Farm to Table

The last couple months, getting enough exercise wasn’t a challenge for many of us as we were clearing and cutting fallen trees from the recent storms. Best nutrition for your bones is good hard labor or exercise. Some people like using the tr…

Are you looking to take your spring-time detox to the next level?

Shopping tip: If you spy a lumpy bag of bacon ends in the market, buy it. Bacon ends are key to this salad, which essentially takes a classic BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich) and tosses it into a big salad bowl as a deconstructed vers…

I had the good fortune to attend the 21st annual Foothill Celebration put on by the Grass Valley Downtown Association in March. In case you don’t know of it, Foothill Celebration is one of those walk-around-town events with wineries and food …

For many, roasted lamb is the quintessential Easter dinner. With roots in many cultures, including the first Passover Seder, this special occasion centerpiece is easy and rewarding to prepare. Depending on the origin, you can find recipes wit…

Spring cleaning is a refreshing and cathartic ritual, and the kitchen is a great place to begin. Clean out the refrigerator, toss any items with long-past use-by dates, and refresh those old spices parked in a drawer. As you fill your trash a…

The simple mixture of flour and water, shaped and boiled, is found the world over. Noodles have their own personalities across cultures, but every dish shares that “comfort food factor” that makes you feel at home, no matter where you happen to be.

The best chefs in senior living are finding ways to bring new life to good nutrition, according to a press release.

Like many great recipes, carbonara comes from humble origins and a necessity to zhuzh things up when there’s not much to work with. Some say carbonara was invented “by accident,” when an American serviceman stationed in Italy during the Allie…

Irish soda bread is a quick bread, which means it doesn’t require any yeast or kneading to rise. Instead, it relies on baking soda and buttermilk, which interact for leavening. When the ingredients are combined, the leavening process starts i…

A fragrant concoction of chicken, red wine and vegetables braising in the oven is just what the winter ordered. This recipe is inspired by coq au vin, a traditional country French dish. The origin of coq au vin (which translates to “rooster c…

Remember that old commercial where the butcher says, “You’ve got to feed a cold!” We think he’s on to something there, at least to the extent that one should eat heartily when it’s blizzardy out. Surely, this sammy will fill you up and give y…

Special to The Union

A good sauce is a cook’s magic wand. It’s a trick up the sleeve, so to speak, for jazzing up all sorts of meat, fish, poultry and vegetables, while also multitasking as a spread for sandwiches or a dollop for eggs, rice — even soups. And it’s…

In Morocco, folks enjoy Chorba in winter and during Ramadan to break the fast. “Chorba” refers to a soup that hasn’t been thickened with cream or flour. There are many versions of this beloved dish, in other countries as well in the Middle Ea…

Do not underestimate a tiny cake. French financiers are simple, luxurious two-bite pastries. They are meant to be eaten as a teacake or an after-dinner sweet, but frankly, they can be enjoyed at any time of day. Their name reflects the small …

We’d be hard pressed to find someone (at least in my generation) who doesn’t remember that haunting melody, and the young man reminiscing about his true love from the Scarborough Faire. Hearing the song on the radio the other day reminded me …

I am tempted to call this a leek recipe with salmon (rather than a salmon recipe with leeks). The word order in a recipe title is important. It usually emphasizes the star of the dish first, followed by any supporting ingredients. In this rec…

All farmed salmon is not created equal.

If I had to choose a favorite comfort food, I would nominate the meatball. Every cuisine seems to have a version of a meatball, whether it’s a truly meaty meatball packed with ground beef, pork or poultry; a pescatarian-friendly fish ball or …