Chia pudding is a perennial staple around here, appearing on the menu as breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and desserts alike. For a quick fix full of fiber, protein, and brain-boosting omega-3’s, the tiny seed just can’t be beat. Of course, plain...

As July draws to a close, the holidays are fast approaching. Are you ready for the coming festivities" I’m not talking about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Las Posadas, or Festivus. As if anyone could forget, there’s an even more...

Everyone in my family is a fidgeter, a picker, or a combination of the two. We simply can?t sit quietly, motionlessly, and we certainly can?t keep our hands still. As if possessed, they move with minds of their own, searching and groping into empty...

Burma Superstar – Vegetarian Noodles Shandong – Handmade Noodles Sobo Ramen – Coconut Soy Ramen The post Wordless Wednesday: Send Noodz appeared first on BitterSweet.

Named for the dense woodlands of tall and mighty oak trees in the 19th century, come summertime, I sometimes wonder if Oakland should be called Plumland instead. Most of those original oaks are long gone, cut down to make space for the growing city,...

It’s easy to poke fun at the absurd “national holidays� that liter the calendar, if you’re really desperate to celebrate something on an otherwise unremarkable day, but this one is legit. Decreed by President Reagan back in 1984, the third...

To anyone who can proclaim to dislike sushi, I can only shake my head in wonder. You don’t like rice" While the term has come to imply raw fish in modern usage, the actual translation of the word only refers to seasoned rice. Mouthfuls of lightly...

Ka’lish – K-Mex Crunch Salad with Clucker Strips Millennium – Roasted Pumpkin Tamal

Dogs; man (and woman)’s best friend. Our constant companions, protectors, and lovable fluff balls. My fur baby is so much more than a mere pet, as I’m sure most dog mamas and daddies would agree, which is why you’ll always find at least one...

In times of extreme stress or trauma, regression is a real concern. Young children run for cover under previously discarded blankies, while dogs can forget their training when nature calls indoors. Training wheels snap back onto bikes, lessons once...

Seabirds Kitchen – Nacho Fries Chicago Diner – Poutine Amy’s Drive Thru – Chili Fries

Instant noodles, sustenance and comfort to eaters of all ages and walks of life across the globe, will always have a place in my heart, not to mention my pantry. There’s more on those shelves than just cheap wheat bricks, though. Innovative,...

Come July, the heat is on. Bare feet scorch on sizzling pavement and even shady trees provide little relief. The only thing that appeals for lunch is either cool, cold, or straight-up frozen. There’s no place for a hot entree on this picnic...

Veggie Grill Vegan Mob Upton’s Breakroom The post Wordless Wednesday: Macked Out Mac & Cheese appeared first on BitterSweet.

Potato salad, as a basic concept, brings to mind visions of buttery golden cubes of potatoes, drenched in a heavy white blanket of mayonnaise, with a few token flecks of celery and onion strewn about like stray confetti. Turning that concept on its...

It’s the culinary equivalent of the Tickle Me Elmo craze that swept children into a nationwide temper tantrum in the final late days of the 1990’s. All the cool kids have one, or are getting one, because no other toy can compare. This particular...

Quarantine conditions challenged many long-held beliefs about food in ways I could never have expected. Forcing creativity when it came to common substitutions, shortages wreaked havoc on once simple recipes. Unexpectedly, the very nature of that...

The Gentle Reuben Sandwich Charcuterie We Can Rebel Cheese

This is not an industrial experiment in food science, jealously guarded mystery ingredients bubbling right below the surface, but there is an extraordinary story in the mix. cookbook author, and a spokesperson for national food companies, to bring...

Ceviche of King Trumpet Mushrooms; leche de tigre, avocado, mango and seeded chips Curried Cauliflower; with muhammara and toasted almonds Mezze Plate; falafel, smoked white bean hummus, baba ghanoush, cucumber, marinated feta,...

The two most essential components of my daily diet, the staples that are always on the grocery list, are avocados and coffee. A house is not a home unless there are at least a half dozen of the green fruit ripening on the counter and freshly roasted...

Inundated by the staggering volume and variety of summer’s bounty, even the veteran gardener, cook, and farm stand enthusiast can easily become overwhelmed. The sudden flood of fresh produce can shift from blessing to burden overnight. That extra...

Korean Fried Broccoli Beet. Salt-roasted with beet cake. Brussels Sprout Tacos. Mexican bistek seasoning, served on a sizzling stone with lettuce wraps and accompaniments.

In the vast, diverse, daunting world of wine, where does one begin" Easy to appreciate but difficult to discern, simply finding the best bottles is a full-time job. That’s why the best restaurants hire skilled sommeliers, after all! If you’re...