The Asado: What the Fire Requires
In Argentina, an asado is not a barbecue. It is a social event that happens to involve fire. The name comes from the Spanish verb asar —…
Asado in the Tigre Delta
Before we left for Argentina, I had said it out loud: I wish I knew someone so we could experience a real asado. The universe,…
La Nit de Sant Joan: Fire, Catalan Pride, and a Sleepless Night in Girona
From the shallow Juliet balcony of our apartment in old Girona, rhythmic drums rose from the plaza below. Then horns. A crowd assembled. We had…
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The Italian Bar: How a Country Drinks Coffee
In Italy, the morning doesn't begin with coffee. It begins at the bar. The dapper barista steamed the milk with precision, poured the creamy froth…
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What the Romans Eat for Pizza
He wore a collared SS Lazio shirt tucked beneath his round belly, a sweatband on his wrist, and three pairs of glasses stacked on his…
The Roman Pastas: Four Dishes, One City, No Substitutes
There are four pasta dishes that belong specifically to Rome, and to nowhere else in Italy. Each one tells you exactly where you are. Their…
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Yosemite Spring
After California's wettest winter on record, Yosemite Valley ran louder than usual — every fall at full volume, granite walls disappearing into mist, a rainbow waiting at the end of it. A spring trip through rain, the Ahwahnee's fireplaces, and a detour to a fig-tree kitchen in Gold Rush country.
Multnomah Falls and the Columbia Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is the only sea-level passage through the entire Cascade Range — a fact that explains almost everything about why this particular…