Passengers, we are approaching the Hot as Hades station, please gather your belongings and get to the nearest beach… I pretty much live for summer. I love not really needing footwear or long pants, and the carefree spirit of dining alfresco. But there are certainly days that feel a little oppressive, so recipes that do … Continue reading Chill out: cold soups and beach reads
I love playing the game “If I could live anywhere where would it be?” France gets batted around an awful lot, or sometimes sunny California, or bustling Barcelona, but really at the end of the day my heart resides in Brooklyn. I lived there for almost two decades and fell in love with the old … Continue reading Nostalgia, Italian deli style
This has been a hard few weeks. Necessary hard, but also heartbreaking hard. It has felt prudent to let Black voices take the stage. To really listen to the yearning for reform and change, and to be part of that change. These are big feelings; big and important realities. I only recently started this newsletter as a point of … Continue reading Southern cooking and Black cookbook authors
Last week we had an escapist trip to Roma. My imagination has no limits, especially when it comes to European visits, so buckle up, we are headed to France. I’m not talking about Covid, or the fact that my child is coming unglued without school, or all of our collective worries. Let’s drown our sorrows … Continue reading Galettes and Bicyclettes
You have probably heard of the “stages of grief.” Well, this week I am firmly planted in the denial stage. I sat in front of my computer screen loaded with the page featuring the rustic chic house we had rented on the Spanish island of Formentera for the last half of July. I have not … Continue reading Roman Holiday and Aperitivo
This has probably happened to you also recently… you are scrolling through your phone, and you get a notification with a photo saying “This time last year/ two years ago/ five years ago.” It makes my heart sink into my belly to see the photos of sandcastles and sandwich picnics on Block Island, the special anniversary dinner at our favorite … Continue reading Family Meal, Homeroom, Mothers, and Vegan Week
The other morning, things were going as usual, as far as these days go. I was clearing breakfast, Stephane was working in our office, and James was plugging in to his Google Classroom. Then James just stopped, and started crying. I will preface this by saying the kid is not much of a crier. When … Continue reading South x Southwest shrimp and cheer up mode
When my sister, Kate, and I were little we used to pretend play the most dire circumstances. A favorite was to be lost at sea on a boat (the sofa) with only castaways (100 stuffed animals) aboard. Or when it was cold out, we would put on our most tattered mittens and gather leaves and sticks … Continue reading Grimm tales, easy recipes, and a marathon week
In which I love my family, but also find myself having unkind thoughts. I don’t know, maybe you are in the camp of people who are currently posting photos on Instagram of your first date with your beloved and tagging them #loveofmylife, but all of this quarantine coziness is not making me the sweetest roommate. My … Continue reading Getting crazy with chickpeas and a kid’s book list
Last week I was a little worried knowing that James’s birthday was coming up, and he wouldn’t be able to celebrate with friends at school, or go on our planned Mexican surf trip. So I rallied our extended family to send birthday cards. Little kids love getting mail. But I should have known better. Six year … Continue reading Greek week and a birthday
