It's summer! Just writing those words brings a smile to my face. (Could you tell that it's my favorite time of year?) How did you mark the official arrival of summer? Did you barbecue at home with the family and neighbors? Take your kids to the park for a picnic? Pass a leisurely afternoon day … Continue reading Field Trip: Celebrating Summer with CUESA
The recent hot, hot days have kicked off the ripening process for stone fruit trees here in the 650. The 75-year-old apricot tree in my backyard is heavy with pale-orange, blush-kissed fruit. Every morning for the past week, I've stood under that tree, looking up and pondering which small treasures to pick for the day. … Continue reading Grow Local: Got Stone Fruit?
After last week's coastal berry run, I was all ready to segue to the bounty of local 650 apricots and plums. Our recent hot weather has got those babies ripening almost faster than we can harvest them! And then Little Cat got sick, tossing last week's blogging schedule out the window. When a little foodie … Continue reading Little Cat and Kitty Crack
While most of the 650 was sweltering through another 90-something-degree day this week, I decided to make a run for cooler temperatures on the coast. It was actually perfect timing to check off a couple of items on my Summer Bucket List: lunch at eco-resort Costanoa, followed by a short trip over the San Mateo … Continue reading Field Trip: Swanton Berry Farm
I hope you rested up after National Doughnut Day yesterday, because today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! Come to think of it, you better pace yourself because June is packed full of sweet food holidays. Oh, and in case you missed it, National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day was on June 2, but don't … Continue reading I Scream, You Scream: Rich Chocolate Sherbet and Rocky Road Redux
It's been one of those weeks: delays, fixes, and do-overs. Nail in the tire of my car (amazingly, same time as last year's nail in the tire -- what's up with that?!). Clogged drain. Leaking shower. Browser that keeps screeching to a halt, forcing reboots. You get the idea: one step forward, two steps back. … Continue reading Hit the Road!
It seems that I have a problem when it comes to citrus -- oranges, in particular. After taking a quick inventory of my refrigerator recently, it turns out that citrus (mostly of the orange kind) has taken over both of the crisper drawers. As in, the drawers are so full that I can barely open … Continue reading Orange You Glad?
As we're heading into the last weekend of May, it's time for the first update on my attempt to grow food. After just about a month, my little garden is flourishing! To date everything I planted is thriving, and much to my surprise, the lettuce is overflowing the planting boxes. As a comparison, here's what … Continue reading Grow Local: How Does Your Garden Grow?
The Downtown Farmers' Market in Palo Alto is one of my favorite weekend markets in the 650. It's a small market, but with an abundant selection of local produce and hand-crafted foods. For many years it was my go-to market on Saturday mornings from spring through late fall. During the Gâteau et Ganache years, my … Continue reading Shop Local: Palo Alto Farmers’ Market
It all started with the Sexy Fries: waffle-cut sweet potato fries smothered in melted cheese, grilled onions, a spicy sauce and cubes of Indian cheese called paneer. That was my introduction to CurryUpNow's "Indian street food" at Off the Grid a couple of years ago. The weather was typical for an August evening at Fort … Continue reading Eat Local: Get Yer Sexy On
