It’s a Porchetta Party!

Not too long ago, I received an intriguing email from my friend and Special Fork food editor, Linda Anusasananan, the former recipe editor of Sunset magazine.

“I've been fantasizing about the porchetta sandwiches I saw last week sold from the Roli Roti truck at the Ferry Plaza,” she wrote. “The line was about two blocks long – far too long to wait, so I never got to taste them.

“That weekend I saw porchetta turning on the spit at the Burlingame farmers' market. I asked if I could buy some and the vendor said someone had special-ordered the whole roast. He said I could do the same thing and pick the porchetta up at one of the farmers’ markets.”

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Quinoa, Melon, Chorizo and Raisins Make a Simply Delicious Salad

By Sandy Hu

Summer is a time to celebrate the bounty of luscious fresh fruits. While we tend to think of them as a snack for eating out of hand or in desserts, one of the best ways to enjoy fruits is in salads.

California Golden Raisin, Quinoa and Melon Salad features fragrant cantaloupes, which are at their peak from June to September. This salad brings together a variety of flavors in perfect balance: the fruitiness of melon balls with the spicy and savory chorizo, the zest of sherry vinegar, and bursts of concentrated tangy-sweetness from golden raisins. Mint and green onions add freshness. And the South American grain-like quinoa is the perfect foil for the bright flavors and colors.

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Boyhood Evolution

By Andrew Hunter

My youngest one is growing up – at a whopping 3 foot 4 and 38 pounds, Nick no longer introduces himself as “Nic-a-yis.” He’s moving up to kindergarten, has plenty to say about all matters of fact (his lovely teacher, Ms. Britton, thinks the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), plays second base on his T-ball team, loves to sing and dance, and believes in community service. As he grows in dimension, he’s also forming his own sensibility about food and eating.

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My Life in Food Styling

By Lori Powell

As the Food Director at Prevention magazine, I see our food pages from the conceptual stage straight through to the finished product. I don’t just oversee, I am the person who is writing the ideas on paper, then shopping for the groceries, developing and writing the recipes, and then styling the food for the camera.

All of this requires me to leave my home in Pennsylvania to stay in a hotel in New York City, a week out of each month, to do the food styling for our pages. Not too shabby since I get to have a New York fix, visit the green markets there and eat out a bit! Do I love my job? YES!

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The Siren of Banana Breads

By Katie Barreira

When you work in a test kitchen, it’s not only prudent, but also necessary to pace yourself when it comes to tasting. A sensible breakfast is key to staving off the hunger that can turn a modest bite or two into a plate-licking portion. Good sense went out the window on the morning when Carly, one of our budding interns, threw together this bread instead of throwing out a bunch of over-ripe bananas.

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