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.          

Ok, Ladurée

I have never been one to worship at the alter of Ladurée. Every person I know who has been to Paris gets misty-eyed when they remember the macarons they enjoyed. Personally, I’ve always been partial to Dalloyau. I don’t know what it is, possibly the texture of the precious cookies offered. Now Ladurée is on…

Spirituali-Tea

I have rituals and I realize that in this regard I am like everyone else. I think it’s the actions performed in solitude that are closest to who we are. Mine is tea. I enjoy coffee as well, but for me coffee is physical and tea is spiritual. A friend who is deeply involved in…

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…

Life

I’ve had a summer unlike any experienced in many years and I am so thankful for it. To spend time in isolation with only the occasional interaction with others not of the canine variety has been a blessing that I will not attempt to describe. There is so much happening in the world that leans…

La vie en rose

To say that I am enjoying my sabbatical would be an understatement. I don’t know where my next dollar is coming from and I have no idea where I’m headed, yet I am happy. There is something to be said for taking a moment to reset. It is a luxury to be able to rise,…

Short-lived Shortcake

There is a reason why I seldom go out for coffee in Los Angeles. This town can’t be trusted. Just when I find a barista who knows her way around  a cappuccino, the joint disappears. Out of business and forever gone from my particular corner of the universe. I have lived in my neighborhood for better than…