Hearth and Heart

It is officially that particular time of year for anyone residing in the northern hemisphere. The daylight hours are fewer and the temperatures are cooler. For most, preparation for the barrage of winter storms is underway. The desire to feel warm and cozy is a natural reaction to winter solstice and I welcome it (from…

Fast food

In case it needs to be restated, I’m a food snob. Not in the chichi, four-course, Michelin starred sense. I just like a good, well-prepared meal that satisfies. It doesn’t have to be a lot of food (usually it’s just a few bites). It just has to be good. Really good. No matter how simple….

Sanctuary

I will never, and I mean never ever, understand the current coffee culture. I understand it in theory but there is something about it that offends my blatant hermit-like sensibility. There is a difference between the perfectly prepared ice cappuccino I enjoy on these warm summer days and the quiet me-time coffee break I allow…

Happy Place

I miss my happy place. It’s Saturday morning and I am not seated at my favorite Paris nook. How can this be? I need another Paris immersion. Soon.          

Ivy League

I love a pretty neighborhood café. A place with an unobstructed view of the pastry case. Where the curry chicken salad on sourdough and iced latte do not ruin what the ambiance has begun.   Amandine Patisserie Café 12225 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, Ca 90025

Happy Palate

It was years and years ago that a former colleague looked at me, then herself in a full length mirror and declared that she prefers to eat to live rather than live to eat. In contrast to me, she scrutinized every morsel of food that entered her body. She called herself a vegetarian but she…

Things Left Behind

The hardest thing about cleaning house is resisting the urge to keep that which would be best left behind. How often do I throw something in the bin, then feel the immediate need to retrieve it the moment it leaves my grasp. This holds true with relationships as well. The constant go-no, please stay because…

Solo Apéro

Am I the only person who enjoys apéro at home alone? It has been firmly established by me that I love solo dining. Notice I said dining, not eating. Whether I am home alone or in a restaurant, the consumption of food is considered dining. Why is that? That’s because I don’t eat out of…

God, I love cheese!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love, love, love….cheese. Cheese is the best thing in the world. When I find myself in a genuine curated cheese shop, I literally want to drop to my knees and weep. Tomme de Savoie, Tallegio, St. Nectaire, Roquefort. I could go on and on. Actually, I have more…

Warm Comfort

Every so often I feel a need for comfort food. You know what I mean; we’ve all been there. The pangs that won’t go away. Generally speaking, I like to keep it healthy. I have a Vitamix and a slow juicer on my kitchen counter and I use them regularly. I have chopping boards and and…