I LONG TO LIVE IN A NANCY MEYERS MOVIE

A group of movies on a table.

Heading toward the jagged coastline, a mourning dove flies over the terracotta roof tiles that cover the elegant Spanish Colonial homes of Santa Barbara. To the east, the Santa Ynez Mountains rise dramatically from the town, offering majestic vistas of a crisp clear blue sky kissing the aquamarine waters of the Pacific Ocean. Seductive…

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CHAR SIU SLICED PORK CHOP

A red plate with meat and rice on it.

I have been known to walk miles in search of good Char Siu (Chinese Roast Pork). Its sweet and sticky sauce is about as naughty as any food should be, but of course, that’s what makes it so irresistible. My friend Grace introduced me to a great place down in NY’s Chinatown (Big Wong)…

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THE GREAT BARBECUE CRAWL

Southern bbq slow smoked sign.

I’m on a mission to visit all 50 states and I’m getting fairly close. So when a family wedding brought us out of the comfort of our Brooklyn home into the backcountry of Arkansas, I saw an opportunity to scratch off a few states on my list. I convinced my husband that a road…

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LASAGNA LOAF

Lasagna in a baking dish on top of a stove.

If you’re like me, sometimes the bargains at Costco are just too much to pass up. The other day I bought an enormous container of ricotta and a one-pound brick of mozzarella with hopes of making a big pan of lasagna. But the party plans fizzled out and as much as I like lasagna,…

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