Today is my fortieth birthday. Because I love to cook and eat, it got me to thinking about how much eating I’ve done so far in this life…and to do a bit of math.

If you assume that I’ve eaten 3 meals a day, which given my habits is fairly reasonable, then the following is [...]

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I love old cookbooks. They seem like such an interesting window into the daily lives of our ancestors. Some of my favorites are from my grandmother’s collection of food literature. Here’s an example of a fascinating recipe from my of my most cherished little cookery tomes:
THE WHOLE ART of CURING, PICKLING, AND SMOKING MEAT [...]

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‘Tis the day after Christmas and I’ve been eating constantly! We’ve been spreading ourselves around among family and friends with a number of interesting culinary events. On Christmas Eve Eve (aka last Sunday), we had a cocktail party with Potato Pancakes (Latkes), a variety of smoked fish, caviar and some really nice champagne. Being only [...]

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Commitment to the Earth and to their community got Ken Wetherell, Neil Robinson and Kwah Waadabi (ardent members at Portland, Oregon’s People’s Food Co-op) thinking about new ways to move people and their things. So they created Portland Pedal Power (PPP), a bicycle delivery service that caters to customers of the ecologically responsible People’s Food [...]

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Calling all philanthropic wordsmiths! Channel your inner Merriam-Webster and fill rice bowls for the hungry. FreeRice.com, sister site of Poverty.com, and in participation with the United Nation’s World Food Programme, has developed a fun, educational vocabulary game that helps combat global hunger.
How to play: Remember those multiple choice vocabulary tests back in grade school? [...]

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It’s cold outside and the fire’s going, you’d think I’d want a nice hot soup. But, no, I want ceviche! Normally I think of this as a warm-weather dish: chilled, citrusy, something you’d eat al fresco. But last month we visited El Salvador and the ceviche we had there is still ever-present in my mind. [...]

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I always wanted to like these diminutive cabbages as a child, but the moment I popped one in my mouth it invariably found its way right back onto the plate (or napkin). Pretty. I’m amazed at how many adults still hold this same aversion. I believe it’s because for generations these little guys have just [...]

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Update: check out our 2008 Top Ten Homemade Gift Idea list. It’s even better!
‘Tis the season! I so look forward to the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year, but as we all know it can also be financially stressful. All the gifts to buy… the credit cards start to burst into flames. I think [...]

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I overheard someone say the other day that salt is salt and I gasped in horror. I once had uttered something equally as reprehensible to my Italian friend who, in my opinion, was taking far too long in the pasta aisle. It pains me to admit it but it went something like this, “Come on, [...]

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During the holiday season when our bellies are consistently being pushed to maximum capacity with baked goods, carb-laden sides, hefty meats and poultries, it’s nice to have a break and eat something light and healthy.
It’s a cold, crisp night here in San Mateo, California. Perfect for nabe (nabemono). Nabe, or hot pot, is a typical [...]

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