One of my go-to spots for to-go food in San Francisco, the land of 10,000 dishes, is B Star Bar on Clement Street, the chilled out little brother of the famed Burma Superstar. Both places have a variety of amazing options, but I personally only go there for one: the fermented tea leaf salad. It’s…
Presto, Pesto! Zucchini Noodle Salad Genovese with Kabocha, Kalamatas, and Pine Nuts
Genoa, Italy inspired me with her simple yet amazing cuisine. A restaurant could put three ingredients I’d never expected to see together on a plate with an extra drizzle of olive oil, and I was enchanted! Octopus + potatoes + sweet peppers = delicious. Cod + black olives + parsley = amazing! But my mind…
Fauxlenta! Grain-Free Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms, Kale, & Dates
I love polenta. It’s smooth, creamy, just a little bit sweet, and goes with pretty much everything despite being an oft-neglected member of the gluten-free carb family. But I have an ever increasing base of grain-free clients, and just had a client ask me to whip up a vegan & Paleo dinner party menu –…
Chef Nicole’s Pad Thai – Basic Street Noodles, Spa-Style
By now, you may have guessed that I’m teaching you how to make the healthiest version of Thai cuisine possible – fresh, clean, made with whole foods, and scrumpdiddlyumptious. It would be an absolute shame to not tackle that most ubiquitous of all Thai dishes, Pad Thai, loved by children and adults alike! We’ll be…
Kale, Yeah! One Kick-Ass Salad
So, I made this amazingly delicious salad yesterday and got quite a bit of feedback from different sources requesting more information. It’s SO EASY, and sooooo tasty, I’d be a selfish Sally not to share! Make it both vegan and Paleo simply by omitting the cheese. Kale, Yeah! One Kick-Ass Salad Print Prep time…
Italian Bowl for the Soul
Okay, so it’s only day one and I am going to admit that I’m cheating a little bit, because I made this for my lunch yesterday. But it was like comfort for my SOUL, to the point where despite every healthy ingredient, my body was so happy after eating this gut and heart-warming food that…
Multiple Food Restrictions? No Problem!
Whenever you gather a group of people to eat together these days, there is always at least one food allergy, intolerance, or dislike to contend with. As a chef, I find it important to be as educated about as many different restrictive diets as possible in order to prepare decadent, delicious, healthy meals with a…
Flavors of Spain: Paella Mixta
Summer & Spanish cuisine go together like Cava & oysters – just right! So when one of my clients requested a Spanish fiesta for her husband’s work event in the back yard, under the most beautiful wisteria-covered arbor I have ever seen, building a feast around the traditional Valencian dish of paella just made sense!…
Keep On Moroccan Me, Baby
Oooo! It’s that wonderful transition between spring and summer when the stone fruit has come to town! YEAH! It’s a perfect time to make something exotically delicious, yet light and fresh at the same time, like this Fresh Apricot & Chicken Tagine. For a vegetarian option, replace the chicken with a can of BPA free…