Special Recipes for AAPI Heritage Months

This May marks 34 years since President George H.W. Bush proclaimed the first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, since changed in 2009 to Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The monthlong celebration was created to recognize the many contributions to every facet of U.S. life made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

It’s San Diego’s good fortune that, according to the 2022 U.S. census, 13.6 percent of residents in San Diego County identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

Among them are Filipino American chefs Evan Cruz, corporate executive chef with Cohn Restaurant Group, and John Bacolod, executive chef at Vintana Wine + Dine in Escondido. Both men were born in the Philippines and immigrated here with their families as kids. To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, Cruz and Bacolod prepared three beloved dishes from their Filipino upbringing for my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section: Señorita Bread, a variation on pandesal that includes a sweet filling; Pork Belly Liempo with Atchara, strips of marinated and grilled pork belly accompanied by pickled green papaya salad; and Kare Kare, a decadent stew of meat and vegetables enveloped in peanut sauce and served with Fried Fermented Shrimp Paste. They are stunning examples of traditional Filipino food and have some amazing family stories behind them. Check them out and make them in your kitchen!

Casanova Fish Tacos Take Inspiration From Other Dishes and Their Flavors

San Diego is, of course, fish taco heaven, but for years Hector Casanova’s Casanova Fish Tacos have stood out to me for a couple of reasons: He’s using fresh local fish, not frozen. And he has developed intriguing flavor profiles. A look at his menu reveals inspiration from other cuisines or other dishes, like Cochinita Pibil, that you wouldn’t associate with fish tacos. The flavors he develops translate well from the original dish to a taco. I met with Casanova to learn how he prepares his tacos—and also got his fab ceviche recipe. Check out his story and recipes in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.

Time to Incorporate Biophilic Design into Your Environment

What are the elements in your home that make it your happy place, that give you comfort? If they’re elements that connect with nature to create relaxing spaces you probably are in thrall to biophilic design. Designer Megan Siason of M Studio shared just what biophilic design is and how it can be integrated into the practicalities of living in a home in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section.

From Nursery to Toddler's Bedroom

If you’re expecting a baby, one of the smartest approaches you can take is to create a nursery that can easily transition to a young child’s room. It will save you money in the long run as well as a lot of energy that you’ll need to direct elsewhere. I’ve got lots of tips for how to do this in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section.

Time to Eat Plant Forward?

You wouldn’t exactly expect a self-help book from chef Richard Blais, but surprisingly, the new cookbook he and his wife, Jazmin, have just published is kind of self-helpy. “Plant Forward: 100 Bold Recipes for a Mostly Healthy Lifestyle” (October 2023, Victory Belt Publishing) reflects the healthy lifestyle the Blais family follows. While “Plant Forward” suggests a vegetarian or even vegan collection of recipes, it does include some recipes with animal proteins. But the emphasis in “Plant Forward” is on healthy eating — or as Blais said, “healthier” eating. And the recipes are delightful. I spent some time chatting with the Blaises and got some insights into how they developed the book and the rationale behind the ingredients they use. Check it out in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune Food section.

Annual San Diego Bird Festival Feb. 21-25

I rarely cover upcoming events, but when my editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune asked me to write a piece on the upcoming San Diego Bird Festival, hosted by the San Diego Audubon Society, in fairly quick turnaround, I was all over it. Am I a birder? Nope. But for years I’ve been the “landlord” to pairs of doves that nest in my garden. I have visiting hummingbirds and phoebes. Crying hawks wake me in the morning. In other words, I’m a gardener. But I’m also entranced by other, more flamboyant birds and a fan of one of the keynote speakers, Christian Cooper, who charmingly hosted a too-short National Geographic series, Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper. So this was a fun piece to write and I hope you take a look and then get tickets to attend some of their cornucopia of events!