I am sitting in a colorful little cafe in Bogotá's trendy Zona G. Outside a steady rain is falling. Bogotá is a mountainous city with chilly air and frequent showers. Much like in Britain, it’s wise to always have an umbrella in hand (or purse). Today,...
Two Sundays ago, the first Sunday Suppers communal dinner party in Chile, and South America, was born. Thirty people came together between guests and organizers in an evening celebrating local end-of-winter produce, food artisans, and a few of Chile’s...
I am on a twisting country road high on an Andean plateau. We appear to be on a road to nowhere as we careen towards the jagged outline of the Andes. We zip through patchwork fields where only an occasional shepherd herds a flock of sheep or alpacas. We...
Flour, yeast, water, salt. Plus time and temperature. Those are the ingredients to make good bread. It is simple--but not easy to make. Not without a lot of practice, and patience. That’s why baking bread is a craft. To be honest, it’s a realm of the...
I am standing in an ancient forest with a tree canopy so tall it masks the sun. The trees reach high into the heavens above me. I am surrounded by the cold “jungle”, the selva valdiviana, a dense rainforest in the south of Chile. I survey my...
The word artisan is born from the Latin verb, artire, which defines an artisan as a worker, in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand. The mention of an artisan immediately conjures up visions of a craftsman sitting quietly...
Quite often, people ask what my cooking style is. Today, I can define it in one word. Elemental. It’s simple, flavor-forward, and most often centered around seasonal local produce. I love dishes with only a handful of ingredients (or...
While most of the year we plan made-to-measure, private travel, our Signature Journeys (small group trips) are very near and dear to my heart. Perhaps it’s because I get to play hostess during part of each one, and meet so many of you. Signature...
Last week I turned 42. I finally feel I can really celebrate what it means to be "40” (well, now 40-something). When I turned 40, two years ago, I hardly recognized it. I was navigating extremely choppy seas with a newborn (second) baby and...
I recently had a friend visit me in Santiago. One night, we sat down for a chat over a glass of wine while she was editing photos. I was curious to see how she was capturing the city in images. To my surprise, Santiago was almost unrecognizable. Sure, there were the...
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