Food

  Indulgences can be anything above and beyond your time-honored habits that get you through the day. To me indulgences should stimulate the senses with a surge of excitement.   This time of the year is a natural time to …

There is great controversy over the origins of “carbonara” dishes in Italy. They range from a dish made by Italian charcoal workers’ wives inspired by their husbands’ coal-dusted work clothes, to grateful Italians during WWII making American GIs a pasta …

An Italian cousin of ours recently married a Frenchman, the second to do so, and of all of the weddings I’ve attended in Italy (many) these are my favorite, if only because for once I am not the foreigner, they …

The holidays are behind us, and gone too are the big feasts.  But you still have to eat.  If you are like me, and you want a quick meal, perhaps after a long day at work, for an impromptu get …

How do you take a historic landmark that, since 1923 has been pleasing guests with ranch-style accommodations, and dining in one of the most upscale districts in San Diego County, and clean it up with a major remodel?  The answer is, very carefully. …

“This democratization of wine is great,” asserted Jancis Robinson, one of the world’s leading wine authorities, over coffee one recent morning. Robinson was in Washington, D.C., to promote the seventh edition of The World Atlas of Wine, the indispensable reference …

A new wine release event flashed across the internet recently, to celebrate the bounty of a special harvest from the Gen 7 winery and its newest releases. It was a time of celebration for the Bacino family in theCrosby community in …

Now that the pace of life in SoCal has calmed down and constant rounds of socializing at world class parties, events and football bowl games has faded away, it’s time to gather up 2013, put it in to the Guiness …

When I was recently in Rome, I enjoyed a plate of “abbacchio alla romana” at Da Bucatino (www.bucatino.com), a restaurant just downstairs from the apartment I was renting. This is an always-packed trattoria in the Testaccio neighborhood just south and …

Wine writers love explaining why Champagne and other sparkling wines deserve a spot at the dinner table all year long. Good sparklers are characterized by vibrant acidity and freshness, which help them cut through spicy meals, complement savory food, and …