The title of my blog says it all. This is a blog about cooking from cookbooks. I’m a home cook who relies heavily on books, magazines, shows, and other media devoted to cooking.

I will blog on a regular basis about my successes, and  failures, in the kitchen following recipes.  Should I vary from a recipe, I’ll explain why I chose to.  When I fail, I’ll try to make clear why, so that my readers can avoid my mistakes.

The blog will also include my musings on food- and wine-related topics from a cultural point of view, with a heavy emphasis on Italian, based on my Italian-American heritage.

On occasion, I’ll also review cookbooks that I use or that come across my desk for review.

About Me

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In the Kitchen

My path to writing this blog has been somewhat circuitous. I started my career as an academic with a doctorate in Renaissance English Literature. When I realized that a university career would not allow me to indulge some of my more worldly interests, such as wine, food, travel, and opera, I left university life for the business world.

I parlayed my talents for teaching and writing into a 25-year career as a technical writer for computer software firms, a skill that I eventually applied on my own behalf to share a passion for wine that I attribute to my father.

Hoping to de-mystify the world of wine through clear and simple expression, I started Tablewine.com in 1994 and met the interest of the internet’s young audience in affordable wines for everyday drinking.

For example, my first feature, “Wines for Pizza” focused on reviewing selections that would provide ideal matches for this popular dish. I wanted people to have fun while they learned about wine and how to pair it with food.

Over the decade or so that I published the website, I acquired quite a following on the web and by the time I decided to turn the hobby into a full-time job, had almost 3,000 subscribers and 12,000 hits a day.

My career in the wine industry comprised working as a Wine Ambassador for a major US importer, traveling throughout the United States, representing two Italian winemaking families, one from Tuscany, the other from the Veneto. After 10 years on the road, however, I thought it was time to retire.

Now, I am following my passion for cooking on an almost daily basis and have decided to share my ventures in cooking on this blog with other home cooks on the internet.

20 thoughts on “About”

  3. Thank you very much for your blog. Thanks to your brother, I am a big fan. I love your insights and your photos. I’ll be preparing your aunt’s Italian Spare Ribs right after Labor Day when the leftover pork ribs go on sale.

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      1. The ribs were really tasty! Thank for the recipe – I’ll be making this again soon.

        Personal note: I’m not sure how to send you a food photo. I did send it to Gerry.

        Thanks again, Susan

  6. The Kielbasa with Sauerkraut recipe is a revelation. I never realized that my Polish mother has made this dish “the right way” all these years! But then she learned from her own mother….

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  8. Your kitchen looks inviting! I’ll definitely contact you next time I make it to San Diego! If you ever venture to Salt Lake, be sure to give me a call ! Congratulations on your relocation !

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  10. Just discovered your website and love the recipes I have looked at. Is there a way to print just the recipe and instructions without getting all the pictures and comments?

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