first
Last week, I was in my car, driving to my favorite big box store Costco with my radio tuned to KCRW, my local public radio station. I was listening to a conversation between Evan Kleinman and Jonathan Gold about a Texas barbecue crawl they did together. In case you didn’t know, Evan Kleinman had a […]
Many years ago, I had the great good fortune to be traveling in India over Christmas and New Year’s. I didn’t know as much about Indian cuisine as I do now. To play it safe, and avoid Deli belly, I kept my food choices relatively simple. One of the dishes I ordered every day was […]
Filmed and Edited by Xu Zhang
The first time I had a pumpkin waffle was on a trip to New York, more years ago than I care to mention. I was staying in a very old hotel on the Upper East Side. The lobby was populated with long time residents who had been in the theatre and it showed. It was […]
Welcome to 2016! My friends and I started the New Year with a glorious feast at my house. The invitation was for Brunch and Bloody Marys. We started at 12:30 and were still eating at 5:00 in the afternoon. Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I don’t believe in resolutions. I believe in setting intent […]
Once you’ve decided that you’re going to have a party, chosen the menu and guest list, it’s time to design the tabletop. The table design and setting is just as important as the food because it adds another element to the event and the overall experience. I always start with one thing as my main […]
These are terrific one-bite wonders that pack a big flavor. They are intense, rich and delectable. The size is just perfect as part of an all appetizer party or by themselves with a glass of wine for an intimate dinner. Once again, this recipe makes great use of store bought refrigerated pie crust. I was […]
Some people have a bucket list of where they’d always dreamed of visiting. I have no list. Things cross my desk, I read an article in a travel magazine or the New York Times, and a destination calls to me. This is how it was with Croatia. I didn’t do a lot of research and […]
Many years ago, I had the good fortune to be in a cooking school in Tuscany, at Badia a Coltibuono Lorenza de’ Medici’s home, with Lorenza herself as my instructor. This experience totally changed the way I thought about planning a menu and cooking. One of the things Lorenza did when preparing a salad was […]
Sometimes the table design comes first and sometimes – the menu. The chicken / egg question. In this case, I started with the feeling I wanted to create: Fun, fun, fun! I knew I wanted bright colors and playful flowers, nothing too dressy or even sophisticated. I started out rummaging around in my butler’s pantry […]
