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...