“Passing the apron” at Tess’ Kitchen Store

Tess’ Kitchen Store store in historic downtown Grass Valley has been in continuous operations since 1931, when original owner Tess Hawkins had a gift and card shop. Since then, the store has relocated on Mill Street, each time to a bigger location. In 2010, Steve Rosenthal and his wife, Rachel, purchased what had become Tess’ […]

Foraging at the Farmers Market

ALICE WATERS HAS BEEN a champion of the farm-to-table movement for over four decades. Alice and her world-famous Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley have ties to our region, thanks to local chef Alan Tangren, a 22-year Chez Panisse veteran. Alice credits Alan “for foraging our relationships with scores of mostly local growers and suppliers who […]

Spring 2019: Cooking Classes

LOCAL FARMERS ARE PLANTING their summer crops and starting to harvest spring’s bounty. Lettuces, asparagus and artichokes are headed for the markets. Fresh local onions, squash, peppers and eggplant are expected in May and June. Spring cooking classes in our region often feature this year’s first harvest. BRIARPATCH CO-OP COOKING SCHOOL 648 Zion St., Nevada […]

Winter cooking classes

Winter is an ideal time to sign up for a cooking class in the foothills. We’re indoors more, thanks to the winter weather, and a cooking class helps you master new recipes, perhaps with the kitchenware you received for the holidays—French cookware, a wok or a Vitamix. TESS’ KITCHEN STORE 115 Mill St., Grass Valley […]

Tess’ Culinary Adventures: Have wok will travel

IN HIS BEST-SELLING MEMOIR A YEAR IN PROVENCE, author Peter Mayle “transports us into all the earthly pleasures of Provençal life,” and the main character is the region’s cuisine. “The year began with lunch,” the book begins, detailing a menu that included foie gras, beef en croûte, salads dressed in virgin oil, hand-picked cheeses, and […]

Winemaker dinners: Showcasing our local bounty

NOWHERE IS THE BOUNTY FROM our local food shed—from fruits, veggies and wine grapes to free-range beef, pork and lamb—better showcased than at our region’s winemaker dinners. The gatherings are hosted by chefs, winemakers and caterers in exceptional venues: historic buildings, such as Julia Morgan’s North Star House in Grass Valley; in a wine cave […]

Alice Waters’ local ties: from a forager to a farmer

ALICE WATERS HAS BEEN A CHAMPION of the farm-to-table movement for over four decades. She is a national treasure, as is her Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley. We’ve admired Waters since our college days at UC Berkeley in the late ’70s: We’ve eaten at her restaurant on Shattuck Ave. (upstairs and downstairs), interviewed her in […]

Art Works Gallery’s world traveling local artists

“LOCAL ART BY LOCAL ARTISTS” IS THE MOTTO for Art Works Gallery in downtown Grass Valley. Artwork in the gallery regularly features the scenic foothills and mountains that surround our region, including the South Yuba River, rolling, oak-studded hills, and Lake Tahoe. But many of the over 30 juried visual artists that belong to Art […]

Foraging for flavor: Summer cooking classes in the Sierra Foothills

DURING THE SUMMER, YOU CAN TAKE advantage of the bounty from farmers markets and farm stands or backyard gardens. Cooking classes feature summer fruits and veggies. In a popular class at Tess’ Kitchen Store, in-house chef Alan Tangren—who was a restaurant forager at famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley—shows you how to select the best fruits […]

“Kitchen Cabinets”: Friends & family who advise each other in a real kitchen

“Kitchen cabinet” politics is a group of unofficial advisers to a political leader—often more influential than the official cabinet. President Reagan’s “kitchen cabinet” included trusted old friends, as did the group assembled by Andrew Jackson in 1829. Next year, our new President will form his or her own “kitchen cabinet.” The same is true when […]

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