Just short of 90 proof, Angostura bitters is now available on tap in Chicago’s Best Intentions bar (best patio bar in 2015). Who drinks that stand-by dash provision to the Old-Fashioned? By itself? Bartenders world-wide apparently are consistently searching for the new, unusual, best and most creative uses of ingredients to start trends, please customers, become famous and of course, make money....[Read More]
L’Italo-Americano on-line newspaper celebrates “The #1 source for all things Italian since 1908”. In their recent articles, I especially appreciated the exclusive interview with Superstar Chef Massimo Bottura, “Knowing the Past to Shape the Future of Italian Cuisine.”...[Read More]
Very trendy right now is the concept of the one sheet pan dinner. I remember our family using this idea ever since I was old enough to shell peas. For one thing, there was hardly time after a busy day in the restaurant, in the house, in the garden, wherever the chores may be, to make a fancy dinner. Yet Chef Dad insisted on fresh, home cooked meals and often demonstrated how to do it quickly. I...[Read More]
Each season, the overwhelming harvest of figs makes me frantic. They are at the farmers’ market, the orphaned neighbor’s tree, and in my own yard, bursting forth on a daily basis in tantalizing shades of greens and purples. Plump and juicy they are too delicious and voluminous to be left untended....[Read More]
Debbie did such a fine job describing this spot in Italy we visited on our tour that I want to share it with you. She really captured it! Sirmione is a beautiful town built on the edge of Lake Garda in northern Italy. We visited in late spring to find a busy town full of holiday makers....[Read More]
The summer bounty of fruit has done its number on me. Peach, raspberry, strawberry and peach marmalade are waiting for their labels. Figs are coming on the big and small trees we have, but I’m sure to frequent the farmers markets to get in on the best crops....[Read More]
That’s it deer. Feast upon the summer bounty of delectable flowers, tasty shrubs and tempting trees. This year, the resident deer in the neighborhood are more than tame, coming as close as my outstretched hand, but yet to nibble from it. Several seasons ago, mama dropped her newborn in the corner of our front porch. Now, they come right to the door, and I swear, if it was open, they would walk...[Read More]
Italy’s World Famous “Elixir”
The Historical Tradition of Grappa found in Bassano del Grappa, Italy
Bassano del Grappa sits on the Brenta River; Andrea Palladio designed bridge rebuilt by "Alpini" after WWI...[Read More]
It occurs to me that most of the culture in Italy is built in layers, upon layers, upon which its truths become known. We see it in art as the stiff figures of the 14th century transformed into more human forms in which beauty could be brought forth and appreciated in the natural landscape not just a gold background. We see it in the ever present layering of flavors and food. We see it in the...[Read More]
That Ubiquitous Zucchini It’s the season, they are everywhere and can be used in sautés, cakes, muffins, ragouts, stews, soups and now……..PIZZA!...[Read More]
Betty is a California-based writer whose work explores local history, travel, food, and the people who shape community life. Her storytelling is rooted in curiosity, culture, and real-world experience.
Stories of place, people, and culture - told with curiosity and heart - telling stories that bring places and people to life.
Betty is a Gold Country-based writer covering regional history, travel, food, and human-interest stories, with a focus on the people and traditions that define a place.