My Chance Meeting With Mario Batali: An (Almost) Dream Come True
I just met Mario Batali walking on a street in downtown Ann Arbor. It was a dream come true. Well, almost. My real dream is to have Mario as a … Continue reading
Spring Break with Peel-And-Eat Yucatan Shrimp
Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, … Continue reading
My Mid-Life Crisis Love Affair: Raw Oysters
For most of my life, I hated raw oysters. Or so I thought. I think it was my experience with an “oyster shooter” in college, which apparently was not a … Continue reading
Baking Apple Pies Like Julia Roberts
In the ‘90s movie “Sleeping with the Enemy,” Julia Roberts plays a woman who fakes her death to escape an abusive husband. She moves to a small town under a … Continue reading
I’ll Have the Usual: Why We All Need A Favorite Neighborhood Diner
There are some things we all need to live a content and comfortable life: Someone who loves you (even if it is just your mom). Cozy bedding that coaxes uninterrupted … Continue reading
I Never Will Forget Those Nights, I Wonder If It Was a Dream
Nobody on the road, Nobody on the beach. I feel it in the air, The summer’s out of reach. (“The Boys of Summer,” Don Henley) best dinner ever Here it … Continue reading
What Three Things Are Always In Your Refrigerator?
In every issue, Bon Appétit magazine features a Q&A with a celebrity asking about his or her quirky food habits and favorite things to eat. Until a few years ago, … Continue reading
Pho without the Funk
The first time I tried pho (pronounced “fuh”), a Vietnamese beef soup with noodles, I was grossed out. I was a college student living in San Jose, Calif., and had … Continue reading
Food is Love: Pasta with Sauce and Meatballs
They say food is love. Especially the Italians. As if this fact needs proof, consider where my Aunt Rose recently found some childhood letters I’d sent to my Grandmother Vincentia. … Continue reading
The Results: Top Three Things In Your Refrigerators
When I asked “What Three Things Are Always In Your Refrigerator?,” it really struck a chord. Apparently, we all have a deep-down yearning to fling open our metal and vacuum-sealed … Continue reading →