West's Bakery in Hope Valley, Rhode Island is the Best
I’m talking about West’s Bakery in the village of Hope Valley in the town of Hopkington in the county of Washington in the state of Rhode Island, which is a confusing place when it comes to place names. (click here to read my honest-reviews policy). West’s Bakery is where we recently had one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever enjoyed, at such a reasonable price, that we’re glad they aren’t right next door to us. We’d be tempted to stop by every day for one of their scrumptiously ethereal Bismark pastries, with eggs Benedict on the side–and we’d get fat! Although it is fairly …
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French Roots, by Jean-Pierre Moullé & Denise Lurton Moullé, inspires gracious hospitality
French Roots: Two cooks, two countries & the beautiful food along the way (list price $35 U.S. / $41.00 CAN) is a book (of cooking essays and recipes) that works like a time-traveling magic carpet to transport me between the San Francisco Bay Area and Bordeaux, sometimes to both places and multiple years at once. The authors met in Berkley in 1980 when he was the executive chef at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse, and she was a French expat living in the Bay Area. Six months later they were married. The writing, the pictures and the recipes are inspired by (French) rural Old World …
N is for NO!
This series is an alphabetical exploration of 26 options for living well, despite everything. It answers the question–How can a we live well, despite problems? By Saying No! I was taught to be nice, to say okay, fine, yes — while smiling politely. Yet, while saying “NO!” may strike us as not nice, saying yes too often leads to overcommitment, which leads to stress. And stress, according to health professionals at the Mayo Clinic, is unhealthy. So I’ve been thinking…There are 10 commandments, which for thousands of years, have served to define what is moral and decent in human conduct. Thou shalt say yes, is not …
A Fall Foliage Tour Day in Connecticut's Quiet Corner
Me? Fall Foliage is my favorite season, and I’m also attracted to reading nooks, sheltered coves, tucked-away hideouts and serene places like “Connecticut’s Quiet Corner.” So this morning when the weather promised to be fair and the day spread out before us with no commitments, we set ourselves free to explore. No agenda, no itinerary, no hurry. What a life! Here’s a salute to the places and people we stumbled upon, which/who made today into a day to treasure. Thank you, earth and sky, for your breathtaking, heart-calming beauty. Thank you, Charlene’s Diner, Jewett City, Connecticut. (click here for their Facebook page), for the best …
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A review of "Meat and Potatoes" by Rahm Fama
Meat and Potatoes: Simple Recipes that Sizzle and Sear, promises to deliver “52 irresistible, simple meals,” along with knowledge (about meat and cast-iron cookery) “to help you upgrade your dishes.” Each meal plan offers a meat (of course) main dish with 2 complimentary sides–one starch and one veggie. For example: Pastrami Flank Steak, Potato Pancakes and Gingered Red Cabbage Slaw; Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chop Milanese, Roast Fingerling Potatoes, Warm Arugula Salad; Asian Chicken Wings, Sesame Soba Noodles, Carrot-Apricot Slaw; Pan-Seared Lamb Loin, Horseradish potato Gratin, Spaghetti Squash with Basil and Almonds; Elk Loin with Port Thyme Butter; Jalapeño and Dried Cherry …
M is for Moderation
This series is an alphabetical exploration of 26 options for living well, despite everything. It answers the question–How can a we live with problems? Sure, moderation is wise. But… Isn’t moderation a church-lady, finger-pointing, tsk-tsking spoiler of fun? In order to live well with chronic pain, I’ve had to learn to pace myself, to put on the brakes and say, “well that’s enough of that for today.” I had to change my attitude about moderation, to empower myself to see restraint as a life-enhancing, rather than a life-restricting principle. Here’s the way I see moderation now: Moderation embraces every thing, each at the …
If You Want to Succeed in a Restaurant Venture, Follow the Advice in "Restaurant Success By The Numbers"
Level-headed, business-minded entrepreneurs who want to succeed in the restaurant business today, should read Restaurant Success by the Numbers. For more than 20 years I’ve been married to a (successful but now retired) chef and restaurateur, and I can confidently say that if more owners paid attention to all the important factors in this book, more restaurants would succeed. Roger Fields’ book is heavy on reality. The truth is, the restaurant business is fun (if you know what you’re doing). It can also be profitable. It’s always demanding and it can be disastrous. This book offers practical information to help “realistic dreamers” …
L is for Let-it-go
This is part of a series of an alphabet of help for living well, despite everything: L is for Let-it-go! I’ve been stepped on. Bruised. Trounced. Crushed. What’s my initial, instinctive, human response? I’m shocked– how could they? I’m in attack mode– those nasty blankety-blanks, I’m gonna show them why they are so wrong. I relive what they did to me. I scheme how to make them understand– they hurt me. I invent a multitude of creative punishments to make them pay. Meanwhile, the inconsiderate, rude, cruel, stupid things they did are making me more and more miserable. Imagine dipping a string into molten wax, adding layer upon layer, growing a bigger and bigger candle. There’s something satisfying …
September 11: what we never forget
I’m terrible at remembering anniversaries; I often float through my days on a cloud of my own imaginings, unaware of the exact date. Sometimes I don’t even know the month. I consider this one of the benefits of being an “Indie girl.” My time is mostly my own. 5 Days ago, I was challenged on Facebook to participate in the Gratitude Challenge. In case you haven’t seen it–a friend challenges you to, for 5 days in a row, name 3 things you’re grateful for. So I’ve been getting up every morning, and first thing, writing a little ode to Gratitude. …
Review of "Spain: Recipes and Traditions," a cookbook by Jeff Koehler; plus a Tomato Marmalade Recipe
I recommend this cookbook to: people who have visited Spain, fallen in love with the food and culture of its various regions, who want a coffee-table picture book, with extremely authentic recipes to help them relive their experience. Also, for anyone who can’t afford to go to Spain, who wants a tour of all its regions vicariously–this is a book for you, if you’re willing to plop down $40.00. I don’t recommend this for: vegetarians, or anyone squeamish about eating all parts of an animal (there were a few things that almost grossed even totally-non-squeamish me out). Why I rate this …