Opinion

I just had the pleasure of hearing lots of raindrops falling on our roof. Whew - I thought it might never rain again. Driving out of the house to see the wet streets and plants perking up with the moisture was a welcome sight indeed. I may be imagining it, but I'd swear that my lawn was already greening up. We love a good soaking that provides enough water to green things up without causing major flooding.

Jon Hatakeyama

Cheers to South County wineries for bringing home the gold - and the silver, bronze and in one case a double gold - from the San Francisco Wine Competition, recognized as the largest competition of American wines in the world.

On a recent tour in Central America and the Caribbean, I was struck by each of the tour guide's pride in their country's high literacy rates and quality of their country's schools. Observing classes and viewing schools supported their claims. Each guide spoke of their nation's support of the educational system and reinforced the high standards, rigorous curriculum and importance of educating their country's youth. Students were learning five different languages in elementary school and spending all but six weeks in the classroom. Teachers were well compensated for their work and were highly regarded in the community.

For the next 12 months, I'll be inviting you to my table. Sharing stories, anecdotes, lessons from the kitchen and, of course, recipes from my new cookbook, "Molto Batali" (ecco, 2011). And it's all about family meals.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," directed by Tomas Alfredson, looks and feels like a movie out of a different era. It is a thoughtful spy thriller with a much slower pace that relies on a musical score to build the momentum rather than bombs or explosions. If the "Mission Impossible" series is at one end of the spy caper spectrum, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is at the other end.