I started collecting wine almost by accident. Actually, entirely by accident. I was working in the restaurant industry and frequently received wine as a gift. Bottles came from colleagues, grateful customers, friends and representatives of wineries. During this time I also worked 6 nights a week so I had a lot of wine but did not have a ton of time to drink it. I brought home more bottles than I could consume so, by definition, a collection began.

It's Creole tomato season, and boy are they delicious!

The Creoles of my childhood were ugly and deformed, split to the point of bursting. Picked the day they went to market or set on the windowsill to wait for whichever meal came next — that’s what these tomatoes were good at. Creole tomatoes should be eaten warm, right off the plant, a thing I still look forward to like a child. I’m not saying that I don’t love herbs and fancy cheeses, but a good ol’ ripe Creole doesn’t need any help; it just needs to be eaten.