Let me share my adventures and stories in hopes to inspire you.

Why choose Modena? Italy has wide variety of towns, villages, and cities to suit your needs. When Scot and I decided to visit the region of Emelia-Romagna, we narrowed down the cities that we wanted to spend most of our time Bologna, Modena and Rimini where our top three choices. (You can read about Bologna […]

I love beans in my chili. I admit it, just don’t tell any one in Texas. However, I think my neighbors will give me a pass if it isn’t beef chili, so I am going to go with that theory. I have been making this recipe for more years than I can remember. Playing with […]

Why pickle brine? Have you ever tasted a chicken sandwich and thought to yourself, “What makes this so tasty and tender”? The answer is almost always because it was brined. I love a good buttermilk brine ala fried chicken but for a quick brine to create that tender flavor, it is pickle juice. My family […]

I love the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” and all of the references to football, especially the Philadelphia Eagles. In the movie the mother says she is going to make crabby snacks and home mades. I have no idea what the heck those are, do you? I decided to make my version of a Philly Cheesesteak […]

Everyone loves a dip What is it about a chip and dip situation that makes everyone happy? Is it the saltiness of the chip of the combo of the creaminess of the dip with the crunch of the chip? I honestly love it all! I am a huge Seinfeld fan. Of all of the quotes […]

Put on your walking shoes and your eating pants I have found a fantastic way to get to know a new city in three to four hours. I’m sure it will be no surprise to you that it centers around food! Recently, I have started taking food tours when I arrive in a city. I […]

Should they stay or should they go Recently, I was cleaning out my pantry and it got me thinking. A lot of people do their big cleaning in the spring or fall but January is my time for a good refresh.  I have a huge collection of cookbooks. Before moving from MA to TX, I […]

New year but the same ol’ me I am not one who loves to make New Year’s resolutions. I’ve done so in the past and when I have failed at them, I feel like I let myself and possibly others down. Why set myself up for failure, right?  Word of the year For the last […]

If you want to learn how to make pasta, Modena is the place to go! I have tried to make pasta numerous times. I have gone so far as to invest in a pasta roller and cutter attachments for my KitchenAid mixer. Every time I tried to make pasta it had been an epic fail. […]

Give me all of the background Rimini, Italy is a very well known beach resort on the Adriatic Sea in north east part of Italy. It is located in the Emilia-Romagna region, and is the capital city of the Province of a Rimini. It is approximately an hour and 20 minute drive south east of […]