Wisconsin Cherry Country

Named one of the nation's 10 best vacation destinations, by Money Magazine, Door County, Wisconsin is a vacationers' paradise. If you also love cherries, then this is definitely your kind of place. From brilliant crimson to black-red, you'll find cherries on food and beverage menus throughout 'the Door.' Located between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, the county can produce up to 13 million pounds of cherries by mid-summer.

That's enough fruit for more than two-dozen pies from each and every fruit-bearing tree on the peninsula and adjacent islands. But inside pies isn't the only place you'll find cherries in Door County. At the Savory Spoon Cooking School, chef/owner Janice Thomas may pair pork loin with fresh cherry sauce or combine wine-soaked dried cherries with roasted apples, pecans and Wisconsin Blue cheese, in a dynamite salad.

Across the watery expanse known as Death's Door, chef and co-proprietor, Leah Caplan, may whip up a light-as-air crepe filled with creamy local goat cheese and topped with a fresh cherry sauce at The Washington Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary School. Or you can sip freshly pressed cherry juice and wine at Orchard Country Winery. Scrumptious doesn't do Door County cherries justice.

Kansas City Rising

Sometimes it's good to view your hometown through fresh eyes. Such was the case when I attended a national conference in my own backyard of Kansas City, Missouri. The conference drew travel writers from across the nation, many of whom had never visited the metropolitan area. Over and over again they mentioned their surprise at the vibrant new downtown entertainment venues, great dining, gorgeous art museums, lush green landscape, and welcoming people.

My greatest surprise occurred when I opened the curtains of my 27th-floor, Crown Center hotel room, to find the skyline emerging from dense early-morning fog. It was almost a visual image of Kansas City rising from the past to an exciting present and future, as a world-class tourist destination.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

For many years, most cookies I made were too hard and sometimes they even burned. Then I learned to stop baking them when only the edges had turned light brown and they were still soft on the pan. After that, I began experimenting with existing recipes. One cinnamon-flavored family favorite was called 'Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies' and appeared under the top of Quaker Oats boxes.

But I always seem to tinker with recipes, so I've made loads of adjustments with this one too. The result is less sugary than the original, with butter and oil standing in for margarine, and more fruit and fiber. See what you think about:

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
makes 5-6 dozen 3-inch cookies

1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup of vegetable oil *
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 cups uncooked oatmeal, quick or old-fashioned
1 1/2 cups raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Combine flour, walnuts, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix well; set aside. Beat together butter, oil, and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add dry ingredients and combine. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1-2 minutes and then remove from pan to wire rack or a countertop covered with foil.

*using olive oil adds fruitiness to the recipe

San Antonio's Mexican Market

Since the 1700s, San Antonio's Market Square has operated under the influence of German, Polish, Italian and Mexican immigrants. But take a stroll through the main plaza and you'll swear you hopped a plane to the heart of Mexico. Sample luscious baked goods at Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery, where Christmas lights glow year round and mariachi musicians often entertain. At La Margarita Restaurant and Oyster Bar more mariachis, fresh oysters and renowned sizzling fajitas delight customers.

Shoppers will find seemingly endless rows of brilliant hued skirts, hand-painted clay pottery, and festive pinatas inside the brilliant teal walls of El Mercado. This is the place to buy an authentic sombrero, hand woven table runner, or colorful tote bag. Sparkling sterling and turquoise, butter-soft leather, and hand-blown glass fill shelves, cases, and storefronts within the building - the largest Mexican marketplace that operates outside of Mexico.

Fisherman's Wharf's Chocolate Mecca

Ghirardelli Square at Fisherman's Wharf has been home turf for renowned chocolatier, Ghirardelli, since its founding, in 1852. The square is actually a collection of buildings that host numerous food and beverage venues, from the classic Lori's Diner to Cellar360, the ultimate wine retailer, and McCormick and Kuleto's, with its Crabcake Lounge overlooking San Francisco Bay. There are also cupcakes, an Irish pub and several other vendors. And, with the recent addition of Fairmont Heritage Place, the Square has added a luxury private residence club too.

But chocolate still rules at Ghirardelli Square. Of the more than four million people who visit each year many stop to indulge at Ghirardelli, where enormous palettes of new products fill the adjacent sidewalk each morning before most people have had a cup of coffee. Chocolate lovers, young and old, feast on signature squares of filled milk and dark chocolate, savor slices of decadent flourless mocha torte, or chase away a chill with rich hot chocolate - all where this sweet legend began.

Artichokes + Garlic = Heaven

Inspiration can strike at the oddest times. As I shopped with a friend in a culinary store, we happened upon 'Artichoke Garlic Sauce,' and I decided to create my own version the next time I played in my kitchen. That time was this afternoon, and the result was smooth and seductive with a bit of bite and chunkiness.

This combination is more of a spread, but the flavors are unmistakable. My taste testers and I tried some atop buttered bread slices that were broiled crisp, on whole wheat crackers, and right off of the spoon. We also thought it would make a good pizza 'sauce,' or a sandwich spread paired with provolone cheese and romaine. A glass of Chardonnay is a perfect complement. See what you think of this Artichoke Garlic Spread:

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 can artichoke hearts, diced fine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Saute garlic in olive oil over medium high heat, until slightly browned. Add two tablespoons butter and stir until melted. Add artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and pepper. Combine thoroughly and cook uncovered, over medium heat, for 15-20 minutes or until extra liquid has evaporated. This should yield approximately 3/4 cups. Set aside.

Put half of this mixture in a food processor with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and puree. Remove puree from processor and stir in remaining artichoke mixture. Spread and enjoy. Generously covers five large slices of French bread.

New Mexico Light

Ever since Georgia O'Keefe painted Northern New Mexico images in bright, bold brush strokes, the area has been known for the natural light that suffuses every element of life throughout this area. Whether snow blankets the streets of Santa Fe, cholla bloom bright pink against spindly, spiked branches near Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, mid-summer heat bakes the town of Taos or golden leaves decorate trees along the road to Chimayo, bright blue skies provide a frequent backdrop.

Sometimes man-made color pops against Northern New Mexico's natural beauty too. One day, as a friend and I departed a Taos cafe on a surprisingly warm September day, we noticed pink umbrellas above the sunken front patio. My camera and I could not resist this shot.