John Peppin is a physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. John has published over 90 articles and books in the medical field. He has also been a home cook for most of his adult life, taking a great interest in a variety of cuisines and cooking techniques. He is a voracious cookbook reader with an intense curiosity about cuisines around the world. Wrapping and the stuffing of foods has become an overwhelming focus for John, and he has researched recipes from around the world. A self-taught home cook who loves new ways of cooking. Food, good wine and friends, la dolce vita!
After 16 days on the ocean, and about 5 days travel added to this, it was a long trip to say the least. But it was memorable and a once in a lifetime experience. We arrived in Miami atound 5:30 AM and I was up at that time. I received a pot of coffee and…
On board any cruise there will be multiple restaurants from which one can choose. This is certainly true with the Riviera cruise I am on currently. There are 4 specality restaurants on board the Riviera, Jacques, Red Ginger, Polo Grill and Toscana. For these restaurants you need to make reservations ahead of time. The regular…
The Culinary Center on board the Oceania cruise ships the Riviera and Marina is unique. It is the first such center on any cruise ship and has been extremely popular. Multiple classes are offered, including a very popular knife skills class offered in collaboration with Zwilling Company. I was very happy to be able to…
The stop at St. Barts was amazing. It is without doubt the most beautiful Caribbean Island I have yet seen however, it is very expensive. Hotels for a 7-day trip run $800 per night to well over $3000. Spending $21,000 for a week in a St. Barts hotel is nothing my pocket book could bear. …
The ocean has always been a great interest of mine. And the cruise from Rome Italy to Miami Florida gave me lots of time to just sit and enjoy the seemingly endless ocean. Interestingly, the best place to be close to the ocean was on my balcony. Sitting with a glass of wine with a…
I obtain great joy and satisfaction when I prepare and serve friends a 5 or 6 course formal dinner. It has taken me years to come up with a process that allows me time with my guests, and good food for us all to share. I have made blunders and had failures, however there have…
Our second stop was Barcelona, Spain. I have been to Barcelona numerous times in the past and it is one of my favorite cities in the world. We didn’t have much time and I wanted to get to the Casa Mile and have lunch. It is about 4-5 miles from the port, but due to…
My travel agent, Debbie Welch of Cruise Insider, came up with an amazing trip, 16 days traveling from Rome Italy to Miami Florida USA. It is quit the adventure, especially with all the COVID stuff that one must go through to travel. But I was able to overcome these things and am having a great…
OK, I confess, I probably have an anchovy use disorder … The thought of those small fillets, cooked in so many different ways, just makes my mouth water. I have to have them if they are on the menu, and I would pay almost anything (within limits) for the freshest of these little darlings. Unfortunately,…
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Rodney Jones at his restaurant in Georgetown Kentucky, Rodney’s on Broadway. He was very gracious with his time and I enjoyed the interview immensely. So much so that I ended up going back that evening for dinner. Rodney started out as a musician and guitar player. He…