Today was National Pie Day, at least according to the PR pitches I received last week. To celebrate, I designed a menu for tonight that contained two pies – deconstructed chicken pot pie and lemon cream tart. Technically, neither is really a pie, but at least the dessert was round. The deconstructed chicken pot pie [...]
With a bag full of vegetables from the Mariquita Farms mystery box languishing in the fridge, I really needed to come up with a menu plan this week. Also, we are into full scale winter sports, so making sure I have something ready when we get home after a game is important to everyone’s sanity. [...]
Yesterday I picked up my Mariquita Farms winter veggie box. It was ginormous and full of all sorts of great winter vegetables, and I find myself wanting to make a plan for how I am going to use them. Being winter veggies, I think their shelf life is longer, so I am not worried about [...]
Not sure what that title means, but I was hoping to convey that unless I get a menu plan together this week, we are going to be eating a lot of take out. Just too busy, we are. I did visit the farmer’s market this weekend with Soo, and brought home Celery Root, Rainbow Chard, [...]
Growing up the Bay Area, it feels like I have been surrounded by good food all my life. But that is not exactly true. Or, if it is true, then I definitely did not notice it until I was a teenager. As a teen, I remember taking the bus to Stanford Shopping Center, just to [...]
Ok, I know a standing rib roast is not everyone’s idea of a spectacular holiday gift, but I do know that boxes of meat and catalogs with meat-gifts (Omaha steaks, anyone) have been around for years. This year, I would like to offer you a local option. Marin Sun Farms is a family-owned farming operation, [...]
Interesting. After reviewing the last few 12 Days of Local Christmas, I realize that most of my gift ideas are sweet. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but suppose you have a friend who doesn’t eat sugar. Then what are you going to do? How about pickles? Now, I make a mean Bread [...]
Remember back in October when I wrote about an awesome dinner I made with Bellwether Crescenza cheese and fresh tomato salad? I still dream about that cheese. So I was pleased to see Frog Hollow Farms (my favorite local, organic fruit CSA) and Bellwether together at the Foodbuzz event, showing how well Warren Pears and [...]
Beverly’s English ToffeeOne of the reasons I decided to start this little 12 Days of Local Christmas project earlier this year was because of Beverly’s English Toffee. Cindy turned me onto them last year, and the deadline had already passed for Christmas orders. So, my gift to you this year is letting you know about [...]
All summer long, a group of food trucks has been circling up on Friday nights outside Fort Mason to bring together many different tastes of San Francisco in one place in an event called Off the Grid. I finally snuck in a visit in early November, just to see what things looked like. I had [...]
Thanks to American Express for sponsoring my writing today about small businesses. American Express is presenting Small Business Saturday, a way to honor the local merchants who are the backbone of the economy, this Saturday, November 27. They’re offering statement credits to people who shop at small businesses, advertising for small-business owners, and donations to [...]
Wow, our last box for the season from Two Small Farms contained Peanuts. As in, raw in the bag. I have no idea what to do with them, but I look forward to experimenting. I think I am a roasted peanut type of person, rather than boiled, so if I can get it together, I [...]
