Where in the world is it not only polite but a downright requirement to slurp up your coffee with vigor and tenacity? At Stumptown's Annex, a tasting room in Portland, Oregon, you can drink several of their esteemed coffees and learn about the intense brews from the pros behind the counter. It's the quintessential gourmand Portland experience, perfect for locals or out–of–town guests. More

A light sprinkling of salt on your comforting, mellow, bowl full of ice cream? My grandmother would be aghast. That doesn't mean I didn't immediately try it and love it, after my conversation with Mark Bitterman. More

Spending the afternoon at the Portland food carts with New York Times food writer Mark Bittman was a dream come true. His talk later that evening on his new book — The Food Matters Cookbook — was also entertaining, informative and inspiring. The most intriguing part of our visit, however was the way he bit into and savored his grilled Gruyère cheese sandwich.  More

Kim Boyce comes from a long line of female home bakers and cooks. Her mother made Chinese food from scratch in the 70s, her grandmother was constantly pulling something fabulous from the oven. These ladies made honest, 'not fancy' food. Lucky for us Kim caught the baking bug in college, and never looked back. With a recent move from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and Good to the Grain, her first cookbook, out now, Kim has cause for celebration. More

Many people see tofu as a blank canvas kind of food, something that has no inherent flavor but can act as a vehicle for whatever you introduce it to. So they squeeze it and marinate it and toss it with all manner of spices and aromatics. But people who grew up in Asia may know a secret about tofu that many Bay Area citizens are just beginning to discover: if it's well made, fresh tofu can be a delicious food in its own right. So where can you learn more about this magic stuff and get a taste? The Hodo Soy Beanery! More

We are rather fiendish about dried apricots in our house. When we’re not eating them straight from the bag, we’re throwing them in everything from salads to scones. But if we were addicted before, our discovery of ApricotKing Orchards and their online store has elevated things to a seriously dangerous level. More

I was recently invited by the California Milk Advisory Board to tour Clauss Dairy Farms in Hilmar, CA. I think it is important to approach food with a farm to table curiosity — to ask where it comes from and how it is produced. At Clauss, I saw how the cows lived and how they were treated, and I even got to pet them! More

Whenever I need a specific ingredient such as curry leaves, Thai basil, or really fresh and low-cost meat and seafood, I head to Duc Loi Asian Supermarket in San Francisco's Mission District. More

For us, the ritual of brewing tea is as meditative as drinking it. We love the idea of tossing our favorite loose-leaf jasmine green tea into this Zen-meets-architectural-design teapot from San Francisco designer Joey Roth, and watching the color bloom in rhythm with the aroma. More

When we want to browse for quality specialty foods, Market Hall Foods is one of the first places we turn to. More