It was St. Patrick’s Day and my family was gathering at my brother’s house for dinner.  He hosts a gathering every year for the holiday- he is a private chef and works very hard to put out a celebratory spread.  We aren’t Irish but we love …

I was lucky enough to know my great grandfather.  His name was Thomas Romano and he was a five-star chef who immigrated to America in 1945.    He was an imposing figure- he never spoke below a shout and looked like Carlo Rossi from the wine …

My wife and I recently visited the beautiful country of Ireland.  We went on a “cottage tour”, which is a semi-fancy way to say:  we went and looked at old houses.  The average country cottage in Ireland is over 200 years old.  They are nearly …

“Row, Row, Row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily

Life is but a dream.”

I can remember the first time I heard this song sung in rounds, with the second group beginning the first line as the leading ...