What is liberation? Is it lying on a beach, eyes closed, resting? There will be endless images of sunsets and lovely views but for now we’re exploring some of that Hawaiian bounty. As we enjoyed the markets, restaurants, and cafes, two thoughts kept coming to …
Tucked into the corner of the Black Garden is a plant not much bigger than a sapling. Its flat leaves are distinctively delicate. This is a black currant bush. And this variety is called Ebony. It is the sweetest of all varieties. Love letter # …
Over the years, our traveling family unit has grown from just me and the parents to my brother to significant others and even the next generation. We’ve asked ourselves: if we go there, what will so-and-so like? This is just another reason why cities are at the heart of our travels. Sure, we hit the mountains, wilderness, country, and the remote but there’s just something magical about cities. We like the energy.
There’s of course Atlanta, arguably the capital of the New South. The home of Dr. Martin Luther King, the Varsity, and Coke.
And the city in the Aegean, Athens, that elevates its ancientness as its modern residents navigate the past. I lived there for a year and every day I learned something new. I could never get enough of the cuisine, especially vegetarian stews and luscious yogurt with puréed fig of thyme-scented honey.
And like most cities, Athens was always my base where I’d venture to far-flung places like Santorini, Crete, Patmos, and Istanbul.
Stay tuned to Barcelona and Berlin!
This will be short and (so) sweet. This week my parents came to Chicago to party. Yes, it included late night conversations, a walk around the Point, delicious food, and laughter. More than anything, it included love. Parents, grandparents, children, spouses, and grandchildren… so much …
The Black Garden is coming along nicely. Like most things in life, when you’re planning something, it’s not always clear how things will work out. Does gardening encourage patience? Flexibility? Curiosity? Every year, the Black Garden gets more interesting. A new black tomato is planted, …
Summer came so strong that I’m just getting around to sharing our James Beard Awards weekend. To say that it was the cat’s pajamas is an understatement! We had an absolute ball.
This was our first time attending the awards but having Chicago proudly hosting this weekend of celebration surpassed our expectations. The highlights included friends from here and my hometown of Atlanta winning awards and preparing delectable delights. How about Garretts Popcorn Chicago mix of cheddar and caramel greeting us as we entered the Lyric Opera House theater? Bravo to everyone!
Here are a few highlights.
Congratulations to Erika Allen of Urban Growers Collective and Green Era Sustainability on this year’s “Leadership Award”.
Our friends at Busy Bee winning a Legacy award was exquisite.
With our new friend at the Virtue Restaurant afterparty.
A year ago in July, we launched Onion Dip for Breakfast. It has been a year of growth, writing, cooking, planning, eating, trial-and-error, traveling, art-making, but especially one of celebration. Oh, how we love our family! We’d like to thank you for joining us on …
Has anyone told you lately that there’s so much good stuff out there? If not, I’m saying it. Summer has its unique way of revealing how much is out there: zucchini for giants, pounds of tomatoes, mint taking over any and every garden if you’re …
We’ve been fortunate to spend a fair amount of time in art spaces. Whether it’s a museum, stunning building, gallery, sculpture garden or studio, we’ll go a mile for art. As we embark on some adventures this summer, here is a look back at some of our favorite places.
Here are a few moments of the art of living:
Erika lived in Greece and took advantage of the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Ionian Seas. Greek honey, wild herbs, and the most delicious yogurt one can imagine were her daily delights. Claudette has enjoyed visiting there, taking in all of its splendor, and capturing images like the one above.
Claudette always has time for a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago when she’s up here visiting Erika. Paul Cézanne has been a favorite of Erika’s since she began her art history scholarship.
There are few things that Claudette loves more than exploring the world. As always, she made this trip for our party of seven happen. Erika couldn’t wait to visit the Opera House. The two of them experienced the glory of the opera, Carmen, one of the nights in this city.
Art is everywhere, including in your proverbial backyard. We wiled the day away at the Smart Museum of Art to see the outstanding retrospective on Bob Thompson.
“There, all is order and beauty,Luxury, peace, and pleasure.” Baudelaire We entered the weekend leisurely. My parents were visiting to celebrate… major milestones, family, and life. Committed to resting and relaxing for a change, we were resolved to do only what we wanted to do: …
