Baking summer apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums brings out their deep flavors and is a favorite way to prepare them in season. Split the ripe fruit, sprinkle with sugar and bake until the juices flow. Here is a simple yet dressed up way to bake a ripe summer apricot or other stone fruit with a sweet almond filling. Start by Finding a Good Apricot It’s sheer luck to find a decent fresh apricot on the
Paris by Fiche – Low Tech Way to Plan a Trip

The other day, I shared a list of favorite bakeries, café and boutiques with Rachel, my web guru. She and her family are going to Paris at the end of the month. And I told her about one of my favorite travel tools, the index card, Paris by fiche, a low tech way to plan a trip to Paris or anywhere. My obsession with index cards dates to high school when I learned how to
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Watermelon and Sweet Cherry Salad with Fresh Mint Syrup

I used to overlook watermelon. Smack it open with a machete and eat, the essence of no-fuss summer eating. But its succulence is a pleasant foil for many fruits including tomatoes. (The combination of watermelon with tomatoes, basil and fresh goat cheese or feta is a summer favorite.) When watermelon and sweet Bing cherries are in season, I like to combine them in a refreshing salad. The textural contrast of the two pleases the palate
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"Let no man fancy he knows how to dine Till he has learnt how taste and taste combine."
-Horace, Satires, 2.4