Lebanese Festival celebrates culture and cuisine over Memorial Day weekend
Cooks for annual event share their recipes for Lebanese flatbread za’atar manakeesh as well tabbouleh and hummus — but there will be plenty more to load up on your plate
All Stories
Fruitmommy, the ‘fruit tree whisperer,’ revitalizes ailing fruit trees
Consultant Nalani Vaughn helps bring orchards back to life across San Diego County
French onion soup and beyond: comfort food ‘par excellence’
As Ric Libiran of Jo's Diner shows, the secret’s in browning the onions, creating complex flavor
TinyFest expo rounds up inspiration for the ultimate in small-space living
The festival returns to the Del Mar Fairgrounds March 8-9
Bûche de Noёl: the ultimate holiday dessert
Rolled cake, a French classic, makes an elegant holiday dessert centerpiece
Learning on the job: How a Kensington couple discovered a ion for historic preservation
Kensington reno-turned-restoration used ‘Old House’ resource guide from Save Our Heritage Organisation
Normal Heights property takes hilltop dreams to another level
Custom contemporary home is decked in creativity with a terraced, tropical paradise that's filled with features
From superyachts to campsites, ‘Adventure Chef’ has cooked through it all. Here are his tips for adapting.
Reality TV figure draws a creativity-first cooking philosophy from his freewheeling career
Big dreams on a small scale: TinyFest returns to Del Mar Fairgrounds March 16-17
In talking with both organizers and exhibitors at the TinyFest California, to be held March 16 and 17 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, most credit their desire to create...
Big dreams on a small scale: TinyFest returns to Del Mar Fairgrounds March 16-17
In talking with both organizers and exhibitors at the TinyFest California, to be held March 16 and 17 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, most credit their desire to create...
World Central Kitchen recipes: Feeding with culinary care
Whoever would have expected mass feeding kitchens in disaster and war zones to serve up thoughtful, tasty, culturally appropriate meals to evacuees and refugees — with emphasis on the “tasty”?Perhaps...
Guadalupe Valley is a wine-lover’s paradise
Wine has always been part of my life — and I fell in love with Mexico on my first visit at age 16 with my parents.That’s why, after moving to...
Chocolate-making a sweet reinvention
Can chocolate make you happy?Legions of chocolate devotees definitely agree, but for one native San Diegan and La Jolla resident, the answer is a resounding yes.Jim Lantry, a genial "recovering"...
Catio homes a cool solution for cooped-up felines
You’ve probably seen the many “lost cat” signs posted in your neighborhood or online on Nextdoor, along with reports of roaming urban coyotes and cats found partially eaten or killed...
A living sculpture garden in Mission Hills
Every April, the sprawling Mission Hills garden overlooking Heritage Park welcomes spring with a raucous cacophony of blossoms and fragrance, narrated by a chorus of trilling songbirds and chirping insects.Beyond...
Intimate settings: Garden’s five ‘rooms’ create colorful areas to entertain
Dazzling displays of brilliantly colored drought tolerant plants, many of South African origin, greet visitors at a beautifully transformed, 1930s Spanish colonial revival bungalow near the ocean in La Jolla.Outside...
Blogger-turned-author’s stuffed cookies are delicious from top to bottom
Whether you’re an experienced baker or novice, or just a wannabe who loves cookbooks and baking books, there’s something for everyone in Heather Mubarak’s new book, "Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie...
Blogger-turned-author’s stuffed cookies are delicious from top to bottom
Whether you’re an experienced baker or novice, or just a wannabe who loves cookbooks and baking books, there’s something for everyone in Heather Mubarak’s new book, "Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie...
Blogger-turned-author’s stuffed cookies are delicious from top to bottom
Whether you’re an experienced baker or novice, or just a wannabe who loves cookbooks and baking books, there’s something for everyone in Heather Mubarak’s new book, "Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie...
Cultivating remembrances of homeland, and a new life, in San Diego’s East County
Like many who have grown up in Middle Eastern cultures, Palestinian Americans Jamal and Tagee Kanj are renowned for their warm and gracious hospitality and for generously sharing the bounty...
Elevated style: Bankers Hill penthouse becomes indoor-outdoor oasis
When Craig and Ryan moved to San Diego from Chicago for a job opportunity in July 2021, they were excited about the city’s legendary climate and weather. With outdoor living...
Living close to the earth: Adobe Home Tour returns March 26
Peter and Raydene St. Clair had no intention of moving from their modern Spanish-style Mission Hills home. In early 2020, they were helping their daughter and son-in-law, who were expecting...
Building a base: Women discover ive community among fellow woodworkers
Genial banter and easy camaraderie permeated the room as several dozen of the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association temporarily broke away from their projects at the workshop, located...
Succulent gardens: Tips for deg with drought-tolerant plants
As a decades-long drought persists in Southern California and pressure grows to conserve scarce water resources, more and more people are ridding their gardens of thirsty lawns and water-intensive plants....
San Diego women discover ive community among fellow woodworkers
Genial banter and easy camaraderie permeated the room as several dozen of the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association temporarily broke away from their projects at the workshop, located...
Building a base: Women discover ive community among fellow woodworkers
Genial banter and easy camaraderie permeated the room as several dozen of the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association temporarily broke away from their projects at the workshop, located...
Garden retreat: Rancho Santa Fe landscape is sanctuary for birds, bees
Monarchs and yellow butterflies flit between low-growing plants, resting and feeding on multicolor lantana while noshing on milkweed, yarrow and other plants grown to nurture them.It’s the fruition of landscape...
Get the shopping lists ready: San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association hosts holiday sale Nov. 18-19
If you’re looking for a holiday gift for a special someone who appreciates handcrafted wooden treasures, or for distinctive handcarved holiday and home decor, the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association...
TunaVille Market offers San Diegans dinner – straight from the docks
Before the crack of dawn on most days that they’re open — Wednesday through Saturday — Tommy Gomes and his TunaVille crew are on the docks outside their shop on...
TunaVille Market offers San Diegans dinner – straight from the docks
Before the crack of dawn on most days that they’re open — Wednesday through Saturday — Tommy Gomes and his TunaVille crew are on the docks outside their shop on...
Edible landscape: Mission Hills mini farm is homeowner’s ion
When considering San Diego’s agricultural regions, most people don’t think of Mission Hills, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Yet this year, with a growing ion among locals for cultivating...
Perfect plumerias: Local grower teaches fine points of cultivation
Mount Helix-based grower Mike Atkinson is ionate about plumerias, both growing the fragrant flowering trees and educating the public about their proper care and propagation. He and his wife, Stacy,...
Garden of reimagination: Point Loma couple add whimsy to their outdoor spaces
Guests who step behind an architecturally striking stucco home atop a Point Loma Heights ridge will experience a sort of wonderland. Following the sinuous path leads to discovery of a...
Magical garden: Point Loma couple add whimsy to outdoor spaces
Guests who step behind an architecturally striking stucco home sitting atop a Point Loma Heights ridge will experience a magical wonderland. Following the sinuous path leads to discovery of a...
Small and sumptuous: Homeowner creates lush garden in compact space
After living in their Talmadge home for about nine years, David Moore and his partner knew it was time for a change.Moore, a retired architect who’d spent his peripatetic career...
Expanding on the past: Solana Beach renovation taps into family’s heritage
When Chad Arendsen spotted the small house in an older neighborhood of Solana Beach, he knew he and his wife, Amber, had finally found the home they’d been waiting for.The...
Coronado Flower Show to celebrate 100 years of beauty
Coronado is bursting with bountiful blooms — and the city and its partner, the Coronado Floral Association, are eager to share the spring blossoms with San Diegans during the Coronado...
Orchids’ gift is twofold: easy care, abundant beauty
Did you know that there are over 25,000 — possibly even 30,000 — orchid species — and that about one in 10 flowering plants in the world is an orchid?...
Browse displays, get growing advice at ‘Orchid Magic’ international show and sale
The best place to buy orchids — whether “starter” orchids for the novice grower or interesting and unusual varieties for more advanced aficionados — is at an orchid show, says...
Splashes of color: Bromeliads brighten landscape, save water
If you yearn to create a lush, tropical look for your landscape but are concerned about water use, consider incorporating bromeliads into your plant selection.Bromeliads are colorful, low-maintenance plants that...
Lush new look: Redesigned landscape balances contemporary, traditional styles
Amanda and Kip Malo were well-established in their professional careers and living in Del Mar, ready to find a larger house suitable for raising a family. They knew they had...
Cooking novices find ingredients for success in Kitchens for Good culinary crash course
The apprentices gather around the prep tables inside the commercial kitchen of San Diego nonprofit Kitchens For Good, chatting and laughing, happily trading culinary tips.They responded to a call to...
Rescuing Thanksgiving dinner: My oven has died, more than once. Here’s how you can save the day.
What is it about ovens — or at least my oven — failing just before or on Thanksgiving Day? It's happened to me at least four times, three of those...
How do you ‘ADU’? Entrepreneur launches Maxable to demystify process for granny flats
Growing up in La Mesa, Caitlin Bigelow well understood the benefits the small garage apartment at her parents’ home represented for her family. The daughter of two journalists, she never...
Cookbook on improvising in the kitchen helps reignite inspiration
Sam Sifton, food editor for The New York Times, encourages his readers to embrace adventure in their cooking, trust their own skill and develop more confidence in their ability to...
Embracing the vineyard lifestyle in East County
Set atop a ridge overlooking an East County landscape reminiscent of the Tuscan hills, Ray and Daran Grimm's new home on about 2 acres is everything they'd hoped for and...
Beach-loving family lives small while living large in Carlsbad mobile home
Sara Pacetti never imagined she would work with an interior designer. That changed in August 2018, when her family downsized from a four-bedroom house in Cardiff, with a two-car garage,...
Horticulturist’s artful Mission Hills garden unveils beauty step by step
Jim Bishop, former president and current board member of the San Diego Horticultural Society, loves sharing his garden. A warm and genial man with an engaging smile — when he...
Serve up a simple New Year’s Eve family celebration
Are we tired of cooking yet?Between the stay-at-home orders this year, constant daily meals with limited access to restaurant fare, and of course, fixing food for all the recent holidays,...
Pandemic helps give rise to Pala’s Asian Gaming Room
Spurred by the popularity of pai gow poker and baccarat, the Pala Casino Spa & Resort opened a new non-smoking Asian Gaming Room.The glass-enclosed room, which debuted Sept. 4, has...
Garden galleries emerge across San Diego during pandemic time
Gardens bring joy, delight, sustenance and even solace. As the pandemic took hold in March, many San Diegans found relief in their gardens from the uncertainties and stress disrupting everyone’s...
Lobster season debuts amid changing seafood industry
It's California spiny lobster season, from October through mid-March. Local fishermen and seafood retailers are celebrating its arrival, announcing the happy news that prices are the lowest in many years...
Restaurateur-turned-farmer pivots with the pandemic
What do you do when your small farm’s crops are ready to harvest, but all your restaurant customers are forced to close their doors?That’s the issue former San Diego restaurateur-turned-farmer...
30 pies in 30 days: San Diego author bakes up unique goal amid creative writing challenge
Novelist and storyteller Amy Wallen has always loved pie. It all started with chicken pot pie. As a child, when her family returned to the United States on home leave...
Point Loma home garden creates magical urban oasis
When Anne and Jerry Ryan moved into her parents’ Point Loma home after her mother’s death in 1981, only the barest bones of their now-lush garden existed. Anne — with...
Batch cooking in tune with the times
When I first heard rumblings about preparing to stay at home for at least two weeks without access to grocery stores, I made my plans to stock up on fresh...
Pet obesity: a weighty problem
As we humans have gained weight after becoming more sedentary and computer-bound, our pets have followed suit. Now, the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates, about 53 percent of adult...
True taste of Middle East
Ibrahim Alsharief, executive chef and co-founder of Simsim Outstanding Shawarma, stepped into his immaculate white and stainless steel kitchen to find the spices for chicken shish kebab, a new menu...
French trimmings for a Thanksgiving feast
As Thanksgiving 1972 approached, the tone of chatter among students awaiting entry into the demonstration room at the old Rue du Champs-de-Mars location of Le Cordon Bleu grew increasingly despondent....
Gift for cooking experiments brings County Fair ribbons galore
Sandy Sheppard has always loved to cook — and cooking, she acknowledges, may even have saved her life. Experimenting in the kitchen provides the healthful, creative outlet she needs for...
Cooking shellfish: Chef Paul Arias shares recipes and tips
With our chilly spring departing and summer’s heat approaching, I’m craving quick, healthful dishes. Time saved in the kitchen translates to more time outside enjoying our sunny weather. For me,...
Community college culinary program is inspiring palates of adult students
Zest, enthusiasm, joy, creativity. That’s how chef Megan Leppert approached her commitment to create dishes based on a book for this year’s “Eat. Drink. Read.” fundraiser sponsored by the San...
Community college culinary program is inspiring palates of adult students
Zest, enthusiasm, joy, creativity. That’s how chef Megan Leppert approached her commitment to create dishes based on a book for this year’s “Eat. Drink. Read.” fundraiser sponsored by the San...
Mary Kay Waters serves up a cookbook of her fans’ favorite foods
It all started with a missing recipe, a favorite recipe for orange cranberry butter pecan cookies, that no one could find. Sitting in a cheerful, sunny conference room with bookshelves...