As a first-generation American brought up with German culinary traditions, I came to peanut butter relatively late in life. In college I rented a room from a family with a hint of Texas Chainsaw Massacre about them, so I stayed away from the kitchen altogether. Since my mother-in-law didn’t make them for my husband, who apparently would have revolted if [...]
In the weeks before Passover I start to gather the things needed to produce some of my husband’s favorite foods. He’s not religious, but I figure this is a good time of year to provide some culinary comfort to make up for the fact that we’re 2,500 miles away from his family and no longer have regular access to good [...]
I grew up in Queens, New York City: a diner-dense borough in a diner-loving town. While I’m happy to call the East Bay’s El Cerrito-Albany border home, there are no diners here. Not really. What people in these parts call diners are really breakfast and lunch spots. Let me put it this way: If I can’t get a roast chicken [...]
I like a little industrial archaeology with my lunch now and again, which involves scoping out chow in East Bay areas whose former glory is tied to defunct or relocated industries. It’s especially appealing when cities incorporate their industrial pasts into revitalization plans that include eating venues. An amazing recent example of this is Richmond’s BoilerHouse Restaurant, situated in an [...]
I crave Vietnamese sandwiches regularly, so I’m pleased that my little corner of the East Bay — El Cerrito — is flush with them.These unique sandwiches, called bánh mì, are a hybrid of pickled vegetables and French-inspired cold cuts or other meat on long, crispy, baguette-style rolls. They’re inexpensive and great for a substantial snack or light meal. There are [...]
