SHOPPING LOCAL FOR A WEDDING IN ITALY
My daughter Tatiana got married in Ascoli Piceno with over 100 well dressed Italian men and women in attendance. How to dress as the prospective suocera (“mother-in-law” in Italian) with suitable chicness was easily accomplished right in my own neighborhood. First stop: Donna Lewis at 309 Cameron Street (703 548 2452)for a serious investment in [...]
CHEESE LOG BLOG – ENTRY #1 RANCH HOUSE CHEDDAR
So, I was reading this book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, (it was required reading – Stephanie made me do it) when I came across the chapter about the visit to the New England cheese maker/supplier. This really caught my attention because: a) I love New England, but even more relevant to this story; b) I love cheese. [...]
MAINE WINTER SURPRISES
It is March 21. I only have three more months to do my daily three hour commute to and from Camden where I have taken a nine month job as Interim Director of a Montessori School. Am I crazy? Perhaps. It all began on that 9/11 we will never forget; that horrible assault on Americans [...]
PASSING THE TORCH
Every Thanksgiving, my sister Ana (a former Cuisinette) , would always make the most wonderful homemade pies I have ever known. This tradition began when I was like eight and never stopped. My two brothers, my sister and I, would all get together the night before Thanksgiving and bake. It was always a lot of fun, though I wasn’t too keen about making the pie [...]
MAKING RAVIOLI
Making pasta, especially with kids, can be great fun and a real learning experience. I wanted to show the girls how easy it was to make home made ravioli and how much better it tasted than store bought dry pasta. I haven’t made pasta in about 3 years so I had to refamiliarize myself with the whole process and [...]
THE MISADVENTURES OF BAKING
We have always liked to bake. It’s really something fun to do, especially the part where you get to eat what you’ve made. I personally like seeing the reactions of others on what I have made. Cindy and I had never made anything together. We once started to make sugar cookies but had to stop [...]
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE (IF ANY)
Real classics are always standard yet surprisingly rare and hard to get. Does a woman’s quest for the perfect little black dress ever end? Dedicated seekers of elegance don’t think twice about putting their names down on a two-year waiting list for the Kelly bag by Hermes. So I could hardly believe my luck last [...]
THREE CREPES AND A FUNERAL
Amazing things happen when you make crepes. A son signs up for the Marines, an 11 month old stands up to take her first steps and two members of the La Cuisine Canine Security Team get the burial they have long deserved. Crepe pans have been burning up our internet sales so we figured that, like [...]
RANCH HOUSE TERRINE
So, how many times has this happened to you? You are sitting atop a rocky peak on the Continental Divide, watching the eagles fly, when suddenly the thought hits you: Boy, sure would be great to have one of those nifty terrines right now, eh? Well, I can tell you, it happened to me once. [...]
LET THE CHILDREN DO THE GRINDING!
Each Thanksgiving my grandchildren’s Montessori class of 3-6 year old children asks that parents help the children in the preparation of a Thanksgiving meal atschool. My daughter quickly decided that it would be quite easy to transfer to theclassroom the making of our traditional family cranberry relish using great grandmother’s meat grinder.This is such a [...]
