A recipe should be simple, right? No guesswork, just follow the instructions. Of course you can improvise but when you do, be prepared for a result you may not expect. I dreamed of a trip to Italy,... Read more >>

I have been haunted by a nagging compulsion to make sense of my life for the last several years. It became even more intense upon the demise of this, my last marriage. Something is pushing me down... Read more >>

We were sitting on the rolling lawn of the Los Angeles arboretum listening to the outdoor summer concert series, when my friend Alex leaned over and said, “You really need to think about... Read more >>

“Bella, Bella! You are so bea-uuu-tiful! I kiss your hand! Avante … please come this way.” That was the greeting my friend Sammie received from the salesman as we disembarked the... Read more >>

Most people have memories from their childhood revolving around birthday parties with chocolate ice cream cakes and summer camps at the local YMCA. They remember standing in the front row at concerts... Read more >>

It was six months to the day that I had been living in Manhattan when the planes hit the Twin Towers. I was about twenty blocks north getting off the subway that was headed straight to the World... Read more >>

My mother-in-law, Augusta, wasn’t a cook and she knew it; it wasn’t her interest in life. Her dinner repertoire was limited: Swanson’s, Mama Celeste, and Mrs. Paul. She had two... Read more >>

The egg yolks pool in the mixing bowl, bright orange with nicely domed tops—sure signs of freshness. Scrambled and cooked lightly in truffle oil and served with a side of mixed salad greens with... Read more >>

Touring Europe is now far more pleasant and safer than it has been in years past. The continent has brought down its walls and opened its doors to tourists from all over the world who want to see the... Read more >>

I am living the American … er … Italian … well, I don’t know … some screenwriter’s dream, for sure. I’ve been residing in northern Italy now for about... Read more >>