Oh Napa Valley, how I fell for you! Your sexy, curving roads thrilled. Your warm October breezes, heady with eucalyptus, rosemary, and grapes intoxicated. Your wine sated and delighted. And your food. Oh, your food! Each ingredient shining but not overpowering, casually lending just-yanked-from-the-garden character. And your insouciant beauty, from vista to vineyard lunch, aroused … Continue reading California Wine Country
autumn
Roasted Buttercup Squash and Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Miso Ginger Dressing
This hearty autumn salad was inspired by last week's trip to Napa Valley. On our first day, we drove to Sonoma County and spent a lazy afternoon wandering around Healdsburg. SHED, the foodie paradise market and café, was by far our favorite spot. My friend Domonique, a San Fransisco native, mentioned that it's probably the … Continue reading Roasted Buttercup Squash and Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Miso Ginger Dressing
Sunday in the Gardens
A Midwest Autumn
"Chicago is an October sort of city, even in Spring." - Nelson Algren Yesterday's blustery grey skies created a perfect backdrop for the Chicago Botanic Garden's jewel toned autumn landscape. Wind gusts scattered leaves along the winding gravel walking paths - a bittersweet reminder of the season's fleeting beauty.
Delicata Squash with Apple Pecan Quinoa Stuffing
Delicata is sweet with an edible skin just like acorn squash, but the texture is much smoother and creamier. I love this dish as a vegetarian main course served with mixed greens or as a side dish to accompany pork tenderloin. Filled with the flavors of fall, this is comfort food at its healthiest. Delicata … Continue reading Delicata Squash with Apple Pecan Quinoa Stuffing
Bagpipes and Bonfire
Each year when September comes to a close, Lake Forest families gather in celebration of autumn and our community's dedication to preserving open land. Set against the serene backdrop of Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve, this year's Bagpipes and Bonfire included Highland games, fiddling, fly casting, wagon rides and a delicious harvest dinner. As the sun … Continue reading Bagpipes and Bonfire
The Weekend Kitchen: Apple Dumplings
Apple dumplings hold a special place in my heart. My Grandmother Porter, of German descent and a product of the Depression Era, could not stand to waste a thing. Her cooking was simple, hearty, and utterly delicious, and everything she made was from memory, learned no doubt from watching her mother and grandmother. During her … Continue reading The Weekend Kitchen: Apple Dumplings
Splendid
Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, Give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard, Give me a field where the unmowed grass grows... - excerpt from Walt Whitman's Give Me the Splendid Silent SunOur family made its annual trip to the orchard in Wisconsin where we have … Continue reading Splendid
A Weekend in Autumn
Things have been too busy for my comfort level as of late, so I am really looking forward to the weekend. I plan on taking the mutt for long walks, swapping cotton for cashmere and wool in closets and on sofas, trying this lighter version of cassoulet: taking these maple pumpkin cupcakes to a get … Continue reading A Weekend in Autumn
the aesthete and the dilettante 