We tell the story of how the city eats, drinks and cooks.
In December 2006, Violeta Sandoval left El Salvador and arrived in San Francisco with her husband and young child, a culinary credential and a desire to create community in her new home. She was lonely and depressed when she first landed here—loss of homeland and culture shock can do that to even the most resilient…
You may know Loló for its turquoise exterior that dots Valencia Street in the heart of the Mission. You may know it as the place where groups of hungry diners spill into the street most nights of the week, crowding the sidewalk, while they wait for a table. You may know it for its refined…
Chicory has been around as long as civilization itself. The University of California documents archaeological evidence of chicory dating back to the Bronze Age. It is also apparently one of the “bitter herbs” cited in the Bible to be eaten for Passover, and the ancient Greeks and Romans consumed it copiously. Native to Europe, North…
Khichdi Bowls at Besharam. Growing up in an Indian-Burmese household in Southern California with Mexican next-door neighbors/best friends, I was lucky enough to get to eat and experience so many different cuisines and cultures. From mohinga to mole, my eating experience was vastly varied. One thing my mom made often and which I particularly loved was…
A good number of guests who come to my restaurant, Kantine, have a desire to revisit the cuisine they’ve eaten while traveling in Scandinavia. Most of them have been to the region during the summertime and have been swept away by the vivaciousness and hospitality of the people who live there, not to mention that…
The better part of September and October are always hectic in our family. Over the course of six weeks, we celebrate our wedding anniversary, our three children’s and two of my closest friends’ birthdays. By the end of it all, I’ve usually had more than my fair share of streamers, popping balloons and layer cakes….
EVAN: Growing up, every other Sunday we would go to my grandma’s house in Queens for family dinner and she would make the traditional Austrian meal of sauerbraten and potato pancakes. I have early memories of all the butter and applesauce she served it with. It was heaven. SARAH: Your mom cooked that exact meal…
I keep many different dried beans and lentils in my pantry, and this soup gives me a chance to mix up any stragglers in a single pot. Serve it in the coldest depths of winter, and start it one day ahead to allow time for the beans to soak overnight. Reprinted from Season by Nik Sharma…
