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Photo by Nel Cepeda
Brijette Romstedt is a local treasure! If you don't know about her business, San Diego Seed Company, you're not growing the right seeds for our region! My new story about her in The San Diego Union-Tribune reveals how she does small-scale seed production on her acre property, along with her tips for home gardeners for starting seeds.
Photo by Ellen Silverman
I'm on pins and needles anticipating my November 11 interview of Dorie Greenspan at the JCC San Diego - Lawrence Family JCC. In the meantime, here's my story on Dorie's new cookbook (her 13th), Everyday Dorie, for The San Diego Union-Tribune. It's filled with all sorts of great savory and sweet recipes you'll want to make.
In my story, I've featured three dishes that I made and enjoyed: her Ricotta Spoonable, which features lots of herbs and can be a dip or pasta topping; her Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges, which feature pomegranate molasses; and Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs, made a bit spicy with Thai sweet chili sauce and sriracha. Oh, these are good!
All these recipes are in my latest story for the San Diego Union-Tribune's food section.
If you love Dorie, you have two opportunities to see her in person in San Diego on November 11:
The Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe: Good Earth/Great Chefs series book signing event from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event occurs rain or shine and is free to the public. Books to be signed must be purchased at the event.
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center: I'll be conducting the interview, starting at 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.lfjcc.org.
Photo by Jeff Gracik
Oh, did I enjoy learning about the transformation of this tired old characterless bungalow into a spectacular breezy contemporary home touched everywhere by sustainable materials and engineering. The Rosa-Brown home was the subject of my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home/Garden section and has just been published online ahead of its publication in the paper tomorrow. I hope that you’ll be inspired by the ideas architect and home owner Keoni Rosa implemented—so much so that you’ll go visit the house, which is one of 13 on the San Diego Green Homes Tour on Sunday, Oct. 22.
Photo by K.C. Alfred, San Diego Union-Tribune
I'm very proud of this new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune's food section on Rosh Hashanah dishes. I collaborated with my mom on this and the recipes for stuffed cabbage rolls, chicken soup with matzoh balls, and kugel are from her and my grandmother. These are dishes I grew up with and cherish. Thank you to K.C. Alfred for the lovely photos and for collaborating with me on the food styling. What an adventure!
Photo by Nel Cepeda, San Diego Union-Tribune
I have this childhood memory — shared to my knowledge with at least one of my cousins — of going to see my Nana and Poppa (i.e., my maternal grandparents) on weekends and invariably seeing several quart jars of dill pickles soaking on their front porch. And that meant one thing: We’d drive home with these oh so sour, garlicky pickles, with instructions to shake the jars periodically and let them sit for several more days before opening.
I don’t think my Nana realized that what she was doing was fermenting vegetables. Pickles were pickles. But, while all fermented vegetables are “pickles,” not all pickles are fermented. In my latest story for the San Diego Union-Tribune's food section I describe the difference and my friend Curt Wittenberg, a true fermentation geek, walks us through the process of making both sauerkraut and fermented vegetables. I've already make two batches of vegetables and love this approach. Sauerkraut is next. It's easy and if you love pickles you'll want to try your hand at making your own.
Photo by Eduardo Contreras for the San Diego Union-Tribune
Along with the UT's Food Section, I'm now writing for the Home and Garden Section. My debut story just appeared and I loved working on it. It's about how to refresh a tired patio and weird hardscape and create in its place a colorful, native landscape and zen hideaway in a small space. As a project it's terrific inspiration for the rest of us who aspire to peaceful outdoor living that's also sustainable. Here's the link.
