By Laura Stec
E-mail Laura Stec
About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...
(More)About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and environment pioneer, macrobiotic, Master Cleanser, ayurvedic, and officially-designated health-nut or party-girl (depending on the year). Professionally, I've worn many industry hats including: line cook, corporate chef, Food Coach, caterer, product developer, restaurant reviewer, culinary school teacher, corporate wellness educator, food co-op clerk, author, and even Cirque-du-Soleil lead popcorn concessioner! For years I managed an outdoor kitchen, deep in the bear-infested woods of Tahoe, and also for hospitals (the most unhealthy kitchen I ever worked in?), Singapore high-rises, mule-pack trips, Canadian catholic rectories, and more events than I could ever recall. Yet I still keep discovering. Actually, I adapt everyday by new lessons learned from teachers, customers and students. However there is one food truth I now hold sacrosanct: Eaters are motivated by pleasure. So no matter what we discuss here - recipes or restaurants, food politics or pairings, local events, food as art, or even as God, I will always come from a high-vibe, party perspective. Oh I do still long to change the world with great tasting food, but know in my heart, "If it ain't fun, it don't get done!" So - wanna come to the Food Party? By the way - it's a potluck.
(Hide)View all posts from Laura Stec
With a really wet winter behind us – it’s the perfect season for
hunting mushrooms and wildflowers. Before you head out, download the new guide from POST, Peninsula Open Space Trust.
Wildflowers of the Bay Area
The full-color guide identifies 30 native wildflowers, where to find them, and when they are in bloom. Start looking now! I reviewed the guide for Food Party! flowers (flowers we can eat) and found out Miner’s Lettuce has flowers – who knew? Miner’s Lettuce grows all over the Bay; pick it and make a delicious salad. The guide describes the plant as a valuable food source for the miners during the Gold Rush.
Here’s a few others:
Make herbal tea with
Johnny Jump-ups
And use these for home remedies…
Blue Eyed Grass
Roots and leaves used by the Ohlone Indians as a cure for indigestion and stomach pain.
Coyote Mint
Used by Spanish missionaries as a cure for sore throats. Take a sniff to enjoy its fresh, minty fragrance. I think I saw this flower this morning at the Dish in Palo Alto.
Thanks POST!
POST
Peninsula Open Space Trust
POST has protected 75,000 acres of open space, farms and parkland in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties with the support of our generous donors. Their mission is to protect and care for lands that provide scenic beauty, clean air and water, locally grown food and a place for people and wildlife to thrive. Many POST-protected properties are private, so please visit
the hikes page for publicly accessible properties.
