It's Monday morning as I'm writing, and it's also two anniversaries for me. I've been married for 13 years today, and I've been a food writer for The Commercial Appeal for five years.

On the day I moved to the Food section from the DeSoto Appeal, we were still without electricity at home from Hurricane Elvis, which had blown through six days earlier. My grandmother had recently died and my husband and I were staying in her home in Fayette County. It took me more than two hours to go from her home, by mine in East Memphis, then Downtown.

Since it took nearly as long to get back, I'm guessing dinner that night was something I picked up along the way. For anniversaries, I like to cook meals similar to some of our favorite restaurant dinners, but I certainly didn't that night.

I don't remember what I ate my first day at the office, either, but since then I've enjoyed numerous take-out meals with co-workers who have become in many ways as close as family. We seldom leave the office for lunch, but believe me, we seldom miss a lunch, either. Fish tacos from Flying Fish, Bangkok chicken from Bhan Thai, catfish from Soul Fish, panini from Lolo's Table -- we have a binder full of menus and around 11 a.m., we start discussing what we want and who's picking it up. Food is taken seriously around here...

There will be no home-cooked meal tonight. I usually take off the week of my anniversary, but we're too busy this year. Instead, Bob and I will eat at Cafe Society -- but I'll be working. There's worse work, though, than checking out what new owner Cullen Kent has done with the menu and the restaurant since he bought it from Michele Leny, right? Read about it in Friday's GoMemphis.

Don't forget the Krystal

Our lead story on sliders refers to White Castle a few times. For those of you who don't know, White Castle is almost identical to Krystal, which started in 1932 in Chattanooga. And here's a confession:

I love Krystals. I was crazy about them when I was a kid, ate them all the time when I was a teenager (they served a mighty fine chocolate shake back then), and I still indulge from time to time. I just get the craving and I can't resist...

CA copy editor Beth Gooch went to East High School and told me they had Krystal cater a high school reunion since that's where they used to hang out. And they even made just-cheese versions for the vegetarians.

Thursday wine

This week, Bill Huddleston with Southwestern Distributing will have us sipping a bottle of Fat Bastard Pinot Noir 2007 for our online wine tasting. Next week, Fredric Koeppel will be our expert with a Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti "Le Orme" 2005, and the week after, it's Rebecca Severs of Bari.

Join us at whiningdining.com on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Picky eaters?

It's hard to believe how early kids start back to school, but believe it or not, the time is nigh. Do you have a picky eater? Let me know how you handle it, with recipes, please. E-mail me or call me and if I get enough ideas, I'll share them with everyone.

Good news/bad news

Bad news first: L&M Kitchen and Salumeria in Oxford closed almost a month ago, and owner Dan Latham and his family have moved.

The good news is twofold. First, Latham is working with a restaurant group and will probably soon open a new version of L&M in Birmingham or Atlanta. The second bit of good news is that Stan's Country Store, where Latham's cured meats and fresh pork are available, remains open at 24441 Hwy. 6 East.

You can buy his pancetta, guanciale, chorizo and Italian sausage there, plus fresh pork. Salami should be available soon, Latham said.

The hogs are locally pasture-raised by Stan Holcomb in Sardis, and the meat is freshest on Wednesday. (I guess I don't have to tell you what happens on Tuesday...)

Contact the store at (662) 563-0914 for more information.

Here's another transition: Caspian, the Persian restaurant on Brookhaven Circle, has closed as a Persian restaurant but will soon reopen as Caspian & Hookah Lounge. The menu will be different, it'll be remodeled and it'll be for folks 21 and over only.

Contact food editor Jennifer Biggs at 529-5223 or biggs@commercialappeal.com with food news or questions. Her blog is whiningdining.com.