03 Jul 2010, Posted by admin

Recent Work

Below is a listing of some of my published work, organized by date (how logical) — at least when I find posting time. But so many of the people I’ve written about over the years, like the new (old-time) banjo pickers and certainly the school teacher who’s been sidelining in condiments for 20 years (at 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings), certainly deserve more time in the sun. Don’t they?

Forewarning: A stiff drink is required for those first few stories that focus on trends like the cocktail du jour (a bit cloying). These days I’m more into the little guy. The 3rd generation artisans, the obsessive winemakers, the persistent bakers. And credit it also due to the husband who patiently (in theory) helps test the palatability of recipes (very kind) and even smoked several rounds of his BBQ for a story some years ago (yes, he still reminds me that he *made* that story). His BBQ is excellent, by the way,  though apparently our neighbors didn’t feel the same way, as our smoker was shortly thereafter banished from our apartment complex. Job hazard.

Recent Features

Artisans: Custom Teas are Piping Hot (Los Angeles Magazine, January 2013 issue)  ♦ Artisans: The Geppetto of Gingerbread (Los Angeles Magazine, December 2012 issue)  ♦ Artisans/Farmers/Wine/Spirits: Cooking Light 2012 Tasties Awards, West Coast region (November 2012 issue; editor of submissions for CA, CO, NV, UT, AZ, NM)  ♦  Artisans/Farmers/Wine/Spirits: The Food Lover’s Issue, Guest co-editor & reporter (Los Angeles Magazine, November 2012 issue)  ♦ Artisans: In A Small Business Jam (Take Part, October 2012)  ♦ Artisans: Handmade Halloween (Los Angeles Magazine, October 2012 issue)  ♦ Artisans: Whey Cool (Los Angeles Magazine, August 2012 issue)  ♦ Artisans: Beekeeper Brent Edelen (Cooking Light Magazine, August 2012 issue)  ♦ Artisans/Cooking: Cheese, Please (LA Weekly restaurant issue, August 2, 2012) ♦ Artisans: In a Jam (Los Angeles Magazine, July 2012 issue)  ♦ Travel: Hidden Gems: Phoenix and Los Angeles (Cooking Light Magazine, July 2012 issue)  ♦ Music: Old-Time Is A Good Time In L.A. (Los Angeles Times Sunday Arts feature, February 19, 2012) ♦ Farmers: What Happens When Chefs Become Farmers? Great (Kale) Things (Los Angeles Times Food feature, January 19, 2012) ♦ Farmers: Working The Land, Life On The Farm (Los Angeles Magazine, November 1, 2011) ♦ Cooking: The Chef’s (Home) Table (Los Angeles Times Magazine, November 6, 2011) ♦ Artisans/Farmers/Wine/Spirits: Cooking Light Tasties Awards (September 2011 issue; editor of submissions for CA, CO, NV, UT, AZ, NM)    ♦ The Artisan: The Goddess of Chocolate (Los Angeles Times Magazine, September 4, 2011) ♦ Art/Design: Designs on Dining, Roberto Cortez (Los Angeles Times Magazine, August 7, 2011) ♦ The Artisan: Mark Stambler Finds Brick Oven Bread Perfection (LA Times Food feature, May 30 2011)  ♦  The Artisan: Laura Ann’s Jams, Punk Rock Preserves With An Edge (LA Times Food feature, March 24, 2011)  ♦ The Artisan: Yvan Valentin Has Only One Truffle Love (LA Times Food feature, February 10, 2011)  ♦ Craft Beer: The American Craft Beer Scene Goes Global (LA Times Food feature, February 3, 2011) ♦ The Artisan: C.S. Lewis Has Nothing On This Turkish Delight Maker (LA Times Food feature, January 6, 2011)  ♦ The Artisan: Ventura Limoncello: Raising Limoncello’s Appeal (LA Times Food feature, November 25, 2010)  ♦ The Artisan: La Zamorana: Making Candy The Old Fashioned Way for Dia de los Muertos (LA Times Food feature, October 28, 2010)  ♦ The Artisan: It’s a Tale Full of Twists: Kosher Baker Abby Franke (LA Times Food feature, September 2, 2010)  ♦ The Artisan: Cobbler Lady Cobbled It Together: Her Recipe For Success (LA Times Food feature, August 17, 2010)  ♦ The Artisan: In a Pickle, He Punted (LA Times Food feature, July 1, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan: Condiments Come with a Side of LA History (LA Times Food feature, May 13, 2010) ♦  Cooking: Sotera Jaime Always Has a Lunch Date (LA Times Food feature, April 29, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan: Japanese Noodle Maker Turns History Into Technology (LA Times Food feature, April 15, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan: Popsicle Stick Furniture, Crafted One Stick at a Time (LA Times Home feature, April 2, 2010)  ♦  Family Travel/Museums: Children’s Museums Take a Hands-on Approach to Little Visitors (LA Times Travel feature, March 28, 2010)  ♦  Business/Arts: In Membership-based Office Spaces, Chit Chat is Allowed (LA Times Sunday Arts/Calendar feature, March 26, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan: The Go-To Guy for Smoked Fish (LA Times Food feature, March 19, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan/Spirits: Sober Times for Artisan Liquor Makers (LA Times Food feature, February 11, 2010)  ♦  The Artisan: A Family Business Built on Chili Bricks (LA Times Food feature, February 4, 2010)  ♦  Travel/Museums: Roanoke on the Rally (LA Times Travel feature, November 29, 2009)  ♦  The Craftsman: Recipe for A Remodel (Home, November 28, 2009)  ♦  Cooking: Monkey Bread, It’s Playdough for Bakers (Food, October 21, 2009)  ♦  Travel/History: The Golden Door’s Golden Anniversary, Aldous Huxley Not Included (LA Times Travel feature, October 18, 2009)  ♦  Craft Beer: Craft Brewers Rethink Rice in Beer (LA Times Food feature, September 30, 2009)  ♦  Museums: ‘Steeped in History’ Tea Exhibition at Fowler Museum at UCLA (LA Times Food feature, August 19, 2009)  ♦  Cooking: The Sweet Dream Team, Ice Cream Sandwiches (LA Times Food feature, July 1, 2009)  ♦  The Artisan: Kruegermann Family’s Peck of Pickled Products (LA Times Food feature, June 17, 2009)  ♦ Travel/Beer: The Van’s a Mess: Craft Brewery Tours of San Diego (LA Times Travel feature, June 7, 2009)  ♦  Food History: Prudence Penny, Marion Manners, the First Celebrity Chefs (LA Times Food feature, April 22, 2009)  ♦  The Artisan: Local Noodle Maker on the Cutting Edge of Technology (LA Times Food feature, April 15, 2009)  ♦  The Artisan: A Boyle Heights Bolillo Tradition (Food, March 28, 2009)   ♦  Arts: Clowns Who Have Big Shoes to Fill (LA Times Sunday Arts/Calendar feature, March 22, 2009)  ♦  My Turn: Frank Talk About Cancer Connects Loved Ones (LA Times Health feature, March 2, 2009)  ♦  Cooking: Shortbread, A Simple Cookie with Options (LA Times Food feature, February 4, 2009)  ♦  The Artisan: Specializing in Worldly Tastes: South African Jerky Among The Sausages (LA Times Food feature, January 7, 2009)  ♦  The Artisan: Tough Times Call for Innovation (LA Times Food feature, October 22, 2008)   ♦  Cooking: Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin’s States Bring a Mix of Food to the Table (LA Times Food feature, October 22, 2008)  ♦  Craft Beer: Sisterhood of the Suds: Women Homebrewers (LA Times Food feature, October 1, 2008)  ♦  Sodas: The New Generation of Dry Sodas (LA Times Food feature, September 17, 2008)  ♦  Spirits: West Coast Brewers Pick Up the Distilling Spirit (LA Times Food feature, July 30, 2008) ♦  Craft Beer: Cask-conditioned Ale Hits the Beer Lover’s Scene (LA Times Food feature, June 25, 2008)  ♦  Food Politics: Dig into Debate Over “Green” Utensils (LA Times Food feature, June 18, 2008)  ♦  Travel/Arts: Napa is Hoping Visitors Will Sample the Local Arts Scene (LA Times Travel feature, June 15, 2008)  ♦  Cooking: A Honey of a Dessert Idea (LA Times Food feature, March 26, 2008)  ♦  Chefs: The Hang-Between Restaurant Hangout for Chefs (LA Times Food feature, March 19, 2008)  ♦  Cocktails: A Summer Twist on Pisco Sour, Caipirinhas (LA Times Food feature, May 21, 2008)  ♦  Cooking: Cookbook review: Sweet Memories in “Desserts by the Yard” (LA Times Food feature, February 13, 2008)  ♦  Bars: Sports Bowls Worth Cheering About (LA Times Food feature, January 30, 2008)  ♦  The Artisan: Haute Hot Dogs (LA Times Food feature, January 18, 2008)  ♦  Travel/Cocktails: The Swig Easy: In New Orleans, It’s all about the Cocktails (LA Times Travel feature, December 30, 2007)  ♦  Travel/History: Historic Sips in New Orleans (LA Times Travel feature, December 30, 2007)  ♦  Cooking: Panettone and Stolen, European Dandies (LA Times Food feature; Recipes by Donna Deane; December 19, 2007)   ♦  Cocktails: Let’s Flirt With Ginger (LA Times Food feature, September 26, 2007)   ♦  Cocktails: Edible Cocktails, The Amuse Bouche (LA Times Food feature, September 12, 2007)  ♦  Cooking: Hungarian Peppers,  Walk on the Lighter Side (LA Times Food feature, Recipes by Donna Deane; August 20, 2007)  ♦  Travel/Wine: Art in a Bottle: Blend Your Own Wine in Napa and Sonoma (LA Times Travel feature, August 19, 2007)  ♦  Travel/Wine: Where to Make Your Own Wine (LA Times Travel feature, August 19, 2007)  ♦ Cocktails: So this Prosecco Walks Into a Bar (LA Times Food feature, June 6, 2007)  ♦  Travel Law: Waiver From Culpability? (LA Times Travel feature, May 6, 2007)  ♦ Cocktails: Bar School 101 (LA Times Food feature,March 21, 2007)  ♦  Cooking: Budino, It’s Italian for Pudding (Food, March 7, 2007)  ♦ Cocktails: Always Sunny Margaritas (LA Times Food feature, January 17, 2007)  ♦ Underground Chefs: Rogues, Nomads and Dissident Chefs (LA Times Food feature, November 8, 2006)  ♦ Cocktails: Coffee Cocktails: That Something Extra (LA Times Food feature, October 25, 2006)  ♦ Travel/Wine: Napa Valley Vintners Step up their Wine and Food Pairings (LA Times Travel feature, October 15, 2006)  ♦ Wine Travel: Wineries That Offer More than a Loaf of Bread (LA Times Travel feature, October 15, 2006)  ♦  Cooking: Tapioca Pudding: Sensuous with a Smooth Style (LA Times Food feature, October4, 2006)  ♦ Travel/Beer: Brew Your Own, Hoppy With Our Honey Wheat (LA Times Food feature, September 13, 2006)  ♦  Cooking: Cookbook Review: Japanese Home Cooking, Worlds Apart (LA Times Food feature, July 26, 2006)  ♦  Ingredients: Oysters Gone Wild? Send ‘em Back (LA Times Food feature, July19, 2006)  ♦  Cooking: The New House Blend? Crème Fraîche (LA Times Food feature, July 5, 2006)  ♦  Cooking: Back Ribs Basted with an LA Sensibility (LA Times Food feature, June 28, 2006)  ♦  Cooking: The Royal Raspberry (LA Times Food feature, May 31, 2006)

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