By Laura Stec
E-mail Laura Stec
About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...
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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and environment pioneer, macrobiotic, Master Cleanser, ayurvedic, and officially-designated health-nut or party-girl (depending on the year). Professionally, I've worn many industry hats including: line cook, corporate chef, Food Coach, caterer, product developer, restaurant reviewer, culinary school teacher, corporate wellness educator, food co-op clerk, author, and even Cirque-du-Soleil lead popcorn concessioner! For years I managed an outdoor kitchen, deep in the bear-infested woods of Tahoe, and also for hospitals (the most unhealthy kitchen I ever worked in?), Singapore high-rises, mule-pack trips, Canadian catholic rectories, and more events than I could ever recall. Yet I still keep discovering. Actually, I adapt everyday by new lessons learned from teachers, customers and students. However there is one food truth I now hold sacrosanct: Eaters are motivated by pleasure. So no matter what we discuss here - recipes or restaurants, food politics or pairings, local events, food as art, or even as God, I will always come from a high-vibe, party perspective. Oh I do still long to change the world with great tasting food, but know in my heart, "If it ain't fun, it don't get done!" So - wanna come to the Food Party? By the way - it's a potluck.
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I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years.
So began our journey back in 2013.
Hard to believe we’ve been Food Partying! ten years. What a pleasure and an honor it has been. Thank you for joining this potluck of words, ideas, recipes and fun.
Our first Food Party! was Oct 7, 2013:
Welcome to the Food Party! Kitchen Science Tip #1
In total, we’ve Food Partied! 360+ times with a break in late 2020 – 2021 as writers everywhere gasped for inspiration through early covid and other social disasters of the day.
Some of the highlights include two sub-series that show up now and again:
Travelin’ Solo
Local Flavor
We also hosted a successful
Farm Bill Book Group just this year, reading Food Fight, by Dan Imhoff, learning about the renewal of one of the countries largest pieces of legislation, how it effects the food system, our pocketbooks, children, and health.
We've talked current events, politics, philosophy, plant forward cooking, macrobiotics, the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), Sriracha Salt, Cheese Plate - Disrupted, Sparkling Hot Chocolate, Dry January, SUGAR, and a lot of things about food. Food touches our lives in so many more ways that just our mouth and stomach.

Top Ten Countdown - Most Read Food Parties!
10. Eat Anything You Want Except For Two Days A Week Diet
9. Eat Out. Alone. In Public? NEVER!
One of my favorite blogs, a topic I hope we revisit soon.
8. I Still Call It Rossotti's
No surprise this piece made the top ten with its 40+ public comments. It was the ONLY blog Embarcadero Media censored the public comments (due to very honest accounts of what readers used to do at night in the Zot’s parking lot.)
7. Eggs with Legs
6. Replacing the Marshmallow in S’mores
5. I Just Ate Beets for the first time
4. Is Coffee a Date?
My friend Katherine asked this question which still deserves an answer.
3. Food Safety and Coronavirus: A comprehensive Guide
A light in dark and scary times, thanks to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s for helpful information when no one knew what to do with their groceries.
2. Leftover Love
And drum roll please……..
1. Learny Journey
The #1 Food Party! for years. It’s the story of a 2014 girl scout “journey” to discover food system realities and secrets with Portola Valley grocer Bianchini’s.

Thanks for coming to the party.
Here's to 10 more years.
! ??
If it ain’t fun, it don’t get done.
I - Photos by LSIC==
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