On the Table

When people see me eating, they often think I am on a diet. And maybe I am, depending on the meaning one ascribes to the word. I am in a permanent state of alertness, of mindfulness when it comes to elemental flavors, an attitude that is reflected in my minimalist style of cooking. I don’t […]

When I watch Patricia Cambianica’s hands kneading, shaping and cutting pasta dough, I feel her hands are my hands too. And when I work at those tasks, I feel that my hands are also the hands of generations of women who have been bringing their personal touch to this timeless craft. There is joy every […]

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 […]

  The first Friday in January marked the grand opening of Masaki’s Mongolian Grill and Sake Bar in Arcata, a Pan-Asian spin-off from Masaki’s Kyoto Japanese Restaurant in Eureka. Even though I’d been hearing about the place for months, all I really knew was the name, which seemed exotic and intriguing — I had no […]

Why cook? Cooking is a satisfying experience. Planning your meals and budgeting your time makes it even more so… Using whole, nutritious foods and cooking from scratch will cost less and be healthier for you and your family. — from LunchBox Envy I did not learn to cook until I was an adult. My mother […]

  Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to start thinking about the next big holiday, Thanksgiving, aka “turkey day.” But first comes another turkey day, an Arcata tradition in the making known as The Awesome Autumn Feast. The idea is simple. “Eat from your watershed!” as it says on the event poster. The concept […]

Ah, autumn. So soft, so gray, so indistinguishable from what passes for summer here in Northern Humboldt. You southern Humboldters must feel so smug all wrapped in your golden layers of summer tan. Here in Arcata autumn is primarily evidenced not by weather changes but by fresh green produce and visitors. The highway exits are […]

We love our beer here in Humboldt — the thriving local microbrew industry shows it. And what better time to honor the magic potions made from hops and grain than the beginning of fall as local brewers, amateur and professional, celebrate the first ever Humboldt Beer Week. Saturday begins an eight-day beer-a-thon with more brew-related […]

  A change in the quality of the sunlight tells me it’s nearly September, back-to-school month for many students, and Local Food Month for all of us. Sponsored by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the North Coast Growers’ Association, the North Coast Co-op and KHSU-FM, this month-long string of delicious events celebrates local foods […]

  The expression “gone to seed” usually has a negative connotation, meaning disheveled, declining or otherwise post-prime. When vegetable or herbs go to seed, or “bolt,” they quit being what you planted and become gangly towers looming over the garden. In this respect they’re more like teenagers than elders, but anthropomorphisms aside, the plant’s formerly […]