Updated August 2022 We recently visited Mariposa at Neiman Marcus in Ala Moana to try out their new afternoon tea offering (unfortunately this offering disappeared during the pandemic and has not returned). While there we saw another table presented with a box of...
I have a confession to make - I hate everything bagels. I've never liked them and never will. So when a friend shared these everything spiced nuts with me, I was reluctant to try them. I have since found them to be delicious and addicting. Seeing how much I enjoyed...
My friends recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary and I was reminded of one of the most fun, touching, and best weddings I attended. It was held in Portland, Maine, a city that remains a favorite of the couple and which allowed me to explore a great food...
Updated July 2022 Until a few years ago I never imagined that I could combine several of my favorite things - food, friends, Disney, and running (okay that last one isn't really a favorite) - into one fantastic experience. But as it turns...
In this last installment of "Best of" posts I'm sharing a few favorites from outside of the Greater Boston area. I hope these posts inspire you to visit Boston and New England. Please share your favorites with me. Woodman's of Essex About an hour outside of Boston, a...
There's always room for dessert and I wanted to dedicate a post just to the sweet life. I decided to focus on donuts and ice cream. As with all these posts, this is just a sampling of some of my favs. Kane's Donuts Of the different donut shops that are around Boston,...
Someone once told me that you can tell how good a Chinese restaurant is based on how noisy it is - meaning that the more guests in the restaurant, the louder it would be and therefore the food must be good. For the most part I've found this to be true and the...
Fast food doesn't have to mean frozen burgers and fries. Just like the rest of the country, there are a lot of fast casual restaurants in Boston that serve delicious fresh food in minutes. Eventide Eventide Fenway is the Boston outpost of the well-known Portland,...
In this post I continue with my tour of favorite Boston restaurants. Zaftig's Delicatessen Zaftigs in Brookline is a great place for all-day breakfasts and deli sandwiches. I also enjoy the burgers and steak tips and when I'm sick there's nothing better than a quart...
Updated August 2022 As I leave Boston, the home I've known for half my life, and return to Hawaii, my true home, I am dedicating the next several posts to some Boston and New England favorites. Craigie on Main Sadly, Craigie closed during the pandemic. I wait with...
Living in New England I enjoy the changing of the seasons, something that isn't as dramatic in Hawaii. While I don't care for the winter I hold on to the promise of summer and its bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables. At this time of the year it's hard to limit my...
The first ice cream cookbook I purchased was David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop and in the summer it is one of my go-to cookbooks to make frozen treats. The recipe for black pepper ice cream remains a component of one of my favorite desserts. I...
For its bread service, Mariposa Restaurant at Neiman Marcus in Honolulu serves popovers with a delicious lilikoi butter. I found a recipe but when I tried to make them it wasn't the same. Instead of being airy, they were dense. After hearing about my baking...
My friend Sharon introduced me to Nigella Lawson, her television shows, and her cookbooks. One of the first recipes she asked me to try out was Nigella's Chocolate Pavlova. I had never heard of this dessert but have since discovered that it's perfect for summer -...
Years ago a friend gave me a cookbook and this was the one recipe I took away. The cookbook is long gone (I tried to find it but I must have given it away) but this recipe is a part of my repertoire. It's great in the summer when zucchini is abundant. It's fresh, it's...
Last summer David Lebovitz posted a recipe for Green Salad with Peas, Green Beans, and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and it changed my salad eating days. In general I prefer to make my own dressing but have stuck to simple vinaigrettes. I almost never made a...