Subscribe
Sign in
Home
Start Here
Archive
About
Pull Up a Chair
Stories about food, wine, memory, and place—and the things worth keeping.
May 20
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
1
Baja Was Already Here
Casa Madero was founded in 1597. When Serra planted the Mission grape in San Diego in 1769, Mexican wine was already 172 years old. We've been looking…
Aug 9
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
Jan's
On Jan's Health Bar, Huntington Beach, the Golden Bear, Duke Kahanamoku, and the salad we always ordered.
Jul 26
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
10
10
2
Jan's Health Bar Turkey Sandwich with Avocado, Microgreens and Spike Seasoning
Oven-roasted turkey, avocado, microgreens, cucumber, tomatoes, and Spike seasoning on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread. Inspired by Jan's Health Bar in…
Jul 26
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
1
Surf City Sunrise Smoothie with Strawberry, Pineapple and Apricot
A bright, citrus-forward summer smoothie inspired by Jan's Health Bar in Huntington Beach. Fresh apricots, strawberries, frozen pineapple, honey, and a…
Jul 25
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
Stories
View all
Jan's
On Jan's Health Bar, Huntington Beach, the Golden Bear, Duke Kahanamoku, and the salad we always ordered.
Jul 26
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
10
10
2
What the Valley Taught Me
On WSET Diploma exams, Robert Mondavi Winery, Inglenook, Walt Wines, two graduations, a wildfire, and what Napa is becoming.
Jun 21
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
4
2
3
Exams, Open Roads, and a Week in Wine Country
On diploma tests, family milestones, and what happens when you finally put the study cards down and just drive.
Jun 7
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
3
1
Tarantula
On showers, German Shepherds, and black and tan brownies.
May 24
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
1
1
The 84th
A birthday, angel food cake, and the people worth gathering for.
May 11
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
6
3
3
257 Years
View all
Baja Was Already Here
Casa Madero was founded in 1597. When Serra planted the Mission grape in San Diego in 1769, Mexican wine was already 172 years old. We've been looking…
Aug 9
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
Temecula is Fighting
Fifty-seven years in, and still fighting for respect. The starting-over region that had to invent itself from nothing and quietly got fifty years ahead…
Jul 19
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
2
2
The Long Silence: Thirteen Dry Years, and the Thirty-Two That Followed
Prohibition lasted thirteen years. For Southern California wine, the silence lasted thirty-two.
Jul 8
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
2
1
What the Freeway Buried: The Pride of Cucamonga
The Cucamonga Valley once held the largest single vineyard in the world. It survived Pierce’s disease, Prohibition, and a century of pressure. Then the…
Jun 28
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
1
2
Before Napa, Los Angeles Was the Wine Capital
A century of vineyards in downtown LA, the workers whose names aren’t on the wineries, and the collapse no one fully talks about.
May 28
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
8
2
Recipes
View all
Jan's Health Bar Turkey Sandwich with Avocado, Microgreens and Spike Seasoning
Oven-roasted turkey, avocado, microgreens, cucumber, tomatoes, and Spike seasoning on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread. Inspired by Jan's Health Bar in…
Jul 26
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
1
Surf City Sunrise Smoothie with Strawberry, Pineapple and Apricot
A bright, citrus-forward summer smoothie inspired by Jan's Health Bar in Huntington Beach. Fresh apricots, strawberries, frozen pineapple, honey, and a…
Jul 25
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
Jan's Health Bar Classic Salad with Vegetarian Turkey, Avocado and Herby Vinaigrette
Mixed greens, avocado, white cheddar, sunflower seeds, cucumber, tomato, carrots, mushrooms, and sprouts with a fresh herb vinaigrette. Inspired by…
Jul 25
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
2
2
Spinach Salad with Smoked Bacon, Fresh Berries and Goat Cheese
A summer spinach salad with smoked bacon, fresh berries, nectarine, and goat cheese in a balsamic shallot vinaigrette. Protein, fiber, and enough flavor…
Jul 4
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
6
3
4
Lemon Raspberry Sorbet
Fresh or frozen raspberries, an ice cream maker, and less than an hour. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and good for a month.
May 30
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
1
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Whipped Cream
Light, airy, and made from scratch, a vintage sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
May 10
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
6
5
3
Clara's Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy, spiced oatmeal raisin cookies with cloves and cinnamon, from Great-grandmother Clara Weidman Baker's recipe box.
Apr 29
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
Archie's Cookies: A Dog-Safe Treat for Hootch
Rolled oats, banana, peanut butter, and unsweetened applesauce. Simple, safe, made with love, and gone in approximately four seconds.
Apr 29
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
Food, wine, and the stories that live at the table. Free, always. Pull up a chair.
Subscribe
The Larder
View all
Exams, Open Roads, and a Week in Wine Country
On diploma tests, family milestones, and what happens when you finally put the study cards down and just drive.
Jun 7
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
3
1
Before Napa, Los Angeles Was the Wine Capital
A century of vineyards in downtown LA, the workers whose names aren’t on the wineries, and the collapse no one fully talks about.
May 28
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
8
2
Tarantula
On showers, German Shepherds, and black and tan brownies.
May 24
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
1
1
The 84th
A birthday, angel food cake, and the people worth gathering for.
May 11
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
6
3
3
Before Napa, There Was a Boat Leaving Spain
A vine, a question I couldn't stop pulling on, and the five-century journey that built California wine.
May 3
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
1
The Dog Who Jumped In
On shelter pets, Clara Baker's oatmeal cookies, and the day an ordinary January became unforgettable.
Apr 29
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
3
4
3
Three Days with Lea
On calm people, a dining table that deserves more use, and the week I finally sat down
Apr 26
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
3
2
No Apron
The recipe is hers. The blueberries are mine. Some things arrive exactly when they're ready.
Apr 22
•
Jennifer Ann Blair
2
2
1
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please
turn on JavaScript
or unblock scripts
