I recently completed a three-month artist residency in the lovely Chicago neighborhood of Pullman. After considering a number of ideas of what I planned to do during my stay, I landed on contemplating the idea of leisure in area known for labor. This was not …
Onion Dip for Breakfast turns two and the journey just gets better every day. We’ve explored the nooks and crannies of life, clinked our glasses, tasted everything, and taken off for parts unknown.
Happy anniversary, ODB!
This statue, which has adorned our deck for over a decade now, has brought me joy season after season. I call her… My Lady. I remember the day that we bought her at an estate sale and us hauling her up the steps to our …
With Greece having been in the news lately due to all of the fires and evacuations, I’ve reminisced about our time there a few years ago. We traveled throughout the country and found it to be simply beautiful. At this time, I’m hoping that Greece …
One of my very favorite foods is chicken wings. I like all kinds: Buffalo, lemon pepper, Nashville Hot, BBQ, teriyaki, you name it. It’s all good to me! It’s a perfect meal when sitting around and relaxing with friends.
These chicken wings are “Oven Baked Buffalo Wings”! I tell myself that they are healthier cooked this way, and just as delicious. They are crispy, juicy, tender and oh so good.
Click here for the recipe. Bon appétit!
I’ve been planning to revisit a particular show for months! The little and big things of life delayed my fuzzy plans. Poking my head back into the Art Institute’s galleries recently, I was struck by the opening text of this lovely show: “It took millions …
June closed with an explosion of fruit and flowers in the Black Garden. July promises even more.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the 2023 James Beard Award Best Chef Southeast winner, Terry Koval.
Just a few days before connecting with him at his Decatur, Georgia restaurant, The Deer and the Dove, I had been sitting in the Lyric Opera of Chicago as his name was announced as the winner. Up until that time, I had never been to his restaurant, but I sat there in the audience with so much joy that a restauranteur from metro Atlanta had been recognized and honored.
In meeting Chef Koval, it was like reuniting with a familiar friend. He was kind, warm, humorous and easy to talk to. With a full house expected on a Saturday evening (especially after winning the award), the chef treated us with his full attention much longer than I could have imagined. He told us his story, one which begins with his early years. He told us of his influences and the events that led him. His guiding philosophy that he spreads with others is to treat people with kindness and respect. As we sat with Chef Koval in the restaurant booth, I thought that the award could not have gone to a kinder and more respectful person.
Congratulations, Chef Koval! We absolutely loved dining at your place!
Don’t miss The Deer and The Dove.
We were celebrating my parents’ marriage the last time we saw “Sweet Life” with a garden cake, sparkling flutes, joy, and a flashback to their wedding day. We’ve returned to the theme in all of its goodness. I find that as much as I’m present …
