Basel, Switzerland celebrates Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day in Switzerland marks the official close of the Christmas season, a moment when church ritual, folk custom, and something sweet to eat come together.
Fall in Switzerland, the best time for food travel?
Growing up in Texas, I always looked forward to the cool, crisp air of fall after the scorching summer months. It meant cozy meals...
Fabulous, frazzling Florence, Italy in summer
Many summers ago, I took a train from my then-home in Switzerland to Tuscany, where I’d booked a week’s stay for a culinary retreat....
The Rheingau Wine Festival in Wiesbaden
"Wine--enjoyed in moderation--heals and comforts with its strength and warmth."
These words from the 11th-century Benedictine nun Hildegard von Bingen ring true year-round in Germany's...
An autumn day in Muggio Valley, Ticino, Switzerland
After leaves have already drop elsewhere in Switzerland’s mountain regions, it is time to head south—as far south as you can go without leaving...
Sampling Herbstmesse in Basel, Switzerland
In October, autumn leaves paint the streets of Basel, Switzerland, in hues of bright yellow and burnt orange. The colorful show is a sure...
Alpabzug or Désalpe? Swiss cows come home
Every autumn, Swiss cows in their droves leave the high pastures of summer to return to the valleys, collared with bells and with bouquets...
Ascona, Switzerland celebrates the chestnut
I love one-trick food festivals. They bring out my penchant for taking a single food ingredient to levels I would never envision on my...
A Michelin star shines in Cavaillon, France
A vine-ripened Cavaillon melon is fragrant, intensely flavored and juicy, its high sugar content adding sweetness to the fruit's floral aroma. From mid-summer to...
Memories of spring in Switzerland
Tom and I moved to Portugal in the dead of winter, and frankly, until just this week it has seemed more like winter than...