List 30

Love: Christmas month - a big part of which is Christmas music. My all-time favorite holiday song is "Let It Snow, Let It Snow" - especially the Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme version we had on a record growing up, but which is really hard to come by these days. And I must confess a weakness too for Wham!'s "Last Christmas." The video is epically '80s.

Like: This walnut and black version of Eames' classic Hang It All. A great present for the man who has everything...on his closet floor. Which would be Erich. So this was his birthday present.

Discovery: San Francisco's Little Star Pizza opened on our side of the Bay and gives the famous Zachary's some major competition. The interior is really nicely done, and in the battle of stuffed spinach versus stuffed spinach, I'm giving it to Little Star.

Obsession: Zuni Roast Chicken and Bread Salad. It's a bit of work, with lots of steps, but the most successful restaurant-to-home recipe transplant I've ever experienced. We made it Sunday might for Erich's birthday dinner, followed by his favorite, German Chocolate Cake.

Complaint: Black Friday. Waiting in lines at dawn. The mad, frantic crowds. I just don't get it. I prefer Pay 20% More But Shop With Dignity Tuesday.

List 29

Love: Hannah and Her Sisters. It's a rich, at times funny, at times painful,always truthful and ultimately hopeful film about three sisters, their current and former husbands, boyfriends, parents, and friends. The movie spans three Thanksgivings and has become annual November viewing for us.

Like: A Woody Allen-inspired afternoon in New York City, including a walk by The Lake in Central Park and late afternoon drinks at Bemelmans.

Discovery: This poster for Zurich's Film Podium, by Swiss graphic designer Ralph Schraivogel. It's sitting in our den in a tube awaiting framing.

Obsession: Manhattan, my all-time favorite movie, with too many wonderful moments and bits of dialogue to catalog, beginning, of course, with "Chapter One. He adored New York City..."

Complaint: Allen's personal life has made it hard not to cringe a bit upon re-watching many of his great older films since so often they feature his character with much younger women (Mariel Hemingway, Juliette Lewis, etc.) My favorite pairing for him will always be Diane Keaton, and I particularly loved seeing them together again after many years in Manhattan Murder Mystery.

List 28

Love: Anthropologie is one of my stand-by stores for clothes. But they also have some pretty great furniture and home accessories. A few things in my virtual shopping cart, which I hope will be making their way into our house soon, are the Enzo lamp, the Far and Wide sconce, and the Decker console table.

Like: The MUJI Notebook app for the iPad. It totally beats up Penultimate.

Discovery: Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good. Our friend James tried this recipe out on us and it's fair it say it blew our minds and taste buds. He used this version from Epicurious, liberally upping the amount of gruyere and bacon, and adding kale as well. I can't wait to make it this weekend.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Stuffed-with-Everything-Good-361169?mbid=rss_epinr

Obsession: Carter Bros. Scoop Chairs. They were made in the late 1950s-early 1960s, in both a one- and two-cushion version. I've been wanting a pair for quite awhile but haven't met my destiny yet.

Complaint: Our troublemaker kitten Fritz has become an even worse food scavenger than our late Labrador Zelda, which is quite something. (Plus he can jump onto the kitchen counter, something Zelda could never accomplish.) I never knew this about cats. And first realized what was happening when cleaning up vomit that featured undigested shrimp tails that had been found in the countertop compost pail.

List 27

Love: My friend Sean sent me a link to this Paris versus New York blog, which is described as a "friendly visual match" between the two great cities. Fingers crossed that creator Vahram makes these available as prints for purchase. I will be first in line. http://parisvsnyc.blogspot.com/

Like: A weekend afternoon spent cooking, while listening to Belle & Sebastian's new record "Write About Love" and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's "Before Today" - especially the song "Round & Round."

Discovery: Trappist Rochefort beers. I first had the 8 in Seattle at Quinn's this past Spring, then Chicago's The Publican turned me on to the 10. If I were a beer myself, the 10 would be my new boyfriend.

Obsession: Come Fall, we host an annual Choucroute Garni dinner: braised sauerkraut and a wide array of pork products - a bit of bacon, smoked pork chops, sausages - and a massive selection of mustards. (The Maine Maple Champagne Mustard from The Pasta Shop at Market Hall in Oakland was this year's star.) The dinner is a once year indulgence. And the recipe I use is from the Gourmet cookbook.

Complaint: This says it all.