MEHKO Santa Cruz Business Food & Drink 

MEHKOs: The Future of Homegrown Food Entrepreneurship

By Penny Ellis Imagine a world where food, health, and wellness are prioritized. A world where meals are prepared with care, pride, and a deep sense of community. Picture the joy of sitting down with others and sharing the flavors of a home-cooked meal, knowing it’s been crafted with intention. There’s something undeniably special about a well-prepared homemade dish, whether… Read More
Cranberry Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark Columns Food & Drink 

Cranberry Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark

By Robin Horn It’s Bark!! And according to Kaiser, my health care provider, it’s “food for health.” They’re the experts, right? They offered a version of this healthy-ish treat on their website recently. I tweaked the recipe, by simplifying the process and upping the proportion of chocolate. While it’s not entirely keto-friendly, it is vegan and gluten-free. So it’s a… Read More
Fermentation history and science Columns Food & Drink 

Fermentation: A Brief History and a Little Science

By Tom Andersen A Brief History By many accounts, fermentation was “discovered” about 12,000 years ago with the natural fermentation of dairy products in the sweltering heat of North Africa. A few thousand years later, the Chinese were fermenting rice and honey and in a couple thousand more years, Egyptians were turning out some fine loaves of sourdough bread and… Read More
Butternut Squash Sage Soup Columns Food & Drink 

Butternut Sage Soup

By Robin Horn Several years ago, I attended a music workshop in chilly (to Californians) Whidbey Island, WA. Not only did Ruzivo — a traditional Zimbabwean and contemporary Afropop ensemble — teach us three songs for 8-piece marimba ensembles in less than 48 hours, each band member was also responsible for feeding us a delicious meal. This warming soup hit… Read More