Summer Meals: Grilled Vegetables, Smoked Salmon Pops & Lemon Cupcakes - The best summer meals are inspired not only by the seasonal produce freshly picked from the fields, but also the smells and tastes of long, hot days and vacations. Lazy sunny days at the shore and thirst-quenching fruit and citrus and herb gardens baking in the sun all influence what we’re eating. As these dishes […]
Pesto Pairs Perfectly with Italian White Wine - September 30 is the last day of California Wine Month so I thought I’d pair one of my favorite Italian sauces (as in the Tortellini with Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes above) with some California white wines made from Italian varietals. And I added a twist to the pesto that I learned from Luce, one of […]
Thank God It’s Foieday: Foie Gras Lives on in Dordogne, France - In Périgord, Dordogne France, it’s always foie day. It happens to be the foie gras capital of France (and the world), producing 90% of all foie consumed in France. And the French consume a lot of foie: 18,450 tons — 78.5% of the world’s estimated total production. This region also produces high-quality almost-Bordeaux wines at a fraction […]
Château Bouscassé: Wine Worthy of a Lover’s Last Night - Matching the right wine with specific foods/dinners can dramatically enhance both the food and the wine, as well as the dining experience. And sometimes your dinner company too. To accomplish this, the wine needs some acid, good balance and something interesting to offer for pairing — like a pleasing mix of spice, fruit aromas or bold […]
Favorite Breakfast Now: Farro & Eggs - Breakfast/Brunch is probably my most favorite meal of the day. I love the morning sun, the smell of pork belly, coffee and mimosas. Levain sourdough toast with butter and strong coffee with cream is all I need to feel happy and well-fed. Add a fried egg on that and it’s gonna be a special day. […]
The Ham & High: Locally Sourced Ingredients in Montgomery - Montgomery Alabama is, as one would expect, full of down home cookin’ and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Being from a central mid-western state myself, I loved the barbecue, mashed potatoes with mounds of butter, baked beans and hot dogs with all the fixin’s. And don’t forget the grits! But I was very excited to find […]
Michel Guerard: Heaven’s Delight for One More Night - As the pleasure of the Baker’s company had already begun its slow, steady decline, the town of Eugénie-les-Bains, in France’s southwest corner, just outside the French Basque region, came just in the nick of time. This town has long been celebrated for its healing spring waters and tranquil valley setting, and as we coasted into […]
The Best Meal I Ever Ate: Etxebarri, the Grill Master & the Baker - I’d heard and read so much about Etxebarri from Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations (he also said it was the best meal of his life) to Chez Pim’s journey there, it was a must on my recent eating/drinking tour of northern Spain. Like Pim, I was grateful to get to eat at various starry restaurants on […]
Jamón, Octopus & Garlic Fish: Cantabria Restaurant - Staying in Cantabria, Spain has its benefits: it’s a 30-minute drive to the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, it has luscious green countryside dotted with caves containing early human paintings, and it’s unspoilt by foreign tourists – meaning it still has some really great, secret Cantabria restaurants. One of them is La Lonja in the fishing/port […]
Asador Tinto in Rioja Spain: Pata Negra Makes Getting Older Easier - So here I am, having a birthday that has been hailed as the new 30. I’m single and childless and gainfully employed. So far, I’m not convinced. Luckily, I had a new beau who just happened to be a wonderful baker — and believe me, a woman’s heart definitely can be won over with beautifully […]