Got some good news yesterday...I won Gold in the Travel and Food Category for the Solas Travel Writing awards!!!!!
Big thanks to my editors @alextestere and @katcontrol for believing in this story and helping me usher it through to the finish line. I also could not have told this story without the generosity of the stonecrabbing families in Goodland and Everglades City; they are the beating heart of this piece.
"Tough to Crack" is in print, so go support the indie magazines out there and order a copy of Saveur! /products/205-fall-winter-2025
I have a confession. I joined SATW because they had a conference set up in Istanbul, and it was a place I always wanted to go, but wasn't sure how to make happen. Not only was it an affordable bleisure trip, but I saw beautiful architecture, lots of cats, incredible art, and drank lots of tea. An afternoon in the Grand Bazaar inspired this story out now in @imbibe magazine's most recent issue.
I could not have brought this to life without the help of Ozan Ortaç from Türkiye Tourism, Esin (a local tour guide), and tea expert Esra Ansel Derinbay, and of course my thoughtful editor Paul.
photo credits to @goturkiye
This is just in print, so go grab a copy and support independent magazines 😊
Love, love the Florida Keys and my latest adventure took me to all of them! We all know about Key lime pie but there is so much more to gobble up along this chain of islands and @foodandwine let me take a big bite. Check out my road trip that spans Key Largo to Key West and all the spots in between. I ate Florida spiny lobster, Key West pink shrimp, bollos, hogfish, enough Cuban food to sink a ship and so much more.
Big thanks to my thoughtful editor @ashday and the incomparable @amygeldean for her expert planning.
#floridakeys #keylargo #keywestflorida #marathonfl #islamorada #culinarytravel #floribbean #travelwriter #floridaroadtrip #floridakeysvacation
I have so many posts coming from my time in Italy, but this is an appreciation post specifically for @kensingtontours and @catbbyrd for introducing me to some important people and experiences as I delved into Northern Italian foodways. Cat jumped in when I realized I had pockets in my schedule and with Kensington Tours brought me together with a cadre of artisans that taught me so much about their land and their traditions.
1. Torta di Risa: A traditional Bognese pastry from the 1400s.
2. Alleyways in Bologna are chocked full of great places for aperitivo. Loved that streets are named after industry that once occupied it.
3. Pignoletto: Bolognese wine at Gilberto. Perfect white for a hot Italian summer, not Prosecco, but has some light bubbles.
4. Mortadella Tradizionale has no pistachios, no olives, just melty cubes of delicious fat. It is a protected Bologna product.
5. Battery of balsamic barrels in Modena.
6. The traditional way to test balsamic aging. The Zoccoli family are one of the oldest in Modena, here since 1888 with barrels from that year still in use.
7. Rows of hanging culatello in the cellar of a 1320 house. Another protected product from a family who has made it for centuries.
8. Perfect focaccia. No words needed.
9. Culatello aged 18 mths to 42 mths- paper thin, a little funkier, a little drier each iteration, all in a good way.
10. Basil harvest in Genoa, another protected Italian product. Traditionally, it is collected from a board suspended above plants and they still do it that way at some farms in Genoa.
11. Look at the cute basil seeds!
12. . Pesto is so easy to make in a mortar and pestle- just smooth upward motion, no pounding.
13. Genovese pasta contains no eggs and often was made from ground chestnuts which are plentiful.
14. The Best affogato from a little spot in an alley of Genoa.
15. Stefano the “Panini King” of Genoa.
16. Fritto Misto in Genoa
17. Genovese Farinata- a chickpea flatbread
18. Had to stop at Stanley Tucci’s fave in Genoa: Antico Forno Della Casana
#italianfood #railtravel #italyeats #italytravels #foodtravels
Being quoted in one of my favorite publications feels very full-circle. 💚
I got to share a few of my favorite @publix wine finds with Food & Wine (yes, that magazine!) and talk about my approach to wine:
“Wine should feel good, approachable, fun, and meant to be shared.”
Grateful for moments like this. ✨
#foodandwine #wine #publix #sommelier #winepairings
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Switzerland- it was far too short. I will be back. My dad loved this country and he passed before we got to see it together. I now know what enchanted him so much ❤️#switzerland #travelclassicsticino #lugano
I have long admired @afarmedia for their deep storytelling and commitment to travel for good. I feel honored to see my byline on their landing page. My incredible editor @hanhout trusted me with this piece about Colorado’s heritage grain movement that is blossoming and gaining traction despite brutal drought and rising costs. Thank you to the members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, the people working at Bow & Arrow, chefs, Colorado Grain Chain members, and everybody who added their stories.
If you want to give it a read, hit the link in my bio under Food Culture.
It was a wild week in Everglades National Park. I swamp walked, pole boated with Gladesman Jack Shealy, toured the Ten Thousand Islands with a couple locals, hung out with cool couple Aaron & David, listened to Lynn Smallwood’s stories, took an airboat ride with a 7th generation driver, and had the honor of interviewing Betty Osceola. This trip was one for the books! Can’t wait to see it come to life in Afar’s Summer Issue ❤️
#evergladesnationalpark #gladesmenculture #wildflorida #airboats #miccosukee #oldflorida #bigcypress #floridaadventure
The secret is out of the bag. I was on the ground in Greenville during filming of Top Chef—sitting in on “quickfires” and elimination challenges—and had the immense pleasure of interviewing judges Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons about where they ate when the cameras stopped rolling. What kept coming up wasn’t just the food, but Greenville’s friendly, outdoorsy personality. And of course, a directive on where I should eat.
It was definitely a professional and personal high point, and I owe it all to Taryn Scher, the Sparkle Boss. Thank you so much for welcoming me to your beautiful city! And big thanks to my thoughtful editor CJ- you always make my words sing.
Hey, Hey! Join me at UNwineD this weekend for some fabulous cocktails from my book, paired with delicious bites Friday night at the Kickoff Party. Saturday, I'll be blending Bushwackers, signing books, and serving up all the Sunshine State vibes. Tickets still available: /unwined/
In Nashville’s kitchens, the quiet obsession of Japanese craft meets Southern soul.
At @shopizzabar , Sean Brock tends to dough like a Tokyo master—72-hour fermentation, temperature-controlled precision, the kind of devotion that treats flour and water like an art form. At @otakuramen , Sarah Gavigan finds the thread between ramen and barbecue: both are about ritual, about showing up every day to make something that nourishes. At @kasexnoko , founder Jon Murray practices omotenashi—selfless hospitality—through omakase that’s reverent to tradition but unmistakably Nashville.
These aren’t fusion restaurants chasing novelty. They’re expressions of a shared belief: that discipline, patience, and grace in the kitchen create food worth remembering.
Find the story by @writeonhonaker at the link in our bio.
