Hand Made Chocolate: the Aztecs, the Spanish and Us: A Class in Chocolate Craft

Hand Made Chocolate: the Aztecs, the Spanish and Us: A Class in Chocolate Craft

Sooooooo, did I mention CHOCOLATE? Creating, savoring, eating chocolate? Our day will be spent exploring all things chocolate. The Aztec rulers drank their chocolate dark and bitter and used cocoa beans as money; after 1530 the Spanish added sugar and spices creating a drink for…

Illness, Archaeology, and the Garden: an update

Illness, Archaeology, and the Garden: an update

Query: Is it an homage to the 18th century humeral notions of medicine (puke, purge, and scare the hell out of the illness) that liquid medicines are still being formulated to taste like rotten fruit mixed with pigeon shit and pills have to be the…

Charlottesville’s Landmark Hotel – Perfect location for a Vertical Garden

Charlottesville’s Landmark Hotel – Perfect location for a Vertical Garden

I’ve seen lots of images of roof gardens topping contemporary buildings but there is also a movement to create vertical gardens in European cities.  The picture of what I suggest for the Landmark Hotel is so completely clear, amazing and impressive that I’ll start there…

Houston #2

Houston #2

Pardon me, I’ve been a bit distracted from my original blog trajectory but I am now back in the groove of my continuing storyline! . . . . While being driven down Alabama Street from having given a foodways talk and on the way to…

In which I do a bit of culinary experimentation in a restored 19th century Texas landmark building

In which I do a bit of culinary experimentation in a restored 19th century Texas landmark building

Now that I have recovered from my bout of food poisoning and caught up some at the office I can spend time over the next few weeks telling about my wonderful trip to Texas.  My road companion Kelly and I have been known to laugh…