There is one definitive, must hear David Warner performance, the audio book of “The Haunting of Hill House.” His elocution of the opening paragraph draws you into the best ghost story ever. “And whatever walked there, walked alone.”

I’ve done something similar with vanilla yogurt. Does wonderful things to pancakes.

I can commiserate with those Chicagoans who watch a show about Chicago and see nothing but “wrongs.” Try watching “Woke” when you live in San Francisco. Neither Vancouver (Season 1) nor Atlanta (Season 2) bear any resemblance to the city I’ve called home for 30 years.

Not sure where you are shopping, but I can buy produce by the piece (3 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes? Nope.) I bought Panko at the Dollar ($1.25) Store. Substitute broccoli or bok choy for the asparagus. Or chicken for the beef. The 3 lb bag of frozen tilapia in my freezer is my best purchase in ages. My last shopping…

Compared to my Dad, I’m a doorstop. I make up for it by helping him with all his tech stuff.

My Dad started backpacking in the 1970s with my brother and other friends. Every summer, a different route through the Sierras. He ordered a range of freeze-dried meals from Mountain House to try before making a big purchase. Of course, us kids were the taste testers. (Mom would have none of it.) He started a fire in…

Making the world a better place, one condiment at a time.

I have been very fortunate, my landlord has been really cool. When I moved in, I told him that he would only hear from me if I couldn’t fix a problem myself. I’ve been here since 2004, he’s never raised my rent (which includes utilities). At the beginning of the pandemic, I voluntarily raised my rent to offset my…

And let us all say Amen.
If I might add one variant, sans viande, something a roommate made me: Butter and brie. A few of us went on a picnic to a local cemetery, very old, lots of wonderful headstones. Under the trees, we all read aloud from some romance novel we picked up. The sandwiches were so very decadent. All…

It has been quite a while since I flew anywhere, when I do fly again:
Be kind. To everyone.
Explain to the people behind me that I have a lower back problem, reclining the seat, even a little bit helps enormously. I hope it does not inconvenience you, I’m happy to move it if they need to get up.

The latest episode of America’s Test Kitchen has a recipe for Baci di Gama, a sweet hazelnut sandwich cookie with chocolate inside. It’s a shortbread type dough, very tender. They grind the hazelnuts very fine with the dry ingredients so the dough can be rolled. With a few tweaks, and substituting Rondele for the…

I missed the original post, this list is great. I’ve always tried to strike a balance between being an adult (adults “get to”) and being a grown-up (grown-ups “have to”).

I noticed that Trader Joe’s 3 cheese pasta sauce bears an eerie, albeit more refined resemblance to my childhood favorite, Chef Boyardee canned pasta. At $3.00 a jar, it’s much cheaper than other sauces. Anyhoo, I picked up a jar yesterday, along with a tub of their goat cheese crumbles. Dinner last night was magical.

A very timely post. I small bakery/cafe opened a couple of blocks away. I stopped by to see what’s on offer, a selection of cookies included oatmeal raisin (some kind of nut maybe pecan). Taking a break from my usual chocolate chip, let’s try that oatmeal one. Lots of caramel/butter, sweet raisins, crunch from the…

I would suggest an oven thermometer. The older the oven is, the more likely it isn’t as accurate. I do believe an instant read thermometer is basic kitchen equipment, it may not be necessary to temp the water for bread baking, it sure is useful for meat and fish.

Ghee spread on the bread, not melted in the pan. Changed my grilled cheese for ever. I picked up a jar that was marked down as Safeway. It’s shelf stable and has a different flavor than clarified butter. The crust it creates is so perfect. Wonderful stuff.

I’m dating myself, but I remember a jar of General Foods Maxim freeze dried coffee on the shelf in our pantry when I was little. The commercials touted that you couldn’t tell the difference from fresh brewed. 

For the sheer “Holy Shit, am I really here” La Soleil at the Port of Marseille. What I loved about it was it wasn’t once in a lifetime food. It was one of my favorite foods in a place I had always dreamed of seeing. We left Amsterdam in the morning, took the commuter train to Brussels. Switched to the TGV, whizzed…

I’ve been trying for years, I just can’t get this to work. I’m on a computer with an ethernet connection, logged into my VPN (Privado, but I’ve used others with no luck), connected to a UK server, whatsmyip says I’m in London. I’ve got a BBC login, I still get the dreaded “BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s…

Three cheers for iceberg! Shred it, wedge it, plank it, leaf it. The texture cannot be surpassed. Can’t wait for tomato season? bacon, lettuce and Cucina & Amore Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta Spread.