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 […]
HOHOThump
I’m sure, by now, you’re tired of reading about my Christmas adventures over the years. Hmmm. Well, this column is about yet another one of those adventures. It happened when all of our children were still living at home. LOML and I were trying to keep the spirit of the holiday season alive for them. […]
Holiday gifts
People often ask me what wine to gift a wine lover. This year, I’d like to suggest something that lasts a little longer than a bottle: a book. Below are a few titles I read this year that make for excellent company with any glass of wine—County or otherwise. CORK DORK — BIANCA BOSKER This […]
Cornish hens
I love Cornish hens; they are called game birds but don’t taste gamy. I don’t think they taste just like chicken either. They are tastier in my opinion. I made them for dinner this week with roasted roots in the same pan. I stuffed them with my herb butter and dried herbs from my garden […]
HO HO HO or OH OH OH
December 2025 is being kind to me and I thought I’d share some of my holiday, teachable moments with all y’all. In 1969, LOML and I spent our first Christmas together as a married couple. We had a nice apartment. I had a good job. He was working part-time and attending university full time. We […]