It had been a busy, runaround day. I hadn’t given much thought to dinner, and really didn’t feel like making anything. The mental list of easy, take-out options started to spool out: pizza, burritos, sushi, burgers … Then I caught myself. Earlier in the day, I had visited a local farm to interview the farmer for my newspaper column. He sells at several farmer’s markets … Continue reading Getting Past Lazy
The smell of smoke. The aroma of savory meat. The hallmarks of “barbecue.” The nuances and details of that word can spark heated debates about beef versus pork, mustard sauce or no sauce, hickory wood or mesquite. The one thing most of the USA can agree upon is that “barbecue” means low and slow, meats cooking for hours and hours in closed smokers tended by … Continue reading You Call That BBQ? Yes, We Do!
It’s not you, it’s me. I want to like you, I really do. You’ve got such pretty, delicate fronds and a bulb that reminds me of onions, one of my favorite foods. You’re so good for me and my bones, blood pressure, heart, immune system, liver, and you may even help prevent cancer. I should like you more, Fennel, even love you. We should at … Continue reading Dear Fennel,
Another tasty, fun-filled jaunt — this time to San Diego! It was a jam-packed trip that included visits to 11 breweries/taprooms, and that just scratched the surface of the local beer scene. The beers certainly did not disappoint. All were really good, and the only ones I didn’t much like were just styles of beer that aren’t my favorite. Arguably the U.S. capital of craft … Continue reading “Forks in the Road”: Sippin’ and Snackin’ in San Diego
By design, my travels often include some wonderful culinary adventures. Here’s a sampling of what my tastebuds enjoyed during a recent trip to Seattle – it’s wonder I didn’t gain 45 pounds! Slurp-tastic! Sure, there are other places to go for oysters in Seattle, but why bother. Elliott’s Oyster House has “Oyster House” in its name for a reason. There’s always a broad selection of … Continue reading “Forks in the Road”: Sated in Seattle
A few years ago, I noticed that shishito peppers started showing up on a lot of Asian appetizer menus, especially in Japanese restaurants. Akin to the Spanish padrón, the peppers were usually served grilled to the point of blistering and tossed with sesame oil and either soy sauce or sea salt. After I’d ordered them once, I was hooked. Small, slender, and thin-skinned, the bite-size … Continue reading Shishito vs. Mothra (Well, sort of)
(A version of this piece originally appeared in the Spring 2015 edition of the Solstice Green Directory) By Katy Budge A popular culinary herb throughout the world, Ocimum basilicum – aka basil – has a long and intriguing history. Native to India and cultivated there for over 5000 years, basil was considered sacred, a status that helped garner its “basilicum” moniker in the Western world. … Continue reading Basil Up!
Whenever I go to a city, my cultural exploration always revolves around food, and recently I got to indulge that passion in San Francisco. There’s always a theme when my besties and I go out and about in this wonderful city (this time it revolved around SF Beer Week), but a continually underlying theme is also “old school” spots, especially those on the SF Heritage … Continue reading “Forks in the Road”: San Francisco Treats
I recently got an email from a food/wine/lifestyle company I freelance for, and was pretty shocked by its contents. Effective immediately, all writers and editors were to cease using the term “kaffir” – and that is the last time I will use it in this piece. As many of you may know, that term refers to a type of lime typically used in Thai … Continue reading No More K-Word Limes!
I’m involved with a local gleaning program, GleanSLO, and usually it’s a slam dunk win-win-win all the way around. The GleanSLO volunteers go to a property – either commercial or private, to glean leftover produce and take it to our local food bank. Hungry people get healthy food that would otherwise go to waste, the property owner gets a tax credit and the … Continue reading Gleaning Among the Ghosts
