Guess what? You can sometimes never get beyond high school! Last week I was at a conference in Minneapolis. At the same time, the hotel hosted a 50th class reunion of a local high school. As people arrived on Friday it was clear who belonged where, but the reunion folks seemed genuinely happy to be seeing old friends. Then at ... Read More »
A year ago, fellow blogger Claire invited me to her camp in the Adirondacks for a party with her colleagues from St. Rose’s, lots of good wine and a very impressive paella. Click here to read Claire’s account of the party and her instructions on how to make a truly delicious meal. I’d eaten paella in the past, but never ... Read More »
Vino Volo opened the door. You have to give them credit for that. Before Vino Volo, your best option when traveling by air was to find an airport restaurant, and hope they had more than J Lohr on the wine list. Which wasn’t often. So maybe a Bloody Mary or a rum drink was a better option. Even worse was ... Read More »
Toenails? Traveling on US Airways this week, I ran across a great article about the few remaining Quintas in Portugal that still make their port wine in the traditional way, with the foot treading phase an integral and irreplaceable element to the resulting wine. Grape pickers are allowed the opportunity to earn some extra money in the evenings, by stepping into ... Read More »
http://youtu.be/1-8AOddGy4Y?t=3m55s&w=460 At some point during a (solo) 7 hour car ride, nothing on the iPod sounds good. Last Friday, I drove down to Delaware to visit friends (with a couple of side trips to Maryland and D.C.) and found that by hour 5, I was over everything on my playlist. I made time for Ira Glass and Isaiah Sheffer, but not ... Read More »
I remember envoking my father’s wrath as a small child when I made repeated gagging sounds at the sight of him consuming a plate full of oysters. I think he employed the phrase “Young lady” as he explained that my facial expressions (coupled with the distasteful noises I was making) were inhibiting him from fully enjoying his meal. I think ... Read More »
Just about one year ago, and thanks to a sabbatical semester, I was able to spend one week on The Way of Saint James, the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain. This is an ancient pilgrimage route that ends in Santiago de Compostela, where the casket of Saint James lies under the altar of the cathedral. Pilgrims have walked the ... Read More »
I am a gym-class-hater. In my 20s I tried many organized gym classes – aerobics, aerobic dance, step aerobics. I got to a point where I had to walk away. For good. Then comes yoga, which I originally scorned with equal pleasure as I did spinning and zumba. “Ah, those sheep, clamoring towards the latest thing! Why can’t they get their ... Read More »
My husband has been telling me for years not to buy our son shorts made of denim. I could not understand why. He is a boy. He is an active boy. His new clothes last an hour before getting stained. Shorts made of denim combine the airy freedom needed in summer heat, together with the durability and stain resistance of ... Read More »
My husband would say “Yes!” I would have to disagree. When a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cumin, I use two. Okay, I lied. I use a tablespoon, and then add a bit more for good measure. Cilantro falls into this same category for me, as well as figuring into most of the same dishes that call for cumin. ... Read More »
Sauced In New York Sometimes the food is in the sauce, sometimes we are