The Tomato Knife

2011 was quite a year – full of travels and culinary adventures! In the course of 12 months, I spent time in Berlin, Scotland, San Francisco and New Mexico – not to mention Alsace, the Loire Valley, and Bordeaux. I’ve never traveled so much – and, uh yes, sorry to admit, written so little! I’ve [...]

Conversation between Sebastien and I upon arrival in Scotland a week ago: It’s not raining. S: Wow, this is great! We landed in Glasgow two hours ago and here we already are in Stirling! J: Yeah, that was super fast. We got our bags, the car, went to the bathroom in, what, an hour tops? [...]

If I were a sheep, I would live in Scotland. I say this because Sebastien and I have just spent five days exploring the Scottish Highlands and it was quite obvious that the sheep rule. They dominate the landscape. Happy (and oblivious) as can be, they spend the entire day grazing on the open fields. [...]

I knew I was back in Paris this morning when I got on the metro. At 7:30, the cars on line 6 aren’t the sweaty, crowded bunkers you encounter later in the day. Actually, this morning, still caught somewhere between sleep and awake, I had to remind myself I was in public transportation on my [...]

I always go through some level of culture shock when I come back to the States. I never expect it, but it manages to get me every time. I’m in San Francisco, the first time back “home” in a year. The curse of falling for a foreign country (France), and actually having the good fortune [...]

How can you not laugh when you see a row of over-sized underwear hanging in a wine shop’s window? Twice a year French boutiques and department stores transform themselves into one of three kinds of art. Either they become life-sized Warhols and Pollocks, bursting with bright gaudy ribbons and attention-grabbing window signs.  With yellow, blue, [...]