[Jessica's flowers, November 2008.]
Though I was in DC for less than 48 hours, I managed to: revisit many old neighborhoods; have brunch (eggs Florentine, french toast, mimosa, coffee) at the place I always seem to end up having brunch when I’m in town; brave the P St. Whole Foods on a Saturday morning for cupcakes [...]

When I really think about it there are these common themes: love, family, death, sex, reconciliation, food. All the rest is peripheral — even music, even writing. What drives us is relationships, both of the blood and of the body; the physical connection and emotional ties; the nourishment that slips down to our stomachs to [...]

[Mushroom galette, November 2008.]
There are days when all I think about is food — the preparing of it, how well certain dishes will pair with others, what specifically I should cook for a friend’s birthday, whether making the same dishes over and over again is a good thing or means simply that I am bo-ring, [...]

[San Francisco, looking west, February 2008.]
I wrote out some cards last night — thank-yous, which are my very favorite kind — and as I put my return address in the left corner I got that same little thrill out of writing “San Francisco, CA” I always do. I live here now, and have for [...]

[My true love, roasted cauliflower, November 2008.]
The air smells delicious up north especially when it rains, as it did on Saturday; on the drive back to West County I rolled down the window for a minute to let in all the good smells in of water and damp roads and grass and earth. Today [...]