At Least, Eat your Egg!

By Sandy Hu

I’ve been crazy-busy recently, working nights and weekends to do my day job while getting ready for the Les Dames d’Escoffier annual conference starting this Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in Atlanta. The end of the conference marks the end of my year as president.

LDEI is the only organization of its kind: a worldwide society of professional women of high achievement in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries. The organization embraces all aspects of food professions – from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors, food editors, culinary historians, vintners, bakers, farmers and more. Membership is by invitation.

Click to read more ...

Christmas Past and Present

By Marilyn Hunter

“Tell me about Christmas,” Nicky says to me with a twinkle in his eye. “Tell me your favorite thing when you were a little girl.” I tell him about how much I loved baking cookies with my brother to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve and how we would fight to stay awake to hear the sound of reindeer hooves on the roof. It seems like yesterday, those sleepless Christmas Eves. My brother and I could hardly wait until sunrise.

After all these years, I now understand the work that went into making those Christmas mornings so magical. They’re as sleepless for the parents as they are for the kids. We work to assemble and arrange toys, wrap presents and set the table for breakfast. Round about midnight, I appreciate my parents’ efforts and now understand why Dad was so droopy eyed at dawn when we came rushing from our rooms.

Click to read more ...

Holiday Rolls Two Ways

By Katie Barreira

As if the holiday season wasn’t daunting enough, it seems that every special occasion revolves around a feast. I mean, it’s festive and communal and I totally get it, but even a seasoned foodie can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of significant meals that take place in the month of December.

Just as the latke parties are winding down, it’s time to gear up for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, Christmas dinner, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s day…the chow-fests come fast and furious.

Click to read more ...

Too Much Bread!

By Sandy Hu

I always overbuy baguettes for a party. Bread is cheap and I’d rather have too much than not enough.

But then I’m stuck with the leftovers. Any sane person would toss the remainder but I always bag the leftovers, intending to do something with them. I hate waste.

Click to read more ...

Sugar and Spice

By Marilyn Hunter

Autumn leaves. Crisp nights. Cooler days. Not here.

Autumn looks very different in L.A. It’s slow to arrive and sometimes impossible to tell one season from the next. At least there’s one thing we can depend on this time of year…pumpkin patches! I know fall is officially here when pumpkins begin to appear.

The boys love the fall season for two reasons: pumpkins and trick or treating. I love this time of year for pumpkins and pumpkin pie spice. Food is one of the biggest pleasures the seasons bring and I love to celebrate the change of seasons by baking. For me, the flavor of pumpkin pie spice signals the arrival of fall. I like to add it to pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, even sprinkled on my morning yogurt.

Click to read more ...