USA

Summer Solstice Strawberry Moon

by

moon rising in the sky

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love taking pictures of the tops of trees touching the sky.  Especially at dusk as the moon rises. It might be my favorite time of day. Maybe because I was born at night.

This past week I watched the moon becoming more full and tonight it’s the full strawberry moon.

It’s also summer solstice. The longest day of the year and the first day of summer! The first time that the two have coincided since 1967, the Summer of Love. Back then it was a time filled with chaos and change.

Based on the horrific and tragic event last week at Pulse and the looming Democratic and Republican conventions, it looks like we might be in for another long hot summer. I hope that as a nation we can do better than 1967 — heal and move towards light and love.

Save

Another Boston Romance

by

Alfresco_dining_Boston

My love for Boston has returned. Not that I ever stopped loving it. But the winter makes it hard to remember that loving feeling. That special love for Boston feeling.

Like when I’ve been away on a trip. I’m on a plane and we start circling Logan and descend back into the city. No matter where I’m coming from or how much I enjoyed my trip, I am thrilled to be home. I see Boston with fresh eyes and get that loving feeling.

Each year when the warm weather returns, the city wakes up and blooms. When I was walking outside yesterday, I looked down an alley that would be very easy to miss. I saw this outdoor seating area. Empty, but waiting for people to arrive.

Imagine all the future people in this space over the next few months. Mixing and mingling. Talking. Eating. Laughing. Remembering. Maybe even falling in love.

It made me think about all the restaurants and cafes around the Boston area that have set up their outdoor seating for the season.

Then this morning, I found a listing on Eater Boston with 120+ patios officially open for 2016. They made the list, so I don’t  have to. It’s a great resource for the season. Whether you’re an area local or a tourist visiting. I’m looking forward to going to a few of these places. Hopefully you will too!

The Book List: A Belle Époque for African-American Cooking

by

The Up South Cookbook by Nicole A. Taylor

Yesterday I compiled a summary list with links for the restaurants mentioned in the New York Time’s article, A Belle Époque for African-American Cooking. Now for the book list!

I figured I might as well summarize the book list too. The list below has the names of each book mentioned in the article, along with the authors’ names and links to their websites.

+ + +

The Up South Cookbook (Nicole A. Taylor)

Hog and Hominy: Soul Food From Africa to America (Frederick Douglass Opie)

High on the Hog (Jessica B. Harris)

Senegal (Pierre Thiam)

The Jemima Code (Toni Tipton-Martin)

Afro-Vegan (Bryant Terry)

 

* * *
Screenshot: Amazon

The Restaurant List: A Belle Époque for African-American Cooking

by


A few months ago, when I read the New York Times article on African-American cooking, by Jeff Gordinier, it was a welcome surprise. Yet, it was a great disappointment as well, because there are no links to each restaurant nor the books listed in the article. Nor is there a summary list, which would be nice to refer to later.

Much like the “Big List“ of free yoga classes in Boston that I created, since it’s a list that I want that nobody else has put together, at least that I know of, maybe I need to do it for myself. So I am creating another list for myself again. But of course, I want to share it with you too!

Below is a list with links to each restaurant named in the article and the locations by city and state. For those of us living in these areas or planning to travel to them, this restaurant list may help us to find some great places to eat.

Hopefully many of us will get a chance to try these restaurants. Happy eating!

+ + +

Salare  (Seattle, WA)

Brown Sugar Kitchen  (Oakland, CA)

1300 on Fillmore (San Francisco, CA)

FarmerBrown (San Francisco, CA)

Willie Jane (Venice, CA)

Post & Beam (Los Angeles, CA)

The Cecil (Harlem, NY)

Minton’s (Harlem, NY)

The Grey (Savannah, GA)

The Fat Ham (Philadelphia, PA)

Sbraga & Company (Jacksonville, FL)

Chef Benjamin Dennis (Charleston, SC)

Husk  (Nashville, TN)

+ + +
Photo by Rajesh TP from Pexels