sunrise yesterday (no filter) Just when I had comfortably settled into extending my Summer for another few weeks, along came yesterday's weather here in what is called northern New Jersey. We are neither part of New England nor of the mid-Atlantic - we're sort of part of the New York Metropolitan Area, which really isn't a climatic region……. After the stellar day on Saturday, when I pronounced at least 100 times to anyone who would … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2015
T-Minus Two Days – The All-Nut Crust and the Last Peaches
Countdown to Autumnal Equinox T-Minus 2 days On one hand I feel particularly lucky that we have 2 extra days of Summer this year - the Equinox being on the 23rd. But, on the other, somehow, I think I can actually feel the earth and the sun moving away from each other anyway. I'll tell you every night when I have all the lights on by 7:30 I keep saying to myself, why is it so dark already? Why does this happen to me every year? I guess, I … [Read more...]
Crescendo of the Growing Season – A Study of Zinnias as I Pass the 500 Blog Post Mark
"Fireworks" from Union Square yesterday Crescendo - that was pretty much yesterday for me…….. Today is just a stellar day as I mark passing the 500 blog post line. Who knew? I guess I have a lot of flour to sift, a lot of dirt to dig, a lot of miles to go……... Yesterday, I trundled into the Farmer's Market at Union Square. Honestly, September is the best month to take in the bounty of the growing season here in the New York … [Read more...]
Indelible Impressions – A Story of Figs
image courtesy eatthis.com I had a glorious week in California last week. I am homesick for it now, especially as I see my friends Michael and Sharon are in La Jolla, and Helen and Ed are doing a wine harvest - and, ugh, it all looks so glorious! I was just aching to keep driving up the coast to Santa Barbara and on to Napa and Sonoma. I think it is at its absolute best at this time of year. I am already making mental notes for my next … [Read more...]
Yes, This is a Scone! – The Honey-Glazed Ginger-Plum Scone with Thyme
Plum Gorgeous - also the name of one of my fav cookbooks "Where there is a will, there's a way." Yesterday, I was sharing some of my Mom's favorite idioms with someone. That was one of them. She tenderly encouraged me with them from time to time when I was a young girl. Honestly, I think about her every day and how inextricably tied I am to her and always will be. Every time I think about stepping into the kitchen, I think of … [Read more...]
Of Corporate Titans, the Humanities and Alice Waters
photo courtesy LA Times and AP Years ago, I worked with someone who was a self-described Charles Dickens aficionado and an all around savant in the realm of British Literature. Clearly, he was out of his element and far from his passion in the world of something as mundane as the construction of compensation and reward programs in the financial services world. I can readily identify with his dilemma. Although a considerable amount of time … [Read more...]
The Algorithm and the Thirst for: California
What would it take to construct a personalized algorithm to help you to decide where you should live? How would you weigh history, familiarity, family, weather, physical beauty, proximity to the ocean, average age of residents, lifestyle, penchant for invigoration, desire for change, your age, and your interests, including in my case, access to great cuisine? Part of the reason I came on this trip was to consider this………….. Knowing that … [Read more...]
Seeds, Roots and Tendrils; The Southern Italian Garden – It’s Written in Your DNA
even though these are morning glories, they are reminiscent of the point I know that Umbria is technically in central Italy. But, somehow in my own mind, I imagine all gardening in Italy to be rooted in southern Italian gardening…… It's odd, I know. I have been reading a piece in Edible Manhattan about Sara Jenkins' visit in Umbria with Chef Salvatore … [Read more...]