Magazine

Eliza Ridgeway/Town Crier

Holiday lights illuminate the gardens and walk-ways at Filoli.

Although the pandemic has canceled many travel plans and events for the holidays, a variety of local activities are still on the calendar, some virtual and others in person but socially distanced. A rundown of holiday events follows.

Courtesy of Blanche Shaheen

Anise sesame cookies are crumbly, nutty and tender to the bite.

The holidays can be a frenetic mix of stress and festivities, where mounting bills, social obligations and long lines intermix with family gatherings, spiritual activities and sparkling lights.

Eliza Ridgeway/Town Crier

A special 100% whole wheat chocolate chip recipe – easy for bakers of all ages to deftly whip up – comes as a gift to readers from Mountain View's The Midwife and the Baker

The flavors and ingredients of the Bay Area holiday season reflect who we are – cooking with mochi flour from the pantry or with pomegranates from a neighbor’s yard. Whether your family specialty features mung beans, dulce de leche or a hearty glug of coffee liqueur, you’re probably making your foods for an altered audience this year.

Olivia Treynor/Town Crier

Picking gifts at local stores such as Adventure Toys on Main Street makes a double gift of your endeavor.

Anything you buy from a local merchant is a gift to the shop owner, the employees and the economy.

Manufacturers of some items are specific in their benefits, donating a portion of proceeds to a selected charity or cause. In those cases, you are essentially giving a triple gift – to the merchant, the charity and your gift recipient.

S.M. Lieu/Special to the Town Crier

Casey Carsten cooks with the produce she and her husband, Jack, grow in their garden, including lemons. Casey is a contributing writer and food critic for several Bay Area publications.

Gardeners, start your engines and get growing.

This is the optimum time to plant your winter garden – even though it’s still technically summer. Cool-season vegetables need enough warm weather to grow and develop good root systems before cold weather sets in.
If that’s not reason enough to plant now, consider other benefits, both practical and therapeutic, of starting a winter garden.

Lauren Edith Anderson/Special to the Town Crier

Aboriginal art from Australia hangs above an intricately carved dowry chest from Rajasthan, India.

As I wandered through a client’s home in Redwood City for the first time, I couldn’t help but notice unique objects all over the house – among them, an intricately carved chest, an elegant wood dining table and gorgeous pottery. I learned that the husband and wife had amassed a collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade items from all over the world through years of traveling for work.