I’m dedicating this blog to my Dad, Dr. Robert Spalten. My Dad was a dentist, architect, jewelry designer and artist, a boulder furniture builder, amazing chef and lover of books and music. He loved to sail and hang out with his various dogs and read everything from novels to medical journals to how-tos. He had several amazing gardens — giant garlic, fruit trees exotic fruits, and vegetable gardens. He built boats and ponds. If he was interested in something there was no end to what he wanted to discover. If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t pretend to be…couldn’t. A lot of people thought he was a little nuts and a lot of us had a problem with him at times… I did for years. But as he mellowed with the love of his second wife and daughter he learned to love better — and to love me, his first daughter. Read More