Captivating Picks from Eclectic Lineup at the Frameline50 Film Festival

By Noma Faingold                                     (June 13, 2026)

Frameline50, the annual San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, June 17-27. The milestone is a big deal for the largest and longest-running queer film festival in the world. Several San Francisco and East Bay venues, including the newly restored Castro Theater, will host 140 films from 35 countries with LGBTQ+ themes by mostly queer filmmakers. Programming for the 11-day event also includes parties, networking events and industry panels.

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SPICE UP YOUR FOOD:A Recipe for the Strawberry and Tomato Season — and more

With strawberries and tomatoes coming into season it is time to remind you of these refreshing recipes. And we have added another version of Strawberry Spaghetti called “Makaron z truskawkami.” You may be surprised to learn about this dessert version that caused an international controversy and brought attention to the idea of using strawberries with pasta five years after we first published our recipe.

EatDrinkFilms offers a full meal starting with Bloody Mary cocktails, a zucchini salad, strawberry spaghetti, and chewy molasses cookies for dessert; plus great popcorn idea to eat while watching an after-dinner movie.

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Food Set Chef Melissa King Free

By Noma Faingold   (Updated October 2, 2025)

Chef Melissa King was not like the other kids growing up in Whittier, a small city in Los Angeles County. While her peers watched Saturday morning cartoons, she was glued to Julie Child shows, Martin Yan’s “Yan Can Cook” and other television cooking programs.

“I was always very interested in food and I liked to eat,” King said.

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Nous: A new Alsatian Restaurant to Complement the Ashland Shakespeare Festival

By Julie Lindow (June 16, 2025)

Are you planning to attend a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this summer? It is a terrific season with classic works like Julius Caesar, The Importance of Being Earnest, As You Like It, and The Merry Wives of Windsor to contemporary shows including August Wilson’s Jitney, Shane, Fat Ham, Quixote Nuevo, and Sondheim’s Into the Woods. The season runs through October 26. If you don’t have plans yet, I highly recommend you make them and along with a reservation at the dreamy new restaurant, Nous (pronounced new).

Nous revisits the cuisine of the Alsace region of France with a blend of Germanic and French culinary traditions and an outstanding selection of wines and that are stunningly paired with the dishes.

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Cake Happens in San Francisco

“CAKE PICNIC™ was born out of a simple desire to eat a lot of cake. And be surrounded by friends,” writes founder Elisa Sunga. “It is a gathering for the love of cake. It celebrates cake in all of its forms — chiffon cakes, upside down cakes, Princess cakes, Russian honey cakes, meringue cakes, jello cakes, trifles, multi-tiered cakes, sponge cakes, butter cakes, and more. Continue reading

A Feast of Cinematic & Culinary Delights

A Marcella Hazan tribute dinner, 17 food-related films, and Michelin Chef Yoshinori Ishii’s masterclass on Japanese cuisine highlight a wine country festival starting Wednesday with 90+ events.

By Geneva Anderson

(March 16, 2025)

The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF), March 19-23, offers an extravaganza of groundbreaking cinema, food, and fun spread over five days in glorious Sonoma, the heart of the wine country. All films are screened at venues in or within walking distance of the historic town square making SIFF one of the country’s most laid back and enjoyable festivals.  The full line-up includes over 90 films.

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MY LIFE IN RECIPES- Food, Family, and Memories

Recipes by Joan Nathan

(updated January 28, 2025))

My Life in Recipes is new cookbook from the James Beard Award–winning, beloved author that uses recipes to look back at her life, her family history, and her personal journey discovering Jewish cuisine from around the world.

Joan is appearing with book signings across the U.S.

Joan will be speaking on Thursday, January 30, 2025, 6-8pm at Clio’s in Oakland, CA about My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories and A Sweet Year: Jewish Celebrations and Festive Recipes for Kids and Their Families: A Cookbook, and how making food with friends and family is now more than ever a delight and a requisite.   Tickets and more info here.

Check more appearances by Joan here.

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You Stopped My World: From Menus-Plaisirs to La Cocina, A Reflection

“You have to edit the material.

That assumes that some kind of a mind is operating in relation to the material. 

Not all minds are the same. 

Every aspect of filmmaking requires choice. 

The selection of the subject, the shooting, editing and length are all aspects of choice.” 

~ Frederick Wiseman

 

By Cari Borja

Quotes center me. I always begin with them. Whether at the start of a salon dinner, a birthday card, a performance installation, or a piece of writing. They lend focus. The above Wiseman quote does the same ~ his words, his films, his quote ~ a focus. Continue reading

A Baker’s Dozen: THANKSGIVING PECAN PIE, PLEASE

by Dianne Boate

(Updated November 23, 2024)

Several years ago, I watched apprehensively as eleven people took forks in hand to try their first bite of my new Pecan Pie.  Then, silence. Not one word. Color was coming and going on my face as they sat silently, chewing. My brain was bursting with all the arguments against making pie in the first place, and wishing fervently I could disappear on the spot. Continue reading