW8aD-KhUP8nYqMUTYQHZSALN/s400/e-yah2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 295px;" /></a>Today at the Detroit Institute of Arts we encountered E-yah, the spirit of gluttony. E-yah, an insatiably hungry spirit, appears as a tiny head on enormous wooden bowls like the two in the photos we took. These bowls were filled to the brim with food and offered up at feasts held by "an elite group of spiritual leaders of the Yankton Sioux nation in South Dakota." Ability to eat enormous quantities of food indicated a sign of spiritual power, according to the documentation (which you can see by clicking on the image).<br /><br />I searched for more legends of this god and found a tale about a man on a journey who returned "looking like a specter. ... The poor fellow, delirious with hunger, fancied himself engaged in mortal combat with Eyah, the god of famine, who has a mouth extending from ear to ear. Wherever he goes there is famine, for he swallows all that he sees, even whole nations! The legend has it that Eyah fears nothing but the jingling of metal." From <a href="http://www.freefictionbooks.org/books/o/20466-old-indian-days-by-charles-alexander-eastman?start=30">Old Indian Days</a> by Charles Alexander Eastman.<br /><br />A god of gluttony or famine who presides over feasts and swallows whole nations? Fascinating. Obviously the product of a very different set of experiences than that of us modern feast-or-diet humans.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxeTBSBwUpI20_upnAib1OlDyytWlhcazs9AH8S2bBz-h9E5MnS1VdOSCfzJjpyKCjmS5QauYJhgsLe2x6LrUonuf3iyrfntkdZaFAIeeyRK-aPM6OoXBTj87Ya8snoc7_ktvUBfx391M/s1600/e-yah1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588904682222403938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxeTBSBwUpI20_upnAib1OlDyytWlhcazs9AH8S2bBz-h9E5MnS1VdOSCfzJjpyKCjmS5QauYJhgsLe2x6LrUonuf3iyrfntkdZaFAIeeyRK-aPM6OoXBTj87Ya8snoc7_ktvUBfx391M/s400/e-yah1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" /></a>

E-Yah, the Hungry Spirit

Today at the Detroit Institute of Arts we encountered E-yah, the spirit of gluttony. E-yah, an insatiably hungry spirit, appears as a tiny head on enormous wooden bowls like the two in the photos we took. These bowls were filled to the brim with food and offered up at feasts held by "an elite group …

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New Recipe for Frittata

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharOI5NoMcPTkVDOcaLQdn6vO2GHwGbaCCJFaMBHqcgIsSC4v7FuD1m7qyuSQk0Hxq_Le2veSH9hJJAz6wfB2nzoZ7ZaG1Xb3jTOjU2Ax5cc0DwwYuAmT8miKgj7jRIB1gFqiYhY0bVfY8/s1600/fritatta5732.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587782936316079042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharOI5NoMcPTkVDOcaLQdn6vO2GHwGbaCCJFaMBHqcgIsSC4v7FuD1m7qyuSQk0Hxq_Le2veSH9hJJAz6wfB2nzoZ7ZaG1Xb3jTOjU2Ax5cc0DwwYuAmT8miKgj7jRIB1gFqiYhY0bVfY8/s400/fritatta5732.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 214px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For 2 to 4 servings, depending on what else you are eating:</span><br /><br />3 or 4 eggs<br />1 or 2 egg whites<br />1 to 2 cups chopped cooked broccoli<br />2 roasted peppers from a jar, cut in dice<br />Salt<br />1/4 to 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika or other paprika<br />1 Tb. butter<br />4 to 6 slices ham (one oz. slices), cut up<br />3 to 4 oz shredded cheese (like KerryGold Irish cheese or cheddar)<br /><br />Beat eggs with salt & paprika; add broccoli and peppers. Melt butter in large oven-proof frying pan and add ham; cook briefly on high. Add egg mixture, turn heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.<br /><br />After the eggs are cooked but not entirely set, sprinkle with the cheese (which can be mixed with another 1/4 tsp. of paprika). Place under broiler as illustrated above, and cook until cheese is brown and bubbly. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn -- it takes around 5 minutes.<br /><br />Allow the fritatta to set for a few minutes, cut in quarters, and serve:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjq4gXl5xjr3UsIGiKXkllcMmiukbC4BHf0PZbQYnixJNAoWe1g5kvRvqtiBeHYnx8CCwln4K3jhqvkpRgbcZGBGlRb2NCpg2FhorsAvW4TtBG8ItSIHae3tW2A9qxAVEuAg9lhN6gTfN/s1600/fritatta5737.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587782940524565458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjq4gXl5xjr3UsIGiKXkllcMmiukbC4BHf0PZbQYnixJNAoWe1g5kvRvqtiBeHYnx8CCwln4K3jhqvkpRgbcZGBGlRb2NCpg2FhorsAvW4TtBG8ItSIHae3tW2A9qxAVEuAg9lhN6gTfN/s400/fritatta5737.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>

New Recipe for Frittata

For 2 to 4 servings, depending on what else you are eating:3 or 4 eggs1 or 2 egg whites1 to 2 cups chopped cooked broccoli2 roasted peppers from a jar, cut in diceSalt1/4 to 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika or other paprika1 Tb. butter4 to 6 slices ham (one oz. slices), cut up3 to 4 oz shredded chees…

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A Beautiful Plate

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT0SEsMmHKKwfQMRv4hH1y9CBp9lASNxbhPoc8PoZSKeS7grg46xljqLUv8wlX1SaTTsxbrqiQ1SB3hJ5A7PCR5P3r1SleWqQcyHZrGDPUShNIUKzoZsYbqjrJ8cFD4UTP7SkbXIh19Jf/s1600/newplate5730.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587366154754604146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT0SEsMmHKKwfQMRv4hH1y9CBp9lASNxbhPoc8PoZSKeS7grg46xljqLUv8wlX1SaTTsxbrqiQ1SB3hJ5A7PCR5P3r1SleWqQcyHZrGDPUShNIUKzoZsYbqjrJ8cFD4UTP7SkbXIh19Jf/s400/newplate5730.png" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />Evelyn made me this beautiful ceramic plate, which I am using for the first time. The salad is apples, fennel, walnuts, and lemon vinaigrette, inspired by an item on the menu where we ate tapas. (We didn't order this one, I was inspired by the description only.)<br /><br />Another view of the plate, this time with cheese-filled (though leaking) meatballs:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazvFVrKBbeOmOEMM3eQtnXeByOfm3dQIiDqAuvjsCEDzwE8xev_3WW2jHQjuqm0WzWY-Yd_Wf67nZk1lK4CmnlJ8Agmp6dRoZPREj-fbo5HIUGcFLmXH0wztKEX3_P7N2kEDjicpN0K7-/s1600/plate5739.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589941885764813890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazvFVrKBbeOmOEMM3eQtnXeByOfm3dQIiDqAuvjsCEDzwE8xev_3WW2jHQjuqm0WzWY-Yd_Wf67nZk1lK4CmnlJ8Agmp6dRoZPREj-fbo5HIUGcFLmXH0wztKEX3_P7N2kEDjicpN0K7-/s400/plate5739.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a>

A Beautiful Plate

Evelyn made me this beautiful ceramic plate, which I am using for the first time. The salad is apples, fennel, walnuts, and lemon vinaigrette, inspired by an item on the menu where we ate tapas. (We didn't order this one, I was inspired by the description only.)Another view of the plate, this time w…

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546174505/" title="pizza-ella by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="pizza-ella" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5546174505_bf985af0f5.jpg" width="448" /></a><br /><br />Across from the National Portrait Gallery and American art museum is <a href="http://www.ellaspizza.com/">Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza.</a> Its website claims to have the best wood-fired pizza in DC. It was good but I've never been to the competition.<br /><br />After seeing the portraits of many famous Americans -- especially the newest ones, including those of film stars and directors, music stars, designers, current writers, artists and many others, we went to lunch at Ella's. Then back for the famous portraits of George Washington, Lincoln, many other presidents, Chuck Close's portrait of Bill Clinton, portraits of famous civil rights leaders, and many more. I especially liked Ben Shan's portrait of martyrs Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney.<br /><br />The museum was exhilarating!<br /><br />Finally, a special collection of wire portraits by Calder, whose ability to visualize and sketch in 3-D lines is amazing. He drew many art-world figures, including Ben Shan.<br /><br />Here's an example of Calder's work: a 2D and 3D portrait (1929) of an art historian named Hans Curlis who made a film about Calder:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546174549/" title="calder1 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="calder1" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5053/5546174549_d102b0cee5.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546756870/" title="calder2 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="calder2" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5546756870_7435c29a5d.jpg" width="429" /></a>

Across from the National Portrait Gallery and American art museum is Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza. Its website claims to have the best wood-fired pizza in DC. It was good but I've never been to the competition.After seeing the portraits of many famous Americans -- especially the newest ones, including th…

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