A Backyard Birthday Bash

With all the fun additions to my backyard recently, it was only fitting to host a celebration. And the timing could not have been more perfect since David’s 45th birthday was approaching. This was a bit of a first for us…as it would be the…read more

Impromptu Backyard Dinner with Friends: The Farewell Tour

Last month Charla and I met Claudia, an Italian urban planning professor who visited a San Diego university a few years ago. She was described to us as “very Italian: warm, generous, and loved to throw parties.” It turns out that during her stay in…read more

Yard Wine | Welcome to the Neighborhood

Several months ago, before I moved from the action-packed streets of Long Beach’s Belmont Shore to this quiet neighborhood in Belmont Heights, I got out of my car outside Charla’s apartment and saw a skinny dog running loose in the empty nighttime street. But it…read more

Mexican salsa, an appreciation

Pick up another tortilla chip and dip into the Mexican salsa. The salty crunch of the chip mixes with the smooth, dense, flavorful, spicy kick of the salsa in the well-known ritual on any afternoon or at any occasion. But Mexico’s greatest gift to cooking…read more