About

Who I Am

Here’s the story of how Awake at the Whisk—and my locavore lifestyle—began.

Press
Cooking 3 complete farmers market meals on Good Day Sacramento.
More farmers market food on Good Day Sacramento.
Another farmers market recipe on Good Day Sacramento.

Cooking demo of Hinode rice recipe on morning TV show “Good Day Sacramento.”
Backyard makeover TV show, Turf War, on the DIY Network.
Strawberry Salsa recipe for the Sacramento Bee newpaper.
Interview with the Sacramento Bee about using spring produce from the farmers’ market.
Interview on KCRA3 news about eating organic foods.
Interview with the Sacramento Bee about dehydrating food.
Interview about growing food blogs in the Sacramento area on Sacramento Press.
Feature story about my food blog in Sacramento Press.
Various press as Founder of California Food Literacy Center.
Grilling a recipe on FOX40 TV.
Quoted in Fresno Bee about using red walnuts in recipes.

What I Do
Awake at the Whisk explores a conscientious locavore life with original recipes, guerilla gardening tales, farmers’ market fare, book and restaurant reviews. Did I mention this tasty food-talk will be good for you, too? Oh yeah—and practical. I work 50 hours a week in addition to writing this blog.

Why I Do It
Passion. You’ll find this flowing throughout Awake at the Whisk: passion for our planet, our health, the strength of our community and economy, for flavor, and for expression.

From this passion, I’ve created Awake at the Whisk to inspire others. Living la vida locavore truly is possible—even for busy folks like me!

How I Do It
I don’t eat meat (except the occasional fish). I buy organic, local food as often as I can. I make healthy food—lower in fat, less sugar, lots of whole grains, nuts, fruits, and veggies.

My recipe ingredients are broken down to point out which ingredients I bought at the farmers’ market, sourced locally from California, grew in my garden, or purchased from the supermarket.

I provide tips for living and eating green, like my article on making complete meals from the farmers’ market, or my guide to a greener beer.

I have fun. You’ll find an enticing Indian buffet that I hosted for my neighbors, including detailed instructions to recreate it yourself. You’ll also find reviews of the books and restaurants I love.

Importantly, you’ll learn that I’m human. For instance, when I grew my first watermelons, it took me a while to figure out when they were ripe. I share my misadventures so that others might learn from my mistakes.

In fact, if you follow along with my posts from past to present, you’ll notice my own growth in experience and knowledge. If you’re just starting out, attempting a locavore life, start at the beginning. After all, changing your life doesn’t happen overnight.