Tag archives: food
“Put the hen in a Dutch Oven. Brown her in butter for 1 minute. If you have a piano in the kitchen, play ‘The Minute Waltz’ 12 times. Add a little water. Put on the lid and let simmer. When you have finished playing half ‘The Dance of the Hours,’ dragging it slightly, you’re ready […]
The mushroom is getting its due time in the spotlight right now and with just cause. This miraculous fungi, which is more of a fruit than a vegetable, is one of the coolest things we consume from nature. Not only is the mushroom incredibly nutritious, but it also plays a vital role in plant health […]
Meet the honeynut squash – the newer, cuter, more nutrient and vitamin packed cousin of the butternut squash. This squash was a creation of Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Michael Mazourek, a plant breeder at Cornell University. This honey-colored squash is easier to manage than the larger butternut, has more […]
Last week it was quietly announced that a new restaurant called Jemma Montecito is in the works for the Las Aves complex near the Bird Refuge; the complex traded hands last year for $19M, selling to a Los Angeles-based investment group, the Runyon Group, which has big plans to revitalize the complex and bring in […]
A recent trip to the Boston area to drop off my son for his first year of college had me guessing what his future diet would be. Would he have access to the same quality, wholesome meals we prepared at home, served with warmth and love? Would he at least enjoy wholesome and nutritious meals […]
Michelin star or not, Montecito and The Hamptons share riviera and foodie status. On the map, they’re opposites, split by a 3,000-mile expanse. But Montecito and The Hamptons – both aspirational coastal enclaves – mirror each other in special ways, from idyllic weather and the bon vivant lifestyle they both promote, to the sophisticated travelers […]
It was back in 2011 that UCSB environmental studies professor Dr. David Cleveland published his white paper indicating that 99 percent of the produce grown in Santa Barbara County was being exported elsewhere. That statistic alone wouldn’t be so startling given that agriculture and food is the number one industry in Santa Barbara County. The […]
The beet, such a unique vegetable in both flavor and its vibrant colors. I’ve noticed over the many years that I have been a chef, that you either love or hate beets, and there is not much in between. For the lovers, this week is for you. I originally created this recipe for Rosh Hashanah […]
We eat with our eyes, and this Tuesday, October 10, guests will get to do both at Art After Dark – an evening of culinary creations curated to the art nestled around Mar Monte Hotel in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The evening begins with a reception on the hotel’s Front Terrace that overlooks the […]
So, say you’re in a situation where once every week you cannot cook for an entire 24 hours, but the family still needs to eat, and let’s add in it’s the 16th century (no DoorDash). What do you do? You invent fish and chips. That’s the answer, and that’s what happened for Jews living in […]
“Wow!” is all I could say when walking through the farmers market this weekend. Summer is definitely my favorite season of produce and with all of the rain we had last season, the bounty at the market is just breathtaking. Eggplant is on my mind this week… although it was a hard decision to make! […]
Sophie McNally, a visionary entrepreneur and owner of the company Kitchenette, is changing the way people interact with food through innovative technology. And she is doing it right here in Montecito! “We moved to Montecito during Covid. During that time, we were so worried about the virus and I didn’t trust going out to eat, […]
Zucchini, Crookneck, Pattypan, Chayote, Costata Romanesco, melons, and cucumbers… there are so many varietals of the summer squash and when they arrive, they arrive with gusto! I often find I must be so creative to use them all up. The squash family, often mistaken for a vegetable, is classified as a fruit because they have […]
I will wait all year for the perfect tomato, the not-flawless, stunning, smells-like-summer-and-tastes-like-heaven tomato. Sure you can find them year round in the grocery store, but the ones that look perfectly red and round and taste like water – why waste your time? Tomatoes, in all their summer glory, are in the farmers market as […]
Earlier this week, Ty Warner announced a new partnership with seven-Michelin star chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller, who has been tapped to oversee all food and beverage operations at the iconic Coral Casino on Channel Drive. “I’m excited to be part of the Coral Casino story,” Chef Keller said in a statement. “It’s an honor […]
The apricot tree in my neighbor’s yard is just busting with these beautiful blushing gems and I could not be more excited! My daughter and I went and harvested a bunch the other day and are so excited to take them back into the kitchen. I love using them in both sweet and savory ways […]
Santa Barbara, it’s sunny and finally summer and all I want are cooling foods. The Farmers Market is bursting with produce, but what jumped out this week is the cucumber. Its many varietals with English, Kirby, and Persian being the ones easiest to find. They each have their specific usage but can easily be substituted […]
The Farmers Market colors are saving me during this rainy, overcast, gray June. Walking through and looking at all the bountiful produce, envisioning what I will make once I take them back to my kitchen, is saving me from a major case of June Gloom. This week my daughter and I were drawn to the […]
What’s black and white and bright all over? The freshly open (but still in the process of being built out) super-duper redo of The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern – thanks to interior designer/design team AvroKO, par excellence, who has not missed a detail from the bootjacks outside guest room doors to leather tabs on the […]
You are a stranger on the road, passing within sight of a dwelling. The people who live there invite you to come and share their meal. It doesn’t sound that remarkable. It might almost be Biblical. And in a way, it was – because this happened in the Land of the Bible. But it was […]
