musings about food, travel, creativity and life
One afternoon this week, as I was riding my emotional roller coaster through the daily policy pronouncements and health warnings, I read a text from a friend saying that at that particular moment, her husband was enjoying dunking a cookie in his tea. I liked […]
This past week was a gift. John and I had the privilege of joining family and friends for a week- long catamaran trip through the British Virgin Islands. We experienced fabulous food, new places to explore, natural beauty, the excitement of wind in our sails […]
“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Federico Fellini The other night we met a friend at a local restaurant called Mezzaluna Pasteria and Mozzarella Bar (https://www.mezzalunapasteria.com.). Mamma mia–it was molto buono–with all the elements of a good night out. It was a Friday […]
Having dinner with friends is a joy, partially because talk flows freely and naturally. Topics, though unpredictable, often include weather, news, health, sports, challenges, politics, good books, new restaurants in town, travel. There are seldom lulls because curiosity and the desire to connect keep conversations […]
* I began this year vowing to read more books. I was thinking “quantity.” Then I started reading a travel book about Italy and food and I just had to slow down. Why was I rushing through what was beautiful writing about topics I love? […]
‘Tis the season of many emotions. Certainly this time of year can bring joy. There are parties with family and friends, Christmas Carol sing-alongs, and, if you’re lucky, tuba concerts… really–just imagine 200-plus tubas playing “Silent Night” in the Rotunda of a state Capitol! But […]
There we were on our way to the small Wisconsin town of Mineral Point, when John decided he’d like to buy some of his favorite beer–Spotted Cow–straight from the source. So we found our way to the New Glarus Brewing Company and had a fun, […]
“Yes.” It has arrived! The holiday season and the “first wine of the harvest”–Beaujolais Nouveau 2019. I first became familiar with Beaujolais Nouveau when a friend and I were writing a wine blog–and doing all the necessary research that that involved! A tough job. I […]
“It’s not what’s on the table that matters, it’s who is in the chairs.” Over the years, I have often seen this quote. As a food lover, what’s on the table is important to me. But “who is in the chairs” is equally important. To […]
Last weekend, the student in me was one happy camper. I attended two cooking classes. One was on croissant making, held at Sur La Table in Carmel. I love eating croissants, pain au chocolat especially, so why not learn to bake them? Right! After the […]
Orange is the color of the season. Our local Earthbound Farms Market is a center for natural sculptures of all configurations of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. And I wanted to join the fun by bringing orange to the table this week. I did […]
This week I’ve been culling my book collection. In the process, I’ve rediscovered one stunning book that was given to us by our niece many Christmases ago. It’s Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe. The hungry gypsy in […]
I just visited the Mediterranean! Well, almost. What I did do was read The Forest Feast Mediterranean by Erin Gleeson. It’s her latest release in a series of vegetarian cookbooks. This book is a delight. It is a colorful blend of recipes, illustrated by watercolors, […]
I’m on a new adventure: how to experience my home territory in fresh, fun and inspiring ways. As a part of that, I happened onto an e-mail announcing cooking classes at our very own, newly renovated Sur La Table store in Carmel. Quite a few […]
“Good food with friends and family is the cure of souls.” (from a Leigh Standley Curly Girl cocktail napkin) It was a very warm day on the Peninsula and I had a series of in-town appointments. Highlighting the day, though, were three events with […]