Foods to Prioritize if You Have Prediabetes

It’s been a minute since I’ve written a healthcare story, but my latest piece for Everyday Health’s online publication Lose It! has just been published. I interviewed several experts about prediabetes and the seven best types of foods to eat to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve overall health. There’s lots of great information here and I hope to do more of these articles.

Take Care of Yourself with "In Good Health"

For some people, cooking is the ultimate act of self-care. Rachel Riggs is one of them. As someone who is immunocompromised, she has spent years identifying foods that her body tolerates, and with that under control, began developing recipes that have come together in her delightful first cookbook, “In Good Health” (Figure 1 Publishing, $34.95). Love the recipes, especially the simple, you can’t eat just one slice chocolate cakes. But there’s far more and I’ve included three of them you’ll want to try in my new story about the book for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s food section.

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.