By Mariko Jackson I'm a very messy cook. I've heard chefs stress organization in the kitchen, and the first thing I notice when watching a professional is how clean their space is. I cook for just a few people, yet I can't keep up with the mess I'm leaving behind.
By Mariko Jackson I've heard that chia seeds are the new kale. Some of us thought it was our little secret, but lately I can't find chia seeds in any of my usual spots — the bulk bin at Whole Foods, on the shelf at Down to Earth or even online. Each venue is sold out.
By Mariko Jackson People like to say "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle." Phooey, I say. If I thought that for the rest of my life I couldn't have a doughnut, I'd probably just throw away my scale and let the sprinkles fall where they may.
By Mariko Jackson The easiest crème brûlée you will ever make takes just five ingredients. Crème brûlée is already a tease of a dish, hiding behind a lacy, crisp glass of sugar.
By Mariko Jackson I'm glad that the holidays only come once a year, not just because of all the work of shopping and decorating and baking, but because one can only take so much eggnog. When the eggnog products hit the shelves, I overdo it.
By Mariko Jackson If the recent rage over "Gangnam Style" didn't clue you in, Korean everything is big these days. And while I can't understand the Korean dramas my mom watches, the language of the Korean taco is universal.
By Mariko Jackson If chocolate lava cake was the courtship, one-pot chili is the "It's Tuesday night, we've been married for 10 years and I'm in no mood to impress you" dinner.
By Mariko Jackson I've fallen in with some of the more extreme tomato advocates. In fact, I'm thinking of writing a tomato manifesto to hang on the pantry door.
By Mariko Jackson If an obsession with the "scientifically proven," most delicious way to cook a dish is part of someone's DNA, it definitely runs in my family. When we get an idea to cook something for a special occasion, we do our research.
By Mariko Jackson During my family's recent visit to Oregon, we were lucky enough to catch the end of the strawberry crop that has overtaken a good portion of my parents' backyard.