This one-pot dish is delicious every time, extremely easy, and never fails to impress! The chicken is juicy and the veggies are full of roasted delight. Ever since my mom and Food Guru co-founder gifted me a Romertopf claypot, I have come back to this recipe time and time again. The greatest part about it is the ability to change […]
Follow along in a 4-part blog series. Learn about the history, health benefits, and how to make Kefir in this first blog post. For thousands of years, the Eurasian people in the Caucasus Mountains (between Russia and Georgia) made and drank Kefir (fermented milk). With their ritual of drinking Kefir everyday, villagers in the Caucasus Mountains were known for reaching […]
We were pleased to partner up with a Soul food inspired mom-blogger, Mom Noms, for this beautifully simple recipe. Enjoy this Southern food flare!
Nowruz, is the name of the new year in Farsi, and it has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Western Asia. Nowruz begins on the first day of spring, which is usually March 21. Traditionally, the whole family gathers together to have dinner, celebrate the new year, and […]
Situated at the bottom of the world, is Chile, a country with extreme climates and rugged landscapes that would be a top destination for any adventurous traveller. With 15 hours of airplane travel and a 5 hour time difference from San Francisco, a 2 week vacation will give you a sampling from south to north and in between of […]
Every January, the Specialty Foods Association pulls together 1,400 food brands from all across the globe. 20,000 visitors were eager to feast their eyes on food trends for the coming year. Paving the way are 6 movers and shakers that are sharing their stories and food pairing. An Ethically EPIC Company Their Story EPIC, a meat-snack company, launched by Katie […]
Hanukkah, often is referred to as “The Festival of Lights,” an 8-day Jewish Holiday that celebrates freedom, fun, and food. Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Maccabees, a small group of Jewish rebels fought for religious freedom. It is a symbolic holiday where a candle is lit each night and represents a miracle of how one night’s worth of oil lasted […]
My friend, Ariel Sultan from Food Guru, invited me to attend a Farm to Fork SF event. Foodies, chefs, and farmers gathered to celebrate and discuss the food industry with a unique focus on making a sustainable impact. Farm to Fork SF is affiliated with the multi-media event space called The Village in San Francisco. At this interactive event, they […]
We have partnered up with TasteFood again to bring you a video recipe blog for making this popular Vietnamese sandwich, chicken banh mi at home! See the recipe on TasteFood’s blog site.
Pumpkin Bread is a seasonal treat, but this killer recipe is so easy and addictive that you’ll want to make it for all seasons …even Pumpkin Haters have been known to kill off this Bread in one sitting!
We are excited to collaborate on this how-to video with Beth Lee of OMG! Yummy. She is a kitchen table storyteller with a speciality for Mediterranean style cooking. See how to make the following her recipe blog series by clicking here. Pomegranate Molasses Arugula and Fig Salad Lemony Flank Steak with Pomegranate Molasses Minty Pomegranate Mule Cocktail
Apples, a fall fruit, are eaten year round. They are durable and easy grab-n-go snacks. Transforming apples into a dessert, like an Apple Pie, takes quite a bit of labor, time, know-how, and is unforgiving to the waistline. Here are 3 hardcore ways to repurpose a Baked Apple dessert into breakfasts that have lots of apeel. Baked Apple Recipe Serves […]
Last year, we were drawn to visiting Scotland, an island full of rugged landscape and boisterous people. Tee up for an unforgettable trip by joining us on our adventure through top food experiences, a tumultuous history, and breathtaking scenery. Lodging in Edinburgh We stayed 2 nights in Edinburgh at Old Town Chamber apartments located conveniently in downtown. These comfy apartments […]
Enhance each and every bite of your food by grinding your own artisan seasonings with a dash of DIY seasoned salt. One mixed salt has many uses from breakfast through dessert. Try sprinkling mixed salt in/on eggs, pasta, veggies, salad dressings, marinades, cocktails, steak, chicken, fish, or any food needing a bit more flavor. Get your table set and appetites […]
As Food Gurus, we work and play hard to savor our food and travel experiences. Whether we are local or abroad, we search for artisan ingredients to incorporate into our home cooking. We have integrated these passions and have shared them on and offline. Through Instagram, we met a DIY Dilettante, Nicole Novak. She forages mushrooms, gardens, goes fishing, ferments […]
As a San Franciscan, I became tired of fighting through the traffic and tourists with summer road trips to popular destinations, like: Southern California, Yosemite, and Tahoe. When my brother drove from his home in Seattle for a family visit to San Francisco, we were ready to map out a 1,000 mile journey for his return drive back to Seattle. […]
We are getting this salsa party started showing 3 ways to make your own with food entrepreneur, chef, and blogger, Chef Hollie Green from JoyFoodly. Sunkissed Salsa Pineapple Salsa Tomatillo Salsa For the full recipes on homemade salsa, see the blog post here.
Whip up a sensational summer dessert with leftover strawberry scones and homemade whipped cream. Deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake Servings 2-3 10 minutes to preparations Ingredients: 2 pieces of leftover Strawberry Scones A large heaping spoonful of homemade vanilla bean whipped cream ½ – 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries Directions: Break up scone into small chunks on a plate creating the […]
Whipping up a homemade vanilla bean whipped cream is simple and tasty. This batch makes enough for a party and is enjoyed year round with a variety of desserts, and perfectly served with fruits for the spring-summer. See below for this excellent recipe!
In this how-to recipe video, we collaborated with food preservation expert and writer, Sean Timberlake of Punk Domestics. We feature 3 ways to store and preserve your strawberries. Frozen Strawberries Strawberry Freezer Jam Black Pepper Strawberry Balsamic Jam For the full recipes and other suggestions, check out the blog here.
(Written recipe at the bottom of the blog) Time has stood still in Cuba. The plethora of classic American cars lining the streets of Havana are reminders of the 1950s. It’s all about the revolution where Che Guevara, the Castro brothers, and Hemingway are heroic, “larger than life” figures capturing the mindset of the Cuban people. The fascination with Cuba […]
We partnered up with food writer, blogger, and chef, Lynda Balslev of TasteFood for how to use roasted garlic in a party meal. Roasted Garlic Crostini with Goat Cheese, Asparagus, and Lemon Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette Roasted Garlic Butter Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Garlic Butter To see the full recipes, read the blog here.
From “supply to shelf,” natural products are making an impact with mainstream consumers. At the 2016 Natural Products Expo West, hoards of visitors headed over to the Anaheim Convention Center for a 3-day epic event. Located across the street from Disneyland, 77,000 attendees packed the Convention Center to experience this edible extravaganza. Representatives from 7 innovative natural food companies were […]
Let’s talk chicken with 3 makeover recipes on how to use what is leftover from the new-and-improved Claypot Chicken with Roasted Veggies recipe. Here’s the pecking order for how to re-purpose your leftover chicken. 1) CHICKEN QUESADILLA Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 5-7 minutes Serves 1-2 Ingredients: Small corn tortillas (optional flour) ½ Tb olive oil ⅛ -¼ […]
There’s always a lot of buzz when Coachella releases its lineup. Located in Indio Valley, this music festival is one of the largest, most popular, and profitable in the US. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, being prepared and organized will help you have a fun-ast-ic time! After attending the festival for 2 years, here are some ways to navigate […]
At the 2016 San Francisco Fancy Food Show, we selected 7 buzz-worth food companies to profile.
Closing a chapter on her catering career with a high-profile clientele, Private Chef Robin has embarked on a new chapter of personal dining, flavored salts, and her “A Taste of Ojai” cookbook. After meeting Private Chef Robin on Instagram and trying out a few of her small plate recipes, we found that these dishes using these infused salts with local […]
We met Private Chef Robin on Instagram and were drawn to her California-Mediterranean style cooking. She has a culinary pedigree that would make most professional chefs envious. Private Chef Robin grew up in a family of restaurateurs and honed her skill set at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Now, she creates private fine dining experiences at […]
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to spend the day with Stacy Ventura, a professional food photographer with Edible Marin. Here’s how to shoot food like a Pro: Make sure to use as much natural light as possible, such as bouncing light with reflectors and white boards. Shooting vertically is appealing for food photography, even though we are drawn to […]
Sugar, milk or a combination of both is often a remedy for smoothing out the bitterness in a cup of coffee. Iced coffee is often so watered down that bitterness and acidity can linger and put a damper on this hot day beverage. The cold-brew process removes the bitterness, giving you a balanced taste. You may just decide to opt […]
My jetsetting friend from college invited me on a trip to Marfa, Texas. I wondered why he was so excited about this obscure travel destination, until I went there myself. Whether you are a modern-art connoisseur or not, it is an artsy and cultural town worth visiting.
With roots dating back 100 years ago, the Poncia family ranch is located in rural west Marin County. Up until the 1980’s, the family was in the dairy industry. Loren Poncia was working in Sacramento in agriculture and would look forward to coming back home over weekends to help his parents. Sustainable practices began with Loren’s father as a founding board member […]
Vanilla goes beyond, extract, or better yet, make your own extract! We highly recommend using LAFAZA’s vanilla products because of their high quality, direct trade, and sustainable pure vanilla from Madagascar. You can literally taste the difference! Try these 5 different ways to use vanilla. 1) Vanilla Sugar recipe – Just add 2 beans scraped into sugar, then plop in the vanilla bean rinds […]
Chai Iced Tea is a refreshing and simple way to go for summer. We often like to use Silk Road Teas for their high quality sourcing with small international tea producers. Hot tea can now be reused into iced tea.
Once upon a time, those who sought to live a healthier lifestyle were called “Health Nuts.” They shopped for natural products that could only be found in Health Food Stores. Now, healthy products are so mainstream that they can even be found in vending machines and convenience stores. The Natural Products Expo West is a trade show of epic proportions, […]
Every January, Americans make their News Year’s Resolution to lose weight and eat healthier. At the 2015 San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show, there were plenty of healthy snacks to sample. As thousands of exhibitors look to fill our local markets and specialty stores with their newest products, Bay Area food companies have figured out a way to give consumers […]
From the San Francisco Fancy Food Show, food companies have demonstrated how providing greater goods plays an integral part in their missions and how it can influence consumers’ buying decisions. Here are some companies that have developed loyal and lasting partnerships with family farmers from some of the most impoverished areas of the world.
Every year for the last 40 years, about 1,400 food/beverage companies exhibit their latest and existing packaged food and beverages at San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food Show. Navigating through and around this 3 day Trade Show with the nearly 20,000 attendees and over 200,000 square feet of space is both exhilarating and exhausting.
Most long weekends are spent catching up on back burner projects with work, running errands, a stay-cation, or maybe even a quick getaway trip a short distance from home. Sometimes those fateful accidents, like, having some mileage expiring (ex: canceled ski vacation) turn into a spontaneous trip that shines. From sun up to sun down, even a brief vacation to […]
San Francisco Newlyweds, Michael and Mary Gassen were barely able to fulfill their dream of opening up Noe Valley Bakery. They took on huge financial burdens by investing their life savings, maxing out on their credit cards, and taking on a business loan. Back in the 1990’s, that was the only method of financing for small businesses, but today, small […]
Like most kids going to college, I was intimidated with the process of making home cooked meals and thought cooking would be a time sink. After all, how many college bound kids or college grads feel comfortable with cooking?
Karen Diggs, a Therapeutic Chef and Nutritionist, took her passion for healthy, delicious food by taking cup-fulls of vegetables and squeezing submerging, brining, sealing, and fermenting it all into a Mason Jar. With help from her partner, Eric Klein, an engineer and inventor, Karen has transformed this thousand-year-old practice of fermenting foods by designing a small-batch device called Kraut Source. […]
Many have compared Cape Town to the Bay Area, and with good reason. The Western Cape’s most prominent city is reminiscent of San Francisco with beautiful old buildings, amazing coffee, dramatic landscapes, microclimates, but most importantly, good wine and food!
Sandwiched between San Francisco to its south and the Wine Country to its north, commuters, day-trippers, and travelers see Mill Valley in a 2-3 second blur driving on Highway 101. Residents of Mill Valley are content to see boatloads of local and faraway travelers descend on and into the touristy, neighboring towns of Sausalito and Tiburon.
Adjusting to fewer hours of daylight and cooler temperatures makes traveling in and out of London off-season challenging. Although being a part of the human race in the United Kingdom during peak vacation time, is enough to make anyone want to stay at home. In a recent trip in and out of London, off-season was easier, more accessible, less crowded, […]
Many San Franciscans or Bay Area urbanites may think that Point Reyes Station and Petaluma are quiet farming and ranching communities. In fact, a million tourist travel each year to Point Reyes National Seashore. “Stop by Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station (about 848 residents) on a sunny summer’s day, and this town can look like Coney Island,” explains Bridget […]
Starting over is never easy and always risky…so how does a mother of 2 from the Caribbean Island of Trinidad/Tobago with a PhD in Environmental Microbiology wind up in the gift giving business? Gypsy Achong moved to San Francisco to work in Environmental consulting, management consulting, and eventually business development in the Biofuel field.
About 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Comforts Cafe radiates with activity where everyday seems like rush hour. In the quaint and cozy town of San Anselmo, Glenn, the papa, Laura, the momma, and Erin, the daughter, have been serving up their home style cooking to their loyal, local following since 1986. Just about any day or time is […]
Seattle, cleverly and humorously nicknamed “Rain City”, “Emerald City”, “Queen City”, “Gateway to Alaska”, and “Jet City”, making it a city with some sort identity crisis? Seattle’s identity is attached to the many charming neighborhoods, active communities, jaw-dropping scenery, and underrated, innovative food. It is city that is worth visiting and revisiting. Getting those Touristy Feet Wet Pikes Place Market […]
As I was growing up, I often cringed when eating my dinner and would trash my school lunch. I desperately longed to have my meals made from scratch by a 1950s, 60s, or 70s sitcom mom. Unfortunately, my fate and appetite depression was in my mother’s hands. Just about everything she made was either too raw, overcooked, too seasoned, or […]
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