About

annie.jpg

At various times, I have been a musician, a student of literature, and an attorney. I am a wife, a mother, a stepmother, a daughter, a sister, a kickass aunt, and a friend. (I really do some of my best work as an aunt). I have trouble saying “no,” which results in a surprising and terrifying number of meetings and e-mails about things like bake sales, curriculum changes and urban sprawl. I would rather read, write or cook than do anything else; if I could do all three simaltaneously it would be my own, personal Trifecta.  I adopt stray animals, I can make a meal out of anything, I am kind to children and crazy people, and I have a vast array of meaningless trivia at my command including the ability to reel off the marital history of both A and B list celebrities. On the flip side, I am anxious, judgmental, got a “D” in Algebra II and can’t read a map. As I get older, my hair is colored, my right thumb is arthritic and my glasses are stronger, but my heart is still true. Stick with me and I’ll give you the best that I’ve got.

22 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Annette Irwin  |  July 19, 2007 at 2:46 pm

    Ann,

    This is a fabulous web site!! At a glance I have seen at least a 1/2 dozen recipes that I am going to try!! You are saving me from the cooking rut! THANKS

  • 2. Jan  |  August 29, 2007 at 12:07 pm

    You go girl! I love this site. VERY homey and worthwhile recipes that we can all relate to. We all have “leftovers” and many of these suggestions are very appealing.

  • 3. imagineannie  |  August 29, 2007 at 12:10 pm

    Thanks, ladies. Perhaps you are biased, though, because you both know how extraordinarily fabulous I am in person. ;> ;)

  • 4. Vera  |  August 29, 2007 at 3:43 pm

    Since I do not know you in person, I will add that this is a lovely blog and the recipes do look inviting! Found your site while searching for cuban deviled ham recipes. Will be watching with interest…

  • 5. imagineannie  |  August 29, 2007 at 4:05 pm

    Thanks for the kind words, Vera! It does make me feel a little validated to have someone like the blog on its own merits. I am very intrigued by Cuban deviled ham - I like the regular kind, but haven’t had it since I was a kid and my dad used it to make our lunch box sandwiches.

  • 6. richard leigh  |  August 29, 2007 at 7:55 pm

    Annie,
    Thanks for the kind words and most of all about my songwriting.
    You must be a fine gal.
    My best to you and your husband,
    Richard Leigh, songwriter

  • 7. imagineannie  |  August 30, 2007 at 7:53 am

    Aw, shucks, Mr. Leigh. I’m honored to have a famous visitor! I’m just an old classical cellist from way back, but I have a soft spot for a beautiful country song…..

  • 8. Janet  |  September 10, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    Like Vera, I stumbled onto your site quite by accident while trying to locate an old Nigella Lawson cookie recipe. I work in advertising so I was immediately drawn to the clean, nicely designed look of your site. Then I read it and really felt that if I lived in Michigan, not NJ, we would be friends. I share your sense of humor and your philosophy of cooking and eating. And I hope to try some of your recipes. I do think your playlist could use a little help though–would you mind if I sent some of my current favorite song titles your way?

  • 9. imagineannie  |  September 10, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    Hi, Janet! We can be friends - we just won’t actually see a whole lot of each other. I can’t take credit for the actual design of the blog because wordpress provides templates, but at least I picked a nice one?

    I would love to know what’s on your playlist - in my defense, I left out some of my more eccentric (mainly emo and early punk) favorites so that I wouldn’t frighten “normal” people. I’ll listen to anything at least once, and I love to get music ideas from other people - some of my most cherished possessions are mix tapes from as long as 25 years ago.

    Now I’m all excited to see what you like! Hurry!

  • 10. Janet  |  September 13, 2007 at 5:17 pm

    Hey Annie. Since we are now friends, at least the bizarre Internet kind, here’s a custom-designed playlist for Forest Street Kitchen. It’s approved for all audience. Sort of a jambalaya of all different stuff, some old, some new, some ethnic…you get the picture. Enjoy.

    Harvest for the World/Isley Brothers• Good People/Jack Johnson• You Will Be Loved/Future Clouds and Radar• Limon en la Cabeza/Gecko Turner• 1234/Feist• Playhouse/Van Morrison• Mexican Wine/Fountains of Wayne• Incense and Peppermint/Strawberry Alarm Clark• I Wanna Get Married/Nellie McKay• We’re Cookin’/John Lee Hooker• Dance Me to the End of Love/Madeleine Peyroux• I Just Want to Celebrate/Rare Earth• Sweet Pea/Amos Lee• Wear Your Love Like Heaven/Donovan• The Weight/Staple Singers

  • 11. imagineannie  |  September 14, 2007 at 6:58 am

    Janet, I am ecstatic to have a playlist of my very own!! I like Jack Johnson and Feist, but do not know those songs. I can’t believe there is a Van Morrison song I don’t know, but its kind of like finding cash in the pocket of a coat I haven’t worn since last year.

    I am hoping that “The Weight” will not make me feel guilty about the results of my time in the kitchen. Anyway, as soon as I can do it without being interrupted (possibly some time in 2009) I will begin the process of listening and downloading and replacing my playlist with yours - okay if I give you credit on the blog?

  • 12. junemoon  |  September 15, 2007 at 10:54 pm

    Hi imagineannie ~ I absolutely love your blog and look forward to further exploration of your archived entries AND I absolutely do not know you in person so hope my opinion counts a little more. Wink. Say, do you have a ‘cannot screw up’ recipe for shredded beef? I have tried numerous slow coooker recipes (meaning at least 4-5) only to be disappointed in the final product. Thanks for your super blog site! junemoon

  • 13. Janet  |  September 16, 2007 at 10:13 am

    Hey, Annie. Thanks for putting the playlist up. More importantly, thanks for your tribute to comfort food. I can only hope that William Grimes looks back on his 2001 essay and feels great embarassment. (There is now a “fast food” (ironically) mac and cheese store in New York City where you can take out all sorts of mac and cheese dishes.) It is a cool, clear Sunday in NJ so I will kick off comfort food season tonight and I just might do it with your macaroni and cheese recipe. I usually use Ina Garten’s recipe but yours seems so much simpler. Btw, I was once appalled to read David Rosengarten’s recipe included vegetables to provide “relief in a relentless sea of dairy”. He is so missing the point.

  • 14. imagineannie  |  September 16, 2007 at 6:00 pm

    Janet, I LOVE the playlist. It is on my iPod (which my family believes I would save from a fire before I rescued any of them) and burned on a CD in my car.

    I think Mr. Grimes probably doesn’t care what I think, but I care what he thinks, I said so, and I feel better. I am intrigued by a mac & cheese restaurant - there are lots of ways to fix it, and to “gussy it up” (I have also read about urban restaurants serving cubes of fried mac & cheese) but I consider “gussying” to be gilding a perfect lily. Relief from a “relentless sea of dairy” can more appropriately be gotten by, oh, a green vegetable and some salad on the plate with the mac and cheese. We do it here all the time with stunning success.

    I hope you like the recipe - its not fancy, but it tastes good. I like anything Ina does, but sometimes I can’t face the degree of difficulty.

  • 15. imagineannie  |  September 16, 2007 at 6:04 pm

    Welcome, Junemoon!! I do have a recipe for shredded beef, although its pretty down market - much more “Good Housekeeping” than “Saveur.” Its good, though. I’ll post it in the near future, and if I can’t for some reason (like I am busy creating cold fusion in a glass or something) I’ll e-mail it to you directly. I am flattered and honored that you added me to your blogroll, and it means a great deal that you like the blog unless you are in some way secretly connected to my family or friends…. :)

  • 16. diane  |  November 7, 2007 at 8:25 pm

    Ann- I was not sure what I was reading when I tumbled into your blog somehow I was reading your email and ended up here! What an absolute treat! It is now on my bookmarked favorites list fo me to enjoy regularly. Just possibly the recipes will motivate me or maybe they will intimidate me from ever having you over for a meal I’ve prepared (just kidding if my food doesn’t bring you witty reparte and chocolate ought to do it!)

  • 17. imagineannie  |  November 8, 2007 at 8:02 am

    Diane, I will write you a private message because I’m not sure the blogging community is interested in my desire to give Emma an old shirt of Stephanie’s, but I am glad you found and enjoyed my little sideline!

  • 18. Ray Woodall  |  November 20, 2007 at 11:45 am

    So this is where you have been hiding!

    I will have to send this link to Terri.

    Make it a Great Week!
    Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
    Ray Woodall
    843-367-8562

  • 19. claudia at 'cook eat FRET'  |  February 7, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    love love love this
    you are really totally fabulous
    no, really…

  • 20. bibomedia  |  February 29, 2008 at 3:45 am

    :)

  • 21. Eilene Cross  |  June 13, 2008 at 11:39 pm

    Here is the link for the Sunday Morning spot on Bourdain.
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/30/sunday/main3312231.shtml

  • 22. imagineannie  |  June 19, 2008 at 6:36 am

    Thanks, Eilene!!

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