Let’s Do Lunch

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: in the before times, when I was at channel 7 more predictably, one of the high points of the day for my producer and me was… Lunch. Even if it was lunch juggling a salad in the backseat of a speeding news car, or a marginal chicken sandwich eaten at my desk, the idea that there could be lunch was always such a joy. 

I would laugh, however, when people would say – – we should have lunch together someday! And I would agree, happily, true! But secretly think:  have you lost your mind? When in my reporter day do you think I’m going to have time to actually go to the lunch, to an actual restaurant, and sit down and order lunch, and then wait, and then go back to wherever I was? Going out to lunch was this…mystical thing that I always imagined doing, and lusted after, but rarely rarely did.  

 So then came Covid, and there was no going out anywhere to anything, right? There was just home. And cooking. But it turned out, this lunch thing has turned out to be quite fabulous. Or at least, a high point on the scale where the bar is low.

 

Somehow in the magical way that things sometimes work out, Jonathan became in charge of lunch. I make dinner, we collaborate on breakfast, but Jonathan does lunch. And he makes adorable lunches, and I am not talking elaborate, I’m just talking adorable. Every day we have turkey and Swiss cheese with romaine on pumpernickel, and Jonathan slices up little tomatoes for me, and cuts little carrots in half for me and we get to have chips! Chips! Which I never would’ve had in the before times. 

 

Plus, we sit at the table, and have a conversation about what we did that morning, and what we plan for the rest of the day, and catch up with each other like civilized people. Jonathan and I having lunch together – – well, we’ve been married for almost 25 years now, and except for random weekends and vacations, having lunch together was a rare event.

 

When covid is over, and I know it will be, and we all go back to doing whatever we want, I have to say I will miss it. I will miss lunch with my husband. And also having him bring it to me. Wow. Cutest waiter ever. And a real treat.  

 

What about you Reds and readers? What are you doing for lunch these days?

 

JENN McKINLAY: Lunch is very random for us. Usually, Hub and I meet up poolside for whatever we have scavenged out of the frig - yogurt, cheese and crackers, leftovers from the night before, which are awesome because Hub does all the savory cooking while I am in charge of dessert, and we soak up some sunshine before returning to work. Sorry! But this is the perk of living in AZ and makes up for those 115 degree days in the summer. 

LUCY BURDETTE: We don’t necessarily lunch together, but we do have dinner at the table always. I have gotten into a terrible rut with my lunch--I have the same thing every day. This is: half a good bagel with toasted Canadian cheddar on it, topped with these little sprouts I’ve grown and pickled jalapenos. It makes my mouth water to describe it to you:). One day maybe I’ll tire of it, but not yet!

HALLIE EPHRON: Lunch here is ad hoc and informal. Today’s will be leftover lasagne from last night. Yum. But most days it’s egg salad or tuna on wheat toast for me and Jerry scrounges for hummus. Always a nice sit-down dinner. 

I miss meeting a friend for a restaurant lunch. Boy do I. You get to do the kind of catching-up that doesn’t happen on the phone or via text.

RHYS BOWEN: We eat breakfast together (John prepares).  We eat dinner together (take turns to prepare) but lunch is never eaten at the same time. I have to eat lunch around noon (having woken before six).  John happily eats lunch at three. And he will grab whatever leftovers he can find in the fridge or settle for avocado, hard boiled egg, whatever.  All winter we have been making soups so my lunch is soup plus something on toast. Some days it’s cheese, but recently I’ve been indulging myself and it’s been smoked salmon.  I figure not going out to lunch means I can eat yummy things at home. And I eat it outside on our balcony on fine days, getting my Vitamin D.

But I do miss meeting friends for lunch. In normal times it’s a couple of days a week and now it’s been a year.  BUT… I got my second vaccine on Friday so in two weeks I plan to meet with friends again (who have also been vaccinated!)  I’ll be heading back to Arizona so I’m looking forward to lunch with Barbara Peters at our favorite restaurant (bruschetta board!!) And hopefully with Jenn one day?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My get-togethers with friends have tended to be happy hours rather than lunch, because everyone is too busy during the day (and boy do I miss those happy hours and the Girls' Wine Parties in my kitchen!) But a couple of times a month I would go to lunch with my daughter, and that is absolutely one of the things I've missed most in the pandemic. I'm now two weeks past my second shot (yesterday!) so I'm hoping that one day soon we can do an outdoor lunch together, as inside dining is still not recommended after you've been vaccinated..

Our household routine hasn't changed that much in the lockdown. Rick and I don't usually eat lunch together as he runs on a later schedule than I do, but we always, always, sit down to dinner together. I grab leftovers for lunch if we have them, but my very fave lunch is a veggie burger patty from Trader Joe's (black bean and quinoa) with some brown rice and a bunch of arugula and sliced grape tomatoes. Our local butcher makes fabulous chimichurri and I spoon that over everything!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’ve been eating lunch at home by myself for a LOT of years now, so that part hasn't changed.  Leftovers from last night’s dinner get saved for whoever is working - it used to be Ross, now it’s the Maine Millennial. I tend to skip breakfast and eat lunch between 1-2 (and then stuff myself at dinner, which I know is not good for me!) I suspect it’s a pattern I fell into when I had kids at school - huge rush in the morning, eat as late as possible so I’m not starving when I make dinner (being really hungry used to lead to me calling Ross and asking him to bring home pizza…)

I do miss social and business lunches. I have some friends who were, like me, able to get away midday, and having lunch together was an easy and fun way to socialize. And who doesn’t miss lunch with your editor and/or agent, going to restaurants you would never walk into on your own thanks to that beautiful corporate credit card. And of course, when you’re at Bouchercon or Malice or Left Coast Crime, where and with whom you have lunch is a HUGE deal. It’s all the good things about dinner in an eatery, without the multiple-hour commitment the evening meal implies. Sigh. Come back soon, working lunches!

HANK: Yeah, maybe it’s me. Those working lunches don't work for me. Work is good, lunch is good, but for me, it’s distracting to try to do both. Talk while eating Brussels sprout salad and wondering if there’s green in your teeth? Impossible.    

How about you, Reds and readers? What’s for lunch? And why?

Rhys on Tips and Tipping

Thoughts on Service and Tipping

We are in the middle of an extended European trip and I’ve come to realize that anything we budget for travel gets multiplied by the amount of money we have to tip. We tip the taxi driver and while we are tipping him the bell boy has whisked our bags into a hotel and wants a tip to release them again to another bell boy who will carry them upstairs and want another tip.

I was horrified to read the amount we are supposed to tip on our upcoming river cruise. Twenty dollars a day EACH? You are serious? So actually the advertised cruise price is $300 more because I am paying part of your staff’s salary.  The same is true for waiters in the US. They are paid a ridiculously small amount because the restaurant owners know it will be made up with tips. Thus one feels obliged to tip, even if the service is so-so.

How I love it in France where tipping in restaurants is a thing of the past. Just rounding up a Euro or two is sufficient, also in Germany. But isn’t the whole purpose of tipping a reward for good service? Am I supposed to tip the surly waiter who, when asked by my husband what beers they carried, replied, “You can read the list on the back of the menu.” And it was a good restaurant, at an outdoor table, with just a candle at our table, making it impossible to read anything.

Another gripe I have is waiters treating me as if I’m one of their buddies. We once went to a very expensive restaurant for our anniversary—you know, the type where you have to book way in advance? We were placed at at table directly under the air-conditioning. We complained and were told this was the only table available and other diners had said they were too hot. Also the waitress referred to us as “You guys.” I don’t know about you, but when I go somewhere special I want to be treated as if I’m somewhere special.  I am not YOU GUYS. I am ma’am.

 A few weeks ago I was at Amazon headquarters and taken to a lovely restaurant by my editor and author team. We were greeted as if they’d been looking forward to seeing us. We were escorted to our table in the window.  We were talked through the menu, questions on preparation were answered.  Each dish arrived at the same time for all four of us, the maître de came to explain what we were eating. When we prepared to leave someone was standing with our coats ready for us to put on, AND our car was waiting outside the front door. NOW, that is service!  It made us feel special and appreciated and that is what one wants, isn’t it?

When my son was in drama school in New York he was also a waiter at a restaurant on Time Square. I went to eat there one night and watched him working a table. He was attentive, witty, funny. He made each dish sound fantastic and he recommended pairings of alcohol with each course. I’ m sure he made them spend more than they intended to, but they were having a really good time. He had turned it into an experience. Toward the end of the meal they looked across to me, having been told that I was his mother. “We love your son,” they said.  Since he was a musical theater major he would also serenade people on their anniversaries and special occasions. They loved that too.

So what about you? What are your feelings on tipping? Do you wish it was completely abolished and we paid a little extra up front?

Carla Buckley Talks Domestic Suspense

INGRID THOFT

I'm so excited to welcome my wonderful friend and writer Carla Buckley to Jungle Red.  Carla and I have been conference buddies since my first book came out, and it's always a treat to spot her across the hotel lobby and spend time catching up.  Carla's latest book, The Good Goodbye, was just released in paperback, and it's a perfect summer read.  It's suspenseful and nuanced, but I'll let her tell you all about it!

INGRID THOFT:  The Good Goodbye is the story about two young women who are cousins and the way their families intersect, both good and bad.  A theme running throughout the story is how well can you know another person, even your own child?  What prompted you to write this particular story?

CARLA BUCKLEY:  First of all, thank you, Ingrid, for inviting me to appear on Jungle Red. It’s a true honor.

IPT: It really is my pleasure!

CB:  As for your question: I’m endlessly fascinated by the secrets people keep from one another, especially from those they love the most. One of the biggest surprises I’ve had as a parent is the realization that around the age of eleven or twelve, children really do start to lead separate lives. They keep secrets. They experiment and push boundaries. For better or for worse, they make their own choices. All you can do is hope they remember the lessons you taught them back when they were little and (maybe) paying attention.

The inspiration for The Good Goodbye was actually twofold. I’d been in the middle of writing my previous novel when it suddenly struck me to structure my next novel around a key event, told from three points of view. One narrator would tell her story from a point in the past leading up to and stopping at the key event. The second narrator would tell her story from the moment of the event onward. And the third would skip back and forth in time. Together, they’d end up painting a full and complete picture of what really had happened in these families’ lives. 

But what should the key event be?

Several years ago, a dramatic story played out in headlines across the nation. The two families involved ended up writing a memoir about what had happened to them. Their horrifying experience raised haunting questions in my mind, and I tucked it away for a time when I might be able to explore what it might be like to walk in their shoes.

IPT:  You’ve been featured on conference panels about the “domestic suspense” genre.  Is that how you’ve always thought about your work?  Do you think that’s an apt description of the stories you tell?

CB:  When I sold my first novel back in 2007 (The Things That Keep Us Here) the question that cropped up between my agent and my publisher was, what is this book and how do we categorize it? Back then, there was no such thing as a domestic thriller, or at least, there was no such term.  The Things That Keep Us Here talked about a deadly flu pandemic but played out in the setting of one family’s living room, and that’s pretty much what all my stories do.

I take families in crisis and make things worse. I don’t tell you what the President is doing, or what the terrorists are up to. I just talk about real people facing real dilemmas. I want my readers to be able to put themselves in my characters’ shoes; I want them to ask themselves the same, hard questions. I don’t know why domestic thrillers are on the rise—but I’m glad they are! 

IPT:  Two of the characters own a restaurant in the book, and I love your descriptions of the food, but also the specifics of running a restaurant.  What kind of research did you do?

CB:  Okay, I confess. I picked a restaurant because I thought the research would be fun. I mean, I’d have to go to a restaurant. I’d probably have to eat there, too. I watch Food Network. I love "Top Chef." I wanted to find my own top chef and ask this burning question: how is it possible to be passionate about working so hard to make something that lasts so briefly?

I knew what kind of restaurant I wanted to write about—beautiful, intimate, with one-of-a-kind menu items, and a devotion to locally sourced foods. Most importantly, it had to be run by a female chef. I was lucky to find it in real life just a few miles away: [One] restaurant in Chapel Hill. I showed up one morning before the restaurant was open for lunch and introduced myself to the executive chef, Kim Floresca. Over the course of several weeks, she showed me around her restaurant, and answered a million questions. I watched her prepare food, interact with her staff and customers, and then one magical night, I and my husband had an incredible meal comprised of items she’d specially selected. 

And Kim gave me the answer to my burning question: the joy in being a chef is all about bringing people together.

Being interviewed by your friends is always more fun!

IPT:  That's one of the perks of being a writer!  You get to chose your subject matter!  So what has surprised you most about being a published author?

CB:  I never imagined, when I was growing up and dreaming of one day being published that I would end up writing about family life in the suburbs. I wrote eight novels about everything else, and every single one was rejected. It wasn’t until I turned to my own life to talk about the things that truly mattered the most to me—discovering who you are and what you’re made of when you’re driven to your knees by circumstances outside your control—that I finally broke through. My hope is that my readers see themselves in my stories and ask themselves: what would I do if something like that happened to me?

IPT:  Is there a wannabe book lurking in the back of your brain, something you would write if you didn’t have to consider agents, editors, and fans?  A romance?  Essays?  Cookbook?

CB:  There is! There are two of them, actually. One’s a young adult novel, and the other’s set in North Dakota in the middle of winter. They’re both dystopian and somewhat bleak, so I’m a little afraid of what that says about what’s lurking in the back of my brain. 

IPT:  It says you're a writer!

Carla will be joining us today, and two lucky readers will get copies of The Good Goodbye.  Comment to enter!

The Good Goodbye
The first thing you should know is that everyone lies. The second thing is that it matters. 

On her way to her nineteenth wedding anniversary celebration, Natalie Falcone leaves the struggling restaurant she owns with her brother-in-law, Vince. She doesn't speak to him on her way out; they haven't spoken in months. But out on the sidewalk, she gets a phone call every mother dreads: It's from the emergency room where her daughter, Arden, attends college. Arden's been in a fire, along with Natalie's niece, Rory—Vince's daughter and Arden's best friend.

Natalie rushes to the hospital and learns that both Arden and Rory lie unconscious, and that another student has died in the blaze. The police suspect arson.

As the investigation mounts, Natalie struggles to piece together the elusive details of Arden's and Rory's freshman year. Growing up, Rory was charming, popular, and charismatic, while Arden was artistic, perceptive, and reserved. They were different yet inseparable, more like sisters than cousins. But the case unearths a different portrait—of a complex friendship, a love triangle, a fight, and a girl who was struggling more than anyone realized. To discover what really happened that tragic night, Natalie's and Vince's families must confront the one truth that ultimately emerges: Nothing is ever exactly what it seems.


Carla Buckley was born in Washington, D.C. She has worked as an assistant press secretary for a U.S. senator, an analyst with the Smithsonian Institution, and a technical writer for a defense contractor. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, an environmental scientist, and their three children. She is the author of The Good Goodbye, The Deepest Secret, Invisible, and The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award as a Best First novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She is currently at work on her next novel.