Support Women in the Arts: Book & Charity Event
Hi, friends! I’m returning from a whirlwind book tour and just in time! I have a very exciting event coming up next month in California. Betsy Franco (writer, actor, director, & mother of very talented sons James, Dave, & Tom Franco) and I both published novels about a beloved female artist–Camille Claudel–who struggled against a male-dominated art world so intensely, she was committed to an asylum. Camille’s toils inspired us to not only retell her story, but to...
Read MoreVirtual Cookie Exchange
Happy holidays, all! To celebrate the most scrumptious (and fattening) time of year, I was asked to participate in a virtual cookie swap. Wonder of wonders, I found the recipe on Pinterest (and pixelatedcrumb.com). I seem to be doing that a lot lately, but who can resist such gorgeous photos of amazing food? Yeah, me neither. For more delicious holiday goodies, follow the links to the blogs below the recipe. Without further ado, I bring you: Chocolate Turtle...
Read More16th Century Food Hop: Dishes Featured in The Lion and the Rose
Author Kate Quinn asked me to participate in part two of the 16th century potluck with recipes from her recent release THE LION AND THE ROSE, the second novel in her Borgia series, and I couldn’t refuse! Trying new recipes and reading a fabulous book are about my two favorite things in the world. (Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the list of additional pot luck blog hoppers and their delectable dishes from the novel.) Speaking of THE LION AND THE ROSE, a few...
Read More16th Century Virtual Potluck & The Serpent and the Pearl
Today, a handful of food-loving readers have gathered together to celebrate the latest release by Kate Quinn, THE SERPENT AND THE PEARL. One of the three protagonists was a chef! (Be still my beating heart.) A chef who gushed over the odors of foods and the rhythm of 16th century kitchens, specialty dishes, and the carefully guarded family recipes she recreated. In other words, MUSIC TO MY EARS. So we bloggers read the novel (I gobbled it up) and chose a dish we wanted to recreate, then we all...
Read MoreFrenchie Friday: Pass the Cheese Please
It’s Friday, my favorite day of the week, and the day I get to talk about France AND gear up for Beth Fish’s #Weekend Cooking! So I had my anniversary last week and I spent the whole week with my face smashed against the glass porch door waiting. Waiting for one of my favorite gifts to arrive–a large package of stinky, scrumptious, flavorful French cheese! These cheeses are delivered via UPS straight from France and Fromages.com. They have a cheese library, a monthly cheese,...
Read MoreSink Your Claws into Udon & Japanese Street Fare with Susan Spann
In honor of my author friend Susan Spann’s debut release, I invited her to the blog today to talk Japanese street food and her protagonist’s favorite dish–udon noodles– for Beth Fish’s #WeekendCooking. I adore Japanese food and I couldn’t help but envision myself slurping up the fat, succulent noodles while reading her novel. Take it away, Susan! Like many Asian cultures, the Japanese have a long and elaborate relationship with street foods. For centuries,...
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