Dancing with Seattle.

Seattle Molly in Front of Delancey

I’ve gotta narrow my Seattle trip down for you. Just the highlights. In honor of all the kids who have to head back to school this week, awash in structure and syllabuses, I am going to tell you about my Seattle trip with no timeline at all… for the kids.

As a matter of fact, why don’t we just skip right to the good stuff. Chew the lollipop.

I got to go to Delancey. For those of you who may not be obsessively interested in a girl named Molly Wizenberg, there’s a food blog called Orangette that you must not have visited yet. And a book called “A Homemade Life,” that is begging you to read it. And once you do, you will be hoping a plane to Seattle, sitting at the counter of an adorable and sophisticated restaurant that doesn’t even have signage yet, eating one of the most delicious pizzas you have ever eaten and eavesdropping as Molly’s husband, Brandon, bakes your pie in a beautiful brick oven – right before your eyes. He’s nice, too. You could probably even talk to him, but if you are anything like me, you will just mumble something about how good the pizza is while you sit in giddy silence and chew. Here’s me geeked out. My hair is pulled back in a pony-tail. Unfortunately, it needed that preface. Brandon must have ducked, and Molly W. is tucked away behind the brick oven cranking out delicate and satisfying salads made with locally sourced greens. I am sporting a post-salad grin.

Read More»

The legendary molokai purple sweet potato

John Chester Maui Hawaii Rock Prophecies Shirt

John’s film Rock Prophecies just played at the Maui Film Festival. First off, it won another audience award! It won the audience award at Nashville Film Festival, Dallas AFI Festival, and now Maui Film Festival, and it is a very special honor. This type of award is determined by an audience vote at the end of each screening. The highest collective vote wins, which means this film is connecting to people! Nothing more important than that, right? The Maui Festival also held a deeper meaning for Robert Knight, the rock n’ roll photographer who is the subject of the film, because his childhood home was Hawaii.

Read More»

Mountainfilm & mushrooms

Moutainfilm Telluride CO
Last weekend, John screened his beautiful film Rock Prophecies at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO. I was thrilled to be able to join him. I had made the trip once before, but I was cooking for a client and up to my ears in grocery lists. Telluride makes you earn it’s beauty with a connecting flight in Denver, a puddle-jumper airplane and a two-hour car ride. But, it’s worth it. The town and it’s people are grounded and nature-loving. This festival, we decided, was our favorite of all the festivals of all the years. David Holbrooke, festival director, made me feel important when he spoke to me, which exemplifies the authenticity captured in every festival detail. John and I decided that a good adjective for the weekend was “efficient.” That sounds incredibly dry, but meaning, it didn’t have too much or too little… The festival drew a smart and engaging crowd. The films were important, and the schedule was full without any excess. The town was small enough to bump into new acquaintances until they quickly become new found friends. It’s a great idea for a film-lover’s holiday.
Read More»

Marietta Square Farmer’s Market

Marietta Farmers Market_Vegetables

While in Atlanta, Mom introduced me her Marietta Square farmer’s market. She thought I’d be unimpressed in comparison to the hard-core California markets. No way. Every market is a great day out for me. Each one takes on the flavor of its region with distinct food and people. A few accents were so thick they left a layer of southern on my ears. Plus, Marietta Square is lovely and circled by cluttered antique shops containing many magical kitchen items.

Read More»

Beginner’s guide to healthy camping.

IMG_0193

Eating while back country camping is a food challenge for sure. I like to stay flexible in my eating, not so rigid that I can’t enjoy life. But, even a half day of dehydrated camping meals serve as a reminder of why dehydrated food doesn’t cross over into the mainstream. The amount of salt in one bite of most bagged camping food will exceed your expectations.

I have only really camped twice. The recent trip was Joshua Tree National Park, a beautifully stark desert in Southern California. We drove pretty deep into the park and then hiked in another 2 miles or so, to a majestic rock formation with a flat area that was perfect for pitching a tent. I get excited to camp because freedom is a constant companion. You have what you brought. And you can use what you understand. I suggest a knowledgeable camping partner to start with – I have a good one. And I suggest a 3 day, 2 night trip. Long enough to totally relax, but short enough to make it happily.

Read More»