When it comes to filling my locavore fix, the Sacramento region has no shortage of farms for me to choose from. Feeding Crane Farms is one of my favorites! Let […]
I was recently asked what fruit or vegetable I would want to be. I picked rhubarb. Rhubarb represents my roots: my grandma’s recipes, my parents’ backyard garden, and carefree summers […]
I’d never heard of Meyer lemons until I moved to Sacramento. I read an article about growing citrus trees in pots and immediately began daydreaming about gazing out my kitchen […]
Danes know how to celebrate Christmas! Their traditions are rich and plentiful. You’ll find live candles burning around a freshly cut Christmas tree. Instead of cardboard advent calendars, Danes hang […]
Cardamom is my favorite spice. The sweet bite that rolls around your mouth like a warm hello just makes me smile. Maybe it’s my Scandinavian blood. I’m really not sure, […]
Every Christmas morning, I remember waking to the warm, surrounding tang in the air of bread baking coupled by the bright spice of orange zest. The aroma filled my lungs […]
My first Thanksgiving in California was a disaster. My now-husband and I were grad school sweethearts and had just moved across the country together from Illinois. This would be our […]
I’m joining Sacramento’s Food Stamp Challenge! For the next week, I’ll be eating on about $4.90 per day per person. This is the approximate equivalent budget of someone on California’s […]
Busy is the theme of my life these days. Yet, I never allow being busy to get in the way of a homemade meal—especially breakfast. On the weekends, no matter […]
If you think you know what fruit pizza is, think again. This isn’t the ultra sweet stuff made from cookie dough. This is a pizza—four kinds of cheese, yeasted pizza […]
Wild blackberry bushes are my happy place. I don’t mind the thorns or the gnarly bramble. Send me into the middle on a 100 degree day, bare arms and all, […]
Perk up breakfast with some farmers’ market tricks. Take simple toast (made from mouth-watering, freshly baked bread) and top it with the sweet essence of caramelized onion, and instead of […]
I’m one of the lucky girls. This Father’s Day, my dad will spend it in traditional style: caring not a whit about himself, but instead, devoting his time and energy […]
Red walnuts. Ever heard of them? This rare blood-red California crop grows on only five contiguous acres in the state, and is hard to find. I’m a big nut fan—I […]
Heavens to Betsy! This pudding ranks as one of my all-time favorite food experiences. The process of baking it lights up your kitchen with a show of vibrant colors. The […]
I’m a proud Scandinavian. Eating lefse, a potato-based flatbread, for the holidays is one of my favorite traditions. This week, I finally had time to sit down with my grandma […]
What’s a pluot?—you ask. Only the finest fruit on earth—I say! This mad genius combination of the apricot and plum creates a fruit that’s sweet, chin-dripping juicy, and with the […]
Love for baking and for homegrown food runs in my family. I inherited my passion from a line of women: Mom, Grandma, Great Aunt, and Great Grandma. All of these […]
I seem to be drawn to things made of yeast: bread, beer, pastries. As my fair city celebrates Sacramento Beer Week with a host of yeasty festivities, I thought I’d […]
It’s my birthday! And that means cake. So, what kind of cake will hold this food writer’s candles? There are so many endlessly delicious combinations of the spongy, sweet stuff. […]
Welcome to my favorite breakfast. I love waffles. I love how they fill the whole house with their unmistakable aroma. I love how pretty they look stacked on a plate. […]
Christmas eating is best when steeped in tradition! That’s why I woke up Christmas morning and decided to do what I had fond memories of experiencing as a youngin’: eating […]
Open up and say, “Ahhhh!” It’s pumpkin season, and that means bliss upon your palette. I never met a pumpkin recipe I didn’t like, and I have never failed in […]
I love to start my morning with whole grain goodness! That nutty, chewy, crunchy experience makes my mouth happy. It fills my belly and keeps it full clear till […]
My garden is bursting with cucumbers! I needed to find some fresh ways to use them, and of course, I immediately wanted to put them into cake. This recipe […]