I still have a hard time believing that my job description is writing about delicious food, beautiful places,  and interesting people. But that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 30 years.

I started out life as an academic, working on my dissertation on sixteenth-century garden architecture. During a break from working in the Medici archives, I met my husband – Domenico – and decided that maybe I didn’t really want to go back to the States and teach undergraduate art history somewhere in the midwest. So I changed gears and very soon had a husband, babies, dogs and a brand new career writing for magazines like Architectural Digest, World of Interiors, Art & Antiques and Bon Appetit.

I began this blog in 2009, when things were starting to change in a big way in publishing. I had just published my sixth book, Italian Rustic, and the publishers suggested the trifecta of Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. At the beginning I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I wanted to say. So, rather than make any decision, I just started recording what I’m up to, day to day.

Although I started out writing mostly about design, shopping and travel, food eventually took center stage. This was a natural development, and one I didn’t have to think too much about. Food has always loomed large in my life and writing about it, day to day, has come easily. I write a lot about restaurants, but also include  recipes and and often try to tackle more abstract issues. And drinking. I really love to drink. So there’s that too.

I do try to keep the blog useful. I’m hoping that each post  gives you something you can take away with you – a recipe, or a restaurant or something to do next time you’re in Italy. I’m big on lists, and hope you’ll print them out and forward them around.