Last month, I had myself a hot sauce tasting. It was glorious. And not just because I received the hot sauce gift box as a sample for review from African Dream Foods (yes, that’s my obligatory disclaimer: I did not pay for these little bottles of joy), but because I truly did enjoy them and
Read more

This past summer, Jordan Winery added a new slate of activities for guests to enjoy at their estate in Healdsburg, CA. And why not? They just remodeled the estate’s formal dining room, and winery chef, Todd Knoll, has been perfecting his culinary artistry at Jordan for over a decade and a half. My first taste
Read more

One of the highlights of last year’s International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) was a deep dive session into balsamic vinegar. Imagine yourself a strawberry going in for a dunk; it was that pleasurable to learn more about this essential member of the kitchen pantry from Federico Desimoni, director of the Consortium for the Protection of
Read more

Liveblogging sessions are always a highlight of the Wine Bloggers Conferences I’ve attended since 2014. So it should come as no surprise that I found the liveblogging session at my first International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) to be the most exciting event there as well. The IFBC took place in Sacramento, CA, at the end
Read more

Obligatory disclaimer: Grass Roots Farmer’s Coop sent me their meat for free in exchange for this review. I don’t do many blogs in which I cook – as I like to say, I enjoy it more when I get to appreciate someone else’s artistry on my plate. But I am occasionally offered chances for product
Read more

Obligatory disclaimer: I received the Gringo Bandito hot sauces as free samples for my review.I love hot sauces. My love for hot sauces extends so deep, I taste-tested the Gringo Bandito trio of hot sauces mere days after recovering from a bacterial infection. Heck, I may not have been fully recovered, if the sniffling in
Read more

Obligatory disclaimer: This Oktoberfest spice delivery was free in exchange for my review of Raw Spice Bar. I don’t review the same thing often, but when Raw Spice Bar asked again, I said “Sure!” right away because I really do believe in the benefit of what they’re offering for the foodies among us.   For those
Read more

Obligatory Disclaimer: Participation in the Oakland Urban Wine Tour was free to me. A year and a half ago, I discovered the plethora of urban wineries housed in Oakland’s Jack London Square. Inspired by the quality of the wines and convenient positioning of their locations, I wrote up a suggested wine walk for Localwise. Apparently,
Read more

Obligatory disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of A Perfect Score to read for this post. Released in September by Center Street, A Perfect Score ($26; 207 pgs.) tells the story of the founding and growth of the HALL and WALT wineries from the intertwined perspectives of its two founders, Craig and Kathryn Hall.
Read more

Coconuts are all the rage in cooking, eating, and beauty products these days and for good reason–they’re delicious! You thought I was going to say healthy, weren’t you? While that may be so, I am generally in the skeptic camp when it comes to health claims for natural products, as they so often become trend
Read more