Author Archives: foodgal

Locale to Your Door

Locale's Miso wild salmon bowl.
Locale’s Miso wild salmon bowl.

These days, there are many ways to get prepared food delivered right to your door, be it from restaurants or meal kit services.

Bay Area-based Locale offers yet another option, one with some interesting advantages.

It was co-founded in 2020 by Chris Clark, who worked for a time in investment banking and venture capital. Like so many of us, he struggled to maintain a healthful diet while working long hours. So, he came up with Locale, a prepared meal service with dishes that are high in protein, fiber, and organic produce, and contain no processed ingredients.

Each meal is packed not in a plastic takeout container, but in a large reusable glass jar. The food needs only be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop to enjoy. The jars can be left for pickup with your next order or simply reused or recycled on your own.

Six Locale meals delivered to my door in an insulated tote bag.
Six Locale meals delivered to my door in an insulated tote bag.

Locale makes deliveries each Monday to as far north as Marin, as east as Sacramento and as south as Carmel. The meals arrive in insulated totes, and are designed to be consumed within that week.

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February Sips

A Pinot Noir to savor.
A Pinot Noir to savor.

2021 B. Wise Vineyards Lucky Well Vineyard Pinot Noir

When Brion Wise spotted the former Sonoma cattle ranch property in the 1990s with a dirt road, and no easements, buildings or infrastructure to speak of, he didn’t hightail it out of there; he had found his paradise.

An engineer who grew up on a farm in rural Washington, founded his B. Wise Vineyards there, planting the vineyards in 2002 and constructing a home for himself and his wife Ronda West Wise.

The winery specializes in single-vineyard wines, each made by a different veteran winemaker.

I had a chance to try a sample of its 2021 Lucky Well Vineyard Russian River Pinot Noir ($75). It’s made from grapes from the Lucky Well vineyard near Occidental that gets its share of breezes off the Pacific Ocean.

It’s an inky plum-garnet color with the fragrance of summer berries, and the taste of cherries and boysenberries with a hint of cinnamon, mint, and brambly earth.

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Raise A Pint to Chicken Guinness Stew with Creamy Cauliflower Mash

Swap out beef for chicken in this delicious Guinness stew.
Swap out beef for chicken in this delicious Guinness stew.

These days, with grocery prices still doing major damage to the wallet, it’s no surprise that chicken is — and has long been — the most popular meat consumed in the United States.

That makes “Chicken Guinness Stew” especially appealing.

After all, not only are chicken thighs and drumsticks cheaper than beef stew meat, but they cook up faster and are lower in fat.

That’s a win-win-win.

This riff on the classic Irish stew is from “Delicious Tonight” (Countryman Press, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

Version 1.0.0

It was written by Nagi Maehashi, creator of the popular blog, RecipeTin Eats, who was born in Japan and raised in Australia. Her philanthropic not-for-profit, RecipeTin Meals, donates more than 130,000 meals annually to those in need in her community.

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New Harvest Seasons Family Reserve Picual Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

A Spanish olive oil that boasts a lovely green color and a peppery finish.
A Spanish olive oil that boasts a lovely green color and a peppery finish.

It’s striking green in color, with green almond and tomato leaf notes, and a peppery arugula-like finish.

Seasons Family Reserve Picual Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is newly bottled from its October 2024 harvest.

I had a chance to try a sample of this oil pressed from Picual olives, harvested from a single estate in Andalusia, Spain.

While founders Tim Balshi and Soraya Aguilar import olive oil and vinegar from around the world, the single estate olive oils come from the centuries-old olive groves on Aguilar’s family estate in southern Spain.

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Chinese Walnut Cookies for the Lunar New Year

Like Chinese almond cookies -- but made with walnuts and sesame seeds instead.
Like Chinese almond cookies — but made with walnuts and sesame seeds instead.

Growing up in San Francisco, I remember many a meal at a Chinese restaurant that would conclude with a plate of fortune cookies set down in the center of the table.

Sometimes, slices of fresh oranges accompanied them.

But on the rare occasion, when I was very, very lucky, there would be almond cookies, too.

With their splotchy, golden cracked top that had a whole almond nestled at the very center, they were crisp, crumbly, and melted in your mouth.

“Chinese Walnut Cookies” are reminiscent of those. They are more petite in size, and nudge out the almonds for ground walnuts and toasted sesame seed oil instead. Consider them Chinese almond cookies’ more radical cousin, and every bit as delicious and satisfying.

The recipe comes from the cookbook, “Crumbs” (Phaidon, 2024), of which I received a review copy. It is the work of Ben Mims, a food writer, cookbook author, and former cooking columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

It is a breathtaking volume of 300 cookie recipes from around the world. So much so, you’ll wonder if you’ll ever need another cookie cookbook again.

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