Happy New Year

My great hope is that 2011 brings you many adventures and much abundance.

See you next year!

Slipsliding Away

Sure it seems that California came pretty close to slipsliding completely away in the past few storms. And, sure enough, we've had our share of mudslides and landslides recently.

But, for the most part, California is in remarkably good shape for the winter ahead.

Whale season is just getting started. And the waterfalls. Oh, the waterfalls this year are truly amazing.

Be sure to ask you innkeeper for the best spots nearby.

Then get out there and enjoy all that California offers in winter. It's truly grand.

Corn Pudding

For some reason, Corn Pudding is one of those favorites that fell from my repertoire for a while. Seems I went for several years without making it for no reason whatsoever.

Then an old friend asked if I'd make it and, poof, it was back. What was more remarkable than its return, though, was the reaction of the Fabulous Frenchie. When he first tasted this dish, the look on his face was complete and utter shock.

How, how, how could I possibly have kept this from him? And why on earth would I deprive him of this delight? Yes, he was perfectly serious.

So it's back and it's again a staple at holiday dinners. Everyone's happy about that.

There are many versions of corn pudding out there. My sister used to make this with canned cream corn and I have to admit that her version was very good.

But I'm basically an old-fashioned gal at heart and think that most classics are great just the way they are. Corn pudding is one of those classics.

So I make it the same way my great-grandmother made it: with fresh corn cut from the cob just before it goes into the casserole.



I also use a bain-marie, or water bath, as my great-grandmother did, for perfect results. The light pudding is prone to burning on the bottom before the middle is cooked. So a bain-marie is a a necessity, in my opinion; don't try skipping it. As you can see, any slightly larger casserole will work.



Despite the need to scrape fresh corn from the cob and save room in the already crowded holiday oven for a bain-marie, this dish is super easy and super wonderful. It's wonderful served alongside ham but can also be its own course, especially for a vegetarian meal.



However you decide to serve it, hope you're ready for the oohs and ahhs to fly. With Corn Pudding on the menu, that's almost guaranteed.

3 ears corn, scaped
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon corn meal
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Toss cornmeal into corn, covering kernals evenly. Salt and pepper to taste and add to buttered casserole dish. A deep dish such as a souffle dish works best.

Whip half and half into beaten eggs, pour mixture over corn.



Dot with butter. Place casserole into bain-marie with enough water to ensure at least 1 inch of water all around.

Bake in 350 oven for 40-45 minutes or until well-browned and a knife inserted in center is clean. Serves 6 as its own course or 8 as a side dish.

Peace

To you and yours throughout the holiday season.

Sugar Plums Have Arrived

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Traditions

In our multicultural family, as in most families in America, we have our share of holiday traditions to mix.

On Christmas Eve, we follow the French custom of roasting a leg of lamb and serving atop a bed of white beans. Roast Gigot and Flageolet is tradition we begin to dream about starting around Thanksgiving so that by Christmas Eve we're literally licking our chops.

Christmas Day, though, is all about American food. More specifically it's mostly about food from the American South, where I grew up. But since we live in Northern California, we start the day with Dungeness Crabs, before moving on to some scalloped oysters, and have really opened our appetites by the time the Baked Ham and Corn Pudding are served.

My time in Central Asia in a former Soviet republic changed permanently my ideas about when Christmas gifts should be exchanged and just how extravagant those gifts should be.

Growing up, my family exchanged most gifts on Christmas Eve when my grandparents arrived. I couldn't imagine how anyone could wait until Christmas Day to do this. And when it came to gifts, we overdid it. Really overdid it.

Now? We wait until Orthodox Christmas, January 7th. By that time, we've had a full dose of holiday dining and mixed traditions starting on Christmas Eve and going all the way through New Year's. Our gifts are simple tokens of affection. No extravagance allowed is the one rule we follow.

The gifts come so late in the season that we never forget that the real spirit of the season comes from the time together creating memories that will warm us all year. The gifts almost seem like an afterthought, not the focal point of our season.

On this Christmas Eve, I hope that all of your holiday traditions merge to create the perfect season of joy. May that joy warm you through the winter months ahead and for many years to come.

Sunshine

We're having a rainier rainy season than is normal this year. But today the sun is shining and that's going to be true tomorrow, too.

So get out there. Hike. Shop. Or just bask in the glow of winter sunshine.

Scalloped Oysters

This recipe is so simple and so rich and luxurious that it's become a holiday staple for our family. I've been making it for more decades than I'd like to admit.

I've tried a gazillion ways to make scalloped oysters over the years. I've tried recipes with eggs to make a pudding-like texture but prefer allowing the casserole to makes its own pudding like consistency, sans the eggs.

On occasion I've made this with half-and-half instead of straight cream and it's quite good, just a good deal lighter in flavor.

Most recipes out there will call for a pint of oysters for 4 people but I find a half-pint works just fine. The flavor is quite intense as is.

As many versions as I've tried over the years, none can compete with this, the simple and true original.

The good news about scalloped oysters is that the dish itself is so rich that a small amount goes a long way, making it defy its luxurious taste and end up as something of a frugal course. The flavor is intense enough to follow a rich soup. I'll often serve a savory pumpkin soup before the scalloped oyster course.

It can literally be thrown together in a few minutes. The crumbling of the saltines is something all kids seem to enjoy and is a great way to engage the younger cooks with more than just cookies in the kitchen. Start them young and let them realize the full benefit that basic cooking skills add to a life well-lived.

Some folks think I use fresh-shucked oysters but I have to admit that I'm the kind of gal who thinks that if I'm shucking any oyster I should be eating it right away. So for this tasty dish I generally stick with the jars of oysters available at just about any supermarket in America now. For a casserole, they work perfectly well.

You'll need:

half-pint jar of oysters
1/2 cup of cream
1 cup crumbled saltines
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1 oz sherry
freshly grated nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste

Strain oysters, reserving their liquor. Return oyster liquor to the jar.

To a buttered casserole, add a tablespoon or two of crumbled saltines.



Top with half of the oysters and 1/2 the butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Dot with half of the butter bits.

Add 1/2 of the remaining saltines, layer the remaining oysters, and top with the remaining saltines. Salt and pepper this final layer to taste.

To the reserved liquor, add the sherry and freshly grated nutmeg, stir gently. Add enough cream to fill the jar and again stir gently.

Pour the liquor/cream mixture over the assembled oysters and crackers. Dot with remaining bits of butter. At this point, the casserole will look like a soupy mess.



Bake in 350 degree over for 30-40 minutes until browned but still soft in the center.

Serve immediately.

The Countdown Is On

With Christmas just a few days away, the countdown is really on.

Whether you've got an inn full of guests or a home filled with family, I hope that your holiday is just perfect.

Be sure to tune back in over the next few days for some of my most popular Christmas recipes.

Tomorrow's recipe? That old standby, Scalloped Oysters. A classic sure to make Grandma proud.

Don't miss it!

Boutique Buzz

The boutique wars are heating up as folks speculate about Ian Schrager's new ventures and just what impact Richard Branson's entry to the market will have.

My prediction? When it comes to building a business based on the essential ingredient of creating a special environment for guests, I wouldn't bet against either one.

2011 will be a year of credit expansion for hotels and boutique hotels will lead the way. I expect both of these players to be front and center of that movement. While I expect a few other leaders in the boutique hotel market to demonstrate their resiliency in the year ahead, the big news will be all Schrager and Branson all the time.

B&Bs? As much as it pains me to say so, I think we'll see even more close shop in 2011 than we saw in 2010. Those that remain will be strengthened by decreased competition.

This is a year in which only the strong and nimble will survive. In fact, by year's end I predict that agility will have as much to do with success as any other component.

I also expect the rate wars of the last 3 years to continue even as many small inns will realize that the secret to longevity is a business model based upon guest satisfaction and sustainable ADR. Those who can ignore the race to the bottom and retain guests while raising rates ever so slightly will have the best chance of survival.

Want to make sure your inn makes it to the finish line? Plan now for every contingency. And implement that plan with the same care you give to your guests.

The rest, as they say, will be history.

Winter Storms Heading In

If you're anywhere in Northern California, you're going to get wet this weekend. The Sierras will get loads of snow and here on the coast we're preparing for buckets of rain. When all the small towns start distributing sandbags, you know it's going to be a wet one.

The best place to be? Inside with a roaring fire, a cup of hot chocolate and a great view. That's where you'll find me.

Hope your fires stay warm and your view is just grand all weekend long.

A Feature, Not a Bug

We've all heard the stories. Sadly, they've almost become commonplace.

You know the stories I'm talking about. The innkeepers who swear that they were not in dire straits by any means when suddenly they found themselves in foreclosure.

It's bad enough when someone loses their home. When they've lost their inn, they've lost their home, their means of support, and in most cases, they've lost their retirement. All at once.

It's a scale of loss that is truly unfathomable for most.

So it's easy to dismiss some of those stories. Yes, sad to say, I've had innkeepers tell me that they didn't believe a word of the folks who claim foreclosure fraud.

Me? I believe them.

Is that because I once worked in banking? Partly yes, partly no.

When I left banking, the system was not nearly as broken as it is today although the writing was on the wall. When a senior executive at one of the largest banks described to me a future banking system based not on traditional profit streams but rather based on the profitability of default fees, I knew it was no longer the place for me.

I was glad to get out when I did and have been shocked to witness the decline of ethics in a system that really offers society nothing at all if it can't be trusted.

No, while all that's true, the reason I believe those innkeepers is pretty simple. I believe them because I've been paying attention.

So when I read Randy Wray's recent post, the 3rd in his series on the systemic fraud at the heart of the MERS system, I knew he was right on the money.

The fraud itself is a feature, not a bug.

Can folks fight back? They can sure try.

My advice? Next time an innkeeper tells you a heartbreaking story that's perhaps a bit farfetched about just how they ended up in foreclosure, don't dismiss it out of hand.

Chances are very good that they're telling the absolute unbelievable truth.

They're Back, They're Not Back

Who's to know for sure?

While some TripAdvisor reviews have begun to reappear on Google, many are still gone.

Seems it's just not as easy for the 2 gorillas to come to terms with their competing interests as some of us might have hoped.

Game on.

Settling In

To winter.

Keeping wood dry for the fire.

Doubling down on those chocolate orders so the hot chocolate keeps freely flowing. Why yes, a wee bit of sherry in mine would be nice thanks so much.

Cookie recipes old and new are competing for attention with whale watching plans.

With all the goodness winter offers, it's no wonder it's one of my favorite times to be in Northern California.

It's Time

For a walk in the woods.

Winter is Tumbling Down

All around us and so is the weekend. There's so much to do in Northern California, it would wear you out trying to squeeze all the fun into just a few days.

Waterfalls are spilling at full force. Whalewatching is fabulous this year thanks to an unexpected bounty of krill.

Salmon are coming back into the creeks, changing form, laying eggs and turning bright red, giving us all hope that maybe just maybe their demise has been somewhat exaggerated.

Christmas lights are popping up everywhere. Dungeness crab season is open. Oysters are perfect.

Birders are readying their scopes for the annual Christmas bird count.

There's a veritable waterfall of winter activities just waiting out there.

Tumbling down all around us.

You Say Glitch I Say Block

Yesterday it looked like the mystery of the disappearing TripAdvisor reviews was resolved with TripAdvisor admitting they'd blocked their reviews from Google Places.

Google continues to maintain, however that the issue was a technical glitch that's being resolved.

For now, I guess they'll just have to agree to disagree.

But sure enough, the reviews are slowly coming back up.

Technical glitch or a case of one little gorilla learning the hard way that it's not so easy playing hardball with the bigger gorilla?

I'm guessing the glitch is exactly what TripAdvisor said it was yesterday: a deliberate blockage of their reviews to Google Places.

Just a guess.

Whatever it was, though, it does appear that both gorillas have decided to work together again.

For now.

Meanwhile what have smart innkeepers learned from the "glitch"?

The same thing they should have always known: it's much safer to diversify than to put all your eggs in one basket. If guests are being directed to review sites, float some choices and spread those reviews around.

I'm not at all sure that's the lesson TripAdvisor wanted them to learn.

Mystery Solved

Folks we have an answer. And it's not what you might think.

In fact, In what might be considered mindbogglingly stupid move, it turns out that the recent disappearance of TripAdvisor reviews from Google's radar was, in fact, a result of TripAdvisor's own actions.

Yes, in an apparent effort to stop Google from taking its position as leader of online reviews, TripAdvisor decided to block the streaming of its reviews to Google Places.

The result? TripAdvisor reviews are gone, gone, gone from most frontpage results.

How long do I think this is going to last? Not long. TripAdvisor may not want competition but they don't want to disappear altogether either.

They've spent the better part of the past year encouraging innkeepers to buy links, to attend webinars and workshops, and generally get aboard the whole concept of sending guests their way to post reviews.

What will happen to all that work now that innkeepers will have essentially lost the level playing field those reviews gave them?

Gone with the wind. For now.

Meanwhile, a big wow from all of us. Just wow.

Anyone Notice This?

Innkeepers are all talking about the fact that TripAdvisor reviews seem to have, at least temporarily, disappeared from Google's radar.

Some say it's to shut TripAdvisor out of the online market that Google wants to set for itself.

While that very well may be true, I'm guessing the reasons are probably a bit more complex.

And I'm also guessing the fact that Google recently changed its algorithms might have something to do with it.

Especially since the change was to prevent negatives from improving ranking and the change was specifically made because of problems with online reviews.

Great Opportunity and Great Risk

The NY Times has an article up (subscription required) about the impending movement of hotel properties as investors begin to wake up and buy.

Do go on over and read the whole thing which looks at the impact Richard Branson's new enterprise will likely have on hospitality investment.

The numbers have evidently not daunted Mr. Branson and others who are jumping into the industry. Mr. Butler of Jeffer Mangels sees great opportunity for them, along with great risk.

“I would never bet against Mr. Branson, but it will, at the very least, be challenging,” Mr. Butler says. “He may well do it, but I think it’s gutsy.”

Regular readers won't be surprised at any of this. Or that I think this is a very good thing for all of us.

When do I think we'll start to see some real movement? I'm guessing Spring 2011 will be a busy time when many of the bargains out there will be snapped up.

Finalmente.

Waterfalls and Orchids

Waterfalls are popping up, or shall we say cascading down, everywhere right now. For the adventurous hiker, winter is an extraordinarily beautiful time in Northern California.

Fortunately, you don't have to be an expert on where to catch the best falls. No, there are some fabulous options for guided hikes to some of the best spots.

Marin County boasts not only stupendous waterfalls but orchids as well. Prime orchid viewing is spring but now is the time to reserve your tour. If you're planning to visit in winter, don't worry. The redwoods, the winter cascades, and the views are plenty grand enough on their own.

The bluffs of Mendocino County offer fewer waterfalls but there are still some worth chasing. The views from the bluffs alone, though, offer enough contemplative magic that they're compelling all on their own.

Weather is clear here for the next couple of days. So get on out there and hike to your heart's content.

Rain and cookies coming up later in the week. And you sure don't want to miss that.

Looking for a private hike? Plenty of choices there so don't forget to ask your innkeeper for tips.

What?

It's the weekend already? How'd that happen?

Hope yours is filled with peace and magic.

Learning to Love the Rain

For folks from the East Coast, the whole idea of a rainy season is a bit abstract. I know it was for me when I first moved here a few decades ago.

I moved here in summer and remember being startled the first time someone told me that it doesn't rain at all between April and October. I thought he was kidding.

Of course, we were in the midst of a drought that year and I was living in San Fran, not in one of the more northern counties (that get significantly more rain) as I am now, so the rainy season wasn't as rainy as those I see now. But I admit it. I thought Californians were just wimps when it comes to rain.

Growing up as I did in an area that gets lots of rain all year round, I didn't really see the big deal of rain. How it makes folks in San Francisco stay indoors and not weather the brutal drizzle. And how the slightest of drizzles can cause all kinds of accidents.

But it turns out there are actually very good reasons for that.

Early in the season, when there's been literally no rain for months, the roads are slick as ice. All the oil that naturally gets washed off the roads by the rain has been building up all summer and the first rain just brings it to the surface. Cars slide all over the place.

Thankfully, the first few rains take care of that.

But the other thing is that a lot of folks lose their rain-driving skills when they've had several months without practice. They get better as the season goes on, but for many they're learning skills all over again. So it's always a good idea to be extra cautious driving on wet roads, even if you're used to them. Some of the other drivers probably aren't.

Later in an intense rainy season, mudslides are common here in the north. The hills become so saturated with a year's worth of rain pouring down in a just a few months that they give. And give.

With all the inherent dangers that were somewhat new to this former "backeaster" it took me many years here to love the rain. Not only for the desperately needed water it provides to our reservoirs and farms.

No, I learned to love the rain for all its many gifts. Wild mushrooms, rainbows, cascades, and my personal favorite: the right to stay inside, warmed by the fire and content with a bowl of soup and a plateful of cookies. Even on just the drizzliest of days.

What a wonderful state.

World AIDS Day

AIDS didn't just take away the best friend I ever had. It took all of my closest friends. Over a period of around ten years, AIDS peeled away layer after layer after layer of my friends until regular loss almost began to seem normal.

There is not a day that goes by, all these years later, that I don't reach for the phone to call Rocky. His absence gets me right to the bone sometimes, on those days when I do admit to myself that he's not really frozen in time somewhere.

When I'm feeling blue, I still expect Mark to show up knocking on my door to talk me into going somewhere and forget all about whatever ails me. To this day, I don't know how he always knew just when I needed him but he was always there, like magic.

I drive by Victor's place on a regular basis these days and I still, fifteen years later, find myself wanting to pull into his driveway, sing yoo-hoo by his open window as I walk to his door and plop myself on his sofa for a good long laugh. I loved his laugh the minute I met him and never grew tired of it.

David was the first to teach me the power innkeepers have to positively impact people from all walks of life on the most stressful, the most difficult, and the most joyous of their days. There are only three days in my life I'd really like to be able to do over. That last day, the day I did not stop by his apartment to check to see if he needed me to make him some soup is one of them.

There were so many others whose lives entwined with mine that it literally would take a book to tell you of all of them. I cleaned their litter boxes, I walked their dogs, I drove them to the doctor, I held their hands and did what little I could to keep the fear at bay. I watched as one by one their spirits left us.

It didn't have to be that way then and there's really no reason for people to still be dying from AIDS today. But they are.

So as much as we've all gotten used to seeing those red ribbons, they still matter. Every single one of them mattered.

And, oh, how I miss them all.