FAST FINDS
Simple Sundays | Lemon Curd Frozen Yogurt
Wednesdays used to be our day. School let out early on an abbreviated schedule, and mom would pick me up. On Wednesdays, she didn’t have to rush to work, and still in my plaid uniform jumper, we would head straight to our special place. Carvel’s…
Read More
Honey Yogurt Semifreddo
Semifreddo. Say it with me. It just rolls off the tongue, like honey, doesn’t it? Let’s say it again, together. Semifreddo. Italian is such a beautiful language. Who else could make the words for “half cold” sound so romantic? Well, perhaps the French. I guess…
Read More
Lentil Spinach Salad
There is what I call the loud hours. Some of you with children also call it the witching hour, which really is slightly erroneous, because we all know the hour is more like three hours. I see you nodding your heads, you know what I…
Read More
Simple Sundays | Filipino-style Braised Chicken with Cranberry Adobo Sauce
Lolo, what is your favorite dish? Around this time last year, my daughter was working on her 2nd grade heritage report, culling memories and family history. She picked up the phone and called my dad, going down her list of questions. When she came to…
Read More
Events | Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2012
When I first experienced the epicurean delights that abound at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, all I could think of as I sipped and sampled my way through the day was, I wish my husband could taste this! Oh, I had a wonderful time with…
Read More
Olive Couscous Salad
When we moved to our current house six years ago, the landscaping required a huge overhaul, and I had romantic notions of filling the backyard with olive trees, their gnarly trunks and branches growing into a graceful bramble shading our yard. I had visions of…
Read More
Triple Cheese Bread
It was still dark when I heard footsteps approach my bed. My daughter crawled in under the comforter and snuggled close, and as I tried to settle back to sleep, I thought of all those nights when I would think, oh my goodness, will my…
Read More
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers & Ibérico Ham
I think I may have been the only child to never eat a single grilled cheese sandwich growing up. It’s true. My mother never made them, and somehow, I lived a life sheltered from childhood “classics” such as grilled cheese, tomato soup, and macaroni and…
Read More
A Weekend Away | IACP 2012 Annual Conference
The man to my left opened the window shade, and the brilliant sun shone down on rolling green hills thousands of feet below. As we made our descent into the San Francisco Bay Area this morning, my eyes were soothed by the verdant landscape, the…
Read More
Nutella Swirl Brownies
Que bella! How beautiful! These sweet, doting words followed my little brother and sister as we traveled throughout Italy as children. Being the older one, in that awkward teenage stage, those words were never intended for me. But my siblings, who are seven and eight…
Read More
Simple Sundays | Homemade Spaghetti with Baby Zucchini, Bacon and Mozzarella
Skydiving. The Taj Mahal at daybreak. An African safari. Homemade pasta. What’s on your bucket list? Some life goals are easier to achieve than others. I may never skydive – not because of fear or lack of opportunity, but simply because I know my husband…
Read More
Artichoke and Feta Tarts with Tomato Salad
I vowed I would never become a nurse. I made this pledge at a young age, and based it solely and superficially on the fact that my mom, who was in this noble profession, had hands that were cracked and dry from frequent hand washings.…
Read More
Simple Sundays | Roast Chicken with Morels and Onions
The skies have been grey for days, and we Northern Californians have been very polite about it. Oh this weather! Can you believe this rain? Our gripes are quickly followed up with a cheery, But we certainly need it! Despite the gloom, I think we…
Read More
Banana Empanadas
I cautiously took each step down the stairs with an extra sense of care, still feeling weak from a weekend of nausea. My feet were happy to plant themselves on the solid wood of the first floor. As I walked into the kitchen for the…
Read More
Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake with Almond Streusel
Meyer lemons are sweet and have a slight orange flavor, which upgrades a good Lemon Coffee Cake into an exceptional Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake.
Read More