Ok, in full disclosure there isn’t anything really French about this pizza or any other pizza, but it is a great, light summer dinner, and it goes very, very well with white wine.  I speak from experience here.  This recipe is easy and looks like something out of a gourmet kitchen.  It’s currently one of […]

The folks over at BuzzfeedUK have put together an AWESOME interactive map for the city of London allowing the cinephile in all of us the chance to virtually visit the scenes where some of our favorite Brit-films take place.  It’s full of handy information for  you to use to see the “important” places in and […]

Mac and Cheese Mashed potatoes Meatloaf Cookies Cake Fish and Chips Miso Soup Carbohydrates Deep Fried Goodness What is it about certain foods?  Why do some bring us positive feelings? Why do they remind us of home, even though we may not realize it, and they  they may not even have any real ties to […]

This is the second in a series of articles about the transformative power of traveling.  No one really knows the impact a trip is going to have on their life.  It can be a restorative escape, educational, or thought provoking – often all at the same time.  Sometimes the experiences a person has while traveling, […]

Don’t email me angry emails barking that if I “like’em so much I ought to move there!”  I’m perfectly happy to be an American and to experience the best of American culture and everything it has to offer, both good and bad.  Thank you very much.  However there is one thing that I have always […]

Question:  What do four Americans, a Taiwanese manicurist, an Aussie comedienne, a Tanzanian priest, a Mexican housewife, and an unfortunately named Austrian woman known as “Irmgaard” have in common? Answer: Not much. There we were, though, on the first day of language school.  Last week I was in Paris attending classes at the Alliance Francaise.  […]

It goes without saying that Paris is unique.  Yes, it’s beautiful, and special, and oh so French, but so are lots of other places.  Paris is different because of its melancholy nature.  The gray skies and stone buildings combine with the people- sullen looking men and women who have mastered the look of perpetual annoyance, […]

This is the first of a series of articles about the transformative power of traveling.  No one really knows the impact a trip is going to have on their lives.  It can be a restorative escape, educational, or thought provoking – often all at the same time.  Sometimes the experiences a person has while traveling, […]

Movie awards season is upon us once again.  This year I was struck by the diversity of the contenders for Best Picture as determined by the Academy.  The films take place in a rich universe.  Two films represent the Middle East (and it’s turmoil), two show 19th Century America, and others deal with France, India, […]

It occurred to me this week that it was 20 years ago that I first traveled to Paris.  It was 1992, and I was a bit leery when I arrived.  This was long before the big “clean up” of the city to celebrate the year 2000.  It was before laws were passed that every building’s […]