Exploring life through food and travel
Sometimes neglect yields great surprises. My garden is my sanctuary and I feel very disconnected when I am not able to spend time weeding and cultivating. These times when I feel so overwhelmed by life, my friend Mother Nature steps in as if to say, “I’ve taken care of your garden for you so you…
Several mornings a week, Sparky and I hike the trails overlooking the ocean near my home. Scrub brush and a few old shedding eucalyptus trees line the pathway. Each day I choose a fallen brown parchment leaf that speaks to me and represents how I feel and determines the mood for my day. Somedays it’s…
My aunt Barb is a baker. Not just a home baker; she owned a bakery and can recite a recipe for a cake without blinking an eye. That is why, when she came for a visit, my task was to make for her a birthday cake that was so extraordinary she would be speechless. I…
What is your heart’s desire? When I ask myself this question, the first thing that comes to mind is, “love, always love.” Rather than one specific “love,” I desire this love be spread out over my family, Sparky, my friends and my garden. Of course we all have secret wishes and desires. These drive our…
I have just received the greatest gift – The gift of time. This opportunity in time came in the form of sharing my house with my mom for nearly five months while her kitchen was being remodeled. I write about time, talk about time, obsess over time, and wish for more time. In this case,…
What does our moon and my garden have in common? A lot it seems due to a recent enlightenment. One of my goals this year is to improve my gardening skills. I’ve been a hit or miss gardener the last couple of years. What I mean is that I plant seeds and seedlings in the…
The Winter Solstice called to me to celebrate its commencement and what better way to honor this day than with a party for dear friends who have enriched my life. These gatherings always lighten my spirit and give me an excuse to create good food with maybe one show stopper. Pots of minestrone bubbled on…
I wrote this in late September in Lucca, Italy while listening to an intense thunderstorm. As much as I wanted to include a photo of rain, I could not find one in my photo library, hence this interesting cat. It’s funny how we always want it to be sunny for our photos. I have learned…
Once upon a time you meet people who forever change your life. Mattia and Michelle did just that. What originated as friends of friends, blossomed into a friendship and an Italian experience I will never forget and for which I will always be grateful. Both seriously talented opera singers, Mattia and Michelle shared their home…
It’s been a busy month and I am happy to announce that my new enterprise, The Virtuous Olive is up and running. The shop is stocked with fruity oils, natural and flavored. My goal is to bring a taste of the true Italy to your table. These photos are from La Fenice, Galantino’s personal olive…
Every day in Lucca gets better and better. Mattia’s family invited me to partake in La Vendemmia, an annual event, in late September and early October, to harvest grapes for wine. I feel privileged, and lucky, to share in this day long celebration of family, food and friends. The vineyards are on Frederico and Simonetta’s…
Every day in Lucca gets better and better. Mattia’s family invited me to partake in La Vendemmia, an annual event, in late September and early October, to harvest grapes for wine. I feel privileged, and lucky, to share in this day long celebration of family, food and friends. The vineyards are on Frederico and Simonetta’s…
My visit to Galantino in Puglia, Italy, was a composition of olive oil familiarization, in-depth visits to Puglia’s cheese makers, ceramists, bread artisans and olive groves and, the fun part, cooking lessons with Galantino’s head chef Leo. I joined a group from Holland who was also there for the same adventure. Each day we prepared…
Nestled into the heart of Puglia lies the seaside town of Bisceglie in southeastern Italy. I am here on an olive oil discovery, to slip into a slower pace and to delve for clues about what makes this such an alluring part of the country. The people have a warmth and contentment about them. They…
Olive oil is my passion. Food is my passion and travel is my passion. I have decided to combine all these loves into my new business, The Virtuous Olive, and it is here that I am first announcing its launch. After last year’s visit to Puglia, Italy and to a local frantoio, (olive mill), my…
This is a story about passion. My dad’s and his books. The library that housed his collection vibrated with intrigue, drama, murder, beautiful women and titles like “Dead as a Dummy,” “Stiffs Don’t Vote,” “No Tears for the Dead,” “’The Case of the Terrified Typist,” and “ Bones of Contention.” When my mom’s house sold,…
My college nutrition teacher, Mrs. Henrietta Becker’s favorite quote was, “People eat with their eyes.” We all do. Color and their associated flavors can manipulate true tastes. When reviewing the photos for this story, I realized that, yes, many of the dishes are not visually appealing but if you close your eyes and taste with…
Lately I’ve been having fantasies – of Spain. Spanish tapas, Spanish olive oil, Spanish wine, the people, the music, the romance of it all. My feet have only touched the airport in Madrid and now they dream of dancing the flamenco in Sevilla. This sudden enchantment was Anthony Bourdain inspired by his visit to bewitching…
Every summer has a story. ♥ What is it that is so romantic about summer? Is it the long hours of sunlight, its warm breezes persuading us to linger a little longer to drink in the day? Is it the fond memory and sentimentality stirred up of childhood vacations and days out of school spelled…
“The gin kept my heart alive but bemazed my brain”― Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita “We’re having adult drinks tonight,” stated my sister-in-law, Mirna. My curiosity was aroused. Mirna, offering me a cocktail? I knew this must be something special. She is a creative genius with food, plants and now drinks. I was visiting my brother, sister-in-law…
Something got in the way of this week’s story. I slipped back into the time tunnel, which seems to be happening a lot lately. It all started with a few trips down memory land, an escaping dog, a movie and a car wash. My mom, after several months of deliberation, decided to sell our family…
Years back… What was I thinking? I was aboard a plane heading for France with no knowledge of the French language and no place to stay. I musta had guts! What I did have was the dream to become a chef, a caterer, anything food related and I figured going to culinary school would polish…
“I am the broth of love. Make soup to me.” ― Jarod Kintz, Love quotes for the ages. As I contemplate this story, a wasp hovers in front of my eyes and harmonies of chickadees fill the airwaves in stereo. My garden once again kidnaps my weekend. The whispering warm breeze, swaying palm trees, fluorescent…
As I enter my third year of writing and sharing, I thought some of you might want to know how I got to this place. Two years ago, in this world of divorce, I became a statistic. While contemplating my new life and where it might take me, I made time for myself, to clear…
The Ops Twins (see April 2013 “The Beet Goes On”story), goddesses of agriculture, united again to trim, weed and dismember parts of my garden in need of refreshing. This year my niece Maya joined in to help celebrate Mother’s Day and to lend a hand. I selfishly hang onto over-grown, gone to seed and wilting…
Sometimes you just need to get out of the norm. Last night I planned a dinner party but did not plan the menu, hence a spontaneous dinner! I prefer to cook “with” friends rather than “for” friends. Cooking together is such a personal experience. You get to spend quality time with people you like and…
Are you interested in learning some authentic Italian recipes from a bona fide cooking school in Lucca, Italy? If so, read on. Davino, my host from La Mimosa, had arranged for me to attend a cooking class at the International Academy of Italian Cuisine in Lucca, just on the other side of the hill from…
Simplicity. This word kept coming to mind all week. It is defined as: Easy to understand or do Freedom from complexity, intricacy Sincerity, naturalness Why this word? With the intensity of spring’s vibrancy and a nudging to accelerate my goals, mirroring my garden’s growth, is this an attempt to make me feel small? We all…
This time of year, my thoughts return to my childhood and fond memories of Easter. Sentimentalist that I am, I still have my first Easter basket left by the Easter Bunny. Well-made, it has stood the test of time, the pink weaving now faded. I retrieve it from the upper cupboards of my closet every…
“I came to love my rows, my beans, though so many more than I wanted. They attached me to the earth, and so I got strength like Antæus. But why should I raise them? Only Heaven knows.” Henry David Thoreau Hearty Fava beans. Grown for over 6,000 years, its peasant roots are now emerging as…
A tavola non si invecchia At the table with good friends and family you do not become old. This last weekend, I enjoyed one of the finest stress-free parties I’ve ever thrown. What’s my secret? Read on for clues! Recent trips to Italy have inspired me to excavate my pasta machine and crank it up….
And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere: And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintery rest. Percy Bysshe Shelley March 20, 2014 at 9:57am PST, the sun will cross the celestial equator traveling from south to north thus ushering in…
Did you know that leprechauns are fairies? I love St. Patrick’s Day. Not for the beer drinking necessarily but for the sheer fun of it. It’s a day to believe in faeries, shamrocks, 4-leaf clovers, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Dress in green, give a pinch here and there,…
Last evening I returned home from a stormy (for San Diego standards) day to discover my precious fava beans completely toppled over from the heavy winds. My first reaction was “is there a trauma doctor in the house?!” I have been babying these beans, planting them from seeds and watching them flourish far beyond my…
Rome is romance. Besides the uplit temples at night, beautiful singing accents, soft and sweeping landscapes and smiles of a beautiful people, food may be the ultimate romance. The Italians equate food with love and show it in so many ways. Rome’s reputation as a cuisine capital was enticing me to explore its specialties. I…
Enchanting and romantic Roma. Ahhh bella Roma. This city of eternity has so many stories to tell. There are levels and layers of religion, architecture, emperors, sculpture, temples and more. What century do you want to discover? It’s all here, although perhaps parts of it hidden which is what makes this place so intriguing. Temple…
Love has many different meanings and interpretations. We all agree that love is warm, happy, giving and, in an ideal world, unconditional. Love is found everywhere, from the kiss of a dog, to a Coeur a la crème. I found love in the trees in Vienna. It was cold, bundled up cold, and my two…
My friend Nicola is a cook, gardener, artist, historian and proud Lucchese – a person born in Lucca. Angela, of La Mimosa, introduced us while gathered around her rustic wooden kitchen table, a fire blazing in the open-hearth to warm us during a fall rainstorm. She was in the midst of preparing rabbit stew for…
As the years retreat, like soldiers who have lost or won a battle, I march forward down life’s path with a renewed sense of passion. My passion almost always lies in the discoveries that travel brings. This past year brought forth many new heart-opening journeys that are influencing me in new ways. I love Europe…
This story was ready to hit the press on Christmas Eve but because of wifi issues onboard our river cruise, the photos could not be uploaded. It’s Christmas Eve in Passau, Germany. My mom and I are breaking tradition to enjoy a European holiday via a river cruise that stops everyday in charming towns along the…