The Undiscovered Foodie

Pasta is widely thought of as a “comfort food”. Warm carbs that are often rich and filling….we sometimes think of it as a cheat dish or an indulgence of sorts. I myself, love pasta, but have come to realize how much it can vary in flavor based on where you are and, well— the sauce. Here in the US, jar sauce is frequently the “go to” for a quick and easy dinner. Sometimes, families will add fresh vegetables or meat to a ready made sauce. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with this (and I’ve done it myself!),  however, if you go to Italy, you will be hard pressed to find families dumping  sauce out of a container and into their pasta. Instead, fresh sauces are quickly prepared with good olive oil and tomatoes and the taste is elevated beyond proper description.  When I was visiting a friend in Reggio Emilia, Italy, many years ago, I was privileged enough to witness the preparation of a typical dish there called Pasta Pomodorini.  There are 3 things that really matter here.

  I woke up this morning, missing traveling in an aching way. When travel is a part of your work, you don’t consider it a “luxury”. It simply becomes your norm. Not to say that that takes away from the magic of stepping foot on new soil or tasting your first bite of a new culture…just to say that, it’s a part of life, not the one week of life that you work for all year. Sometimes, the first thoughts when I wake up are memories of faraway lands and images of other worlds. This morning, I was thinking of Kerala, India and one of the freshest meals I’ve ever eaten, straight out of the backwaters.   My father is from Thiruvananthapuram (try saying that, three times, fast!), Kerala and although I had visited there 4 times, it wasn’t until the 5th time that we all decided to take a house boat tour through the backwaters. The name “backwaters” doesn't really give you the full picture of the stunning beauty of this maze of rivers and lagoons, lined with palm trees, colorful homes and qua

  December 3, 2020 I was talking to a friend the other day about Las Vegas and all that there is to do/eat off of the strip. She mentioned that she has been to LV more than a handful of times and this information would be of interest to her. It turned out that her boyfriend was interested too. They wanted to know what “the locals” do. In that moment, Blog #12 was born. I am going to share with you, a few of the great restaurants, off of the strip, that I love (and are totally worth the $10-15 uber ride) as well as some hikes and other points of interest for my fellow, “I’ve been to Las Vegas a lot and need something new”,friends.  PLACES TO HIKE Red Rock Canyon. Red Rock is about a 45 minute drive from the strip and offers over 20 different hikes, ranging from easy to advanced in difficulty level. It’s desert beauty in all its glory and there is a stunning scenic loop for those who want to appreciate nature but can no longer partake in such activities. There is a fee to get in. R