Contemporary Cuisine at Yesterday's Prices

As you enter the modern, airy dining room whose windows overlook a tree-lined estuary, the lilting strains of a French crooner set the mood for an elegant lunch. Tables are stylishly set, white linen topped with whimsically bent salt and pepper shakers. But a glance at the menu induces a double take . . . Read article

Think Globally, Party Locally

Do you hunger for an engaging cultural experience, but can’t spare the time or money for a trip abroad? Then prepare yourself for an evening in the food, music or dance of Spain, India, Thailand or Morocco. Have a chef teach you and your friends to prepare authentic Thai or Spanish dishes, dance up a storm with flashy Bollywood moves or entertain in style in a hidden Moroccan garden . . . Read article

Beloved Semifreddi's: A Bakery Rises in Alameda

Picture a baker’s skilled hands carefully fashioning sourdough baguettes on a floured tabletop. When the crusty golden loaves emerge from the oven, each displays its own personality. Multiply that process by a hundred thousand and place it in a 33,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art bakery that operates around the clock . . . Read article

Global Groceries | From India to Brazil to Japan, ethnic markets offer a world of flavors.

It’s Saturday morning and I am playing with my new toy, a conical terra cotta tagine, the traditional Moroccan cooking pot. Its dome-shaped interior magically steams meat until it falls off the bone. I scan the ingredients in the chicken recipe I plan to make. Saffron? Check. Cilantro? Check. But wait—pomegranate molasses? No worries, there’s undoubtedly a Middle Eastern shop carrying this specialized foodstuff within walking distance of my Berkeley kitchen . . . Read article

Sweet Surrender

One taste of chocolate can change everything. As a proper East Bay mom, I had shielded my 3-year-old daughter, Lila, from the evils of candy as long as possible. But 14 years ago, in Paris, my husband’s French cousin handed Lila a creamy milk-chocolate bonbon—and my protective parental wall crumbled. As my daughter popped the novelty into her mouth, her face was transformed by a wave of ecstasy, followed by a
sidelong glance at me. “Why have you been keeping this from me?” she
demanded wordlessly . . . Read article

Sweets Sculptor | Thirteen hours at the side of pastry artist Paul Masse, whose culinary career began with his sister’s Easy-Bake oven.

At 5 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, the full moon, like a wafer of white chocolate, glows above a dark, deserted Shattuck Avenue in North Berkeley. But the back room at Masse’s Pastries is a hive of activity. The enticing smell of pear tarts emanates from the warm oven, pale croissants puff up in the proofing box, and pastry chef Paul Masse wields a small blowtorch to unmold a chilled blood-orange mousse cake . . . Read article

Beyond Bacon and Eggs | Sampling breakfast food from around the world.

Every culture has its own way to start the day: croissants in Paris, muesli
in Zurich, pan dulce in Mexico City. On a recent trip to Tokyo, my early morning encounters with salted plums and dried baby fish woke me up to the fact that  certain cultures serve up quite unusual breakfast items (at least from an  American bacon-and-eggs perspective). I returned from Japan determined to seek out and sample a range of breakfasts from various cuisines in local eateries. I found that Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Ethiopian and Indian breakfast specialties are all waiting close by—if you know where to look . . . Read article

A Sign of Good Taste

Betty Ann Prinz loves working with her hands. The vibrant, red-haired, Deaf Oakland resident has taught American Sign Language (ASL) to thousands of students over the past 20 years at San Francisco State University and Vista/Berkeley City College. But her real passion is using her hands to slice, stir and sauté in the kitchen. In the local Deaf community, Prinz holds the singular position of acknowledged food expert, party planner, caterer, cooking teacher and trusted restaurant critic . . . Read article

A Good Year for Vintage | Vinyl miniskirts, polyester disco shirts and elegant ’40s suits are fashion fair-game and available for a steal at East Bay boutiques.

It started with a beaded sweater; a pink wool cardigan, decorated with undulating flowers hand sewn out of tiny beads. My 16-year-old daughter, Lila, held it up from the shop rack adoringly.
“You like that?” I asked, incredulous.
“Oh yes,” she gushed. “Why didn’t you save these for me?”...Read article

Oy Tannenbaum!

At my grandmother’s house, the silver and blue dreidel-shaped garlands were already hung up for Hanukkah, which came early that year.
“Guess what, Baba?” I asked my Jewish grandmother, after rushing in. “I’m going to be cooking on TV!”
“Mazel tov, darlink,” she said, beaming at me, her only grandchild.
“There’s just one thing, Baba. They want me to make Christmas cookies.”...
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Baytripping — Calistoga

My husband and I regard each other with weary eyes after another week of responsibilities, stress, and working late. Then his face brightens as he poses a magical one-word question:

“Calistoga?”

“Yes,” I sigh, already breathing deeper... Read article

Farmers’ markets are my foodie Fairyland. I approach them with the giddy excitement of a child at an amusement park, torn between making my way methodically up and down every aisle so as not to miss a thing and running around randomly, drawn by a warm, sweet smell here or a throng of people there.

On a recent, rainy Sunday morning, after a 30-minute drive from Berkeley to San Rafael, I stood at the edge of the largest farmers’ market in Northern California... Read article

Baytripping - Benicia

Growing up in Los Angeles, I never noticed that I lived in a sea of sameness, a monotonous maze of freeways and strip malls. But when I moved north, 20 years ago, I was surprised and delighted to discover the Bay Area’s patchwork quilt of communities, each with its own quirky personality...
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Baytripping - Half Moon Bay

Navigating the stressful seas of modern life can turn me into a grouchy pirate. My solution is a treasure hunt—one supplied by Mother Nature. Strolling beaches strewn with seashells, foraging forest floors for mushrooms, or scanning foothills for wildflowers lulls me into Zen-like tranquility... Read article

Baytripping - Fairfax

Nestled in the Marin hills near San Anselmo, Fairfax has always been, for me, a convenient yet picturesque pit stop en route to other adventures. It’s a quick turn-off to gather picnic supplies for a day of wildflower wandering at nearby Point Reyes Seashore, a caffeine-refueling station on the drive back to the East Bay after a rejuvenating hike on the lush Bear Valley trail... Read article