Savory and Stylish Salmon Criollo at Villa Azteca in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Savory and Stylish Salmon Criollo at Villa Azteca in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

For my daughter Florence Paget’s birthday, my husband Laurent and I offered her a celebratory meal at Villa Azteca in downtown Salinas, California. 

We began our meal with guacamole salad – mashed avocado with red bell pepper squares and chopped cilantro mixed in. I like the black, volcanic stone dishes that the guacamole comes in. As we ate the guacamole, I admired the milagro (miracle) cross collection hung on the wall by the entryway. 

Florence and Laurent ordered steaks while I ordered a heart-healthy salmon dinner. 

The dish I ordered was called salmon criollo. This was broiled salmon that was served on a bed of stewed black beans with cubes of baked butternut squash strewn around it. Chipotle crema came with the salmon and two warmed soft corn tortillas. 

 A pickled radish slice and sliced jalapeño sat on top of the broiled salmon with its ashed crust of broiled skin. (Maybe a kitchen blow torch was used to make the skin this way.) 

I placed slices of salmon in one tortilla along with the black beans, jalapeño, and butternut squash along with some chipotle cream. I twisted the end over once so my salmon taco would not leak out the end. 

I just loved the flavor trio provided by the squash, beans, and maize (corn) that is indigenous to the American Southwest and Mexico. The salmon indigenous to the Pacific Northwest of the US is very good, too.  The salmon and the beans, squash, and maize together provide protein and other important nutrients like selenium for thyroid health, Vitamin C, and antioxidants that remove cancer causing free radicals.

I used the second tortilla to do practically the same combination but used the pickled radish slice in this taco. The pungent radish made the savory ingredients seem fresh rather than cooked and gave it the plus of providing a fermented food to the taco. 

I ate the remaining black beans, butternut squash, and salmon with equal gusto with the remaining chipotle cream. 

The salmon criollo was delicious and might appeal to diners trying to maintain weight without sacrificing flavor. 

Note: There is a garage nearby at the Steinbeck Center and street parking as available.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

The Kimpton Mirador Hotel in Pacific Grove, California is now open by Ruth Paget

The Kimpton Mirador Hotel in Pacific, Grove, California is now open!

This luxury destination is located in the center of a historic downtown with restaurants like The Spotted Duck French Restaurant located in the hotel, bakeries like longstanding Pavel’s, and the curated Grove Market offering many delectable goodies.  

The Museum of Natural History behind the hotel invites browsing with ocean views.  A nearby park and gazebo provide space for relaxed walks and poetry writing and journaling.  There are many flowers, trees, and hedges to identify for garden strolling.  (Safe, well-maintained parks should be a priority for all cities.  Some parks even provide picnic tables which diners and writers alike can use.)  The Kimpton has a courtyard as well for relaxing in the sun.

Asilomar Beach which runs along the rocky coastline that makes one think of Japan is three blocks downhill.  Brown pelicans, cormorants, seagulls, and great white egrets can all be seen flying here often in v-formation as they dive for fish as a group.  Photographers can take beautiful sunset photos from all vantage points along Asilomar Beach.

Pacific Grove is called Butterfly Town due the yearly migration of monarch butterflies that come to the town.  A monarch butterfly sanctuary and museum is located near the hotel .

Sometimes you can see seals sunning themselves on the rocks along Asilomar Beach to make walks true eco-tourism.

The nearby public library is a historic Carnegie library.  The town’s Chautauqua Hall hosts a quilt show every year.

The Kimpton Mirador website for more information follows: 

https://www.miradorhotelpacificgrove.com/

The Kimpton Mirador is part of the IHG Group and offers reward points for its loyalty program.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Watch for Ohlone Storytelling Festival in May 2027 by Ruth Paget

I was looking through my old articles in the Monterey County Weekly online archives from when I was a freelance writer for the paper and found a story I did on the Ohlone Storytelling Festival that usually takes place in May.

I looked up the festival for 2026, which took place on May 23rd.

For people interested in attending this event in May 2027, I have placed a link to the article I wrote below for information:

https://www.montereycountynow.com/archives/new/s/2003/jul/24/831-tales-from-the-area-code/sacred-stories-a-native-american-storytelling-festival-draws-tribal-tale-tellers-from-three-counties/article_17f26861-38cc-5b69-b21d-67f53a85c337.html

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

First Friday Art Fair in Salinas, California on June 5, 2026 by Ruth Paget

The First Friday Art Fair in Salinas, California featuring gallery walks, food, and music will take place on Friday, June 5, 2026 downtown.  There is street parking, a parking garage, and some lots.

Wear your tech med as you stroll to shape your legs and lungs into shape.

There are two farmers’ markets happening on Friday as well beginning in the afternoon and ending at 9 pm, if you want to make First Friday into a daylong outing. 

Salinas Valley Health Farmers’ Market 

11:30 am to 4 pm

Outdoor Market at the Rodeo in Salinas (Salinas Sports Complex)

4 pm to 9 pm

This market features produce as well as merchandise with music and entertainment.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

8 UChicago Art Exhibits Span Cultures, Race, and Ancient Lands Reposted by Ruth Paget

8 UChicago Art Exhibits Span Cultures, Race, and Ancient Lands reposted by Ruth Paget 

8 new exhibits at the University of Chicago span cultures, race, and ancient lands in spring and summer 2026. 

These exhibits include: 

-A Bestiary of Ancient Nubia 

April 16 – August 16 

-Beyond Boundaries: Three Decades of Contemporary Chinese Art at the Smart 

March 24 – July 5 

-Black Culture in Chicago 

April 17 – July 30 

-Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum 

March 24 – July 5 

-History on the Edges: Michel-Rolph Trouillet’s Caribbean 

April 20 – August 21 

-Mike Cloud and Nyeema Morgan: Story Structure Part 2 

April 7 – June 28 

-Sightlines, Ghosts, and Other Stories of the Impossible 

March 26 – July 25 

-2026 MFA Thesis Exhibit 

May 22 – June 7 

For more information about these exhibits and artists use the UChicago News link below: 

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/coming-campus-spring-check-out-these-exhibitions

A weekend of exhibits at the University of Chicago can bring you the experience of Chicago, the US, China, the Caribbean, and multiple viewpoints. 

Note: There are flights now between Monterey, California and Chicago, Illinois on United Airlines. 

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Mothers’ Day 2026 in Monterey County California by Ruth Paget

Mothers’ Day 2026 in Monterey County, California by Ruth Paget 

For Mother’s Day 2026, my family and I went to some of my favorite places in Monterey County with a lunch delivery from Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California. 

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence, and I started our day at Pebble Beach. I drank a Peerless organic coffee from The Market by the Lodge and enjoyed breathing in the misty Del Monte Forest air as we drove along 17-Mile Drive. 

At the beach, I did some bird watching. The brown pelicans were out flying in V-formation low over the water with some diving for fish. Black, long-necked cormorants fluttered past along with seagulls. White Great Egrets stalked frogs and stranded fish along the coast as well. I never tire of watching these birds that fly over crashing waves. 

After my communing with nature at the beach, we drove past deer nibbling grass on the golf course as we drove out to Highway 1 towards Carmel Valley Road. We drove past nurseries, vineyards, luxury hotels, horse ranches, upscale homes, and restaurants on the way to Carmel Valley Park. 

I did some forest bathing in the mountain air and soaking up sunshine in the warm park. I like the well-groomed ornamental trees outside the Carmel Valley History Museum and houses on the mountainsides that remind me of Japan for their designs that blend into the slopes. 

We drove over scenic Laureles Grade to Highway 68 east towards Salinas and past Corral de Tierra, site of John Steinbeck's collection of short stories entitled The Pastures of Heaven. 

At home, I ordered one of my favorite treat meals from Avatar Indian Grill – coconut curry vegetables with rice and naan bread. The vegetables were seasonal, organic ones from the Salinas Valley (onions, green peppers,  zucchini, carrots, and mushroom). I drank a Peroni Nastro Azzuro Italian lager beer with my meal and thought I had a nice, relaxed Mother’s Day. 

Florence and Laurent finished my already great day with gifts of two dozen pink roses and a Pebble Beach cheese and charcuterie board. 

I am thankful for my family and living in a community that has areas for nature walks, bird watching, forest bathing, and restaurants that serve delicious and healthy food. 

Note: Hikers may be interested in trying out several of the trails at Pebble Beach. The following guide below has steps noted on them as well: 

https://www.pebblebeach.com/insidepebblebeach/happy-trails-tips-to-hiking-the-del-monte-forest-in-pebble-beach/

Note: My family read this blog and forgot they also bought me a perfume - La Vie est Belle by Lancôme.   Jasmine is one of the ingredients along with orange flowers.  Mom is delighted.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

A Diet for the 21st Century: Mediterranean Style by Ruth Paget

A Diet for the 21st Century by Ruth Paget 

To adapt my diet to the needs of the 21st century, I read More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes – Endless Inspiration for Eating Well by America’s Test Kitchen based in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Two issues in particular have influenced the 21st century: 

-greater food insecurity even in the United States, which has historically exported food surplus 

-a world population that has almost doubled since I was a teenager 

For example, In 2025, 7.822 million women who are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding women, and young children need the services of Women, Infants, and Children according to to the USDA WICData Tables below (2025 is the latest data available):

https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program

Without WIC these individuals would be food insecure. 

I used the Macrotrends website for world population figures below: 

2025: 8.19 billion 

1979: 4.36 billion 

To use the Macrotrends website below, slide your finger along the chart to find years and population data:

https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/wld/world/population 

Higher population levels place a strain on existing food resources, which encourages the greater consumption of lower-priced vegetables. 

I happen to like vegetables, so I found many recipes to try at home and look for in restaurants and delicatessens in More Mediterranean. This cookbook also provides what they describe as vegetable-heavy fish and seafood dishes. I love fish and seafood, so I found these recipes appealing as well. 

America’s Test Kitchen describes the Mediterranean Diet as very desirable to follow for its health benefits:  

-wards off heart disease 

-encourages good gut health 

-promotes positive mental health 

-prevents Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer 

America’s Test Kitchen writes that the approach to following the Mediterranean Diet had changed from a pyramid approach to a plate approach. The Mediterranean Meal should look like the following: 

-1/2 plate vegetables and fruits 

-roughly ¼ plate whole grains (3/8 plate)

-roughly ¼ plate protein (1/8 plate)

Vegetarian protein combinations take on more of a significance here with seed and grain and pulse (lentils for example) and grain combinations augmenting the protein on the plate. 

My family also uses 00 flour to make bread. This flour traditionally used in Neapolitan pizza dough has a high protein content by itself that can augment the protein content of a meal with smaller portions of meat.  

Another reason I like the More Mediterranean cookbook is its inclusion of recipes from Mediterranean Africa and the Middle East in addition to Mediterranean Europe. 

The spice blends from these regions all by themselves would probably be good with buttered pasta, buttered rice, and baked potatoes with sour cream and butter. 

Several of the recipes I would try or buy at a delicatessen include: 

-beet salad with spiced yogurt and watercress 

-parsley – cucumber salad with feta cheese, pomegranate, and walnuts

-horiatiki Greek village salad with chopped vegetables, oregano, and feta cheese 

People who already like going to farmers’ markets will find much to like in More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes – Endless Inspiration for Eating Well by America’s Test Kitchen. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games