The nightmare next door
Once, in another lifetime, I was an eleven-year-old kid sitting in the back seat of a car being driven around by a drunk driver. I thought I could never again be so utterly frightened. And, until very recently, nothing much compared to that life/threatening-changing event. I felt as if nobody could feel my angst, and […]
Cleaner air
A few years ago I had the privilege to go down to Costa Rica for a vacation and an opportunity to explore different eco systems. I travelled between mountains peaks, cloud forests, desert zones and beaches. While this was definitely a trip of a lifetime for me, it was also an incredible learning situation as […]
Korean cuisine
I went to Sujeo restaurant last week for the first time and I can’t believe that I haven’t gone before. Every table was full and the kitchen was hopping with non-stop take-out orders. Despite that, our food came out quickly, piping hot, and we got fairly large portions for a decent price. The handmade dumplings […]
Downsize? Never!
After reading last week’s column, someone asked me if LOML and I were getting ready to “downsize”. Who the H E Double Hockey sticks came up with that word and why do so many folks think every old fart is interested in downsizing? I do dream about living in a house that is level and […]
Clutter challenge
It feels as if it’s been a very long time since I sat here and wrote a column. By “here” I mean, “Sitting on my couch, in my living room while watching CBS Sunday morning.” So, here I am. So much has happened in the two weeks since the last publication of The Times. So […]
Dry January
Like many plant-based foods that promise the experience of meat but fall short on delivery, some non-alcoholic wines simply miss the point. Much of what we recognize as “wine” comes from the quiet, essential work of yeast turning sugar into alcohol. Remove that step and what you often end up with is grape juice—pleasant enough, […]
Delicious and quick
After a meat-filled weekend up north celebrating Orthodox Christmas with my family, my mom wanted a simple meal for dinner—but she still wanted some Serbian flavours so I decided to make her a mushroom soup with a goulash twist. When my parents made goulash they used pork with onions and garlic, but I like the […]
Happy whatever
This is the last column of 2025. Next year will be my twentieth year with The Times. Imagine that! Of all of the “jobs” I’ve had since I first started working in the ‘60s, this is the one place I’ve felt at home. Believe it or not, as a contributor to The Times, I’ve only […]
Hospitality book review
One of the things that makes any restaurant great is service. There’s an old saying that you can overlook average food and still give a place another try if the service is excellent. But no matter how extraordinary the food may be, if the service is lacking, most people won’t go back. A few of […]
Soup’s On
French onion soup flavoured recipes seem to be all the rage right now. Who doesn’t like caramelized onion and Gruyere cheese? I thought it was a bit too much in mashed potato as a side, but would definitely work with scalloped potato. I love a crusty loaf of bread smothered with garlic butter and cheese […]