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Read MoreSuppertime with Pirates
Written by Rachel Duchak | Mar 4, 2014I didn’t know how to read when I first opened the new Peanuts book I’d received for Christmas 1975. Flipping to the opening strip, I hardly anticipated that I was just about to find the first key to an entire universe of literary characters and worlds that provided me some of the best company and retreats in childhood and beyond. As...
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Read MoreA Foodie Fundraiser for African Cocoa Farmers
Written by Rachel Duchak | Feb 5, 2014While discussing Fair Trade labeling in 2012 with the late director and activist U. Roberto Romano following a screening of his documentary The Dark Side of Chocolate, I learned that he believed this system—intended to help farmers—was, in fact, compromised and ineffective. I began to say, “I know a chocolate shop in San Luis...
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Read More85% Positive and 15% Serious
Written by Rachel Duchak | Jan 15, 2014We try to strike a balance between largely positive and select serious messages about challenges encountered when promoting a more sustainable food system. While we spend a lot of time focusing on the positive, possible, and delightful in the foodie experience, it’s not all puppies and rainbows. Powerful forces resistant to...
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Read MoreFood on Film Reviews Explore Delicious Stories
Written by Rachel Duchak | Dec 23, 2013Over the past three years, we’ve really enjoyed producing foodie film reviews for our Spice blog. Art entwined with food can be most delicious. From the delightful Japanese film Tampopo to the sweet Italian film Mid-August Lunch to the recent British comedy The Trip, we’ve screened and reviewed an international menu of...
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Read MoreReality Cooks and TV Dinners
Written by Margaret C. Lange | Dec 22, 2013[As we begin our 4th year with this website, let's review a selection of milestone posts in our Central Coast Foodie project.] Our friend and talented writer Margaret Lange has contributed several posts to our blog, including this one: a rumination on reality cooking shows. The media mind who devised the combination reality...
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Read MoreBeautiful Community & Delicious Fun in Big Sur
Written by Rachel Duchak | Nov 15, 2013I scanned the pastures of Hearst Castle—looking for zebra—while driving past on Highway 1 toward Big Sur: no luck but the incongruity of the effort made me laugh. Soon, the sunset sky turned glorious while we zigged and zagged along this most scenic highway. We were headed to the Henry Miller Memorial Library to partake in the lively...
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Read MoreRecipe: Pear Anise Chutney by Chaparral Gardens
Written by Cari Clark | Nov 6, 2013I first tasted chutney while living in England. Lunch consisted of the best bread, cheese, and sliced meats I had ever tasted. Nothing but a simple smear of chutney graced these sandwiches. Chutney is very similiar to a pickle. They are both cooked-down fruits and veggies with various spices. The flavors are a combination of...
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Read MoreFoodie Fundraising: Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
Written by Rachel Duchak | Nov 6, 2013The creative fire burns within many people who call Big Sur home whether they work with jade, wood, mushroom, or swine. The Big Sur Food & Wine Festival helps to fuel these fires by raising funds for the local community during the Saturday auction and four-course luncheon at the Henry Miller Memorial Library (November 9,...
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Shedding Light on Solar Cooking
Remember the lyrics “Just give me the warm power of the sun” from John Hall’s environmental anthem Power promoting sustainable energy? How to harness the power of the sun—a massive power...
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A Celebrity Chef in My Kitchen and an Open Fire on the Range
Food Network chef Rahm Fama recently spent a weekend in Cambria. During his visit, the chef lit an open fire on my pricey Jade range. Fortunately, a 911 call wasn’t necessary. Let me explain. For the past two...
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