Independence Day demands a barbecue, don’t you think? A few weeks ago I saw a recipe for barbecued ribs smoked in a spicy sauce featuring the Korean red chili paste “gochujang.” Gochujang is certainly popular right now—seems like it’s a weekly ingredient in our Blue Apron kits—but we’ve used it a lot over the years [...]
Because two friends I walk with in the early morning have been out of town for the past few weeks—summer travel has begun!—I’ve switched up my morning exercise routine by taking more yoga classes at the swim club down the road. Not entirely awake I stumble over to the sound of bird-song and the rhythmic [...]
My oh my, it’s June already. As Chaucer would say, Summer is A-Comin In! This is one of my favorite times to entertain since the weather is good and the longer days make for a more relaxed gathering. Plus the produce this time of year is excellent so food prep can be fairly simple. This [...]
More garden descriptions and photos soon but in the meantime, as promised, here are recipes and links to my Autumn Dinner Party. It relies heavily on Ina Garten recipes because they’re reliable, easy to execute and crowdpleasers. In fact, I received several requests for recipes after the party and one of our guests deemed the [...]
I’ve always been a breakfast person, but as I grow older I tend to like lighter fare first thing in the day. Maybe some homemade muesli (see below) or wheat toast with nut butter and fruit on the side. Egg dishes make an appearance on the weekends or when guests are around. (I know, I [...]
I love the early days of December when everything seems possible, don’t you? The Christmas carols that irritated me in stores two weeks ago seem festive now. Spending time in the kitchen making artful cookies is creative fun. Dressing up to go out with friends feels like a treat. And I’m confidant that somehow [...]
On this first Friday in November I’m thinking about gratitude. Throughout the year I try to count my blessings—sometimes in a daily “gratitude journal” but more often than not by documenting the (mostly) good and interesting things in my life on Instagram. (Thank you, Insta!) In case you haven’t tracked this yet, Thanksgiving comes late [...]
After a week on the East Coast working and visiting our kids I came home with happy memories and a little intestinal bug. Not big enough to warrant a trip to the doctor–we didn’t bowl in Ebola-exposed lanes while in NYC–but some queasiness lingered for nearly a week. I looked up my symptoms and learned [...]
In our new modernist home, a few splashes of orange around the house and a skeleton on the front bench suffice for demonic decor. I’ve been experimenting with deer-resistant plants in the front pots and though several perennials have given up the ghost already the nasturtiums are thriving. Right now a strand is crawling into [...]
We were lucky enough to have old friends over for Saturday lunch. The wife is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor and after nine months of procedures is just now taking short trips out and about. Longtime friends, we used to camp and hike together when our children were little. Now I worried she wouldn’t [...]
