Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Lunch (and the beach) at Trattoria Tramonto, Anguilla

In the spirit of exploration, D and I headed over to the other side of the island for lunch earlier this week.  Admittedly, it's only a couple of miles, but there's a totally different view and even slightly different weather.  And since I really like the island Christmas music they play ... continue reading...


Back to Anguilla

It's a two day trip from Chicago to Anguilla - but every minute of travel time is forgotten when we arrive and see this: Our voyage starts bright and early, en route to New York - the only non-stop United flight to Saint Martin leaves Newark at 8am, so we need to spend the night.  Last ... continue reading...


Aviary Kitchen Table: Autumn and Kyoto

It's been too long since our last visit to the Aviary KT.  So D and I headed back last week, and I'm happy to report that it's just as fun and fantastic as ever. As always, we started with a sparkling cocktail - the Sun Also Rises from the Kyoto cocktail flight.  It's a lovely, light ... continue reading...


My mom’s chicken stew

Whenever my mother visits, I ask her to make chicken stew.  It's filled with vegetables, nutritious as well as delicious - the food equivalent of a hug.  And it freezes beautifully in individual portions, ready for me to heat up on chilly evenings when I'm hungry and facing an empty ... continue reading...


Crêpes Suzette à la Jen

Tonight, D suggested that we head to RL for some crêpes Suzette, but I didn't want to deal with the Saturday night crowds.  So that's how I ended up making crepes Suzette - or at least, my version of it - for the first time. For the crepes, I whisked together milk, flour, an egg, and a few more ... continue reading...


Twenty First Century Limited: EMP at Alinea

What do you get when you put two Michelin three star restaurants together?  According to Grant Achatz, the answer is six stars - and a truly unique experience. There's a close relationship between Alinea and Eleven Madison Park, and between Chefs Achatz and Humm - as evidenced by prior ... continue reading...


Celebrating at L2O

It's become a tradition for us to celebrate D's birthday at L2O - certainly no hardship for me!   I was particularly excited about this most recent visit, since I've been following Chef Matthew Kirkey's latest kitchen project - a tank system split into Pacific and Atlantic sections - on ... continue reading...


Chocolate rum cake

When I was growing up, my mother always used to make this cake for special occasions. It's four layers of chocolate, with rum custard filling and a thick layer of whipped chocolate frosting - rather impressive to look at, as homemade cakes go, and also wonderful to eat. Over the years, I've ... continue reading...


Zahav, Philadelphia

Did you know that Israel produces very good Syrah?  I certainly didn't, until our recent dinner at Zahav, in Philly.  And honestly, I didn't know much about Israeli food, either. But now I know that I like both... a lot.  I can still taste the spectacular leftover lamb shoulder and ... continue reading...