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

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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

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!

UChicago Book Sale Link

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

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Nourishing Waffles by Ruth Paget

Nourishing Waffles by Ruth Paget 

I learned that waffles, even toaster Eggo waffles, contain protein and calcium thanks to the egg and milk in their ingredients in my health and nutrition classes in junior high and high school in Detroit, Michigan where many descendants of Dutch origin live. 

According to Wonderful Mini Waffles by Catherine-Gail Reinhard and the editors at Dash, waffles are Dutch and came to what is now the United States in the 1620s when the Dutch founded New Amsterdam (later named New York). 

From New York, waffles spread throughout the US especially with Dutch settlers like my teachers and classmates in Detroit. My thin teachers told us to limit ourselves to two small waffles with two tablespoons maple syrup to keep calories down. (Maple syrup was readily available to us in Michigan.) 

When I moved to Europe in the late 1980s, I ate warm waffles with powdered sugar on them that I bought from street vendors in Brussels, Belgium as I toured comfortably well off Brussels that is rich on lambic beer and the income of Europe’s civil servants. 

Belgium is also a famous country for waffles thanks to the country’s Flemish population. The Flemish are the Catholic cousins of the Protestant Dutch north of Belgium. 

Waffles are easy to make at home with a waffle iron. You have to remember to only fill the bottom of the iron with batter. You lower the top lid on top of the base. The waffles ingredients will make the waffle rise to double its size with the heat.

I own an excellent cookbook that has recipes for both sweet and savory waffles (162 pages) that was written as a companion book to go with a Dash mini waffle iron (4-inches in diameter). The cookbook entitled Wonderful Mini Wafles, was written by Catherine-Gail Reinhard. Three sweet waffle recipes stand out to make this book a great purchase. 

The stand out recipes include: 

-classic recipes made with eggs, milk, flour, and batter (waffle batter is made with more butter than pancakes) 

-Belgian Liège waffles made like classic waffles with the addition of vanilla, honey, and cinnamon  

-banana bread waffles made with mashed bananas, buttermilk, and brown sugar 

Readers who might enjoy this book include: 

-young families 

-college students 

-baby sitters

-lacto-ovo vegetarians

For everything about sweet and savory waffles, Wonderful Mini Waffles by Christine-Gail Reinhard is an excellent purchase. 

(Note: To try waffles in Salinas, California check out Waffles Breakfast and Lunch Restaurant on North Main Street by Saigon Noodle and Grocery Outlet or IHOP on West Davis Road by Carl’s Junior, Sonic, Mountain Mike’s, Vallarta Supermarket and taqueria, 24-hour gas station, and AAA.)

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

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BLT Sandwich Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

BLT Sandwich Recipe Created by Ruth Paget 

When I live in Chicago (Illinois) for several years after I graduated from the University of Chicago, I made BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwiches when I would come home from work for lunch. (I lived across the street from the office in the corncob towers.) 

I would fry a pound of bacon on Sunday, cut up tomatoes, and tear up lettuce leaves and put them in airtight containers in the refrigerator to put together sandwiches during the week. I bought nice condiments at the Treasure Island grocery store a few blocks over and fancy German pumpernickel bread. 

Serves 1

Ingredients: 

-2 slices toasted bread 

-2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

-4 or 5 slices cooked bacon broken in half 

-2 tomato slices 

-2 leaves iceberg lettuce 

Steps: 

1-Spread mayonnaise on two slices of toasted bread. 

2-Place bacon on top of one slice. Follow with the tomatoes and then the lettuce. 

3-Place the second slice of bread on top of the lettuce and press down to hold the sandwich together.

If you would like a spicier BLT sandwich, substitute mustard-mayonnaise, horseradish-mayonnaise, or sriracha-mayonnaise for the mayonnaise. 

You can also replace the bacon with ham (Costco Kirkland brand is very good), grilled zucchini or squash cut lengthwise, or a fried egg. 

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

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Whalefest is April 12 and 13 in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Whalefest is set for April 12 and 13 (2025) in Monterey, California - tours, talks, and family events - for more information, click on the event link below:

Whalefest Information

Have fun and plan early!

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

Hibachi Salmon and Mango Cheesecake at Roy's in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Hibachi Salmon and Mango Cheesecake at Roy’s in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

Roy’s in Pebble Beach, California is like a little piece of Maui in Monterey County. 

It is a Hawaiian themed restaurant that serves several fish selections worthy of a Japanese steak house. (Descendants of Japanese farm workers make up one of Hawaii’s large ethnic groups.) 

I ordered the hibachi salmon at Roy’s, which is made with wild caught salmon (expect market pricing). 

Hibachi refers to a flat-topped grill used to make this dish and the name for the sauce used to flavor the salmon. The citrusy sauce is made with soy sauce, honey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, and a little white pepper. (Recipe source: weekdaypescatarian.com). These ingredients are delicious alone and even better when mixed together. 

The salmon is grilled first before adding the sauce. At Roy’s, the skin on the salmon is papery thin and crunchy. I ate it at Roy’s, but usually leave it at other restaurants. 

Roy’s adds some theatrical flourishes to the hibachi salmon. They top it with silky, sweet pieces of preserved ginger. On top of the ginger, they place a swirling mound of shaved strands of daikon radish. 

The hibachi salmon is served over rice with tender, steamed broccolini on the side. All the flavors blend together just like they are supposed to for an optimal dining experience. 

The dessert was tops, too: a mango cheesecake with pink guava sauce and lemon icing made from tart, freshly squeezed lemons. 

We sat at a window seat with a view on the ocean. I thought the terraced desk outside would be a great place to watch the sunset or listen to the bagpiper at 6 pm with an exotic dessert from Roy’s ($18 each) and a coffee. 

Roy’s is a splurge restaurant, but it is much less expensive than eating a comparable meal in Maui. 

If you want to eat a Hawaiian meal stateside, Roy’s restaurant in Pebble Beach, California is a great choice for you. 

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

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Reuben Sandwich Deal at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Reuben Sandwich Deal at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

The Pebble Beach Market across from the Lodge in Pebble Beach (California) has a pretty good sandwich deal for Reuben sandwiches, that comes with Vicki’s sea salt chips and a large soda for about $24 as of 4/3/2025. 

There is a picnic area to the right of the store with tables and wooden lawn chairs in front of the store to do people watching at the Lodge. There are also picnic tables at three pull-offs between China Rock and Bird Rock. 

The reuben is a German-inspired sandwich I learned to eat at the University of Chicago when I was a student there. It is made with grilled rye bread, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. 

Corned beef has been preserved with salt. Before refrigeration existed, this preservation method ensured that you could eat beef on a regular basis without getting sick. 

The corned beef at The Market was freshly cut for the reuben sandwich. It was moist, flavorful, and warm from grilling. 

The sauerkraut was mild and plentiful and packed with Vitamin C and fiber. The Swiss cheese was sharp and added some pleasant acidity to the sandwich. 

What made the sandwich stand out was the Russian dressing. At Pebble Beach, this dressing is made with mayonnaise, a hint of ketchup, lots of grated horseradish, and chives. The horseradish is also loaded with Vitamin C and piquant. The Russian dressing pulls the sandwich’s flavors together. 

The Market at Pebble Beach offers hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and soup.  You can sample the Tap Room’s chili here, too.

For more information on sandwiches, check out: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History, and Trivia for Everything Between Sliced Bread by Susan Russo 

Every college student and parent should know what is in here for making sandwiches for themselves and/or getting gig jobs in sandwich shops. 

For people who make a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5 days, a sandwich is a nice dinner that can be quickly made along with a fruit salad.

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

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Surviving Babel - a review by Ruth Paget

Surviving Babel – a review by Ruth Paget 

Babel by R.F. Kuang is a highly readable story about how racism in 19th century Great Britain affected its foreign policy. 

Kuang’s anti-hero is Robin Swift, an Anglo-Chinese student at the Royal Institute of Translation, called Babel, at Oxford University. Kuang’s novel is set in 1830s England where silver makes the British Empire run. Babel’s translations create magical silver that fund the student stipends and contribute to the British Empire’s wealth. 

The British Empire’s problem in Babel is that the silver is running out due to buying luxury goods from India and China. These two countries want nothing that England produces making the Indians and Chinese accumulate vast reserves of silvers as the British silver funds are being depleted. 

This situation creates the need for certain languages to be taught at Babel and the economic argument to promote the Opium Drug Wars between England and China. 

Robin Swift and his classmates learned languages to fill needs of the British Empire with no other perceived alternatives offered for employment. This negative learning environment brings in Babel’s crime element, which is threaded throughout Robin Swift’s student years and “career.” 

Learning about the traditions and lifestyle at Babel and Oxford University keeps Kuang’s novel from being a pessimistic reading experience. I liked learning about the insider names of the various academic quarters at Oxford and about the third and fourth year qualifying exams, the internships, the immersive language experiences, and profitable languages for translation. 

That students could work during the social upheaval of 19th century Great Britain illustrates the strength of Oxford University as an institution that it still benefits from today as the training ground for the United Kingdom’s leaders.

Readers who might enjoy Babel by R.F. Kuang include: 

-diplomats

-translators 

-military intelligence officers

-economists 

-students applying for fellowships to study at Oxford 

-travelers 

I enjoyed Babel by R.F. Kuang because I was an undergraduate student in East Asian Studies. This novel is definitely a book I would have discussed with my classmates over coffee and pastries at the University of Chicago in the Regenstein Library’s coffee shop. 

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

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University of Chicago Press Book Sale and Odyssey New Release by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press has a book sale now through June 15, 2025 and a new release of the Odyssey translation out by Daniel Mendelsohn.

University of Chicago Press Sale Information

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

Salade Niçoise with the Works at La Parisienne Restaurant in Aiken, South Carolina by Ruth Paget

Salade Niçoise with the Works at La Parisienne Restaurant in Aiken, South Carolina by Ruth Paget 

After a morning of touring the Savannah River Site Museum where my husband Laurent and I learned about the physics and chemistry used in running a nuclear power plant, we set out for the La Parisienne Restaurant and Bakery located just off Chesterfield Street in downtown Aiken, South Carolina. 

The day was warm already in the 70s in January in Aiken. I ordered one of my favorite French lunches – a salade Niçoise, which comes with the works at La Parisienne. 

When Laurent and I lived in Stuttgart (Germany0, I made salade Niçoise every week to help fight colds. My easy version of the salad has tuna on top of a mound of baby greens. I place rinsed, canned green beans around the sides of the lettuce along with a few anchovies. 

On the bottom of the salad mound, I alternate boiled egg halves, tomato quarters, and large Greek Kalamata olives. We used Paul Newman vinaigrette most of the time in Germany. 

My salade Niçoise is good for everday, but La Parisienne’s version is really tops with all the garden fresh ingredients they use. La Parisienne places a generous helping of dandelion greens in the bottom of a large salad bowl as the foundation of their salade Niçoise. 

On top of the dandelions greens, they place the following ingredients:  

-flaked tuna -boiled potato halves 

-sliced small peppers of various colors 

-sliced red onions 

-sliced boiled eggs 

-small Niçoise black olives 

-sliced tomatoes 

-sliced radishes 

-thin green beans 

The small and thin vegetables are supposed to offer concentrated and distinct flavors, which is true of the layered flavors in the salade Niçoise at La Parisienne. It tasted great on a warm and humid day. 

The vinaigrette especially made the salad taste good. It was made with white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sunflower oil. That flavor combination always reminds me of eating in the countryside in France. 

The salade Niçoise at La Parisienne Restaurant and Bakery in Aiken, South Carolina filled me up, but dessert lovers might like a piece of the lattice crusted pies that remind me of linzertortes from Linz, Austria. 

Travelers will be well rewarded with a stop for lunch or dinner at La Parisienne in Aiken, South Carolina. 

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

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Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Created by Ruth Paget

Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe Created by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 pound bag of cleaned lettuce 

-6 medium Campari tomatoes 

-1/2 red onion 

-black, pitted Kalamata olives (optional)

-4 chicken breasts (about 1 pound all together)

-3 tablespoons olive oil 

-oil and vinegar dressing or lemon juice and oil dressing 

Steps: 

1-Rinse 1 pound lettuce in cold water and drain it to perk it up and chill it. Mound lettuce in a large serving bowl. 

2-Rinse tomatoes. Cut them into sixths. Place tomato slices in a separate bowl. 

3-Peel red onion and slice it thinly. Place onion slices in a separate bowl. 

4-Place black olives in a separate bowl.  

5-Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Cut to verify it is thoroughly cooked. The flesh should be white not pink when it is cooked. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a separate bowl. 

6-Place on all bowls on table with serving utensils, so diners can personalize their salad.

If possible, sprinkle fresh chopped chives or parsley on the salad.

(Note: You can substitute tuna, canned black beans, sesame seeds, or cheese cubes for the chicken or offer all of them for an eclectic dinner party.) 

(Note: Table wine can easily be turned into vinegar to use in vinegar and oil dressing - 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard for 2 to 3 people.  Maille or Pommery Dijon mustards are both good.  Sunflower oil can be used for a true Burgundy vinaigrette.)

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

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Creating a Historical Ghost Tour as a Gig Job Reposting by Ruth Paget

 A fellow alum from the University of Chicago created a ghost tour for her hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa that might interest other entrepreneurs - 

Ghost Tour Article from UChicago Magazine

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

Feta Omelets at the Agora Restaurant by Ruth Paget

Feta Omelets at the Agora Restaurant by Ruth Paget 

A delicious memory I have of attending the University of Chicago is eating feta omelets at the Agora Restaurant in Hyde Park before going to study at the Regenstein Library. 

My college roommate was a Greek-American, so getting her to support the local Greek diner was no problem. We took the University bus to the nearest stop and walked the final few blocks. 

We were the steady diners, but three of our friends always tried to make it to breakfast, too. I warned them that if they did not come, we would talk about them. One of our male friends joined us for breakfast once and called us the female mafia. 

By the time senior year rolled around, we spent our breakfasts sharing job-hunting information. We were looking for work in different industries, which made it easier to share what we had learned. There was a recession in 1986 with fewer recruiters coming to campus. We were unhappy about this, but industrious about finding work nonetheless. 

I had found an international job in downtown Chicago doing informational interviews. I was a salesman at a translation agency that also did public relations work. (I eventually helped two classmates get work with the agency doing foreign-language narration and teaching/cultural consulting.) 

Since I was employed, I bought two extra pots of coffee for the table, so my friends could have abundant coffee refills as we talked about Richard N. Bolles’ book What Color is Your Parachute?, which counsels people on how to find dream jobs. 

We were all mortified that employment agencies downtown had typing skills tests. I told everyone to bite the bullet and learn to type 50 words per minute without a mistake; it could help with finding a job. Most businesses still used IBM electric typewriters in 1986 and were just beginning to introduce desktop computers to the workplace. 

The University of Chicago had “Apple” computers in the study halls, but companies downtown used all kinds of computers with Microsoft software being introduced. Knowing lots of software programs was an asset and hard to obtain. 

The tech change happening in 1986 was stressful. I credit the food I ate during this period of competitive and stressful tech change with keeping me strong, able to sleep, and willing to learn new ways of organizing and presenting information. Notably, I loved my weekly calcium-rich feta omelet with sliced, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers preserved in olive oil. 

Greek diners offer plenty of nutritious sides to go with omelets like this that I always ate including bacon, whole wheat toast with butter, calcium-added orange juice, and real cream to go with coffee. (In addition to dealing with technological change, I credit this meal with preventing me from having osteoporosis – weak bones – later in life.) 

After this robust breakfast, the female mafia would walk to the Regenstein Library like the “Reg Rats” we really were for a day of studying as we thought of dream careers and the reality of entry-level jobs. 

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

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Marina Poké House in California by Ruth Paget

Marina’s Poké House in California by Ruth Paget 

Marina Poké House is a neighborhood restaurant that locals enjoy for the zesty ingredients and reasonable prices. Tourists might enjoy Marina Poké House for the Hawaiian fare at mainland prices, too. 

I have eaten the poke beginner’s California Bowl ($10.50) on several occasions. The California Bowl has three scoops of imitation crab (made from fish and delish) sushi and a scoop of chopped avocado on top of a generous base of rice. I usually have spicy aioli as my sauce. 

The bowls besides this are made to order and come in three sizes – small, medium, and large. When you order a custom bowl, specify the bowl size first and the number of fish you would like that determine the price you pay. 

To create a poké bowl, you have to choose four types of ingredients in a specific order. Marina Poké House makes this easy by listing steps in order on its menu as follows: 

1-Pick your base – rice, brown rice, or mixed local greens 

2-Pick your various fish, seafood, and/or tofu 

3-Pick your sauce from ponzu to wasabi mayonnaise 

4-Pick your topping – from avocado to kimchi to seaweed salad  

Marina’s Poké House serves Strawberry-Guava and Guava Nectar in cans among its beverage offerings for a nice counterpoint to the spicy sauces. 

For a discussion of poké’s history within the wider spectrum of Hawaiian cuisine, see Rachel Laudan’s The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii’s Culinary Heritage (pages 37 – 38). 

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

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Quesadilla Appetizers $ Food Hack by Ruth Paget

Quesadilla Appetizers $ Food Hack by Ruth Paget 

Quesadillas (pronounced kay-sa-dee-yas) are delicious, inexpensive, and healthy depending on what you put in them. 

Basically, a quesadilla is a warmed flour tortilla that is folded over to make a half moon shape with warm stuffing inside. You can eat a quesadilla whole as a meal or cut them into thirds to make appetizers. 

To make a filled quesadilla, place stuffing on half of the flour tortilla. Then, fold over the part without stuffing on top of the stuffing. Warm in a microwave for 3 minutes. Usually, you only put pre-cooked items in a quesadilla to warm up like steak or chicken. 

Three of my favorite stuffings follow: 

-cheese with a generous sprinkling of Southwest seasoning on top 

-scrambled eggs with melted cheese and salsa 

-black beans, melted cheese, and a topping of canned jalapeño peppers (I use canned black beans for the filling.) 

You can make all of these quesadillas in less than half an hour and a bag of flour tortillas is pretty inexpensive. The real secret of appetizers, though, is that you can mix and match them and turn them into a complete dinner pretty easily. 

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

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California Refried Rice Recipe by Ruth Paget

California Refried Rice Recipe by Ruth Paget 

I use a small rice cooker to make the cooked rice for this recipe. 

Serves 6 

Ingredients: 

-1/4 cup olive oil 

-2 beaten eggs 

-1 (8.5-ounce) can drained green peas 

-2 cups cooked brown rice 

-1 cup chopped cooked shrimp or chicken (optional) 

-salt to taste 

-sesame oil for seasoning 

Steps: 

1-Heat olive oil. Add beaten eggs and scramble. 

2-Add peas, rice, and shrimp or chicken and turn until sizzling hot. 

3-Sprinkle with salt and sesame oil at the table for seasoning. 

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

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Beer Economics and Food in South New Jersey by Ruth Paget

Beer Economics and Food in South New Jersey by Ruth Paget 

On a trip to South New Jersey where I visited Fort Dix and Fort McGuire, I was able to sample foods that reflect New Jersey’s proximity to Ellis Island: 

-Philly Cheese Steaks from Charley’s 

-Italian Greek Salads made with the addition of grilled and marinated sweet red peppers from Frank and Mario’s II 

-Veal Wiener Schnitzel from Sebastian’s Schnitzel House 

-Margharita pizza with jammy tomato sauce from Frank and Mario’s II 

-Bagels made with poppy and sesame seeds and kosher salt from Target, whose headquarters are in New Jersey 

As a souvenir of this trip, I bought Dishing Up New Jersey: 150 Recipes from the Garden State by John Holl. The book looked fun, but upon further inspection I saw that New Jersey has a beer economy that directly affects food production thanks to breweries. 

Holl’s book has a recipe for donuts that uses beer to make them and the donut glaze. 

The real treasure in the book is a recipe for bread rolls using spent grain, the leftover grain from beer production. This same recipe can also be used to make chewy pizza dough, pretzels, bread crumbs for frying fish as well as bread loaves. 

Spent grain is mixed with regular flour to stretch the expensive regular flour. In states where regular flour comes from out of state,  using spent grain might save on food bills. 

Besides the bread recipes, Holl provides recipes for various chiils, chowders, and steamed seafood that use beer in their making. One everyday soup uses beer with cheese. You place a fried egg on top of this soup along with chopped ham. 

Holl’s recipes for braised sausages and green peppers in beer and kielbasa and sauerkraut braised in beer both look good, too. 

Just these basic recipes make the book worth the purchase, but the added bonus is that the Asbury Park Festhalle let Holl’s crew photograph its European beer menu. I sampled many of these beers when I lived in Germany and think the beers are worth trying. 

I had fun eating in New Jersey and love the recipes in John Holl’s Dishing Up New Jersey with their easy-to-follow directions and easy-to-find ingredients.

Note: There is a recipe for apple beignets in Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace by Gabriel Kreuther and Michael Ruhlman that uses beer in the batter for frying apple rings that is both beer economics and apple economics. 

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

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Camembert: Cheese Games Created by Ruth Paget

Camembert: Cheese Games created by Ruth Paget 

I used The Book of Cheese by Liz Thorpe, a cheese consultant who began her career by devising a sales strategy to group 300+ cheeses at her sales counter into 10 main flavor-profile groupings to help customers make informed buying choices. 

Thorpe’s main cheese categories or gateways to 300+ kinds of cheese follow:  

1-Mozzarella 

2-Brie 

3-Havarti 

4-Taleggio 

5-Manchego 

6-Cheddar 

7-Swiss 

8-Parmesan 

9-Blue 

10-Misfits

Thorpe’s book may surprise readers with beverage pairings besides wine for some cheese such as brown ale, hard cider, and coffee. The pairings for the main type or gateway cheese apply to all cheeses in that category. 

Game 1: Cheese Type and Beverage Pairing 

On the front of an index card, write the name of the main cheese type. For the misfits, write the subcategories. Then, write the beverage pairing on the back.

Flip the index cards to quiz yourself to memorize the pairings. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

Game 2: Cheese Type and Food Pairings

Grapes and apples immediately come to mind when considering cheese pairings, but Thorpe proposes assorted nuts, vegetables, spreadable salami, and candied fruits. 

This game will help buyers put together subtle cheese trays in no time. 

Write the main cheese type on the front of an index card along with the number of food pairings. On the back of the index card, write out the food pairings. 

Flip the index cards to memorize all the food pairings that go with the main cheese type. Then, play this game with a partner or with teams. 

For the next three games, you will need to make cards for the 250+ individual cheeses in The Book of Cheese. 

Game 3: Cheese Name – Main Cheese Type Category 

This game is useful for buyers who would like to try new cheeses similar to ones they already like. 

On the front of an index card, write the cheese name. On the back of the index card, write the main cheese type. 

Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

Game 4: Cheese Name – Milk(s) Used 

On the front of an index card write the cheese name. On the back of an index card, write the milk or milks used to make it. Cow, sheep, goat, or a blend of milks are the choices. 

Flip the cards to memorize them. Then, play with a partner or as a team. 

Game 5: Cheese Name – Country (Countries) of Origin 

Write the cheese name on the front of an index card. Write the country or countries where it is produced on the back. 

Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

To gain even more advanced knowledge, read Liz Thorpe’s The Book of Cheese 20 times to learn about manufacturing and putting together all the tastings she suggests. 

For the avid cheese lover who would like to sell cheese, there is the Certified Cheese Professional Exam (ACS CCP™ Exam) run by the www.cheesesociety.org . 

Enjoy the cheese skills society games you can play during a tasting! 

Extra reading: Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins

Extra Reading; The Complete Book of Cheese by Anna Laure Pham and Mathieu Plantive

Once you have mastered cheese, enjoy reading Cheese Primer by Steve Jenkins for travel ideas.

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

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Sommelier: The Wine Facts Society Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Sommelier:  The Wine Facts Society Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

This is a game for adults of legal drinking age whose objective is to win some hand-cut cheese cubes and learn some wine facts along the way.

Items Needed to Organize Sommelier:

-Sommelier Test Prep Book – The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World by Michael Gibson

-Index cards

-rubber bands (at least 30)

-pens and notepads for scoring

-prize: small plates of hand cut cheddar cheese cubes or crackers and cheese

(There can be multiple winners, so have supplies ready.)

Creating the Game Materials:

You need to write out sommelier questions with the index cards.

Use The Sommelier Prep Course’s chapter review questions and key terms for each of it 29 chapters.  (There is an answer key at the end of the book.)

Make a deck of questions for each chapter with answers and place rubber bands around the card deck for each chapter. The answer key is at the end of the book.

You might want to code index cards for different chapters with c1, c2, c3 and son on.

It will take time to write out the questions and answers, but you will learn in the process. 

How to Play the Sommelier Society Game:

Objective: Wine a plate of hand cut cheese cubes to go with your wine at end of play

Number of Players: 2 to 6 per table

When does play start? 

Players can join and leave a game throughout the day, but have to have 20 right scores to obtain a cheese plate.

Who leads the game?

Each group has a table leader who asks questions and scores players on small notebook paper. 

The leader notes who has earned 20 points for a cheese plate.

Expansion 1 - Pronunciation

Practice saying all the key words until you can say them perfectly.

Expansion 2 - Spelling Test

Once you can say all the key words perfectly, hold a spelling test.  Perfect scorers get a cheese and apple slice plate.

Expansion 3 - Name the Country of Origin of the Grape Varietal

Once you can perfectly pronounce and spell the names of the different grape varieties, go to the Key Terms section of the Grape Varieties chapter in Sommelier Prep Course and name the country that is considered the country of origin for each grape.

Pronunciation and spelling provide clues about country of origin, which is why I listed this game expansion after those two tasks.

Expansion 4 - Fish or Steak Game for Grape Color Memorization

In this game, you need to make an index pack that will list the grape variety's color along with a clue for the wine color on the back of the index card.

For most of the cards, you can use fish for dishes that go with white wine and steak for dishes that go with red wine.  Some white grapes and red grapes can be made into sparkling wines or dessert wines, so you will have to add those categories.

Just making the game index cards helps memorize red and white grape varieties.  

Play this game before trying to memorize wine grape variety colors alone.  Making your own game helps information stick better.

You can play this Fish or Steak game alone or in a group.

Foreign Wine Geography Sommelier Game Expansion

Learning the geographic location of where a wine comes from provides a clue for memorization about the wine grape variety or varieties used to make it.

Some of the world’s most famous foreign wines are blends made from different wine grape varieties like those of the Haut-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France.

Almost all prestigious foreign wines go by place names that reveal nothing about the grape variety or varieties that was (were) used to make it.

The two exceptions to this state of affairs are Alsace, France and Germany, which use the grape variety used to make the wine on their labels.

To play the foreign wine geography memorization game, use index cards to make your own flash cards.  The process of the making the cards will help you memorize the facts.

An example of a card follows:

Front of Card:

Grape variety:                                       Merlot

Country of Origin:                                 France

Most Famous Wine Location:            Western France

Back of Card:

Most famous foreign wine:

Saint Emilion wines from the Bordeaux region.

Do this for all the foreign wines listed in The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World by Michael Gibson.

Just use the directions North, South, East, and West to describe a location in a country to make the game easier.

Extra reading: The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil.

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

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