From the monthly archives:
A tarte tatin (pronounced tart tah-TAN) is a traditional French dessert normally made with apples. This version calls for any type of firm, seasonal pears, which are then cooked with delicious caramel, topped with pastry crust, baked and finally served upside down. Legend has it that two French sisters, Stephanie and Caroline Tatin, created the [...]
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There is something utterly decadent about eating a bowl of granola with yogurt and fresh fruit in the morning. If you’ve ever ordered it from La Boulange in San Francisco or have had the pleasure of eating it from a local restaurant that makes its own version, you know what I’m talking about. But unfortunately [...]
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Winter would be a rough season for locavores without the reprieve of hearty fruits like apples, citrus and – best of all – pears. From August through February, you can find a variety of pears at the farmer’s market ready for the taking. The most common ones include Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, and Comice. Anjous are either [...]
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Nothing rings in the holiday season quite like baking a batch of your favorite Christmas cookies. Something about mixing sticks of butter with cups upon cups of sugar and then topping it all off with added chocolate or frosting is pure bliss….and totally justified during the holidays. So to kick of the baking season, I had [...]
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There are all kinds of crazy baking gadgets out there, from funky cookie presses to mechanical pastry bags, and each year I get suckered into buying at least one. Most have not withstood the test of time or met my expectations, but the Silpat baking mat really takes the cake (pun intended!). I bought one [...]
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In case you didn’t know, last Saturday marked the official beginning of crab season. (I’m talking Dungeness crab people, not the other kind!) For the third year in a row, I joined in on Slow Food’s Annual Slow Crab & Oyster Festival and indulged in fresh Dungeness crab served up by the local Monterey Fish [...]
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There couldn’t be an easier homemade holiday gift than these nuts. They’ve become an instant staple in my holiday goodie-giving repertoire. They take less than 5 minutes of prep time and roast in about as much time as it will take you to get dressed and ready for your holiday soiree. Just throw them in [...]
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Something I treasure as an ultimate indulgent treats is fig jam with goat cheese on crackers. Every time I find myself in a specialty food shop – or up in Napa where country stores with gourmet goods are a dime a dozen – I can’t resist buying a jar. But at sometimes upwards of ten [...]
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If there is one thing you can always find on me, it’s almonds. I have a stash in my purse, some in my desk at work for snacking at a moment’s notice and they are always on hand in my kitchen - to throw in my oatmeal, sprinkle on my salads, and fold into baked [...]
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This Thursday, December 10th, marks Slow Food’s 20th Anniversary and a worldwide celebration of “eating locally” with Terra Madre Day. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the local food movement in your community – and in communities across the globe – and to raise awareness of the importance of “eating locally” . You [...]
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