Celebrating the artistry of culinary craftsmanship. I think of cooking as a creative and cultural experience, in addition to being functional and something to share with friends and family.  Here is an eclectic group of organizations, websites and books that celebrate the creativity of food, drink, eating and cooking experienced in various ways. “Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine” Edible Arts is a site that is written and edited by Dwight Furrow, Ph.D., who is committed to the idea that “food and wine can be as deeply meaningful as painting or music.” He has written a book called ..read more

Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you. Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office is a true story of a scandal at the British Post Office and is fantastic.  It is on PBS Masterpiece and has 4 episodes.  As The New York Times said in its review, “It is a tender and shattering drama and a tense, twisty legal story”.  It is must-see.                                          ..read more

Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you. A futuristic sculpture called ‘The Portal’ has been erected in both Dublin and New York City that allows people more than 3,000 miles apart see and interact with each other in real time. The one in New York City is located in front of the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue.  The Portal in Dublin is on O’Connell Street in front of the GPO and the Spire.  The Portals were activated on May 8th and will be operated through this fall. Since the activation, New Yorkers and Dubliners have been conversing, waving, and having f ..read more

Sharon Lorenzo tours the show “Even Better Than the Real Thing” The Whitney Museum of American Art has hosted 81 gatherings of American artists every other year since 1932, and this year’s effort represents the work of 71 artists brought together by the new director, Scott Rothkopf, who has been the chief curator of the Museum since 2015.  He decided for his first effort he would use in-house staff to create what he calls “the barometer of the new” as the biennial is “as much an act of judgment as it is of faith.” [1]  His two senior curators, Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli, brought the ..read more

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag Packing and unpacking a large duffle many times just to find one small thing during a recent trip put me over the edge.  A Sharp Eye has mentioned packing cubes in various ways for years, but I never heeded our own advice. After this recent frustrating packing trip, I’m ready to change my packing habits and use packing cubes. Packing cubes are helpful for trips with multiple stops.  They make packing and unpacking easy and efficient.  If you are traveling with young children, giving each child their own color packi ..read more

Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you. I am a movie and TV series wimp.  I only want to watch soft-core crime shows and mysteries, and other dramas can’t have violence or tragic endings.  I have found the perfect website for me.  It’s called Does the Dog Die? Input a movie title and you can find a list of content warnings. For example, I put in A Clockwork Orange (a movie I wish I’d NEVER seen!) and a long list of triggers came up with the number of people who answered yes and no. For “Is there domestic violence?” 33 said yes and only 3 said no, so if ..read more

Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you. The newest vinegar from Seattle-based Häxan Ferments is a mellow green garlic vinegar.  The company was founded by a molecular biologist and she is concocting and selling new, delicious vinegars and hot sauces.  She uses the Pacific Northwest beers and wines as their bases. Browsing through their selections always results in my adding more than I need to my cart.  12 Fl Oz. is $14.00.   Easy personal info opt-out: I am tired of having to spend time wrangling about over what ‘cookies’ I’m going to allow site ..read more

One can never have too many waste baskets. I love wastebaskets.  They are a fun accessory to any room because they always earn their keep. You can use them as a contrasting feature to the room’s colors, or they can support the decorating and blend in.  Here are some current favorites. This bin is made from natural, treated wood with a stain finish.  It comes in 7 colors.  The handle makes it easy to transport.  It can be tucked under a desk in an office or study, or in a powder room. It is 11” H x 9” D. $30.00.   This is the Dana Gibson Checkmate wastebasket in bl ..read more

Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you. I was just saying the other day how I much I missed the Zagat’s restaurant guidebooks.  I used to get a new one every year for New York and I trusted their reviews implicitly.  I then heard about a website called The Infatuation, a global online restaurant guide.  For full disclosure, Zagat’s went online-only and in 2011 was acquired by Google.  In 2018 Zagat was sold by Google to The Infatuation.  The Infatuation was acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2021. Here is the mission of The infatuation: “Our miss ..read more

Sometimes rugs look better on the wall than on the floor. Rugs and runners are becoming works of art in their own right. I love color, and a decorator once told me that when decorating any room, start with the rug first and go from there.  There are many appealing rugs, and a new trend is to hang them as art instead of walking on them. This Ruggable is the Iris Apfel Jingle Jungle rug.  It’s washable and could make a gorgeous wall hanging.  It comes in eight sizes, starting with a 2’ x 3’ for $129.00.   This is a vintage Boucherouite rag rug.  It is 51” x 81.5”.  ..read more