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

Whole30 Meal Plan Menu & Book Review

Late one evening in a hotel room tucked into downtown Philadelphia, only two things were still awake: me and a growing desire to pull out a take-away tub of butterscotch pudding. Earlier that evening at Tallulah’s Daily, a dear foodie friend and his wife recommended trying something that would be life-changing after our feast had… Continue reading Whole30 Meal Plan Menu & Book Review

Matcha Dusted Maple Chocolate Cupcakes

First of all, it feels so good to be back blogging again. For the first time in two months, my kitchen has come out of lockdown. I’m back in Oakland and planning some delicious things for coming weeks. Cookbooks make good traveling companions, don’t you think? With a pencil in hand, hours of entertainment are yours… Continue reading Matcha Dusted Maple Chocolate Cupcakes

Tea and Cookies: Cookbooks to Use for a Christmas Cookie Exchange at Teatime

A few years ago, I decided that what the holidays really needed was another party. I can’t remember if this was prompted by the desire to see people congregate under mistletoe or just eat, drink, and be merry, but we will go with the latter response. Happily what started out as a small food blogger… Continue reading Tea and Cookies: Cookbooks to Use for a Christmas Cookie Exchange at Teatime

Cooking with Georgia O’Keeffe

After a brief summer hiatus, I’m back, and so is the fog. We had actually been experiencing summer-like temperatures in San Francisco, which is completely unexpected and requires copious amounts of cold confections to withstand the 80 degree heat. My Texas self would shake its head in shame… In our last exploration, we dug our… Continue reading Cooking with Georgia O’Keeffe

Cookbooks to Help You Reach New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap. Perhaps that stems from what starts one year as possibility and by year-end equals failure. I, however, do not fall into the camp that recycled resolutions denote some sort of inadequacy on the part of the goal-maker. Instead, I choose to consider that perhaps the lesson of that… Continue reading Cookbooks to Help You Reach New Year’s Resolutions

Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese

When Garrett McCord and Stephanie Stiavetti first started working on their cookbook, “Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese,” I leapt at the opportunity to test some of their recipes knowing this would be a fun kitchen exercise that would also double as a bowl of creamy decadence my cheese-loving husband could sink his fork… Continue reading Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese

True Food Kitchen Cookbook by Dr. Andrew Weil

THE SKINNY: If you’re looking for a cookbook with a focus on whole foods, eating seasonally and an anti-inflammatory approach to eating, check out True Food Kitchen cookbook, and expect higher grocery bills.  Dining as Phenomenon If you’re lucky enough to live in Santa Monica (or Denver or Phoenix), you might already know about the dining… Continue reading True Food Kitchen Cookbook by Dr. Andrew Weil

Herbivoracious by Michael Natkin

A fledgling cookbook with this much heart, I would say you might be hard pressed to find. That is a very broad and ridiculously pointed statement, but wherever you look in Herbivoracious, you find author Michael Natkin. Almost each recipe is accompanied by a photo, 115  in total, styled and shot by Natkin. The recipes… Continue reading Herbivoracious by Michael Natkin

The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry

If you think of what inspires you, perhaps a person comes to mind.  Maybe, you envision a painting, the lyrics of a poem or a dynamic speech that stir you to action. What Bryant Terry uses as the catalyst for his incredibly interesting cookbook “The Inspired Vegan” are people who have made a difference in… Continue reading The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry