Los Angeles freelance science writer and editor
I didn’t think too hard when the taxi driver in Sorrento (Italy) asked me what I had for dinner. The words just rolled off my tongue. “Pasta ai frutti di mare.” I don’t remember how my travel companions responded. All I remember is what Bartolo the taxi driver said next. “Buon italiano!” “Good Italian!” I... Continue Reading →
An emergency text from a friend: Hi! We got a pasta making attachment for the KitchenAid mixer. Some recipes say all purpose flour and some say 00 flour. I thought we should ask an expert. That’s how my holiday season started, and it seemed to be a theme that carried through to the end when... Continue Reading →
by Janice Nigro Since my travel story hit the LA Times, I have been wondering why that one worked while so many others did not. And if I could figure out why, then I might be able to make it happen more often. Or tell others how to do it. There are some straightforward procedural... Continue Reading →
by Janice Nigro I had a boyfriend in college who wasn’t much of a romantic. But he did leave me a surprise Valentine’s Day card once in a place where I wouldn’t have expected it. I remember the card still today. Without saying much, I felt it said, "I am thinking of you." The history... Continue Reading →
by Janice Nigro Families get together over the holidays. Exchanging gifts and watching movies. And eating. And well... eating. Growing up I would say Christmas food for me was a lot about the cookies. My grandmother made the best cookies on the planet. She always had cookies in a cookie box, a rectangular Tupperware number,... Continue Reading →
by Janice Nigro We think it’s exciting, adventurous, and life changing to live and meet people around the world. I can say with certainty that it is. Right up until that moment you decide to leave, to move on. That final moment when you pass through airport security and you know you will make your... Continue Reading →
by Janice Nigro The odd bit about some of the less famous (small) places in the USA is that most of us start our lives in them. Or the only other way you might learn about them is by taking Southwest Airlines to fly across the country from one big city to reach another. Last... Continue Reading →
When your passport is an open book by Janice Nigro We always traveled, but it was not until my youngest brother was old enough that we needed passports to do so. I was already a teenager at that point. Although I don’t remember much about the first passport, I clearly remember the reason for it-a... Continue Reading →
just ask a local… by Janice Nigro On a recent trip to Rome, I overheard a guest ask the hotel concierge to recommend a good restaurant. She specifically requested a restaurant that only locals would go to. “That’s a fantasy,” I thought, “We are in Rome, where exactly does such a place exist?” There are... Continue Reading →
Capri: Twenty-four hours on a real set of a 1950s movie by Janice Nigro There is nothing like that grand feeling of accomplishment when you reach a dream destination after what might seem like a travel odyssey. Especially when your feet touch a beautiful island like Capri. You have to have faith these days that... Continue Reading →
Janice Nigro 