Breakfast is not my favorite meal, but here at the Hacienda San Rafael, I bolt out of bed in the morning for freshly pressed Valencia orange juice, homemade Sevillian orange marmalade, warm bread, and a proper pot of tea. Coffee is already on the table in a thermos, and let’s not forget the delectable option of eggs and bacon.
Kim Schiffer was a soul sister from the moment I met her. Two southern women in the mountains out west, it was if we were from the “old country,” speaking a dialect only we could understand. We loved the same things as if cut from the same cloth and since …
After moving from palace to palace, from Delhi to Jaipur to Udaipur, I appreciate getting off the beaten path and feeling the color and texture of India.
Visiting an organic pig farm for the infamous black pig “Iberico” was insightful. We took a walk with the pigs, free range under the acorn trees. They came quickly, taking a trail that was at first far away, then slowly and deliberately coming nearer. Snorting and trotting, with their ears flopping at the tips, it’s too bad they are not used for pets, for they are in some sense of the word, affectionate.
In Sicily, one finds oneself in a different Italy; rough and wild with an untamed terrain. Upon entering the entroterra, one senses that the past is stronger than the present. She begins to show her many-textured dress – woven by ancient influences of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Turks, and Africans, and …
In Sidi Kaouki, the road stops at a long stretch of ochre sand beach, which continues on as far as one can see. The Atlantic crashes and the sky is vast.
Preserved lemons, seductive spices, tantalizing tagines, oranges in orange blossom water, and a close-to-the-lips encounter with ‘Omar Sharif’. That is what Moroccan dreams are made of… While you await the departure of your flight to Marrakech, sip on this elegant cocktail wherever you are!
I’m not sure why I decided to go to Sicily last Spring, exactly. But part of being a traveler and an adventurer is following inclinations and hunches even when there is no rational explanation. I hadn’t been there since the spring of 2007. At that time, I thought nothing could …
Add peeled fava beans and toss into the pot. Saute for a few minutes. Add a few pinches of salt. Cover the vegetables with water and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Arrange the sliced oranges on a tray. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of your favorite honey. Add a few tablespoons of orange blossom water on top. Serve in a dish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a sprig of mint on top.