One of the wonderful things about duck is how baroque it sounds on the menu. Casually telling friends you’re cooking duck breasts on a Tuesday night usually provokes raised eyebrows and imaginary moustache twirling. Duck breast isn’t actually that outré price-wise; it’s cheaper than a good cut of steak, and certainly cheaper than the more […]
Jada Calypso Brotman
Jada Brotman grew up in Arcata before moving to the U.K. and then New York City, where she cut a wide swath in the world of cheese. Insert joke here. She returned to the home of her fathers four years ago, and now works as a journalist and seasons her crepe pans in downtown Arcata.
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Hill of Beans
The farmers market is a source of roiling internal debate. On one hand, there’s the glory of fresh, delicious chard and peaches; on the other, I dread the Battle of the Strollers and small talk with tan people in Tevas. This time of year the cons are definitely outweighed by one giant pro: fresh, unshelled […]
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Plum the Depths of Summer
My brother has one of those plum trees that’s positively profligate with fruit. It’s like a woman who just had octuplets — overwhelmed with fecundity. Sitting under that tree, which is sweetly scented and buzzing with gorged flies and reaching up to grab a warm plum that drips if you pinch is the epitome of […]
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Oh, Snap!
I love fresh seasonal vegetables swimming in fat. I would be content on a diet of fresh veggies and butter, with candy for entertainment. Is it humanly possible to dislike a simple perfect garden tomato, sliced, sugared, salted and drizzled with olive oil and vinegar? Cabbage shredded and fried in butter and caraway seeds? Kale […]
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Dressed to Grill
I’m not an established Grill Person. I don’t watch shows or buy cookbooks about grilling. That said, I am even less of a Washing Pans Person, so when I received a spanking-new Broil Mate, I was overjoyed. Can we just all mentally insert a blurb about how lovely and appropriate grilling is in summer months? […]
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Viva Color!
Last year was my Year of Tarragon. I was incapable of making any savory dish without it, whining and beatings by friends notwithstanding. This year, Jada is All About Paprika. My father has been screaming about paprika for years — he has even dried and ground his own with peppers purchased at the farmers market. […]
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Add to Cart
Living in Humboldt County is a culinary bacchanal in many ways. The quality of produce available here is easy to forget until you visit almost anywhere else in the country, where local organic salad mixes and Hokkaido squash are difficult to come by. Our homegrown pork and beef are hard to beat — have you tried […]
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A Little Kick
It’s not spring. I wish it was, food-wise, but it isn’t. My diet is suffocated by a robotic procession of root vegetables. British cookbooks extol the pleasures of cozy winter cooking, but I live in California, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and I can’t eat any more cottage pie. Plus, your name is ridiculous. No more mashed Swedes, […]
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Beans and Greens
Loyal readers may recall my rant from a few years back concerning my dizzying plunge into penury. Thank goodness I adjusted comfortably and today can happily report that good food is not dependent upon full coffers. In this interim of gift buying between Hanukkah and Christmas, I have been pinching my pennies more than the […]
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Pesto Goes Rogue
For years I resisted developments in pesto. A purist, I was suspicious of change and, frankly, hostile towards new-fangled assumptions that the perfection of basil pesto should be tampered with. Even the phrase “basil pesto” still makes me cringe a little; it’s redundant! Alas, relentless onslaughts from Nigella Lawson and Fine Cooking Magazine have beaten […]
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Summer Stock
I want to talk about soup. Some say soup is a cold weather dish, but I think it’s just seasonal. In winter, I make stews; in summer, I make soups. It’s just another way to eat the delightful treats we get at the market around this time. The thing about soup is you can […]
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DIY Delicioso Enchiladas
I’m so white. I feel nervous about even suggesting recipes for enchilada sauce. What chutzpah! Honestly, I am not any kind of Mexican master chef; I’ve used the same enchilada recipe from The Vegetarian Epicure my whole life. Besides, we live in California — trying to make my own Mexican food at home seems like […]