Bring On the Dinner Party!

Natasha “Tash” Feldman loves a dinner party. It could be a sit-down dinner, a potluck, even a picnic. As long as people gather together for a meal in her company, she’s all in.

To that end, the Los Angeles-based chef, who has roots in La Jolla, has written “The Dinner Party Project: A No-Stress Guide to Food With Friends.” The book, which contains more than 80 recipes, is a breezy, confidence-building manual for those who are either new to throwing a dinner party or whose entertaining skills may have been dulled after isolating during the pandemic. Feldman keeps it light; there are as many goofy asides and puns as there are very useful tips and strategies that even the most self-assured dinner partier will find helpful. Read my story about this cool new cookbook in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section and get some of Tash’s recipes.

Ethos Culinary Offers Greek and Plant-Forward Cooking Classes

Remember in-person cooking classes? You know, the ones held at the late great Great News! Cookware and Cooking School, Sur La Table, Macy’s and Williams-Sonoma. Then there were the ones chefs taught at their restaurants. We lost those experiences, as a result of store closings and, of course, the pandemic. Instead, we made do with classes taught over Zoom. But gone were the flavors and aromas of the in-person classes and the ability to make new friends as we learned.

In-person cooking classes are starting to make a comeback, and among those who have launched them is Mary Papoulias-Platis of Ethos Culinary in Carlsbad. I took a class of hers in the expansive new kitchen she and her architect husband Mike Platis designed and built. In “Everyday Greek” my fellow students and I learned how to make what would be a typical Greek Sunday dinner instead of the fare we usually find at Greek restaurants, which she said tend to use more holiday dishes than home cooking. It was an enchanting experience, filled with Papoulias-Platis’ insightful tips and advice, great recipes, and delicious food. To learn more, read my new story in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.

WaterSmart Makeover in San Marcos

San Marcos homeowner Jennifer Dell got rid of her front yard’s scruffy grass by sheet mulching—and then, with her family’s help—planted what is becoming her dream garden. For all their labor, Dell won the Vista Irrigation District’s 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest award. This story is the last of this year’s series in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section. Take a read and see (via photographer Hayne Palmour IV) Dell’s beautiful work.

Are You Ready for a Smart Kitchen?

Today’s kitchens can be outfitted with smart major appliances such as ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers. There are also plenty of small ones, like air fryers, coffee makers and sous vide devices. What does “smart” actually mean? It could be the inclusion of WiFi, but it’s also the embedded sensors that can enable automated cooking or baking, checking the internal temperature of something being cooked using a built-in thermometer, or adapt refrigeration and freezing. In my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section, I’ve explored what’s out there—and why many people aren’t actually using the features they spent so much money on.

Bitter Sweet: A WWII Family Memoir and Cookbook

The old, tattered leather suitcase was a gift that cookbook writer Kitty Morse wasn’t expecting. Morse came across it in her mother’s closet in 2017, just after her mother died at 94. It took Morse three years to finally find the courage to open it. The suitcase was filled with family documents and photos that included her French-Jewish great-grandparents’ tiny notebooks: a journal of the family’s life being destroyed by the Nazis by him and a treasure trove of recipes by her that took Morse back to dishes her mother and grandmother made for her. After digesting all the material she started putting her thoughts down on paper, which evolved into her new book, Bitter Sweet. It’s emotionally resonant and filled with delicious recipes. You’ll want to have this book, especially once you learn more about its provenance. So I hope you’ll read my story on Morse and her book in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Wheel's Pottery Is All About Chefs and Home Entertainers

I finally (finally!) was able to write a story I’ve been interested in for years on The Wheel and its founder Michael Totah. I’m a sucker for beautiful pottery and have a couple of The Wheel’s pieces. Learning about the company’s origins and commitment to creating a canvas for chefs (and home cooks) was inspiring. The pieces are all handmade/hand thrown and glazed. Once you’ve seen them, you’ll recognize them at restaurants you dine at—and you may just have to include some in your own home. You can read about The Wheel in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section.