Author Archives

Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy Los Angeles

Once in a blue moon, an art exhibit offers such magic as Luna Luna Forgotten Fantasy in Los Angeles. The exhibit showcases a collection of artist-made carnival fun that first operated in Germany in 1987. Lost, rediscovered, restored, the exhibit will enchant the entire family.

BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD AND HOLLYWOOD FARMERS MARKET

The salad was freshness itself. Crispy and sweetly tender butter lettuce leaves wearing a light dressing that glistened like dew. I sampled the salad as a first course at a Sunday night dinner prepared by Scott Manlin (influencer, restaurateur, and my nephew). Scott credited the salad’s perfection to the Hollywood Farmers Market, where he shops […]

CINNAMON ROLL APPLE PIE and PERFECT 10 COOKBOOKS

Wonderful recipe for cinnamon roll apple pie from Tim Mulligan’s cookbook A PERFECT 10 Full Menus and Activities to Make Hosting Parties A Breeze.

BOURBON , THE B-LINE TOUR AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY

Sorry vodka. Get lost gin. Forget about it rum. Bourbon is the glory-be American alcohol.
Born as moonshine, bourbon rose to superstar status in 1964 when Congress officially declared “Bourbon whiskey is a distinctive product of the United States and is unlike other types of alcoholic beverages, whether foreign or domestic.” Bourbon ranks right up there with the American flag, Fourth of July and the Bald Eagle as a patriotic treasure.
How do we know this?

SPARTINA, STEPHEN KALT, BREAD PUDDING

I’m crazy about Stephen Kalt. At least I love his L.A. restaurant, Spartina, especially at happy hour when the prices are discounted. Apparently, I’m not the one and only. Critics rave. Influencers gush. Stephen and his restaurants have been called the best by such prestigious publications as Esquire, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure. He […]

IOWA BUFFET AND BOURBON GLAZED MEATLOAF

Talk about time travel. Carolyn McKinney’s Iowa Buffet, is a thoroughly authentic, well-worn neighborhood tavern–that serves a terrific sweet bourbon-glazed meatloaf.

BRIDAL SHOWER and GLUTEN-FREE QUICHE

To everything there is a season. And this season is the time for showers. Bridal Showers. Woo-hoo! Our favorite bridal shower is a brunch. We like the old-fashioned variety, held in a home where all is lighthearted, lovely and lovingly personal. Here are a few tips for keeping a bridal brunch shower sweet, simple and […]

CITY WINERY, BURRATA, CHRIS GRAZIOSE

City Winery St. Louis (in the exciting City Foundry STL) serves the most extraordinary burrata. Here are the recipes needed to duplicate the masterpiece at home.

GOOEY BUTTER CAKE FROM ROBIE’S ON 8TH

Chef Quincy Johnson, of Robie’s On 8th, makes an incredible rich and utterly diving Nutella Gooey Butter Cake. His recipe is printed here…

RETURN TO IRELAND, JUDITH MCLOUGHLIN, COLCANNON

It’s a travelogue, a history book, a memoir of sorts. But most of all Judith McLoughlin’s A Return to Ireland, A culinary journey from America to Ireland, is a cookbook filled with great recipes and alluring photos. Judith’s first book, The Shamrock and Peach, fulfilled her dream of telling “the Scots-Irish immigrant story through the […]