TikTok Video Restaurant Reviews Suggested Format by Ruth Paget

I have been watching video restaurant reviews on TikTok (mostly Asian - I love all Asian food) and find that reviews in the following format give me the best idea of what a restaurant is like:

-panoramic shot outside the restaurant

-panoramic shot inside

-menu shot - I like photo menus and ordering list 

-if restaurants have a delivery robot, it is cute to see food delivered by them

-close-up shots of food ordered, names, and ingredients

-descriptions of dishes with individual portion shots coming up to the camera

-opinions of why you like a dish and who else might like a dish

-to finish, if they have merchandise for sale like a sauce, calendar, language-learning CDs,  children’s educational books from Daiso or Scholastic, pencils, pens, logo stationery, or chopsticks, that is a cute good-bye

Thanks filmmakers for the fun videos and restaurant ideas.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Ulysses S. Grant Biography Info reposted by Ruth Paget

Ulysses S. Grant wrote his autobiography to support his family after his death according to the book’s description below:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Ulysses-Life-S-Grant/dp/1400069025

For people interested in the Civil War and its aftermath, this looks like a fascinating read.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Monterey Cypress Trees at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Monterey Cypress Trees at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

The Lone Cypress Trees at Pebble Beach, California is the symbol of the Pebble Beach Company that runs the elite resort on property and world-famous golf tournaments.

This hardy, salt-resistant tree is native to the Monterey Peninsula and can grow up to 82 feet in height.  Its branches bend in the direction of the wind and eventually permanently contort to show wind direction.

The tree’s deep roots and its ability to grow in sandy soil make it an erosion fighter.  This trait is very important in coastal areas.

The Lone Cypress at Pebble Beach appears to grow from bare rock on the a ledge over the coast.  It’s improbable surroundings make it a sought after souvenir photo for tourists and a reminder for locals that their bent cypress trees hold expensive property in place.

More information about the Monterey Cypress follows:

https://calscape.org/Hesperocyparis-macrocarpa-(Monterey-Cypress)-2

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Cinco de Mayo at Home for Mom by Ruth Paget

I am an older mom now, so my daughter ordered me a Taco Bell dinner:

-crunch wrap 

-hard shell taco

-low-sugar strawberry agua fresca

I thought it was great, because I did not have to cook it.

Cheerios!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

TikTok Travel Video Itinerary Outline by Ruth Paget

TikTok Video Travel Itinerary Outline (Suggested) for California’s Central Coast by Ruth Paget

I have been watching TikTok travel videos for my region and like TikTok’s that have an itinerary like the following for Central Coast California tourism:

Recharge Overnight Stay in Monterey or Carmel for example:

-hotel description

-dinner out

-breakfast out

-coffee for walk through town or coastal drive with hike with some wildflower and tree identification and description

-lunch

-outing with 1 or more of the following

-art or craft making activity (new form of tourism here)

-farmers’ market

- museum visit - history museums have an anthropological bent often with exhibits about Native Americans and settlers from other places

-agritourism such as visiting artichoke farms, orchards, oyster farms, organic farming operations, and so on

-cooking class (done in Europe but US could do this too) - chicken noodle soup, dinner rolls for homemade sliders, pork chops with homemade applesauce, sheet pan baked vegetables, scalloped potatoes and mashed potatoes, and roast beef with vegetables are some good American dishes to start with.

-wine tasting

-art gallery visit

-shopping for books, kitchen items, regional food souvenirs

-decaffeinated coffee or agua fresca for drive home with sunset

I like videos like these for giving me travel ideas.

Thanks TikTok filmmakers!

Note: This is a nice outline for print travel stories too.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Great Egrets Wading by the Coast in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Great Egrets Wading by the Coast in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

On the last three outings I have made to Pebble Beach, California during April and May 2026, my husband Laurent and I have seen Great Egrets wading in tide pools by the coast and flying low and strong around the golf courses at Pebble Beach. 

Great Egrets are part of the heron family. They have orange, long, dagger-like beaks for spearing fish, frogs, rabbits, and other small shoreline animals for food. 

Their economic value comes from eating rodents like rats and mice in oceanfront, high-property value areas and from their eco-tourism sightseeing interest. Bird watchers are tourists who might come to Pebble Beach just to see them. 

Great Egrets have long necks that they crunch up into S-curves. The neck and body of a Great Egret is white while their long legs are black. 

Great Egrets can be seen in larger numbers a little farther north of Pebble Beach in Moss Landing by Elkhorn Slough. They can also be seen wading in the Salinas River along Highway 68 when the Salinas River is low. 

Great Egrets are found on all continents except Antarctica. They were an endangered species at one time, but conservation efforts early in the 20th century restored populations. 

More information about Great Egrets, photos, and bird calls follows:

https://www.sacramentoaudubon.org/kids-corner/meet-the-great-egret

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Mediterranean Pork Chops Recipe by Ruth Paget

Mediterranean Pork Chops Recipe by Ruth Paget

I just made Omaha Steak pork chops for lunch winging it in the kitchen, but I am pretty sure the following measures would work:

Ingredients:

-2 Omaha Steak pork chops, thawed in the refrigerator

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-5 sprigs rosemary, snipped 

-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

-1/4 cup water

-Kirkland salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

1-Heat olive oil in frying pan and add pork chops. Cook on high heat 5 minutes per side.

2-After ten minutes, add balsamic vinegar to color pork chops.

3-Add water and snipped rosemary to the pan and turn pork chops to darken the pork chops.  Use a wooden scraper to deglaze the pan.  Let pork chops cook another 5 minutes.

4-Run the pork chops through the microwave to thoroughly cook and to help carsmelize the balsamic sauce on the pork chops.

Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Bon Appetite!

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the of the Novgorod and Bento War Games