We love beets! Beets taste of the soil in which they were grown and they are our icon, our mascot. Beets were also a major staple in the kitchen when the three of us starting cooking and working together – so we are and always will be fond of beets.
Our writing often focuses on seasonality and this beet-based cocktail is certainly one that will fit the bill for this immediate season – Halloween night.
October is swiftly coming to an end. Though the weather has played many tricks on us this season I am still determined to support my traditional notion of cooking soup during the fall. As far as I’m concerned – it’s my right to expect and demand soup in the fall; Continue reading
Squash Soup Duel: 
The Jonathans Throw Down.
As most of you know, the Jonathans are the creative culinary force behind OurLocaltopia. They are each extremely talented cooks, with divergent styles that inform and strengthen each other. Occasionally their differences come out in epic Iron chef style duels, like the one detailed below. I was lucky enough to experience this duel in person, and while I could never pick a decisive winner, the process was educational and, of course, delicious! Read on for details on two seemingly similar dishes, Continue reading
This sugar pumpkin is stuffed with everything good and is about to be roasted!
For our second fall baking post, we wanted to share a recipe that has enchanted us to the most infinite degree… a stuffed pumpkin baked with a savory filling that, as recipe name suggests… has truly everything good. Continue reading
Pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds are inseparable from the autumn season. They fill our pies, form the foundation of our soups, and adorn our tables as the days get shorter and the holidays approach. In this gallery you’ll find cucurbits (the general term for these fruits of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants) for all purposes. With a little hunting, you should be able to purchase all of these at local markets and grocers… Continue reading
As the days become shorter and the nights become longer… OurLocaltopia is excited by the new season and all of the great ways we can celebrate it. We’re absolutely crazy for fall. We love how fall brings a change in the air, the light, what’s in our gardens, and what’s on our stoves and in our ovens. Seasonality is a complete inspiration for us, therefore we have decided to issue several posts over the coming weeks devoted to Fall Baking and Cooking. Continue reading
Join OurLocaltopia this Thursday evening, September 12th at 7pm at the Yorba Linda Public Library for a FREE “Tailgate Party” themed cooking class, part of the Library’s ongoing NiteLife series. Continue reading
This past week, amid the buildup to the 4th of July holiday, family gatherings and time spent with friends, Our Localtopia was at work putting a video together featuring fresh local figs paired with homemade ricotta. We gathered in my kitchen to film and make ricotta cheese; creamy, warm and decadent. It had been a while since I had made homemade ricotta, and our video shoot reminded me how just a few simple ingredients, thoughtfully prepared, truly come together to make a great dish. A dish that is at once completely homey, and at once truly sophisticated. Pure ingredients allowed to shine in their own radiant light — creating harmony on a dinner plate. Continue reading
The good folks at Fullerton Foundry have a great post recapping the food and events of the Fullerton Arboretum’s Spring Farm Dinner. Take a gander at the first paragraph and click through the link to read the rest:
“All across the nation, the locavore generation has been driving the dining experience to a whole new level. Although the seasonal and artisanal mantra rings loud at most respectable restaurants, it’s a lot more enjoyable to eat at the source — especially when that source is in the very field where your dinner was grown. Farm to fork gatherings have been bolstering the relationship between the garden and the food on our plate; celebrating the magnificence of our pastoral scene. At the same time, it has also generated great awareness regarding the importance and vitality of our own agricultural community and the delicious, wholesome and abundant bounty it provides us.
In the vein of Outstanding in the Field and Plate & Pitchfork, the Fullerton Arboretum hosted a Spring Farm Dinner right on their idyllic grounds…. (read more at http://fullertonfoundry.com/2013/04/spring-farm-dinner/ )”
Alicia Hitchcock of Brea’s Alicia’s Cookery and Catering visited Cathy Thomas’ kitchen recently and made this delicious looking cherry pie. Check out this video to watch the recipe unfold and learn helpful techniques from these cooking experts!
Read on for the full recipe for the pie crust and filling… Continue reading
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