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

June 27, 2025 *Time is flying by— *We've been in Long Beach for 6 weeks this weekend. We're slowly settling in. I planted basil and hot peppers this week, and finally started hanging artwork on the walls. I'm still getting the new kitchen organized; not ready to have anyone for dinner yet, but I'm getting there!  For the recipes this week, I'm celebrating summer. I bought a good watermelon this week and it brought the first recipe, grilled shrimp and watermelon salad, to mind. Soaking the shrimp in seaf ...Continue Reading

June 20, 2025 *I got to spend time with family yesterday— *I started some bread dough Thursday night, proofed it in the fridge overnight, shaped focaccia in the morning, and transported it up to my niece's house for lunch. My great-nephews had researched how to use various sliced veggies to decorate and make focaccia art, I provided the palette and they did the art. We had a great day and great food and memories at the end of it. For the recipes this week, welcome to summer. First up, it's a grilled eggplant ...Continue Reading

June 13, 2025 *Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! *I hope you get something tasty to eat and have a great weekend. As I write this on Thursday afternoon, I'm contemplating what's for dinner; my new stove was delivered this morning and I'm beyond excited about it. It has 5 powerful gas burners with a center griddle, convection oven, and an air fry option. I've been cooking on an electric stove for 20 years, and I hope I've not forgotten how to use gas. There's definitely a pan of paella in the near futu ...Continue Reading

June 6, 2025 *I'm still at the getting organized stage *and still have a few boxes to unpack. The next big chore is going to be to paint the place; we get a lot of sunlight and I'll go with a buttery yellow and cream color scheme. We're just steps from the beach, and the sunlight is welcome. For the recipes this week, first up is a collection of chimichurri-style sauces that I love to serve alongside any grilled or roasted food. They taste like summer to me. Next, an easy summer meal using my favorite seafood: Gr ...Continue Reading

May 30, 2025 *We're far from settled *in our new home in Long Beach; the movers arrived a week ago and I promptly came down with a nasty summer cold, so I still have boxes to unpack and organizing to do. I have time. Imagine my excitement when I found frozen Louisiana crawfish tails from Breaux Bridge in a specialty meat market just down the street! And they're not that much more expensive than what I was accustomed to paying in New Orleans. I will be introducing my West Coast family to the mud bugs. For the rec ...Continue Reading

May 10, 2025 Mother's Day Gift Idea! A copy of my autographed cookbook makes a great gift for Mother's Day. Order here. *This is our last weekend *in New Orleans! We had friends over for hamburgers on the grill Thursday night, and will be saying our final goodbyes (at least for now!) over the weekend. There are many mixed feelings about the upcoming move, but we'll be a lot closer to Jim's family, and part of my family. The family I leave behind here will come visit. The friends will too. For the recipes this we ...Continue Reading

May 10, 2025 Mother's Day Gift Idea! A copy of my autographed cookbook makes a great gift for Mother's Day. Order here. *This is our last weekend *in New Orleans! We had friends over for hamburgers on the grill Thursday night, and will be saying our final goodbyes (at least for now!) over the weekend. There are many mixed feelings about the upcoming move, but we'll be a lot closer to Jim's family, and part of my family. The family I leave behind here will come visit. The friends will too. For the recipes this we ...Continue Reading

May 3, 2025 Mothers Day Gift Idea! A copy of my cookbook makes a great gift for Mothers Day. Order here. I have a family reunion tomorrow and, for the first time, I'm not cooking anything to take for the pot-luck. My kitchen is all but packed up, plus, I just don't have the time. My sister flies in this afternoon and I'm making a quick meal for her; baked sweet potatoes, smothered green beans, butterbeans, a ham steak, and will use the last of my cornmeal for some cornbread. Then the cornbread skillet gets packed ...Continue Reading

April 18, 2025 Mothers Day Gift Idea! A copy of my cookbook makes a great gift for Mothers Day. Order here. Jim and I are moving back to California next month; a new chapter in our lives, much closer to family we've not been close to in almost 20 years. We will really miss the family I still have here, and all the great friends we've made here, but here we go on to the next chapter of our lives. I will, of course, continue  with this newsletter, presenting great recipes for your consideration. May be in ...Continue Reading