Monday, August 8, 2011 at 4:00AM 
By Sandy Hu
I love endive – braised, grilled, in salads or as an edible scoop for dips. I’ll eat this crunchy, nutty, slightly bitter vegetable any way it’s served.
So you can imagine my delight when I was invited last Wednesday to Rio Vista, California, for an endive farm tour at California Vegetable Specialties (CVS), the largest producer of endive in the U.S.
Monday, August 1, 2011 at 4:00AM 
By Sandy Hu
When our boys were young, Steve and I used to do some home canning in the kitchen of our two-bedroom condominium in San Francisco. We did it for the cost savings.
Paying tuition at the French-American International School for our two boys and funding their extra-curricular activities meant that going home to Hawaii was a stretch for us. And, a trip home always involved taking food gifts to family and friends, following the Japanese custom of gifting, omiyage. One way we could ease the budget was to make some of the omiyage ourselves.
Friday, July 22, 2011 at 4:01AM 
By Sandy Hu
In the summer, when strawberries are at their peak, I always buy a few extra pints to make fresh strawberry jam. This jam is so quick and easy, it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes from start to finish.
Because the berries aren’t cooked, the jam maintains an intense, fresh strawberry flavor. It’s perfect topping buttered bread or toast. But it’s also delicious mixed with yogurt, topping oatmeal or spooned on vanilla ice cream.
Monday, July 11, 2011 at 4:00AM 
By Sandy Hu
If you’re a beef lover like me, tucking into 20 great beef dishes over two days, prepared by an excellent chef, may seem like a sublime, died-and-gone-to-heaven experience. And, okay, I’ll admit I enjoyed it.
But being a judge of a recipe contest is also serious business and carries considerable responsibility – especially when $25,000 is at stake for the National Beef Cook-Off’s grand prize winner.