Editors Mixing Bowl

The first book of seasons at Edible East Bay is complete. One year ago, Edible Communities Inc. commissioned us to create a magazine that “celebrates the abundance of local foods, season by season.” We have not been slack in our duty, and after a whole year of celebrating, it almost feels reductive to honor a mere anniversary.

However, I, for one, am not about to pass up the opportunity to toast. With this Fall 2006 issue, I propose we lift a glass of Alameda County or Contra Costa County wine to the occasion.
“Contra Costa wine,” you ask?

That was just what Derrick Schneider said when I suggested he look into eastern Contra Costa County wine growing and wine making. The results are surprising. You might want to flip right away to page 38 to find out why. Then click here for another east county surprise—the East Bay pecan. Also from the east county area comes some revelry over our local persimmons and pomegranates by Contra Costa Farmers’ Markets merchant Barbara Kobsar. Following her article are several recipes from Peter Chastain, Executive Chef at Prima in Walnut Creek. Don’t miss the magic of those fruits on his Autumn menus at Prima.

Readers who prefer to progress through this issue in a more orderly fashion will notice by turning this page that we’ve added some opinion pages. It felt like an indication that we are doing something right when we received our first lengthy critique, so we decided we should publish it, along with writer response.

Another innovation is a film and book section, which includes information on a notable new lecture series at Berkeley’s Magnes Museum on the role of food and drink in Jewish culture. The first lecture covered Biblical food laws, giving me the opportunity to look at food customs that come from antiquity. I found myself there again as I investigated the arcane (or is it?) subject of gleaning.

Our quarterly exploration of world cuisine in East Bay translation looks at Spanish and Mexican traditions (pages 20 and 32), a subject so huge in our region that we had to pare it down to very specific topics, leaving others for years to come… and we do intend to bring you Edible East Bay for many years to come.

Cheryl Koehler
Editor and Publisher of Edible East Bay