musings about food, travel, creativity and life
Hi Everyone and Welcome Back! As I look out our window across Carmel Valley, the first thing I see is our Satsuma plum tree. It is my nature calendar. Right now it is signaling the end of its harvest season with its west-facing branches turning […]
Here we are…emerging from what has been an historic time. As I slowly peek out from under the covers, I want to take stock. I want to move forward, keeping what was good about “then.” And I want to look for the good and right […]
Over the last few months, I have often visited a local coffee shop. I order a latte from the shielded doorway and then find an outdoor table and chair for my café-like experience. Simple and pleasureable. Sometimes John joins me, or we meet our doggie […]
“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 […]
‘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 […]
“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 […]
“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 […]
Saying “A woman’s place is in the kitchen” might cause a stir. But I just finished a book called A Woman’s Place (2019) that addresses that concept in a unique, positive, and assertive way. “Yes,” the authors say, a woman’s place is in the kitchen–as […]
“On the road again,” and we found ourselves “on the shores of Gitche Gumee,” Longfellow’s rendition of the Native American Ojibwe name for Lake Superior. To begin our Midwest adventure, we landed in Minneapolis and then drove to Duluth, Minnesota–a first-time visit for us–along roads […]
We just returned from a trip to Ashland, Oregon. The four days were filled with many gifts, including these edible delights prepared by friends and local establishments…. *Sweet Potato Enchiladas from the Oh, How She Glows Cookbook, a vegan cookbook by Angela Liddon, […]
This past week, we were again in San Francisco and this time ’round, I wanted to focus on some of the places from my, and my parents’, past. The first night we walked from our inn on Union Street to North Beach… …up Russian […]
Every time I return to my hometown of San Francisco, I feel good. As we drive by my childhood home, I am transported back in time. I reminisce about feeding squirrels in Golden Gate Park with my dad, walking along Ocean Beach watching the sea […]
We spent a lot of time this last week around Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, a wonderful hub for all kinds of activities. We tasted, and bought, cheese at one of our favorite cheese shops anywhere–Fromagination, a great source of Wisconsin cheese gifts (https://fromagination.com) We […]
Moroccan cooking anyone? Sashiko embroidery? Scarecrows? These were all part of this week’s events when a group of women friends and I made our 7th annual art retreat to Cambria. Cambria is a delightful town on the Central California coast. During October, the town is […]