Dining with Alice Waters, Chilling in a Hot Bath, and Other Things We’re Excited About This Week

The Most Bay Area Collaboration Ever

Courtesy Heath Ceramics

New York has the Yankees, Detroit has Pewabic Pottery, New Orleans has Mardi Gras. And the Bay Area? We have Heath Ceramics. No brand better resonates with its region and its people than the iconic dinnerware and tile maker that got its start in Sausalito back in 1948. The company has five dinnerware collections, including the iconic Chez Panisse line that was designed in 2006 by chef and food visionary Alice Waters and designer Christina Kim in collaboration with Heath for Waters’s legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley. To celebrate the upcoming reintroduction of the Chez Panisse line, Heath and Waters have teamed up to host a special dinner at the restaurant on Tuesday, January 28 in support of The Edible Schoolyard Project. Dinner includes a welcome by chef Alice Waters with commentary by Heath owners Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic. $500/person includes dinner with wine pairings by Beaune Imports. —Sally Kuchar, senior home editor

A CBD Soak at Home

Courtesy of Bathing Culture

After wrapping up three days of reporting on the ground at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, you can bet my feet were sore. My favorite way to recoup from aches and pains is with CBD bath salts, which are a fantastic way to relax your body and muscles. This week I tried the Dipsea Soak by Bathing Culture, filled with Epsom salt, California Pacific sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, organic oils, and organically cultivated hemp CBD. The soak is inspired by California’s natural hot springs, and I can attest to major relaxation after the recommended 20 minutes. Pair your soak with a great read and a fantastic candle to set the mood. —Nena Farrell, associate home editor

A Life-Changing Ceramic Pan

Courtesy of Greenpan

I’ve been cooking with the same set of non-stick pots and pans for over 15 years, and they’ve started to show some wear and tear. Add to that increasing concerns about the toxicity of certain non-contemporary cookware, and it was time to start replacing some pieces in my collection. I decided to give ceramic non-stick a try, as its safety is widely touted, and I’ve been amazed by the results. My 12-inch GreenPan frypan achieves uniform heat, cuts down the amount of cooking fat I need to use, produces deliciously sautéed veggies, and cleanup is practically a non-issue, it’s so easy. This has been my most gratifying purchase in recent months, too, given how often I use it—and the very nice price point. —Jessica Mordo, associate digital director

In a Pickle (and Happy About It)

Thomas J. Story

Everyone’s all pumped for fermentation and probiotics these days (look for our story on it in our January/February 2020 issue this week!) and that’s why I cannot wait! to attend Medford’s Brine, Brew & Barrel Fermentation Festival, coming up on January 24-26. There will be tons of fun and funky hands-on workshops, demos (including one with my friend and natto maker Heidi Nestler), tastings, and a Bloody Mary brunch buffet. My gut flora are already thanking me. —Heather Arndt Anderson, garden editor

Betelgeuse

wenbin/Getty Images

It’s big, it’s red, and it’s probably going to explode soon. What’s not to like? I’ve always been partial to Betelgeuse. It’s got that funky color, for one thing, and it’s also part of my favorite constellation: big, bold Orion, one of the few constellations that looks anything like what it’s supposed to be. (Plus: Michael Keaton.) And now we discover that it’s living according to a motto something akin to, “Live fast, die young, and leave a great-looking corpse.” Most stars live for billions of years, but Betelgeuse is only about 10 million years old and already making plans to go out in a literal blaze of glory. When it does run out of the fuel it’s been burning through like there’s no tomorrow, it’s going to explode in a supernova so bright it will probably be visible in the daytime. When will this happen? It could be as long as 100,000 years from now. Or it could happen tonight. Keep your eyes peeled—winter is actually the best time to see Betelgeuse. —Nicole Clausing, digital producer

Blurring the Lines Between Art and the Rest of the World

Courtesy of FOG Design + Art

This week I’m very excited to attend a conversation between artist Rosana Castrillo Dîaz, chef Corey Lee of SF’s three-Michelin-starred Benu, and Sam Hamilton, owner of lifestyle store March. The discussion will focus on the crossover of art into different arenas and how that line is often burred. Castrillo Dîaz is a prolific Bay Area artist, whose work can be found in galleries and museums from  SFMoma to the Whitney Museum in New York. An example of her work can also be found on the walls of In Situ, chef Lee’s restaurant in the SFMOMA. There, Lee translates and recreates the work of famous dishes from chefs all over the world (with their participation and permission, of course), which is one of my favorite examples of blurring the lines between art and food. Is food art? Can art be food? I think yes. The discussion is part of the FOG Design + Art Fair which takes place January 16- 18 at SF’s Fort Mason Center benefitting SFMOMA; Food, Art, and Design: An Intersection takes place on Friday, January 17 from 1 p.m.- 2p.m. and is included with price of admission ($25)