Greek Beef Pie There was a Greek coffee house and restaurant in Santa Barbara called The Plaka which opened in 1971. If you lived there for any length of time, you may have even spent an evening there enjoying its delicious home-style Greek food, and the hospitality of the owner George Alexiades. Once every evening […]
It’s Getting Close
It’s Getting Close It’s getting close now. Sunday I depart. Yesterday my dear friend Barbara, who travels on the cheap six months out of the year, which I think qualifies her as being a well-seasoned practitioner of the craft, comes over to share with me her hints for packing. After a thorough once over of […]
Pie Dreams
Pie Dreams That’s what I do. I dream of pies. From morning ’til night I think about a pie that I’ve already made making, baking, and tasting the pie I am making currently the pie I will next make Obsessed with pie dreams? Perhaps, but my pie baking obsession has turned into such a wonderful vocation […]
Date Shake
Date Shake At the beginning of the health food movement in the early 1950’s, Kayser’s opened in Santa Barbara. It was one of the first health food stores, a trend that over the years became more mainstream. Jonathan Kauffman writes about this movement in his excellent book titled Hippie Food, which, by the way, was listed as […]
Settle In and Slow Down
Settle In and Slow Down A national book tour? A month on the road? Me? Well that’s what I just did—a Home Cooking with Kate McDermott Book Tour. It was wild and wonderful. I’ve been back for about a week and as we are well in to autumn, and winter is just around the corner, it’s time […]