It had been a minute since the last camping trip in Santa Cruz, so when a hard-to-come-by spot opened up at New Brighton State Beach – off we went! This timing occurred during the date of another trip ‘round the sun, and I got to celebrate with an old friend in Santa Cruz I hadn’t seen in a while, and a surprise visit from other … Continue reading Forks in the Road: Celebrating in Santa Cruz
By Katy Budge With citrus season in full swing, keep your eyes peeled for Buddha’s Hands! They’re pretty easy to spot. Just look for something with knobby, bright yellow “fingers” that indeed resemble a Buddha’s hand. Or something that seems more at home in a Guillermo Del Toro film or Hieronymus Bosch painting than at your local farmers’ market. Like other citrons, these members of … Continue reading Make Things Zesty with a Buddha’s Hand
Eating local on the road is easy with a little advance planning. Continue reading Forks in the Road: Seek Out Local, Even Traveling Coast-to-Coast!
By Katy Budge It’s bittersweet to begin writing this post. I’m determined that it’s going to be a happy tale about being able to return to a city that I love, and to enjoy all of its moveable feasts. I did get to do that – to go to San Francisco in the spring of 2021. I and my friends were vaccinated. We wore masks … Continue reading Forks in the Road: San Francisco, Spring 2021
By Katy Budge A version of this article originally appeared on the Edible San Luis Obispo website. (Photo courtesy of Slow Money SLO) When the global pandemic sent waves through the economy, among the hard hit sectors was the local fishing industry. As restaurants shuttered and supply chains shuddered, market demand collapsed. Another impact of COVID was the rising demand on food banks and similar … Continue reading Grant Provided Win-Win for Local Fishing Industry and Food Insecure
This cookbook dates back to when I was an inveterate recipe reader and user. There was a time I dared not stray from ingredients, measurements, or techniques. That’s not the case anymore, and probably one of the reasons I’m a terrible baker … unless you need baked doorstops, then I’m your gal. Continue reading Cooking Ex-Libris: Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys & Chowchows
By Katy Budge I think we can all agree that the phrase “May we live in interesting times” can be permanently retired, yes? The past 15 months have been one for the books, and I’m ready to turn the page. That said, I was able to do some memorable “COVID camping” trips. And, as always, did my level best to support local food establishments – … Continue reading Forks in the Road: Wildfires + COVID Camping
Volume 1, Issue 4 “Cooking Ex-Libris” is a CasaFestiva.com series exploring new recipes from my own cookbooks. Enjoy! By Katy Budge Well, of course I have Mastering the Art of French Cooking on my bookshelf. C’est de rigeur, oui? This seminal tome — written by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck, illustrated by Sidonie Coryn — pulled back the curtain on all those fancy French … Continue reading Cooking Ex-Libris: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
April 1, 2021 By Katy Budge Like most of their species, my dogs have been obsessed with chasing squirrels – tearing out into the yard with great bluster and in full throat whenever they spotted one of the little critters. Over the many years and countless times that this ritual has occurred, I’ve always joked that when they catch one, we’ll be having Squirrel Burgoo … Continue reading Squirrel Burgoo
Volume 1, Issue 3 “Cooking Ex-Libris” is a CasaFestiva.com series exploring new recipes from my own cookbooks. Enjoy! By Katy Budge Full disclosure. The cookbook I’ve chosen for this month’s “Cooking Ex-Libris” is not one of my well-worn, dog-eared, sauce-splashed tomes. That’s only because We Are La Cocina: Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream was just published by Chronicle Books in 2019, and didn’t hit my … Continue reading Cooking Ex-Libris: We Are La Cocina
