cooking

No matter how much I learn about Japanese food and culture, there is more, much more that I keep learning. Nowhere more is this exemplified than at the latest Japanese restaurant to open in San Francisco, Hashiri . I knew that the changing of the seasons is very important and celebrated in Japan, but it was only at the restaurant that learned that every season has three ingredient phases. Hashiri is the word for first of the season, shun is the peak of season, and nagori is the end of the season. Not surprisingly this restaurant will change their menu with the seasons. In Japan not just the ingredients, but even the tableware changes with the seasons. The porcelain dishes at Hashiri come from Kyoto, known for ceramics.  Hashiri, which just opened in what was Chez Papa Resto in Mint Plaza is a very unique restaurant for several reasons. Hashiri serves just one menu that is a kaiseki meal (a seasonal tasting menu of small dishes) with nigiri sushi ($250 per person in the main dini...

In my parent�s kitchen there was a hook near the door. It pretty much always had Columbus Italian dry salami hanging from it. It never occurred to me that this was not the case in every house in America. When I was growing up it was my sister who had the sweet tooth, not me. I loved all things savory. I remember asking my mother if people could choose to be vegetarian, could I be a carnivore? I didn�t hate vegetables, I just loved salty foods. I still do. Some of my favorite things when I was young were thick cut potato chips, corn chips, smoked salmon and salami.  California style Italian dry salami was an integral part of my childhood. I ate fat slabs of salami and thin slices. I ate the crusty ends, peeling off the white dusty paper. I ate it in sandwiches for lunch and for dinner when it was too hot to cook. We used to sit at a picnic table in the Summer on the deck with a big plate of cherry tomatoes, slices of cheese and salami. Take what you want, my mother would say. To us...

It�s always fun to try out new cooking tools. While I don�t have room for much in my apartment kitchen,  I�ve put these small and affordable items to the test. First up, the Uten 2-3 cup mini chopper . It has 3 blades and was terrific for a few cloves of garlic and fantastic for chopping olives and a handful of nuts, although I didn�t love it for chopping an onion, that's something I'd rather do by hand anyway. But the real reason I love this chopper? It�s fun to use! Instead of being plugged in or attaching to another kitchen appliance like a stick blender, it works with a pull string. You can pull the string as many or as few times as you like to get the result you want. If you have kids I bet they would love using it too. It's dishwasher safe and currently on sale for just $8.99. To learn more about Uten products, sales and more, visit and "like" their Facebook page . I use my toaster oven for most of my baking. I always line my baking trays with parchment pape...

Foster Farms  is one of the larger suppliers of chicken in California. It�s a brand you�ll find in most supermarkets. So I was pleased to learn they are now offering organic chicken . At my local supermarket they only had boneless and skinless breasts and thighs, and while I much prefer purchasing whole chickens I did want to give the product a try.  Because I don�t usually, if ever, cook with boneless skinless chicken thighs, I turned to the ever dependable Faith Durand at The Kitchn for a foolproof technique . I added an herb paste, asparagus and leeks and reduced the pan sauce to make a glaze. It�s easy peasy and great for a quick meal that will be done in just over 30 minutes. The leeks, asparagus and herbs give the dish a fresh and light feel.  Although I purchased the chicken with my own money, I did accept four $20 Safeway gift cards for you, my readers, from Foster Farms. If you would like one, please leave a comment about your favorite chicken thigh or breast re...

I always have a jar of tahini, a Middle Eastern style of sesame paste, in my refrigerator. It used to last for ages because I really only used it in hummus and baba ghanoush. But not anymore. I think it�s probably the Ottolenghi books and a trip to Israel a few years ago that inspired me to use tahini more often. This rich nutty butter is a fantastic ingredient to use with all kinds of things. I particularly tahini with cauliflower, either in  Warm Cauliflower Dip  or on  Roasted Cauliflower.  Or start by making tahina, which is a sauce made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and enough water to turn the mixture white and creamy. It�s good as a dip with pita, falafel, meatballs and more. My formula is about 1/2 cup tahini, juice of one lemon, salt, a small clove of finely mashed garlic and just enough water to make turn the sauce creamy and white.  Tahini is available raw, roasted or dark roasted. Raw is somewhat higher in nutrients, but roasted versions are...

The two most popular dinner requests in my household are for chili and roast chicken. They are both classic comfort foods and my husband never gets tired of eating either of them. It�s funny, because I rarely if ever make either one of them the same way twice. Chili is just a naturally adaptable recipe. Over the years I've posted recipes for  vegetarian white bean chili,  a budget friendly chili with a  mix of beans ,  chipotle pork chili and most recently for bison black bean chili . The ingredients change all the time depending on my mood and what I have on hand. But roasting a chicken is another story altogether. Like so many people I am always looking to improve how I make the perfect roast chicken. Mostly I spatchcock or butterfly it or roast pieces rather than a whole bird for more even and consistent results. But in this case, because Napa Grass Farmer had provided me with such a beautiful bird I thought I�d roast the whole thing.  I used Meyer...

The documentary  City of Gold  is very much a love letter to the culture, the cuisine and the spirit of Los Angeles. It follows the career and life of the Pulitzer prize winning writer Jonathan Gold. Gold writes about food, but food is just a lens through which he sees the world and perhaps most importantly, the people in it. While the food in this film is tantalizing, it's the stories from the restaurateurs and even street food vendors that are particularly compelling. These are the stories that Jonathan Gold tells. Every city ought to have a Jonathan Gold. By that I mean someone who has an uncanny sense of finding great food, is a marvelous writer and is truly passionate about his home turf. Gold, the longtime food critic first with the LA Weekly and now with the LA Times , explores, discovers and importantly, does his homework to learn about various cuisines before writing about them. He's also as democratic an eater as ever, happily eating hot dogs and tacos from carts o...