Good Taste is the Worst Vice

The American Club, Kohler WI

City living has its perks (restaurants!!), but I grew up a country girl and sometimes I just need to get out of the urban jungle. D and I decided to head about three hours north, to Kohler Wisconsin, for a weekend at the American Club. Kohler is a company town (sort of the plumbing version ... continue reading...


Oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies

This weekend, I was briefly possessed by the spirit of Cookie Monster. No, I didn't turn into a blue monster with googly eyes (phew), but I did devour six cookies in short order one morning, promptly ruining my appetite for the rest of the day. My mom was visiting, and I convinced her to do a ... continue reading...


La Bastide des Anges, Avignon

During this long, unrelenting February, I find my mind drifting back to the warmth of Provence. I drink rosé, keep lavender sachets on my nightstands, and think about La Bastide des Anges. My aunt booked us into this little B&B just outside Avignon, on the Ile de la Barthelasse. It's a ... continue reading...


Uncle R’s clam spaghetti

As soon as I first tasted my uncle's clam spaghetti, I was immediately hooked.  It became one of my favorite dishes, and I'm always excited when he makes it for a birthday dinner or just because. I've always meant to try it for myself - here we go! The key to good clam spaghetti, of course, is ... continue reading...


Snow day lasagne

I've always tried to avoid making lasagne.  It's such a production: make the sauce, shred the cheese, boil and drain the noodles, layer the whole thing, and finally bake it. But it's such a cozy meal on a cold day. So I took a page from my mother's book and made a "cheater" version of homemade ... continue reading...


A picturebook from France

Like many of you, I imagine, I've been indoors a lot recently due to the Polar Vortex and -50 degree windchills.  So I spent some time tidying up my new condo and my iPhoto library, and came across a collection of photos from my France trip last fall that I wanted to share with you. Without ... continue reading...


Chocolate bark

Whenever I'm in Texas for New Year's, I like to come up with a few cooking projects. This time I thought it would be fun to make chocolate bark. After all, my mother and stepfather love chocolate as much as I do! I used 70% dark chocolate, but any kind would do - you could even swirl milk ... continue reading...


Tasty’s, Anguilla

Is Tasty's tasty?  That's what we wanted to find out.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist the obvious opening line!) We've driven by the brightly painted house on the main Valley road many times, but had never stopped in.  But I'd noticed a lot of great reviews online, and the story of the chef-owner is ... continue reading...


My mom’s “Waldorf Astoria” cheesecake

I love cheesecakes of all kinds - but this one is special. My mother was served this cheesecake at her bridal shower many years ago, and asked for the recipe from the hostess, my grandfather's colleague's wife.  It had the name "Waldorf Astoria cheesecake", an elegant name for an elegant ... continue reading...