Maine
My recent visit to Maine was a patchwork of memories and a blossoming of experiences to add to them. I moved there two minutes before my son was born, nearly 29 years ago. I fell in love with the town the minute I saw it, mostly for the spare, lovely homes that were placed so […]
Truth in a Tomato
What a week. My eldest, Joseph, was home briefly to accompany my youngest, Fiona, to college. There was packing, unpacking, parties, hellos, goodbyes, car trips and ocean swims. Amidst it all, I was feeding everyone. One night I set a plate of tomatoes on the table, dressed simply, with finely sliced shallots, extra-virgin olive oil, […]
The Best Vinaigrette
French vinaigrette. It’s a liquid poem you pour over freshly harvested greens, which in turn becomes the best dish you ever ate. Like any French person, I eat a salad after every meal. Sometimes a salad IS my meal. Whether tender or robust, salad greens make a great base for a freshly poached egg; […]
Dreaming of Tuscany
We’re having our first grey, drippy autumn day. It’s warm – close to 60F/15.5C but it’s dismal. So naturally I’m dreaming of Tuscany, where I spent three weeks this summer. I was working on a project that had me inside in front of the computer for many, many hours, but I still had plenty of […]
The Season’s Silver Lining
We had a halcyon moment last week, given the deluges of the weeks before and the grey skies and intermittent torrential rains of this week (I’m looking out the window now at cars crawling through rivers of water on the street, roses bent under the blast). After Monday, each day began in the mist […]
California, There I Was
From La Jolla to Del Mar, San Francisco to Diablo, Napa to Roseville, California was such an amazing venu, with such amazing hosts. Thank you all! and finally, a moment of rest at the Hollywood Bowl. Au revoir, California, I’ll miss you.
Finishing Up the Perfect Salad
Now you’ve washed the lettuce and made the Classic Vinaigrette. All that’s left is tossing the lettuce leaves, and this video shows you how to do it perfectly. You think it’s a slam dunk, and it is. But there’s a method, of course, in the French Kitchen!
End of Winter Salad
It really does seem to be the end of winter. I can tell this by the sun in the bright blue sky, the temperature hitting 55F by noon, a certain “roundness” in the air even when it’s chilly in the morning. I can also tell by the way I’m suddenly thinking about winter ingredients as […]
Making Classic Vinaigrette Video
Just published on youtube and vimeo….soon there will be others! Bon Appetit!
Spring Buying Tips at the Farmers Market
A walk through the farmers’ market, particularly now when the season is changing and we’re suddenly offered a whole, new array of produce, is magic. It’s one thing to be seduced by the beauty and newness of it all, though, and another to know how to choose the very best, because it all looks fantastic. […]
