Tag: erikadudley

Golden

Golden

Now that we’ve (partially) caught our breath, we’re just starting to look at some of the photos from two weeks ago. For the second year, Onion Dip for Breakfast has attended the James Beard Awards and it has been thrilling! As you can imagine, half 

Somehow

Somehow

I didn’t think I’d be that person showing images of the family dog to the nice staff person at the garden center. But here I am! I think that I’m one of those folks who can bring back every phrase in a conversation to our 

Spontaneity

Spontaneity


Our family way of life is usually quite spontaneous. Our plans will have edges that keep us together but everything in between stays loose. Who knows what you’ll see, smell, hear or taste if everything isn’t charted out?


Those who accompany us either love it or dislike it. Fortunately, our favorite travel partners have taken to it, too.




Mexican grocery store food


After a quick trip from the airport recently, the three of us pivoted from going for delicious Filipino food again at Kasama because we wouldn’t make it before they closed to Mexican delicacies that are bountiful in the vicinity. We feasted heartily at a delightful restaurant tucked inside a tiny grocery store. When we asked what beverage options were available with lunch, the nice woman gestured toward an entire aisle of cold drinks!



We marveled at the unusual white beans on my mom’s plate and were pleased to see them raw in bags later in the store. We enjoyed our dessert, Nutella cookies and honeybuns, in the car as we made our way home.



Here’s to seeing where the road takes us!


Tacos chorizo pork cilantro Mexican food



Mexican food beef carne asada beans white beans rice Chicago



Burrito Mexican food Chicago



Chicago Mexican food tacos chorizo pork carne asada beef beans rice













Black Beauties at the Derby

Black Beauties at the Derby

This past weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the 149th Kentucky Derby in Louisville. This was my first time going to Churchill Downs, so I really didn’t know what to expect. What I observed, (ten times over what I had anticipated) was a 

Black Garden Epistle from Pullman

Black Garden Epistle from Pullman

Waterways. My residency has been going swimmingly (yes, pun intended) and affords me space to reflect, learn, rest, and make. Like waterways, there’s a confluence in my activity and lack thereof. There’s an emphasis on being still sometimes, flowing as I feel the urge, and 

Inked, Revisited.

Inked, Revisited.





Spring pasta? Why yes.



April in Chicago is the mixed-messenger. Warm one day, a cold snap the next. Spring rainbows of daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths grace every patch of dirt today only to be dusted with snow tomorrow. It’s less rainy and more hot-then-cold. So what do we eat? Pasta with a tomato sauce lightened by white wine, fresh fennel, squid ink, and delicious shellfish. Not quite a winter stew, not quite a summer seafood boil, but completely a spring delight.





••• April, 2022 •••




Whether it’s shaped, string, or couscous, we have our fair share of pasta. This one’s a favorite because its sauce comes together in the time that this pasta cooks— 5-10 minutes.




The simple ingredients are elevated by the fresh fennel and wine. The shrimp and tender chunks of crab have that juicy crunch. Want to add another layer of the sea? Squid ink pasta is both stunning and nuanced. Who doesn’t love black food?




Spice of Life

Spice of Life

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be back in Istanbul after a twenty-five year absence. Some things had changed but, for the most part, it was as stunning as it had ever been. In addition to blue glass amulets to replace my original one broken 

On the Daily

On the Daily

We’re one of those families. We love bread. I mean we love it. For a few years before the pandemic, my husband baked four beautiful loaves every week. Gosh, you should see the smile on my face as I write that sentence. As everyone and 

To Market, to Market: Cape Town

To Market, to Market: Cape Town



You know my thoughts on markets. I’ve been lucky to visit some excellent ones here and there. The Old Biscuit Mill is far and away one of the best. See for yourself.


Delicious food, check. Live music, check. A DJ, check. Heavenly aromas, check. A chill vibe, check. Beautiful surroundings, check. And the people…



I honestly cannot say what I enjoyed most so I’ll just say everything!












Where is home?

Where is home?

While I was at the loveliest birthday dinner with our brand-new friends we had met just four days earlier, I was asked what it felt like to call America home. Behind the question was the horrible legacy of slavery and the possibility of rootlessness. “Do