Winter Holidays 2021

By Anna Mindess | Photos by Scott Peterson     Every day, more than three billion people around the globe eat rice as part of their daily meals. While many enjoy and even revere a plain bowl of rice, celebratory gatherings may call for something special. We found three East Bay cooks with fascinating stories…

Vintner Robin McBride shares childhood memories, Black Girl Magic, and other pivotal moments behind the wine company she and sister Andréa built from their bond and determination Story and illustrations by Jasmine Senaveratna   Robin McBride’s interest in wine was sparked at a young age, long before she and her sister launched a national wine…

Produce harvested at its peak is your sure bet for flavor and freshness. By Barbara Kobsar | Illustration by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge Citrus Winter markets are brimming with citrus in all sizes, shapes, and flavors. For a tiny treat, try the kumquat. The whole fruit is mouth-poppingly edible, skin and all, and the skin is much…

Piikup partners with local nonprofits to deliver healthy food and community connection By Rachel Trachten | Photos by Shannon Kelli     April Fenall, founder of the delivery service Piikup, describes her company’s work as “almost like a bee pollinating.” In her partnerships with numerous mission-driven organizations like Acta Non Verba, Mandela Partners, and Oakland…

Mycoremediation in the East Bay Hills By Jillian Steinberger-Foster     Longtime East Bay residential contractor Mino de Angelis had an idea about “giving back.” His wife, Fusako, had been an anti-nuclear activist, but rather than saving the world, he just wanted to save the forest and not use it for two-by-fours. An active member…

Far West Fungi By Jillian Laurel Steinberger-Foster   Those mushrooms you bought at the supermarket may look perky, and they may even be certified organic, but most likely, they were cultivated in China and shipped stateside in zero-degree containers, where they sat at the Port of Oakland for weeks before being unloaded. Not so with…

SF Mycological Society Fungus Fair Rises Again in 2022 By KO   Amanita augusta, photo by Alan Rockefeller   As a kid, I bugged the hell out of my parents by endlessly chanting my own version of Terry Noland’s rhythm and blues classic, “There Was a Fungus Among Us.” I think they secretly liked it,…

  The Big Picture I’m among many local folk who count themselves lucky to have a long acquaintance with Miko Sloper, a perennial long-distance traveler and self-appointed ambassador to the world. Wherever Miko happens to be, he teaches Esperanto, parades as Uncle Sam (if it’s the Fourth of July), and never misses a chance to…

Shared Cultures explores koji in traditional and creative fermented foods By Rachel Trachten     “The mushrooms found me,” says Eleana Hsu, co-founder of Shared Cultures, describing a period when she was depressed at her desk job and hiking a lot to lift her spirits. The extra time out in nature spurred her interest in…

By KO   Who doesn’t love a photo of a photographer taking a photo? Opposite, Mandy Hackney captured Oakland-based mycologist Alan Rockefeller as he was photographing some edible Kuehneromyces mutabilis mushrooms that had populated a stump near Eugene, Oregon. Here’s a man who walks his talk. Alan Rockefeller says we can conserve nature better if…

  Mycology: The discipline of biology focused on the study of fungi. Fungi: A large group of organisms that includes mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. They comprise a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals, protists, and bacteria. Mycelium: The part of the fungus that is underground practically circles the earth, running through the ground and…

The expanding spectrum of interests in fungi will be on display at the 50th Anniversary Mycological Society of San Francisco Fungus Fair on January 23, 2022, at the Orinda Community Center (OCC) in Orinda. “The spacious OCC campus has open windows and doors that catch the slightest breezes, and we’ll ensure that vendors and the…

  All Around the Bay Venga Paella 510.628.0018 vengapaella.com Do something different! A delicious paella arriving at your doorstep is always a treat! Voted best paella catering company. Serving the entire Bay Area since 2003. For small fiestas to large corporate events.   Purpose & Hope 510.550.5974 | purposeandhope.com Handcrafted, locally sourced, nutrient-rich soups that…

The story of Samir Bayraktar’s Olive Truck By Cheryl Angelina Koehler   Samir Bayraktar’s Olive Truck moves through a landscape of olive orchards in Turkey in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Olive Truck) Samir Bayraktar tastes the first oil milled inside his Olive Truck in October 2021. He harvested the olives from a century-old olive orchard…