Bachelor Days- Insight into your blogger.

I dropped Kitty off at the airport this morning at 5:30 a.m. She is off to Denver to see her family and I'm holding down the fort here. Jazzed on coffee and a bagel with salmon cream cheese, I watched a couple of episodes of the first season of "Heroes."

If you haven't seen the show, it is a soap opera with superheroes. If a television executive sat me down and said, "Eaps, if you could devise a perfect television show, what would it be?" I would describe this show. Not something like this show, but this exact show. It's like NBC reached into the deepest nooks and crannies of my heart, soul and imagination and put what they found on at 9 p.m. on Monday nights.

As 9 a.m. approached, I got myself organized. I filled the pockets of my running shorts with a Cook's Companion reusable shopping bag, my wallet, keys and cell phone and caught the C train to West 4th Street and the Village.

I caught up with the Joe's Running Team for a 6-mile run from Waverly and 6th Ave, down the West Side Highway to Battery Park and back. On the way down, I ran with a fellow opera singer (small world!) and John and his dog Molly. John is in one of the many character actors in the city who makes his living doing small parts in big movies and large parts in small ones. On my way back, I picked the fastest person in the group and she and I hauled back up to Joe's for a free cup of coffee. Bidding my fellow runners "adieu," I headed down Bleeker Street.

I'm currently reading "Heat" by Bill Buford. It is a non-fiction book about a writer who worked as a kitchen slave to Mario Batali. Mr. Buford worked in the kitchen and shares riotous stories of Mario as a modern day Falstaff who eats and drinks and savors every taste. As an amateur writer, it is an inspiration. As a person who loves good food, I decided use my inspiration to chase up the best grub I could find in this city.

First stop- Faicco's Pork Store. 260 Bleeker.

With Kitty out of town, I knew that I was going to cook something with meat. Faicco's has a nice selection and a good reputation and since we don't usually eat meat around our house, it was a great way to start building a meal.

I quickly realized that sausage would be my best option since I was eating solo. I grabbed a couple of links each of the homemade spicy italian and sausage with broccoli rabe. As I was about to head out, I grabbed a "Prosciutto Ball" as a snack. It's a cheesey, rice ball with bits of smoked ham, dusted with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. A perfect snack to transition me from my run to a day of decadent eating!

Second stop- Murray's Cheese Shop. 254 Bleeker. (Right next door)

Buying cheese at Murray's is a process that never feels rushed, even though the store is filled to capacity. I used my 5-minute wait to browse through the cheeses and find something that appealed to me. Just looking at the descriptions, I decided on Aragones, from Zaragoza, Spain. It is "a welcome break from the more common sheep and goat varieties. The richness of the pasteurized cow's milk, boosted by its supple rind translates to an exceedingly creamy paste with a fluffy mouthfeel. Look for mild pungency and a tropical fruit finish."

My cheesemonger was happy to let me try some. It was fantastic. At this point, I decided to put my faith in the professionals. "Ok," says I, "I'm looking to make a cheese plate for myself tonight. Just for one. Going off of that, what would you recommend?" The cheesemongers eyes got kind of big and happy. Her face lit up.

"If you are going to use Aragones as a starting point, I'd recommend a goat's milk cheese and a sheep's milk cheese for contrast." As she said it, she started to get a little flustered. This lady really seemed to like cheese. "Wait, wait..." The samples started arriving as she cut bits off the ends and passed them to me on wax paper.

After about 5 minutes, she assembled her favorites. Cypress Humboldt Fog has a "thick, bloomy white coat, creating a foggy gray rind. The wheel also hosts a Morbier-like layer of vegetable ash through the center. A wedge looks like a slice of moist layer cake, and the full tangy flavor of its crubly smooth paste is sheer perfection." Pyrenees Ossau Vieille is an "uncooked cheese made from raw sheep's milk... and is produced from the spring and summer milk which is more floral."

I took all of her suggestions and she said "thank you" and I think she really meant it.

For the three of you who are still reading, I don't want you to think that I'm crazy. I have just decided that if I'm going to enjoy cheese, I'll rely on pros to teach me what they think is good. I probably will not remember what these taste like or ever have them again, but then again, maybe some of this information will sink into my brain.

As I walked to the counter to settle up, I saw some imported, dried Rustichella Pasta and I grabbed a bit of Pasta Al Ceppo to have with my sausage. Pasta Al Ceppo was made originally by wrapping dough around knitting needles. It's a tube about an inch and a half long. What sold me on it? It is usually served with sausage and green beans.

Fleeing the store with a bag full of food, I walked through Washington Square Park and soaked up the sunlight, the smell of pot and the sounds of the regular Saturday afternoon Jazz combo that plays right near the chess boards. The world was out and savoring the sunshine and unseasonably warm weather.

I walked up University to the Greenmarket at Union Square to round out the remainder of my meal. I grabbed dirty green beens from one vendor and hit "Our Daily Bread" for two small rustic loaves.

Circling the park, I decided to finish the trip with a stop to USQW, one of our favorite wine stores. They have oenomatic machines to taste wine and we bring guests to rest after a hard day of sightseeing. We don't usually buy anything but today I grabbed a Villadoro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The wine is describes as "Soft, medium-bodied fruity red wine of great character."

Now that I'm home and settled in, I'm going to scout for recipes and cooking techniques for everything, make a to-do list and later tonight I'll whip up a nice little dinner for myself. It is my homage to that great Fastaff, Mario Batali, and his Dr. Watson, Bill Buford. (sorry to mix metaphors)

What to do until then? More Heroes, Bioshock (a video game) and maybe a viewing of 300. Oh yeah, and a nap.

Justice is Served

Wednesday was a bad day. I had the blues for no real reason and it was hard to get out to get to my day job.

On days like this, nothing cheers me like a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a Hard Roll from the West Side Deli. Without the careful meal-planning that Kitty does, I would probably get one every single day. Same thing, every day. You can imagine how I might be able to fill Pavarotti's shoes after a couple of months of that. Thankfully, I only have one every two weeks or so. It is a decadent treat to lighten the otherwise dreary world of office work.

I've blogged previously about my love of these sandwiches and the guys who make them. Even though I'm not a daily or even weekly customer, I've been in there enough that they look at me and say, "BaconEggAndCheese." I repeat it back and we exchange nothing more than a hello and a smile beyond that.

I was second in line on Wednesday morning. The guy in front was looking like he just finished a night of heavy boozing and there were at least three customers behind me, clutching beverages and stoically waiting for their moment with the line cooks.

Just as my boozy friend was opening his mouth to order, a short, round woman stalked up and said, "I want a whole wheat bagel, plain cream cheese, not toasted. Just that. One, two, three." Boozy and I looked at each other in surprise.

"Lady," I said, "the line is back there."

"All I want is a whole wheat bagel, plain cream cheese, one, two three," she said and looked at me hard. "It will just take a second of his time. I bet you want eggs. All I want is a bagel with plain cream cheese, onetwothree."

"Well, I guess not everyone in this world can be curteous." I was in rare form. Like I said, I was in a bad mood. "It's too bad you can't seem to wait in line like the rest of us."

"I just want my bagel, onetwothree, with Cream cheese, whole wheat. It's a quick order. It's 8:47 and I need to be at work in ten minutes and my bagel is quick, 123."

"Alright, what do you guys want?" said my line cook, smiling at us.

"Eggs on a hard roll, pepper salt," says Boozy.

"BaconEggAndCheese," says I.

"Where's my bagel? I was here yesterday and I got a whole wheat with plain cream cheese. 1, 2, 3."

My line cook turns his back and reaches for the eggs.

The woman pushes her way past customers to the cashier. She says, "I've got a whole wheat bagel, cream cheese, 123."

"Lady," snaps the cashier, "There is a line of people ahead of you. You'll get your bagel when it is ready."

Now the whole store is smiling. "I just want a bagel, one, two, three." The line cooks are flat out giggling now. The customers know that this is not going to end well for the little round budger. "It's 8:52. I was here yesterday. I just want my bagel, one two three." There is a pause for about 5 seconds and then she turns, like Napolean at Waterloo, salvages what little is left of her pride and marches out of the store empty handed.

Two minutes later, I'm handed Justice, wrapped in foil, looking remarkably like a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a Hard Roll.