McFarland Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget - Virtual Genealogy Project by Ruth Paget

McFarland Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget – Virtual Genealogy Project by Ruth Paget 

My Scottish and modern-day Northern Irish ancestors were most probably Presbyterians when they immigrated to the United States, the national faith of Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wisconsin, they are a famous family for founding McFarland, Wisconsin outside Madison.

I found most of the information for this virtual genealogy project in cemetery records, which sometimes differ from county records, because burials often happen after the filing of death certificates.

G1 here refers to generation 1 and on back through history. 

G1 – Florence Paget 

-daughter of Laurent Paget and Ruth Pennington 

G2 – Ruth Pennington 

-daughter of Clarence Pennington and Beatrice May Sawle 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle 

-daughter of Frank Sawle and Daisy May Bardsley 

G4 – Frank Sawle 

-son of William Stephen Sawle Sr and Jeanette Scott Hodgson 

born: 1901 

died: 1996 

G5: Jeanette Scottt Hodgson 

-daughter of Jonathan Hodgson and Elizabeth E. “Lizzie” McFarland born: 1866 died: 1948, Arena, Wisconsin, Dane County

G6 –Elizabeth E. “Lizzie” McFarland

-daughter of George A. McFarland and Janett Scott 

born: January 8, 1840 

died: May 30, 1840 

G7 – George A. McFarland 

-son of Robert McFarland and Elizabeth Sinclair -settler of McFarland, Wisconsin born: January 22, 1802 in Hopewell, New York died: October 6, 1884 in town of McFarland, Wisconsin Note: Obelisk Tombstone Inscription reads Born in the Town of Hopewell, New York 

G8 – Robert McFarland Sr 

-son of James McFarland and Elizabeth Cooke (cemetery note in Hopewell, New York) 

 born: 1773 or 1776

died: August 2, 1859 buried at South Kortright Cemetary, South Kortright, Delaware county, New York 

(Note: Married Elizabeth Sinclair (1784 – 1860) in 1800.

G9 – James McFarland 

-son of Robert McFarland and Jennet (or Jenette) Scott 

born: c. 1675 in Scotland or Northern Ireland 

died: 1751 in Donegal Township, Pennsylvania (information online from will) 

G10 – Robert McFarland Immigrant from Northern Ireland to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (from will) 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France Died: in Donegal Township, Pennsylvania

Hodgson Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget - Virtual Genealogy Project by Ruth Paget

Hodgson Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget – Virtual Genealogy Project by Ruth Paget 

Among my Hodgson cousins there are many missionaries I was told by my great-aunt Winifred Sawle. She shared with me her sister’s genealogy of the Hodgson family when I was doing a family history project for my history class at Jane Addams Junior High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. 

I developed this genealogy for the Hodgson family using online public records. I am working on a mother lines project for both sides of my family. I am gathering facts at this point, but would love it if the older people in my family would write up their memories of the people they know to fill out the biographies.  

Genealogy morphs into oral history doing family memories. A great topic to discuss is how the family set up food systems for the family throughout history.  

Some ideas to consider when thinking about a food system are included in the following blog by the World Food Program.  https://www.wfp.org/food-systems  I am also proving a link to some detailed yet useful information from the National Institues of Health to consider about a family food system: 

 https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/nutrientrecommendations.aspx

G1 refers to generation 1.

 

G1 – Florence Paget

-daughter of Laurent Paget and Ruth Pennington 

G2 – Ruth Pennington

-daughter of Clarence Pennington and Beatrice May Sawle 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle 

-daughter of Frank Sawle and Daisy May Bardsley 

G4 – Frank Sawle 

-son of William Stephen Sawle Sr and Jeanette Scott Hodgson 

born: 1901 

died: 1996, Arena, Wisconsin, Iowa County 

G5 – Jeanette Scott Hodgson 

-daughter of Jonathon Hodgson and Elizabeth E “Lizzie” McFarland 

born: 1866 

died: 1948, Arena, Wisconsin, Iowa County 

G6: Jonathan Hodgson 

-son of Richard Charles Hodgson III and Jane Dixon Wright 

born: July 4, 1837

died: November 23, 1901 

G7: Richard Charles Hodgson III 

Immigrant to the United States in October 1845.

Born: 1797 

Died: 1881, Arena, Wisconsin, Iowa County 

Born in Barmston, East Riding of Yorkshire, Unitary Authority, East Riding of Yorkshire, England (Mentioned as Thornton, England in obituary) The obituary online also states that he was a Baptist who converted to Adventism) 

Ruth Paget note:  The Adventist Diet is important for the Sawle and Hodgson families and may be responsible for the longevity of Richard Charles Hodgson.  Information about this diet follows:

https://www.seventhdayadventistdiet.com/

Spouse: Jane Dixon Wright 

Born: 1800 

Died: 1875 

The following Clan Hodgson website brings “all things Hodgson” together:

https://www.thehodgsonclan.com/hodgson-origins

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Sawle Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget: Virtual Genealogy Project by Ruth Paget

Sawle Family Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

I used online public records in the United States to put together this virtual genealogy project on my Sawle ancestors from Cornwall, England. The Sawles were famous as ship captains of Celtic origin.

G1 refers to generation 1. David Sawle wrote a genealogy of the family in England, which I will add to this first step of information gathering. 

G1 – Florence Paget 

-daughter of Laurent Paget and Ruth Pennington 

G2 – Ruth Pennington 

-daughter of Clarence Pennington and Beatrice May Pennington 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle 

-daughter of Frank Sawle and Daisy May Bardsley  

G4 – Frank Henry Sawle 

-son of William Stephen Sawle Sr and Jeanette Scott Hodgson 

Born: 1901 

Died: 1996 

G5 – William Stephen Sawle Sr 

-son of Captain Stephen Sawle and Margaret Dunn Rowe 

Born: 1858

Died: 1955 

G6 – Captain Stephen Sawle 

Immigrant to the United States. Entered the United States at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Settler of Arena, Wisconsin

Born: 1830, Porscatho, England 

Died: 1910, Arena, Wisconsin, Iowa County 

Spouse: Margaret Dunn Rowe 

Born: 1835, Tregony, Cornwall, England 

Married: January 29, 1857 in Cuby, Cornwall 

Died: March 1, 1909 in Arena, Wisconsin, Iowa County 

Margaret Dunn Rowe lived in Veryn, Cornwall and Gerrans, Cornwall before coming to the US with Captain Stephen Sawle. They entered the US at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

I will consult David Sawle’s genealogy for further information about the Sawle family in England. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Pizza Stone Economics by Ruth Paget

Pizza Stone Economics by Ruth Paget 

One kitchen item that my family uses all the time and is very happy with is a pizza stone for baking frozen pizza. 

I have to admit that when my daughter Florence Paget bought the pizza stone I was not convinced of its worth. 

However, even after our first time using it, I noted that the crust on frozen pizza was crisp and crunchy and not spongy and soggy like it is when you just place the pizza on oven racks for baking. I also noted that when we used the pizza stone that the cheese on the frozen pizza was well melted, the tomato sauce was hot, and toppings like mushrooms were hot and soft. 

The crisp crust makes it easy to use a wooden pizza peel to slide the pizza off the pizza off the pizza stone and feel like a Neapolitan doing it. A crisp crust also makes it easy to use a roller pizza cutter. 

Eating frozen pizza cuts down meal costs. For years my family has eaten frozen vegetable pizza once a week. If you save even $5 a week on a weekly pizza night that turns into $260 saved in a year. (52 weeks x $5) 

The $260 saved can be used for holiday meals or invested in things like a family vacation and college expenses. This money does not pay for everything, but it helps. It can certainly pay for valet parking, if you go to Disneyland or a bus trip there for a high school graduation trip. 

A big added savings is using less energy to cook the pizza. I have noticed that pizza stones cook frozen pizza faster. I lower the temperature by 50 degrees F sometimes and can cook pizza at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, because the pizza stone retains heat and warms the entire oven. 

Energy costs are variable due to energy price changes, but if you save even $50 in a year cooking pizza at home, you can add that money to the frozen pizza savings of $260 to save a total of $310. 

My daughter Florence Paget bought a large pizza stone for $75, but you can buy them on Amazon and other cookware outlets for about $50 now. 

If your family eats frozen pizza on a weekly basis, the pizza stone will pay for itself in one year at either $75 or $50. It is also a good buy for flavor. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Napoleon: A Life reviewed by Ruth Paget

Napoleon: A Life Reviewed by Ruth Paget 

Readers interested in the history that created modern France might enjoy the biography Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts (869 pages in Kindle version). 

Napoleon fought 70 battles and won 63 Roberts writes. Despite losing the decisive battle at Waterloo, the values of the French Revolution had become entrenched among the citizens of France no matter who later led the nation. 

Roberts enlivens the chronology of battles by writing about the generals who led them, many of whom later held positions of power when Napoleon declared himself emperor.  

Roberts writes about Napoleon’s military genius strategy of breaking up a large army into smaller units that could: 

-take advantage of terrain and microclimates 

-take advantage of battle victories that could break enemy lines into smaller units

-transmit communications quicker than larger units to obtain strategic objectives. 

I especially liked Roberts’ discussion of Napoleonic reforms that still exist in modern-day France such as: 

-the Légion d’Honneur, which French citizens from all levels of society could obtain 

-the Code Napoleon, the French legal code that France still uses as well as the state of Louisiana in the United States 

-the Lycée Français, or French high school, that also operates overseas as exclusive private schools notably in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco 

Roberts makes his biography of Napoleon read like a novel when he writes about Napoleon installing his relatives on thrones only to betray him and his mother who saves money in case relatives on thrones lose them so they have bread. 

Americans interested in Napoleon’s family might be interested to learn that his brother Joseph, the King of Spain, emigrated to the United States and lived in Bordentown, New Jersey. (See my blog on Bordentown, New Jersey for information about this town.) 

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts is a very readable biography about a turbulent time in French history that francophiles and military leaders alike might enjoy reading. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

UChicago list of ethnic restaurants promotes business reposted by Ruth Paget

The linguistics department at the University of Chicago put together a list of ethnic restaurants in Chicago for its students that promotes business in general.  

Other cities and towns might be interested in making a similar list.

The website follows:

https://linguistics.uchicago.edu/notes-access-interesting-food-chicago

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

First QR Code Donation today by Ruth Paget

I made my first donation today using a QR code to Youth for Understanding exchange program for its scholarship fund.

To use a QR code, you open the camera function on your phone and aim it at the square code.  Guidelines surround the code.  You snap a photo.  An oblong bar will appear on your screen.  Tap the bar and you will be taken to your donation page.

Once there, you can see the monetary goal and amount raised so far as well as credit card information.

Once you donate, you can request a receipt.

I liked not having to type a long web address and liked having the donation going in immediately.

For information about YFU, check out their website.

https://yfuusa.org

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Virtual Genealogy Project (Pennington Family) for Ruth Paget by Ruth Paget

Virtual Genealogy Project (Pennington Family) for Ruth Paget and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

One of the skills I learned while studying for an MLIS in Library and Information Science at San José State University in California was how to do genealogical research using public records such as newspaper obituaries and death notices. 

A librarian’s rite of passage prank is to have a newbie open a tightly coiled microfiche film container and put it into a reader only to have it fly half way across the library, because you failed to “firmly hold the microfiche on one side” while feeding it through the reader. 

The second rite of passage is recoiling the microfiche and trying to find the needle in the haystack obituary for an approximate death date of “sometime in 1898.” Once you find the obituary, you have to tightly recoil the microfiche to fit in a small tubular canister without letting it fly across the library again. 

Library staff like to remind librarians “only librarians with a master’s degree can do the genealogical work. That’s not in our job description.” 

Since I have graduated from library school, many genealogical records have been uploaded to the internet, most notably to ancestry.com. Genealogical research appears to have moved into phase 2.0 with many records appearing in search engines like Google.  

I recently did a virtual project test on my English Pennington ancestors. The first names of my ancestors reflect religious dissent through generations of Baptists, Quakers, Puritans, Church of England members (Episcopalians in the US), and maybe even some Masons. 

I was happy with the results of my online search and recorded the results below. G before a number means “generation.” 

G16 - Florence Paget

-daughter of Ruth (Pennington) Paget and Laurent Paget

G15 – Ruth Paget – Maiden Name: Pennington

-daughter of Clarence Pennington and Beatrice May Sawle 

Born: Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan 

G14 – Clarence Pennington 

-son of Frederick McKinley Pennington and Rose Nora Belle Thomas 

Born: Lee County, Pennington Gap, Virginia 

Died: Lee County, Pennington Gap, Virginia 

G13 - Frederick McKinley Pennington 

-son of Charles W. Pennington and Nancy Arminta Clark 

Born: 1896, Virginia 

Died: 1958, Virginia 

G12 – Charles W. Pennington

-son of Greenberry Pennington and Letitia Robbins 

Born: 1862, Lee County, Virginia 

Died: 1932, Lee County, Virginai 

G11 – Greenberry Pennington 

-son of Charles Daniel Pennington and Dianah Parsons 

Born: 1826, Lee County, Virginia 

Died: 1894, Lee County, Virginia 

G10 – Charles Daniel Pennington 

-son of Micajeh Pennington Jr and Nancy Baker

Born: 1804, Lee County, Virginia 

Died: 1876, Lee County, Virginia 

G9 – Micajeh M Pennington Jr 

-son of Micaajeh Pennington Sr and Rachel Jones

Born: 1763, Wilkes County, North Carolina 

Died: 1850, Harlan County, Kentucky  

G8 – Captain Micajeh M Pennington Sr 

-son of Benajeh Pennington Sr and Elizabeth Humphrey 

Born: 1743, North Carolina 

Died: 1815, Wilkes County, North Carolina 

G7 –Benajeh Pennington Sr

 -son of Epharaim Pennington IV and Joanna Davis 

Born: 1723, Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina 

Died: about 1794, Wilkes County, North Carolina 

G6 - Ephraim Pennington IV 

-son of Ephraim Pennington III and Mary, a Delaware Native American 

Born: about 1689 in Morristown, Middlesex, New Jersey 

Died: about 1750 in Rowan, Bladen, North Carolina 

G5 – Ephraim Pennington III 

-son of Ephraim Pennington II and Mary Brockett

Born: about 1668, Newark, Essex, New Jersey 

Died: about 1694, Morris, New Jersey

G4 – Ephraim Pennington II 

-son of Ephraim Pennington I and Mary (no name given) 

Born: about 1645, New Haven, Connecticut 

Died: 1693, Newark, Essex, New Jersey 

G3 – Ephraim Pennington I 

-Founding family of Newark, New Jersey

-son of William Pennington and Marie Wilson

Born: about 1629, Muncaster Parish, Cumberland, England 

Died: About 1660, New Haven, Connecticut 

G2 – William Ephraim Pennington

-son of John Pennington Esquire and Ellen Leigh 

Born: before 1595, Wigen, Lancashire, England 

Died: About 1652, Muncaster, Cumberland,, England 

G1 – John Pennington Esquire 

-Born July 5, 1573, Hawkshead, Lancashire, England

-Died: About 1652 in England 

Note: Legal names may differ from baptismal names. 

I enjoyed gathering this information and liked finding all the family groups that I am related to by marriage as well. You have to verify what you find out about your family online, but it does give you material to start with when researching your family history.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Sherlock Holmes Pub in Carmel, California by Ruth Paget

The Sherlock Holmes Pub in Carmel, California is closed now, but I used to love going there for British Pub fare and a Newcastle Brown Ale.  

Thank you Monterey County Weekly for retrieving this fun article about “my local” out of the archives.  The review follows:

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/carmel-s-sherlock-holmes-pub-mixes-british-and-american-classics/article_618a214d-352a-5f95-999f-307c9f027e3a.amp.html

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Au Jus: The Beef and Veal Society Game Created by Ruth Paget

Au Jus: The Beef and Veal Society Game Created by Ruth Paget 

One of the simplest sauce you can make for any type of meal is an au jus sauce, which is the cooking liquid. I add crushed shallot or garlic, sea salt, and chopped parsley to this and spoon it over the meat and buttered mashed potatoes and vegetables like green beans. I like simple preparations. 

I mostly cook pork chops, T-bone steaks, lamb shank, and now that I am older hamburgers for events like July 4th. The secret to cooking these items is knowing the weight and the internal temperature for the doneness you would like. In this game, you will learn some basic buying and cooking skills that will make your beef and veal purchases the best value for your money. 

Game Objectives: 

1-Describe meat cut by name 

2-Memorize cooking temperatures for desired doneness 

3-Identify where cuts come from using an animal map 

4-Reward: Learn to grill hamburgers 

Materials Needed: 

-The book Meat Illustrated: A Foolproof Guide by Cook’s Illustrated

-Index cards 

-pen 

-tracing paper 

-notebook paper 

-square stove top grill 

-metal spatula

-meat thermometer 

-your favorite fixings for hamburger 

Game 1: Describe Meat Cut by Name 

On an index card, write the main meat cut name and the subcategory name on the front. On the back of the card, note in your own words where the cut comes from on the cow or calf. You will use the following meat cut vocabulary for this game: 

*chuck 

-chuck-eye roast 

-chuck-eye steak 

-top-blade roast 

-blade steak 

-flat-iron steak 

-bone chuck roast 

*Rib

-first-cut standing rib roast

-second cut standing rib roast 

-rib steak 

-double-cut bone-in rib steak 

-rib-eye steak 

*Short Loin 

-top loin roast 

-boneless strip steak 

-porterhouse steak 

*Tenderloin 

-whole beef tenderloin 

-center-cut beef tenderloin roast 

-filet mignon 

*Sirloin -top sirloin roast -top sirloin steak -tri-tip roast -flap meat 

*Round 

-top round roast

-bottom round roast 

-boneless eye 

– round roast 

*Brisket 

-flat-cut brisket 

-point-cut brisket 

*Plate 

-skirt steak 

-beef plate ribs 

*Flank 

-flank steak 

*Short Ribs 

-English-style short ribs 

-Flanken-style short ribs 

*Shanks and oxtails 

-beef shanks 

-oxtails 

*Veal 

-shoulder roast 

-veal rib chops 

-veal cutlets 

-veal shanks 

Quiz yourself on the cut names and how to describe them till you know them. This list is long, but offers hours of free entertainment. 

Game 2: Memorize Cooking Temperature for Desired Doneness 

Page 11 in Meat Illustrated lists the cooking time temperatures while cooking and after resting to let cooking juices distribute evenly throughout the meat. There are only 10 items to memorize here, but they will make you feel more confident about cooking meat. 

Write the doneness levels down on the front of the index cards for cooking temperature and resting temperature. On the back of the cards, note the temperature for the various levels. 

Quiz yourself till you know the information. 

Game 3: Describe where the meat cuts come from on an animal map 

Use the tracing paper to outline the cow map in Meat Illustrated. Use a number to note where the main cuts come from. On notebook paper, write down the numbers. Use the map you drew on tracing paper to identify cuts and location and note them. Use the book’s animal map as an answer key. 

Quiz yourself till you know the information. 

Game 4: Reward: Grill Hamburgers according to the directions in Meat Illustrated 

Enjoy your burger and be ready for July 4th and summer picnics. 

(Note: My family orders sirloin burgers from Omaha Steaks.  They come individually wrapped in easy-to-open packaging.  They sell hot dogs, pork chops, chicken, and seafood, too.  Omaha Steaks are a novel holiday gift.)

Happy grilling! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Greek Grape Leaf Recipes and Nutrient Profile reposted by Ruth Paget

The 5 Ways to Cook with Grape Leaves blog that follows looks great:

https://blog.markethallfoods.com/inside-market-hall/5-ways-to-cook-with-grape-leaves

Sautéed Greek grape leaves with lemon juice and olive oil are called Horta.  A blog recipe for them follows:

https://foragerchef.com/horta/

Department of Agriculture Information on how to prepare fresh grape leaves:

https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-08/266942.pdf

Grape leaves’ nutrient profile follows:

https://foodstruct.com/food/grape-leaves

You might want to check this information with some other sources.  I used this site, because I liked the visual presentation of information.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Organic Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad at the Stillwater Bar and Grill at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Organic Spinach and Blue Cheese Salad at Stillwater Bar and Grill in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget  

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I decided to eat Sunday lunch at the newly re-opened Lodge at Pebble Beach, California. 

Our restaurant choice was the Stillwater Bar and Grill, which has large windows that look out over the Pacific and the 18th (5-par) hole on the golf course. The Stillwater serves American food with a great selection of seafood. 

What I really wanted on the fall day we went, though, was a salad. 

Monterey County grows delicious organic produce, so I celebrated fall with a “feel-good” salad as people in Detroit where I grew up were wont to say about the Greek salads we consumed in abundance during winter months to stay healthy. Stillwater’s “feel-good” salad is the California Coastal Spinach Salad is a lacto-ovo vegetarian’s dream. (Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy in addition to produce.) 

This vitamin-rich salad contains: 

-baby spinach 

-frisée lettuce 

-magenta-colored endive 

-corn kernals 

-red grape halves

-cherry tomato halves

 -small cucumber slices 

-chunks of avocado 

-chunks of Port Reyes blue cheese

-toasted and sliced almonds 

The blue cheese dressing ties all these rather sweet ingredients together and adds additional protein and calcium to the blue cheese that is already in the salad. Blue cheese also contains iodine and selenium, which provide several health benefits as well.

Along with this delicious salad, I ate grilled baguette slices that had been stuffed with slices of Brie cheese and mushroom slices. The baguette slices were buttered, and the grilling gave them a golden, crunchy crust. The Brie cheese inside the baguette melted around the mushrooms, making each bite an oozing bite of deliciousness. 

Laurent and Florence both ate a seared sole fillet with baby vegetables and drank a Tiefenbrunner pinot grigio from Italy’s northeastern Alto-Adige region, which borders Austria. (This region has also been called the Sud Tyrol.) Both Laurent and Florence said the fish and wine together were a nice way to begin celebrating the holidays. 

For dessert, Florence and Laurent shared the Valrhona chocolate cake. I ate the toasted walnut cake that was loaded with caramelized milk whip and came with candied walnuts that were flavored with lavender. The desserts completed the meal and made me skip dinner. 

The meal was just wonderful and filling. 

The Stillwater Bar and Grill in Pebble Beach, California is a nice spot for weekend lunches with family (several came in while we were there) and gatherings for the holidays. The Lodge has private rooms and catering facilities for large events as well. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Deluxe Bar Nibbles at Traps Lounge in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Deluxe Bar Nibbles at Traps Lounge in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

The place for deluxe bar nibbles at Pebble Beach, California is Traps Lounge located next to Pèppoli Restaurant (25 years at Pebble Beach and counting). 

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went out for a bar nibble meal recently that turned into a pretty delicious light dinner. Laurent and Florence shared an artisanal cheese plate that came with sharp cheddar cheese and loads of fresh Roquefort along with organic berries from Monterey County. 

Laurent ordered a very good Italian wine to go with the cheese – a 2023 Chianti Classico made by Antinori. The bottle had the distinguishing marks of a good Chianti – a rooster on the label and the letters DOCG on a ribbon label around the wine bottle’s neck. DOCG means “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” in Italian and designates this Chianti as having the highest legal rank a wine can carry in Italy. 

The Chianti Classico was dry and tasted of dried red berries and walnuts – all good flavors to go with artisanal cheese. 

While Laurent and Florence ate the cheese, I ate a jumbo shrimp cocktail with horseradish-rich cocktail sauce, which I love. The meaty shrimp whetted my appetite for more bar nibbles. 

I ordered the spicy, 10-wings plate with thick and creamy blue cheese dressing to share with Florence. This wing combination was famous as a specialty of Buffalo, New York when I was growing up in Detroit, Michigan. I liked being a working class sophisticate and always ordered the blue cheese dipping sauce like it was served in Buffalo as a teen. 

Laurent ordered the spaghetti Bolognese (a chopped roast boar and tomato sauce) as his main dish. He said it tasted great with the Chianti Classico. This dish also came with shaved slices of Parmesan cheese. 

The next time I go to Traps Lounge, I will order the pasta Bolognese, too. The spaghetti in this dish is house made and a little thicker than spaghetti made from dried pasta. 

The bar nibbles quickly became a nice meal at Traps Lounge at Pebble Beach (California), because the food was so good. 

If you like upscale bar dishes, the Traps Lounge at Pebble Beach is first-rate food tourism for you. 

(Note: You can buy the Chianti Classico by Antinori at the Stave Tasting Room at Pebble Beach.)

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Tonic Fall Deli Meal at the Gallery Cafe in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Tonic Fall Deli Lunch at the Gallery in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

Cool, rainy fall weather was the perfect setting for a spa lunch outing at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California for my daughter Florence Paget and me in mid-November 2025. 

We ordered fried calamari to start that came with a horseradish-rich dipping sauce. This crunchy treat has iron, B vitamins, and protein in it. Moderation, though, in eating is the key to keeping off weight when eating the yummy, crunchy breading. 

Then, I ordered a substantial deli-style Reuben sandwich that came with tender corned beef that was not overly salty, tangy Swiss cheese, salty but not watery sauerkraut, and piquant Russian dressing made with ketchup, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. The bread, of course, was a slightly bitter, grilled marbled rye. I like this flavor combination. 

The Reuben came with a neat mound of deep-fried onion rings and a house-made dill pickle. Onions contain many antioxidants, so I always order them when give that option. 

My favorite thing to drink with a Reuben is a pilsner beer, but I ordered unsweetened iced tea instead. The tea the Gallery uses is a strong black one, probably Indian Darjeeling. Black tea is an antioxidant, so I also order tea on spa lunches. (I call pretty healthy lunches “spa lunches.) 

My daughter Florence shared the calamari with me. For her main dish, Florence ordered a Killer Klub. The Killer Klub was made with the usual combination of turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato, and lettuce along with slices of fresh avocado – a very California touch. (Hamburger tastes good with avocado slices, too.) 

For people who enjoy cool, fall weather, Pebble Beach offers several activities to do besides golf – golf lessons, horseback riding, spa services, and walks along the oceanfront. Bird watchers can often see several species fly right over their heads and nest. 

I like to visit Pebble Beach to try out the dining options in fall, so I would add food tourism to the list of things to do at Pebble Beach, California. 

Enjoy the perfect sweater weather this fall with a great meal! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

King Trumpet: The Mushroom Society Game Created by Ruth Paget

King Trumpet: The Mushroom Society Game Created by Ruth Paget 

Different mushroom types provide varied nutritional and flavor profiles. In this game, you will gain knowledge to be a better mushroom purchaser and/or seller. 

Game Objectives: 

1-Know how various kinds of mushrooms grow 

2-Know where (which countries or regions) different mushroom varieties come from 

3-Know the nutritional value of different kinds of mushrooms 

4-Know preferred cooking methods for each mushroom type 

5-Reward 1: Choose a mushroom broth to make 

6-Reward 2: Make a recipe from the book 

Materials Needed: 

-The book Mushroom Gastronomy by Krista Towns 

-index cards 

-pens 

Game 1: Know How Various Kinds of Mushrooms Grow 

Knowing how various kinds of grow helps you identify them in the wild and in stores or markets For this entire series of games you will be dealing with the following varieties of mushrooms. 

Note on the front of an index card, the mushroom name. One the back of the index card, note how it grows and what it looks like: 

1-beech (shimeji) 

2-black trumpet 

3-button cremini 

4-portobello 

5-candy cap 

6-cauliflower (sparassis) 

7-chanterelle 

8-chicken of the woods 

9-cordyceps 

10-hedgehog 

11-huitalacoche 

12-king trumpet 

13-lion’s mane 

14-lobster mushroom 

15-maitake 

16-matsutake 

17-morel 

18-nebrodini 

19-oyster 

20-pioppino 

21-porcini 

22-reishi 

23-shitake 

45-truffle 

Quiz yourself on the mushroom names and how they grow till you know them. 

Game 2: Know Where (which country or region) Different Mushroom Varieties Grow 

Knowing the country or region a mushroom comes from helps you determine what kind of cuisine it might go best with such as French or Italian. 

Note the names of the mushroom varieties listed in game 1 on the front of an index card. On the back of the index card, note the region where the mushroom variety is from. 

Quiz yourself on the mushroom variety and the country and/or region of origin till you know them. 

Game 3: Know the Nutritional Value of Different Kinds of Mushrooms 

Knowing the nutritional value of different kinds of mushrooms helps consumers make better purchasing decisions and sellers make better marketing materials. 

For this game, note the mushroom variety name on the front of an index card and the nutritional value on the back that is listed in Mushroom Gastronomy. 

Quiz yourself on the mushroom varieties and their nutritional value till you know them. 

Game 4: Know the Preferred Cooking Methods for Different Mushroom Types 

The book Mushroom Gastronomy details the different cooking methods for mushrooms. You might want to review this section before playing this game. 

For this game, note the mushroom varieties from game 1 on the front of an index card. On the back of the index card, note the preferred cooking methods for each mushroom type. 

Quiz yourself on the mushroom types and preferred cooking methods till you know them. 

Game 5: Reward 1 – Choose a Mushroom Broth to Make 

Mushroom broths can be used as vegan soup stocks, so making them is a useful skill to have. Mushroom broths taste meaty without the expense and have good nutrients. 

Game 6: Reward 2 – Choose a Recipe to Make 

Mushroom Gastronomy is a well-organized cookbook, so try the recipes as a society game. The Mushroom Medley section has recipes that will work with white button mushrooms from the grocery store. 

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Pretzels, Angus Burgers, and Rock Music at the Firestone Walker Taproom in Paso Robles, California by Ruth Paget

Pretzels and Angus-Sharp Cheddar Cheeseburgers at Firestone Walker Brewery Taproom in Paso Robles, California by Ruth Paget 

After a day of touring in Morro Bay and the Paso Robles wine country in California, my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to the Firestone Walker Taproom for lunch. 

Stacked barrels greet you at the entrance of the Taproom that remind me of the bierkellers (beer cellars) I saw when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany. Firestone Walker is Anglo-American, so I should more properly call it a public house or “pub.” 

I think it is a great California brew pub offering fish and chips, burgers, deep-fried fish tacos, and salads on its menu. I like these meal options in bars. 

We started our meal with a huge warm, brown crusted, soft pretzel. We cut off chunks and dipped them in warm cheese sauce followed by sweet honey mustard sauce. That flavor combination for me is the taste of sweet German memories of visiting Munich. Pretzels seem to taste better in brisk fall weather redolent of freshly pressed wine grapes in Paso Robles. 

The Firestone Walker Taproom serves Angus hamburgers, which I love. I ordered a Cali-Western burger that came with sharp cheddar, honeyed bacon strips, and BBQ sauce. The two patties were juicy and cooked medium; the way I like it. I ordered skinny fries to go with my bar treat meal. 

I had fun listening to the rock music at Firestone Walker Tap Room and enjoying the end of a recharge vacation in Paso Robles, California. 

(Note: We stayed in the Springhill Suites Hotel in Paso Robles, California and all thought it was comfortable and had an easy to access location off Highway 101.)

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Calamari Appetizers and Seafood Pasta at Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant in Morro Bay, California by Ruth Paget

Calamari and Seafood Pasta at Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant in Morro Bay, California by Ruth Paget 

Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant in Morro Bay, California really does sit on the docks with coolers used to store fish in during the trip from the ocean to shore. The restaurant’s warm and cozy interior sets the tone for a sumptuous Italian seafood meal. 

On the night my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went for dinner, I started with lightly fried calamari cone-shaped bodies and tentacles with horseradish heavy cocktail sauce. The octopus bodies tasted of briny saltwater. I loved every bite. 

Laurent ate six Morrro Bay oysters that he said reminded him of Oléron oysters in Charentes-Maritime, France. Oléron oysters have a less salty taste and are clearer than other oysters. If you like raw oysters, they are a perfect winter appetizer. Florence ate a creamy clam chowder as her starter and said she would be back for more. 

Laurent and I ordered seafood pasta in Alfredo sauce that came with sliced scallops, whole sautéed shrimp, and an entire Pacific cod fillet that was chopped into large chunks. The Alfredo sauce was thick and creamy with loads of Parmesan, white wine for flavor, and a little garlic. The portion was large. We both ate every bit of our delicious iodine- and selenium-rich winter supper. 

Florence ordered Pacific cod fish and chips and ate the garlic bread topped with melted Parmesan that came with our pasta meals. 

If you want to stroll along the oceanfront after dinner like the Italians, it is easy to do. You can even check out seafood companies located dockside. 

Tognazinni’s Dockside Restaurant is a perfect spot for seafood lovers and those who believe in the therapeutic benefits of a winter shellfish meal. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Franco-Italian Meal at Novo Restaurant and Lounge in San Luis Obispo, California by Ruth Paget

Franco-Italian Meal at Novo Restaurant and Lounge in San Luis Obispo, California by Ruth Paget 

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to San Luis Obispo, California to have a dinner creekside at Novo Restaurant and Lounge. We reserved a table on the terrace, but rain drove us inside and downstairs to the wine cellar room. We settled in for a delicious meal of steaks for Laurent and Florence and seafood pasta for me. 

We began our meal with the chèvre sharing plate. Everything was heated up and arrived very warm and fragrant of thyme. The plate held a generous bowl of chèvre, marinated black and green olives, a confit of red and yellow plum tomatoes, and toast crostini. 

The chèvre sharing plate would be perfect for catering for cocktail parties with French themes like a Bastille Day Party, the French Open, the Tour de France, or Cannes Film Festival Week. 

I also loved the papardelle al limone I ordered which seems to have its origins in Southern Italy. However, the French capital of lemons, Menton, might do something similar. 

Novo’s version of this dish is pretty over the top with a zesty spice flavor. The papardelle ribbon pasta was made with only egg yolks, which gave the pasta an almost orange color and velvety texture. The pasta sauce was made with lemon juice, cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. (In Southern Italy, they probably use pecorino cheese in this sauce, but Parmesan is an elegant substitute.) 

The papardelle al limone was loaded with briny shrimp, slightly sour artichoke hearts, savory broccolini pieces, tart sun-dried tomatoes, and zesty and pungent red chili peppers. The red chili flakes may have been Calabrian. I liked this combination very much, but other diners might want fewer peppers. 

The papardelle al limone would be good dish for a small dinner party too with Italian themes like the Venice Film Festival or the Milan Fashion Week. 

Both the chèvre sharing plate and the papardelle al limone made me happy despite rain on our mini vacation to San Luis Obispo. 

Novo is most famous for its steaks and lamb shank, but they offer several dining options including curries, risottos, salads, and papardelle. The extensive wine list and full bar has a match for everything. 

Diners will find many dishes to choose from at Novo Restaurant and Lounge in San Luis Obispo, California, making it a great spot for large parties with varying tastes. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Pescado a la Veracruzano at La Tortuga in Seaside, California by Ruth Paget

Thank you Monterey County Weekly (Circulation: 200,000) for pulling up my review of La Tortuga in Seaside,California from the archives.

I loved the pescado a la Veracruzano in the old neighborhood.

La Tortuga Review by Ruth Paget

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

A Blessed Eid by Ruth Paget

Thank you Monterey County Weekly (Circulation: 200,000) for retrieving my article A Blessed Eid: Local Muslims Bake for the End of Ramadan from archives.  

My article follows:

A Blessed Eid by Ruth Paget

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France