Great Cookbooks for Holiday Gifts

December 6, 2011

Welcome to my virtual holiday potluck. Well, not my virtual holiday potluck, but our virtual potluck—meaning you, me, and a bunch of my cookbook author pals.

The idea is, to help celebrate and promote each others’ books, we each write about another’s book , including a recipe and links to all the others’ posts. So you get to virtually experience a potluck of recipes and, perhaps, become inspired to add one (or more) of our books to your holiday gift list.

Cool, eh?

Some really cool treats, in plenty of time for Halloween

October 12, 2011

I want to tell you about a really cool gig I had, which led me to discover some really cool treats that I think you’ll enjoy knowing about.

Last January, I was hired by Cooking Light magazine to help with their annual Taste Test Awards. My job was to nominate five artisanal food products from the northwest, which basically meant that I got to contact the northwest’s best specialty food producers, ask them to send samples of their products, taste them, and pick my favorites.

How fun is that, right?

A magical place

July 11, 2011

Some places are just special. Magical. Operating on another astral plane. Existing inside a harmonic convergence. Something.

Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico, is also one of those places.

An argument for off-dry

June 27, 2011

I said it in both of my books, but I guess I like saying it, because I’m going to say it again: I have no idea how or why off-dry wines became so unhip, but they absolutely shouldn’t be.

Lavender-Scented Dreams

April 27, 2011

A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to spend the day with Michaela Baltasar, Senior PR Manager of Jackson Family Wines. It was one of the goodies that came with winning a fellowship to the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers and included a tasting with Ted Edwards, director of winemaking at Freemark Abbey Winery; a garden tour and food and wine pairing lunch, care of chef Matthew Lowe and executive chef Justin Wangler, at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center; and a tasting with winemaker Marcia Monahan-Torres at Matanzas Creek Winery. I know – life is rough.

What I learned at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers

March 11, 2011

During the last week of February, I attended the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley. Before too much time goes by, I want to share a little of what I learned.

Everything I’d want for Christmas if I didn’t already have it in a box somewhere

December 14, 2010

Over a month ago, in this post here, I mentioned that a flood decommissioned my kitchen and I’d tell you about it later. Well, it’s later, a month later in fact, and the kitchen is still decommissioned.

And so, inspired by the tools, toys, and ingredients that I have and love – but am currently unable to use because I have no kitchen and they’re packed up in a box somewhere – I give you this holiday gift guide.

Fall project: Homemade mozzarella

November 5, 2010

This week I had the opportunity to practice what I preach – that is, just because something doesn’t turn out the first time doesn’t mean you should give up and never try that again.

That crazy, crossover time of year

October 27, 2010

Have you noticed? Well, it’d be impossible not to. If you’ve been to your farmer’s market lately, at least. I’m talking about the awesome time of year it is and the great diversity of options that are fresh produce right now.

Tomatoes next to pears. Peaches next to persimmons. Apples and eggplant and yams and corn.

Sustainable seafood, sustainable seafood, sustainable seafood

July 20, 2010

According to my calendar, yesterday was Ocean Day in Japan. Why my calendar includes Japanese holidays, I don’t know. A little research reveals that there’s also a World Ocean Day and a mostly California Ocean Day (very cool photos of some aerial oceanside art here), both of which also happened already this year. But neither was in my calendar and so it is Japanese Ocean Day that inspires me this week.

And here’s what I’m inspired to say: sustainable seafood, sustainable seafood, sustainable seafood.