by napacalypse
Even without lockdown orders, I cook a lot at home—and, ok, it is because it kills me to pay for the triple or quadruple restaurant markup for wine, but I really thought that I was in a consistent routine for meals and meal planning. And then I had to feed six of us every day, three times a day for weeks on … Read More “What’s for dinner?” *Sisyphus Edition, part I
by napacalypse
Being cooped up with family for a month, and I’ve learned two things. First, I now know why the women are always scowling in every photo from any time that predates families not having to eat EVERY SINGLE meal at home—–the never-ending parade of dirty dishes and a kitchen that never closes can really turn you into a grouch. They probably knew that whilst … Read More Quarantine cooking : Ham and bean soup
by napacalypse
Not to give my mother-in-law a complex, or anything, but we often head out of town as soon as she arrives for a babysitting job, I mean family visit. Our birthdays and wedding anniversary are perfectly spaced throughout the year, so practically anytime she comes to visit, we have an excuse for a getaway celebration. Last weekend my mother-in-law flew in and we decided … Read More No Sleep till Brooklyn
by napacalypse
In the days leading up to our trip to Barcelona, every time I mentioned our destination, people who had visited promised us we would love the city. From family to the ticket agent at airport, everyone wanted to tell us their favorite sight and thing to do–and eating topped the list of things people wanted us to do! One of the best part about … Read More Barca, Barca, Barca…Everyone loves Barca
by napacalypse
Friday- Versailles We took a taxi to Versailles, it should have taken about 40 minutes and cost (based on my internet sleuthing before we embarked) about 45-50 euros. Just outside of Paris, traffic ground to a halt for at least thirty minutes before our driver was instructed by the police to put his car in reverse and join the slow-moving train of cars carefully … Read More Let them eat cake…it’s a really long cab ride.
by napacalypse
Thursday at Musee’ D’Orsay On previous visits to Paris, we were unable to get tickets for the Museum D’Orsay, but had no problem on this visit. With proof of age, visitors under age 26 can get a discounted ticket and the museum accepts U.S. driver’s licenses as proof. The museum also has a coat check, free of charge, They only accept coats, no hats … Read More A day looking for the original selfie…
by napacalypse
Wednesday The Purple Truffle http://www.purpletruffle.com arranged for us to join food blogger and cookbook author Marion Flipo for a foodie tour in St. Germain. Our first stop was Eric Kayser where we enjoyed brioche with red-colored almonds, almond croissant, and a raspberry financier. Marion taught us that the boulangerie must be good at two things: bread, of course, and viennoiserie (what we would call breakfast … Read More If I were a French woman, I would definitely get fat.
by napacalypse
Years ago we had a neighbor who worked for a wine importer. I wish I had thought to grill him about wine, but this was back in our beer days (A History of Marriage in 6 Glasses) and I don’t think I ever knew what his certification was exactly. The story goes that he flunked out of college and somehow convinced his hard-line Marine … Read More Homeschool Wine Tasting
by napacalypse
Last week, I was horrified by the hellish images of flames ravaging California and checked the status updates of wine country Instagrammers like teenagers tracking their Insta likes. My heart sunk as they shared their worries and photos of the encroaching fire and smoke, and yet, in the midst of the fear and fire, there were posts of residents helping both neighbors and strangers. … Read More Be Like Wine
by napacalypse
There are books, websites, magazines, infographics, even an entire profession devoted to selecting the perfect wine that will turn a meal into a foray into the sublime. It’s intimidating. I kind of know what kind of wines I like and as a home cook, I kind of know what dishes I can reasonably cook for a crowd. We (my husband) invited 3 … Read More Hosting the Imperfect Wine Dinner
by napacalypse
When the air turns crisp and the bugs finally go to wherever bugs go when it gets cold, I think to myself, “I should make getting dinner ready harder than it already is between practices, games, and never-ending errands–let’s cook in the outdoor fireplace tonight!” For my foray into pre-industrial revolution cooking, I was feeling like roasted artichokes, lamb burgers with goat cheese, sweet … Read More Grill me like one of your French girls
