Exploring life through food and travel
Our family beach house of 57 years is now a memory. I spent much of my childhood here, in the tiny 1929 blue cottage with brick-red shutters along the shores of Mission Beach. Her living room was covered in a driftwood-type paneling, a fish net hung in a corner, stuffed with shells. The floors and…
A new place has touched my heart and her name is Portugal. An old European soul, she remains unspoiled with raw beauty and a depth of cultural influence. I wasn’t surprised as I’d heard so many wonderful things about this country that I had to experience it for myself. So taken with her old-world charm,…
I’ve been resisting writing about my latest vacation escape. Not because it wasn’t memorable—quite the opposite. But I just can’t get it out of my mind, so I needed to share. I went to New Jersey. When I told my friends I was going to The Garden State, they quickly remarked with visualizations of smokestacks,…
Oh no! Suitcases! I sigh. Long stress yawn. I hate suitcases so much, my anxiety kicks in big time. It means you are going away. Pouting is my favorite way to instill guilt and boy, does it work! Wait! Are you packing my leash and my bowl? Does this mean – really? Oh boy, oh…
New Brunswick, Canada: A land where time stands still. Sculpted by nature, the unspoiled landscape is rough around the edges, like an unpolished stone and not in any hurry to progress. Inland, its rolling hills hopscotch between forests of coniferous trees – balsam fir, red and black spruce, pine, sugar and red maple – and…
For me, travel is like a recipe. You take a bite, it consumes your senses. You make a memory out of a few ingredients along with the people who join you on this trip. Soon it’s in your “favorites” file. Some places have a profound effect on us, like that incredibly tasty dish you can’t…
When was the last time you made a soufflé? That long? Let’s fix that! Soufflés are one of those basic recipes that every chef is expected to master. It’s based on technique. Once you understand the basic bechamel sauce and how to properly whip egg whites, the world is your oyster. The recipe I am…
The other day as I was whipping up a lemon chiffon cake in my Kitchen Aid, I felt this rush of love and adoration for this appliance that has been the stronghold of my various kitchens for over 37 years. I know it sounds crazy to be in love with a kitchen appliance but really,…
Before Julia Child was an icon of French cooking, she was my escape. Somehow food was programmed into my DNA and I hadn’t realized it yet. As a teenager, all I knew was that this large, middle-aged woman had captured my attention with her tv shows and I hung onto her every word. Making cakes…
Introducing the Vodak Girls: Carrie, Mary, Carolyn, Aunt Barb, Cousins Fran, Jane & Nancy It’s all about a cake! I collect cookbooks. Hundreds of them line shelves in my kitchen, studio and even bedroom. I have signed books by Julia Child, James Beard, Jacques Pepin and now Ina Garten! These were my mentors during my…
A few weeks ago, the desert called to me, or was it Spring Training? Baseball has this effect on me. It makes me happy. Just say the word “baseball” and I will break out in a smile. What is it I love so much? It’s the crack of the bat hitting the ball, sending it…
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,…
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,…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
Memories My inspired blogging came to a halt in early July when my dear father passed away suddenly. I have been transitioning and re-balancing my life and am just now ready to continue with my stories. My dad always loved reading them and they usually would prompt a memorable saga of his own. His heart…
I’d love to step into Op’s shoes, or whatever goddesses wear on their feet. While perusing websites relating to my upcoming trip to Italy, I came upon a dictionary of goddesses. This one caught my attention. Ops, rumored to be married to Saturn, is “an agricultural goddess of abundance personifying the earth’s riches.”* Today my…
Mirna, my sister-in-law or ma belle soeur, as we fondly regard ourselves, never ceases to amaze me with her culinary creativity. While visiting Denver a few weeks ago, as I do every autumn, Mirna shared with me a recipe she devised that is gluten-free, full of apples and delicious. It all started with a visit…
Late summer is my favorite time of year. The skies are clean, the breezes warm and the markets are bursting with late harvest veggies and fruits. So many home and garden projects have taken me away from my writing time. In exhaustion, I find myself sneaking in an occasional afternoon nap, imitating my dogs who…
As a pastry chef, fruit desserts were my specialty as well as my favorite pastries to create. If fruit was in season, it showed up in abundance in my pastry case from Strawberry Napoleons to a Blueberry Bourbon Cream Cake, a tall tower of thin cakes spread and layered with a light bourbon cream and…