I’ve had fun all over again this week, going through the many photos from our vacation. I’ve showed you some highlights, but I haven’t really shared the impetus for this trip. It all began with an invitation to celebrate the 50th birthday of my beloved college roommate in a palazzo on the Grand Canal. Who could refuse? Sixty lucky souls turned up at the Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore for a black-tie fête on the night of the super moon. It truly felt like the most special once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I hope we’ll all end up back there when she turns 75. The palazzo was everything you might imagine: vast, lavishly furnished (including ornate Murano glass chandeliers) and complete with its own mustachioed butler. You could ride up to the palazzo in your water taxi, leap gracefully onto the small wooden dock and pass through the iron gate to the ground floor’s echoing marble hall. What a life!

enchanted palace

I loved perching on the edge of the balcony, next to the planters overflowing with ivy, taking the morning sun and watching the comings and goings on the canal. A vaporetto here, a gondola there, a ferry barge, a floating ambulance. Life on the water…

night on the canal

This is the view from the palazzo as the sun was going down.

high rises

Most of the Grand Canal waterfront is taken up with these grand buildings. A few even have remnants of the original frescoes that used to adorn the façades. They’re covered with the legendary Venetian plaster in varying states of disrepair, and the muted colors and occasional bright awnings are truly beautiful.

enchanted garden

Our rather more modest digs were still quite wonderful. We rented a little two-floor apartment in the Dorsoduro sestiere, about a 5-minute walk from the palazzo Loredan, on Ca’ Carmini. Our building was on a small canal, and opened onto this lovely courtyard, with a gorgeous garden beyond. Our door was the brown one on the right.

how do you say pied à terre in italian?

We had our own darling garden, with potted herbs and climbing roses. The bedroom had Venetian red walls and the lovely sitting room with its blue velvet couches was lined with shelves crammed with art books. Home sweet home, indeed.

barge right in

A stone’s throw away, en route to our morning cappuccino (when in Rome Venice…), was this wonderful vegetable barge, loaded with fresh produce. Purple artichokes, stacks of zucchini with their puffy yellow flowers still attached, curling burgundy leaves of Treviso radicchio, fat white asparagus—I longed to cook at home one night, but we couldn’t bear to stay in. I did buy a couple of small baskets of tiny wild strawberries just to bury my nose in their exquisite perfume.

wild blue yonder

One afternoon we took a boat ride for a couple of hours along with a few pals. Our driver (captain?) was a proud native Venetian who knew so much about the city, and imparted all sorts of history and lore. As you can see, the weather was perfection and, with the wind in my hair and that fresh saline air in my face, I’ve never felt so alive.

age before beauty

Around every corner you never fail to encounter the most picturesque vignette or breathtaking vista. Let me share just a few of the moments G captured with his marvelous eye for detail.

the city was resplendent with blooming plants: wisteria, roses, honeysuckle, hydrangea

the encroaching evening bathed everything in moody blues

signs of the cross: every neighborhood has at least one (ancient, glorious) church

we chanced upon the shipyard where the gondolas are built and repaired

african queens: these lovely ladies were selling their wares

g and me, traveling in style (photo courtesy of k. busby)

We came, we saw, we conquered. Or were conquered, more like it. Utterly slain by the magical beauty and irresistible romance of Venice. We shall return!

Wishing you could bring a little Venice into your home right now? Whip up a risotto, pour a hearty red and settle in to watch this. Or this. Or this (but not for the faint of heart). xoxo

I was tempted to title this post “The Girl Who Ate Venice.” I think I mentioned to you that I went on a juice fast the second we touched down at JFK. I wouldn’t say we grossly overindulged, but you know that restaurant food is just that much richer, and I can’t say we really denied ourselves much. Everywhere you go in Venice, people are eating gelato, and the flavors are irresistible: the deepest, most fragrant coffee; nutty pistachio; fior di latte (flower of milk) that tastes of the purest cream; fig and walnut; fresh strawberry…who could resist? I was armed with 6 pages of restaurant recommendations, culled from friends, the internet and a long-hoarded issue of Departures magazine devoted to Venice, and I feel like we barely made a dent. We didn’t make it to either Da Fiore or Alle Testiere, two much-touted restaurants on everyone’s lists, but we had many wonderful meals.

You may have noticed that most of the Venice photos were taken by G. Despite my best intentions, I find that I get caught up in the moment when we’re traveling, and have a hard time remembering to shoot. Also, when you’re in a cozy little trattoria surrounded by locals, you don’t really want to pull out your honking Nikon (or even your iphone) and start snapping away. That said, there’s plenty of eye candy coming up.

seafood diet

On our first day, stumbling exhausted out of the Rialto market, we simply collapsed at a sidewalk table outside a little restaurant crowded with locals (always a good sign). Artichokes were in season and everywhere at the market, so I ordered the artichoke pizza, and G had the gnocchi with mussels, which came with a rich oily tomato sauce that was to die for. Ultimately, Venice is all about the seafood and most menus feature the local specialties, like polenta with tiny shrimp, risotto with langoustines, cuttlefish braised in its ink, fritto misto, and pasta with clams or mussels or spider crab.

That night, we met up with friends for dinner at Harry’s Dolci in the Giudecca, where you can dine outside right along the canal, looking at the sparkling lights of Venice across the way. I passed on the classic Bellini and had a whiskey sour which was perfection. Then I dug into a big plate of their renowned pasticcio (pastiche), essentially a deconstructed lasagna that is a glorious mess of pasta and bechamel and cheese and a few unimportant vegetables.

use your noodle

The next day, after we’d gotten our bearings a bit, we had lunch at Al Covo, a sweet restaurant owned by an Italian man and his American wife. It’s friendly to tourists without seeming inauthentic, and it has a very seasonal approach to traditional Venetian food.  The restaurant is calm and lovely, and a fresh breeze came through the curtained windows. I had a wonderful lemony pasta with the meat and roe of the impressive spider crab from Venice’s lagoon.

shell game

G had the iconic moeche on the very last day they were available during their short season. In a technique that goes back to the 1500s, these tiny crabs are “matured” in wooden crates in the internal waters of the lagoon until their shells soften. They were lightly grilled and served without salt, as they maintain their own naturally perfect sea-salt flavor. It came accompanied with a salad of valeriana, which seemed to be some sort of mâche.

sole asylum

Next I had a delicate filet of sole with more of those tender artichokes, atop a thin puddle of celery root puree and garnished with some fried parsley.

spear me

And we couldn’t resist ordering some of those delectable asparagus we’d seen at the market. Drizzled with pungent olive oil and a bit of egg mimosa, they did not disappoint.

get your licks in

Dessert was a few scoops of vanilla gelato kicked into the stratosphere with a light dusting of licorice powder and a couple of slicks of licorice syrup. Who knew this would be such an intensely compelling flavor combination? And those crunchy butter biscuits were not simply gratuitous.

So, as you can see, we ate well. But to be perfectly honest with you, while there is no shortage of classic, well-executed food in Venice, the only real epiphany I had was realizing how spoiled we are in New York. There is no David Chang in Venice. Many of the seafood preparations I’ve had from Dave Pasternak’s Il Pesce at Eataly surpass anything from the lagoon. And, perhaps most surprisingly given all the beautiful produce we saw at the Rialto market—the artichokes, the radicchio, the green cauliflower, the agretti, the pristine lettuces—there is scarcely a vegetable on any restaurant menu. And this, for a vegivore like me, makes for tough going. With some planning and a little luck, you are not going to have a bad meal here, but it’s really more about the wine (oh, those amarones), the ambience, the vistas, the history, the sheer Veniceness of the place.

totally rawsome

That said, we did enjoy some special places. The Fondamenta delle Zattere runs the length of the south side of the Dorsoduro neighborhood where we were staying, along the Giudecca Canal. It’s a popular spot to stroll, with some fascinating buildings, including the Ospedale degli Incurabili, where 16th century syphilitics were housed to live out their lunatic lives. Some of our friends stayed in a sweet little hotel there, La Calcina and Ristorante Riviera is right nearby. G and I had a lazy lunch there, involving a seemingly bottomless bottle of sparkling rosé and some equally refreshing seafood. We started with an assortment of crudi, 8 different types of raw fish, each one flavored differently. There was salmon with a swirl of creamy burrata cheese, tuna with mandarin, mackerel with strawberry; other flavors included vanilla, lime zest, fennel, mint and passionfruit. It was quite good, although we were imagining what it might have been like with judicious sprinklings of different sea salts…

rice, venetian style

We shared a divine risotto with a deeply green puree of spring herbs and a few pieces of sweet shrimp. The rice in Venice is always cooked to a toothy, soupy perfection.

meat me in venice

Despite the many well-researched restaurants we tried (the list and more highlights are below), some of my favorite food moments on the trip were the serendipitous ones, when you are simply wandering and chance upon a little café or gelatteria or sidewalk restaurant, and you plop down and point to something and suddenly your mouth is full of crunchy toast topped with a creamy fluff of whipped salt cod, or the best mortadella of your life, or the classic spritz (“spreetz”), an effervescent mix of Aperol and prosecco. Try your luck in Venice, at least some of the time.

you scream, i scream

When all else fails, there is always gelato. The málaga (rum raisin) is sin incarnate. If you order the modest little coppette, you might even try three different flavors a day. Everybody’s doing it.

your humble servant

Recommended restaurants in Venice:

Osteria L’Orto dei Mori – Campo dei Mori, Cannaregio; www.osteriaortodeimori.com; closed Tuesday

We had a boozy dinner here with a big bunch of friends and, even though we got into a fight with the waiter (it was ultimately resolved with kisses all around, very high-drama Italian), this was my favorite Venetian find. It’s a cozy place in a lovely, quiet neighborhood and it’s almost entirely populated by locals. The young Sicilian chef makes exquisite and creative arrays of antipasti and traditional Italian favorites. The scampi en saor (sweet and sour shrimp) were divine. It’s also a very good value.

Harry’s Dolci -  Giudecca; www.cipriani.com

Sit outside on the canal, sipping bellinis or a whiskey sour. Eat rich, simple classics. Dress up.

Al Covo – Campiello della Pescaria, Castello; www.ristorantealcovo.com; closed Wednesday and Thursday

Considered among Venice’s finest; traditional and updated seafood classics; lovely service; see above for details. Not cheap.

Ristorante Riviera – Zattere, Dorsoduro; www.alpesador.it

Great location on the canal, wonderful service, sparkling fresh seafood. Pricey.

Avogaria – Dorsoduro; www.avogaria.com

This charming restaurant is attached to a little hotel. We had a nice, simple dinner here with good food, wine and service. Try the fritto misto, and don’t miss the involtini—thin strips of zucchini rolled around milky cheese.

La Bitta – San Barnaba, Dorsoduro

Sick of seafood? We were actually with a friend who doesn’t like fish, so we indulged her with a visit to this all-meat trattoria. It has a low-key, homey vibe and very friendly service. I had delicious slow-stewed pork cheeks. I also treated myself to a cheese plate that was a highlight of the trip, including grillo di monte major; monte veronese al durello; asiago stravecchio; formadj frant; and gorgonzola naturale. It came with an insanely good fragolaceto, a strawberry balsamic, and mostarda di pomodori, a tomato-based mustard. Still dreaming of this.

We hit the ground running in Venice, dropping our bags at the sweet garden apartment we rented in the Dorsoduro neighborhood (more on that another day), and hoofed it right up to Canareggio in the northern part of the city to visit Gianni Basso Stampatore. G had brought me to this dark sliver of a shop on Calle del Fumo last time we were in Venice, but it was closed on that cold day in early January and I vowed to return. The window was tantalizingly full of gorgeous calling cards created for an eclectic roster of luminaries, including names as diverse as Hugh Grant, Pierre Bergé and Gael Greene. Gianni himself mans the shop (though his son now works with him, too) and I was thrilled to spend some time with this genial Venetian who is responsible for such beautiful letterpress creations.

the art of the matter

Gianni’s collection of stamps includes everything from the winged lion that is the symbol of Venice to heraldic crests, charming animals, complex filigrees and lovely botanicals. If you don’t find something you like (impossible!) he will even create a new one for you from the many reference books on hand.

gianni come lately

Gianni was apprenticed to Armenian monks at age 14 to learn his trade and has become something of a legend in Venice (and beyond), where his nickname is Gutenberg. Like virtually everything authentic in this city, his shop has the rich patina of age and is filled with artifacts, including the antique presses and ancient stamps he uses, and even some engravings from the first edition of Pinocchio. Despite all this, the maestro is very down to earth and will even gossip with you about his famous clients. And doesn’t he totally remind you of an Italian Jeff Daniels?

stamps of approval

The hardest part is choosing which of his amazing collection of images you want to have on your custom-designed bookplates, business cards or stationery. Gianni has a good eye and will help you pick your fonts and colors. I work quickly and intuitively and so does he, so we had a lot of fun, even though my Italian is not much better than his English.

stamping ground

You are free to roam about the shop touching everything, snooping, calling out questions and generally getting into mischief. Gianni is very tolerant. Oh, and he only takes cash.

pressing engagement

There are several intriguing pieces of equipment, and a few gorgeous slabs of well-worn marble that have been used as work surfaces for centuries.

paper chase

Of course there is wonderfully thick and pulpy Venetian paper and be sure to choose those feathery deckled edges. I’m so happy that I went all out and treated myself to Glutton for Life calling cards featuring what Gianni called la zucca ironica (the wry pumpkin), as well as personalized note cards with the most beautiful plant, roots and all.

printed matter

If you don’t have a trip to Venice planned in the near future and are craving some equally sophisticated custom-engraved bookplates or stationery, I suggest you visit Thornwillow Press. It has a similar reverence for Old World craftsmanship which, in these latter days, cannot be overestimated.

Venice is truly transporting. The magic of the place is hard to describe. It’s a convergence of so many things: beautiful muted colors, lovely gardens, a culture of art, rich history, outdoor cafés, unique topography, no cars, the patina of age. It’s arguably the world’s most beautiful city, and definitely one you must visit in this lifetime. It’s hard to say what is my favorite aspect but, if pressed, I might name the Rialto market. All and sundry turn up here on a daily basis to shop for seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as meats and cheeses. Elegant Venetian matrons pulling their trolleys, gawking tourists with cameras, young couples in love and mothers with strollers rub shoulders in front of amazing displays of the Veneto’s finest. It’s here you get a sense of the unique riches this region has to offer. As everywhere in Venice, there are little cafés surrounding the market, my favorite of which is Al Mercà, really no more than a kiosk where you can get fantastic wines and the very best little sandwiches.

bite size

You grab your wine and stand around in the little square, munching your snacks and watching the people go by. It’s a tradition for locals and, as a tourist, makes you feel a part of the place. I enjoyed the San Daniele prosciutto with robiola cheese and truffle, and the tuna with radicchio and horseradish, along with a glass of sparkling rosé. The market opens at 7am; I recommend you go around 10, wander for an hour, and stop at Al Mercà for the first of many rounds of refreshment (after your morning cappuccino, of course).

the bounty

The Rialto market is near the Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal in the San Polo neighborhood (sestiere). It’s been there since the 11th century, though the buildings were rebuilt after a fire in 1514. It’s essentially an open air market that’s held under some tents and stone archways. There’s the Erberia, the greenmarket, and the Campo delle Pescheria for fish—including delicacies indigenous to the lagoon— as well as several butchers and a cheese shop.

small purple artichokes look like edible flowers

artichokes prepared for cooking float in barrels of lemony water

we were there in peak asparagus season

i’ve never seen such fat, pristine white asparagus

treviso radicchio: farmers of the Veneto have applied for Protected Geographical Status for some varieties

barba di frate, aka agretti, is a salt-tolerant succulent that can be eaten raw or cooked

zucchini blossoms, a venetian specialty

sundried tomatoes

fragole di bosco, alpine strawberries, have an intoxicating fragrance and wild taste

the market had a selection of exotic imports including these spanish loquats

campo delle pescheria

local cuttlefish, often braised in its ink with pasta or rice

fishmongers at work

some of their knives

langostinos are among the many sea delicacies of venice

scallops on the halfshell with their roe

local spider crabs

an entire butcher shop is devoted to horse meat

horse salumi

two very contented visitors

Henry James said “Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors,” and though I can’t really refute that, I persist in being one of them. And so should you. The more often we go, the more at home there we will be.

There’s good new and there’s bad news. I’ll give you the bad first: My blog was horribly hacked and all sorts of things went haywire. The subscriber email alerts stopped working, the site got “blacklisted” and who knows what else. On the upside, magical elves have stepped in and made some changes, so everything should be working well soon if not right now. A new design is forthcoming in the next month or so. AND,  I’m leaving for Venice this evening!! It is, without a doubt, among the most magical places I have ever been. This time, G and I rented a little garden apartment in Dorsoduro for the week and plan to shop at the Rialto market, eat cichetti and stroll aimlessly to our hearts’ content. And let’s not forget the impetus for the trip: a black-tie birthday bash in honor of a dear friend at this glorious palazzo…

palazzo loredan dell’ambasciatore

Despite our recent Hawaiian idyll, I feel desperately in need of a vacation and am longing for a few carefree days with the freedom to explore and discover, and no pressure from deadlines. I promise plenty of pictures and detailed accounts of all the wonders we encounter. Ciao for now!

In September of 2009, after nearly 25 years in New York City, I decamped for the little cottage in Sullivan County that had been our weekend escape. It was among the best moves of my life. Recently, I read in World of Interiors magazine (one of my greatest sources of inspiration) about an artist residing in the most spare and beautiful cottage on the rocky coast of England. She said that being so far from the city enabled her to resist the trends and tug of consumerism so present in a throbbing metropolis, and fueled her artistic endeavors. Like her, I often go all day without speaking to anyone, except perhaps Titi, my boon feline companion. I am more in touch with my self and my creative impulses than ever before. I ebb and flow with the rhythm of the seasons now; the natural world is compelling and so alive to me. If this sort of existence tempts you, consider making a move of your own. There is an amazing little compound with a Victorian church for sale in the Hudson Valley that could be the answer to your dreams.

a house to worship

Ayumi Horie, a gifted studio potter, has lived for the past decade in this place that includes Cottekill church (1,000 sq ft) and a loft-like 2-bedroom house with an adjoining studio (1,900 sq ft). All of it is lovingly restored with thoughtful details and an artist’s eye. The yard is landscaped and there is a fenced-in garden. The buildings sit on just shy of an acre, minutes from the NYC bus line, Stone Ridge, Rosendale and High Falls, within two hours of New York City.

a sight for sore eyes

Ayumi is moving even further north to her home state of Maine, and she is hoping to pass this place on to someone community-minded who will carry on the church’s tradition of art (the previous owner was also an artist). The area is full of forward-thinking creative people, beautiful landscapes, farms and bucolic vistas.

the answer to your prayers

The house has new windows and walls, marble-floored bathrooms and radiant floors in the downstairs bedroom, bathroom and dressing room.

domestic bliss

The kitchen is flooded with light and equipped with all the amenities for someone who loves to cook and entertain.

oh the joy

The tub alone makes me want to live there. Imagine the peaceful hours you could spend here!

get to work

And I’m definitely drooling over the studio, a dedicated space for creating, building, working, dreaming, playing. Each of the three sections—church, house and studio—has its own entry, making the property flexible and functional in its use. All this for just $349,000.

So what are you waiting for? Find out more here. To see the spring bloom at the Cottekill Church, follow it here on Twitter.

I was hell-bent on eating poi during my Hawaiian vacation. You know me, always determined to have that authentic experience. Guess what? No luck. The restaurant scene on the Big Island is kind of bleak. The place voted the island’s best was resoundingly mediocre. Lilikoi (that’s passionfruit) is ubiquitous, except it wasn’t in season and overly-sweetened concentrate was being used for everything from cocktails to custards. Just not the same. And why not serve the amazing guavas, mangoes and strawberries that were colossally fresh and delicious? Well, because many Hawaiians, like their fellow mainlanders, have let go of much of their traditional, locally grown food and now rely on processed crap. Poi, a starchy paste made from fermented taro (or sometimes breadfruit), and traditionally eaten with fish was not on any restaurant menu. I didn’t see it at any of the markets we visited, either. Foiled! We ended up cooking at home quite a bit since our rentals were equipped with pretty good kitchens and we ate well, mostly thanks to the beautiful farmers market in Hilo.

schinus terebinthifolius, or pink peppercorns

I did a little foraging. I found these pink peppercorns growing on the hike down to Pololu Valley. They are actually not pepper at all, but from a species of flowering plant in the cashew family. Their slightly sweet, piney flavor is quite lovely, and I crushed some with salt and chopped fresh herbs and rolled a log of local goat cheese in this mixture. Try this with any combination of fresh or dried herbs and spices.

go nuts

Hanging from various tree were different types of dark wrinkly pods, all of them containing rows of mysterious brown seeds. These, on the left, turned out to be carob. The round nuts on the right are macadamias, and are delicious straight from the shell. They can also be ground into a very rich butter.

almond joy

In the lush basin of the valley, we came across the wild almond trees (Terminalia catappa) that I had read about in this fabulous book. A fibrous husk encases a very hard shell and within lies a slim, somewhat juicy nut that tastes faintly of almond and coconut. If we’d had several lazy hours to do nothing but crack these open, I might have made any number of tasty confections, but it just wasn’t that kind of vacation.

to market, to market

The outdoor market in Hilo was full of everything I missed seeing in the restaurants: local honey (pale gold and sweetly floral), fresh coconut water and milk, various kinds of avocado, eggplant, bitter melon, Maui onions, breadfruit, taro, local goat cheese, exotic flowers, homemade passion fruit curd, candied coconut, ginger juice…

eat shoots and leaves

…and some greens I’d never seen, like these pipinola shoots that turned out to be from the chayote plant. This is a green vegetable something like a squash, that is originally from Mexico but is now eaten all over the world. The greens tasted a bit like spinach (the vegetable equivalent of “tastes like chicken”).

furry fruits

G was delighted to come across his favorite rambutans, a sweet and watery tropical fruit related to the lychee.

nice package

Banana leaves are used for steaming and wrapping various foods; these were stuffed with a combination of sticky rice, coconut milk, mashed taro and banana. Sort of like a riff on tamales…

all bundled up

This slim version was just sticky rice steamed with coconut milk.

plant food

Also new to me were these vibrant green shoots that unfurl from the coiled ho’i'o fernhead. They have a subtle flavor and somewhat slippery texture that is compared to both okra and asparagus.

ferns unfurling

I cooked them together with the pipinola shoots, some garlic and diced sweet Maui onion in a big skillet slicked with virgin coconut oil.

melting pot

The pipinola shoots were a bit stringy, but the ferns were incredible—silky and delicious. I made another batch on a different night, sauteed with some gingery black bean paste, and liked them even more on their own.

oyster mushrooms

A big bag of these oyster mushrooms (enough to feed 6) cost $10 and cooked to a meaty perfection in a combination of butter and olive oil, sprinkled generously with the local black salt. They were a great accompaniment to our tasty steaks, from the local cattle we saw grazing everywhere on the island’s gorgeous green grass.

purple sweet potatoes aka okinawa yam

These purple sweet potatoes are closer to garnet yams than Peruvian purple potatoes. Though pale on the outside, they are a deep antioxidant-rich shade inside, and perhaps the sweetest starchiest potato ever.

simply smashing

We ate ours mashed with copious amounts of butter and lots of lime juice, which made light pink swirls in the mix.

purple reigns

As a coarse finishing salt, we used the local black lava salt, a subtly smoky blend of sea salt and purified volcanic charcoal. The salt evaporates in above-ground pools that form naturally from lava flows and activated charcoal, a proven anti-toxin and digestive-tract palliative, is added for color as well as its detoxifying effects.

salt of the earth

We drank cocktails of coconut rum with coconut water and lime and, for dessert, treated ourselves to tapioca pudding made with coconut milk and raw cane sugar, served with chunks of lime-and-ginger-drenched pineapple. Maybe we should open a restaurant there…

Hawaii’s Big Island was full of impressively lush vistas like this one. For the first part of our stay, we were on a wonderful private ranch at the island’s northern tip, near Hawi. Horses, chickens and a sweet dog roamed the property where our group of six inhabited two separate bungalows. Ours had a hot tub and a resident spider (see below). There were avocado, mango, macadamia, guava and papaya trees and an organic vegetable garden. From our high bed we could look out over blooming violet jacarandas and golden-green meadows to the ocean in the distance. It was heavenly.

amazing arachnid

This impressive creature was like a sentry, always hanging around the door to our bungalow. Turns out he’s a relatively harmless Argiope Keyserlingi, commonly known as St. Andrew’s Cross Spider. He was a great introduction to the many new and interesting flora and fauna we encountered on this trip. In this post, I’m going to share lots of photos of these things. In another, I will tell you about my culinary experiences.

how green was my valley

Our first hike was down into Pololu Valley (the view from the top is seen in the first photo above), one of a series of deep valleys cut into the steep coastal cliffs around the Big Island. The weather reminded me a bit of Iceland, in that your are often moving through different micro-climates—now it’s foggy, now it’s drizzling, now it’s sunny and hot. As you can see, it was fairy-tale green with lots of moss, flowers and fruit-bearing trees.

in the pink

On this trek we came across these pink pepperberries (delicious to eat right off the tree), wild almonds (lots of work to extract) and Indian mulberries which, though quite nutritious, emit a forbidding stench (along the lines of Époisses) when ripe.

black beauty

At the base of the cliffs is a black sand beach covered with perfectly round and oval volcanic rocks in an intense palette of blacks, greys and deep reds. Again like Iceland, much of the island is covered with lava in varying states and degrees of decomposition.

old soul

On a different beach, we saw this enormous sea turtle looking very mellow and drowsy. There were lots of kids around, and surfers, and nobody paid this fellow much heed. I was mesmerized by his ancient looks, so prehistoric.

positively psychedelic

On our way back from the fabulous farmers market in Hilo, we stopped at the botanical gardens and wound our way through this amazing rain forest full of jaw-dropping exotic plants.

these orchids smelled strongly and sweetly of vanilla (which is a kind of orchid)

the massive root stock of the mule’s foot fern which has the largest fronds of any fern

these fiddleheads were enormous, almost a foot in diameter

the ferns were incredibly impressive and so beautiful

this bat plant is typical of the exotic flora

there were tons of different gingers, including this corrugated one

also many palms, including bananas (this flower is edible)

we were told that this flower blooms only once a year and lasts just 2 days

i spied her

Tons of these spiders were hanging off the eaves of the next house we stayed in. It was a big, 4-bedroom place on the east side of the island, again with a hot tub on the large wraparound porch and sweeping vistas down to the sea. At night, wild pigs rooted around on the lawn for grubs, and the scent of gardenias wafted through the cool air.

thar she blows

Another outing took us to Volcano National Park, where we hiked down through lush rain forest to this dry lunar terrain encrusted with cracked and buckling lava.

this should give you a little perspective on the enormity of the place

strangers in paradise

Perhaps my favorite journey was down into Waipi’o Valley, a stunning and pristine valley that was once the permanent residence of early Hawaiian kings. Later, it was populated by many taro farmers, but everything got wiped out by a tsunami in the ‘40s. Several decades later, a few people trickled back in and began farming taro again, but they live off the grid and it’s quite rustic and insular. Wild horses roam there, eating the ripe guavas that fall from the trees. It reminded me of a Hawaiian version of a “holler,” and the locals are similarly inhospitable.

road warriors

The valley floor at sea level is almost 2,000 ft below the surrounding terrain, and the road that leads down is so steep that it’s open only to 4-wheel-drive vehicles. It’s the steepest road of its length in the United States and possibly the world. Several large waterfalls fall into the valley to feed the river which flows from the foot of the largest falls at the back of the valley out to the ocean. The shore line is a black sand beach popular with surfers. Our legs wobbled on the way down, and screamed for mercy on the long, arduous hike back up. (Later, we read that, on a bet, Lance Armstrong biked up the hill in 9 minutes.)

The Big Island felt like Jurassic Park—an ancient, primal landscape, lush beyond all imagining. A place to be in awe of nature’s beauty and power, to feel the salt spray on your face, hear the call of birds and inhale the restorative air, fresh from so much green. It’s a trip I highly recommend.

Home again, home again. As much as I love to travel, sometimes I think coming home is the best part. Especially when the transition from balmy Hawaii to balmy New York is so smooth. (Minus the jet lag, of course.) Our trip to the Big Island was extraordinary, and I plan to tell you all about it, but I hit the ground running and have not yet had a chance to sort through all the photos, much less my thoughts. So that’s for next week. For now, a few glimpses of spring’s first signs—it’s arrived fast and furious in these parts—and links to some of my latest discoveries. I’m chomping at the bit to start foraging and have a long list of wild edibles I’m determined to find this season. By the way, I’ve missed you madly and realize all over again what a wonderful creative and social outlet this blog is for me.

the trillium are here

I’m excited to report that two trillium I planted last year have poked through the old pine needles and are making their gorgeously mottled green debut! I’ll definitely show you again once they’re further along.

not boring at all

The hellebores add a quiet drama to the garden early on, opening broad flat flowers in striking greens and purples. I plan to stock up on a bunch more this year as these are so pretty and reliable.

rhubarbarella!

The rhubarb is the first thing to spring up in the vegetable garden, although over-wintered scallions made it through and lovage, collards and anise hyssop are also making a tentative appearance.

wild thing

Garlic mustard (above) and nettles are just beginning to show in wet fields, and asparagus and Japanese knotweed won’t be far behind. I can’t wait to start feasting on the wild tastes of spring! A few of these soft garlic mustard leaves will add a sharp pungency to salads. I also like to make a pesto with it.

road food

I brought a bunch of these kale chips on vacation and they were devoured by our crew of ravenous volcano hikers. Although I like to make my own kale chips, I must admit these are super-crunchy and slathered with addictive nut and spice mixtures in flavors like spicy miso, Bombay ranch (insane) and sea salt and vinegar. New York magazine called them “Doritos for health nuts,” and they are not wrong. Order them here.

We drank oodles of coconut water when we were in Hawaii, and this is good stuff available here.

If these won’t inspire you to get into the garden, I don’t know what will. (You know I have a leather fetish.)

More ceramics porn. Have I mentioned how much I love stoneware??

Blog LOVE. Also this one, again. And this one, always.

Consider this for your next charitable donation.

I would dye for you. More on my latest obsession soon.

Marvel at these twin sisters and their rad embroidery skills.

Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo

I awoke very early this morning to a melodious cacophony right outside the bedroom window: scores of red-winged blackbirds! They migrate back at this time of year, arriving as spring’s heralds, their brilliant flashes of scarlet so striking against the recent snowfall. It was the perfect cap to an overflowing week that included a trip to the city and another to the Berkshires. Lots of driving, but the white wintry landscape was poetic after so many drab grey weeks. I got infusions of culture and nature in equal measure, including deeply satisfying snuggles with a few newborn lambs. What could be better?

a tall, cool drink

After a long and illuminating visit with my nutritionist (full details on that posting Monday), I took myself to lunch at Rouge Tomate. It’s an elegant modern restaurant with a very specific approach to food based on what they call Sanitas Per Escam (Health Through Food). Using only local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients, they source and prepare their food with a goal of “optimizing nutritional value by the synergy of product combination and menu diversity.” Bottom line? Delicious Michelin-approved food that is also really healthy. There’s an excellent juice bar with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and a menu of drinks both with and without booze. I had their take on an Arnold Palmer, made unsweetened with jasmine tea, rosemary-infused grapefruit juice, seltzer and mint.

palette for your palate

My lobster salad was perfectly proportioned, with a bit of creamy avocado, a demure swipe of sheep’s milk yogurt, a few pumpkin seeds and three different carrot preparations: shaved, crunchy raw; tender, toothsome sous-vide; and sweet succulent roasted. I relished every morsel and will be back for more. It’s a great uptown alternative to ABC Kitchen, and actually offers more options for health-conscious eaters.

oldham on girard at mother

That evening, I headed over to the mod yet homey headquarters of Mother for a presentation on Alexander Girard by Todd Oldham, who has recently published an impressive monograph on the stunningly prolific designer. I was very inspired, both by the scope and creativity of Girard’s work and by Oldham’s passion for— and dedication to—his subject.

view to a thrill

My three-hour drive to the Berkshires yesterday took place under gently falling snow, and the landscapes were breathtakingly beautiful. Stark branches like sculpture against the slate skies, pristine meadows with soft white coverlets. I got to shop at my all-time favorite market and have lunch at a lovely little café before heading to my business meeting.

ladies in waiting

Then I got to reconnect in the flesh with my old pal and meet her three scrumptious children who couldn’t have been friendlier or more interesting. We perched on stools in her cozy farmhouse kitchen sipping peach pit-&-fennel seed tea (the kids, too!), then went out to visit the animals. She has a wild assortment of chickens, with a few purebreds that have gotten together and created some crazy mixes!

just us chickens

They look like African shamans and punk rockers.

sweet as pie

If you’ve never had occasion to cuddle with a newborn lamb or goat, you must seek it out. It’s an instant stress-reducer. They seem fragile yet bursting with life. And the whole time you’ve got one in your arms, its mom is calling out anxiously, admonishing you to be careful and summoning baby back home. I treasure those few stolen moments more than she’ll ever know.