A few days ago FORBES Magazine published a list of the most powerful women, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel coming in at No. 1. My associate “RH” and I were all like, “what?” So we wrote our own list. A list by women, for women. Here it is.
1. Hurricane Irene
2. Jill Abramson
3. Hillary Clinton
4. Grandma
5. Mom
6. Lady Bird (RIP)
7. Princess Diana (RIP)
8. Tina Brown
9. Gloria Steinem
10. Oprah
10. Unity Mitford
10. Condoleezza Rice
Late in life, [Samuel] Clemens collected a club of surrogate grandchildren, all girls under the age of sixteen.
“All the ten school-girls… are my angel-fishes, and constitute my club, whose name is ‘The Aquarium,’ and contains no creature but these angel-fishes and one slave. I am the slave. The Bermudian angel-fish, with its splendid blue decorations, is easily the most beautiful fish that swims, I think…
The club’s badge is the angel-fish’s splendors reproduced in enamels and mounted for service as a lapelpin — at least that is where the girls wear it. I get these little pins in Bermuda; they are made in Norway.”
In Cairo there is a Sudanese restaurant only accessible if you know someone who knows someone who knows where it is, which is in a dark alleyway near Midan Opera. There you can get tiny cups of Sudanese coffee, which is flavored with cardamom and quite delicious, and even better if packed with a ton of sugar.
It was at this restaurant that I had my first savory peanut butter experience. Any longtime readers of leahfinnegan.com are well aware that peanuts, in Egypt, are called Sudan beans; the nut is a staple of the country’s cuisine and many different peanut butter blends are eaten. This particular peanut butter consisted of ground peanuts, olive oil and chopped tomatoes and onions. And it was very good. So good. Try it.
The owner of the restaurant gave me a tiny coffee cup to take home (below) and it’s just the best. I use it strictly to hold treasures.
I’m doing a new series for The Morning News called “Profiles by Other Means,” alternatively titled “Really Awesome Pull Quotes Related to a Common Subject.” So far I have done them on:
1. Diets
2. Dogs
3. Clothes
4. Technology
5. Tattoos
There will be seven more! Also if you have a subject suggestion let me know.
OUTFITS
Which is better, Nicholson Baker or this profile of Nicholson Baker?