Is there a particular age where wonder leaves us? I always mused when I was younger about the idea of abandonment of art. What happens in a person’s life to give it up? Is it gradual or quitting cold turkey? You’ve seen it too? Guitar perched in a corner, collecting dust. Sketchbook long ago traded… Continue reading Adventures in Wonderland
Serious Eater: a Food Business Success Story
It’s not often that pizza can change the trajectory of your life. For Ed Levine, his search for the perfect slice brought him across a piece of wisdom from pizzaiolo, Chris Bianco setting a career shift trajectory for Levine: “I’m on a mission. I have a responsibility to do something with integrity and dignity. I’m… Continue reading Serious Eater: a Food Business Success Story
The Art of Seeing: Ficre Ghebreyesus
I first learned about artist Ficre Ghebreyesus after he died at the too young age of 50. His wife, poet, Elizabeth Alexander penned a memoir called Light of the World and painted such a picture of her husband that I needed to see more of his art. I’ve written about Alexander’s memoir and there’s a… Continue reading The Art of Seeing: Ficre Ghebreyesus
Israeli Soul Cookbook Review
A cookbook worth a permanent spot in an avid reader and cook’s collection can resemble the best kind of salesperson giving a pitch meeting. First, it needs to dress for the occasion— easily communicating its ethos by the cover (and so much time is spent on the publishing side of things, considering what will become… Continue reading Israeli Soul Cookbook Review
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Golden Apple Raisin Compote
Living in the Bay area makes you a bit immune to what might be seasonal shifts around the rest of the country. October typically fans the warmth of summer with the mornings and evenings taking a dip into cooler temperatures. We jokingly tell friends and family who come visit to bring layers, knowing that inevitably,… Continue reading Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Golden Apple Raisin Compote
Honeycrisp Apple Butternut Squash Soup
And, suddenly, autumn arrives. Yesterday was the first day of fall and it snuck past me without any sort of fanfare. Actually, each meal yesterday included tomatoes and I’ve been hoarding what Early Girl and heirlooms I can find with the rapt attention of a dragon guarding its gold. In school and on into the… Continue reading Honeycrisp Apple Butternut Squash Soup
Avocado- Poem by Arthur Kayzakian
Avocado my dad once told me to never mess with an unripe avocado he said if you cut it open too soon then it will know you are not interested in its growth so it will begin to die even if you do not eat it that in some parallel universe the avocado is a… Continue reading Avocado- Poem by Arthur Kayzakian
The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander
In Jewish tradition, after someone dies, it is customary to bring food to those left behind and to sit with them in a practice known as shiva. It shouldn’t be that surprising to find food associated with grief. Food is in its way a form of showing love and support that it may bring succor… Continue reading The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander
The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook Review
For eight months, the unopened Instant Pot box leered at me from a high shelf. I acknowledged it, always with a hearty dose of optimism, When I have time, I will learn how to use it. What started out as a week became six, then dovetailed into almost a year later before I made time.… Continue reading The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook Review
Yogurt Jam Tart
I love a good hack and here it is: if you make a fresh batch of jam and a tart crust you are halfway to tempting a few friends and family with a dessert that feasts on the last glut of end of summer fruit in a yogurt jam tart, which is precisely how a… Continue reading Yogurt Jam Tart
Dapple Dandy Hibiscus Jam
In one single question, we can self-select into unspoken groups. Would you order the chocolate dessert or fruit dessert? This over-simplifies things, sure, but it also underscores the idea that for some of us we’ve never been fruit-forward dessert eaters. Then, you have the folks who all they want for dessert is an actual piece… Continue reading Dapple Dandy Hibiscus Jam
The Fruit Forager’s Companion Book Review
I tend to get swept into a good story, head and heels first. Nothing compares to descending into this kind of delicious alternate universe. So, when I read the tale (and later saw the movie) of a guy named Chris McCandless, I couldn’t help but be pulled into the beautiful ideal of his to live… Continue reading The Fruit Forager’s Companion Book Review
Sara Bir’s Italian Plum Cake
Do yourself a favor and go snatch up a pound of plums to make Sara Bir’s Italian plum cake before summer ends. Then, see if you can hold off on cutting into it until it’s set, but still warm. If you don’t have a favorite summer dessert yet, you’re about to taste it. Those are… Continue reading Sara Bir’s Italian Plum Cake