Add caption This post is for everyone who thinks they can’t make Puff Pastry Apple Roses– If I can do it – and I am not known as “Ms. CraftFail 1959” for nothing- you can do it! I am NOT “crafty”, and most of the things I have tried to Read more
Gnocchi on the paddle! Gnocchi al forno! Gnocchi a la Elise! This is the first “Guest Post” on my blog- and I am SO seriously excited! Say what you will about Facebook, it does create wonderful friendships between people who probably never would otherwise have met each other! Crazy Read more
Wangfeng Hanging Restaurant Our Balcony Stateroom Cruising on the Yangtze River! When I planned out our month in China I HAD to find a way to include a cruise on the Yangtze River! For the 40+ years I’d dreamed of going to China, a cruise down the Yangzte and getting Read more
Pandas! THE Steam Train railfan photo! The Leshan Buddah Steam Train excursion in Sichuan! In planning our month-long trip through China, I worked for several weeks via email with Seven from Absolute Panda Tours, and she helped me craft two truly excellent, full days for us in Chengdu that included Read more
Chef Dan flambes! Baiju in Chengdu! The Greatest Noodle Chef… As the six faithful readers of my blog know (yes, that’s an LOL), my chef husband and I recently spent a pretty amazing month in China, eating our way across the country by train! We began our month in Shanghai, Read more
At the Tang Dynasty Show Tang Dynasty Show A Dumpling Banquet! Jing Jing teaching us to Properly eat soup dumplings! Tang Dynasty Show As our month in China was largely a “foodie-centric” trip, this post is about two, fun “foodie” things we did while in Xi’An– where we went primarily Read more
The Cricket Fighting Master of Beijing! Me and Singing Grasshoppers! Rickshaw fun! Mr. Liu and the singing grasshoppers! Dan and our Rickshaw Driver… Trading Places! In perusing all the many tours available in Beijing, I short-listed many, but one in particular stuck with me- the opportunity to explore several Hutongs Read more
Chef Bond Chef Bond instructing Chef Dan… Chef Bond & Elisse We just learned, very sadly, that Chef Richard Bond of the Mardi Gras School of Cooking and Catering passed away… Chef Dan and I spent a wonderful day with him in his beautiful 140 year old home in Point Read more
In the market with Chef Zhao A Black Silkie Chicken! Makin’ dumplings! Me and my dumpling! Perfect pleats! Our dumpling feast! As our month in China was, in great measure, a “foodie” trip for Chef Dan and I, I booked us a number of “food tours”, as well as two Read more
The Forbidden City Peking Duck at Duck de Chine… Our palatial Chairman’s Suite at the Beijing Hotel NUO! Meat-on-a-Stick at Wangfujing! In honor of our Third Second Honeymoon (which I had emailed them about when I booked…), the gorgeous and historic Beijing Hotel NUO (originally Raffles) gave us an Read more