You know summer is finally here when you start thinking about how many days are left before it’s gone. Or is that just me? It’s not that I’m a pessimist.  I just look ahead to what’s next rather than fully enjoying the moment. Sundays are the perfect example.  Although Sunday is considered a weekend day, […]

Summer has always been the worst time to be sick.  When I was a kid, the loss of valuable vacation time to something as trivial as a cold, was enough to bring on bouts of childhood depression, also known as whining.  When I became an adult, it got worse. Not that I’m whining.  That’s a […]

  This week’s soup is pesto.  Not one of those new, nouvelle?, pestos like cilantro, dill or mint (oops), but the classic made from fresh basil. This sauce, a paste really, was one of the first things I ever cooked on my own. Note: I’m not counting that batch of Charlie Brown’s brownies I made […]

I know it’s pathetic but I was looking through my old clippings last week and I stumbled upon the first menu I ever wrote for the Los Angeles Times (it’s here if you’d like to see it). It had a Spanish vegetarian theme and featured empanadas, garlic soup, and a great Catalan dish with grilled […]