Tiki bars are one of those places that ebb and flow in popularity, but here in the Bay Area, there are some standards, no institutions that never go away. I for one cannot imagine not taking visitors to San Francisco to the Tonga Room where else can you enjoy a tropical rainstorm in a...
I was recently consumed with curiosity about lye used in cooking and found that its use is critical to the pretzels we know and love. One thing led to another, and so I decided to explore the twisted world of pretzels: Why the knots? Why use lye? Why desiccated bread? What are they? Pretztels can...
I’ve had Italy on the brain lately, so much so that I’ve really struggled with finishing my other posts. So to work it out of my system, I decided this post must be written. My hubby and I relized we’d be celebrating our 10th anniversay this year, and it literally stopped us in...
We recently attended my brother-in-law’s wedding; a four day affair full of family, friendship, frolics and feasting (I am still trying to recover, but, oh so worth it). The newlyweds wanted it to be low key and of sufficient duration that everyone was able to relax and catch up with each other. As...
San Francisco has always generously spread the love when it came to the delightful discoveries developed within its boundaries; take sour dough bread, Mission style burritos, Rice-A-Roni (ok, that may be debated). But a few things its kept close to its chest. Things like oh, Playland at the Beach and It’s-Its. Never heard of...
If you had asked me about dragon boats before a few years ago, I am sure I would have looked at you funny. They were not on my radar until, while still living in Washington, DC, some of my work colleagues spoke excitedly about dragon boat racing on the Potomac competing against teams...
Its artichoke season and I am so happy! While driving along the Monterey Peninsula we saw signs at several restaurants and the ubiquitous roadside stands all claiming to serve delicious fried artichokes, french fried artichokes and artichokes in just about every form imaginable. On our meandering journey along Highway 1, I made my husband...
Hawaii, the United States’ backyard paradise, is one of those places that is almost impossible to define in terms of its cuisine and culture. The indigenous people were devastated by disease and fighting when Captain Cook settled on the islands. Since then, people from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines and points beyond arrived...
See for yourself… April Fools’ Day, or All Fool’s Day is celebrated in many countries on April 1 with practical jokes played family members, colleagues, and neighbors. The origin of April Fools’ Day is obscure. One likely theory is that the term referred to someone still adhering to the Julian Calendar, as opposed to adopting...
One fortuitous discovery for me was that I learned I like dates. Wait!… make that I L-O-V-E dates! You see before sampling the fresh succulent varieties available to me in California, I associated dates with that desiccated stuff that ended up in my tapioca pudding and annoyingly clung to my teeth. It was sticky...
