My Travels
Made Lemon Potatoes and Beet Salad with Chef Maria Loi
In Athens. These are just two of the many new dishes we will be featuring on Season 13 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” which starts airing around the country in October.
Dining In Mikrolimano Bay, Athens at Zefyros Restaurant.
It doesn’t get much better than this! I am with Maria Loi, the Julia Child/Anthony Bourdain of Greece, feasting on the three superb dishes we just made for Season 13 of Sara’s Weeknight Meals. https://www.restaurant-zefiros.gr/
I Learned How to Make a Layered Cocktail!
Something I have always wanted to learn how to do. I took a class in the Culinary Center on Marina, my Oceania Cruise. The drink, “Galway Blazer Fence Reducer,” has only 3 ingredients: coffee liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream and Vodka. It is all how you pour them in….
Cooking in Mallorca
Got to prepare escalivada, an egglplant, red pepper side dish with Joan Abrams at Sonmo Olive Estate on Mallorca. He also treated me to a local favorite dessert called Ensaimada, a spiral lard pastry, in this case stuffed with pastry cream. So tasty!
Made the Mallorcan Version of Dirty Rice
over an open fire at the Sonmo Olive Estate in Valdemossa. Here are all the ingredients.
A Blue and White Town in Tunisia
This is the entrance to a tea house called Cafe de Nattes in the town of Sidi Bou Said. Reminds me of Greece.
Gin and Tonics in Barcelona
It’s a thing! After dinner!! But, when the ingredients are so stellar (special local gin, special local tonic) it all makes sense.
Wine Tasting in Santorini
Went to a beautiful winery, Venetsanos Winery, on a cliff in Sanotorini with an incredible view and drank the local dry white wine and vinsanto – the very tasty dessert wine that is only made in Santorini.
Vermouth and Tapas!
Vermouth is a big deal in Barcelona. I visited a popular bar, Morro Fi, to have a taste with Sam Zucker, an ex pat American and local tour guide. I thought of my Dad, the negroni king.
I Learned How to Make A Layered Drink!
In the culinary center on Marina, my Oceania cruise ship where we are traveling and shooting season 13 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” I feel so accomplished!!! The drink is called The Galway Blazer “Fence Reducer.” I think I have to shoot a “how to” video of this drink when I…
Sagrada Familia at Night
Here is a view of Gaudi’s famous (unfinished) church in Barcelona at night as seen from our deck at our VRBO apartment. It is reminiscent of a Superman movie, don’t you think?
Who Knew There Were Yellow Pumpkins?
When we were at my family’s farmhouse in mid October The Husband and I went to our favorite local farm stand and look what we found. Apparently they come in pink too!
What Was My Favorite Pizza in Naples?
We spent time in May in Naples shooting three different iconic pizzerias for “Sara’s Weeknight Meals,” and I loved them all, but my favorite?? Well, the deep fried version of course. It consisted of two rounds of dough sandwiched with guanciale, pancetta, provolone, fresh ricotta and a touch of marina,…
I Had the Best Tour of Naple’s Pizzerias with This Flavorful Local
In May, when I was in Italy shooting season 12 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals,” I was given a tour of three of the top pizzerias in Naples (the original home of pizza) by this jolly fellow named Amedeo Colella. He works for a company called “Culinary Backstreets Naples” and on…
Guess Who I Just Had Lunch With?
Here I am with some legendary restaurateurs and chefs after lunch at Magnolia Restaurant in Keswick Virginia- from top left: one of my dearest friends, Maria Reuge, originally an editor at Gourmet Magazine and later, co owner of Mirabelle restaurant in St James, Long Island, Moi, Maryvonne Gasparini (co owner…
Fresh Chickpeas are So Tasty!!
Just visited the Bellwood Drive-In Flea on Jefferson Davis Hwy, near Richmond Virginia which is more of a clothing and produce market than a flea market, but oh what amazing produce at amazing prices did we find – including these fresh chickpeas in the pod. You can eat them raw…
Sunset on the Maine Coast
Just got back from a lovely visit with my sister and brother in law in southern Maine. We sat out at the end of every day, drank wine and witnessed this kind of show every night, which changed from minute to minute, only getting better.
Painting Corner
When I was visiting my sister in Maine we set ourselves up to paint watercolors at this new table my brother in law built in their cottage. It was the perfect cozy spot with the perfect light and view.
Two Versions of the Giverny Water Lilies
Here are the actual water lilies which I got to visit when I was in France in April: And here is my very rustic watercolor version of them:
Giverny in April
The Husband and I went on a trip to France this last April (a trip postponed 3 times due to covid!) and we got to visit Monet’s home/art studio, Giverny in Northern France. Here are the famous water lilies that he painted larger than life on continuous panels. And here…
The view through the window of a miniature hunting lodge.
And where is that miniature hunting lodge? In the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, in the Marais section of Paris:https://www.chassenature.org/ The husband and I checked it out when were were visiting in April. Here is the bunk room: and the outside: cozy, don’t you think?