[Flowers near the sea, July 2008.]
Sometimes I think I am a very strange person. Take today, for example. It’s warmish (thankfully), the sun is out for the most part, I’m helping prepare a barbecue at work (yes at work, welcome to San Francisco …) and for some reason I’m feeling nostalgic for [...]

[Wildcat Beach, morning, July 2008.]
Pls. forgive my absence; I have been Away, and it was marvelous.
Last summer for my vacation I went to Greece — to sweet, sweet Spetses, with its lovely sloping hills and dry and dusty streets, a Mediterranean Ocean like bathwater, time spent with some of my very favorite people on the [...]

In food, as in love, when I tend to fall I fall hard. My stomach seizes up in a fierce knot, and I find I have little appetite for anything other than coffee, wine, water, and a few slices of cheese here and there. I tell myself at these times: be still my [...]

[Dinner a few weeks ago, July 2008.]
I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I’ll blame this on probably too much coffee consumed during the course of my waking hours, not enough fruit, and a myriad of boring things including When is that person getting back to me/ How much longer til vacation/Why do I have [...]

1. Invite family and friends who are family. Think about the menu a few days in advance, and make up a list of ingredients (not only does it keep you organized, it’s very satisfying). Plan to buy most of your vegetables at your Saturday farmers’ market the morning of, but also check out [...]