September 6, 2025 I made a rich meat sauce for pasta last night that is to die for. Equal parts ground beef, Italian sausage, and ground mushrooms. I smashed the meat out in a flat layer, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and let it cook, undisturbed, until it really browned on the bottom then flipped it and let it brown on the second side. While the meat was browning, I sautéed some diced onion and minced garlic in a little olive oil. When the meat was brown, I broke it into chunks, made a well in the cen ...Continue Reading

August 29, 2025 Labor Day weekend snuck up on me, in part because it's as early in the year as it can be, in part because I've got a lot on my mind. An ill cat, for one, but also, this is the 20 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina; we buried our oldest brother in Southern Mississippi the day before the storm devastated the Gulf Coast and the levees failed in New Orleans, putting much of the city under water. it's also the 4-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, the monster storm that convinced me it was time to mov ...Continue Reading

August 22, 2025 It has finally gotten hot here in Southern California; not as hot here at the beach as it is further inland, but hot enough I've had to close the windows and turn on the AC in the afternoon. Summer produce is still in full swing, so we're focusing on lighter dinners to get us through the warm nights. For the recipes this week, I'm starting out with a salad that's a great choice for a hot night. Go with peaches, mango, or even nectarines, whatever is good in your region right now, and pair with som ...Continue Reading

August 15, 2025 We went to a baseball game Monday night and had a blast. At Angel Stadium, the Angels beat the pants off the Dodgers. The weather was great, the food not so much, but hey, it was stadium food. Jim had roasted peanuts AND Crackerjacks AND a hot dog. Back to a healthier menu for the rest of the week. For the recipes this week, first up is a recipe the Gibson family (multi-generational Louisiana shrimpers) shared with me a few years ago: Shrimp & Grits Ya-Ya. FYI, I made it once with smoked Gouda ...Continue Reading

August 8, 2025 Hatch chile season is here and various markets around me are grilling the beauties each weekend. I plan to stock the freezer so that I have them on demand this winter. I love them almost as much as I love poblano peppers. I use them in chiles and stews, stuff them in tacos and burritos, and love them for making a tamale pie. Yum. For the recipes this week, first up is a New Orleans classic: The crab meat maison from Galatoire's, an institution in the French Quarter. Buy the best quality crab you ca ...Continue Reading

August 1, 2025 One of the reasons we left Louisiana was so that we'd be very unlikely to ever have to deal with a hurricane again. I had to laugh (wryly) earlier this week when we were shocked with a tsunami warning; we are on the ocean, and I'd not given a bit of thought to the other perils living on the water brings. The elevation does change dramatically within a mile up the coast, and less than that distance moving inland, so I now have a tsunami evacuation route mapped out mentally!  For the recipes thi ...Continue Reading

July 25, 2025 It's been another beautiful week, sunny and mid 70s here at the Shore. The coastal haze burned off enough one day to see Catalina Island, or at least the outline; it'll be clearer later in the year. There are dragon boat races in the bay behind us Saturday, along with a festival, and an astounding 62 mile round-strip water ski race from a couple miles up the beach, out to Catalina, and back. I can't even fathom what it would be like to waterski for 62 miles in the open ocean! For the recipes th ...Continue Reading

July 18, 2025 While much of the rest of the country swelters, we're sunny and mid 70s here at the Shore. There's a triathlon in the city this weekend, and the cycling portion will pass through our neighborhood; we'll have to plan our daily walk accordingly. Otherwise, an uneventful weekend lies ahead. For the recipes, first up, an easy broiled salmon recipe that I love for a quick weeknight dinner. It's also in my cookbook; the cookbook includes recipes for the parsley pilaf it's served over, and a marinated summ ...Continue Reading

July 11, 2025 The 4th of July vibe (here in Long Beach) was indeed reminiscent of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There was a continuous parade of people going past our house to the beach, everyone happy and in a great mood. The greeting "Happy 4th!" was just as prevalent over the weekend as "Happy Mardi Gras!" is in the days leading up to Mardi Gras. Jim's birthday was this week and his family came down Sunday to help celebrate; we had brunch outdoors overlooking the ocean at Claire's then gathered ...Continue Reading

July 4, 2025 *Happy 4th of July! *The namesake "Long Beach" is just across Ocean Blvd to our left, and the beach all along Alamitos Bay is just two streets behind us, so our neighborhood has been busy for a few days, to put it mildly. As I write this on Thursday evening, crowds are gathering back there for a big fireworks display that takes place in this neighborhood on July 3rd each year. Tomorrow night we'll see the fireworks that the Queen Mary, about 4 miles up the beach, will stage. Kind neighbors ...Continue Reading