Clik here to view.
Arthur Avenue Stroll
I know that it’s important to post frequently when you have a blog, but I just can’t make myself sit down and write about something when I’ve got nothing. My dear husband and I have been participating...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ramadan Mubarak!
The scene at the Amman Airport When I landed in Amman late Thursday night it was the first time I could say that I was arriving home in Jordan. There was chaos at Queen Alia Airport, chaos I’ve learned...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Local Table Indeed
Something very special happened in Amman Saturday night, something unexpected, very welcome, and brand new. A young Jordanian chef, Sereen Kurdi prepared a nine course “pop up” dinner for 20 of us in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Unexpected Pleasures – Ristorante Arnolfo
My favorite dining experiences have always been those that happen by surprise. A last minute invite to the impossible-to-get-in-to Balthazar London when it first opened. The day of window shopping in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Stew Befitting the Season
Yes, it’s been an age and I’ve missed you guys! This is the first week since July that I’ve felt like things are vaguely back to normal. The heat of this summer here in Amman was oppressive, and after...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Epic Hike Granola Bar Fuel
We had a bit of an adventure last Friday. Since we moved here I’ve thought it would be a terrific idea to take advantage of Jordan’s natural majesty and get out into the countryside and walk. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aunt Judy’s Lasagna
With my inaugural The Pantry Supper Club scheduled for Sunday, I am doing a hell of a lot of cooking this week! Six courses, homemade bread, canapes, and a few extra treats here and there, are all...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Pantry Supper Club
Last night I cooked the first, of what I hope will be a series, of Supper Clubs. Twenty four lovely guests signed up for the event, unwittingly agreeing to be my guinea pigs as I experiment with how...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Road to Jerash
Yesterday we took a morning ride to Jerash, a small town just 45 minutes drive North of Amman, and home to the majestic remains of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa. While we weren’t visiting the ancient...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Land of Olives
Rolling countryside near Jerash, full of olive trees. It’s the tail end of olive oil pressing season here in Jordan. What traditionally begins with the first big rain (in early September this year)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Year of Lessons
I’ve been writing this post in my head for more than a month now. Not to get all psycho-babbly on you, but I’m one of those people who becomes gripped by paralysis the second the perceived need for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Welcome to Beirut
One of several mosques surrounding the new Beirut Souks mall. It’s been two weeks since we arrived in our new home of Beirut. Two weeks in two small rooms of a hotel with two restless cats and a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Loss and A Kick in the Pants Salad
Turns out this was the last meal I’d prepare for my Mom, last Christmas, in Seattle. I cooked something delicious the other night and thought to myself, “Oooh, I can’t wait to tell Mom about this one!”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home
A little shrine just about exactly where I heard the “fireworks.” I am still trying to figure out the difference between the sound of fireworks going off and celebratory gunfire. Both ring through the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Apartment Hunting – Savory Granola Making
Finding an apartment here in Beirut was not as easy as we thought it was going to be. When my husband was first approached by CNN in February for the position, we came for a long weekend to visit the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Little Armenia Lunch
There are times that I forget I live in the Middle East up here in my perch in Achrafieh. Like I wrote last week, it really does feel like Europe…ok, that might be a stretch, but compared to some parts...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Comfort Food, Middle Eastern Style – Kousa Mashi bil Laban
We are just back from a weekend back in Amman visiting my lovely husband’s parents and our many friends. Monday marked the beginning of Eid al Adha or the Sacrifice Feast, a somewhat haunting (yet...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cultural Disconnects or How Not to Take a Spin Class
It seems that all the sudden it’s dark when I come out of my spin class in the evenings. The bats which fluttered overhead, whom I thought of as my escorts home, are already done with their feeding...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ancient Grain Salad, Lebanese Style
The streets near our building All the sudden I feel I am part of the fabric of our neighborhood here in Achrafieh. As I’m often alone for a week or more at a time, it’s these little interactions that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower a la Baron Restaurant
I am often asked if I get lonely when my husband travels for work as he does so much of the time. And while I do miss him terribly, miss palling around town, eating meals together, just being, I don’t...
View Article
