Book of mediterranean food

Walk through the hot pink front door of Best Little Wine & Books in Lockhart looking for a bottle, and you'll quickly be greeted by sommelier Kaye Askins trilling out a cheerful "Hello my darling!" closely followed by her small scruffy dog, Chicken Hawkins, should he deign to move from his bed under the shop's built-in fireplace. It's immediately apparent why Askins gave her shop, which had its grand opening in April 2022, the name. The place is small, but it's bright and colorful. Shelves stocked with wine bottles feature tags with facts about each wine , dutifully handwritten by Askins. Four round gold tables make up the front of the shop, where guests can sit and sip from purple or pink stemmed wine glasses, settled in front of a large picture window that faces the street. Lockhart may seem like an interesting spot for Best Little Wine & Books—it certainly wouldn't be out of place on Austin's famed South Congress Avenue. The Central Texas town 30 miles south of … [Read more...] about Best Little Wine & Books brings something new to ‘Barbecue Capital of Texas’

Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time By Sheila Liming Melville House. 256 pp. $27.99 - - - Hanging out has never seemed quite so important as it has since the pandemic began. Sudden, forced isolation gave way to simultaneously jubilant and tepid communion. Now that people have settled further into old routines, it is, perhaps, a good time to focus on building better ones. That is the ostensible purpose of "Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time" by Sheila Liming. Liming's self-proclaimed manifesto opens with a simple and expansive account of what hanging out is, the better to help us understand why it matters: "Hanging out is about daring to do nothing much and, even more than that, about daring to do it in the company of others. . . . It's about blocking out time and dedicating it to the work of interacting with other people, whoever they might be." Her stated goal in "Hanging Out" is to examine "how such a simple act became so incredibly hard for many … [Read more...] about Book World: Have we forgotten how to hang out with each other?

Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes By Stephen A. Smith Gallery/13A. 288 pp. $28.99 - - - Stephen A. Smith, the host of "First Take" on ESPN, is the most visible sports personality in America. His opinions, and the dramatic delivery of those takes, have made him enough of a cultural institution that he's been parodied by "Saturday Night Live" and profiled by the New Yorker. Smith is also the author of a new memoir, "Straight Shooter," out Tuesday, in which he details how he reached such heights. Smith writes of growing up poor in Queens, the son of West Indian immigrants, with a father who was unfaithful to his mother and unsupportive of him throughout his life. He also writes of losing his first TV show at ESPN and the long climb back. Smith talked to The Washington Post recently about his memoir. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. You spend all day arguing with people on TV. I couldn't help but notice the cover picture of … [Read more...] about Book World: Stephen A. Smith talks about debate TV shows and his new memoir

It's difficult to imagine today, but up until just five years ago, the now-booming Heights full of bars and restaurants was dry—well, technically. On Nov. 7, 2017, voters in a small section of the Houston neighborhood went to the polls and repealed an arcane law prohibiting establishments from holding liquor licenses, save for a loophole that allowed bar-goers to become members of a private club in order to drink there. Early adopters such as Canopy and Down House were first to jump through the hoop, while Agricole Hospitality (Coltivare, Eight Row Flint) was one of the biggest forces behind the successful repeal. As Houstonians head to the polls for the 2022 midterm elections , we take a trip down memory lane to remember the Heights dry zone, how it became wet, and how the neighborhood has changed in the past five years. How it started The Heights dry zone was a relic from the pre-Prohibition era, when it was incorporated as its own city, bordered by the 610 Loop to … [Read more...] about How the Heights has changed 5 years after repealing its dry zone

When traveling to the birthplace of Whataburger and the "Queen of Tejano" Selena Quintanilla , it's easy to get your fill of every classic Tex-Mex treat imaginable. Visitors can explore Corpus Christi's neighborhoods to eat like a local and try delicious tacos, mangonadas and pastries, or spend time at the nation's only two-story Whataburger. Padre Island also offers great seafood from local favorites like Black Sheep Bistro or Snoopy's Pier . There's a lot to explore in the "sparkling city by the sea"—including its dynamic culinary scene. Keep reading for six standout Corpus Christi restaurants you must try during your next visit . Bellino Ristorante Italiano e Bottega This South Texas restaurant has bragging rights for being the only Italian restaurant serving authentic Sicilian cuisine in Corpus Christi. Executive chef Francesco Inguaggiato, a native of Palermo, Sicily, grew up learning how to make traditional Sicilian food while working in his … [Read more...] about Discover the many flavors of Corpus Christi’s outstanding restaurant scene

Opened in 2008, Houston's Discovery Green has blossomed into a lively, all-ages neighborhood social hub . Located in downtown Houston , it's a place where Houstonians go to play outdoors, stroll along paths, walk their dogs, exercise, picnic and enjoy the on-site restaurants and food trucks . Proving how much an urban park can do for a neighborhood, the 12-acre park has helped revitalize Houston's downtown, enticing office workers and fun-seekers with green spaces, family-friendly recreation and more than 10,000 free events that have showcased the culture, diversity and spirit of H-Town. The park has also helped spur more than $1.5 billion in development within its two-block radius, according to Central Houston, Inc . The number of residents living by the park has also more than tripled from 2010 to 2022—further evidence of its appeal. Downtown's great backyard was funded by private-public partnerships and created with input from Houstonians. "Discovery Green is a hidden … [Read more...] about There’s a world to discover at this ‘gem’ in downtown Houston

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 Houston's Christine Ha “enjoys a challenge,” she stated with enthusiasm, and it's a good thing, because she certainly faces them. Ha is the Season Three winner of the FOX network's hit cooking show, “MasterChef,” a feat in and of itself. Notably, Ha is also blind. In September, the 33-year-old University of Houston student beat out 99 other chefs from across the country in a cooking competition on national TV. She managed her way through fierce elimination rounds by navigating strenuous timed cooking contests, while pitted against her sighted rivals. In one of the elimination rounds, the majority of the contestants were given fresh, canned crab meat to whip into meals. Not Christine - she was given an enormous, live crab. Though she suffered a bad cut while hand-cracking the crab's sharp shell, her cooking skills and mastery of flavor won out. It was a grand … [Read more...] about Houston’s ‘blind cook’ Christine Ha wins ‘MasterChef’

Everyone I’ve shown this book to has been quick to point out that Derek Daly was never a champion. Not in Formula 1 or CART, the two most senior categories he competed in between 1978 and 1989, before racing sports cars. But does that disqualify him from writing a book on how to become a good racing driver? I don’t think so, because he’s gotten an awful lot closer than many of us ever will have. And unfortunately I don’t think it’s likely Michael Schumacher is going to be picking up a pen any time soon. Daly’s humble enough to admit what he got wrong and how he could have done better, and that’s good enough for me. And he’s got a stack of good stories to tell. “Race to Win” is part entertaining collection of anecdotes from the world of professional motor racing, part manual for aspiring racing drivers. And if I’m honest, I found myself greedily devouring the stories and tuning out during the pages on fitness and mental discipline. But that’s because I was reading this for … [Read more...] about “Race to Win: How to become a Complete Champion Driver” (Derek Daly) · RaceFans

Living on the road is a dream many people share, even if you only live vicariously through YouTube. It's fun to see how people manage daily life, living out of small spaces while roaming the countryside. Adding children into the mix creates a whole new set of challenges, but in the case of this family of five, it seems they've adjusted just fine. Starting with the right vehicle makes all the difference. In this case, a military surplus 1998 Stewart and Stevenson M1088 semi-truck tractor. Originally configured as a dump truck, it has a tire inflation system and is more than up to the challenge of toting the 26,000-pound living space across all sorts of terrain. It's not the first Stewart and Stevenson conversion we've seen recently. These diesel-powered trucks are practically unstoppable. In this case, the M1088 is limited only by its 55-gallon fuel tank and 50 mph top speed. The interior is a marvel, with two slideout sections to double the living space. It features a … [Read more...] about Converted 6×6 With Trailer Is An Overlanding Home For Family Of Five