San Francisco CA

My ultimate snack is a pickle: Cool, juicy, salty, tangy. And if it can be a bit spicy, so much the better. Dilly beans tick all the boxes. You can settle in front of the tube with a big bowl of popcorn; I’ll curl up with these spicy spears.

An easy, fast way to use up plums if you've got too many on your hands: preserve them whole in syrup! A sprig of rosemary adds a great layer of flavor.

Courtesy of my friend Michael Cecconi of Two Sisters Bar and Books, a recipe for homemade balsamic-cherry vermouth, plus a cocktail recipe that uses it.

Pickles and beer, together at last. The subtle malt and bitterness of beer adds another dimension to garlicky, spicy, assertive cukes.