Western Stage Announces Upcoming 2025 - 2026 Plays Posted by Ruth Paget

The Western Stage in Salinas, California announces upcoming 2025 - 2026 Plays.  Click below for information and tickets:

Western Stage 2025 - 2026 Upcoming Shows

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

Sticky Buns and Vegetable Frittatas at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Sticky Buns and Frittatas at the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

When my daughter Florence Paget and I went to the Gallery Café in Pebble Beach (Califoria) a few days ago, we were in a rush, because it was late morning and the cinnamon sticky buns might be sold out. (Oh no!) 

The Gallery Café is an American diner that serves freshly baked, very large cinnamon rolls that can easily feed three people. Florence and I shared one. The sticky bun arrived so warm you could smell the cinnamon and sugar seasoning. 

Warm, liquid powdered sugar frosting was poured over it at the table and settled in little pools around the sticky bun for dipping. That was a delicious appetizer. 

While waiting for our main course, I sipped a hot chai latte, a Central Asian tea drink that can be flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove, pepper, and/or nutmeg. The chai arrived with a frothy layer of steamed milk on top that was sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. In California, chai is now a standard beverage offered like Italian coffee drinks. I like tea that reminds me of hot chocolate. 

My brunch order was a vegetable frittata, a baked Italian omelet. Delicious, organic vegetables from the Salinas Valley really make this dish shine. The frittata was full of bite-sized green asparagus, sautéed spinach, shallots, and mushrooms. The frittata was topped off with slices of ripe tomato, goat cheese (Is this made in Pebble Beach? They have goat herds.), and velvety smoked salmon with snipped chives. 

This beautiful dish was served with a generous bowl of fresh fruit – strawberry halves, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe slices, honeydew melon slices, and pineapple wedges. The fruit was so sweet it needed no sugar. 

We sat outside for fresh air and had a great view of the golf course and ocean. 

The Gallery Café is located between the Pebble Beach Market opposite the Lodge and the Tap Room and Bench’s temporary location. 

For a pleasant and delicious brunch or breakfast, The Gallery Café in Pebble Beach, California is a nice place to relax, especially if you are driving along 17-Mile Drive. 

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

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Santa Cruz Weekly carried my review of the Images of the Virgin Exhibit by Ruth Paget

Thank you Santa Cruz Weekly for carrying my review of the Images of the Virgin exhibit organized by Dr. Jennifer Colby about the Black Madonna in various religions.

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

Keto Chaffles (Cheese Waffles) Reviewed by Ruth Paget

Keto Chaffles (Cheese Waffles) Reviewed by Ruth Paget 

Even if you do not diet, the Sweet and Savory Keto Chaffles: 75 Delicious Treats for Your Low-Carb Diet by Martina Slajerova about cheese waffles makes excellent use of organic Monterey County agricultural products and those of California in general. 

Low-fat mozzarella cheese is used in both sweet and savory waffles. Other cheese varieties that can be used in savory cheese waffles include mild to mature cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss cheese, Emmenthal, goat cheese or sheep cheese. 

For savory waffles, Slajerova suggests making two homemade raw Italian sauces – marinara and pesto. Both of these sauces can be kept in the refrigerator for several days as well as the cheese waffles. 

-For the marinara sauce, you will need to blend cherry tomatoes, basil, shallot or onion, tomato purée, olive oil, salt, and pepper together. 

-For the pesto sauce, you will need to blend basil; macadamia, blanched almonds or sunflower seeds, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese together. 

-For the chaffle batter, you need to blend eggs; mozzarella or grated cheddar or hard cheese of choice; almond or coconut flour, and baking powder together before cooking. 

Just these three recipes are worth the price of the book, especially if you add poached or fried eggs on top of the chaffle with some sauce poured on it. 

There are some other delicious recipes for savory cheese waffles that I have noted below: 

-salmon and cream cheese chaffles

-eggs royale with smoked salmon and Hollandaise sauce 

-Quatro formaggi pizza chaffles with marinara sauce and a mix of Parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola and maybe goat cheese that is run under the broiler 

-spanakopita chaffles made with frozen spinach and feta cheese 

-rosemary and olive focaccia chaffle made with chopped black or green olives 

If you are looking for a way to make organic ingredients shine, there are many good recipes for doing this in Sweet and Savory Keto Chaffles by Martina Slajerova. 

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

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Bookhype.com is carrying my first edition books by Ruth Paget

Thank you bookhype.com for carrying my first edition books including More Leisure than Money: Tales of a Navy Wife in Virginia.

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

Operation We Are Here Resources for Miltary Spouses has included my Virginia book on their booklist by Ruth Paget

Thank you Operation We Are Here.com for including my book More Leisure than Money: Tales of a Navy Wife in Virginia on your list of resource books for military spouses.

This book is also sold as Virginia Mom.

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

Salinas (California) Go-To Summer Picnic by Ruth Paget

Salinas (California) Go-To Summer Picnic by Ruth Paget 

I like the store-bought picnics I can put together with little trouble in Salinas, California. 

The following meal makes like my little town very much: 

-cooked seasoned back ribs – less than $18 as of 6-16-2025 at Costco (locations in Salinas and Sand City by Seaside) 

-Diet Pepsi – we get 24-packs at Costco 

-cleaned, cubed, and fresh watermelon and strawberries from Whole Foods – Whole Foods is located in the Del Monte Center Shopping Mall in Monterey. You can get there via Highway 68 or take Blanco Road to Reservation Road (right) to Imjin Parkway (immediate left) to Highway 1 (Soledad and Munras exit) 

-blueberry streusel banana muffins – from Costco 

If you need a place to park and eat, Toro Park is located off Highway 68 as is Jack’s Peak Park across from the airport.

With a little organization, it is easy to picnic in Steinbeck Country in Salinas, California. 

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

Click for Ruth Paget's Books