As produce starts to fill the markets I find myself drawn to the simple flavors of the vegetables that are in season. It is the purity and intensity of the single flavors eaten raw that I find so appealing. The fresh flavors of a green salad or a bowl of arugula leaves with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Or maybe the taste of baby artichokes that can be eaten raw while dipping the bottom into a little vinaigrette. In France radishes are sliced and placed on a piece of buttered baguette and sprinkled with salt so the flavors can come to life in your mouth. The same is done with fa ..read more

Mark and I were gathering our belongings for our trip to the Adirondacks. The weather report indicated that snow was probable and then it was expected to warm up enough to melt what was on the ground. That meant we needed to plan for mud. Our bag, overstuffed with the required clothes and footwear, was ready.   We packed the car with all the food and accessories we’d need, and we set off to Tupper Lake, near Lake Placid, New York, to see the solar eclipse. (See blog post) We were guests of Mark’s cousin Jackie and her husband, Pierre.   “The driveway is very steep,” we were told ..read more

There is proof that laughter is beneficial. Norman Cousins wrote a book titled Anatomy of an Illness that became a groundbreaking best-seller about combating life-threatening illness through laughter. Multiple studies have led scientists to believe that laughter reduces our stress hormones and helps lower blood pressure. And one thing that is certain is that laughing feels good.   One of my favorite memories was watching my son, Tyler, when he was a toddler playing with his younger cousin, Maddi. Tyler had figured out a way to get Maddi to burst into laughter. They were ..read more

I do not spend a lot of time on social-media. If I look at anything, it’s Instagram because it’s visual and the images are beguiling. They transport me into different worlds.   I’ve read about the negative effects social media can have on young people. How it can give them unrealistic views of other people’s lives, leaving them feeling depressed, desiring something they don’t have, and isolated. I understand this intellectually, but as an adult it didn’t really concern me. I felt it was just one of those side effects of this new way of communicating.   But recently, I’ve spent mo ..read more

Let’s talk about rustic tarts. In France they are known as galettes; in Italy they are called crostatas. Whatever you want to call them, they are tasty and easy. You don’t need a pie pan or any special techniques—this tart is freeform. Even the ingredients are flexible. And that means you can enjoy the great bounty our farmers have to offer us. All you need to do is roll out your dough. It doesn’t matter what shape—circle or rectangle. Place your ingredients in the center of your shape and fold the edges of the dough over the edge of the ingredients. This is freeform so all that rea ..read more

As many of you know, I love to entertain. But only when I can enjoy the party with everyone else.   After-all, the point of entertaining, in my mind, is to gather people, to socialize, dine, and enjoy the beverages, while creating an environment that makes people feel special and welcome.   It’s taken me a long time to understand what’s actually involved in taking on those two roles. It works well when you have people to help you. Trying to do it alone is challenging, but not impossible. As a matter of fact, when you know what has to be done, it is actually easy.   There is no ..read more

When the question “What’s for dinner?” comes to mind, lately, I see a rugged soup. It’s an easy and satisfying dish to make. Best of all, it freezes well. I make a large pot of dynamic soup and pour it into the one-cup soup cubes I’ve got in the pantry. At first, I thought the cubes were an unnecessary extravagance. They were a gift, and when I tried them, I loved them. Make your soup, fill the cubes, and when it’s frozen, pop the cubes out of the silicone molds. Wrap each cube in plastic wrap, label and date, and store in resealable bag back in your freezer for when you want them. The best ..read more

1.         What I enjoy about living in the northeast of the United States is that we go through all four seasons. Some I like more than others, but there is something in each season that I love and look forward to every year.   For winter, it is that magical snowstorm. The one where there is nothing to do but watch the snow accumulate. Where sound is dampened by the amassing flakes to create that magical silence that only happens when it snows. Where the sky is no longer open but is now full of flakes that have become a solid moving mass. And where eve ..read more

When I entertain, that’s my goal—for both my guests and me.   For a long time when I’d have a dinner party, I’d find myself ducking into the kitchen to finish up, while overhearing my guests in the other room laughing. It frustrated me to no end, because it seemed to be contrary to the point of inviting people who you wanted to spend time with.   I love to entertain, but when it felt more like work, I knew I was doing something wrong.   Does that sound familiar?   I was determined to figure out how to enjoy my parties. Since I knew it could be done, I just had to identify ..read more

It’s been that kind of week.   In reality it started the previous week when I set up delivery of my blog post I've always loved dinner parties, as I’ve been doing for years. And nothing happened—It didn’t go out and I don’t know why.   I’ve spent hours trying to resolve website issues. I won’t bother you with the details; let’s just say that no matter what I did, it didn’t work. What was frustrating was that at the end of the day I hadn’t accomplished anything, and the next day I’d get to do it all over again. It didn’t put a smile on my face.   But let me tell you what did mak ..read more