Arrrrrrghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Some jokes I forgot almost instantly. Others have stayed with me for years. For some reason, I've remembered since the eighties one by the comedian Steven Wright: "Women--can't live with them, can't shoot them." Now this is a cruel, senseless joke that has no place in our modern world and which should be erased from old Steven Wright CDs (and from my memory, if that was possible). If only it weren't sometimes so true.

Case in point: Last Friday, my female companion had to work till 6:00 p.m., which means that we didn't make to the opening night of the Occidental Farmer's Market until nearly 7:00 p.m. I of course had been thinking for days about Gerard Nebesky's paella, which he occasionally serves there (see my entry dated June 10: "The Simple Life").

We found his stand...only to see two women forlornly wiping clean the two huge paelleras, those wide shallow pans used to cook that delicious concoction of rice and seafood and spices. THEY HAD SOLD OUT!!!!! So here's my tip for today: Go to the Occidental Farmer's Market (Fridays, 4:00 p.m. till dusk) but go EARLY. Be there by 5:00 p.m. and you'll be assured a wonderful dish of seafood heaven. And look for me: I'll be waiting in line---sans female companion---too.

The Simple Life

No, not a rant about Paris... (What more can one say, other than she is the Hero of The archetypal story of mankind, which always has the same plot: Can this person be saved?)

Instead, I wanted to share several simple-but-oh-so-pleasurable food and wine experiences over the weekend:

* Friday night, at Pizzio's Cucina Italiana in west Santa Rosa, a delicious glass of Port--Ferrieria's Porto Ruby. It was amazing to sit in the dimming evening lights, enjoying the potent, raisin-y wine, talking to my new friend and fellow solo diner Brandon. Magnificant.

* Saturday evening, after a long hot afternoon of yard work and tree trimming, take-out Chinese of broccoli and beef with white rice, with several Gordon Biersch Marzen amber lagers.

* On Sunday morning, two eggs over easy, a bagel slathered with peanut butter, and two cups of strong good black coffee.

Another simple pleasure begins again this Friday: June 15 marks the start of the new season for the Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market in Occidental, in West Sonoma County. If you haven't been, you should check it out: Fridays 4 p.m. till dusk. Every so often--as he is this Friday--Gerard Nebesky cooks paella. The line stretches throughout the market; the smells, well, intoxicating.

Every Meal A Feast doesn't mean sitting down to a five-course dinner during some magnificant celebration. It does mean trying to celebrate every meal, every food and wine experience, no matter how simple.

Your turn: What's one of your simple food or wine pleasures?