Thanksgiving side dishes that include blueberries? I’m all in! As a childhood lover of blueberries (long before they became known as an antioxidant-packed superfood immune booster), I remember grudgingly traipsing through the bramble picking wild blueberries with my brother and sisters during the sweltering heat and humidity of a southern summer. But the reward was […]
Salads
Autumn Apple, Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad
Apples = Autumn to me. The signs are everywhere – the days are cooler, evening settles in sooner, and kids are back in school. It must be apple season. One of the earliest cultivated fruits, the apple has come a long way from its crabapple-like ancestors. Careful cultivation has transformed those original small, sour apples into large, […]
Hatch Chiles Morning, Noon, and Night
Hatch Chiles are all the rage! Seriously, you can find a delicious way to eat them, for breakfast, lunch or dinner – and, if you haven’t tried them, you simply must experience them while you can. The season for these unique tasting chiles named from the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico is short […]
Safe Eggs and a Holiday Caesar Salad Recipe
What would the holidays be without Christmas or Hanukkah cookies? And then there’s eggnog, the traditional holiday drink – really, the holidays are full of yummy treats that include the most inexpensive and complete source of protein available: eggs. Last weekend I dashed up to Fullerton to see my good friend, Chef Louise Mellor demonstrate […]
All Hail the Queen of Pears
What is a Korean Asian Pear? A pear by any other name is simply a pear, but a Korean pear … is the regal queen of pears. Pampered from a beautiful blossom into a voluptuous, tender-skinned, blemish-free, sweet, juicy orb of golden crunchiness – no other can hold a candle to its perfection. Behold the […]
Grilled Pluots with Mozzarella and Pear Vinaigrette
On the table in 15 minutes, this fresh and vibrant stone fruit salad tastes as good as it looks! Pluots are used here, but plums, peaches or nectarines are delicious substitutes. Every year around the autumnal equinox (September 22nd this year) the food and drink world is all abuzz with warming spirits, simmering satisfying comfort […]
Farm to Your Table
I’m never too busy to lend my palate as a culinary judge, especially when it involves six of the most popular food trucks in Orange County and supporting local farmers at one of my favorite local farmers markets. So when, SoCo Farmers Market came a callin’, I jumped at the chance to act as a judge for […]
What To Do In Hong Kong – Visit a Chinese Herbalist
What to do in Hong Kong? What to do in Hong Kong if you’re looking to travel deeper? Without a doubt, the most culturally authentic experience I had while in Hong Kong was visiting a Chinese herbalist. Hong Kong, with direct access to mainland China’s vast herbal cornucopia, has the most flourishing herbal medicine trade […]
Quinoa Tabbouleh with Endive
About a month ago, I received a box of California endive from the wonderful people at Discover Endive! Inside the box was a bouquet of red and white endive as well as two packages of endive to play with in the kitchen. I had never seen endive still attached to the root ball and it […]
Kitchen Aid with White on Rice Couple, Cristina Ferrare + Joy the Baker!
When you’re invited to an afternoon with Cristina Ferrare and Joy the Baker at the studio/kitchen of Diane Cu and Todd Porter – the White on Rice Couple – co-hosted by Kitchen Aid, you know you’re in for a deliciously fun time! Throw in meeting many of the talented and creative food bloggers from LA, […]