Make It: Gluten Free Pie Crusts Worth Getting Excited About

Pie is a two-part dance. Like the filling, the crust must pull its weight. Whether single or double, a good pie crust – and a good gluten-free pie crust – will be substantial enough to hold the weight of its savory, fruity filling, yet be light and flaky enough to lift the pie’s character along […]

In Switzerland for the summer and a once-in-a-decade opportunity came our way. My sister-in-law took my 20-month old for an overnight stay, giving my husband and I the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely dinner and late-night drinks on the town. My husband made a reservation at Mesa restaurant, Zurich – he heard it was good. […]

We can all use more superfoods in our lives, foods densely packed with nutrients that power us up and fuel our busy days. For her first cookbook, SUPERFOODS, author Julie Montagu posits that we can all benefit from flexible eating while following some very basic principles of eating to feel great. Sounds great. Let’s get […]

I’ve been a restaurant writer and food journalist for eight years now. During that time, I’ve been invited to experience countless restaurants – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. I’ve sat around the table with great conversationalists and lousy food and savored great food while suffering lousy conversationalists. I’ve endured blaring music and […]

The experience of wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma has shifted dramatically in recent years (read more about wine country changes here). A likely result: Wine Country has never been more accessible to children and families. This is a boon to my family of four as for years, wine country has been, at worst, off-limits, […]

Smoothies are a weekend staple in my home. Suitable as a fresh foil to January’s endless roasts and soups, they also make a perfect interlude on a warm summer afternoon. Quick to prepare, refreshing and satisfying, smoothies are like soup – you can toss in the kitchen sink and culinary odds and ends find new […]

Last summer, it seemed everyone I knew had caught the spiralizer bug. Courtesy of the paleo movement, which asks its adherents to, among other things, give up carbs, spiralizers, a kitchen gadget that slices vegetables and fruits into curls and (duh) spirals, are having their moment in the sun. I jumped on the bandwagon to take […]

Mint Plaza Redux –  What’s New and Happening Now San Francisco’s Mint Plaza, that L-shaped wedge of open space behind the old Mint Building at the corner of 5th and Mission, is bustling once again with restaurants, food trucks and events. Just steps away from the Westfield Center and Union Square, Mint Plaza is a […]