Hello Spring. It’s good to see you out and about.
I love this time of year. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning to that small chink of sunlight cascading across your bed, summoning you out and into the stretching day.
It’s a fantastic feeling. Spring. Everything seems to come to life around us. Including me. In goes my winter gear, my boots, my heavy coats. Out comes my jogging shoes, my sundresses, and of course, my shades. Continue reading
A few Easters ago, my family and I were lucky enough to spend the holiday at my mother-in-law’s home in Ireland (and yes, I do say “lucky”, because yes, I do think my mother-in-law is pretty darn great).
I love the excitement this holiday brings to children. It’s also the only time of year where everyone collectively gets together to wear pastel colours. And well, that’s just pretty funny if you ask me. Continue reading
A Japanese friend of mine once told me that in her house “Gyoza Night” was family night. The evening had one very strict rule. Every single member of the family who wanted to eat these amazingly flavourful dumplings, from the grandparents down to the small kids, had to take part in the “gyozo chain”. Continue reading
During his adolescent years my father lived with his grandfather, a chef who worked at the historic Drake Hotel atop Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. He learned the tricks of the cooking trade largely from him; the 101 basics, plus all the trimmings. Continue reading
Dear Chicago,
For the last few years I’ve been visiting you in February. I know what you’re thinking, Chicago. Why in the world would anyone visit you during this time of year?
I am fully aware that I am likely to encounter door-jamming snow drifts, frost-bitten cheeks, and as my son called it several times during the course of our visit — “very dirty snow.” Continue reading
There are some foods you were born to love. For some, it’s chocolate. For others, it’s a freshly baked baguette.
For me, it’s Thai food. No question about it. Continue reading
This post is written in honour of good neighbours. May you all have some. And if you don’t, may you find some quickly. Or may you consider moving.
The neighbourhood I grew up in on the south side of Chicago was a busy one. West 89th Place and its adjoining streets was rarely quiet. There were kids. Lots and lots of them. And boy did we have fun. Continue reading
Japan is a very special place for me. Not only is it where my mother grew up, but it’s where the rest of her family, including my cousins, aunts and uncles, still live.
When I was in graduate school, I spent one semester studying in Niigata Prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu. It was an amazing experience. Not only did it provide insight into my mother and her culture, but it also marked the beginning of an expat life that eventually brought me to Basel. Continue reading
There is nothing more motivating than a close-up shot of a fresh salad to keep your diet resolutions alive in January.
Despite my greatest urge not to make get-fit vows for the New Year, this holiday season found me staring, in disdain, at the extra bulge that found its way into what I call my “second stomach” — aka, my THIGHS. Continue reading
I’m not usually big on New Year’s resolutions.
We spend most of the year telling ourselves, and rightly so, that despite our so-called weaknesses, we are strong, confident individuals. And yet every 1 Jan, echoed from the crowded streets of New York City down to the deepest darkest corner of the world, are vows to change everything about ourselves.
Somehow, on this one very special day of the year, we focus on our flaws more so than our strengths. And why in the world would you want to start a new year like that? Continue reading
chasing thyme 