So far, my friend, Bob Deyan has been taken by ALS. My brother lost two of his best friends and fraternity brothers — John Conti and John Delserone to this disease. An old boyfriend’s mom, a sweet, smart woman everyone called Toots, passed away due to ALS. I’m sure you know people too. It seems like the worst diseases take only the nicest people. If there was a…
I’ve never been more concerned about our country. There’s such anger and division, it’s as if we’ve forgotten the U.S. is supposed to be the ideal. We’re supposed to be the example the world looks to, where everyone lives together and gets along — The Starship Enterprise of countries. The place where justice prevails. My nephew, Patrick and I were talking this week about how we want inspirational…
The world was very ugly this week. I don’t have a solution, and it was too awful to face, so I turned to baking because it always makes me feel good. I know it’s a cop-out, but it’s better than drinking, smoking or gambling, and everyone loves you for it, so it’s my coping mechanism. This year has been pretty full of tragedy, so, I’ve been baking a…
Lois is in the hospital again. She was my mother-in-law for 22 years and just turned 98-years-old. I feel bad because I should have gone to see her a few weeks ago when I had a free weekend day, but stayed home to get things done instead. My guilt is overwhelming because she is not only sick, but in desperate need of a haircut and won’t get one…
I’m afraid I don’t believe in magic anymore. When I was young, I used to think there was some magic in the world and things could happen because you willed them to. I still think my mom willed herself to win on the Price is Right. She was determined like that. All you had to do was look at her and it was clear, if she wanted something…
Appetizers• Family Traditions• Pasta, Polenta and Risotto
Pasta Sundays are Kicking my Butt
June 17, 2016
I’m a great housewife, if I say so myself. Nothing thrills me more than inviting people for dinner and being hostess for an evening. I love gardening, fixing up houses, even cleaning them. Correction — I love how I feel when they’re clean — big difference. Having all day to frame my favorite photos and decorate my living room would be a dream for me, but it ain’t…
It’s great to have a friend who’s an investigative reporter. He can do things like find out where old flames live and what their marital status is. But that’s not the only reason I’m friends with Don Ray. Don’s a genuinely good person with a passion for both, a great story, and history. Plus, years ago, he traveled 2, 000 miles to be at my wedding for one day…
Remember back when I thought my dad visited me in the form of a small Asian man at the YMCA? Well, now I’m wondering if my mom’s been sending people my way, for years – but I just never noticed it.…
Family Traditions• Pasta, Polenta and Risotto• Thoughts on Life• Vegan• Vegetarian
Pasta Sundays
May 27, 2016
I was talking to my Uncle Richard over the weekend. He was telling me how he misses the days when his grandkids were little and he used to cook every Sunday. His lucky daughter, son-in-law and their kids, along with my dad, were invited over every Sunday to eat pasta. He’d make a different pasta every week, including rigatoni, linguini with clams, gnocci, lasagne, aglio olio and others,…
I have bounced around the idea of starting a biscotti business for over a year. My family rolls their collective eyes when they hear this because I flit from one idea to another like a fruit fly. I’d prefer to make my living writing, and/or writing about food, but I still love baking biscotti, so, last year, when I was still in my biscotti biz frenzy, my friend…