The Western Stage in Salinas, California announces upcoming 2025 - 2026 Plays. Click below for information and tickets:
Western Stage 2025 - 2026 Upcoming Shows
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Western Stage Announces Upcoming 2025 - 2026 Plays Posted by Ruth Paget
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Sticky Buns and Vegetable Frittatas at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget
Sticky Buns and Frittatas at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget
When my daughter Florence Paget and I went to the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach (Califoria) a few days ago, we were in a rush, because it was late morning and the cinnamon sticky buns might be sold out. (Oh no!)
The Gallery Café is an American diner that serves freshly baked, very large cinnamon rolls that can easily feed three people. Florence and I shared one. The sticky bun arrived so warm you could smell the cinnamon and sugar seasoning.
Warm, liquid powdered sugar frosting was poured over it at the table and settled in little pools around the sticky bun for dipping. That was a delicious appetizer.
While waiting for our main course, I sipped a hot chai latte, a Central Asian tea drink that can be flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove, pepper, and/or nutmeg. The chai arrived with a frothy layer of steamed milk on top that was sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. In California, chai is now a standard beverage offered like Italian coffee drinks. I like tea that reminds me of hot chocolate.
My brunch order was a vegetable frittata, a baked Italian omelet. Delicious, organic vegetables from the Salinas Valley really make this dish shine. The frittata was full of bite-sized green asparagus, sautéed spinach, shallots, and mushrooms. The frittata was topped off with slices of ripe tomato, goat cheese (Is this made in Pebble Beach? They have goat herds.), and velvety smoked salmon with snipped chives.
This beautiful dish was served with a generous bowl of fresh fruit – strawberry halves, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe slices, honeydew melon slices, and pineapple wedges. The fruit was so sweet it needed no sugar.
We sat outside for fresh air and had a great view of the golf course and ocean.
The Gallery Café is located between the Pebble Beach Market opposite the Lodge and the Tap Room and Bench’s temporary location.
For a pleasant and delicious brunch or breakfast, The Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California is a nice place to relax, especially if you are driving along 17-Mile Drive.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, July 18, 2025
Santa Cruz Weekly carried my review of the Images of the Virgin Exhibit by Ruth Paget
Thank you Santa Cruz Weekly for carrying my review of the Images of the Virgin exhibit organized by Dr. Jennifer Colby about the Black Madonna in various religions.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Keto Chaffles (Cheese Waffles) Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Keto Chaffles (Cheese Waffles) Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Even if you do not diet, the Sweet and Savory Keto Chaffles: 75 Delicious Treats for Your Low-Carb Diet by Martina Slajerova about cheese waffles makes excellent use of organic Monterey County agricultural products and those of California in general.
Low-fat mozzarella cheese is used in both sweet and savory waffles. Other cheese varieties that can be used in savory cheese waffles include mild to mature cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss cheese, Emmenthal, goat cheese or sheep cheese.
For savory waffles, Slajerova suggests making two homemade raw Italian sauces – marinara and pesto. Both of these sauces can be kept in the refrigerator for several days as well as the cheese waffles.
-For the marinara sauce, you will need to blend cherry tomatoes, basil, shallot or onion, tomato purée, olive oil, salt, and pepper together.
-For the pesto sauce, you will need to blend basil; macadamia, blanched almonds or sunflower seeds, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese together.
-For the chaffle batter, you need to blend eggs; mozzarella or grated cheddar or hard cheese of choice; almond or coconut flour, and baking powder together before cooking.
Just these three recipes are worth the price of the book, especially if you add poached or fried eggs on top of the chaffle with some sauce poured on it.
There are some other delicious recipes for savory cheese waffles that I have noted below:
-salmon and cream cheese chaffles
-eggs royale with smoked salmon and Hollandaise sauce
-Quatro formaggi pizza chaffles with marinara sauce and a mix of Parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola and maybe goat cheese that is run under the broiler
-spanakopita chaffles made with frozen spinach and feta cheese
-rosemary and olive focaccia chaffle made with chopped black or green olives
If you are looking for a way to make organic ingredients shine, there are many good recipes for doing this in Sweet and Savory Keto Chaffles by Martina Slajerova.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Bookhype.com is carrying my first edition books by Ruth Paget
Thank you bookhype.com for carrying my first edition books including More Leisure than Money: Tales of a Navy Wife in Virginia.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Operation We Are Here Resources for Miltary Spouses has included my Virginia book on their booklist by Ruth Paget
Thank you Operation We Are Here.com for including my book More Leisure than Money: Tales of a Navy Wife in Virginia on your list of resource books for military spouses.
This book is also sold as Virginia Mom.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Salinas (California) Go-To Summer Picnic by Ruth Paget
Salinas (California) Go-To Summer Picnic by Ruth Paget
I like the store-bought picnics I can put together with little trouble in Salinas, California.
The following meal makes like my little town very much:
-cooked seasoned back ribs – less than $18 as of 6-16-2025 at Costco (locations in Salinas and Sand City by Seaside)
-Diet Pepsi – we get 24-packs at Costco
-cleaned, cubed, and fresh watermelon and strawberries from Whole Foods – Whole Foods is located in the Del Monte Center Shopping Mall in Monterey. You can get there via Highway 68 or take Blanco Road to Reservation Road (right) to Imjin Parkway (immediate left) to Highway 1 (Soledad and Munras exit)
-blueberry streusel banana muffins – from Costco
If you need a place to park and eat, Toro Park is located off Highway 68 as is Jack’s Peak Park across from the airport.
With a little organization, it is easy to picnic in Steinbeck Country in Salinas, California.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Alibris.com is carrying my book by Ruth Paget
Thank you Alibris.com for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
The ALA Store (American Library Association) is selling a book I have chapters in by Ruth Paget
Thank you ALA Store (American Library Association) for carrying the Librarian’s Handbook. I have chapters on restaurant reviewing and online columns in it.
(I used to write The Global Librarian column for the Special Library Association of the Bay Area when I was in graduate school at San Jose State University.)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saxo.com in Denmark is carrying my book by Ruth Paget
Thank you Saco.com in Denmark for carrying my first edition of Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sesame Beef and Broccoli at Saigon Noodles in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Sesame Beef and Broccoli at Saigon Noodles in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
When I lived in downtown Chicago (Illinois) after I graduated from the University of Chicago, I ate sesame beef with broccoli at Chinese restaurants like Szechuan House and House of Hunan and felt like an empress doing so while working at my entry-level job in sales.
Later when I lived in Wisconsin, I bought a wok at a garage sale and restored it. I made broccoli beef myself to cook my own empress meals.
In my new town of Salinas, California, I tried sesame beef and broccoli at one of our local Vietnamese restaurants, Saigon Noodles, located on North Main Street by Grocery Outlet.
The Vietnamese stir-fry shallots in peanut oil and add in the beef with soy sauce and oyster sauce. The hot beef is finished with drizzles of sesame oil and sprigs of cilantro. The beef sauce is thick but not cloudy from the addition of cornstarch.
Many Chinese restaurants add cornstarch to stir-fry dishes at the end of cooking to add a glistening sheen to meat and vegetables. I think cornstarch “slurries” add calories and dull flavors a bit.
Fortunately, the stir-fry beef sauce at Saigon Noodles is savory, salty, and clear of cornstarch. I dipped my rice and steamed broccoli that came with my meal in the sauce and loved the rich flavor.
Saigon Noodles also offers this dish with chicken.
For a regal treat, I highly recommend the sesame beef with steamed broccoli and rice from Saigon Noodles in Salinas, California.
By Ruth Paget, Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Seafood Sizzling Rice Bowl at Korea House in Seaside, California by Ruth Paget
Seafood Sizzling Rice Bowl at Korea House in Seaside, California by Ruth Paget
On my last visit to Korea House in Seaside, California with my daughter Florence Paget, we ordered shrimp tempura as our appetizer. The tempura arrived warm with delicious panko breadcrumb crust.
Florence ordered dak gui, Korean grilled chicken with soy chile sauce, while I ordered seafood dol sot bimibap, a sizzling rice bowl with seafood and egg.
The seafood dol sot bimibap came with octopus, shrimp, mussels, squid, zucchini, and eggplant and a fried egg on top of it all. You are supposed to mix everything together to evenly spread the spicy gochujang sauce in it.
Gochujang sauce is made with red chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Red chili powder contains Vitamin C, an antioxidant, which removes free radicals that can cause cancer from the body.
My food was hot and deliciously spicy. At the end, I ate the crispy rice that had baked on the sides and bottom of the stone bowl the dol sot bimibap was heated in. I love this Korean dish, which you can also eat with bulgogi, Korean BBQ beef.
I drank lemonade with my meal, but barley tea is the more traditional beverage.
For a pleasant afternoon lunch with some perky and exotic food, I highly recommend Korea House in Seaside, California.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Glass Noodle Soup Packed with Seafood and Meat at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Glass Noodle Soup with Seafood and Meat at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
The glass noodle soup with seafood and meat at Chopstix Restaurant in Salinas, California located at the Northridge Mall on North Main Street tastes great and is also a great value for the amount of seafood and meat in it.
Shrimp and squid along with sliced pork and beef and pulled chicken breast sit atop a large mound of glass noodles made from mung bean starch in the delivery bowls. To this diners can add Thai basil leaves, jalapeño peppers, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and bean sprouts.
Finally, diners pour on shrimp broth that tastes like it has been made with shrimp shells that are discarded after the broth has reduced and the shrimp flavor concentrates.
The lemony shrimp broth is the constant flavor for all the different flavors and textures in the soup. This soup is a wonderful recharge in the middle of the day.
The clear glass noodles made from mung bean starch surprisingly contain some calcium and iron. Iron helps transport oxygen throughout the body, and calcium is used to help build bones. The mung beans are flavorless and take on the shrimp flavor of the broth while adding nutritional value.
The Vietnamese name for this delicious soup is Hu Tien Tim Thit, which I will learn for international flair.
This value packed glass noodle soup with seafood and meat is a great deal at Chopstix Restaurant in Salinas, California.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Monday, July 14, 2025
Education tutors for summer and school year posted by Ruth Paget
Education tutoring services - one local and tw others offering online instruction:
Sylvain Learning in Salinas, California
Mathnasium Tutoring Services in Monterey
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Bol.com of the Netherlands and Belgium is carrying two of my books posted by Ruth Paget
Thank you Bol.com of the Netherlands and Belgium for carrying two of my chapbooks about Asia - China Hand and Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Reliably Fresh Turkey-Provolone Subs from Jersey Mike's in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Reliably Fresh Turkey-Provolone Subs from Jersey Mike’s in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
I like reliable, no-surprises, fresh, and delicious turkey-provolone submarine sandwiches from Jersey Mike’s in Salinas, California located in the Northridge Mall on North Main Street.
The submarine sandwich, or sub, gets its name from the poofy, soft bread that the sandwich is made from that looks like a sub. My daughter Florence Paget and I share a “giant” sub when we order. It comes cut in four sections.
The turkey tastes as if it is roasted in-house, because it does not have a sour taste from preservatives. Provolone cheese is often bland, but Jersey Mike’s has a pronounced dairy flavor, which I like.
The sub comes with crispy, chopped romaine lettuce, sliced juicy tomatoes, lots of sour dill pickles, and creamy mayonnaise. When you do a basic turkey-provolone sub right, it is delicious and will fill you up for four or five hours.
To go along with your sub, Jersey Mike’s sells nice and salty Lay’s potato chips. I really like chips and think the turkey-provolone sub with chips is perfect for watching sporting events.
So, does Jersey Mike’s. They are sponsors of the National Football League and the National Hockey League. For a headache-free game day party, Jersey Mike’s subs from the Northridge Mall in Salinas, California might be a heart-healthy option as well.
(Note: There is also a Jersey Mike’s in the Gilroy Outlet Mall by Barnes and Noble.)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, July 12, 2025
My chapters on blogging and restaurant reviewing are in The Librarian’s Handbook by Ruth Paget
My chapters on blogging and restaurant reviewing are in The Librarian’s Handbook sold by Barnes and Noble.
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Moai Lifestyle from Okinawa, Japan Explained reposted by Ruth Paget
I like this explanation of the Moai Lifestyle from Okinawa, Japan that is part of the Blue Zones Healthy Lifestyle Program. (Salinas, California where I live is a Blue Zones community.)
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
My article on the Art of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia on Yshoo by Ruth Paget
My article on Art of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia on Yahoo:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Images of the Virgin Exhibit Review by Ruth Paget in Metro Silicon Valley
I like this review I did of the Images of the Virgin Exhibit that appeared in Metro Silicon Valley. Article below;
Images of the Virgin Exhibit Review
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thank you National University of Singapore for adding my Virginia book to your collection by Ruth Paget
Thank you National University of Singapore Library for adding my book about Virginia - More Leisure than Money - to your collection.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, July 11, 2025
Thank you Loot South Africa for carrying my book by Ruth Paget
Thank you Loot Company South Africa (ZA) for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Better World Books is carrying Eating Soup with Chopsticks and my chapbooks posted by Ruth Paget
Thank you Better World Books for my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks and several of my chapbooks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Abe Books is selling my books China Hand and Eating Soup with Chopsticks by Ruth Paget
Thank you Abe Books for carrying my first edition books - China Hand )Revised book title - Teen in China) and Eating Soup with Chopsticks.about being an exchange student in Japan.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
H & R Block Online Tax Preparation Course posted by Ruth Paget
H & R Block Online Tax Preparation Course Information flows:
H & R Block Tax Preparation Information
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Barnes & Noble is carrying my chapbook The Edible Tao by Ruth Paget
Thank you Barnes & Noble for carrying my chapbook food memoir The Edible Tao: Munching my Way Toward Enlightenment that highlights many ethnic restaurants in Seaside and Marina, California.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
UChicago Online AI Courses posted by Ruth Paget
University of Chicago Online AI Courses and other Management Subjects Offered this Summer:
UChicago AI and Management Courses
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Ninja Storm Companion Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Ninja Storm Companion Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
The companion cookbook for the Ninja Storm blender/food processor combination set with blades that can crush ice has several recipes that Salinas and Monterey County California residents can easily make with local agricultural products.
The cookbook’s official name is Ninja Storm: 50 Quick and Easy Recipes. The following recipes from the cookbook make great use of Salinas and Monterey County California’s agricultural products:
-Apple-Chicken Sausage – This recipe is worth the price of the cookbook. I have eaten Aidells link apple-chicken sausage for decades, but this recipe for handmade patties is easy to make as well. This recipe calls for olive oil, seasonings, thigh chicken meat cubes, and apple slices mixed in the blender.
The apples add fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants that remove free radicals that can cause cancer from the body to the chicken. The apples also stretch the meat to make it feed more people. For a lighter sausage, you can replace the thigh meat with white breast meat for frying.
-Fresh Vegetable Fritatta – a frittata is an Italian baked omelet made here with broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, and eggs that is blended and then poured into a baking dish with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
-Spinach Feta Strata – cubes of day old bread are placed in a casserole dish with a mixture of eggs, feta cheese, and thawed frozen spinach poured on top of the cubes. The strata stays in the refrigerator overnight so the bread cubes can fully absorb the egg mixture before baking the next day.
-Broccoli – Cheddar Soup which is mixed in the blender
-Tomato – Basil Soup which can also be used as a sauce. This recipe calls for canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and fresh basil.
-Cucumber feta dip made with red onion and lemon juice and used as a dip for carrot, celery, and bell pepper sticks
-Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip made with thawed frozen spinach, canned artichokes, sour cream, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese that is baked.
-Blueberry Antioxidant Sorbet made with frozen blueberries and apricot nectar.
-Peach (or Strawberry) Ice Cream made with frozen peach slices, lime juice, sugar, and low fat milk mixed in the Ninja Storm.
All good recipes!
The Ninja Storm: 50 Quick and Easy Recipes cookbook contains many easy, healthy, and delicious recipes that highlight produce.
Residents in Salinas and Monterey County will find great use for the region's organic produce in this cookbook including recipes for smoothies, frozen drinks, hummus, ranch dressing, and sauces.
(Note: Salinas and Monterey County are practically self-sufficient in food.)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Coursera Forex Trading Courses posted by Ruth Paget
Forex Trading (Foreign Exchange Trading) courses offered by Coursera. Information below:
Coursera Forex Trading Courses
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Coursera App Development Courses reposted by Ruth Paget
Coursera App Development Courses that may be of interest:
Coursera App Development Courses
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, July 5, 2025
AI Courses offered by Coursera reposted by Ruth Paget
AI courses offered by Coursera follow:
AI Courses Offered by Coursera
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Always Great Pizza at Gino's in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Always Great Pizza at Gino’s in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
My go-to pizza place in Salinas, California is Gino’s located between Wise Music and Nob Hill Supermarket on Main Street (Highway 68).
For the 4th of July holiday, this is the pizza my daughter Florence Paget and I have been ordering to go along with mangonadas and sundaes from Baskin-Robbins:
-sweet pepperoni flavored with red pepper that tastes like sweet paprika from Hungary
-chopped onion that is sweet like Vidalia onions from Georgia
-beefy-tasting wild mushroom slices that be locally sourced from the mountains around Monterey County
-melted but not stringy tangy tasting mozzarella di bufala chesse from the Campania region around Naples, Italy
-sweet tomato-basil sauce to tie everything together
-firm crust baked to a caramel brown made from 00 pizza flour that was like a soft German pretzel
Pizza like this one from Gino’s in Salinas, California sets a standard for artisanal pizza.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Hamilton Musical Download for 4th of July posted by Ruth Paget
Hamilton the musical is 4th of July fare!
Hamilton Musical Download Site
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Carnitas Taco Salad at Taquitos in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Carnitas Taco Salad at Taquitos in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
The rodeo is coming to Salinas, California the second week of July, so my daughter Florence Paget and I went to lunch at Taquitos, which is right across from the Salinas Sports Complex where the rodeo takes place on Main Street.
I ate a Mexican-American classic taco salad, which came with a choice of proteins. I opted for carnitas, roast pork that is cooked with bitter Seville orange juice and the rinds. The Seville orange juice tenderizes the meat and seems to rid the meat of greasy liquid.
At Taquitos, they place the carnitas chunks in the bottom of a large salad bowl, spread on a thin layer of refried beans, place a thick layer of crunchy and sliced iceberg lettuce on top of the beans, and finish it off with grated Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.
On the very top of the salad, Taquitos uses sour cream, juicy chopped tomatoes, and guacamole salad as dressings. The guacamole is also a salad made with chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Crispy, homemade tortilla chips were stuck in the various sauces. I have to admit, I love guacamole salad dressing.
I ate a third of the salad and made two more meals out of the leftovers at home.
Diners who like roast pork might enjoy carnitas in this salad or alone as a tasty introduction to Hispanic cuisine.
(Note: Taquitos is open for breakfast, lunch, and supper.)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Vegetable Simple Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Vegetable Simple Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Michelin star chef Eric Ripert writes in his introduction to Vegetable Simple that vegetables have become more important to him for three main reasons:
-he eats more vegetables as he has aged
-he serves vegetable buffet dinners to his friends for entertaining on weekends
-he opened a wine bar with a vegetable-centered menu next to his Michelin-starred restaurant
All of these reasons prompted me to carefully read the easy if you have great vegetables recipes to put together a French buffet dinner:
Most of the following dishes can be made ahead of time and served cold or room temperature with the exception of the baked mushrooms, which can be placed in the oven as guests arrive:
-sweet pea soup – made with frozen peas that are boiled in water and blended till smooth with crème fraîche and mint added just before serving. Ripert serves this soup hot, but in the summer I would chill it in the blender and pour it in champagne flutes to set the tone for the vegetable lunch.
-endive blue cheese salad – the leaves of bitter endive are set out spoke fashion for this dish with a blue cheese-cream dressing place in the center of the leaves in the middle of the spoke
-grated carrot salad – so simple, so good for your eyes with the Vitamin A in the carrots that is good for the eyes. So easy to dress with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.
-cold basil past salad – a “sauce” of grated fresh basil, garlic, grated Parmesan, olive oil, and pepper fragrantly coat linguine pasta that is preferably made from semolina flour from durum wheat for its protein content
-baked cremini mushrooms made with the butter used for snails – butter, parsley, and garlic
-tomato “croquet sel” – fresh tomato halves sprinkled with sea salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil
-melon balls “au porto” – If you do not have a melon baller, cut cantaloupe into fourths and scoop out the seeds. Place about 2 tablespoons of Portuguese porto in the cavity of the melon. Eat with a spoon to scoop up all the porto.
This French vegetable buffet is very doable at home with a little planning and well-suited for American potluck lunches where everyone brings a dish to share.
I like these recipes, because I live in an agricultural community that grows all organic produce (Salinas, California and its surrounding region of Monterey County).
I also love Vegetable Simple by Eric Ripert for its recipes from many cultures that young people might enjoy making on their days off for international flair on a budget.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Vietnamese Hue Soup at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Vietnamese Hue Beef and Pork Soup at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam located in the center of the country. Hue soup at Chopstix in Salinas, California located at the Northridge Mall captures imperial grandeur with first-rate, organic ingredients. (Monterey County grows organic, Asian produce as part of its 200+ vegetables and fruit offered for sale.)
The Hue soup that I tried on a recent delivery order comes with three generous slices each of roast beef and pork roast. You place these slices of meal over cold vermicelli rice noodles in the delivery bowl provided that also contains bean sprouts, sliced lettuce, Thai basil, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and lemon wedges for squeezing over everything.
The beef bone broth you pour over these items is already spicy, but I like to add a little sriracha for extra vitamin C.
The meat in the Hue soup was tender and flavorful and tasted light with all the vegetables and herbs.
Diners who like meat will probably appreciate Hue soup at Chopstix in Salinas, California for flavor, texture, and citrus flavor from the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Enchiladas de Mole al Fogòn at Hay's Place in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget
Enchiladas de Mole al Fogón at Hay’s Place in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget
One of my family’s treat outings is an afternoon lunch at the open air cantina Hay’s Place in Pebble Beach, California overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The food at Hay’s Place is traditional and contemporary Mexican. The last time my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went for lunch, we began with smashed guacamole and yellow and blue corn chips. The guacamole was really a salad with tomato chunks, chopped onion, and chopped cilantro smashed with avocado and mixed with lime juice. This is a delicious combination for nibbling on while great dishes come from the kitchen.
As my main dish, I ordered Enchiladas de Mole al Fogón. For this dish, soft corn tortillas encircle chicken strips cooked with poblano chiles, corn kernals, and warm and melted Oaxacan cheese, which is like mozzarella.
The mole sauce is a specialty of Puebla, Mexico. It is a savory chocolate sauce mixed with chile peppers and spices. The mole sauce goes of top of the enchiladas (3 of them) and around them on the heated plate from the hearth, the fogón. Toasted sesame seeds are sprinkled on everything.
As garnishes, Hay’s Places serves mild feta-like cotija cheese on top of the enchiladas along with red pickled onion slices and avocado slices. This dishes looks and tastes very good. Cotija cheese comes from Michoacán, Mexico.
Black beans and Spanish rice accompany this scrumptious dish. Everything seemed to go very well with the horchata, a Mexican rice and milk drink topped with cinnamon that I ordered to go with this meal. Horchata is non-alcoholic and nice for designated drivers.
The view, ambience, and delicious Mexican food at Hay’s Place in Pebble Beach, California make it a nice place for a relaxed lunch while touring 17-Mile Drive.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Sliders and Kopi Luwak Coffee at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
Sliders and Kopi Luwak Coffee at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
On a weekend trip to San Francisco (California), my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I stayed at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel atop Nob Hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The Hopkins is famous for its bar named The Top of the Mark that has a 360-degree view over San Francisco.
My daughter’s corner suite had a view on the Transamerica Building that was lit up in white at night with the Salesforce Tower gleaming in blue steel light next to it.
I ordered in-room service to admire the sunset and night view under a movie star chandelier. The Top of the Mark provides room service dining on Saturday nights.
I ordered California slider mini burgers filled with anise and apricot glazed short rib meat, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and garlic aioli.
The California sliders were delectable and very different from the White Castle sliders I would eat with my friends from the University of Chicago on our forays into Chicagoland suburbs to learn about where the Democratic Machine obtained some of its money.
At breakfast the next day, I ordered the All American Breakfast with poached eggs, thick-cut bacon (much appreciated in Chicago, Illinois), pan-fried potato wedges, and whole wheat toast.
We ordered a 5-cup pot of coffee which cost $25.
“Why is the coffee so expensive,” I asked.
Florence said, “It’s kaya kopi luwak – about $200 for a 16-ounce bag.”
I tried it and liked it, despite being a Joffrey, Lavazza, Acme from Monterey County, and Dallmayr fan.
The view over the Pacific with the Transamerica and Salesforce buildings during the day was beautiful as well with many white cap waves on a gleaming blue ocean.
I had a restful weekend full of delicious meals and loved every moment of the San Francisco overnighter, which included lunch at Café de la Presse.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thank you Coupang Taiwan for carrying my book - Ruth Paget
Thank you Coupang Taiwan for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Wo xie xie ni!
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Lemongrass Chicken at Chopstix in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Once you learn how to make Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, the hardest part is finding and storing ingredients like fish sauce and long lemongrass in the refrigerator in addition to pulling out a wok from the pantry.
Chopstix Restaurant has lemongrass chicken down to perfection, so I leave the cooking to them I must admit.
Chopstix has a new location in Northridge Mall in Salinas. (The original location in Seaside is still open.) It is easy to park at the Mall for diners and delivery drivers alike.
Basically for lemongrass chicken, you marinate the chicken pieces overnight with several chopped ingredients including:
-lime juice
-fish sauce
-brown sugar
-soy sauce (I like dark soy sauce)
-garlic
-shallot
-chopped, citrusy lemongrass from the very center of the stalks
Once the chicken pieces are marinated, you stir-fry them in a neutral oil like peanut oil. At Chopstix, they top the lemongrass chicken with freshly cut green onion and add sides of rice and salad with a tomato slice and cucumber slice.
After I ate the lemongrass chicken and rice, I mixed the salad into the lemongrass chicken oil and soy sauce seasoning as a dressing.
This lunch was filling and refreshing with ample portions for chicken, rice, and salad alike.
I thoroughly enjoyed the lemongrass chicken meal prepared by Chopstix at the Northridge Mall in Salinas, California and think it is good introduction to Vietnamese food for people who like Chinese food.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, June 27, 2025
Thank you Desertcart Angola for carrying my book - Ruth Paget
Thank you Desertcart Angola for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thank you Desertcart Seychelles for carrying my book - Ruth Paget
Thank you desertcart.sc Seychelles for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks about living in Japan as an exchange student.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
My chapbook Edible Alchemy is on sapnaonline.com in India
My chapbook Edible Alchemy is on sale with SapnaOnline.com in India - a book mall.
Lots of food essays on visits to neighborhood ethnic restaurants in Monterey County California in Edible Alchemy.
Thank you for the publicity.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Croque Monsieur Grilled Sandwich at Café de la Presse in San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
Croque Monsieur Grilled Sandwich at Café de la Presse in San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
On a weekend trip to San Francisco, my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to Café de la Presse in San Francisco, California for Parisian bistro lunch.
Laurent and Florence ordered a classic French lunch combination of French onion soup with cheese melted and browned on top of the soup followed by steak frites (steak with fries).
I was going to order another bistro classic combination of French onion soup with a croque monsieur, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with salad on the side.
Instead of soup, I ate a daily special of warm goat cheese salad before my main dish. The salad came with a large ball of fresh chèvre goat cheese on top that been warmed and sat on top of baby greens with a vinaigrette.
I mashed down the ball of chèvre and liked to think the cheese had arrived from an artisanal creamery in Sonoma County along with freshly picked greens in the wee hours of the morning.
For my main dish, I ate a grilled croquet monsieur sandwich made with béchamel sauce, a cooked creamy sauce made with flour, butter, and milk, that is spread on two thick slices of bread. Then, you add sliced ham and gruyère cheese, place the slices together, sprinkle Parmesan and gruyère on top of the top bread slice, and run the sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is toasted and bubbly.
This salty, delicious treat came with more baby greens on the side. I loved the crunchy melted cheese on the sandwich that was lightened up with bites of the baby greens.
For bigger appetites, you can add an over-easy egg on top of the sandwich, which would make it a croquet madame. This is a classic bistro dish as well.
There are two garages close to Café de la Presse. One is across the street on the corner of Grant Avenue and Bush Street. The other garage is about three blocks up the street on Powell Street.
Whether you come for a weekend trip or for a day, Café de la Presse offers French fare comparable to what you would eat in Paris, France at the gates of Chinatown, which is ideal for strolling and shopping after an espresso. Our family takes I-280 to Highway 101, which comes out near Tully Road south of Gilroy Outlet Malls on 101 back to Salinas, California.
There is always something good to eat at Café de la Presse in San Francisco, California, which is easier to get to than you would think.
Bon appétit!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Spicy Tuna Poké Bowl at Sushi Hut in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Spicy Tuna Poké Bowl at Sushi Hut in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
Sushi Hut in Salinas, California has been hailed as one of the top 50 sushi spots in the United States by YELP and Salinas sushi lovers alike.
The restaurant also has delicious Hawaiian poké bowls. I ate one recently and am happy with the progress I am making with poké bowl composition thanks to Door Dash Delivery app ordering.
My poké bowl dinner had the following items in it:
-base carbohydrate: white rice (brown rice is available)
-proteins: raw spicy tuna and California crab roll filling
-vegetables: cherry tomatoes (for vitamin c), carrot sticks (for vitamin A), and avocado slices (for vitamins K,C, and E)
-fruit: fresh pineapple chunks (for vitamin c)
-sauces: yuzu citrus juice and spicy sriracha mayonnaise
-seasonings: lemon wedge for juice and a dab of wasabi horseradish sauce
All of these ingredients blend into a delicious, tropical dish that congers up Hawaiian sunsets with swaying palm trees.
For a taste of Hawaii before traveling there, Sushi Hut has poké bowls and snack items that are like the items you would eat there.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Rodeo Salinas July 17 - 20, 2025 posted by Ruth Paget
The Rodeo is coming to Salinas, California. The Monterey County Weekly online has more details - see ad.
There is now a carnival and bullfighting that goes along with the rodeo. The opening event is the Kiddy Kapers Parade on Sunday. And, the Rodeo now has a Western Heritage Museum.
StubHub.com is selling Salinas Rodeo tickets.
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Princeton Review’s AP English Literature Reading List posted by Ruth Paget
Princeton Review has the following suggested works listed for preparing the Advanced Placement Examination in English:
Princeton Review AP English Reading List
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Skyline Dining at the InterContinental San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
Skyline Dining at the InterContinental San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget
On a weekend trip to San Francisco (West Bay), my family stayed at the InterContinental San Francisco, an IHG hotel, at 888 Howard Street.
It is important to know the number 888 as it is the name of the hotel’s Bistro 888 that provides room service as well.
The floor-to-ceiling glass windows in this luxury spa hotel made me want to eat in the room and admire the sunset and twinkling building lights as I ate like I did when I was younger and lived in Marina City in Chicago (Illinois) on floor 22.
I ordered a very American meal with flair for dinner – an 888 Burger. This is really a cheeseburger made with an 8-ounce cheese patty that comes with a thick slice of melted aged white cheddar cheese, house-made pickles, lettuce, tomato, and Parmesan cheese “secret” sauce instead of mayonnaise on a large brioche bun.
I asked for medium cooking on the burger, and it was slightly pink the way I like it in the center. The meat was juicy and delicious with the salty and creamy Parmesan sauce.
The burger came with a large helping of crisp double-fried French fries and vinegary strands of purple cabbage slaw.
The next day, I woke up early and took my spa shower. The hotel water was soft and the InterContinental offers free Byredo Bal d’Afrique cleansing and conditioning products. (Bal d’Afrique perfume sells for $230 for a 1.07 ounce – 50 ml bottle, so I lathered up in luxury.)
As I let my hair dry, I ordered breakfast from Bistro 888 again for in-room service again.
For breakfast, I ate an 888 Omelette with three slices of whole wheat toast. The omelette was ¼-inch thick all around and amply filled with sautéed spinach, mini shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, and melted Monterey Jack cheese.
Fried fingerling potatoes came with the meal along with two small bottles of Tabasco sauce for extra seasoning. These tasted great with the double latte I ordered to go with breakfast.
I forgot to order bacon, but my husband Laurent brought back some from breakfast downstairs. The bacon was thick cut with mostly meat and deliciously salty. (San Francisco is hot during the day with unexpected gusts of cold wind. Perfect weather for salt depletion.)
The InterContinental San Francisco weekend trip was a great success. I ate two great meals, felt invigorated by the Byredo Bal d’Afrique spa shower, admired the San Francisco skyline 12 stories up, organized a writing project in my head (Tasting Rome blog), and had fun on the way home admiring the scenery along I-280 as we passed the airport and Palo Alto real estate on the way to Highway 101 to Salinas, California.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Monday, June 23, 2025
Spicy Crab Salad at Roy's in Pebble Beach by Ruth Paget
Spicy Crab Salad at Roy’s in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget
The unexpected presentation of ordinary dishes at Roy’s restaurant in Pebble Beach, California make ocean side dining there a pleasant and memorable experience.
On a recent visit to Roy’s, I ordered spicy crab salad. I like stringy masses of crab with spicy mayonnaise, but Roy’s has a much more elegant way with this salad.
The chopped crab with a hint of mayonnaise came as a large disc in the bottom of a large flat-bottomed salad bowl. There were about 4 ice cream scoops of crab all together. Spread on top of the crab was a thin layer of spicy, hot wasabi horseradish paste.
On top of the crab disc, there was a mound of organic Monterey County baby greens with two pink Hawaiian flower petals (plumeria?). I assumed the flowers were edible and ate them along with the salad.
The dressing was a yuzu-pineapple juice vinaigrette. Yuzus look like prickly lemons and taste like grapefruit. They give the sour tang to the tropical vinaigrette.
That salad was delicious for light spice lovers and certainly qualified as a spa lunch.
For dessert, I ordered a chocolate banana cream pie, which arrived as a 3D swirl of bananas and thick whipped cream in a flaky pastry cup topped off with a thick chocolate syrup.
As I ate this delicious food, I thought of chef Ferran Adrià whose meals at his El Bulli Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain were described as theatre – great food, great beverages, great view, great comfort, and great service.
Roy’s restaurant at Pebble Beach, California provides all this and offers a varied menu for diners who would like a burger or BBQ après golf.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Seafood Simple Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Seafood Simple Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert is an all-inclusive reference for all things fish. Ripert begins Seafood Simple with several pages of explanation and photos about how to skin, debone, and fillet different fish body types.
After the preparation technique chapter, Ripert provides recipes organized by cooking method as follows:
-raw, cured, and marinated
-steamed
-poached
-fried
-baked
-sautéed
-broiled
-grilled
-preserved
Some of the recipes I consider outstanding include:
-oysters mignonette – raw oysters on the half shell with a red wine and shallot served on the side for dipping
-halibut en papillote – baked white fish with tomatoes, onions, white wine, and basil that is wrapped in foil
-moules marinères – steamed mussels with shallots and white wine
-halibut mushroom casserole
-linguine vongole – steamed clams with linguine pasta
-salmon and tomato à la Gilbert – poached salmon in tomato and cream sauce
All of these dishes remind me of the food I ate in Parisian bistros when I lived there and are items that I can make in my home now.
Readers who might enjoy Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert include:
-France lovers
-young professionals like accountants and lawyers
-musicians
-artists
-marketing workers
-caterers
-dieters
If you like fish, Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert should be in your kitchen library
(Note: In Salinas, California, you can buy fresh seafood at Star Market and Safeway. Close to Salinas, you can fresh seafood at Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing.)
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, June 20, 2025
MENSA Book Review Writing for Kids posted by Ruth Paget
Tips for book review writing for kids by MENSA follow -
MENSA Book Review Writing for Kids
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, June 19, 2025
MENSA Budget Basics for Kids posted by Ruth Paget
MENSA Budget Basics for Kids including a monthly worksheet - click below:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Suggested A-level Reading List for British Commonwealth Universities posted by Ruth Paget
suggested A-Level Reading List for British Commonwealth Countries:
A-Level Reading List British Commonwealth
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
International Baccleaureate Reading Database posted by Ruth Paget
This list adds some international flair to summer reading choices:
International Baccleaureate Reading Database
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Internet Public Library has Youth Literature posted by Ruth Paget
The Internet Public Library has children’s and young adult fiction and nonfiction that you can check out as an online summer reading resource - ipl.org
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tasting Rome Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Tasting Rome Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill provides armchair travelers and cooks with a salty, sweet tour of the city’s culinary offerings.
The book covers the following traditional Italian course offerings:
-aperitivi – salty snacks to go with cocktails
-primi - first course dishes that are usually pasta or soup
-secondi – second course dishes or main course offerings
-contorni – vegetable course
-dolce – sweets
My favorite recipes in the cookbook include:
*Aperitvii
-deep-fried suppli rice risotto balls made with radicchio (purple-red lettuce) and gorgonzola
-deep-fried cacio e pepe suppli risotto balls made with crushed black pepper and pecorino cheese
-crostini con burro e alici – toast rounds with butter and anchovies
*Primi
-carbonara pasta made with eggs, pecorino cheese, and guanciale pork jowl “bacon”
-spaghetti alla gricia made with guanciale “bacon”, white wine, and pecorino cheese
-bomboletti pasta all-amatriciana made with tubular ridged pasta, guanciale, shallots, tomatoes, and garlic
-cacio e pepe pasta made with just crushed black pepper and grated pecorino cheese
*Secondi
-pollo alla Romana chicken stew made with onions, bell peppers, cloves, and tomatoes
-porchetta slow-roasted pork roast made with pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary, pepperoncino, and fennel seeds
*Contorni
-baked vegetables with bread crumbs
-shaved artichoke salad
-baked tomatoes stuffed with rice
*Dolce
-peach and wine sorbet
-coffee granita
-panna cotta - solid milk pudding flavored here with mint
Readers who might enjoy Tasting Rome include:
-Italophiles who want to learn more about the country and Roman cuisine
-cooks
-servers
-travel writers
-restaurant reviewers
-young families
-childcare workers
People wanting to add a little Roman brio to their lives would also enjoy reading Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill for the recipes and cultural notes.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, June 13, 2025
MENSA Storytelling for Kids posted by Ruth Paget
I like MENSA’s introduction to storytelling for offering several approaches for organizing stories. Details below:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
The Italian Baker Reviewed by Ruth Paget
The Italian Baker Reviewed by Ruth Paget
I enjoyed armchair traveling through Italy as I read Carol Field’s recipes for bread, grissini bread sticks, panzanella bread and vegetable salad, pizza, focaccia, sweet Italian croissants, tarts, cakes, and cookies in The Italian Baker.
The recipes are sophisticated but Field provides nonna (grandma) STEAM education activities for baking as well such as:
-coiling a bread string to make a pair of eye cookies
-rolling out a band of dough and making two slits and pulling the dough at the end to make a crown
-rolling out a band of dough and making slits every inch and then rolling the band up to form a bush
More conventional items that families could make from the book on weekends include:
-panini bread roll sandwiches
-ciabatta bread loaves from the Lake Como region in northern Italy
-Olive bread from Liguria
-chopped red pepper bread
-Parmesan and pecorino bread made with cheese from Northern and Southern Italy
-Parmesan grissini bread sticks
-sweet croissants (kids are always fascinated to see rolling up a triangle into a croissant shape and the puffing up of the croissants overnight from proofing)
Field taught me that chewy texture and nutty flavor of many Italian breads come from the use an already fermented biga or starter that is mixed with dough to create a double fermentation in the dough in addition to the two risings of the dough.
People in the following professions might enjoy The Italian Baker by Carol Field:
-baker
-childcare worker
-Girl Scout troop leaders
-restaurant owners
-servers
Italophiles, childcare workers, and restaurant workers might all find something to make in The Italian Baker by Carol Field.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, June 12, 2025
MENSA for Kids Greek Myths posted by Ruth Paget
MENSA for Kids Greek Myths activities. Info below:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
MENSA Poetry for Kids posted by Ruth Paget
MENSA’s year of poetry for kids activity list and resources:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
MENSA online reading club for K to grade 12 posted by Ruth Paget
MENSA has an online reading club for pre-K to Grade 12. Grade level reading lists are available at the link below:
MENSA Reading Club K to Grade 12
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Summer Reading for Teens at Barnes and Noble posted by Ruth Paget
Barnes and Noble has a summer reading program for teens that features writing up books in a review journal. Details below:
Barnes and Noble Summer Reading
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
The Western Stage has summer productions in Salinas, California posted by Ruth Paget
The Western Stage has summer productions in Salinas, California. Show and ticket link below:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Hartnell Planetarium Shows in Salinas, California posted by Ruth Paget
Hartnell Planetarium in Salinas, California has public shows. Information follows:
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
June 30, 2026 is gift deadline for UChicago Reposted by Ruth Paget
June 30, 2026 is the tax deadline to make a gift to the University of Chicago. An online donation form follows:
University of Chicago Donation Form and Info.
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thank you Atlantic India for carrying my books by Ruth Paget
Thank you Atlantic India for carrying my book Eating Soup with Chopsticks.
I have loved learning about Indian culture over the years. Living in Japan encouraged me to study all of Asia.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Galateo - Renaissance Italian Etiquette Book reposted by Ruth Paget
The Renaissance Italian etiquette book, The Galateo, still rules for restaurant dining and training children to have nice table manners:
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Monday, June 9, 2025
Renaissance Diplomatic Handbook Reposted by Ruth Paget
The Book of the Courtier by Baldesar Castiglione, a Renaissance diplomatic book, has been translated many times and is still considered useful for its insights on conversation.
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Flatbread and Flavors Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Flatbread and Flavors Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Armchair travelers and cooks will enjoy Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid for its wanderlust and easy-to-follow recipes.
Alford and Duguid crossed continents on bicycles and rickety trains in search of warm, fleshy loaves of blistered brown flatbread waiting for delicious fillings and dunking opportunities.
My favorite chapter in the book covers India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. These three countries consume:
-curries (spicy sauces eaten with bread in the North and over rice in the South)
-dals (spicy lentil stews)
-garam masala (spices mixes called curry powder in the West that go into curries and dals – these spice mixes are called sambhar masala in the South)
In a former lifetime, Duguid was a lawyer, who still writes easy, step-by-step directions to follow in her recipes. The cookbook has a recipe for a vegetable and fruit curry that I have further pared down to understand how to put together a curry from memory:
Curry Sample Recipe:
1-Cook vegetables and set aside.
2-Heat oil in frying pan. Cook onion till brown.
3-Add garlic and ginger. Cook till garlic begins to color.
4-Add fruit and hot chile pepper, if using.
5-Add cooked vegetables.
6-Stir in yogurt and heat everything thoroughly.
7-Add garam masala (spice mix called curry powder in the West) and top with freshly chopped cilantro (also called coriander). Serve immediately.
When you make garam masala (curry powder) at home, you make about two cups at a time and store it in a glass, air-tight container and keep it in a dark place.
Alford and Duguid list a typical spice combination from Northern India as containing:
-black peppercorns
-coriander seed
-cumin seed
-cloves
-cardamom
-cinnamon stick broken into pieces
A garam masala made of ingredients like these is stirred into curries to give them their pungent taste in Northern India. In Southern India spice mixes are called sambhar masala and are made of different ingredients.
The authors write that a Southern Indians sambhar masala might typically contain the following ground ingredients:
-urad dal (black lentils)
-chana dal (yellow lentils)
-coriander seed
-cumin seed
-black peppercorn
-fenugreek (onion tasting spice)
-red dried chilies
-pinch of turmeric
Sambhar masala is the final ingredient mixed into dal, spicy lentil stews, that are famous throughout India.
The Indian pantry recipes in Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Namomi Duguid encouraged me to buy this travel cookbook.
I think the spice blends also taste good in chicken noodle, tomato, and mushroom soup as well as stirred into sautéed vegetables like green beans. I must admit there are many great recipes that make you lose track of the bread.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, June 8, 2025
The Peloponnesian War reposted by Ruth Paget
The University of Chicago’s favorite classic 1982 - 1986 - The Peloponnesian War. Click for book information below:
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Ballet in San Francisco Tickets reposted by Ruth Paget
The Nutcracker performed by the Kyiv Ballet Theatre is coming to San Francisco among other performances. Check out the offerings on StubHub:
Nutcracker Ballet in San Francisco
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Final Week - University of Chicago Book Sale reposted by Ruth Paget
This is the final week of the University of Chicago Book Sale - savings up to 90% off!
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, June 5, 2025
International Relations Primer reposted by Ruth Paget
Check out the CIA’s online World Fact Book with up-to-date information for 258 world entities.
Topics covered include:
-history
-people
-government
-economy
-energy
-geography
-environment
-communications
-transportation
Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Mother Grains Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Mother Grains Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution by Roxana Jullapat encourages readers to add or substitute mother grains into their favorite recipes for better flavor, more protein, more fiber, more vitamins, and more minerals.
Jullapat covers 8 grains in detail in her book:
-barley
-buckwheat – technically a shrub not a grain
-corn
-oats
-rice
-rye
-sorghum
-wheat with the subcategories below:
- einkorn
- spelt
- emmer or farro
- Khorasan sold under the brand kamut
- Durum which is ground into semolina flour
-Heirloom red or white wheat
Other flours, which you can find now in supermarkets, that Jullapat deals with briefly include:
-bulgur – parboiled, dried, and ground made from durum wheat usually
-freekah –fresh green durum wheat
-amaranth – Mexican shrub
-quinoa – Andean shrub
Jullapat loves sweets. Her recipes beg to be eaten with a mug of hot coffee and hot milk. Some of my favorite recipes from Mother Grains include:
-persimmon sticky pudding with barley malt syrup
-rice pudding made with Thai coconut milk cream
-pecan pie made with sorghum syrup
People in the following professions might find Mother Grains useful:
-bakers
-bar-restaurant owners
-hair dressers (something sweet to eat while waiting)
-cruise directors
-religious organizations
General readers will find many ideas to put extra protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals into their favorite dishes in Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution by Roxana Jullapat.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Japanese Home Cooking selling for $1.99 on Kindle today - reposted by Ruth Paget
For a glimpse into Japanese culture happening in Los Angeles, check out Sonoko Sakai’s Japanese Home Cooking. It is selling for $1.99 today on Kindle.
Delicious ideas for Japanese food lovers - even a discussion about noodle making at home.
Japanese Home Cooking by Sonoko Sakai
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, May 30, 2025
Princeton Review Suggestions for Summer Activities reposted by Ruth Paget
Princeton Review suggested summer activities to help with college admissions:
Princeton Review Suggested Summer Activities
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Monterey Park District summer activity brochure out reposted by Ruth Paget
In this week’s Monterey County Weekly, there is a brochure from the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District about summer activities around the region. Register early to assure your place.
Happy trekking!
The website has information as well:
Monterey Regional Park District
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Microsoft University Free online Courses reposted by Ruth Paget
Microsoft free online courses are a STEAM resource that is great for summer break learning:
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Khan Academy reposted by Ruth Paget
I share an opinion with Bill Gates that Khan Academy offers excellent online resources for pre-K to grade 12 learners, parents, and educators. I especially like their math resources.
Click for Khan Academy website
My daughter Florence Paget read through Khan Academy when it was first starting out. It is a hidden resource of STEAM education in Silicon Valley.
Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Friday, May 23, 2025
Italy in Small Bites Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Italy in Small Bites Cookbook Reviewed by Ruth Paget
Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field introduces readers to seasonal and regional snacks with recipes for easy to complex delights that pair well with fruity white wine or lemonade.
Six of the merenda, snacks, that I think should be in everyone’s Italian go-to dish repertoire include:
-frico – cheese melted in butter and allowed to cool.
-bruschetta – toast rubbed with fresh garlic and olive oil
-focaccia, flat bread pizza, with red peppers, garlic, and olives
-polenta bars (Italian corn meal that has solidified) served with Parmesan and grilled purple and crimson radicchio lettuce
-wild mushroom condiment for topping toast made with tomatoes, rosemary, sage, garlic, and pepper
-baked frittata omelets with Parmesan and herbs
Readers who might find Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field useful include:
-bartenders
-winery tasting room workers
-caterers
-servers
-event planners
-resort managers
-cruise directors
General readers might enjoy learning about the history of merenda, which is also part of Italy in Small Bites by Carol Field.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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