SFist Karen catches some Andy Goldsworthy-esque art on the beach. more ›

The SFist test kitchen staff has a tiny list of essential food books. At the top you'll find Harold McGee's . Our copy's tattered cover and stained pages broadcast our love for this accessible bible of kitchen science. When we use the bright red tome to answer our culinary questions, we say we're "Reading From the Book of Harold." Alton Brown uses this book as a reference. more ›

We loved the empty marketplace we found at the Ferry Building on a soggy New Year's Eve day. Few buyers wanted to come out on the wet holiday. Sadly, many farmers felt the same way, and the thriving market was a shadow of its normal self. Ah, well, we still found some bright green Brussels sprouts to take home for dinner. more ›

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The Artful Eater. You knew this post was coming. You've seen tomatoes piled up at the farmer's markets, a gumball machine of green, yellow, orange, and red spheres, and you've wondered when we're going to talk about them. Never fear, we intend to take full advantage of this mouthwatering selection. Though supermarket versions have gotten better over the years, they still suffer from being picked too early or refrigerated, both of which can stunt the flavor. Good farmers, on the other hand, pick the tomatoes at their peak of ripeness and don't refrigerate the fragile fruit. And while we don't believe that the word "heirloom" necessarily makes tomatoes taste better, we do enjoy the wider range of flavors and colors. We're actually thinking of doing a tomato post in a few weeks, comparing the different heirloom varieties. What do you think?
Most of you know that the tomato is botanically a fruit, but why does everyone treat it like a vegetable? Harold McGee's argues that it's because of the high amounts of glutamic acid and sulfur aromas, which give it a savory quality that pairs well with meats. If you think you're sensitive to MSG, avoid tomatoes (and Parmiggiano-Reggiano. Ouch). more ›