A Cookbook for Your Journey

On Chími Nu’am by Sara Calvosa Olson Review by Cheryl Angelina Koehler   “This is a very inconvenient cookbook, admittedly. But I am hoping that it will meet you wherever you’re at in your journey,” writes Sara Calvosa Olson in the “How to Use this Book” introduction to her just-published cookbook: Chími Nu’am: Native California Foodways…

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Letters to the Editor

A response to our Summer 2022 interview with Dr. Gail Myers on the documentary, “Rhythms of the Land” Received October 1, 2022 Dear Editor, I’d like to give my sincere heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Gail Myers for her incredible article on the history of African American farmers and her stupendous dedication to this (more than…

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Editor’s Mixing Bowl

  W ho in the Southwestern United States has not spent most of 2022 dreaming of rain? At Edible East Bay, we have been dreaming of rain as well as liquid pleasures like sauces and cocktails. Looking out at our gardens, we wondered how to capture the laundry greywater as liquid pleasure for the plants. Thus…

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Oakland Fortune Factory Celebrates the Year of the Rabbit

By Anna Mindess | Photo by Alicia Wong     Lunar New Year begins on January 22, but preparations are already underway at the 65-year-old Oakland Fortune Factory, one of the last bakeries that still makes these crisp cookies one at a time, using a traditional recipe that’s vegan and preservative-free. The mother-daughter team of…

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Bagna Cauda

A Northern Italian Ritual to Warm Up Your Bay Area Winter By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Photos by Scott Peterson     Chef Peter Chastain remembers being nine years old and standing on the back porch of his family’s Hollywood home when he had an epiphany that would follow him through his long career. “Everyone…

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From a Gamblers’ Den to the White House

The Wonderfully Worldly Career of Chef Helen Tribble Roberts By Cheryl Angelina Koehler | Photos by Scott Peterson   It was her mom’s covert home enterprise in Brooklyn that got Helen Tribble cooking. “Every Friday night, we held card games at our house. People had to ante up to get in, and we sold plates…

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Sink Your Teeth into Temescal

Big Flavors in the Little Neighborhood Story and photos by Meredith Pakier     North Oakland’s Temescal district has no shortage of notable restaurants and bars. It’s also where I’ve been lucky enough to live for the past six years, curating a list of reliable favorites. When I want to stay close to home, here…

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On the East Bay Spirits Trail

How Local Distillers Are Pushing Libations to the Limits By Mary Orlin   So much for traditional booze. A new generation of distillers and adventurous imbibers is at work, reaching for boundary-pushing mash-ups, uncommon ingredients, and full transparency. Here are four local new-wave labels to explore when you’re seeking diversity in your glass.   Four…

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What’s in Season? Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts!

By Barbara Kobsar | Illustrations by Charmaine Koehler-Lodge   Holiday cliché aside, chestnuts are a culinary highlight of the season as they add depth to soups, salads, entrées, and desserts. When chestnuts are dried and ground into flour, they make a welcome baking alternative for anyone with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or wheat allergy. In…

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Guide to Good Eats: Winter Holidays 2022-23

    Join us in congratulating artist Cathy Raingarden for winning “Best Illustration” in the 2022 Edible Communities Best of Edible awards. She was recognized for her illustrations for writer Derrick Schneider’s feature story, “At the Chez Panisse Sunday Market,” in our Fall Harvest 2021 issue. Follow her work @cathyraingarden or cathyraingarden.com.     Alameda…

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When Is the Best Time to Install a Greywater System?

The Answer is Now! By Rachel Trachten   When Ayse Sercan was training as an architect, the topic of greywater came up frequently. “We talked about the fact that we waste a lot of water that’s perfectly usable just because it’s a little bit used,” says the Alameda resident. “I wanted to see what the…

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More Feast, Less Waste

Tips to make the most of food this holiday season For most of us, the holidays are about spending time with the people we love, and sharing good food is a big part of that. Sadly, more food goes to waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than at any other time of the year. Here…

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