My Interview with Nancy Silverton in the San Diego Union-Tribune

I've been following Nancy Silverton since she opened Campanile and La Brea Bakery back in the early 90s in my old neighborhood in L.A. I had already moved to San Diego but still hadn't emotionally transitioned from my original hometown. And what she was doing was big! When she published her La Brea Bakery bread book, I enthusiastically made her grape starter and from that baked loaves upon loaves of sourdough bread in my tiny apartment. 

So, when my editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune asked me if I'd be interested in interviewing Silverton, author of the new "Mozza at Home," for a last-minute article ahead of a book signing she was scheduled to do at Chino Farms, I was on it. And the conversation was terrific. It turns out we grew up in the same neighborhood and even had some of the same junior high teachers. Then we talked about her philosophy about home entertaining. That's what in this article. Silverton's not so keen on formal dinner parties or potlucks. She loves buffets--and spells out why and how she makes them work. All this is what you'll find in this story, along with recipes from the new cookbook. 

Baking is Back!

As we look ahead to the (hopefully) cooler fall months, it's time to turn on the oven and start baking. For my latest story for the San Diego Union-Tribune's food section, I turned to Joanne Sherif, owner of North Park's Cardamom Cafe & Bakery for inspiration--and she delivered. Over the years, I’ve hung out with Sherif to learn some of her baking tricks. And recently she shared with me three recipes perfect for launching the fall baking season: a moist artisanal-looking jam cake, her angel biscuits shaped with a pocket for butter, and unique brioche sweet rolls studded with fruit.

You'll want to bake these--and get her nifty tips for turning sometimes daunting baking recipes into sublime treats for your family and friends. 

A Taste for Thai

Ever have one of those moments when someone tells you about their favorite neighborhood restaurant and once it gets in your head, you discover that tons of people you know adore it? I’m not talking about the hip, new, well-publicized eateries that explode on the food scene week after week. I’m talking about those stalwarts that are under the radar, with a loyal following that doesn’t trend-hop. Supannee House of Thai was that for me. As I got to know the restaurant and owner Supannee House, I made it my neighborhood restaurant, even though I live in an altogether different part of town. It was a place that my dad, who has Alzheimer's and Lewy Body diseases, absolutely loved. So in my latest San Diego Union-Tribune food story I wanted to share the special approach she takes with her native cuisine with readers. Supannee may create Thai food, but each dish is crafted with local ingredients, including produce she and her sister, Chef Wan Chant, grow in their own gardens, and local seafood. 

New Piece for New Client Softjourn

Yes, I write about food, but I also have a thriving corporate copywriting business. My new client Softjourn, which is based in Ukraine, outsources software development. They asked me to help them with a couple of pieces, one of which offers their perspective on Facebook's cool new open-source cross-platform framework React Native. Take a read and learn what these experts believe make it a game changer for app developers.

New San Diego Union-Tribune Food Story on Preserving Foods Sans Refined Sugar

I've long loved the process--and results--of preserving foods of all kinds. But I've also hated having to use refined sugar in recipes, especially for jams. So I was delighted to be introduced to author and blogger Marisa McClellan's new book, "Naturally Sweet Food in Jars." McClellan has created recipes for jams, jellies, sauces, pickles, and all sorts of other canned foods replacing sugar with honey, agave syrup, maple syrup and sugar, and other natural sweeteners--all to great effect. I've made several recipes from the book and all delighted me. So, I wrote a story on the book for the San Diego Union-Tribune's food section. Here it is.

New San Diego Union-Tribune Story--On How to Spare Food from Landfills

It's not the first time I've written about food waste and it won't be the last. Too many of us toss edibles that are wonderful ingredients--beet, radish, and carrot tops; vegetable scraps; animal parts that don't conform with popular cuts or filets. It's costly and unsustainable on many levels. Local chefs are very aware of this and the two I write about in this San Diego Union-Tribune story--Miguel Valdez of The Red Door and Rob Ruiz of The Land and Water Company--have been conscious of it for years and are participating in Re:Source, a 2016 event featuring chefs and restaurants demonstrating how to use ingredients sustainably. Learn how you can turn carrot tops into pesto and odds and ends of veggies into a sumptuous gazpacho.