Category: Food

Mushroom Risotto

When deciding what to cook for Valentine’s Day (or, really, any special occasion), it seems like a lot of the time and effort goes into the entrees and the desserts. Of course, you need a perfectly-grilled steak, lobster tail and ooey, gooey chocolate lava cake for a romantic dinner at home. But when it comes to what to serve alongside…


Federal Food Stamps Program Hits Record Costs at $119 Billion

The cost of the federal food stamps program known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased to a record $119.5 billion in 2022, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SNAP costs have increased from $60.3 billion in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, to the record-setting $119.5 billion in…


Homecoming King: Everything Has Prepared Chef Travis Swikard for This Moment

Crowning the open kitchen of Callie, in San Diego’s East Village, is a sheet of glowing, rust-colored steel that comes to a point in the center—like the bow of a ship, said chef-owner Travis Swikard. Working each evening service, “I stand right there, and it’s me at the helm of my ship coming home, bringing…


Doctors Concerned Avocado Hand Injuries on the Rise

Coinciding with the rise in consumption of the fruit, doctors are seeing more cases of the “avocado hand”—a condition that occurs when a person tries to remove the seed in a dangerous manner and ends up cutting their hand. According to Hass Avocado Board, avocado consumption has tripled since 2000, with Mexico and the U.S….


Avocado Hand: When You Plan to Eat and Avocado and Stab Yourself Instead

Coinciding with the rise in consumption of the fruit, doctors are seeing more cases of the “avocado hand”—a condition that occurs when a person tries to remove the seed in a dangerous manner and ends up cutting their hand. According to Hass Avocado Board, avocado consumption has tripled since 2000, with Mexico and the U.S….


This Retro Valentine’s Day Salad Never Goes out of Style

Valentine’s Day is a holiday I embrace. A celebration of love and kindness is my kind of holiday. It’s a way to let your loved ones and dear friends know how much you appreciate them. I like to come up with dishes that celebrate the moment. Usually, it’s a chocolate molten cake or a chocolate…


Antipasto Bites Are Adorable, Party-Friendly Appetizers Everyone Will Love

These antipasto bites take everything you’d see on a traditional antipasto platter and present a little taste of each element on a personal skewer. Antipasto is the dish that initiates gathering around the table and preparing to share a meal. If you ask most people who have ever entered a traditional Italian home what it’s…


Impress Your Valentine With Homemade Chocolate Crepes

Crepes, those ultra-thin French pancakes, deserve a spot in our Valentine’s Day chocolate dreams. Crepes cook in less than a minute, can be made days ahead, and taste great flavored with chocolate and a sprinkling of sugar or decadently filled with whipped cream. A blender full of batter, made quickly from flour, milk and eggs,…


The Softer, Sweeter Side of Cabbage

Most traditional winter crops are root vegetables, such as potatoes, beets, onions, carrots, turnips, and garlic. Cabbage, being a green leafy vegetable, is a unique exception to this rule. Cabbage is also more versatile than pretty much any other vegetable, in that you can serve it cooked, raw, and fermented. Back in the pre-supermarket days,…


Fresh Wine

“Like fine old wine…” Television news anchors, characters in movies and just ordinary folks often use this phrase or variations of it to imply that wine gets better with age. Some of it does. But the vast majority of older wine is not better for additional time. In fact, most of it is not better….