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

Obsessions: Ginger Juice

Talking about food is almost as good as actually eating it. Obsessions can start innocuously. Trolling the farmers’ market and tasting the sweetness of the season’s first albion strawberries. Tasting beets as if for the first time in Santa Monica. Once an obsession is in its full throes, it makes a person practically quicken creatively in… Continue reading Obsessions: Ginger Juice

Pineapple Guava Curd

A pineapple guava sits on the counter huddled as if in conversation with green-backed friends. Its unseen skill paints the splotched cream walls of our kitchen into dappled light nudging through long leafy fronds of palm trees. I want to bottle the aroma, all mai tai and lapping waves of an ocean too turquoise to be real. In the… Continue reading Pineapple Guava Curd

Good Morning Muesli

Coming home after a work trip, it’s hard to get back into the regular routines. I find myself gravitating toward wanting to continue the cycle of eating out and having someone else clean up after me. One thing I never miss when traveling is the traveler’s breakfast. The goal when traveling for work is to… Continue reading Good Morning Muesli

Blackberry Chile Lime Fruit Leather Roll-Ups

  1.  A few weeks ago, an evening walk took us down a familiar path. Jutting out from the sides of the paved walkway, brambles of blackberry bushes began showing their bright green clusters of ripening fruit. Among them, occasionally, we espied cordovan berries nearing their prime. When I caught sight of a berry, deep… Continue reading Blackberry Chile Lime Fruit Leather Roll-Ups

Labneh

It’s hard to remember the first time you tasted a peach. Perhaps, for you, that difficulty of recollection pertains to tomatoes or something as basic as bread. But labneh, labneh is a different story altogether. Years ago at a different company, we would build a booth to exhibit our wares at the Moscone Convention Center… Continue reading Labneh

Homemade Cinnamon Ricotta with Candied Kumquats and Hazelnuts

Ah, love. Like most things in its infancy, time is marked off in months. As it matures and deepens, years replace months, then become double digit numbers worth exulting. Among the myriad understandings learned in the last year is the importance of celebration of the moments. This whole notion appeals to the poet in me,… Continue reading Homemade Cinnamon Ricotta with Candied Kumquats and Hazelnuts

Homemade Tortilla Chips- Baked & Fried Variations

Who doesn’t like tortilla chips? Okay, maybe people who are allergic to corn or just avoiding it. In our household pantry, they are a staple. In our refrigerator, you can always find tortillas. Recently, Nathan stocked up on some from Chavez in the East Bay. The tortilla chip is humble and yet crunches and crackles… Continue reading Homemade Tortilla Chips- Baked & Fried Variations