When in LA- Where to Eat in LA

The city that scintillates, the one that’s got me all aflutter with a desire to return in a hot minute only to continue to eat my way through it is L.A. While the city of lights typically brings paparazzi for celebrities, all I’m interested in is the exciting food cropping up all across town. Let… Continue reading When in LA- Where to Eat in LA

Long Live Gastronomic Poetry

Mark Strand passed away in November. Somehow I always expect there will be a flurry of magazine covers and articles to eulogize poets with the same kind of attention afforded to celebrities. And, perhaps that might be the case if the world resembled Brattleboro, Vermont where a stranger walked up to a poet friend of… Continue reading Long Live Gastronomic Poetry

Tastemaker Tea Podcast: Episode 3

People who work tradeshows have a certain unspoken camaraderie. There is a worn look about the sparkling eyes that says, I too will talk to 500 people today. The moments leading up to a tradeshow tend to be squirreled away and regarded as precious time of quiet before the floodgates of the convention doors are… Continue reading Tastemaker Tea Podcast: Episode 3

Sunday Roast Cauliflower

Is it possible that we have recreated the Tower of Babel by emoji? With the right string of icons, anyone can now communicate by smiley face or thumbs up. And, new smart phones feature them as one might find an alphabet or keyboard of letters. It’s easier than ever before to connect and communicate. Or,… Continue reading Sunday Roast Cauliflower

San Mateo Cooking Class: Celebrate Hot Tea Month

photo by Stephanie Shih This one’s going to be a quickie, but stay tuned because I’ve got a recipe coming your way soon that I’m tweaking and re-tweaking until it’s just right and ready to share with you. If you are in the Peninsula or South Bay, you are invited to celebrate National Hot Tea Month… Continue reading San Mateo Cooking Class: Celebrate Hot Tea Month

Red Wine Chili

Jacques Pepin got me thinking: how many recipes does one person commit to memory in their lifetime? The question doesn’t suggest a one-size-fits-all answer but maybe you’re already beginning to rattle off recipe names or tick fingers doing a lap on the mental treadmill of memory. The only time we ever stirred a pot of… Continue reading Red Wine Chili

Christmas Cookies

How is a tradition made? I’m inclined to think the plain response is repetition. But look for the underlying root cause and you’ll find desire–that holds something of intrinsic interest. Is it desire for gobbling sugar-laden rounds, crispy or chewy at a yearly cookie swap? Perhaps. But, peek beneath that layer of parchment paper and the… Continue reading Christmas Cookies

Tea with Tastemakers Podcast: Episode 2

Do you have a car ride ahead of you for a certain holiday of thankfulness this week? To sweeten the miles, our newest episode of Teatime with Tastemakers tea podcast is up! And, good news—we are in the process of getting the podcast up on the iTunes store. Stay tuned for that update. But, first,… Continue reading Tea with Tastemakers Podcast: Episode 2

Maple Ginger Chicken Thighs

When you think of maple syrup does your mind first conjure up a stack of pancakes and a warm amber-colored drizzle pooling around the edges of the plate below the tipped spoon? If there is any ingredient that can usher in a taste of fall and winter, it might just be maple. The sweet caramel notes… Continue reading Maple Ginger Chicken Thighs

In a word

Adrenaline courses through me. Even as I tried to shut my eyes for a whole 20 minutes, my mind transported me back to Oaktown Spice Shop and the cooking with tea workshop that I led there tonight. We are on the cusp of my favorite holiday—not the one all wrapped in ghoulish attire, but the… Continue reading In a word