Slowing Down and Summer Goodies
Unlike many Americans, summertime is the busiest time of year for those of us who work in museums. So I often miss whole seasons of fruit and vegetables before I can fully appreciate them. Working extra hours each week and then spending the weekends DOING things because it’s beautiful weather out or it’s so hot … Continue reading
Lard-Roasted Potatoes – Snack of the Year?
In my last post, I talked a little bit about lard-roasted potatoes. While some people may fear animal fats, I am not one of them, and pork fat with potatoes is quite possibly the greatest combination ever. I render my own lard at home from locally produced pork fat I buy for cheap at … Continue reading
Celebrating 2013
So we haven’t updated this in a loooong time. But sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. As does the fact that more often than not this year, I’ve forgotten to take pictures, to take my camera somewhere, to capture in digital format all the wonderful things I’ve seen and done. And that’s okay. … Continue reading
Easter Recipes
Even though it was just us two for Easter, I decided I wanted to go all out. Despite the fact that I did everything in one day (including yeast bread) with a single oven and only one oven rack, it all turned out pretty deliciously. I didn’t get everything to the table piping hot, but … Continue reading
Opera for the People
Like so many people, I’d pooh-poohed opera, but then I realized, maybe it’s just because I hadn’t really paid attention to it. The only exposure to opera I’d had was to satires of it, such as the “Kill the Wabbit” Wagner Ring spoof sung by Elmer Fudd. The doorway in for me was a serenely … Continue reading
Celebrate the New Year with Americana
Sure, you could ring in the new year with some California “champagne,” or Italian prosecco, or even if you can afford it, real champagne from the Champagne region of France. But I propose a less expensive, tastier, and more historic celebratory beverage: hard cider. Cider used to be the beverage of choice for most Americans … Continue reading
Pizza Nite at Palazzo Pisano (Food, Art + Love)
Menu: Home made pizza (including the crust) Wine (including champagne during preparation, a must) Salad (with homemade crotons + homemade dressing) Partners in crime: Suz and Tom Pisano (happy accomplice Me) So I invited myself over to Suz and Tom’s place after a missed opportunity to eat pizza and wine the week before, I was … Continue reading
Piano, 32 Years Later
I took piano lessons from age 8-11, until my teacher moved away. His name was Dean, and I know now that he was a very accomplished musician, but I didn’t appreciate him at the time. As a pre-teen, I was super self-conscious and this got in the way of everything, as did my budding perfectionism. … Continue reading
Living with a House Bunny
Butter (full name: Butter Buns Sutton) comes from Lollypop Farm animal shelter outside Rochester, New York. Believe it or not, she is my first adulthood pet. My family had two pet store bunnies when I was a kid, and that was kind of a disaster. (For starters, they’d assured us they were both female … … Continue reading
Grandma’s Ravioli = Cute Men in the Kitchen
Not sure what is sexier than men cooking. I really don’t. I had dinner at the lovely new home of Tim and Suz Pisano recently. Tim: amazing sculptor, painter, etc. and Suz: amazing designer of fashion, bags, hats, etc. Well there was a major ravioli making fest happening. Including the making of fresh dough for … Continue reading
FarmHouse 