Taste the Flavors of National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, and what is a celebration without delicious food? In San Diego, we’re very comfy with the dishes popular just on the other side of the border, but Mexico is a large and diverse country with other regional dishes that aren’t as well known in San Diego — and should be.

For my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section, Raul Casillas, the new creative chef at Puesto restaurants shared two recipes he has launched at Puesto: a taco riff on cochinita pibil (traditional in the Mexican state of Yucatán) and a celebratory Tres Leches cake that features pistachios and passion fruit. Ohhh, you’ll want to make these!

Emily Brubaker: Most Valuable Chef

Emily Brubaker likes to create food that’s simple but flavor-forward. It’s a focus that put her in the role of resort executive chef at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa — and made her the winner of the first season of the NBC food competition show “Yes, Chef!” helmed by judges Martha Stewart and Jose Andres, which aired earlier this summer. That win earned her $250,000.

If you want to learn more about her (she’s a delight) and get some of the truly tasty recipes that earned her Most Valuable Chef on several episodes, check out my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.

Time to Make Fried Chicken

Is there a better time than the height of summer to make fried chicken? Dunked or tossed in sublime honey garlic butter? Accompanied by a dreamy cole slaw that sings with lime mayo and pickled Fresno chiles? I think not. So I learned The Crack Shack’s secret to its fried chicken—along with its honey garlic butter and classic slaw just so I could share it with readers. Check out my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section to get the recipes and culinary director Jon Sloan’s essential techniques.

A Dreamy Shade Garden

In San Diego, what we want are the rays, right? We joke about paying a sunshine tax for living here. When it comes to gardens, we’re as fixated on light exposure as we are about where to buy the best tacos.

But San Diego has its iconoclasts, and Rachel Smith is among them. She lives in a two-story 1912 Craftsman bungalow in Burlingame with a rare, magical shade garden. She created it after moving into the house in 2008. It wasn’t because she didn’t have enough sun; in fact, her backyard has a southern exposure and the front yard, even with its northern exposure, still gets plenty of light.

No, it was a deliberate choice. In my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune you can read about how she went about creating it and why. It may just make you think twice about the garden you aspire to have.

Thrifting for Home Furnishings

If you’re in a new house or apartment or are redesigning your home, outfitting your space by taking a thrifting approach may yield some original and great finds—possibly at less cost. “Thrifting” isn’t necessarily limited to shopping at thrift stores. It can include shopping estate sales, flea markets or consignment shops — or even picking up something left on the curb. I interviewed a thrifting maven, Carlsbad decorator Diana Clark, to get her perspective on why to even do it and some great tips for finding your heart’s desire. Read my latest story in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section for thrifting inspiration and strategies.

Going Big on Bao

With summer entertaining upon us, maybe you’ve grown a little weary of your regular rotation of grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs and steak. It can be fun — and impressive — to shake things up. And serving bao can make for a fun array of appetizers or a meal in itself, especially if it’s accompanied by a refreshing crushed cucumber salad.

I asked Brian Redzikowski if he would share a couple of his bao recipes. Redzikowski is executive chef at Kettner Exchange in San Diego’s Little Italy and corporate executive chef and managing partner of the restaurant group SDCM. In my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section I have his recipes for two fillings: duck and pork belly, as well as a cooling, acidic—and a bit spicy—crushed cucumber salad. You’re going to love them—and just FYI, you can pick up the bao buns at places like 99 Ranch and other Asian markets. Enjoy! (And huge thanks to the talented Alejandro Tamayo for his beautiful photos!)