Mexican Food is 2026 #1 Cuisine Re: Travel and Tour Magazine reposted by Ruth Paget

I learned on TimTok today that Mexico was named the world’s #1 cuisine for 2026 by Travel & Tour magazine.

I have reposted the announcement I saw in the link below:

https://www.tiktok.com/@fernandacortesx/video/7683727040704498974?_r=1&_t=ZP-99eYTFJzGTm

TikTok has some information on Mexican food being protected by UNESCO.  (The other UNESCO protected food is French.) 

I have listed the TikTok UNECO  information on Mexican food below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUuNhwwA/

We have some great places in downtown Salinas, California for Mexican food for diners interested in Mexican food:

Villa Azteca

Michael’s

Taquito’s (across from the Salinas Sports Complex - Rodeo on Main Street behind the Steinbeck Center about 4 blocks away from downtown)

Burn provecho!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other books

Exchange Student Scholarships with Youth for Understanding reposted by Ruth Paget

High school students interested in scholarships to study abroad or hosting students from overseas can start researching what is available now at Youth for Understanding’s website below:

https://yfuusa.org/

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

Festa Italia 2026 is September 11 - 13, 2026 in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

The Festa Italia 2026 will be held from September 11 - 13, 2026 in Monterey, California.

The festival features food, entertainment, and bocce ball.  

A link to the festival website follows (the headline is cut off on phones, but everything else fits):

https://festaitaliamonterey.org/

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

Oceanside Terrace Meal at the C Restaurant, part of the IHG Hotel Group, on Cannery Row in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget

Oceanside Terrace Meal at the C Restaurant, part of the IHG Hotel Group, on Cannery Row in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

My husband Laurent, our daughter Florence Paget, and I went out for a festive fall meal at the C Restaurant on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. 

We sat on the oceanside outdoor terrace where all seats are good ones, if you like a cool ocean breeze. (Heaters are available.) We ate a hearty 4-course meal and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by the bay. 

Laurent and Florence began their meal with generous bowls of clam chowder. I ordered my favorite deep-fried calamari that was fried with green beans that resembled tempura and flavored with deep-fried orange slices to give this dish a somewhat sweet flavor. I loved the chipotle-aioli garlic mayonnaise that was pungent and spicy at the same time. 

Laurent and Florence ate superlative prawn and Dungeness crab with thick-ribboned pappardelle pasta as their main dish. 

I ordered the white corn ravioli stuffed with homemade ricotta cheese that sat on a bed of sautéed Bloomsdale spinach. The ravioli was topped with sautéed chanterelle mushrooms, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and tarragon-butter. That was delicious. I enjoyed every bite of it. (Laurent also let me try some of the superlative seafood pasta, too.) 

For our third course, we ordered the Farmhouse Cheese Platter that came with: 

-orange mimolette cheese from France

-creamy Brillat Savarin from France 

-Iberico Curado from Spain, which resembles manchego 

-dried fruit chutney – super sweet 

-brown bread crostini baked with dates and chestnuts 

Florence ordered the butter-sautéed brioche with ice cream as dessert to share. That was delicious as well. 

I love living in a region where I can eat meals like this about 30 minutes sway from my home in Salinas, California. 

Thank you Monterey, California for the lovely fall 2026 meal. 

Note:  When Laurent and I lived in Paris, we would go to oceanside restaurants in Deauville and Honfleur to eat.  We would also go Laurent’s paternal grandmother’s house in Sables-d’Olonne on the Atlantic Coast and do the same thing.  (All good memories that involved eating lots of raw oysters with sancerre wine.)

Bon Appetit!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

McKinsey sets $80,000 Per Year as Prosperity Goal by 2100 reposted by Ruth Paget

I read a McKinsey Insights article entitled “How do we Reach Global Prosperity by 2021?” Published on August 5, 2026.

This article defines Switzerland’s average personal income of $80,000 as the prosperity goal for all adults by 2100.

McKinsey did not provide a link to copy, but you can find this article, if you have the McKinsey Insights app.

What is helpful in this article is setting the dollar amount goal instead of a vague term like better income, which can be a very different amount for different people.

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

2025 WHO Report on Global Food Insecurity reposted by Ruth Paget

Three important take-aways from the 2025 World Health Organization’s Report on Global Food Insecurity via include:

1-On a global scale, food insecurity deceased

2-Rural areas experience more food insecurity

3-The cost of a healthy meal has increased globally

The report follows at the link below:

https://www.who.int/news/item/21-07-2026-un-report--global-hunger-levels-ease-for-third-consecutive-year-as-regional-disparities-persist

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

Relatively Low-Cost Fall Vegetable Sheet Pan Bake by Ruth Paget

Relatively Low-Cost Fall Vegetable Sheet Pan Bake by Ruth Paget 

Fall vegetables are easy to cook, if you bake them on a sheet pan.  They are a great personal chef item.

I often made fall vegetables this way when I lived in Wisconsin outside Madison. I would eat them with cheddar cheese on the side and a glass of low-sugar cranberry juice.

I thought I had a pretty good lacto-ovo vegetarian meal this way. There was calcium and protein in the cheese, vitamin C in the cranberry juice, and many nutrients in the vegetables.  Iron was the one nutrient missing in large quantities in this meal, so I did eat chicken and beef at other meals with the express purpose of obtaining some iron.  

The cost of this meal was very low in Wisconsin.  I could take one or two of each vegetable and still get a pretty nice meal together.

The following is very loose recipe whose quantities can change depending on what is available at the supermarket or market: 

 Ingredients: 

-1 cup olive oil 

-crushed garlic and/or shallots

-potatoes cut into fourths 

-carrots cut into fourths 

-turnips cut into fourths 

-rutabagas cut into fourths 

-celery cut into two-inch sections

-red onions cut into fourths 

-sea salt 

-thyme or herbes de Provence 

Steps: 

1-Place olive oil and crushed garlic and/or shallots in a large bowl. 

2-Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 

3-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

4-Add the chopped vegetables and turn them with a spoon to thoroughly coat them in olive oil and garlic. 

5-Place the vegetables on the sheet pan and place them in the oven. Bake the vegetables for ½ hour. Take the vegetables out and place them on a counter. Close the oven door to retain heat. Starting at a top-left edge, begin to methodically turn over every vegetable on an opposite side. 

6-Place the vegetables back in the oven and cook for another ½ hour from the time you place them back in the oven. 

7-Poke the vegetables with a fork to test for doneness. Carrots, turnips, and rutabagas take the longest to cook. If you want very tender vegetables, cook the vegetables another 15 minutes or finish them up in the microwave. 

8-Season with sea salt and thyme leaves or herbes de Provence. 

Note:  This blog is also a follow-up to my Wisconsin 2026 Vacation series of blogs.

Bon Appétit! 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about Dan Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making,and the Carmel Valley History Center

-writer of 1900+ Central Coadt California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Upcoming Chicago Minds Fundraising Meeting Dates and Places Information Sessions reposted by Ruth Pagey

The University of Chicago’s Chicago Minds Fundraising Campaign  Information Sessions Dates and Places Calendar follows:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_personal/1a087fd29d80c514

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-developer of 9 music theory games

Rural and Small Town Scholarships at UChicago reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago has already raised $100 million as part of a $300 million initiative to fund scholarships for students from rural and small town backgrounds at the university.

For more information about this initiative, I have posted a link below from the University of Chicago News:

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/uchicago-launches-300-million-initiative-students-rural-areas-and-small-towns?utm_medium=09.09email&utm_source=UChicagoNews&mkt_tok=MjUwLUNRSC05MzYAAAGkJj_QWudErBGI0ez0XfcyKtjjn5-cRuwGniJDOPQCu9AUIihVISKji8vpG0K9QN3Azo-tTDTJ4yBh8ubKuX98qKjIx6zpX2wKCPFOiR_DBJ4D4Ao

Reposted by Ruth Paget

Coq au Vin Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

Coq au Vin Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget made coq au vin, a French chicken stew made with wine, and filmed herself doing it in the following TikTok video:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUU3FuYS/

Coq au vin is a nice dish that you can cook with drumsticks, thighs, and wings even.  

Bon appetite!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Super Useful Lemons from Costco in Sand City (outside Monterey), California by Ruth Paget

Super Useful Lemons from Costco in Sand City (outside Monterey), California by Ruth Paget 

On my family’s recent outing for groceries, we bought a 3-pound bag of lemons for $5.99 (as of 9-5-2026) at the Costco in Sand City, California outside Monterey. 

Some quick and easy uses for lemons include squeezing it in or over the following items: 

-iced Darjeeling tea 

-Italian sparkling water

-lemonade

-fruit salad 

-poached or fried fish 

-rice pilaf

-deep-fried Monterey Bay calamari (squid) 

I also learned from my Greek-American roommate’s mom that you can add lemon to:

-homemade or canned chicken noodle soup - (if you are using canned chicken noodle soup, you might want to add crushed garlic and chopped parsley as well)

-roast chicken and potatoes along with garlic, olive oil, and oregano before roasting it

-purée of canned white cannellini beans with lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, white pepper, and olive oil for a simple bean dip – (I also have done this with black beans and borlotti beans to make simple dips) 

My favorite lemon recipe to make with lemons is marinated lemon and garlic shrimp that I put on skewers and grill with oregano sprinkled on at the end with sea salt.  I made this all the time when I lived in polar vortex Germany during a swine flu epidemic and believe this dish saved my life. 

These are my favorite savory dishes to make with lemons. For sweet dishes, I like lemon meringue pie and lemon bar cookies. 

Happy Cooking! 

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

The New Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen is $4.99 on Kindle today reposted by Ruth Paget

I purchased The New Vegetarian Cookbook: 500+ Recipes for a Lifetime of Great Meals by America’s Test Kitchen today for $4.99 on Amazon Kindle today (9-8-2026).

I like just about anything America’s Test Kitchen produces.  I have posted a link to the 639-page book below:

https://www.amazon.com/New-Vegetarian-Recipes-Lifetime-Great-ebook/dp/B0DW97G1HX/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=XELW1J9F5T1U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.72SPIFeqjX_pHehz_PpfKSqcwnXjuK_p8ioNYtGcXnhlWcxSfZ6GhTt4jrRwnVpQRvifcTXUgA5wRhV346c2TL2g-jbAJ7aCMERGtIOgaRmsfkXxpaL2mkdME4R8LPWBhO_zpRdv9dcs4MyJ8tj6CRO260p4wcVOUJ5xRmd0t3pS9RgwciniRiYM7UoV3vyUa4kWPjKURhLsqQip9I1nNw.JI9qubLNRisBOfqh-_HyTtMEHAlj5P17HuWl51-_Lvk&dib_tag=se&keywords=complete+vegetarian+cookbook&qid=1788901908&sprefix=complete+vegetarian+%2Caps%2C237&sr=8-2

Amazon might be doing double points today as part of its rewards program.

Happy Cooking!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

-

Watermelon Harvest is in at Trader Joe's in Marina, California by Ruth Paget

Watermelon Harvest is in at Trader Joe’s in Marina, California by Ruth Paget 

While out shopping with my family this weekend, I saw seedless watermelons advertised for $5.99 (price as of 9-5-2026) at Trader Joe’s in Marina, California by CSU-Monterey Bay. 

Seedless watermelons are perfect for a Greek salad I ate when I would go to Greek – American backyard parties with my college roommate from the University of Chicago. 

There are online recipes for the following salad, but many seem to use sweeter salad dressings than I recall for this salad. 

My very loose recipe for this harvest salad follows: 

-seedless watermelon cut into squares

-feta cheese cut into squares 

-peeled and sliced cucumbers 

-1/2 sliced red onion (It is tempting to use more red onion, but it can quickly overpower the flavor of a dish so taste as you add, if you add more.) 

-seeded black Kalamata olives 

-lemon and olive dressing with oregano 

This salad was chilled with the dressing tossed into it right before serving. We ate slices of Greek bread with the salad to soak up the dressing and watermelon juices. 

The Greek watermelon salad quickly transported me from Skokie, Illinois to Crete in Greece with a glass of bitter retsina wine or sweeter roditis wine when we were older. 

For watermelon memories in Monterey County California, Trader Joe’s in Marina has easy-to-work-with seedless watermelons on sale now. 

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Post-Labor Day Shopping by Ruth Paget

Once Labor Day is over, take inventory of your bar and restock.

BevMo has locations in Salinas and Carmel ( California) with lots of parking.

I went to Tierra Liquor and Deli today (Labor Day) and saw they have a large selection of red wine for sale too. They are located at the crossroads of Corral de Tierra Road and Highway 69.

Fall is a great season for making Burgundy beef..  (October is called the slaughter month in many cultures for the killing of surplus number of farm animals before winter).  The recipe for Burgundy beef is pretty easy.  I have attached below my daughter Florence Paget’s video of how to make Burgundy beef:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/08/boeuf-bourguignon-video-filmed-by.html?m=1

The beauty of Burgundy beef is that you can make it with stewing beef that is less expensive to buy and still obtain tender beef at the end of cooking.  Our family uses pinot noir wine to make this dish.

There is also a Belgian French dish called carbonnade that is beef braised in dark beer that is often made in fall.  

Jacques Pepin has a recipe for carbonnade in Food and Wine on the link below:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/carbonnade-la-flamande-flemish-beef-stew

Another French recipe that features wine as a stewing liquid is coq au vin.  My daughter Florence Paget made coq au vin and filmed herself cooking in the following video:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/09/coq-au-vin-made-and-filmed-by-florence.html?m=1

Clearing out the bottles of summer party wine clears the way for the Beaujolais Nouveau.

Happy Cooking!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1000+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

-

Double Protein Greek Yogurt Personal Chef Recipe Ideas by Ruth Paget

Double Protein Greek Yogurt Personal Chef Recipes by Ruth Paget 

As a follow-up read after a visit to the Athens Restaurant in Westport (WI) on 2026 Wisconsin summer vacation with my husband Laurent, I read The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal by Toby Amidor. 

Amidor is a registered dietician and writes that the reason Greek yogurt is so good for you is that it is regular yogurt that is strained. The concentrated result that is left has twice the protein of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt has a large amount of calcium and probiotics, making it good for bones and gut health, too. 

Amidor goes into more detail about the benefits of Greek yogurt in the book, but increased protein, calcium, and probiotics are enough to sell me on the product.

(For example, I routinely drink kefir, a drinkable yogurt following a Ukrainian recipe in the morning. Kefir is sour and thick, which puts off many people, but the health benefits outweigh the taste for me.)

One of Amidor’s first recipes in the book is for tzatziki sauce made with paper-thin cucumber slices you obtain using a microplane slicer, Greek yogurt, olive oil, salt, and white pepper. I ate this refreshing sauce with a gyro sandwich at the Athens Restaurant in Westport (Wisconsin), which has encouraged me to see out Greek yogurt recipes for health benefits in Amidor’s book. 

Two crustless quiche recipes seem very easy to make since they resemble casseroles and can be made in three steps. 

The first recipe is for a crustless broccoli and cheddar quiche made in three steps: 

1-Sauté the vegetables in oil and then place them in the bottom of a casserole dish.

2-Plae shredded cheddar cheese on top of the vegetables. 

3-Place the egg, milk, and Greek yogurt mixture on top of the cheese and bake. 

The crustless mushroom recipe in made in a similar manner. 

Amidor’s true genius dish is a puréed white bean dip made with canned white cannellini beans, olive oil, Greek yogurt, salt, and paprika. This dip can easily be made with pantry ingredients and is very good for you.  Vegetables and cheese crackers can be used for dipping.

Personal chefs and caterers can find many healthy recipes to suggest clients in The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal by Toby Amidor (available on Amazon Kindle), which make this book a useful purchase. 

Note: Tierra Liquor and Deli located at the cross section of Highway 68 and Corral de Tierra Road outside Salinas, California sells Greek yogurt, feta cheese, Greek dips and spreads, and Greek soups.  These items are stored in refrigerated cabinets.

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Istanbul Cookbook by Ozlem Warren is $1.99 on book in today reposted by Ruth Paget

I bought Istanbul by Ozlem Warren today on bookbub.com for $1.99. 

I bought Istanbul based on Caitlin Blue’s review of it on TikTok. I especially liked the photos she showed from the book.

I am looking forward to reading this book and trying some appetizer recipes.

A link to the book in site follows, which links to Amazon Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4FGMSWR?_bbid=358775407&tag=core_cohort_a_email-20

Happy Cooking!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Ballotin: The French Chocolate Buying and Selling Game created by Ruth Paget

Ballotin: The French Chocolate Buying and Selling Game Created by Ruth Paget 

Game Background: 

I was inspired to create a chocolate knowledge game after visiting the Swiss-German towns of New Glarus and Monroe during my Wisconsin 2026 vacation there. 

The New Glarus Bakery sells homemade Swiss chocolates like truffles (truffes), which the French also make. This New Glarus outing reminded me of chocolate shops I have visited in Belgium and France when I lived in Europe in the 1990s. 

When we lived in Paris, my husband Laurent and I routinely bought 1 kilo boxes of Belgian Leonidas chocolates (ballotins) to give as hostess gifts when we were invited to dinners along with bottles of champagne method Ackerman Crémant de la Loire from the region where Laurent’s maternal grandparents lived. 

I thought then and still do that knowledge of chocolate can improve your lifestyle for buying the best quality chocolate you can afford and provide you with job skills for selling or buying chocolate as corporate gifts. 

I named this chocolate game “ballotin” after the 1 kilo boxes of Leonidas chocolate I used to buy in Paris. 

Ballotin Game Objective: 

Learn vocabulary from the business of chocolate to obtain job skills needed to buy and sell chocolate for corporate gifts and improved quality of life. 

Number of Players: Unlimited. 

This game promotes individual play to learn and then team play to test knowledge. 

Materials Needed: 

-The Great Book of Chocolate, Revised: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide with more than 50 Recipes by David Lebovitz (Available on Amazon Kindle)

-index cards 

-pens 

Method:

-Learn chocolate vocabulary words by topic area using definitions obtained from reading Lebovitz’s book. 

-Quiz yourself on all topic words till you know them before moving on to the next topic area.

-Make one of three easier recipes, I have selected from Lebovitz’s book to get used to working with premium chocolate. 

-Read Lebovitz’s book when you know all the chocolate vocabulary words and enjoy his travel log of Parisian chocolate shops, his account of studying chocolate at Le Nôtre in Paris, and his insider’s view of working for a Belgian chocolate shop during Christmas week. 

The vocabulary words I have selected by topic follow: 

Chocolate Business Vocabulary Words by Topic: 

**What is Chocolate 

-cacao tree and bean description 

-name 11 varieties of cacao beans 

**How Chocolate is Made 

*Harvesting, Fermenting, and Drying Words

-mucilage 

-de-seeding 

-fermenting for chocolate 

-drying for chocolate 

*Roasting and Processing 

-cacao 

-cocoa 

-roasting process for beans 

-winnower 

-nibs 

-hull recycling use 

-cocoa powder 

*Crushing and Conching 

-lecithin 

-liquified chocolate 

-concher 

-cocoa butter 

*Tempering 

 -sugar bloom

-gray streaks

-fat bloom 

**Types of Chocolate 

-semisweet and bitter sweet chocolate 

-milk chocolate 

-gianduja 

-chocolate coating 

-single-origin and cru chocolates 

-white chocolate

-chocolate chips and chunks

-unsweetened chocolate 

-ruby chocolate 

-caramelized white chocolate 

-unsweetened cocoa powder 

-ground chocolate 

**Shopping Terms and Tips

-truffes (truffles) 

-bonbons 

-pralinés 

-feuilletine 

-nougatine 

-rochers 

-ganache 

-ballotin 

-boîte

-chocolat noir 

-chocolat au lait 

-mélange 

Recipes to Try:

-bouchons 

-gâteau au chocolat 

-white chocolate custard 

Happy Gaming the Chocolate World! 

Ballotin Game Created by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Useful “On Golden Pond” Merchandise from the Vermont Country Store Fall Catalog reposted by Ruth Paget

The Vermont Country Store Fall Catalog has many fall-themed, wipe-off table cloths for sale.  I have ordered several and think they are practical.  The tablecloths come in many sizes and are good for indoor and backyard use.

They also carry old-fashioned fruit cakes, divinity fudge with a pecan half embedded in it, and maple candy and maple cookies that are very nice.

I am posting a link to the Vermont Country Store’s fall’s online calendar:

https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/vermont-country-store-catalog?cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_pos=&cq_med=&cq_plt=gp&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid%20search&utm_campaign=Search_Brand_Pure_7RBRD004&sourceid=7RBRD004&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15783526241&gbraid=0AAAAAD_cv1g7EtD_dxsLBS62HK3PWzf3m&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2OnUBhC2ARIsACKyfaFufKp10y33KVsBBo3Pmvsv2-e2sNzy-zmbQPZ2TF10eOIbGK8_8cUaAoRFEALw_wcB&page=0

Their old-fashioned utensils like hand mixers are fun to look through and they work.

Have fun browsing!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Roast Chicken with Onions, Shallots, and Garlic made and filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

Roast Chicken with Onions Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget made roast chicken with onions, shallots, garlic, and chives and filmed and edited the process as well.  

Nice job using butcher’s roasting twine to tie up the legs on the chicken.  .

The TikTok video follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUNNVarM/

It browned beautifully while baking and was very juicy even the white meat.  Florence served scalloped potatoes with the roast chicken.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Stop-Motion Animation Workshop at the Gonzales (California) Library reposted by Ruth Paget

The Monterey County Weekly Online Community Calendar lists a Stop-Motion Animation Workshop at the Gonzales Library in Gonzales, California on September 3, 2026 with follow-up dates.

More information about this workshop is available on the Monterey County Weekly Online calendar link below:

https://www.montereycountynow.com/events/?utm_source=Monterey+County+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=30a0d4f47d-EMAIL_CALENDAR_2026-0108_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ac1058259-424991269#/details/gonzalesstopmotion-animation/19676726/2026-09-03T14

I love this fun workshop that also teaches a job skill.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games