Labor Day weekend means one thing in particular to those of us raised in proximity to Lake Erie: the Milan Melon Festival. Throughout the year, Milan is famous for being the birthplace of Thomas Alva Edison, but as the summer winds up, the area around Milan bursts into color and fragrance as the bumper crops of watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe are harvested.

I started by cooking the chopped red onion and the hot pepper in a bit of olive oil over low heat, letting them take their sweet time to carmelize…. Peaches and Herbs Salsa Makes 1 pint of salsa 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small red onion, sliced thin and chopped coarsely 1 hot pepper, seeded and minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil 1/4 tsp salt 5-6 peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped 1 1/2 c chopped tomatoes 1 tsp minced fresh mint 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil Juice from 1/2 lime In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.

Peter shares his recipe for “spring salad” aka egg-less chopped egg salad.

The Bay Area is in the middle of its short season for fresh apricots.
The apricot is thought to have originated in China, with first cultivation by humans around 2000 BCE. The fruit spread west along the Silk Road as caravans carried gems, spices, ceramics and other fine goods between East and West. By the […]

Man of La Muncha and I are currently “owned” by a small tortoiseshell cat, Ms. Teeth and Claws.  Ms. Claws is our third cat; previous cats included a pretty black and white girl and a large Maine coon cat.  We have loved all our cats, and have always fed them “good” pet foods, figuring that […]

A while ago, I mentioned Food and Wine’s feature on eating locally, and noted that I had sent a few recipes of my own for their consideration. I’ve not heard back from them, and with winter drawing to a close, I decided to share one or two that can be enjoyed through much of the […]

Last Sunday I made bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Nothing earth shaking about that — but I didn’t buy the bacon from the farmer’s market or even Farmer Joe’s. Actually, I made the bacon myself — from a 2 lb. package of pork belly I received through Operation Pork.
The pig who provided the pork belly was […]

While Nosher of the North hunkers down under a blizzard that has been called brutal and pummeling, and while our California and Texas friends bask in warm weather, the Butter Bitch and I are waiting for spring.
The weather in Seattle has been bad this year, but far better than winters from our youths in the […]

I used to make fun of the Dairy Queen Mother for talking to strangers everywhere she went — in elevators, grocery stores, even movie-theater bathrooms. Actually, she still does it, and I still tease her about it, partly because she has no “psychodar” (sorry, Mom).
But when the subject is SOLE food, I’m finding it […]

Winter and soup go together like cold feet and comfy, goose down slippers.
Once the weather turns cooler, I begin my seasonal longing for soup’s warmth and comfort. And when I find enough time to make a huge pot of soup for sharing with friends and family — with enough left over for another meal […]

I know we’re lucky to get a variety of greens in the winter here in Northern California, unlike our Canadian readers who are driving to Vermont for kale, or eyeing the limp imports warily. But I am sick of kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, even lettuce. I want tomatoes, dammit! I held some bright […]

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for spring. We may be spoiled here in the Bay Area, with lettuce year round, but it’s not like we have tomatoes and cucumbers and all the rest of salad stuff. I’ve been trying pretty hard to eat seasonally, but boy am I tired of cabbage […]

A big shout-out to all you passionate Brussel-sprout lovers — Stonefruit in particular — as I have finally had a pleasant experience with the cabbagey kids!
I waited until the weather turned frosty, as what’s bad for citrus is good for sweetening Brassica oleracea, you all said, to buy some loose, tightly closed, hard buds from […]

Food and Wine Magazine has an article in the February 2007 issue about eating like a locavore, featuring several locavorean recipes. It’s great to see a mainstream food magazine like this one highlighting something like eating locally, which takes into account more than just how an ingredient tastes.
The article discusses varying degrees of locavoreanism, […]

Maybe it’s my German roots, but I have always loved pickled foods: dill pickles, pickled beets, olives, sauerkraut, and, especially, pickled herring.
One of the things that the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Eve brings to mind for me is pickled herring. Herring was always one of the special treats my family offered to relatives […]