On couscous
It gets to be the end of the week. There are a bunch of little bits and pieces of things left in the fridge from the meals you've eaten...
Real estate, Italian style
In the summer of 2005 my husband Jesse and I began to look for a house to buy in Le Marche. We had researched some real estate agents on...
Raise your hand if you don't love meatballs
Meatballs are relatively simple to prepare and can be made during the week. They are soft, easy to chew and loved by young and old. They...
The Journey Begins
My first view of the house, from the road above When I first see the house it is about 7:30 on an August evening-- that magical moment...
Corned beef and cabbage (minus the corned beef)
St. Patrick's Day is almost here and I've never cooked corned beef in my life. But I'm really good at cabbage. Cabbage is one of the...
Another favorite pasta while it's still (sort of) winter
I asked my picky eater daughter what she considered comfort food. She said: mac and cheese; toast; and grilled cheese with tomato soup....
At the Bank
OK, so I made a mistake. After I helped our guests get money from the cash machine in town, always a challenge in a foreign land, I...
Squeaky Clean
I have never been a particularly enthusiastic housekeeper. I remember being in my 20's, when an annual salary of $25,000 was...
Easy weeknight dinner
Here's my system: I make a big dinner with three dishes on Sunday nights and try to make enough so that each of those 3 dishes can carry...
Friday Night Reward
It's Friday night. Everyone is tired and feels battered by the week. We usually watch a movie after dinner. Dinner has to be fast,...
