Nothing says “Welcome” to arriving family and friends like an abundant, colorful, delicious charcuterie or antipasto board.  Eating and enjoying is almost as much fun as planning for a festive board, which has so many varieties and offers a gastronomic break from the traditional Italian Antipasto or French Charcuterie.     I like to start […]

Sometimes magic happens when you are least expecting it. That was the case with my Rosemary Cranberry Martini. I was working my way through a rather long recipe for a Buche Du Noel (A chocolate Yule Log) for the holidays, garnished with Candied Cranberries and Rosemary. The recipe yielded a most fragrant and flavorful simple […]

2020 feels like the year of the “dark before the dawn.” Today, Monday, December 21, 2020, is the winter solstice,  the shortest, darkest day of the year.  This twice-yearly occurrence happens when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun, once in each hemisphere, and signals the start of the […]

My castle kitchen is my favorite place in the house. It’s a workplace, a sanctuary, a gallery, a museum, and a gathering site.  My favorite kitchen items, chosen carefully, inspire me in so many ways.  Some items exude quality, while others give me comfort and delight.  A handful of others have provenance either steeped in […]

Last fall, while on a money-minded mission to purchase a chandelier for the living room, my girlfriend and I happened upon a consignment store in Westport, CT, brimming to rafters with dusty treasures.  While sifting through relics, next to me was a shopper up to his elbows in a box of andirons. As he pondered […]

Feast from the East   One of the few downsides of living in rural CT is the lack of authentic Asian food. My husband loves greasy, sweet Chinese takeout (which happens to be my least favorite option.) Amid the virus, I’ve been craving it, and I decided to combine the homemade flavors I love with […]

  As the months of social distancing tick on, and the “new normal” sets in, one element of my life has proven to be more valuable than I ever imagined. It is my growing awareness of the   importance of belonging to my tribe.    I actually have a few tribes that I hold very dear […]

Flavor Pairings!   There are some flavor combinations I just love.  I don’t know what sparks the proclivity– it could be a tradition,  a coveted memory, or some science as to why some food combinations taste better than others (or a lethal combo of all three.)      I particularly love roasted or caramelized onions […]

My springtime mission is to fill the dozens of planters, pots, and urns that grace my stone walls, terraces, and courtyard. My mandate is to make them   balanced yet unique, memorable yet harmonious.  I learned from a wise gardener, my mom, that a good planter has three components: a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.  […]

  As a kid in Germany, we used to giggle at the names of the local cuisine. Wienerschnitzel (fried veal cutlet), Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancake), and our favorite, Salzburg Knuckler (souffled pancake). Reserved for Sundays, it was a pillow, light and fluffy, like a puffy cloud in your mouth, adorned with a snowfall of powdered sugar. […]