Why Do We Remember Such Things?


Often, perhaps even usually, memories rise when bidden, a pleasant if reliable process.  Occasionally, though, the journey is a little more convoluted, and experiences remain submerged until something else summons them.  Such happened recently, when reading Rex Stout’s The Doorbell Rang, in which the narrator’s phone being tapped causes him to rely on a neighbor,… Continue reading Why Do We Remember Such Things?

Elsewhere in the French Empire…


One would have found this week’s creation, Tahitian Coconut Vanilla Shrimp.  Being paradise, Tahiti offers so much more than warm waves gently caressing sugar-white beaches.  The lush jungle beyond holds an astounding array of fruit and flowers.  Among the latter are vanilla orchids, producing what is justifiably considered to be the world’s best vanilla. Tahiti’s cuisine is… Continue reading Elsewhere in the French Empire…

Sunny New Year!


The sun is in abundance today, a promising start to 2017, and the resplendence carries beyond the skies.  Today’s dish, for example, brightens the palate and warms the spirit with a vibrant clementine salsa.  It’s  as flavorful and as effervescent as its colors are bold. Imagine feeling a fresh clementine, and how the wonderful citrus fragrance fills the room. … Continue reading Sunny New Year!

Salmon, While Swimming


…which probably is the closest English equivalent to this dish’s original French title, Salmon à la Nage.  Actually, it makes sense.  The fish nestles among mussels and the asparagus suggests seaweed, doesn’t it? The name applies more prosaically as well.  Being a French creation, it’s not surprising a wine and butter sauce submerses everything.  The salmon swims… Continue reading Salmon, While Swimming