Archive - Napa Comfort Food

A taste of summer: tomatoes

Most people rely on the calendar to tell them when summer arrives but I use a more practical gauge: when my first Early Girl tomato turns ripe and ready…

Sep 13, 2023 •

May 2023

Why not the best (sandwich)?

When Governor Jimmy Carter decided to seek the Presidency, he wrote a book, "Why Not the Best?" in 1975 as a way of letting voters know who he was.

May 29, 2023 •

April 2023

Eggs: aren’t just for breakfast any more

For once, advertising created a slogan that is actually true: “The incredible, edible egg”.

Apr 3, 2023 •

March 2023

The side dish that really is a main dish: rice

Sure, white rice sitting quietly on the plate is a blank canvas; you can serve it on the side with just about any cuisine.

Mar 13, 2023 •

The comfort of meatballs

In the movie “Zelig”, Woody Allen plays an ordinary person who can transform himself to imitate anyone he is near.

Mar 6, 2023 •

February 2023

The Inside Story on Potatoes

One of the great existential questions is: waxy or floury?

Feb 20, 2023 •

Pasta is cooking for comfort

Apple pie, roasted chicken, meat loaf…they are comfort foods but in the end, they all want to grow up to be a good dish of pasta.

Feb 6, 2023 •

January 2023

The Art of Eating Standing Up

My wife and I had squeezed ourselves into one corner of a tavern and started out slow, ordering just a couple of dishes.

Jan 30, 2023 •

A taste of brightness in the darkness of winter

Winter shifts the cooking menu of grilling and salads to heavier foods, such as stews and long-cooked braises but in the market there is one bright…

Jan 16, 2023 •

Preparing for the Playoffs

Football Game Day Snacks

Jan 9, 2023 •

Mi Cocina travels through 32 states and 156 cities of Mexican cuisines

When Rick Martínez was a Mexican-American kid growing up Austin, Texas, he and his mom would watch cooking shows on TV but the only ones that showed…

Jan 4, 2023 •

Crab didn't come for Christmas: but it's here now

I grew up on the plains of northern Indiana, not a crab in sight, but my time at the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island introduced…

Jan 4, 2023 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts