Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Dinner at Farm, at the Carneros Inn

I spent hours contemplating where to eat during our Napa trip, but in the end, some of the best food was at our hotel. Who'd have guessed? After driving up from the airport, we checked into the Carneros Inn and unpacked, then walked to dinner at Farm. It's an airy place that made me feel ... continue reading...


The Carneros Inn, Napa Valley CA

I've found my new favorite vacation spot - the Carneros Inn. Really, who could resist this? The resort is situated just south of Napa Valley, about equidistant from downtown Napa and Sonoma on either side - very convenient. There are sweeping views of vineyards and hills, and that ... continue reading...


Baked French toast

For those who don't enjoy standing over the stove making pancakes, omelettes, or French toast for more than two people (and let's be honest, isn't that all of us?), this is for you - baked French toast. What a frittata is to an omelette, baked French toast is to individually-made stovetop French ... continue reading...


1801 First B&B, Napa

D and I are heading back to Napa shortly, and I realized that I have a whole pile (well, whatever the digital equivalent is) of photos of the great B&B we stayed at last time. 1801 First is a charming Victorian house in the city of Napa itself, less than a mile from downtown restaurants ... continue reading...


Santouka ramen, Mitsuwa Chicago

There's ramen everywhere in Chicago these days - at modern Asian places (Yusho, Urban Belly), at Japanese restaurants (Wasabi), at mostly-dedicated ramen shops (Slurping Turtle, Oiistar), or even on the menu in unexpected places (Trenchermen). Even though it's hard to imagine now, ramen used to ... continue reading...


Thin crust pizza – in an apartment oven

Many, many, many pages have been written about how to make pizza at home. There are blogs and sites galore devoted to recipes and techniques (I'm partial to Serious Eats). You can buy a baking stone or a baking steel, a "Kettle Pizza" grill insert, or a dedicated countertop pizza oven. I cook in ... continue reading...


Shrimp saganaki

Shrimp.  Tomatoes.   Feta. These three ingredients have been dancing around my imagination for a while - how could you go wrong with these summery flavors?  (Even in a cold March.) Turns out this is a well-known combination in Greek cooking, known as shrimp saganaki! I read lots and lots of ... continue reading...


Lufthansa “domestic” business

At the end of our last installment, I was in Heathrow, waiting for a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. Lufthansa's "domestic" (intra-Europe) business class is more or less equivalent to US airlines' domestic first, except that the seats are exactly the same as those in coach - which is to say, small ... continue reading...


Flying United Global First

Airplane food: the very words strike fear into my heart. I still remember the days when cross country flights included meals in coach ("eggs or pancakes?", "pasta or chicken?"), but even back then I would often bring my own snacks to eat instead.  These days, of course, the only food is up front. ... continue reading...