Newsletter
From Kitchen to Community at Sonoma International Film Festival, Sunday, March 24
More than 100 new films are on view at the 27th annual Sonoma International Film Festival, including the short documentary From Kitchen to Community about local restaurant owners. We were excited to hear about the film from Romney Steele, the cook at Oakland’s the Cook and Her Farmer, one of the restaurants in the…
Read MoreSave Market Match!
Take two quick actions to help food-insecure consumers and farmers’ markets Act now to save Market Match, a program that helps food-insecure Californians afford more fresh food and incentivizes the purchase of fruits and vegetables. It works like this: a customer who uses $15 of their CalFresh/EBT benefits for groceries at a farmers’ market will get…
Read MoreA Feast for All at Oaktown Native Plant Nursery
By Claire Bradley In the East Bay’s mild climate, our edible gardens provide us with year-round nourishment. But as gardeners, we can also pay it forward by incorporating native plants that nourish the ecosystem we depend on. It’s common knowledge that adding flowers to a vegetable garden attracts pollinators and beneficial insects, boosting productivity…
Read MoreTHE WEIGHT OF OZEMPIC: What happens when we no longer care about food?
The ramifications of new weight loss drugs on the pleasure of the table, the health and food industries, polices, and nutrition. A virtual panel hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier International San Francisco Chapter Tuesday, March 26, 9:30-11am on Zoom The San Francisco LDEI chapter hosts a provocative and timely online Table Talk panel…
Read MoreAFFINÉ!
A perfectly ripe moment for California Artisan Cheese By Cheryl Angelina Koehler Photo courtesy of the California Artisan Cheese Guild Notwithstanding wine, chocolate, potato chips or (insert your personal obsession here_______), cheese stands alone in its power to tempt. The reason? Well . . . beyond the obvious pleasures of protein, fat, and salt,…
Read MoreThe Chemistry of Chocolate: Feb 22 online
Calling all chocolate lovers who also love learning! Come explore the chemistry of chocolate and cocoa as you learn about their hydrophobic (water repelling) nature. This free online event is hosted by Scientific Adventures for Girls and the Lawrence Hall of Science to promote family participation in fun science activities. Elementary students and…
Read MoreCultural Food Traditions Project: Puerto Rico, March 3
Join Slow Food East Bay at Korner Oakland in Fruitvale on Sunday, March 3, 5–8pm, for the next installment of their Cultural Food Traditions Project. The March 3 event features the traditions of Puerto Rico as experienced through the cooking of Chef Manny Rodriguez, a fine-dining chef who is now diving deeper into his…
Read MorePlant Futures Fest: Feb 24 in Oakland
Join Chef Bryant Terry, Tofurkey founder Seth Tibbott, and Ashley Kirk of Planted Foods as you discover the magic of plant-based cuisine at the Plant Futures Fest. This plant-fueled culinary adventure and career catalyst is geared for students and early-career professionals looking to meet experts, innovators, and changemakers in the plant-centric food sector. Plant…
Read MoreThe Decolonized Kitchen, March 2 in Oakland
Looking to learn in community about Indigenous foodways, ethnobotany, and cooking? Join environmental educator Maribel Garcia at the Decolonized Kitchen, an hour of connection and reclamation while learning about our native plant relatives one recipe at a time. Enjoy a discussion, a presentation, and a cook-along. Come prepared to take notes and share your…
Read MoreEast Bay Urban Foodscape Tour: March 27
Now in its 35th year, Bioneers hosts social and scientific innovators who explore solutions to global environmental and social challenges. As the annual conference returns to Berkeley on March 28–30, it starts out with a pre-conference urban food and farming tour hosted by Bay Area Green Tours. Heading out on Wednesday, March 27, the…
Read MoreOn for the Valentine’s–Galentine’s Crush
Years ago on a visit to Fez, Morocco, I found myself conveyed along in a crush of people moving through the narrow corridors of the medieval medina. Fearing that I might get tipped into a display of spices at the entrance to one of the cubbyhole shops, I turned my head and found that the…
Read MoreAn East Bay Valentine’s–Galentine’s Week Roundup
An especially hip place to crowd in and swoon over sweets (plus savories and flowers) on Wednesday, February 14 is the old brick factory at 2701 8th Street in West Berkeley that was turned into the collective workplace + shops known as the Berkeley Kitchens. Nine of the makers who create their treasures in…
Read MoreFeb 11: 34th Annual Golden Gate Scion Exchange at Diablo Valley College
At the Golden Gate Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers’s Annual Scion Exchange, gardeners trade scions from heirloom varieties of fruit grown in Northern California. The event includes a free grafting class, demos, rootstocks for sale, a fruit tasting, and a plant sale. Select from hundreds of varieties to graft onto your trees…
Read MoreVisit Morningtide Shop in Albany—Get Artisan Chocolates Feb 10 & 11
By Kristina Sepetys Morningtide, a home goods shop off Solano Avenue in Albany, offers regular pop-ups that draw lines to the local food artisans they host. On Saturday and Sunday February 10 and 11, 11am-2pm, they’ll be hosting a Valentine’s pop-up with Topogato, a specialty chocolate company known for their vividly colored artful truffles…
Read MoreCatch Blooms End in Albany Before This Traveling Bakery Moves On!
By Kristina Sepetys CHANGE OF VENUE ALERT: Blooms End has announced that the Saturday, January 13, 2024 pop-up from 10am to 1pm will be held at Hammerling Wines, 1350 5th Street, Berkeley. (The Hammerling tasting room is located between streets, behind Hammerling and Donkey & Goat on 5th Street and Vinca Minor on 4th…
Read MoreCongratulations to our East Bay local Good Food Awards 2024 finalists!
Finalists. Congratulations for making the Finalist cut at the 2024 Good Food Awards with your tasty, authentic, and responsibly made products! We’ll be watching and hoping to see you among the Winners at the ceremony in April. Readers! Check out our East Bay finalists list here and let us know which yummy foods are…
Read MoreWinter Exhibit and Classes at Berkeley’s UC Botanical Garden
An apple (and more) caught our eye as we read about upcoming programming at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr, Berkeley. Plants Illustrated Exhibition: Edible Native Plants of California January 17–February 4, 10am–4pm except Tuesdays We’re especially excited about this exhibition showcasing edible California native plants. The closing reception on Sunday, February 4, 5–6pm, features…
Read MoreHot Soups from Cold Lands
Californians are known to be wimps about cold weather, and folks in truly cold climes don’t buy the excuse that our houses lack insulation. Better than making fun of us would be to soothe us with hot soup. Click here for 9 soup recipes from around the Edible Communities, most from parts north. 1:…
Read MoreBondolio Holiday Open House, December 10 in Winters
One of our holiday-season habits is to go out to this lively party at Malcolm and Karen Bond’s olive orchard and mill in Winters. Having attended more than once on a rainy day, we know that whatever the weather, we’ll have fun. We’ll gather under the huge umbrellas on the patio, where a fire…
Read MoreHoliday Fair at Soul Food Farm in Vacaville, December 2
Come join the humans of Soul Food Farm and Morningsun Herb Farm—along with the donkey elves—at this festive holiday fair. Local artisans offer handmade soaps, pastries, local meat, honey, bread, handmade knives, candles, photography, lavender products, and more. Entrance and parking are free. Please bring a small new toy to be donated to a…
Read MoreCultural Food Traditions Dinner: Nov 5 in Fruitvale
Join Slow Food East Bay for a dinner at Korner Kitchen with Cleodia and Ryan Martinez of catering company Midsummer Kitchen. The two chefs are dedicated to flipping the narrative on Filipino cuisine away from the stereotypical pork-filled and fried dishes toward beautiful and delicious plant-based dishes. They’ll be using recipes from Ay Sus!…
Read MoreRINTARO Book Event & Tasting Nov 4 at Market Hall
Meet chef-restaurateur Sylvan Mishima Brackett, author of the new RINTARO: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California at a book signing event and tasting on Saturday, November 4, noon–2pm at Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College Avenue in Oakland. The New York Times recently named Rintaro one of the best restaurants in San Francisco. Come meet Sylvan,…
Read MoreOriginal Foods of Latin America: October 28 in Oakland
Come join Maria del Carmen Cortez, clinical herbalist and permaculturist, to learn about food plants that originated in Latin America. Each participant will pot three different plants to take home and learn how and when to plant them and when to harvest. Saturday October 28, 11am–noon Dimond Branch Oakland Public Library 3565 Fruitvale Ave…
Read MoreTraditional Amaranth Harvesting Demo at UC Botanical Garden, Oct 1
Spend a lovely hour in the Crops of the World Garden at the UC Botanical Garden learning about traditional amaranth harvesting methods and practices. Members of Indigenous Permaculture will share the rich history of this food and its importance to the people of Mesoamerica. Participants will share in community while celebrating the deep Indigenous…
Read MorePlant-Based Mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrating a 3,000-Year-Old Tradition in the Time of Climate Change By Annie Wang Three-thousand years have passed since the time of the Shang Dynasty when the Mid-Autumn Festival began. Through the millennia, people all over East Asia and throughout the Chinese diaspora have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the…
Read MoreRhythms of the Land Screens September 14 at Grand Lake Theater
Oakland filmmaker Dr. Gail Myers calls Rhythms of the Land a “valentine to generations of Black farmers.” The documentary premieres at the Oakland International Film Festival on Thursday, September 14 at the Grand Lake Theater. Dr. Myers, a cultural anthropologist, visited 10 Southern states to interview 27 elderly Black farmers, gardeners, dairy ranchers, and…
Read MoreCelebrate Rosh Hashanah at Urban Adamah: September 15–17 in Berkeley
Urban Adamah’s Rosh Hashanah Festival & Weekend Retreat features drop-in events or a full weekend of activities and lodging, September 15–17 in Berkeley Urban Adamah, in partnership with Base Bay and Moishe House, is opening its doors for Rosh Hashanah ritual, learning, celebration, nourishment, and rest. Attend the full retreat on-site with room and…
Read MoreSF Cheese Fest: Back at the San Francisco Ferry Building, September 23
The SF Cheese Fest is celebrating its 8th annual event in San Francisco proper, bringing together more than 20 California artisan cheesemakers, cheese lovers, and anyone wanting to deepen their knowledge of cheese. All attendees can savor and pair cheese and cheese accompaniments with local wines, beers, and other beverages while enjoying live music.…
Read MoreWatermelon Recipe Roundup
When our editor was a kid, she was obsessed with learning to cook every imaginable kind of dessert and exploring every available type of ingredient. She made donuts, baked Alaska, even marshmallows from scratch. When she found a recipe for watermelon ice cream, she had to try it. Nobody wanted to eat it, and her…
Read MoreFiloli’s New Vegetable Garden Is an Invitation to All
Renovation Balances Form and Function to Offer Greater Community Access and Great Home Gardening Ideas By Claire Bradley What happens behind that thick hedge? It’s a mystery that many a visitor strolling the rose garden at 86 Cañada Road in Woodside may have pondered since the historic Filoli estate (built in 1917 as a…
Read MoreMeet the Pennyroyal Farm Cheesemaker: July 27 at 6pm on Zoom
Coming up on Thursday, July 27, 6–7pm is a chance to hang out on Zoom with Erika McKenzie-Chapter, herd manager and head cheesemaker at Pennyroyal Farm in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley. At this California Artisan Cheese Guild event, you’ll discover the secrets behind Pennyroyal’s award-winning cheeses. Pennyroyal Farm is a goat and sheep dairy, farmstead…
Read More“Farm Hands” Art Show in Martinez through September
Roxx On Main at 627 Main Street in Martinez is always a fun place for food and music, but through September, it becomes an informal art gallery as artist and gardener Gary Crandall displays his 12 original linocut prints in a show called “Farm Hands.” Roxx on Main is open Tuesday through Friday…
Read MoreJoin the Zero-Waste Movement with Plastic-Free July Events
Plastic-Free July is an ideal time to practice and learn more about ways to minimize your personal (or business) use of plastics and single-use disposables. The Ecology Center is here to help with a variety of free events packed with information and tips for reducing your use of plastics year-round. On Saturday, July 22,…
Read MoreChef Helga Cooks at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, July 8 & 11
Did you know that 35 percent of all edible food is wasted in the United States and that 25 percent of the food we bring home winds up in our garbage bins? You could save time and up to $1,500 a year for a family of four by making the most of your food…
Read MoreJewish Breads Workshop: July 2 in Berkeley or on Zoom
Breads associated with Jewish life and culture range from rye bread and challah to matzah, bagels, pita, wheat pancakes, and more. Learn about these traditional Jewish breads as you bake with Aliza Grayevsky Somekh in this free workshop on Sunday, July 2, 3–4:30pm at Berkeley’s Urban Adamah and on Zoom. Come to the Urban…
Read MoreDragon Boat Festival Delight at Oakland’s Peony Restaurant Through June
By Anna Mindess Many annual festivals have their special foods, and so it is with the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, which falls this year on June 22. Zongzi are this festival’s special dish. The bamboo leaf–wrapped rice rolls are stuffed with a variety of treats like salted duck egg yolks, roast pork, and shiitake…
Read MoreMeet a Cheesemaker, June 22, 6pm, online
Set out your happy hour spread and pull up a chair for a chat with San Luis Obispo County cheesemaker Jack Rudolph of Stepladder Creamery. It’s part of Meet the Maker, the California Artisan Cheese Guild’s educational series, where cheese enthusiasts, industry members, and food lovers get to meet the artisan producers who make…
Read MoreGrow Your Gardening Skills at These Oakland Public Library Classes in June
The Oakland Public Library is hosting a delicious variety of garden workshops throughout the month of June. Learn from a variety of experts about growing an herb garden, African American staples, and caring for yarrow. This program location is wheelchair accessible. To request disability-related accommodations or to request American Sign Language (ASL), or other…
Read MoreFoods of the Black Diaspora: July 2 Pop-Up Dinner in Berkeley
Join Harlem-based chef Steve ‘Toúchef’ Coupet and Oakland-based Kay In The Bay Curated Events on Sunday, July 2 for an unforgettable five-course dining experience exploring the impact of Black food on the American palate. As a first-generation Haitian-American, Toúchef is experienced in French technique, and is self-taught in world cuisine. He has hosted exclusive pop-up…
Read MoreA Scintillating Set of Strawberry Recipes
We can’t get enough of Chef Enrique’s Strawberry-Lime Agua Fresca, a variation on the chef’s Strawberry Peach Agua Fresca from our Summer 2023 magazine story on Cocina del Corazón. But what else would be fun to make with strawberries this season? Here are some favorite recipes we found from around the Edible Communities: Strawberry…
Read MoreEdible Architecture Competition: Saturday, June 10 in San Francisco
What are the possibilities when building with edible ingredients? The question prompted San Francisco’s Mason Kirby architects to put out a challenge. Who among the Bay Area’s many food and design enthusiasts might be game to step up and enter their First Annual Edible Architecture Competition? Maybe you? Entries will be on display on…
Read MoreOrganic Stone Fruit Jubilee & Small Farm Expo: June 24
Up for a road trip? Head down to Kingsburg Historical Park near Fresno on Saturday, June 24, 4–8pm to join the Ecological Farming Association at the 15th Annual Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee. Taste and purchase fresh produce from small farms that specialize in growing delicious varieties of nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots, and apriums plus…
Read MoreDeep Oakland Author Event Plus Music by David Gans, May 20
Get on down to the Grand Lake Oakland Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 20 at 10am for this fantastic event. You’ll get to meet geologist/geoscience writer Andrew Alden whose new book, Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City, is just out from Berkeley’s Heyday Books. Buy a copy and get it signed or buy…
Read MoreHats Off to the East Bay’s Good Food Award Winners, 2023
Here at Edible East Bay, we eagerly await each year’s Good Food Award winners, those products recognized by the Good Food Foundation for superior taste as well as for the businesses’ social and environmental responsibility practices. This year, we’re thrilled to see so many local businesses honored, including both repeat winners and first timers.…
Read MoreEat What You Grow Workshop: Monday, May 22
Learn how to grow food in your own garden with gardening, composting, and landscaping educator Lori Caldwell. At this Berkeley Central Library event, Lori will cover topics including crop rotation, seeds vs. starts, soil fertility, plant succession, transplanting seedlings, watering /irrigation, and the best crops for your garden. Emphasis on reuse materials will also…
Read MoreWorkshops Bloom at the Oakland Public Library, various dates in May
The Oakland Public Library is hosting a grand array of garden workshops throughout the month of May. You can learn about pollinators, native plants, and growing an herbal garden from a variety of garden experts. Program locations are wheelchair accessible. To request disability-related accommodations or to request American Sign Language (ASL), or other forms…
Read MoreBBQ Without Borders, May 13 at OMCA
At its second BBQ Without Borders, held this year on May 13, 5–9pm at the Oakland Museum of California, the nonprofit No Immigrants No Spice (NINS) invites you to celebrate the importance of immigration to our culinary experience. The dinner features regional barbecue prepared by chefs from Cuba, Japan, and India. Join Chef Lilly…
Read MoreBay Area Book Festival: May 6–7 in Berkeley
The Bay Area Book Festival returns with nearly 300 prominent authors for adults and youth, appearing on indoor stages on Saturday and Sunday, May 6–7. Exclusively on Sunday, May 7, the festival includes a large outdoor stage, literary exhibitors, gourmet food vendors, a lively family area, and a youth expo in Berkeley’s Civic Center…
Read MoreSweet World of Beekeeping: Hayward Farmers’ Market, April 15
Discover the sweet world of beekeeping and local honey production at the Hayward Farmers Market on Saturday, April 15, 11am, with an exciting event that features a live observation hive, honey extraction and bottling, honey tasting, and free arts and crafts for kids. You’ll also be treated to presentations and a chance to talk to two…
Read MoreGardening for the Good Bugs: April 13 Webinar
Did you know that over 90% of the bugs you see in your garden are good bugs? And did you know that encouraging those beneficial insects is one of the best ways to effectively reduce the number of pests in your garden? At this free webinar on Thursday, April 13, 5-6pm, you’ll learn how…
Read MoreEl Mesón de Violeta Opens at Public Market Emeryville
Since 2017, Public Market Emeryville’s La Cocina pop-up kiosk has been a magic launchpad for notable new eateries like Nyum Bai, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, Mama Lamees, and A Girl Named Pinky. Now it’s time to welcome Carmen Figueroa, chef/owner of El Mesón de Violeta. Stop by the kiosk any Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to…
Read MoreCook and Learn in the Decolonized Kitchen, April 15 in Oakland
Come to the Decolonized Kitchen, a gathering for learning about Indigenous foodways, ethnobotany, and cooking with environmental educator Maribel Garcia. In this hour of connection and reclamation, you’ll learn about our native plant relatives as you enjoy a discussion, presentation, and cook-along, where everyone can share their insights, stories, and wisdom with others. Maribel…
Read MoreWomen Lead at March 23 TCHO Chocolate Factory Nightlife Event
TCHO Chocolate of Berkeley opens its doors to the public on Thursday, March 23, 5:30–8:30pm to celebrate Women’s History Month with an event that features factory tours and chocolate tastings of some never-before-seen chocolate products. It’s also a chance to meet nearly a dozen women who own and/or lead East Bay–based food and beverage businesses,…
Read MoreHave You Eaten Yet? April 2 Chinese Food Event in Oakland
Everyone certainly knows that Chef Martin Yan can cook, but on Sunday, April 2, 2–4pm, when we sit down with the star chef at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, we’ll learn about an excitingly wide world of Chinese food in Chef Yan’s conversation with Cheuk Kwan, author of Have You Eaten Yet? Stories from Chinese…
Read MoreCanning Basics Workshop, March 25 at Urban Adamah
Looking to get into canning? Join farm director Debbie Harris at Urban Adamah in Berkeley on Saturday March 25, 10-11:30am, for a free demo and hands-on workshop covering the basics for home fruit and vegetable preservation using a water bath. Walk away with the skills to make your own preserves, jams, and more! All…
Read MoreInnovating our Food System with Biotech: Virtual Panel on March 10
Welcome to the future in food, where visionary startups are producing alternatives to conventional meat and dairy products using pioneering technologies in fermentation and cultivation. With missions to be kinder to animals, the planet and human health, The Better Meat Co., Perfect Day and UPSIDE Foods are three California companies at the forefront of…
Read MoreSet Up Your Garden for Success: March 16 Online
Spring is around the corner, so it’s time to tune in for this free organic gardening webinar with the Alameda County Clean Water Program. On Thursday, March 16, 5–6pm, you’ll hear about the benefits of building a healthy garden from the ground up and you learn how to grow healthy plants with a water-wise approach and…
Read MoreTwo East Bay Tours on April 5 Enrich the Bioneers Conference Experience
For more than 30 years, Bioneers has served as a fertile hub where social and scientific innovators can share practical and visionary solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. This year, for the first time, the nonprofit is bringing its annual conference to Berkeley, and the April 6–8 event kicks off with two…
Read MoreCalifornia Artisan Cheese Festival: March 24–26 in Sonoma County
“Life is Great. Cheese Makes it Better,” wrote Avery Aames, author of the bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery Series, and we agree. That’s why we’re looking forward to three full days of cheese bliss, coming up soon at the 17th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival. This festival is a true celebration of craft, and since the…
Read MoreSri Lankan Flavors from Hoppers: The Cookbook at Market Hall, Feb 25
Hoppers: The Cookbook: Recipes, Memories and Inspiration from Sri Lankan Homes, Streets and Beyond is the debut cookbook of Karan Gokani, chef and co-owner of London’s extremely popular Sri Lankan restaurant, Hoppers. This new book showcases signature Sri Lankan recipes from the restaurant along with Gokani’s personal story and the stories of…
Read MoreCulinary Art Fills the Table at ACCI, March 2 – April 8
Grief and Donuts Writer Nora Becker interviews culinary artist Carolyn Tillie about her show “Mixed Emotions,” opening March 2, 2023 at ACCI in Berkeley Carolyn Tillie collects culinary treasures. The treasures find their way into her artwork, into her food history research, and into her conversation with me, which took place via video, due…
Read MoreCalifornia Food Forests: Free presentation Feb 25 in Benicia
Plants, like people, thrive in community. At a free presentation in Benicia on Saturday, February 25, 10am–noon, Joshua Burman Thayer, an ecological designer who works with permaculture strategies, discusses how nature evolves its plant communities so each member benefits from its associations with the others. That’s valuable knowledge to bring into the garden. “When…
Read MoreFieldwork Brews Find Two True Loves at East Bay Events: Feb 14 & Feb 18
Celebrate SF Beer Week and Valentine’s Day with two East Bay tasting events. First, Fieldwork hosts a Barrel-Aged Beer & TCHO Chocolate pairing on Valentine’s Day at its Berkeley brewery. Then, on Saturday, February 18, Fieldwork and SoDo Donuts serve up delicious duos at the new Fieldwork Beer Garden and Taproom in San Leandro.…
Read MoreAn Afternoon Caviar Tasting
To celebrate friendship one recent afternoon, we broke out the Champagne, truffled potato chips, crème fraîche, endive, and some little boiled potatoes to try with a selection of local caviar from Tsar Nicoulai. What…? Is that a Russian company, you ask? This Eater article from last May explains that it is not, so there’s…
Read MoreThe Woks of Life Family Comes to Berkeley Central Library on February 11
The Leungs, a family who turned their love of Chinese cooking and celebration of their heritage into a hugely popular blog, The Woks of Life, have a new cookbook and they’ll be at the Berkeley Central Library on Saturday, February 11 to discuss their family cooking and sign books. The Joys of Cooking as a Family…
Read MoreWhat Shapes a Chef’s Vision? Commonwealth Club Feb 15 event
Ever wonder how professional chefs come up with their menus? For many, cooking is an opportunity to look to their roots and consider the flavors that they find most comforting, personally meaningful, and culturally significant. Food is also an important tool for bridging divides and bringing people from different backgrounds together to enjoy a…
Read MoreCrying at H Mart Author Event Almost Sold Out!
Korean-American Michelle Zauner, author of memoir Crying in H Mart and lead singer of the Grammy-nominated band Japanese Breakfast, makes a Bay Area Book Festival appearance at Oakland’s California Ballroom on Saturday, April 1 at 7pm. Her memoir is woven with food as much as it is with memory, and Zauner artfully traces those connections between…
Read MoreDoes Your Alameda County Organization Need Funds for Waste Prevention? Jan 31 online info session
Public agency StopWaste is offering grants for innovative projects that prevent waste in Alameda County. A total of $1.1 million in funding is available for businesses, nonprofits, and institutions for projects in these six categories: Food Waste Prevention and Recovery: to prevent food waste through product or process redesign or recovery and redistribution of…
Read MoreCalling Local Artists with a Passion for Food, Justice, and the Environment: Jan 30 deadline
This year’s Art/Act Local exhibit at Berkeley’s David Brower Center features perspectives from emerging artists on food, justice, action, and the environment. Co-authored by José Gonzalez, founder of Latino Outdoors, along with Brower Center staff, “All on the Table” will examine an array of topics including food as an expression of care as a community…
Read MoreReconnect at the 43rd EcoFarm Conference, January 18–21 at Asilomar
“I often feel like I am alone in my thoughts, ideas, hopes, and wishes for a better world,” says beekeeper and activist Sarah Red-Laird. “My week at EcoFarm reminded me that I’m part of a movement containing some of the brightest people on the planet, and now they are only an email or phone…
Read MoreFollow the Wild Mushrooms to the Fungus Fair, January 29
When the first rains tease up the porcini and chanterelles, Bay Area fungus lovers head to the Fungus Fair. This year’s fair is coming up on Sunday, January 29 at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Presentations and activities feature exciting speakers on topics that run from science and medicine to cooking, art, and…
Read MoreA Chocolate Legacy Continues at Casa de Chocolates in Berkeley
The first Latin American–inspired chocolate store in the Bay Area has changed hands and is now owned by its first employees, Jesus Chavez and Linda Sanchez. “There is a rich history here,” says Chavez. “Having been part of it from the beginning, and connected all these years to Casa de Chocolates, I am proud to…
Read MoreLearn How to Start a Food Business: Free Online Training Starts January 10
Are you thinking about starting a food business or opening a restaurant or café in Alameda County? The Food Entrepreneurship Training Academy‘s 10-part online workshop series, offered by the Alameda County Economic & Civic Development Department and the East Bay Small Business Development Center, starts on January 10. The free, online series takes place…
Read MoreLocal Cottage Food Makers Pop-Up at Flowerland, December 18
Because we are always interested in small local cottage food artisans, and because Albany’s Flowerland is bringing a bunch of them together on Sunday, December 18 at their “first annual open-air market of culinary offerings,” we’re heading to 1330 Solano Avenue from 11am to 4pm to meet these creative makers and see what they’ll have for…
Read MoreHoliday Open House at Bondolio Olive Farm in Winters, December 11
One of our favorite events of the holiday season comes up this Sunday, December 11 from 10 am to 4 pm when Karen and Malcolm Bond open their Bondolio Olive Farm for their annual Holiday Open House. Join them in celebrating both the season and the treasure of this year’s olive harvest, the 2022 Olio…
Read MoreConnecting with our Ancestors’ Narratives: Dec 3 book talk in Oakland
When Kenneth Tan started this oral history project for his Asian American Studies class at UC Berkeley, he had no idea he would ultimately create a memoir and art book with his grandmother, Crescenciana Tan. In Crescenciana, Kenneth weaves together their artwork, conversations, and memoirs to tell his grandmother’s life story. With heart and…
Read MoreHow to Party with a Pasta Nonna
In early November, Vicky Bennison, British author of the hit cookbook, Pasta Grannies, spent time in Oakland with a group of local chefs and food media around two large wooden tables, where 89-year-old pasta grannie Maria Dito, a native of Calabria, demonstrated how to make “knitting needle pasta,” literally rolling dough around a knitting…
Read MoreSeason of Pie: Touring the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market with Chef Mike Raskin
Story and photos by Nora Becker Part II in a series of visits to East Bay Farmers’ Markets. Read Part I here. The Old Oakland Farmers’ Market has the rhythm of a morning commute. The crowds seem calmly accustomed to the routine—the standing in lines with bags and carts, the steady movement from one…
Read MoreUrban Homesteader’s Winter Open House Social & Sale: Dec 3-4 in Oakland
The Institute of Urban Homesteading (IUH) is holding its annual Winter Open House Social & Sale at a unique venue—Mariposa Grove Co-Housing Community in North Oakland—and the event includes a chance to tour the community and learn about the co-housing model. IUH founder K.Ruby Blume says, “There will be more beautiful and tasty goodies…
Read MoreGather for the Planet: A Gala Fundraiser for the Future of Food, Dec 3
Do you love stories that give hope for the future of our food system? Would you like to dine and dance the night away to live music in a legendary venue, in community with visionaries, farmers, local leaders, and friends? If so, mark Saturday, December 3, 2022 on your calendar and get your tickets for Gather…
Read MoreSéka Hills Olive Crush Festival: Nov 13 in Capay Valley
The season of the olive crush is always a special time at Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room in the heart of the Capay Valley. This year is also the mill’s tenth anniversary, so come out to celebrate! You’ll get to experience the transformation of olives into the seasonal treasure called olio nuovo.…
Read MoreFall Bean Feed: Nov 13 in West Berkeley
Join Slow Food East Bay, Hammerling Wines, and Donkey & Goat Winery for an afternoon of good eats, good wine, and good fun, all centered on BEANS! The group will be shutting down Fifth Street between Camelia and Gilman for the afternoon of Sunday, November 13 so the bean curious can come to explore…
Read MorePaella Fiesta is Back! November 12 in Alameda
After two years of pandemic delays the Dashe Cellars Paella Fiesta returns with Gerard Nebesky’s famous paella, Spanish guitar and fabulous live Flamenco dancers, and a chance to taste nearly every wine this Alameda Point winery creates. At this open house celebration on November 12, you’ll enjoy incredible food as you explore the Dashe Cellars wines,…
Read MoreBig Wheel of Cheese Rolling Down the Street and Other Excitements: November 5 in Rockridge
Here’s a Market Hall Foods tradition that exuberantly pays homage to a favorite Italian cheese from the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Wearing traditional Italian garb, staff members roll a 400-pound wheel of Crucolo cheese down Shafter Avenue. The Crucolo Parade begins outside Market Hall Foods in Oakland, and the procession ends at a parklet, where…
Read MoreA Celebration of Italian Regional Comfort Cooking: November 5 at Market Hall
Author Vicky Bennison is a YouTube sensation and the author of Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking. Her second cookbook, it highlights traditional Italian dishes and the remarkable women who cook them. Based on her popular YouTube series of the same name, Vicky’s latest release features 60 recipes and the fascinating life stories of the Italian grandmothers…
Read MoreAre Pests Invading Your Home or Garden? Nov 10 Webinar
The good news about home or garden pests is that you can manage and prevent them without using toxic chemicals. Traditional fixes include toxins that can harm water, wildlife, and even children’s or pets’ health. Join this informative webinar to learn easy techniques and tools for prevention of pesky ants, rodents, and raccoons. Also,…
Read MoreAutumn Organic Farming Workshop at Cloverfield Farm: November 3 in El Sobrante
Once per season, the farm invites volunteers to come work and learn about organic farming and help with chores. Activities planned for this fall event include planting garlic, seeding cover crops, preparations for planting bare-root fruit trees, orchard fertilizing, weeding, and sheet mulching. Autumn Organic Farming Workshop Cloverfield Organic Farm 501 La Paloma Road, El…
Read MoreAn Early-Autumn Visit to the Berkeley Farmers’ Market
Story and photos by Nora Becker On the first day of October, people flocked to the Saturday Berkeley Farmers’ Market. Despite the grey sky and the chilly autumn air, here they were: families with young children pushing carts, elderly folks in masks and light down jackets, groups of friends standing in circles huddled over warm…
Read MoreArtisan Cheeses and a Stunning SF Skyline View: October 22
Come out to Riggers Loft in Point Richmond to enjoy the Cheesemaker Celebration. At this event, which is part of the San Francisco Cheese Fest, California’s artisan cheesemakers mingle with guests as they present their offerings made from cow, goat, sheep, or water buffalo milk. Sample the cheeses paired with locally made artisan pickles,…
Read MoreTaste of Capay: an October 23 Farm Dinner in Guinda
Spend an afternoon with the farms of the Capay Valley for the 21st annual Taste of Capay! Enjoy a multi-course dinner featuring produce, meats, and other products sourced from the region’s organic farms like Full Belly and River Dog. Chefs from Savory Cafe, Kitchen 428, Lucy’s Café, and Full Belly Farm will collaborate…
Read MoreRhythms of the Land: Virtual Film Screening on October 28
Here’s a special chance to view the documentary honoring Black farmers by filmmaker Dr. Gail Myers, who was interviewed by Edible East Bay for our Summer 2022 issue. Click here to read that interview. Ear to the Ground is a virtual opportunity to see the documentary film Rhythms of the Land, by Dr. Gail…
Read MoreHalloween Harvest Fests Around the East Bay
Find your thrills and chills at farmers’ markets and other scary spots around the East Bay with u-pick pumpkins, costume parades, pumpkin decorating, scavenger hunts, face painting, and contests to guess the weight of the giant pumpkin. Here’s a list of events by date. All events are free unless noted. Dig Deep Pumpkin Patch…
Read MoreMeet Cookie Bible Author Rose Levy Beranbaum at Rockridge Market Hall: October 22
Meet Cookie Bible author Rose Levy Beranbaum, for a book signing event at Rockridge Market Hall On October 22. Two recipes from the book, Chocolate Whoopie Pies and Lemon Lumpies, will be available for sampling and for sale. Beranbaum is a James Beard and IACP Award–winning cookbook author with expertise that extends from cookies and cakes…
Read MoreBerkeley’s Bird Festival Takes Flight: October 16
Come out to honor and celebrate our local birdlife at the Berkeley Bird Festival, a free public event in venues throughout Berkeley. Take part in bird-themed activities including birding field trips, family-friendly art and craft activities, chalk art, and a lecture/performance series titled “Winged Wonderment.” The festival is organized by Golden Gate Audubon Society and California…
Read MoreEmeryville’s Annual Art Exhibition Teams Up with a Favorite Local Dining Destination, October 7–30
Come enjoy an exhibition featuring the creativity of artists and craftspeople who live and work in Emeryville, California. At the 36th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition—a juried show of over 150 artworks created by 96 Emeryville artists—works range from paintings, sculpture, photographs, and prints to ceramics, glass, textiles, and jewelry. Additional highlights include a site-specific…
Read MoreHave You Been to the Orinda Farmers’ Market?
On the occasion of this market’s 25th anniversary, come see how this beautiful park-like setting adds to the market’s value as a community gathering place. Stroll through and meet its close-knit community of vendors who work to bring you hyper-fresh food. When farmers can sell directly to consumers, it helps strengthen our local food…
Read MoreCurious About Biochar and Biomass Thermal Conversion for Broad Public Use? APL open house on September 30
All Power Labs in West Berkeley likes to call their work, “carbon sequestration with benefits,” which is a short way of describing their longtime work on a means for converting biomass to power for public use with a byproduct (biochar) that’s useful in gardening. Come out on Friday, September 30, 5–7pm for a demo of…
Read MoreCorks, Forks, Rhythm & Brews at Alameda Point: October 1
On Saturday, October 1, 1–4pm, Alameda Point’s City Hall West Parade Lawn becomes the site of the island’s annual food and drink festival featuring local wineries, breweries, restaurants, and spirits. This epicurean event and outdoor regional festival showcases the wider Northern California food and drink culture. All proceeds support the Alameda Boys & Girls…
Read MoreNourishing Meals Lift Community Spirits
The Table Catering offers delicious meals with a focus on sustainability By Rachel Trachten “How do we offer high-quality, farm-to-table meals that are accessible to a broad audience while honoring our farmers, our team members, and our own expertise?” Nicole Callis and her chef husband, Peter Callis, try to answer that question each day…
Read MoreA Cool-Season Trio to Seed in September
Gardener’s Notebook by Joshua Burman Thayer Your summer crops are winding down and the first autumn rains have come to the Bay Area. That means it’s time to reload the gaps and edges of your patch with cool-season veggies. These three are easy to grow from seed. Radishes are easy to sprout and quick…
Read MoreLearn the Secrets of Dill Pickles and Sauerkraut at Berkeley Hort, September 24
Join Elizabeth Vecchiarelli, the owner of Preserved in Oakland, as she demonstrates how to make the most of your veggie garden by fermenting nutrient-dense probiotic pickles. Enjoy the magic as Elizabeth makes sauerkraut and New York deli-style dill pickles. Come learn about the history, nutritive value, and basic techniques of fermented pickling. This event is…
Read MoreThe Decolonized Kitchen: Indigenous foodways, ethnobotany, and cooking, September 17 in Oakland
The Decolonized Kitchen is a gathering focused on Indigenous foodways, ethnobotany, and cooking. Maribel Garcia leads a morning of connection and reclamation while teaching about our native plant relatives. This two-hour session includes a discussion, presentation, and tepary bean salad cook-along. Maribel is a descendent of the Purépecha people from the state of Michoacán,…
Read MoreFall Feast in the Fields: September 24 at Live Earth Farm in Watsonville
Looking for a satisfying weekend getaway with a regional food and wine feast? On September 24, 2022, Farm Discovery at Live Earth hosts “Mesa,” the annual benefit dinner at Live Earth Farm supporting Farm Discovery’s empowering programs for kids and families’ health in the Monterey Bay area foodshed. This magical evening includes craft cocktails,…
Read MoreBack to (Pretzel) School at Squabisch Bakery in Berkeley
Come out to Squabisch Bakery on a Tuesday evening to learn how to make authentic German soft pretzels. You’ll glean a bit of German culinary culture as you learn how to form, dip, and bake pretzels at one of these twice-monthly, hour-and-a-half-long hands-on classes. You also get to eat your creations with the group…
Read MoreRhythms of the Land Screening, September 10 at Bryant Terry’s Black Food Summit
Oakland-based cultural anthropologist Dr. Gail Myers made her documentary, Rhythms of the Land, as a valentine to generations of Black farmers in the United States, from the enslavement period to the present. The film shows how an intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled these farmers to survive against overwhelming odds.…
Read MoreFarm Fest Brings Finance Back Down to Earth: August 28
Join a group of entrepreneurs, investors, and food activists on August 28 for an outdoor event on a working farm in Petaluma. Slow Money’s Farm Fest at Tara Firma Farms offers a chance to network and learn about the impact of investing on sustainable food and ag businesses. The festival includes farm tours, a…
Read MoreLearn to Make Foccacia, Ciambella, Churros, and Tapas: August 20, 27, and September 10, 17
Roll up your sleeves for in-person and virtual classes with Chef Maria Capdevielle. Adults and teens (15–17) can join in for one or all of these tasty opportunities. Fried Pastries Workshop—Doughnuts & Churros—with Chef Maria Capdevielle: August 20 It’s hard to beat a good donut! This virtual hands-on class covers the tips and…
Read MoreTomato Tasting at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery: August 27
Come to Berkeley Horticultural Nursery on August 27 for a tomato tasting event part of the 100th Anniversary festivities. “We had to put this off for the past two years for obvious reasons,” says a spokesperson for Berkeley Hort. “Our goal is to have at least 10 different varieties—from heirlooms to hybrids—to sample…
Read MoreMake Sidewalk Art at the Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival: August 13
The theme for this year’s Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival in Berkeley’s North Shattuck District is “Chalking Beautiful Music.” Families or groups may work together, artists may work alone, but everyone comes away with a sense of pride in creating ephemeral work for everyone to enjoy. Not an artist? Just come to shop and have fun at this…
Read MoreArt in the Nursery: August 6
Edible East Bay will be well represented on Saturday, August 6, 11am–3pm, at Art in the Nursery, one of Berkeley Horticultural Nursery’s many 100th Anniversary Celebration events. Spend a lovely afternoon with the art, the artists, and the nursery’s beautiful greenery as you enjoy live music by Montalvo Strings. Art in the Nursery August…
Read MoreCelebrate a New Regenerative Farming Project at Ardenwood Historic Farm: August 17
The Grand Opening Celebration for the new 90-acre Dig Deep Farms Regenerative Farming Project at Ardenwood Historic Farm is coming up on Wednesday, August 17, noon to 3pm, at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard in Fremont. Come to learn how this new project supports local BIPOC farmers, creates living wage farming jobs, boosts regenerative food production,…
Read MoreRev Up Your Creativity for Diablo Valley Farmers’ Market’s Zucchini Car Race: July 30
Do you have too much zucchini? Does someone at your house have too much time on their hands? The Zucchini Car Race at Diablo Valley Farmers’ Market on Saturday, July 30, 2022, should take care of both problems. Race details are being posted on the Diablo Valley Farmers’ Market website, so be sure to…
Read MoreHow to Hug a Hügel: July 21 Workshop at Cloverfield Organic Farm
While you can’t actually hug a hügel, you can learn about this bio-intensive garden-building technique while helping to build a hügel at Cloverfield Organic Farm in El Sobrante on Thursday, July 21 during the farm’s Summer Volunteer Workshop. Susan Truscott, who founded this small u-pick farm in 2011, explains that building a hügel is a…
Read MoreExplore Climate-Friendly Cambodian Food with Chef Nite Yun in this New Video: July 21
Chef Nite Yun’s award-winning Cambodian restaurant, Nyum Bai, closed earlier this year, but here’s an opportunity to hear the chef talk about her journey, food, and culture while watching a demo of climate-friendly, plant-based cooking. Acterra’s new video will premiere here on July 21 at 10am. Nyum Bai was listed in MICHELIN Guide San…
Read MoreSprout Your Fall Seeds in Coconut Coir Fiber
Gardener’s Notebook by Joshua Burman Thayer When midsummer brings loads of tomatoes and zucchini into your weekly harvest bowl, it’s time to start planting for fall. Back in the day, I used to sprout seeds in black garden soil, but I would often lose up to half my sprouts to dampening off (a horticultural condition caused…
Read MoreIn a Pickle? In a Jam? Check out Preserved’s Summer Classes!
Are you watching good fruit go to waste that could be turned into some mighty good jam? Do you want to learn how to make the perfect pickle or discover the magic of sourdough? Preserved in Oakland has resumed in-person classes. (Note that proof of a negative covid test is required of all participants.)…
Read MoreMy Garden of a Thousand Bees: July 10 Film Screening on the Farm
Come enjoy an outdoor screening of the PBS documentary My Garden of a Thousand Bees, a 55-minute film that follows one person’s journey to discover the dynamic life of bees in his backyard. This Urban Adamah screening includes a chance to build seed bombs so you can go out and spread the pollinator magic in…
Read MoreAre Pests or Pesticides the Problem? Learn more on July 8
In this virtual program by the Sierra Club SF Chapter, Angel Garcia, Organizing Director with Californians for Pesticide Reform, speaks on the need to reduce pesticide use as a critical environmental health and environmental justice issue. Californians for Pesticide Reform Virtual Program Friday, July 8, 7:30pm Register here for link to attend
Read MoreReduce Your Plastics Footprint During Plastic-Free July!
An international effort, Plastic-Free July began in Western Australia in 2011 to raise awareness and seek lasting solutions to the crisis of plastic pollution. In 2017, the City of Berkeley joined the effort when it declared July a “Plastic-Free Month.” Each year since 2017, Berkeley’s Ecology Center has welcomed the public with Plastic-Free July events…
Read MoreNew Crop Swap Near Oakland’s Lake Merritt Starts July 10
We recently heard from Kerstin Firmin, a gardener and cook who lives near Oakland’s Lake Merritt and wanted to see who else in the neighborhood might like to swap. “I’m curious to meet others in the area who grow their own food and herbs, make jams and pickles, food starters, and more, who would…
Read MoreGet Academic with Your Local Food Interests
Explore your local community through the lens of food and agriculture and take a deep dive into the social issues surrounding agriculture, such as food sovereignty, accessibility, and justice at this Merritt College course, which runs August 22 through December 17, 2022 at the campus in Oakland. Learn more about cultural and traditional foods…
Read MoreMidsummer Garden Bed Reload
By Joshua Burman Thayer Your tomatoes are in, your beans are climbing tall, your squash is creeping wider by the day. Time to sit back? Well, maybe it’s a good time to assess spots in your garden where you can plant more food. Check around the edges and margins and you may find good places…
Read MoreCall for Art: July 15 deadline
The Bankhead Gallery is seeking artwork that captures the central place that all things fermented and distilled play in our lives, including the beauty of the growing areas, the excitement of the fermentation process, and the pleasures at the table. Called FERMENT, this spirited exhibition, produced by Livermore Valley Arts, will be on display at…
Read MoreSend Me to Seaweed Camp!
“Do you like your food super fresh and your outdoor experiences rugged with plenty of nature connection, exercise, cool science, and brisk open air? Then you might enjoy a weekend of seaweed foraging with community herbalist, nutrition consultant, gardener, permaculturalist, ethnobotanist, licensed commercial kelp harvester, and longtime Berkeleyite, Tanya Stiller,” wrote Edible East Bay…
Read MoreBring in the Pollinators! Free Webinar, June 9
In addition to bees and butterflies, the insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate plants are vital to sustaining our food supply and ecosystems. Come learn who these garden visitors are, how to create environments to attract and protect them, and see the wide variety of nectar and pollen-rich flowers you can plant in your…
Read MoreFermentation Legend Sandor Katz Hits the Bay Area!
In his two decades of worldwide travel, Katz has been teaching and learning about the many fascinating and delicious techniques humans have developed for fermenting foods. Wherever he’s gone, he has gleaned valuable insights into the cultures and traditions of local and indigenous peoples, whether they make familiar ferments like sauerkraut or less common…
Read MoreLearn to grow organic herbs in outdoor containers, May 22 in Berkeley
Want to harvest herbs at your doorstep? It’s easy to grow fresh, thyme, oregano, parsley, and more in outdoor herb containers. Join certified landscape designer Patricia St. John (a former teacher at the Merritt College Landscape Horticulture department) for a planting demonstration at Berkeley Hort. You’ll find out which herbs do well in containers,…
Read MoreFlight of the Salsas, May 15 online class
Here’s a salsa double header: First, join Chef Alison Mountford on Sunday, May 15 as she takes on the challenge of creating four kinds of salsa without fresh tomatoes. In this online class, she’ll demo making roasted chipotle, salsa verde with avocado, pico de gallo, and pineapple habanero salsas. Next, taste these salsas and more good…
Read MoreHot Stuff in Berkeley: Farmers’ Market Salsa Festival, May 21
Enjoy a full day of environmental and cultural experiences with music, dance, food, beverage, and SALSA! at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Park in downtown Berkeley on May 21, 10am–5pm. Visit the festival event site for more or stay here for a moment to read the highlights below. Local Chefs demonstrate and sample out…
Read MoreFeast in a Basket: a Regenerative Culinary Experience, May 19
Sit back at home and savor an exquisite supper curated by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse as you tune in for a unique culinary experience, presentation, and panel discussion on cultivating a climate-friendly food system. The Feast Alice Waters has put together is a basket of farmers’ market provisions plus a prepared soup and…
Read MoreHave You Suffered These Garden Indignities? Tune in May 12
Join the Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program for this special webinar about how to manage common spring garden pests. You will learn how to identify, reduce, or even prevent common problem pests in the garden and home, including leaf- sucking insects, slugs, ravenous rodents, and more! This class is for gardeners of all levels.…
Read MoreWhat’s that Blob Preserved Proprietor Elizabeth Vecchiarelli Is Holding?
Get to know such cool kitchen creatures as kombucha SCOBYs and sourdough starters at Preserved workshops By Rachel Trachten Good news is rising along with the sourdough at Preserved, a unique shop in Oakland’s Temescal district that’s been a special haven for fermentation enthusiasts since the store opened in 2016. “We are so…
Read MorePlanning Your Medicinal + Pollinator Herb Garden
Learn how to plan, plant, and enjoy a medicinal + pollinator-friendly herb garden. This recorded class from Anna Beauchemin of East Bay Herbals focuses on herbs that are easy to grow in pots and raised beds. You’ll learn that many of our most common kitchen herbs and spices are powerhouses in the medicinal world…
Read MoreSpringtime in Italy Virtual Cooking Class, May 14
Celebrate spring with a cooking class exploring foods of springtime in Italy. Join Chef Maria Capdevielle for an afternoon of learning, laughter, and delicious food. You’ll make asparagus risotto and lemon budino. A week before the class, you will receive a shopping and equipment list, prep instructions, and a link to the virtual classroom.…
Read MoreFood Forests Book Event with Joshua Burman Thayer, May 14
Come for this one-hour lecture and discussion with the author and break bread on light refreshments provided by host Dig Deep Farms Permaculture Collective. The event is a fundraiser for this nonprofit, and you’ll take home your own signed copy of Food Forests for First Timers! Food Forests for First Timers Book Event…
Read MoreBrussels Sprout, Bacon, & Toma Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
The California Artisan Cheese Festival is Back In-Person, May 7
California’s premier cheese festival, the California Artisan Cheese Festival, is returning on Saturday May 7, 2022, for a one-day in-person event! Cheese-lovers from across the Bay Area will be able to sample products from over 60 award-winning cheesemakers, winemakers, breweries, and crafters of other local artisan goods at this 16th annual festival for the senses. This…
Read MoreMedicinal Plant Walk in Dimond Park, May 7
Are you curious about medicinal plants and where they grow? Join clinical herbalist and permaculturist Maria del Carmen Cortez (Carmen) for an hour of exploration in Oakland’s Dimond Park. Learn to identify medicinal plants like dandelion, plantain, yarrow, willow, blackberry, and mugwort as Carmen discusses they use by herbalists. The group will meet at…
Read MoreDiet for a Small Planet author at Bay Area Book Festival, May 7 & 8
After two years of virtual programming, the Bay Area Book Festival returns to Downtown Berkeley on May 7 and 8 with some of the most perceptive, spellbinding, lauded authors and thinkers of today, writing in many genres and representing a wide diversity of backgrounds appearing on indoor and outdoor stages and via livestream. Literary exhibitors,…
Read MoreWine & Cheese, Poetry & Prose at a Literary Arts Festival, May 7 in Livermore
This is a big all-day literary arts festival, but for Edible East Bay, the highlight will be the 2:30–4pm panel: Word of Mouth: Writing about Food and Wine with poet Gabrielle Myers (Too Many Seeds), winemaker/writer Steven Kent Mirassou (Lineage), journalist Deborah Grossman, and Sarah Cain, liqueur-maker of Muddle Me This, as moderator. David…
Read MoreWhat is Mantecare? Find Out as You Make This Spring Pasta Dish
BY ALEXANDER CHRISTIANO* On a recent sunny stroll through the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, I meandered past stalls with seasonal flowers and irresistible prepared foods before stumbling upon the Riverdog Farm stand, where the season’s full spring bounty was on display. There were bundles of vibrantly green asparagus, mounds of fresh fava beans, and an…
Read MoreLamorinda AVA’s Five-Plus-One-Year Anniversary Celebration, May 1
Covid delayed the community event celebrating the five-year anniversary of the Lamorinda Agricultural Viticulture Area (AVA), but we’re pleased as pinot to share the news of this celebration, which goes one year better on May 1, 2022, noon-6pm, at Wine Thieves in Lafayette. The May 1 ticketed public tasting event celebrates Lamorinda wines and…
Read MoreFull Exposure to Full Belly Farm, April 23
Spend a day in the beautiful Capay Valley north of Davis, California, learning from farmers Dru Rivers and Paul Muller about the myriad of ways their Full Belly Farm has morphed over 40 years to become a diverse vegetable, flower, fruit, grain, animal, value added, and educational center using simple tools and innovative techniques on…
Read MoreForaging and Cocktails: a fundraising walk and party, April 27
Join Herbicide Free Campus (HFC) and Professor Philip Stark on Wednesday, April 27, 6–8:30pm for a foraging walk in Berkeley, followed by an evening of community + cocktails—made with the plants you foraged!—at a cocktail party in a beautiful Berkeley home overlooking the Bay. A draw to the event is the chance to spend…
Read MoreBenicia & Vallejo Food Forest Tours, April 23
Have you ever seen a food forest? Are you interested in growing your own food or want to replace your lawn with a more sustainable landscape? Tour several demonstration gardens filled with food-producing plants fed by secondary water (roof water and/or laundry-to-landscape greywater system) in Benicia and Vallejo. You’ll learn simple techniques that you…
Read MoreForagers’ Feast: A Wild Spring Cooking Class, April 23 & 24
Spend the April 23 & 24 weekend with herbalist Alexandra Hudson learning how to nourish yourself with the vibrant variety of edible plants growing in the Bay Area. Saturday morning: During an informative herb walk in the East Bay hills, you’ll learn to identify the plants and how to harvest and process them as…
Read MoreCan We Solve the Plastics Problem?
In two new reports, the Alliance of Mission Based Recyclers (AMBR) firmly opposes “chemical recycling” policies and pending legislation in several states. Chemical recycling technologies use heat, chemical reactions, or both to break down used plastics into raw materials for new plastic, fuel, or other chemicals. Martin Bourque, AMBR founder and director of the…
Read MoreCal Students Welcome the Community for Earth Week Gardening Events, April 15 & 18
Roll up your sleeves and head over to the UC Berkeley campus as students involved in the Herbicide-Free Campus (HFC) movement welcome the community to two upcoming events featuring herbicide-free gardening. Help students create a space where bees and pollinators will thrive on the April 15 Pollinator Garden Planting Day hosted in collaboration with Haas Sustainability.…
Read MoreWhat’s in Season: Spring Onions!
Our “What’s in Season” writer Barbara Kobsar made an early April trip out to Brentwood’s Hipolito family and their Berry Best Farm. She was checking in for jam-making ingredients when she spotted these beautiful spring onions, which the farmers’ grandson Logan was helping to pile up at the farm stand. Barbara plans to enjoy…
Read More#Tomatoes4Ukraine Tomato Plant Sale at MariLark Farms, Berkeley, April 16
Grow your own food while helping to feed others! You can help provide freshly made meals for Ukrainian refugees when you purchase heirloom tomato plants at Berkeley’s MariLark Farms. All proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen, which serves meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. #Tomatoes4Ukraine Saturday April 16, 11am–2pm…
Read MoreWhat’s at Your Farmers’ Market This Week? Green Almonds
During this first week in April, pickers at Brentwood’s famed Frog Hollow Farm are choosing a small quantity of the farm’s organic Independence almonds to harvest at an immature stage when this drupe fruit looks like a small green apricot. The farm’s resident chef, Mario Hernandez, describes green almonds as “tart, crunchy, and juicy,”…
Read MoreWatch How the Goats Help Make Wine at Frey Vineyards
You appreciate wine, right? And you’re interested in learning more about regenerative agriculture? How about cute animal videos? Watch Molly Frey talk about how her family’s playful grazing goats benefit their biodynamic gardens and vineyards in Mendocino. Here’s the link to Frey’s YouTube video. And if you want more valuable information about how the goats…
Read MoreSeeds Are Essential: Swap and Celebrate at Events on April 2 and 9
April 2 Seed Swap The Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL) resumes its popular Seed Swap at the Saturday Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market. You’ll find free educational resources for sustainable gardening and seed saving, as well as a space to connect and learn with other local gardeners. Come share your seeds with BASIL and community…
Read MoreMake Eggs, Not War
Pysanky, a Ukrainian tradition, are empty eggshells covered with elaborate, colorful decorations inscribed in wax. The beautiful shells remind us about the fragility of life. For nearly 20 years, Oakland architect Marcie Gutierrez has hosted an annual spring pysanky-making gathering at her home. This year, her longtime friends Michelle Hlubinka and Casondra Sobieralski suggested…
Read MoreSweet & Savory Tarts Virtual Baking Class, April 16
Join Chef Maria Capdevielle for a beginner’s baking class where you’ll learn professional but easy techniques as you make an apple galette and spinach-ricotta turnovers. A week before the class, you will receive a shopping and equipment list, prep instructions, and a link to the virtual classroom. During the class, you will cook along…
Read MoreOrange vs. Red: a Tasting of Experimental Wines, April 13
Experience a rare opportunity to taste experimental wines with industry experts and graduate researcher James Campbell, who produced two wines that illustrate naturally occurring pigments’ effect on tannins. The event opens as Campbell discusses the research with Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, and is followed…
Read MoreGrowing Food the Eco-Friendly Way: Webinar April 14
Concerned about water use and pests? Learn how you can successfully grow an abundance of food the eco-friendly way, using water most efficiently and managing pest problems using alternatives that are healthier for your family and better for the environment. This webinar, offered by the Clean Water Program Alameda County in collaboration with Our Water Our World, is ideal for any level of…
Read MoreCeramic Artists Set the Table at ACCI Gallery, March 19 reception
Berkeley’s ACCI Gallery presents “A Place at the Table,” a unique exhibit that interprets the idea of “place” and the visual connection between food and ceramics in works by regional ceramic artists. The juried show is curated by Bay Area artist and writer Maria Porges, who describes her selection process as follows: “I considered both the idea…
Read MoreLearn How to Cook Right From Your Fridge, March 26
Want to cook something yummy without going to the store? Chef Alison Mountford of Ends & Stems shows how to cook frittata and pizza, two of her favorite “from the fridge” recipes. She talks about how easy it can be to reduce your food waste by keeping track of what’s in your refrigerator and…
Read MoreA Unique Online Archaeological Garden Talk, April 11
Tune in April 11 at noon for a fascinating online lecture offered by the UC Botanical Garden. “Finding Solace in the Soil: The Archaeology of Gardens and Gardeners at Colorado’s Japanese American Incarceration Camp,” is an online lunchtime lecture by Dr. Bonnie J. Clark (University of Denver). During World War II, Americans of Japanese…
Read MoreBlossom Bathing at Masumoto Family Farm through March 13
Masumoto Family Farm welcomes the public for a blossom bathing experience amid the peach, apricot, and nectarine trees at their farm in Del Ray. The fruit tree blossoms are especially magnificent during the coming two-to-three-week period as the trees, certified organic peaches, nectarines, and apricots (plus grapes for raisins), undergo fertilization. Blossom Bathing is…
Read MoreCan you guess which Tri-Valley restaurant inspired a trilingual pun?
According to our Tri-Valley–based friends, there’s one place to go if you want the sine qua naan (best naan ever). It’s Livermore’s Sansar Indian Cuisine. “We also really like the food at Ashoka in Pleasanton, a little hole in the wall place. When we’re jonesing for high-end Chinese, it’s going to be Andy and…
Read MoreBreaking Bread at the Albany Twin through February 22, 2022
In her documentary, Breaking Bread, (showing at the Albany Twin Theater through Tuesday, February 22), director Beth Elise Hawk tells the story of the A-Sham Festival, a three-day annual food celebration in Haifa, Israel. Hawk set out to show how food can build bridges between communities and remind the people of the region that they…
Read MoreLeafy Greens: How to Store and Cook Them, Feb 26, online
Join Chef Alison Mountford of Ends & Stems for an online class on how to maximize the life of our greens and cook them in appealing ways. When we purchase leafy greens fresh and store them correctly, there’s more time to enjoy them and less chance that we’ll have to throw them away. This…
Read MoreSeed Swap at MariLark Farms, Berkeley, Feb 26
If you need some seeds to get your garden started or have some to share, stop by this lovely home-based farm in the Berkeley hills on February 26. MariLark Farms owner Charlie Costello says he’s using the concept of “It takes a village” as he brings people together to support one another in many…
Read MoreSoil Basics for Healthy Gardens, March 10
All gardeners rely on healthy soil for beautiful, pest-free gardens. Learn to build and maintain nutrient-rich soil and find out why healthy soil supports plant growth, reduction of pests, and more efficient use of water. This free webinar, presented by the Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program, is for gardeners of all levels. The Clean Water Program is…
Read MoreBake Sale for Ukraine, order by March 7
Again, the humble bake sale comes to the rescue when we are feeling powerless. Join Annelies Zijderveld in a tasty way to donate to the International Rescue Committee with their focus on helping Ukrainians survive and rebuild their lives by enjoying some handmade conchas and conchinitos here at home. Preorder here by March 7 for…
Read MoreCheers to National Absinthe Day, March 5
Toast National Absinthe Day on March 5 with a Verte. It’s made by combining equal parts Absinthia Absinthe Verte, Campari, and vermouth. Stir and strain over a large ice cube and garnish with an orange slice. This cocktail was created by Absinthia Vermut, an Oakland gal who acquired that storybook name as she was…
Read MoreMeet the East Bay’s 2022 Good Food Awards Winners
The Good Food Awards represent both superior taste and responsible practices, recognizing the value of craftsmanship and flavor as well as social and environmental responsibility. Nearly 200 winners are selected annually in a blind tasting from over 2,000 entries submitted from all 50 states. Congratulations to these East Bay winners of the 2022 Good…
Read MoreDo You Need Funding for a Waste-Prevention Project?
Attend a free webinar on January 20, 4–5pm, to learn about StopWaste grants to Alameda County businesses and nonprofits, including many for food-category projects. Applications are due by February 25. This new cycle of grant funding in five categories is related to innovation in waste prevention. A total of $700,000 is available to Alameda…
Read MoreToo-too-too-toom! Fungus Fair Canceled, but Not the Black Trumpet Mushrooms!
Yup, just about everything scheduled in January 2022 got cancelled, and the Mycological Society of San Francisco’s Fungus Fair is no exception. However, with more time freed up for foraging, the fair organizers have plucked up lots of black trumpet mushrooms, which prompted club member Hanna Docampo Pham to post about these prized culinary…
Read MoreIt’s Never Over Till It’s Over
Oliveto—1986–2021—An appreciation by L. John Harris It’s Never Over Till It’s Over: Oliveto Restaurant and Café closed its doors for good on New Year’s Eve, 2021 after 35 years in business in Rockridge. But for me it’s just the beginning of a new chapter in a very long relationship with the restaurant, and with…
Read MoreAre Weeds Invading Your Garden?
Our gardens are loving the recent rains—but so do the weeds! If you’re seeing dandelion, crabgrass, annual bluegrass, and other weeds sprouting up, learn what steps to take now to ensure fewer weeds all year long. Why reach for toxic herbicides when you can use organic, eco-friendly techniques for safe and effective weed management? Alameda…
Read MoreThe “Stock Market”: an Online Soup Class
Ends & Stems founder Chef Alison Mountford returns for her first Ecology Center class of 2022 with more great ideas on how you can reduce your food waste! Using seasonal vegetables, you’ll learn how to make homemade soup stocks (vegetable and chicken), and turn them into hearty minestrone and creamy vegetable soups. The “Stock…
Read MoreSee How Good Food (and More) Gets Made at O2 Artisans Aggregate
Perhaps you’ve been to Soba Ichi Restaurant to enjoy a bowl of Chef Koichi Ishii’s soba noodles. If so, you’ve experienced some of the remarkable artistry that goes on at the site of an old oxygen factory in West Oakland. Master wood joiner Paul Discos bought the property in 2000 and turned it into…
Read MoreWhat is a Food Forest?
Imagine a dense, multilayered garden hosting a wide diversity of food-producing plants. The permaculture practitioners who like to create such gardens model them after healthy natural forest environments. That’s where they go looking for clues on how to establish and maintain a healthy plant community. A food forest can provide a long-lasting food system…
Read MoreSpirits to Lift Our Spirits
With winter solstice upon us, we decided we needed to spike up our Winter Wassail recipe, so we wandered over to Wine on Piedmont at 4183 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland and asked Adriana Fabbro what she would pour into such a drink. “It would be Home Base Bourbon Batch 22, one of our local favorites,”…
Read MoreAn East Bay Urban Farm Tour: January 14
The East Bay has some of the most diverse and advanced urban ag projects in the country, and on this bus tour, you’ll get to visit and experience hands-on activities at six notable projects (plus enjoy a plant-based lunch with seasonal ingredients). You’ll see how urban agriculture goes far beyond backyard gardens and community plots…
Read MoreSimple Recipes for Complex Times
A member of Edible East Bay’s editorial team for many years, artist Helen Krayenhoff has a fall tradition of creating an illustrated book each year. This time, it’s a small, colorful cookbook with 12 simple vegetarian recipes that she’s illustrated with watercolors. The recipes were created with Sandy Sonnenfelt, an expert olive oil taster…
Read MoreA Raw Cannabis Culinary Delight
By Nicole Riggs “I got into fresh-infused foods when a friend of mine sent a recipe for making bhang tea with fresh ganja,” recalls Sunshine Cereceda, a well-known small-farm cannabis cultivator in Humboldt County. “Well, shoot!” I thought, “I have fresh ganja in my backyard, I’m going to make it.” She ground up the…
Read MoreOakland’s Freedom Farmers’ Market Goes Year Round
This exciting multicultural market in Oakland’s Temescal district, which features produce from Black and other under-served farmers, has now gone year round. Come on the second Saturday each month for delicious, affordable, chemical-free fruits and veggies grown in California. Stay for activities like a sweet potato pie tasting, live music, chess championship, trash fashion…
Read MoreOutdoor Olive Oil Tasting — December 11 at Rockridge Market Hall
Taste some of California’s best new olive oils at Market Hall Foods, Oakland, Saturday December 11, noon–2pm. Meet the makers, producers (including Samir from the Olive Truck), and olive oil experts, discuss harvest news, milling innovations, and the differences in varieties. Taste and enjoy a 10% discount on these new oils from Bondolio, CaliVirgin,…
Read MoreHelp Choose the Best Sweet Potato Pie — December 11 at Freedom Farmers’ Market
Visit the Freedom Farmers’ Market at 4521 Telegraph Ave, Oakland on Saturday, December 11, 10am–noon, to sample four sweet potato pies. Vote, shop, mingle, and stay to see which baker will be crowned at noon (and win a cash prize) as the creator of 2021’s best tasting SWEET POTATO PIE! Read our Fall 2021…
Read MoreHoliday Open House at Bondolio Olive Farm in Winters on December 12
Join Karen and Malcolm Bond, owners of Bondolio Olive Farm near Winters, to celebrate the holiday season and the treasure of this harvest’s fresh olio nuovo (the fresh new olive oil). In addition to the prized and extremely limited 2021 Olio Nuovo, the Bondolio 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oil and their Mandarin Orange Olive Oil will…
Read MoreWinter Open House, Secret Social, & Farmstead Goodie Sale: December 11 & 12
Join K. Ruby Blume and the Institute of Urban Homesteading on December 11 and 12 for a year-end celebration of the bounty with tasting, shopping, serendipitous encounters with urban farming friends, and micro-workshops. A seminal instigator of the Bay Area’s urban homesteading movement, Ruby now handcrafts a plethora of beautiful, tasty, and useful items…
Read MoreShop the Good Food Awards Pop Up!
The Good Food Foundation has announced its finalists for the 2022 Good Food Awards and created this opportunity to shop from 150 of these celebrated makers. Through November 14, the Good Food Awards Finalists Pop-up Shop is live, with an outstanding selection of food and drink items. Shipping costs are included and revenues from…
Read MoreLearn to Make Fire Cider: December 6
A traditional herbal remedy, fire cider has become a staple in the herbal health world. It’s a go-to elixir for supporting the immune system throughout the winter months. This easy-to-make recipe can be crafted using simple kitchen ingredients and can be taken by the whole family. Join East Bay Herbals on December 6 for…
Read MoreOutdoor Botanica and Learning at Sol Root Farm | 11/6/21
Join the folks at Sol Root Farm to learn about caring for plant allies, farming according to the lunar cycles, and working with plants for health and wellness. Herbal products at the outdoor botanica include simple tea blends, Rosemary herb wands, herbal balms to nourish your skin, and more. Sol Root Farm Pop-up Saturday…
Read MoreForaged Holiday Wreath Workshop: December 4
Yolanda Burrell of Pollinate and Helena Sylvester of Happy Acre Farm invite you to the Happy Acre olive orchard to make your own gorgeous natural holiday wreath. The two have foraged a load of local natural materials perfect for wreath making, and they will tell you all about these plants as they speak about the…
Read MoreThe Local Butcher Shop Celebrates 10 Years and a Big Transition
Celebrate with The Local Butcher Shop as the business arrives at a milestone anniversary and transitions shop ownership to the employee team. The shop’s philosophies about sourcing environmentally responsible meat and fostering a transparent, respectful workplace will continue as strong as ever. Take part in the fun and enjoy beef sliders, samples, live music, and a…
Read MoreGhouls and Goblins in the Kitchen
Join food writer and cook Annelies Zijderveld for a class that will make your kitchen smell like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Bake scrumptious, scary Spiderweb Cupcakes, mix up some Matcha Peanut Butter Cups, and top things off with spooky Fig Spiders and Ghosts. Young kids are welcome to participate with an adult; teens can come…
Read MoreTune in for a Talk on Decolonizing Mainstream Food Culture
Celebrated food activists Rowen White and Jocelyn Jackson join Real Foods Real Stories (RFRS) for a conversation on decolonizing mainstream food culture. Rowen is a Mohawk seed keeper, farmer, and activist, and Jocelyn is a Black cook-activist, artist, and cofounder of the People’s Kitchen Collective. The two will explore food culture and the way…
Read MoreOctober Ain’t Over Yet, So Let’s Talk Beer
East Brother Beer Company and Book Passage present a conversation between Jeff Alworth, author of The Beer Bible: Second Edition and Paul Liszewski, head brewer at East Brother Beer Company. First, enjoy a guided tasting of four of East Brother Beer’s classic styles, followed by an audience Q&A. Ticket holders will receive a signed…
Read MoreNew Classes Pop Up at Biofuel Oasis
Biofuel Oasis is offering three pop-up classes open to the public: In Botanical Drawing, you’ll learn how to draw seed pods and flowers with artist Susan Lorraine. Bring a pad, pencil, eraser, and pen. A gardening class with Biofuel’s intern, Ellie, focuses on growing sprouts and microgreens. The third class is a double header:…
Read MoreAn Olive Oil Festival for Garden Lovers: November 20
Spend an afternoon at the UC Davis Olive Center celebrating the fall olive harvest with an olio nuovo tasting, an olive oil food pairings demo, a self-guided garden tour, and a gardening workshop. The centerpiece of the event is a special olive oil made in collaboration with the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the…
Read MoreOlive Crush Festival in Capay Valley | November 13 & 14, 2021
At this time each year, Séka Hills celebrates the transformation of their estate olives into a seasonal treasure, olio nuovo. This special olive oil, with its bold, bright, and distinct flavor, is a reward of the harvest that represents the work and dedication of the past and the promise of a bountiful future. At…
Read MorePlan Your Thanksgiving as a Thank You to the Earth at this 11/14/21 class
Join Chef Alison Mountford for ideas on creating an earth-friendly, sustainable Thanksgiving. Get great tips on shopping lists, portion planning, table settings, zero-waste cooking, food storage, and using up leftovers. Learn the details of roasting a turkey and preparing delicious alternatives to turkey. This class should help you enjoy a holiday with less stress and more…
Read MoreTurn Holiday Classics into Healing Meals 11/16/21 class
Learn creative ways to enhance classic holiday dishes, simply by utilizing healing herbs and spices. This online session will go over the medicinal value of classic holiday herbs and spices and teach students how to use them intentionally in their holiday cooking. Students receive a holiday e-recipe book and take part in a tea…
Read MoreFall Festival on an Alameda Farm 11/13/21
Alameda Point Collaborative Farm welcomes the public to a Fall Festival to enjoy apple tasting, pumpkin painting and carving, a petting zoo, and many fall treats. Members of the Food Shift team will be there to showcase their newest product, dog treats made with human-grade ingredients, including brewery spent grains. This is…
Read MoreJavelins & Jack-o-Lanterns at Tomales Bay
Nick’s Cove hosts its second annual Javelins & Jack-o-Lanterns at Tomales Bay. Come carve pumpkins and watch the sun set as the jack-o-lanterns come to life atop javelins set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Tomales Bay. A spooky good time is guaranteed for all at this free, community event. Javelins & Jack-o-Lanterns Sunday…
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