I spent the whole day baking cookies, decorating gingerbread, and getting in touch with MERYL STREEP about a very special event–which has a little something to do with things culinary. I will keep you posted so you can BE THERE!

But while we are on the subject of Streep–and who isn’t these days, I will say–and I said it this summer as soon as I saw her performance in JULIE & JULIA–that she WILL win the Oscar for Best Actress this year. She’s brilliantly funny in the part, and luminous in the about-to-be released IT’S COMPLICATED which I have seen and will review soon–along with NINE (yes) AVATAR (yes) A SINGLE MAN (yes).

I am also getting ready for our big traditional Polish Christmas Eve with Polish relatives (yes, “Kulhawik” is Polish and is actually pronounced “kool-HAH’-veek”) arriving from Connecticut. We’ll be sitting down to the whitest dinner west of Bialystok–no meat–just fried fish, herring, boiled potatoes, pierogies (like Polish ravioli), sauerkraut with mushrooms, and maybe some “oplatki” and white bean soup to kick things off; there’ll be enough gastro-combustible foods at that table to blow a new tunnel through the big dig. I can’t wait.

And before I go, here’s another sneak peak at a trailer for SHREK FOREVER due out next May. I like the fat pussycat. I have one just like her. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIlv9OgRnTM

Goodnight–
and stay tuned!