From the category archives:

food flotsam & jetsam

A State of Independence: Celebrating Food Freedom

July 3, 2013 food flotsam & jetsam

What a cleanse taught me about letting go of stuff, not just a few pounds.

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Hunger Doesn’t Take a Holiday

November 19, 2012 food flotsam & jetsam

Feeding people in need, including the ones right in front of you.

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Pleasure, Pain, and a Pot of Tea

June 24, 2012 food flotsam & jetsam

So pain is my bitch right now. She’s been on my back — well, technically deep inside my left buttock, weird I know  — for three months. She and I have been down this road before. But that familiarity does not bring comfort. She comes to bed with me every night and she’s still there, […]

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What’s for Dinner, Dude?

June 15, 2012 food flotsam & jetsam

My son morphs from picky eater to home cook with a discerning palate, and I write about it for Ladies’ Home Journal.

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Listening and Leftovers: Redux

November 25, 2011 food flotsam & jetsam

(I wrote the post below two years ago but my brother Guy just stumbled across it doing research on our family history. He liked it, I hope you do too, and that it inspires you to listen to a loved one today.) This I believe: Everyone has as story to tell. So, today with a […]

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Whole Foods Parking Lot: Remixed and Revisited

August 17, 2011 bay area bites

Catching up with DJDave on the follow-up to his viral hit Whole Foods Parking Lot.

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Speed Dating for Veggie — and Animal — Lovers

August 5, 2011 bay citizen

Do a prospective dating partner’s dietary preferences matter when it comes to matters of the heart? My adventures in the meat-free world of vegetarian speed dating.

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It’s Gettin’ Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

June 16, 2011 bay area bites

An interview with Whole Foods Parking Lot creator DJDave, also known as David Wittman, who penned a memorable little ditty viewed by millions about what goes down in the Whole Foods parking lot for affluent shoppers picking up organic kale and Kombucha.

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Michelle Obama and Alice Waters: Let’s Do Breakfast

June 13, 2011 berkeley bites

Alice Waters feeds First Lady Michelle Obama at the fancy pants Claremont Hotel. What happened to plans to for a downhome breakfast in Oakland?

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Best Blog Post Ever: It’s Kinda Cheesy

June 5, 2011 bay area bites

Who knew asking readers for their pizza picks would generate such a huge response?

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So You Want to be a Successful Food Blogger? Here’s How.

May 23, 2011 bay area bites

Food blogs are a dime a dozen in cyberspace. Find out how to stand out from the pack.

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Save the Spud: Negative Campaigners Plot Against Potato

April 17, 2011 food flotsam & jetsam

When marketing campaigns run amok: Coming to the defense of the humble spud.

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The Pleasures of a Country Dinner

March 10, 2011 food events

The simple pleasures of a satisfying meal on a Saturday night in a barn in rural West Marin, surrounded by art, music, and in the presence of good company.

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Will Write For Food, Payment Preferable

February 28, 2011 bay area bites

Food for thought: Many online outlets offer writers no or token compensation for their time and talents, including many websites that run food coverage. Find out why you should care.

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Kitchen Cookware: Culling and Curating for the New Year

January 11, 2011 bay area bites

A new year offers a fresh opportunity to get one’s kitchen in order.

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11 Food-Related Goals for 2011

January 5, 2011 food book giveaways

11 food goals for 2011.

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Summer Birthdays Rule

August 4, 2010 baking

August is THE birthday month in our house. And this is the time of year when my son celebrates his birthday with a group of kids he’s known since birth. Some children may lament a summer birthday (all your buddies are on vacation, so party plans often get tabled until back-to-school time). Here’s 12 reasons […]

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Epicurean Concierge Leads Food Lovers Through Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto

July 23, 2010 berkeley bites

What you can expect on a food tour of Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto with an epicurean concierge. Great eats — and a celeb sighting too.

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Learning to Love the ‘hood on Foot: One Edible Adventure at a Time

July 22, 2010 berkeley bites

Getting to know the edible offerings in my neighborhood, on foot.

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Best Restaurants, Award Winners, and Signature Dishes

May 7, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

How much attention do you pay to culinary awards, magazine lists of best restaurants, and recommendations from expert and citizen critics to check out an eatery?

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Lettuce Eat Kale Has a New Home

April 14, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Welcome to the new home of Lettuce Eat Kale.

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Lettuce Eat Kale Celebrates First Birthday

March 31, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Lettuce Eat Kale celebrates its 1st anniversary.

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A Culinary Confession

March 23, 2010 civil eats

Confessions of a lapsed vegetarian. Blame it on Bakesale Betty.

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How to Host a Dinner Party so Everyone Enjoys It

March 17, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Ten tips for dinner party etiquette for fabulous hosts.

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Professionals by Day Pursue Culinary Arts by Night

March 12, 2010 baking

Two Bay Area confectioners, Anand Chokkalingam and Michael Winnike, whip up sweet treats after hours.

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Dinner Guests: What Makes a Good One?

March 10, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Ten tips for earning good dinner guest status. And a drunken dinner guest too.

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A Daughter's Memories of a Beloved Father's Food

February 24, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Dear Readers: In my last post I asked you to share a favorite family food memory. I received this response from new friend and frequent Lettuce Eat Kale commenter Julie Cleeland Nicholls, a fellow Australian living in Singapore. I met Julie through my oldest friend in the whole wide world Jane Rogers, who was wise […]

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Valentine's Day Dining Out: Just Say No

February 12, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Allegedly, this coming weekend is a good one for amore. That’s debatable, of course, depending on how your love life is looking. What’s indisputable: It’s a great weekend for restaurants. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday, so presumably there’s a wider window (tonight might be a tad early, but tomorrow or Sunday works) of […]

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Garlic Gadgets: Cool Tools or Waste of Space?

February 3, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

So I need to come out. I am, indeed, a (gasp!) garlic press user. Not sure when this habit started or why I can’t kick it. But, well, I used just last night. Okay, I know I’ve probably lost any pro chefs who have stumbled upon my posts. I’m probably losing some of you savvy […]

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Serving People, Serving Food, Days of Service: Help Haiti

January 20, 2010 baking

Seem to have a food-related volunteer theme emerging this week. Not my intention but just going to run with it. If ever there was a time to ignore the imperative Think Global, Act Local, this is it. Don’t you agree? As I explained to my son on this week’s MLK Day of Service, we’re thinking […]

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2010 Harvest Calendar

January 5, 2010 food flotsam & jetsam

Happy New Year! I wanted to share with my peeps one of my favorite holiday gifts (thanks again Marge), this lovely harvest calendar by artist and organic plant nursery co-owner Helen Krayenhoff.  It’s filled with photos of tempting produce and each month includes a recipe — Picante Cabbage Slaw for January, Bok Choy Sauteed with […]

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New Year's Food Resolutions

December 31, 2009 food flotsam & jetsam

We all know the scoop on New Year’s resolutions: They rarely stick. Especially those ones about eating better or less. So this year, instead of making a vow I’m unlikely to keep beyond February, I’m going for a modest goal. I’d like to host more dinner parties. Okay, let’s get real here. I’d settle for […]

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Seeking Comfort Foods During Season of Excess

December 28, 2009 comfort food

Had too many fancy-pants dinners lately? Sick of rich desserts? Over overindulging on the eating and drinking front at holiday parties? If I’m in Australia this time of year I start to O.D. on nibbles like taramosalata dip, champers, and triple-cream Brie. In California, it’s enough with the holiday cookies already. So, quick question: During […]

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Menu for Hope

December 16, 2009 food events

Here’s a shout out for a worthy cause sponsored by food bloggers around the globe during this season of giving, getting, and overeating. Menu for Hope is an annual, above board, fair dinkum, fundraising campaign to help feed hungry people worldwide. The devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia provided inspiration for the first campaign, which raises […]

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'Tis the Season for Eating, Giving, & Doing Good

December 4, 2009 food flotsam & jetsam

Last night I attended another classy holiday party hosted by those savvy gals at blogher. As at previous blogher events, invitees were encouraged to bring canned goods for distribution at a local food bank. Stellar idea. As I headed to the groovy gathering carrying my brown paper sack filled with canned beans I passed people […]

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Listening & Leftovers

November 27, 2009 food flotsam & jetsam

This I believe: Everyone has as story to tell. So, today with a fridge full of leftovers, there’s plenty of time to step away from the kitchen to sit down with someone you love to hear a tale or two. The Storycorps Project heard on National Public Radio, the people who brought us the book, […]

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Gobble, Gobble & Gratitude

November 24, 2009 comfort food

Hello peeps.  I know many of you are busy prepping for the annual American food fest, so I won’t keep you long. First, full disclosure: I do not (heart) the holidays. And nothing announces the official start of the festive season than Thanksgiving. Well, I guess there’s also Halloween, the end of daylight savings, the […]

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Fear of Flying: The Food's a Factor

October 15, 2009 food flotsam & jetsam

Flickr photo by nicholas.blah used under the Creative Commons license. I’ve recently spent 27 hours in the air, something I do on a relatively regular basis, so I think I’m well qualified to weigh in on airline food for the long-distance traveler. It’s horrible — no surprises there. But what’s to be done about it? […]

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