A few weekends ago, my mom and aunts came in town to celebrate my aunt Laura’s 50th birthday. I had a blast showing them around “my New York,” namely Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, since they’d never been to either area before. We dined at Diner and Fatty ‘Cue, ate at Frankie’s Spuntino, drank at Delmano, and sipped at Alphabet City Wine Co.

Needless to say, I had a blast rolling from one meal to the next. So, imagine my surprise when a thank-you gift arrived in the mail. Not that I shouldn’t have expected it – my aunt Laura is a giver, not a taker. It took me 7 years to get her to take a trip to come visit me because she’s not one to take a lot of time for herself, so even though the weekend was her celebration, she couldn’t quite let it be all about her.

However, the gift was not a little one, but a fantastic Wusthof boning knife! I’ve been wanting one for awhile, ever since my knife skills class a few months back. I hate buying discrete chicken parts, but without a boning knife, it is difficult to split a whole chicken while raw. I usually end up roasting the whole thing and pulling it apart with my fingers. No more! With my next, and every, chicken, I will think of you, Laura. Thank you.