Edible Monterey Bay

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Kathryn McKenzieKathryn McKenzie

Kathryn McKenzie, who grew up in Santa Cruz and now lives on a Christmas tree farm in north Monterey County, writes about sustainable living, home design and health for numerous publications and websites.

Remembering the “Lost Restaurants” of Santa Cruz

by

June 30, 2020 – It wasn’t just another job for Liz Pollock. She remembers vividly the days and nights working as the first female bartender for Adolph’s Italian Family Restaurant in Santa Cruz, 40 years ago.

Adolph’s is long gone — but readers can remember it, and many other long-gone local dining establishments — in Pollock’s new book, “Lost Restaurants of Santa Cruz County,” recently published by American Palate, a division of The History Press. 

Pollock’s foray into history writing came about when she happened upon some information about rationing during World War II and she began to wonder how Santa Cruz-area restaurants managed with the food shortages and other restrictions of the era. It ended up becoming an 18-month project of researching and writing. 

Pollock’s own history has been … Read More

EDIBLE NOTABLES

SECRET BAKERY

by

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK TREGENZA

Former executive finds his passion in artisan breads

.ugb-dc64c49 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}

In the Italian city of Florence, secret bakeries are a longstanding tradition. Hundreds of home bakers supply the city’s cafés, and locals in the know wait outside these clandestine bakeries in the early morning hours to grab a fresh, hot-from-the-oven pastry.

Andrew McClelland didn’t set out to have a secret bakery of his own, but the twists and turns of the past six months have led him down this path. Now, at his home in South Salinas, he produces hundreds of loaves of rustic sourdough and whole grain breads, as well as pastries, croissants and more each week.

People order his breads online, pay in advance and then pick up at a table outside … Read More

EDIBLE NOTABLES

OFF THE HOOK

by

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE MAGDALENA

Women-owned seafood and salt business thrives despite pandemic

.ugb-7939c78 hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}

To hear Corina Gitmed and Sara Spencer tell it, destiny brought them together and the universe continues to guide their way through a complicated landscape. Somehow, they say, this was all meant to be.

.ugb-9e7077f hr.ugb-divider__hr{margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important}

Despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for so many food producers, Gitmed and Spencer have adapted and are thriving. With a demand for healthy foods delivered to people’s doors, their company Off The Hook Essentials is now doing a brisk business as a CSF (community supported fishery), bringing sustainably caught seafood directly to their customers in San Benito County and beyond.

“You have to trust the journey,” says Spencer, an Aptos resident … Read More

Carmel Chef Creates Organic Nut Milk Business

by

June 9, 2020 – Faced with sheltering in place during a pandemic, some people turn to jigsaw puzzles or Zoom cocktail parties. Amalia Scatena, on the other hand, set out to create her own plant-based milk—and the result is a whole new side business for the executive chef at The Stationaery in Carmel.

It all grew from Scatena’s longing for a really good milk alternative, minus the sugar, flavorings and other additives that come with buying typical supermarket brands. Being the chef that she is, she decided that she might as well make her own. Now she’s sharing it with others.

“Ingredients are really, really important to me,” Scatena says. “Doing this has been therapeutic for me.”

What she came up with is a creamy mixture that is made from … Read More

Local Grocery Stores Working Hard to Keep Up With Demand

by

March 17, 2020 – Demand for food, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and other supplies has surged at local markets and grocery stores, as locals stock up in anticipation of staying home for extended periods of time due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Around the Monterey Bay, grocery shelves have been stripped bare at some supermarkets, challenging managers, checkers and other personnel to keep up with the unprecedented demand. Staples such as potatoes, oatmeal, canned tuna, pasta and frozen meals were in high demand; people also continued to seek out cleaning supplies such as sanitizing wipes and bleach.

“We are doing our best to keep everything upbeat and stocked,” says Andre Beauregard, owner of Shopper’s Corner independent market in Santa Cruz. “We are definitely ordering heavier to accommodate the panic buying, and … Read More

Facebook

Twitter