Author spotlight: Jane Orfalea

Easy shop, easy cook. Ingredients are locally sourced from Montecito merchants and Friday Farmers' Market to support our economy. Jane is a published journalist, columnist, and screenwriter. She began cooking at age eight, when her dad started a weekly dinner competition. Each sibling had to create a meal, set the table, and clean up. First prize was a whopping $2.00. Clever parents got a three-night respite and everyone grew up knowing how to cook.

Love the Ones You’re With
By Jane Orfalea   |   March 26, 2020

Regular grooming shows love to your pet, and it also helps keep your house clean. That recently became more challenging since we’re now all working and studying from home. For Paws Salon, a locally owned pet grooming business in Montecito and Santa Barbara, plans to keep both locations open. They will now provide curbside or […]

Hoomos Tahini (Recipe by Virginia Orfalea 1914-1988)
By Jane Orfalea   |   October 4, 2018

Almost every married woman knows the experience of trying to make their spouse’s favorite childhood meal. My husband is third-generation American-Lebanese and he grew up on foods with names I still can’t pronounce and had never tasted before. Pasta was my British parents’ idea of exotic cuisine. But how hard could it be? I’m a […]

Peanut Butter Sorghum Balls
By Jane Orfalea   |   September 13, 2018

Growing up with two British parents, we never missed afternoon tea. It was an insisted-upon daily ritual to stave off hunger between meals. Or, maybe it was their way to give us a “jolt” of sugar and caffeine to energize us do our homework and afternoon chores. My mom was a bit of a renegade, […]

Baked Salmon Avocado
By Jane Orfalea   |   August 9, 2018

We recently returned from a trip through Burgundy, where we went mustard tasting in Dijon. I now appreciate how the right mustard can be the “wow” factor to any meal. This recipe uses a slightly sweet mustard called Golden Dijon, available from Viva Oliva on Coast Village Road. It is the perfect complement to the […]

Strawberry Fields Salad
By Jane Orfalea   |   July 19, 2018

There is nothing prettier than an edible flower salad. It’s easy to make and looks great on the table, especially if you’re entertaining. This is a particularly delicate salad mix, so drizzle your dressing rather than tossing the greens. That way, your salad won’t look soggy, and people can appreciate the vividness of the flowers.  […]