Dear readers: This is our last post. Next week, we'll take down the blog and the website. We thank all of you who dropped by and read what the three of us had to say. It's been great fun. Billa and Michele My Memorable Meals By Luci Do you ever think about the memorable meals you’ve eaten? I do, especially when I’m planning to go to a special restaurant on a special occasion. Here are two that I always remember, not only for the dining experience but also because each taught me a valuable...

By Luci The invitation will explain the theme and its rationale. Once again, the party is for my friend, Enrique. He and his wife, Natasha, are exceptional and accomplished individuals and we’ve been friends for many, many years. A post on August 25 described a dinner celebrating Enrique’s return from his month-long walk on El Camino de Santiago de Compostela. August 4 is his birthday which happens to be Barack Obama’s birthday as well. That coincidence provides a great way to have fun....

By Luci Try it! You’ll love it!! This fruit from SE Asia is a treasure. Like any treasure, it’s protected. A dark, reddish-purple husk encloses soft, lush, juicy, snow-white segments with ambrosial taste. Its sweetness is complex and augmented by clear tart notes. Many consider the mangosteen the best of tropical fruits; it is often called the queen of them all. Mangosteens are scarce and hard to find, even in Asia. A mangosteen tree will only grow in tropical environments with enough, but...