When I was younger, I thought the beginning of a new calendar year was a stupid thing to celebrate. It might have made sense if the new year actually coincided with some astronomical event like the winter solstice. The first day of spring, the true season of rebirth, would have been even better. Instead the […]

As we head deeper into the holiday season, (This weekend is the annual caroling party.) I thought it was a good time to trot out some more Christmas-y foods to keep my eyes on the prize as things start to get a bit crazier. And they will get crazier. After several years of freelancing, this […]

With the coming and going of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d come clean about a staple of the holiday feast I have issues with. Cranberry sauce. I don’t like it. Never have. Never will. Yet there it’s been in a place of honor on every traditional Thanksgiving table I’ve ever been at. Editor’s note:  If you’re […]

For me, it all started with navel oranges. Unlike their overly juicy Valencia cousin, navels are eating fruits and the perfect seasonal snack. Although these citrus fruits only appear in the “chill” of a west coast winter, the bright peel and the sweet tart taste smack of the washed out sunlight more typical of a […]