Spring 2025
A Narsai David Tribute
Last Bite NARSAI DAVID WAS A LIVING LEGEND. First lured to the Bay Area from Turlock to study math and pre-med at Cal, the soon-to-become entrepreneur took his place in the culinary cocoon of 1960s Berkeley as a cook and then grew himself into a restaurateur, author, and food media personality. His reputation…
Read MoreEditor’s Mixing Bowl
“Every living thing seeks to create a world in which it can thrive. It does this by creating systems of relationships where all members of the system benefit from their connections.” —Margaret Wheatley, “Leader to Leader” It’s been a hard winter in California—lots of keeping in touch with frightened friends in Southern California, lots…
Read MoreRoasted Rhubarb Aguachile
Recipe by Francine Spiering | Photo by Raymond Franssen Serves 4 1 cup orange juice ½ cup lime juice ½ cup chopped white onion 1 garlic clove, crushed Handful chopped cilantro (stem and leaf) 2 to 3 thick rhubarb stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons organic sugar, or as…
Read MoreBear Paw Cookies
Recipe and photos by Judy Doherty
Read MoreHoney Rhubarb Cookie Tarts
Recipe and photo by Judy Doherty
Read MoreSavory Shellfish Sabayon with Pan-Grilled Calamari and Pickled Rhubarb
From Sabayon: Sweet & Savory Recipe by Francine Spiering | Photo by Raymond Franssen
Read MoreSour Ale Sabayon with Strawberries
From Sabayon: Sweet & Savory Recipes by Francine Spiering | Photos by Raymond Franssen
Read MoreSabayon: Sweet & Savory
A culinary flirtation By Francine Spiering | Photos by Raymond Franssen The Italian dessert known as zabaglione dates back several centuries, and like all delicious concoctions, this fluffy custard of egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine (like the Piemontese Moscato d’Asti or Sicilian or Marsala) likes to travel. When it arrived in France, its…
Read MoreWalnut Creek Eats
The Moveable Feast Story & photos by Meredith Pakier If cities had souls, Walnut Creek’s might be its bustling Sunday Farmers’ Market at 1799 Locust Street. That’s where I found Edible East Bay’s “What’s in Season” columnist Barbara Kobsar selling her Cottage Kitchen preserves. She gets her berries, pluots, and rare Blenheim apricots…
Read MoreThe Sweet World of Joe’s Honey
Four generations of beekeepers help this family business thrive By Rachel Trachten | Photos by Zach Pine Rain poured down in sheets as a fierce gust of winter wind lifted the Joe’s Honey booth right off the ground one Saturday at the Hayward Farmers’ Market. Miguel Angel Gutiérrez reached up to grab one…
Read MoreStrawberries in Your Home Garden
Local pros discuss which to pick and how to grow them By Claire Bradley | Illustrations by Cathy Raingarden Growing your own fruit doesn’t get easier or tastier than strawberries! They come in a tempting array of varieties, all relatively compact in size, and the flavors of freshly picked berries put the store-bought…
Read MoreTransformation at the Corner Store
Lina Ghanem takes on food apartheid with Saba Grocers Initiative By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Photos by Scott Chernis LINA GHANEM, THE 30-YEAR-OLD FOUNDER OF SABA GROCERS INITIATIVE, is a force to be reckoned with. Her spirit and determination make it hard to imagine this poised young woman crying over a bagful of McDonald’s…
Read MoreWhat’s in Season? Asparagus, Artichokes, and Horseradish!
By Barbara Kobsar | Illustrations by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge CHARCUTERIE BOARD CREATION HAS PRACTICALLY BECOME AN OLYMPIC SPORT with endless options for cheeses, meats, nuts, jams, pickles, crackers, hummus, and tapenade. But boards can really stand out when they highlight seasonal produce, and spring offers some exceptional possibilities. ASPARAGUS is the quintessential spring…
Read MoreGuide to Good Eats & Sleeps Spring 2025
Alameda Dragon Rouge Waterfront Vietnamese eatery offers exciting, inventive, delicious, locally sourced cuisine and a lively bar scene with a wide selection of spirits. Newly renovated, and available for private parties up to 120 people! 2337 Blanding Ave, Alameda 510. 521.1800 | dragonrougebythebay.com Mosley’s Café Join us in the Grand Marina for a peaceful…
Read MoreLina Ghanem’s Ma-Hend-Ba
From the story Transformation at the Corner Store
Read MoreColoring Oakland Chinatown
Felicia Liang illustrates her love for a special neighborhood By Anna Mindess Artist and illustrator Felicia Liang (36) has a soft spot for Oakland Chinatown. As she was growing up in Danville, her family would make a pilgrimage to Oakland Chinatown every weekend to go grocery shopping, visit their favorite bakeries, and meet…
Read MoreSixteen Chefs
Dim sum to perfection from the Peony Seafood Restaurant Kitchen By Anna Mindess | Photos by Scott Peterson Most of the hundreds of diners who come to the elegant dining rooms at Oakland Chinatown’s Peony Seafood Restaurant each week sit in groups—large and small—around tables covered with white damask tablecloths. They relax,…
Read MoreBuddha Jumps Over the Wall…
…and lands in Ying Chang Compestine’s new graphic cookbook Book review by Anna Mindess Ignored by Doggy Buns, Heartbreak Jelly Noodles, Ants Climbing a Tree… Did you ever wonder where these colorful names for traditional Chinese dishes come from? Author Ying Chang Compestine can tell you! In her new graphic cookbook, Buddha Jumps Over…
Read MoreCall It Squid
Doryteuthis opalescens, aka loligo or market squid, is a great catch. These small pinkish-white cephalopods with their arrow-tailed bodies and crown of tiny tentacles are tender, full of flavor, nutritious, and quite economical. They are also local, as they come from a near-shore Monterey Bay fishery where squid has been an important local industry since…
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