Tastes of Citrus Season

We’re deep into February and in peak citrus season. I don’t know about you, but my two Meyer lemon trees are drooping with fruit, as is — surprisingly — my dwarf blood orange tree. Even my little potted lime tree is dotted with baby fruit.

So, what do you do with all this bounty? I checked in with William Eick, the owner and chef of Matsu, the elegant, minimalist Japanese restaurant in Oceanside. He introduced me to three terrific recipes that feature the brightness and tang of citrus: Tangerine Zest Salmon Nigiri, Tangerine Beef and a stunning dessert of Blonde Miso-Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramelized White Chocolate and Orange Dashi Gel. You can get the recipes for these fabulous dishes in my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.

Olivewood Gardens Takes the Kitchenistas to YouTube

If you’re keen to learn some new, nutritious, plant-forward and very tasty recipes from Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center, a nonprofit in the South Bay that’s one of our region’s most treasured community organizations, you’ll want to tune into YouTube starting Feb. 19. That’s when “Cooking with Kitchenistas” will debut.

The series, according to Angelica Gastelum, Olivewood Gardens’ communications and marketing manager, is an offshoot of its “Cooking for Salud” bilingual nutrition education program, taught by Kitchenistas, community members who have graduated from the nine-week Cooking for Salud program. Learn more in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.

Creating a Playroom That Can Grow With Your Kids

Where do your kids or grandkids play in the house? If you have the space or can carve some out, a playroom could be a great option not just for the children but for you. Imagine not having the entire house—or at least the public rooms—being overtaken by toys and other stuff. I approached a few interior designers for tips and advice on creating playrooms. You can learn a lot from them in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section!

Appealing Appetizers from Cherryfish

Soup with benefits. That’s how I like to think of these three recipes from the new restaurant Cherryfish in Pacific Beach, helmed by executive chef Marcus Twilegar. We’re deep into soup season right now, and it’s also almost time for Super Bowl parties, where finger food is everything. Serve them together and you’ll have blissed-out guests.

The soup in question is the richest miso soup you may ever have enjoyed. It’s related by name only to the salty, tofu cube-studded broth you usually get at middling sushi restaurants or just-add-water packets in grocery stores. Twilegar’s miso soup is matched by two finger-food dishes you’ve probably also developed familiarity with: edamame and shishito peppers. But these are a level above. In separate but joyful ways, they are distinctive flavor bombs. And all three dishes have the added benefit of being very easy to make. You can get the recipes in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section. And many thanks, as always, to K.C. Alfred for the gorgeous accompanying photos!

Porchetta, All Day Long!

You might think that with the holidays behind us, we’re stuck with a few dreary months of chill and rain and barren trees, not to mention the same old same old when it comes to meals.

But you forget, we’re in San Diego. The post-solstice days are growing longer. We suffer from very little chill and gloom. And we live in a year-round bounty of food.

So, I’m celebrating — specifically with a delicious meal of porchetta, served with homemade mustard and pickles with a side of grilled focaccia. I learned how to make it from chef Sid Hilarides, who leads the Oceanside kitchen of Allminerestaurant, owned by Roxana Pavel. Hilarides will be preparing this dish, which is on the menu as an appetizer and will be their featured dish for Oceanside’s Swell Plates Series from Jan. 14 to Feb. 11. And, with my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section, I have his recipes to share with readers! Many thanks, as always, to photographer K.C. Alfred for his gorgeous photos!

Resolution #1: Organize Your Kitchen

Now that holiday entertaining is behind us, we can take a hard look at the kitchen and figure out how to make it easier and more enjoyable to make big meals, bake dozens of cookies or just more efficiently feed ourselves daily. In other words, how about resolving to better organize your kitchen?

In my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section, I have advice and tips from local designers and the team of organizers at The Container Store for how to do just that. It could inspire you to make a second resolution: cook more!