We have a magnificent old Kwanzan cherry tree in our yard, and since I purchased the house, I make a point of holding a cherry blossom viewing party every year since nothing gives me purer joy than t...

Mardi Gras. I made on riff on a classic Champagne Gloria Swanson, using Armagnac instead of Cognac and rose champagne. I much prefer Armagnac and I'm more likely to have it in my liquor cabinet. The c...

I like this distillery, but I've been super annoyed that this absinthe doesn't produce a louche at all (cloudiness characteristic of traditional absinthe when mixed with water). I set aside my annoyan...

A quick catch-up on holiday meals going into 2022. Happy New Year! New Year's Day: Champagne and caviar brunch. New Year's Eve: Chinese hot pot with ribeye, half shell scallops, abalone, tilapia, shri...

This was fun! Every ingredient that came out the fridge was more magical than the last; I really felt like I was back in culinary school with all those top-notch ingredients again. Lobster mac from fr...

I got an electric wine bottle opener for my birthday and it's life-changing. I highly recommend it as a gift for those with joint pain/mobility issues. It takes only a grip on the bottle plus a little...

2021 Edition of Samuel Adams Utopias is out, and I had a bottle delivered to test the hype. It's illegal in 15 states. In which the answer to the question, "How much would you pay for a beer?" is "How...

I've had some complaints about where we'll even store the new tea table I got, so instead I'm going to post pics of all my Chinese gongfu tea ceremony tables I've collected (I have another on the way...

When we moved in last year, seeing this tree first explode in bloom was a pleasant surprise. This year I waited for it, preplanned our menu, and the very first blossoms opened on May 1st. It's now at...

Some old world cooking themes for our Easter dinner with lots of birds - roast pheasant with leeks, cassoulet with duck confit and butter braised parsnips. I also got a couple little squab hens and tr...