The newly re-designed CaliforniaAuthors.com is up and running. I always say — in terms of design and building — there are no small websites, but this one really doesn’t qualify as small; in fact, it’s big, with its 70+ author essays and excerpts, its many pages of directory-style resources, and its more than 1800 […]

As part of our dinner conversation last night: off the beaten path spots for the M&M road trip. Tips from around the table:
1) Middendorf’s in Pass Manchac, Louisiana. You’ll never get a better fried seafood platter and its thin-filleted fried catfish — made with the same recipe since 1934 — is famous. I just […]

M&M have arrived, providing us with a reason to celebrate and the main ingredient for the feast: grass-fed beef from the Hearst Ranch in central California. Laurie Sue will join us, so we’re preparing a leisurely dinner for five, with lots of delicious food and lots of time for meandering conversation. Last night, Val and […]

Damnit! It turns out that I can’t do a major website relaunch and keep my whole house out of whack with my do-it-yourself realist painting workshop. Too much chaos! Website work wants order! Okay, break down the still life, resked the whole thing after the launch and visit of M&M next weekend.
On the M&M visit […]

Nightnote Kentucky correspondent and friend Janice felt it! The big midwest shaker shook her area and she sends us this report:
You Californians might think this is normal but I was awoken at 5:30 this morning with my house shaking and a making all sorts of noise! We had a 5.2 quake and an aftershock of […]

Freda and Laurie! Very nice to see you!

Wow, things are suddenly so busy here — only time to bang out a roundup.
Doing: With Val’s hot, under-the-hood stylings, I’m redesigning a new and streamlined CaliforniaAuthors [sketch], with a simultaneous rework of thenightnote [sketch]. Also: I’m still on board with Claudio, helping him with the lightning-fast launch of his dream practice. While he works […]

Another still day with the still life. A good day. No full-blown vertigo spells, a little general dizziness. Thanks for all the love! Now some drying time for the little painting.

Happy birthday to my mom Libby Barclay Buuck. We are so happy you were born into this world! Here you are on the steps of the little house on Birch Street in New Orleans — as cute and fashionable then as you always are!
For her birthday, Val and I have given mom a cool Netflix […]

Californiaauthors.com is celebrating the paperback release of Ed Humes’ Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion and the Battle for America’s Soul with a cool giveaway. We’re having a drawing! And, two lucky winners will get an autographed copy of Ed’s book. Visit CaliforniaAuthors to learn more. And get on over there, because the drawing is Friday. […]

Check it out! Michelle and Mark visit The Night Note from Paris with a little update.

Thanks for visiting us Sharoan, Sam and Zeke! Click the arrows at the bottom of the slideshow to see what we’ve been up to on our family visit. Click “credits” to learn more. Enjoy!

Uncle Val and Auntie Kate took the nephews to the Aquarium of the Pacific today. More pix to come.

Here’s a little local news for our Rome-ward travelers: Romano Prodi resigns and the Italian government collapses. It’s news, still it has happened 61 times since WWII.

I make no claim that these are Rome’s best restaurants — I have had some crazy good meals in Rome at restaurants whose name I can’t even remember. One with Laurie on our last night in Rome, after I was pickpocketed, and she — with her supreme graciousness — picked up the tab for a […]

I always say I’m through with Paris. Through with gray and grumpy Paris with its strikes and its cranky nonplused waiters and its universal disdain. The last time I left Paris, during the massive transit/museum strike of May 1999, I was literally in tears. “I have to get out of here. I can’t can’t […]

Recently I had a hankering for something my Mom used to make when I was about 12 or so — fritters made with greens and cornmeal. We don’t outright fry things very much, but it’s good clean food, and tasty:

1 bunch fresh chard (or kale, collard greens, mustard greens, any moderately tough green. Spinach is […]

Michelle whipped up a pot of Red Beans tonight and said it would be interesting to see how other cooks in the M&M universe prepared this traditional New Orleans dish. So, as requested, here’s my recipe (with props to my Auntie Rita Dell):
1 lb. Red Beans (If you can get Camillia brand, that’s where it’s […]