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perfect sous vide steak

The Perfect Sous Vide Steak

tomato tart with spinach and ricotta

Tomato Tart with Spinach and Ricotta

blood orange polenta cake

Blood Orange Polenta Cake (Gluten Free Cake)

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11.03.2021

Phew, It’s Been Awhile: Sao Paulo Edition

Our new apartment in Sao Paulo, where I’ve brought together relics and art from our world travels (in the foreground is a re-stretched painting that I bought from a Tunisian artist, who said that this is what he sees when he looks at the crystal blue ocean that surrounds his town).

I just realized that it’s been more than a year since I updated my blog.  That wasn’t intentional.  I meant to keep writing.  I meant to keep taking photos, developing delicious recipes inspired by our travels, and generally chronicling our life.  But, to be quite honest, doing it during the pandemic felt heavy. I felt uncertain about the state of the world.  I was really overwhelmed trying to manage virtual schooling for our elementary-aged kids (even from the position of privilege I occupy).  We renovated our house in Virginia (again), which also ended up being more time-consuming than I expected, what with supply chain delays and soaring demand in our area for good contractors.  I wanted more time to host friends on our newly-built backyard patio in furtive little outdoor groups.  There was never enough time.

And then — and then, a year after we arrived in Virginia — we packed everything up yet again and moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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travel by grits and chopsticks
sausage in bangkok

09.22.2019

The 5 Best Ways to Explore Bangkok

Today's post is all about the five best ways to explore Bangkok after we went on a short visit there in the spring.  Click through to see! read more

costa brava spain

03.04.2019

5 Reasons to Visit Costa Brava, Spain

Last fall we visited Costa Brava, Spain, just over the border from France, and we were enchanted by its serene, picturesque villages and gorgeous read more

eats and cooking tips by grits and chopsticks
rustic affordable table setting

11.29.2018

Thank-Full (And How to Set a Beautiful Holiday Table)

This post contains affiliate links, which support the operation of this blog. This year we hosted a record number of Thanksgiving dinner in our London flat — 22 adults and 18 children! My head spins at how we actually pulled it off, but my heart is oh-so-full. This life that the hubby and I have…

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french salad

08.18.2019

Cookbook Club Ch. 11: The Little Paris Kitchen

Our London Cookbook Club met over the summer to share dishes from Rachel Khoo’s The Little Paris Kitchen. Click through to see photos from the potluck where our members brought gorgeous dishes made from this cookbook!

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goldendoodle puppy with owner

10.02.2020

I’m Back: A Covid-19 Life Update

Why, hello. It’s been a long time. I bet you thought I’d completely abandoned this little side hustle of mine, didn’t you? Welp, I didn’t forget. Food blogging and all of the work that comes with it (taking photos, testing recipes, coming up with riveting stories like how I picked the hardware that lives on…

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East Meets South in London. I share tips about food, travel and home life inspired by where I'm from, the places I go, and what I eat.

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  • He will never forgive me from being away except that he already forgave me. #dogslife
  • Carnaval in Brazil normally coincides with Mardi Gras, but that is where the similarities end. This year, due to COVID, the blocos (street parties) were canceled but the desfile (parade) was postponed until the end of April. At the time, I didn’t understand how you could cancel one but not the other, but what I also didn’t appreciate is how much time and money goes into the desfile. The desfile is actually a competition. In São Paulo, the competition is held in the purpose-built sambodromo, a stadium built specifically to house spectators and allow the parades to happen. The competitors
  • Rio de Janeiro is every bit as beautiful as they say. This was the view on top of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) the afternoon we went, one glorious sunny day back in May. If you live in São Paulo, you get used to seeing the name “Pão de Açúcar” because it’s also the name of a chain of grocery stores. Ergo, no one in my family could resist making jokes The. Entire. Time. we were up on this mountain. M: “Mom, I’m going to go check out this view in the produce aisle.” B: “Why did we come all
  • How can it have been so long since my last Insta post? Life in São Paulo has been hectic, I suppose! Here’s our hero shot from our trip to Machu Picchu back in April. We enjoyed a gorgeous morning there. With fewer crowds than pre-pandemic, we had a few uninterrupted vistas and quiet moments to catch our breaths (which were definitely labored given the altitude). Just like Halloween, my visit to Machu Picchu as a parent was drastically different than my experience as a 21 year old. But I’d gladly trade my fresh legs and tireless energy from back in
  • For our kids, overseas life is all they really know. And it’s wonderful in so many indescribable ways. They’re adaptable, empathetic, and curious. I love that about them. As a parent, though, I am constantly wondering if we’re doing it right. Whether the tears about missing family and friends are worth it. If what they’re getting overseas is truly equal to or better than what we’d have if we just stayed put in one place. And boy, when you throw in those pandemic feelings, about yanking them this way and that during a time when the messaging was to stay
  • Peru, Day 6: from roasted cuy (guinea pig) to the ruins of Ollyantaytambo. I gotta say, there’s rarely a meal that I don’t like when I’m eating it. But cuy? Yeah… it’s stringy, gamey and has the faintest after taste of childhood. I’m not feeling great about eating a distant relative of Socks, my 4th grade class pet. I’ve added it to the list of topics for my therapist to help me sort out. But the ruins of Ollyantaytambo and the villages dotting the Sacred Valley? They were ::chef’s kiss:: ‍ . . . #cusco #travelblogger #foodblogger #ollyantaytambo #instapassport #travelgram

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