A small mountain village in Ecuador. There were a dozen young boys in the dirt street, playing baseball with a stick and a rock. I opened my backpack and started tossing out Cleveland Indians baseballs. The shock, the grins, the gratitude, were priceless. 

A fancy restaurant in Paris (Le Coupe-Chou). It was close to Halloween, now being celebrated in France. Our waiter was exceptional, not only for his service, but for his charm and dry sense of humor. I gave him a cleverly embroidered Halloween dish towel with English words. It was as though we handed him a gold brick. We saw him the next day on the street and he took us to a small café and bought us a brandy. 

To me, the most important thing you can take on an international trip is gifts for good people you meet along the way. Here are some other suggestions:

When you travel in Ireland today, it is truly difficult to imagine the horrific potato famine that occurred in the 1800’s. The Irish people were poor and looked to the potato for their main source of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. They ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner; sometimes with a little cabbage or fish on the side. 

In 1845, a fungus started killing off the plants, and the wind spread the blight countrywide. Everyone thought it would go away soon and things would return to normal. But the blight lasted six years, killing more than a million people, and forcing another million to flee to the United States to begin a new life. 

Fast forward to my Ireland trip with family; roaming the countryside, scouring ancient castle ruins and staying in remote bed and breakfasts. The breakfast part always consisted of the traditional fried eggs, fried sausage, fried bacon and fried potatoes.

When things have hit an all-time low – like when you were forced to fire one of your gardeners; when you found out your husband was cheating (on his diet); when the artist that was going to do your screening room in trompe l’oeil broke her hand; when your best friend bought an outfit just like yours except for the color and pattern; when your power went out for nearly ten full minutes right when you were watching "The Real Housewives of Orange County"; when you found out they discontinued your favorite nail polish color; when you suddenly ran out of Bounce just as the laundress arrived – there’s nothing like a steaming bowl of the most comforting and well-loved soup in the world. Okay, I’ve changed it just a little. But I think you’ll like it. 

Vento La Trattoria’s cozy atmosphere has invited customers in to dine since the restaurant’s opening in July. Tiramisu and cheesecake greet customers from the case at the front. The smell of fresh herbs from the kitchen entices patrons to stay for an entrée before trying one of the tempting desserts.

The restaurant mixes a small town appeal with a fresh twist on Old World flavor. The menu offers a wide variety of favorites from Italian bruschetta and pasta to American gourmet soft pretzels. The food is reasonably priced; appetizers are less than 10 dollars and most entrées are below 20 dollars.

NANCY'S BRUNCH EGGS

[Editor's note: This makes a great Christmas morning (or any weekend morning) breakfast. The dish can be assembled and refrigerated the night before and baked in the morning.]

1 (1 lb.) bag Simply Potatoes, shredded (dairy case)

1 lb. bacon, diced, fried and drained

1 large onion, chopped and lightly fried in bacon grease (may choose to drain)

3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

8 slightly beaten eggs

1/2 tsp. pepper

Butter a 9"x13" glass pan. Mix eggs, pepper, cheese and potatoes in a large bowl. Add bacon and onions. Mix thoroughly. Pour in greased pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes (longer if dish was refrigerated overnight), until eggs are set and top is brown. Serve with fresh fruit, coffee cake, etc. 

– Carol Hill

What I find rather amusing about the history of eggnog is that in Renaissance Europe, it was a popular holiday tradition and was used to toast to one’s health… at nearly 400 calories per cup, gobs of saturated fat and cholesterol galore. Earlier versions from the 1700’s in upper-class England were laced with sherry, ale and Madeira.

American colonists introduced rum and brandy to the mix. The father of our country, George Washington, was an enthusiastic fan: he laced his with rye whiskey, rum and sherry. All at once. I’ll bet his house was a joyous place to be at Christmastime.

My father loved the tradition – the real thing, laced with bourbon and topped with grated nutmeg (once, my mother came home with some low-fat stuff and he poured it down the drain). The tradition continues in my home, although I’ve played with variations over the years.

PUMPKIN BUTTER CHEESECAKE 

3 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

4 eggs

1/4 c. sour cream

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 jar pecan pumpkin butter or regular pumpkin butter

pecans (for garnish)

 

The Thanksgiving stage is nearly set. People are gathering. My uncles are already arguing politics (my side is winning), my aunts are discussing everyone they know who has had a medical procedure in the last ten years (in full-color detail), my cousins are deep into Scrabble (no, repunt isn’t a word), my nieces and nephews are all offering to walk the dog (and sneak a beer, I’m sure of it), my husband just told his brother to stuff it (he asked if he could help with the bird), the sounds of football are in the background (that’s the sport with the pointy ball), and I’m in the kitchen, with the Macy’s Day Parade on for atmosphere -  thankful for the potatoes which I am about to receive.

EXTRA CREAMY ROSEMARY MASHED POTATOES        

6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks       

3 tablespoons sweet butter, softened 

BACON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO APPETIZER

1 lb. bacon, fried crisp

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sour cream

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

Lettuce

French bread

Mix all ingredients together. Serve on rounds of French bread with lettuce leaf on each round.

– D.L. Tadych 

Once, in a restaurant, I watched a group of friends one by one excitedly order slices of warm, homemade apple pie a la mode from the smiling waitress. When she got to me, I said, “I’ll just have the mode.” 

Lord knows, I am not un-American or anti-motherhood, but if I am going to invest precious calories on something sweet, it certainly isn’t going to be apple pie. Unlike Mark Twain, who, in 1878, lamented how much he missed apple pie while traveling in Europe; or 19th century English novelist Jane Austen, who said, "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness," I find the stuff terribly dull.

As far back as 14th century England, someone came up with the idea to take a beautiful autumn object d’art, crisp and healthy and delicious on its own, and cook it to death with sugar in a flimsy crust.

Nope, I’ll pass on the pie and choose instead a sliver of chocolate mousse-whipped cream torte cake. Or a creamy crème brulee. Or, heck, a handful of Poppycock. But I am not altogether blind to this American obsession, so for you, Mark Twain, and for the one out of four Americans who prefer apple over any other flavor of pie, I give you two of my pie recipes that I hate the least.