Tom-Erik and his wife Anne-Grethe ooze gracious Norwegian hospitality, making you feel as welcome and easy as a summer sunset at their home in Kongsberg.

We sat at the breakfast room table, the four of us, for a couple of hours, telling stories, sharing our hopes and dreams for the future, and reveling in post-vaccination togetherness. It was incredibly restorative.

A quiet story about coming out of a long, silent austerity into the startlingly lush experience of in-person conversation and a meal with another couple outside of our bubble.

In its raw form, with its clean, crisp flavor and boat-like shape, this little finger-sized leaf is a perfect delivery device for richer foods.

Champagne cocktail recipes, a French Resistance member who saved lives and created the Kir, and my grandmother’s death after 100 years.

All that’s missing is the food and the folks.

Oh how therapeutic laughter is! Can’t you feel it just looking at them? This is one of the favorite pictures I’ve ever snapped. I have no idea if it’s “any good” by photography standards, but it makes me happy every time I look at it.

One big post is a roundup of the Christmas 2018 festivities at Glover Gardens.

The flavor is reminiscent of the onion dip in the plastic container served alongside potato chips at backyard barbecues, but it also has a jazzy, sophisticated taste and mouth-feel from the fresh yellow onions simmered to golden perfection and a dash of vermouth.

A Glover Gardens holiday recipe compendium, starting with breakfast and continuing through dessert, with stops at appetizers and savory sides along the way.

Tips from colleagues make Christmas more merry.

A well-worn family cookbook, Great Tastes from the Texas Coast, provides my late Mom’s guidance for antipasto success.

From the archives of the Glover Gardens Cookbook, a few great versions of obvious football party food choices, plus a couple you might not have contemplated.

Chocolate Orange Pots are an impressive, decadent, and yet relatively easy dessert for a dinner party.

Steak is on the menu at a tiny dinner party at Glover Gardens with international guests.

A Glover Gardens new year’s brunch menu and my best wishes for a happy 2017.

A rosemary wreath dresses up the standby party platter of cheese, salami and olives.

This blogging thing is fun, especially the connections with other bloggers and the ideas they share and inspire. One of the blogs I subscribe to is Last Night’s Feast, where blogger Sara occasionally makes a post called Pretty Things, a collection of unrelated links and […]

My colleague and friend Stephanie makes the most marvelous dip, and we pester her to bring a batch to us at least monthly.  It’s ‘formal’ name is Creamy Jalapeño Dip, but we mostly refer to it as Green Dip.  And sometimes, Crack Dip (because it’s addictive). […]

    Keep the activities to a minimum, and the wine and stories coming. Conde Nast Traveler published an article that perfectly captures my philosophy about entertaining: How to Throw a Dinner Party Like a Parisian . I think I must be part Parisian.