cooking techniques and tips
Lisa Li shows us where to buy live fish in Oakland’s Chinatown to prepare a traditional Chinese New Year feast.
Chefs, entrepreneurs and non-profits want to help you get dinner on the table with a growing number of meal kits aimed at the home cook.
Besides demystifying tamale making the event at La Cocina introduced students to three chefs from different regions of Latin America, each demonstrating their own traditional recipes and techniques that produced a variety of stuffed, steamy bundles. Post includes recipe for Alicia’s Mango Tamales.
Mary Ladd profiles Michael Recchiuti, who shares what it’s like to work in his new Chocolate Lab dessert cafe in the Dogpatch neighborhood. Recchiuti talks about his favorite menu items and holiday foods and gift sweets.
Frying up latkes for Hanukkah? Stephanie Rosenbaum shares an easy trick for making them deliciously gluten-free.
Being more of a hands-on person when it comes to learning, I didn’t think I could truly learn techniques from the pages of a book — even one from a culinary master such as Jacques Pépin.
Mary Ladd interviews chef Yigit Pura, who shares what it’s like to open a popular patisserie, write a cookbook and craft recipes. Pura is passionate about pastry and eager to get consumers interested in baking with unusual “adventure” ingredients.
Halloween is over but Thanksgiving is on the horizon. Whether you carve your pumpkin or just use its meat for pie, don’t throw out those slimy pumpkin guts! In the spirit of conserving food waste roast the seeds to make a simple and tasty snack. Here are three simple ways to season and roast pumpkin seeds.
Mary Ladd interviews James Oseland, who edits Saveur magazine and has a new book out called The Way We Cook: Portraits from Around the World. Oseland explains the best and worst part about being an editor, and shares that he had around $800 to his name when he accepted the job offer.
Mary Ladd interviews Iron Chef Jose Garces, who is visiting San Francisco to promote his latest book, “Latin Road Home: Savoring the Foods of Ecuador, Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.” He recently won a trophy at the Arizona Taco Fest and shares where he will eat while in town, and who is his culinary mentor.
Mary Ladd interviews Chef Mourad Lahlou, who recently accepted a position as a culinary diplomat in a program pioneered by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Lahlou details his favorite dining spots as well as what the local culinary “brain drain” is.
Get over your fear of frying and whip up a Halloween-ready batch of these easy pumpkin doughnut holes.
I wanted to share the joy of a good tomato with everyone. Now, a store-bought tomato is never going to taste like it was plucked straight from the vine. But there’s no reason it can’t be a great tasting tomato! All it takes is the steps outlined in this post.
Aida Mollenkamp, former editor of CHOW and star of both the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, wants to provide the home cook with a go-to kitchen resource. That is why she wrote her new book “Keys to the Kitchen.” Marketed as a cookbook, it’s much more than that. In the book, she breaks the cooking process down to one simple equation:
Quality Ingredients (The Set-Up) + Kitchen Skills (The How-To) + Technique (The Recipes) + Cooking Method (The Riff) = GOOD FOOD
Bay Area Bites (BAB), KQED's public media food blog, feeds you visually compelling food-related stories, news, recipes and reviews from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Enter your email address to receive updates each time we publish new posts.
Hot Dogs, Bacon And Red Meat Tied To Increased Diabetes Risk
A fresh study looks at what happens after people change their meat-eating habits. Those who upped their intake — about 3.5 servings more per week — saw their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes during four years of follow-up increase by almost 50 percent.
Nudging Detroit: Program Doubles Food Stamp Bucks In Grocery Stores
Incentive programs that double the value of food stamp dollars spent at farmers markets have been hailed as one of the most effective ways to encourage healthful eating and support local farmers. The flaw: Most people don’t shop at farmers markets. So a new program will soon pilot the concept at three grocery stores in Detroit.
Sorry, Dr. Oz, Green Coffee Can’t Even Slim Down Chubby Mice
An extract from raw, green coffee beans has been called a “miracle” weight-loss aid. But a study in mice casts doubt on the supplement’s fat-burning effects — and even offers preliminary evidence that it could be harmful.
Perfect for Summer! Recipe for Herbed Zucchini Fritters with Stone Fruit Salsa
Too many zucchini? Get the jump on summer’s abundance with this recipe for tasty Herbed Zucchini Fritters with Stone Fruit Salsa.
Kitchen Window: A Guide to Grilling Beyond ‘Dude Food’
As Father’s Day approaches, you can remind Dad that there’s more to Father’s Day grilling than just cheeseburgers.
Spotlight on Summer Vegetables: “River Cottage Veg” Cookbook
British homesteader and meat-lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comes to San Francisco to spread the gospel of greens with his new book, River Cottage Veg. With a recipe for River Cottage Summer Garden Soup.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Hunan Home’s Restaurant, Radius, Guerilla Café: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Restaurants reviewed: Hunan Home’s Restaurant (San Francisco), Radius Restaurant and Café (San Francisco) and Guerilla Café (Berkeley).
Chris Hadfield: Space Chef In Chief
The Canadian astronaut didn’t just tweet and sing his heart out during his five months as commander of the International Space Station. He also took time out to show the world what it’s like to eat up there.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Sunset’s Celebration Weekend: Yigit Pura Demos and Shares Thai-Hawaiian Inspired Dessert Recipe
Stephanie Rosenbaum shares some highlights from Sunset’s Celebration Weekend — including a recipe for Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Papaya and Mango from Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet Patisserie.
Modern Day Food Foraging Comes to San Francisco
Gina Scialabba attended the third annual Wild Foods Dinner at the Hotel Vitale. Americano’s Executive Chef Kory Stewart and food foraging expert Connie Green, author of “The Wild Table” prepared a unique six-course meal that was shaped largely by the bounty they located in nature.
Burger Bonanza in the East Bay
Moxy Burger, The Bureau 510 and Grazzy Burgers are several of the latest arrivals to the East Bay burger scene.
Hunan Home’s Restaurant, Radius, Guerilla Café: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Restaurants reviewed: Hunan Home’s Restaurant (San Francisco), Radius Restaurant and Café (San Francisco) and Guerilla Café (Berkeley).
First Impression: Healdsburg SHED
What would a wine country locavore’s paradise look like? Stephanie Rosenbaum talks to Cindy Daniel, owner of Healdsburg’s new SHED, a 21st-century grange, store, and sustainable-living center.
Bocanova, Willi’s Wine Bar, The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus: Check, Please! Bay Area reviews
Check, Please! Bay Area reviews these restaurants: Bocanova (Oakland), Willi’s Wine Bar (Santa Rosa), The Rotunda of Neiman Marcus (San Francisco).
Spotlight on Summer Vegetables: “River Cottage Veg” Cookbook
British homesteader and meat-lover Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall comes to San Francisco to spread the gospel of greens with his new book, River Cottage Veg. With a recipe for River Cottage Summer Garden Soup.
Sunset’s Celebration Weekend: Yigit Pura Demos and Shares Thai-Hawaiian Inspired Dessert Recipe
Stephanie Rosenbaum shares some highlights from Sunset’s Celebration Weekend — including a recipe for Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Papaya and Mango from Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet Patisserie.
Cheese Books for the Curd Nerd
Every aspiring curd nerd yearns to embiggen their knowledge base about the dairy darlings they adore. Garrett McCord shares two books that help you gain a broader understanding of cheese and supply you with tasteful cheese-centric recipes.
Watch Master Fruit & Vegetable Carver Jimmy Zhang Make Melons Bloom and Carrots Fly
Want to carve a rearing horse out of taro, tropical fish from carrots or a roaring dragon out of giant radishes? Watch Chef Jimmy Zhang, Master of the Chinese Art of Fruit and Vegetable carving in this video as he fashions an exquisite watermelon rose and shares the secrets of this ancient craft.
Are the benefits of genetically engineered foods worth the risks? Check out this half-hour special from QUEST Northern California that explores the pros and cons of genetically engineered crops and what the future holds for research and regulations.
Baby & Toddler On The Go: fresh, homemade foods for a busy life (VIDEO)
A precociously independent toddler packs a healthy homemade lunch and heads off to snack in Bernal Height’s Holly Park in San Francisco. This video is a promo for Kim Laidlaw’s new book: Baby & Toddler On The Go: fresh, homemade foods for a busy life.
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