Thoughtful Gourmet Blog

The owner of Roy’s Koji BBQ truck reflects on his tao of cooking in “The Choi of Cooking.” The joy in the title references an earlier instructive cookbook, but in Choi’s capable hands, “joy” becomes “Choi” and life is even more delicious for the effort.

Field Notes is my monthly column where I share a few of the events and other items of note taking place in any given month. These are just a few of the food and food-adjacent events that have caught my attention in October and November.

Here are just a few restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond) I visited in September. Perfect (gluten-free!) soft shell crab, a tuna carpaccio for the ages, must-try koji-cultured Wagyu and ice cream and more….

Quick and wholesome recipes for feeding a family are the premise of Melissa Bahen’s new cookbook, Farmhouse Weeknights.

Taku Kondo’s cookbook offers an outdoorsman’s-slash-sushi chef’s approach to food and cooking. It’s high-spirited, perfect for anyone considering preparing fish and seafood caught with their own hands. Exploring and enjoying the bounty of the American West Coast is a gift we all can benefit from.

“Family Style,” Peter Som’s cookbook, radiates with innate spirit while casting an eye to his upbringing in Northern California. Som grew up in the town I call home. (I discovered this in his headnote for Fresh Strawberry Pie with Chamomile Miso Graham Cracker Crust.) He understands the cultural power of crisp chicken skin and peak-season green beans. His recipes line up perfectly with how my family likes to eat.

Here are just a few restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area I visited in May. Perfect gribenes, a savory espresso tonic, fresh pupusas and more….

The first time I visited San Francisco’s Californios in 2015, I left awed by chef Val Cantú’s flavors. After a recent visit, I left disappointed. What went wrong at the Michelin 2-star?