In the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the amazing Apollo 11 mission, I realized some of my earliest food passions orbited around the idea of going to the moon. And no, it’s not because of the old wives’ tale about it being made of cheese. That would have been tastier. I’m talking about Tang, Space Food Sticks, and Quisp. I was in grade … Continue reading Foods I Mooned Over as a Kid
That was a question I had for several years. I’d written about a lot of CSA programs for my newspaper column, but never took the plunge until recently. Here’s a bit of information about CSAs to help you determine whether they’re right for you. What is a CSA? The acronym stands for Community Supported Agriculture. At its essence, a CSA program is a subscription service … Continue reading To CSA or not to CSA?
A Sonoran hot dog – aka Sonora dog – wasn’t on my culinary radar until I started researching a trip to Tucson, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. It didn’t take long to realize, “Who am I to argue with the James Beard Foundation and an award-winning food writer?” Certainly I’d have to try a Sonoran hot dog, but I’ll admit to being less than thrilled … Continue reading Foodie Bites Sonoran Hot Dog
They’ve been around for almost a century, yet are unknown to many cooks and chefs. They’re used in Moroccan dishes such as tagine and mechouia, and in a Cambodian soup known as ngam nguv. Mention them in Turkey, Iran, and Israel and you’ll definitely get enthusiastic nods of recognition. If all that makes you think preserved lemons are just an exotic ingredient, think again! These … Continue reading In Praise of Preserved Lemons!
Last fall, the 2017 Pod Squad (two two-leggeds, two four-leggeds, and one sweet little R-Pod trailer) set out for an adventure dubbed “395 and Coasting.” As always, the route took us to a lot of tasty spots that included breweries, bakeries, and burgers. Farmers markets are a regular favorite too – not only for fresh seasonal produce, but also for local delights such as Oregon … Continue reading Forks in the Road: “395 and Coasting”
Text and Photos By Katy Budge Heading to the Calistoga/St. Helena area? Here’s a quick look at what I discovered on a recent trip. (It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the immediate area had been spared fire damage, by the way. However, north of town towards Santa Rosa was described as an absolute disaster area, and we chose not to make the … Continue reading Forks in the Road: Calistoga & St. Helena
(Ed. Note: a version of this article originally appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of Edible San Luis Obispo.) In the 13 years since its founding, Yelp has become one of the go-to sites for crowd-sourced opinions about everything from house painters, to hair salons, to restaurants … especially restaurants. Sigh. Disclaimer: I’ve been a food writer for many years, so you might think I … Continue reading Oh Yelp, Are You Burden or Help?
(Ed. Note: With Easter soon upon us, I thought I’d crack into my CasaFestiva.com archives and serve up this post from April, 2012. Only minor edits have been made to reflect some updated web links, etc.) Well, Easter is just about to hop in, so I thought some bunny better discuss colored eggs! If you’ve ever wondered how bunnies and eggs got yolked together for … Continue reading From the Archives: Going All Natural with Easter Eggs
It’s not you. It’s me. Yes, I know you have a long history dating back about 24 centuries, and during all that time you’ve been recognized and lauded as a healthy food. Bravo for you. You’re a cruciferous vegetable, a superfood, a bulked-up antioxidant warrior against cancer. Your lutein is good for my eyes, your detoxification properties good for my liver. You can help lower … Continue reading Dear Kale,
It’s late February, so visions of turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie have stopped dancing in my head. But I still keep thinking about mashed potatoes, past and present. The only time I remember seeing my mother make mashed potatoes was the time she showed me how to make them. From the age I could see above the kitchen counter, it was then my job to … Continue reading Pass (on) the Potato Buds, Please
