In December of 1989, just after Christmas, my father and step-mother dropped me off at a little pensione in Siena, Italy where I was to meet my study-abroad group. I knew no one. We said our goodbyes, and I watched them fold themselves back into their tiny rented Fiat Uno and drive off. I stood [...]

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Nothing screams summer barbecue like a good old fashioned cheese burger. But since the price of beef has increased it’s nice to have another tasty and satisfying alternative. Many people wrinkle their noses at the thought of a turkey burger, as they are usually dry, boring and uninspiring. I’m hoping to change that perception - [...]

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Many of you may think I’m talking about the scandalous former mayor of Washington, DC, Marion Barry, but I am not. I’m talking about the succulent Pacific Northwestern fruit, the marionberry.
The marionberry was introduced in 1956 at my alma mater, Oregon State University, and developed in Marion County. While they grow throughout the Pacific Northwest, [...]

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It’s spring and I woke up with a sore throat. You shouldn’t be able to get sick in warm months. That’s what winter is for. We suffer the cold weather and the spreading of germs, then the sun comes out and we get a reprieve from carrying tissues and sucking on lozenges. Wouldn’t it be [...]

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Yippee! It’s cherry season! More importantly, it’s Rainier cherry season. On the totem pole of cherries, Rainiers are at the tippy top. Created back in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle, the Rainier is a hybrid of both the Bing and Van cherries – the sweetest of the red varieties. Bless Fogle’s cherry-loving [...]

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“Get those skinny ones out of here and bring in the short, pudgy ones!”
Would that not be great if that is what we heard at Parisian fashion shows? Sigh, how life for women would change. But, alas, I speak not of fashion models, the plump beauties I’m talking about are Spanish Marcona almonds. These are [...]

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When you land at the airport in Obregón, Mexico, as we did on our way back from Puerto Vallarta, you can buy candied apples for $2 a piece. And here’s the best part - the Mexican Immigration and Customs officials are the ones selling them! Like Girl Scouts selling cookies they have them [...]

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While salivating over the latest issue of Saveur (March 2008) I found a recipe for infused rum. In the article the author describes a popular cordial in Madagascar known as The 44. The instructions for creating this rum-infused concoction are advanced so pay careful attention (wink):
The 44 Cordial
Take a Navel orange and deeply [...]

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In 1973, at the age of 5, my family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sunriver, a little resort town in Central Oregon just south of Bend. Sunriver is nestled at the feet of the beautiful Cascade mountains and hugged by both the Big and Little Deschutes rivers. My parents, who had visited [...]

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Welcome to the world of black lemons! If you’ve never had the opportunity to try these Middle Eastern goodies go to World Spice Merchants and order some. They’re completely dried and look inedible, but in fact their sweet-tartness is so flavorful you’ll want to use it in about everything: soups, stews, tagines, couscous, even sprinkled [...]

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