“If worst comes to worst, I can always become one of those little old ladies who sell herbs on the sidewalk near the farmers’ markets or in downtown Athens. All of the herbs…

“No it’s not a type of chocolate; it’s Greece’s own brand of caviar: bottargo, slightly salted and barely dried gray mullet roe, fished from the lagoons on this country’s west coast in late summer.…

“It was a bright afternoon in early September. Before entering the monastery church of Aghios Nikolaos above the Old Harbor, my son and I posed for the camera. In the photo, both of…

“I love it, not only for its brilliant design and usefulness, but because it was a gift from my oldest brother, Shelty or, more formally, Frederick Shelton Farr. We were cooking supper in…

“It is five years since this oh-so-memorable event occurred. I think of it every year when February rolls round; this year more than ever. Even if travel were possible, Erdogan’s actions and speeches…

“But the wonderful thing about being on Andros was the fact that all this was normal. We always expect a few disasters after a winter away, so this year’s was no surprise. But…

“We also marvel that Greeks, who have known so many hardships during wars, civil war, dictatorships, and the like, have not cleared the shelves of toilet paper, pasta, beans, flour, or other staples…

“The moment she walked into the office, I saw that she was not scary at all, but warm, delightful, funny, and kind. She was thin but wiry, and although her hair was white,…

“Using objets trouvés and tools from the hardware store, she started to create fabulous animals, roosters, and sea creatures, as well as portraits. Her animals are imbued with her own energy and exuberance,…

“It all began on a tennis court in the late 1980s. I was co-editing a magazine for a Greek hotel chain and we were searching for someone to do a food column. It…