in medias recipe – Santa Barbara, California food blog with a focus on Farmers Market cooking

My Summer Vacation, Part I: Paris

July 31, 2014

It’s hard to imagine more visually-rich locales for a working holiday than London and Paris. I took loads of photos in both cities and decided to lead with Paris. Our days were filled with museum and monument visits, walks through lush gardens and farmers markets, and marvelous meals — with an emphasis on dessert, of […]

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Copper River Salmon Salad for One

July 12, 2014

It will come as no surprise that salad is my default dish when it’s dinner-for-one in on a warm summer’s evening. It’s refreshing to eat when the temperature climbs, it’s a great way to use tasty leftover protein and it’s a breeze to prepare when all you crave is a light, but satisfying meal. I […]

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Asian Steak Salad

June 29, 2014

While I live with carnivores, I don’t crave meat the way they do. Rather than tackle a Flinstone-like slab of beef, I hanker for a salad where thin slices of steak play a supporting role. This boldly-flavored Asian Steak Salad satisfied my craving and earned two thumbs up from the carnivores. I found inspiration from […]

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June at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market

June 19, 2014

It feels like the only sound I hear these days is whoosh. The last few weeks have flown by, packed with activity. When life is a little too full, the Farmers Market is where I find my zen. Snapping photos and tucking luscious, aromatic produce and flowers into my bags calms me down. In the […]

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Bacon, Cheddar and Savoy Cabbage Melt

June 9, 2014

On a Friday evening a few weeks ago, we three piled into Matthew’s car and drove the scenic route to Ojai. As The Bug strummed her guitar in the back seat, we headed east through the foothills, where the groves of citrus and avocado trees that hug the hillsides glowed in the warm, early-evening light. […]

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Roasted Asparagus with Buttery, Pimenton Almonds, Crispy Jamon Serrano and a Poached Egg

June 3, 2014

A few weeks ago, Matthew and I were in San Francisco on business. With time for a team dinner on the schedule, I immediately made a reservation at Contigo. Co-owned by Chef Brett Emerson and his wife Elan, Contigo is a bright and cozy space nestled on a busy street in the city’s Noe Valley […]

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C’est Cheese Cafe Opens

May 23, 2014

After more than 10 years running their successful cheese and specialty store, C’est Cheese, owners and entrepreneurs Kathryn and Michael Graham, expanded their business with the opening this week of the C’est Cheese Cafe. In the newly-renovated bright and airy space next door to the couple’s Santa Barbara Street outpost, their team of chefs and […]

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May at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market

May 19, 2014

I can’t believe I’m typing this: summer has arrived at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. A few holdouts from winter — colorful cauliflower — remain, but between the flowers and the produce, it looks more like July than May. Take a look. Have a good week!

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Pluot Upside-Down Cake

May 12, 2014

Every now and then, I get a craving for upside-down cake. Caramelized fruit on top of a sweet, tender cake feels comforting, satisfying and nostalgic. But, the homey, unassuming upside-down cake gives me fits. I can rinse and slice fruit with the best of them, and fortunately the vanilla-scented cake batter is easy. It’s the […]

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Heat Wave Food: Fresh, Pre-Summer Salads

May 5, 2014

California was gripped by a heat wave last week. The thought of turning on the oven to make dinner was fleeting. The only thing I could think of eating until the heat broke was salad. It may not be heating up yet where you live, but as the summer approaches, I wanted to share a […]

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