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New Year’s Resolutions: How to become a better home chef, according to Amanda Haas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Sure, you’re probably just thinking about the holiday frolic ahead. But can we talk 2024? Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to cook more meals at home or to eat healthier? Amanda Haas can help.The Orinda-based cookbook author and former Williams Sonoma culinary director recently released her fourth cookbook, “Homemade Simple: Effortless Dishes for a Busy Life” (Cameron + Company, $29), which builds on an idea she first explored in her debut cookbook, “One Family, One Meal“: that dinnertime should not involve being a short-order cook for each family member. In her latest cookbook, she returns to that concept of family-friendly meal simplicity, but with an added emphasis on health and nutrition.Q. What inspired this cookbook?A. This is my fourth cookbook. When I had young kids, I believed that I would figure out how to cook things that we would all enjoy eating. I started messing around with simple recipes of the foods I loved, and found that it...

Before his death, ‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun lost work, faced intense police grilling amid South Korean drug crackdown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Two months before his death Wednesday by an apparent suicide, acclaimed South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was dropped from a major film project after news broke that he was being investigated on charges of illegally using marijuana, ketamine and other drugs in the company of a Seoul bar hostess, amid a nationwide crackdown on illegal drug use.Lee, who shot to international fame in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” was set to star in the drama “No Way Out,” a dark comedy about the contract killing of a man who was just released from prison after serving 13 years. But Lee agreed to pull out of the project after it was revealed he was under investigation, the Hollywood Reporter revealed in October.In late October, police booked Lee as a suspect in a drug investigation, the Yonhap News Agency reported. The arrest of Lee, who was said to be a household name in South Korea due to his film and TV work, was prompted by a tip that drugs were being illegally circulated among high-e...

Easy, healthy home cooking: Roasted cauliflower with chimichurri

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

This simple recipe for roasted cauliflower with herbs pairs excellently with chimichurri, according to Amanda Haas in her new cookbook, “Homemade Simple: Effortless Dishes for a Busy Life.”  Adding almonds or pine nuts to the roast adds a level of toastiness, she notes. Plus, cauliflower has fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants for an extra boost of nutrition.Roasted Cauliflower with ChimichurriServes 2 to 4INGREDIENTS2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 teaspoons Italian seasoningKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1 head cauliflower (1 to 1½ pounds), cut into 2-inch florets1/4 cup chimichurri, plus more for serving3 tablespoons chopped salted, roasted almondsDIRECTIONSPreheat the oven to 425 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | You say breakfast, I say dinner, we all say delicious Restaurants, Food and Drink | Make these appetizers for your New Year’s Eve celebration Restaur...

Easy, healthy home cooking: Grilled skirt steak with chimichurri recipe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

“This is my most requested recipe of all time,” writes cookbook author Amanda Haas. “The secret to this recipe is its simplicity.”Haas, an Orinda-based cookbook author whose new title “Homemade Simple” highlights easy, healthy recipes to cook from home, explains that the chimichurri’s fresh herbs, garlic and citrus flavors cut through the steak’s richness.A key step: Let the steak come to room temperature before you cook it, which will help it cook evenly.Grilled Skirt Steak with ChimichurriServes 4 or moreINGREDIENTS2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 6- to 8-inch steaks (If you can’t find skirt steak, flap steak or hanger steak are great alternatives)Olive oilKosher salt and freshly ground black pepperChimichurriDIRECTIONSOne hour before serving, remove the steaks from the refrigerator to let them come to room temperature.Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 400 degrees). Brush the grill grate clean ...

Woman running on Oakland freeway struck and killed by pickup truck

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

OAKLAND — A woman running across traffic lanes on Interstate 880 in East Oakland on Tuesday night died after she was struck by a pickup truck, the California Highway Patrol said.The coroner’s office was trying to identify the woman Wednesday. She appeared to be between 30 and 40-years old.The fatal collision happened about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the northbound lanes of I-880 at High Street.The CHP received reports of a woman running in the traffic lanes who was then struck by a pickup truck in the lane closest to the center divider. She died at the scene.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Fiery crash is second fatal one in Antioch in less than a week Crashes and Disasters | Redwood City man crossing San Carlos street dies after being hit by two drivers Crashes and Disasters | Two East Bay youths killed in hit-and-run collision Friday night Crashes and Disasters | Santa Clara man dies after crashing into tree a...

Easy, healthy home cooking: Try this recipe for chimichurri sauce

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Green, flavorful and a simple way to brighten up a meal, chimichurri is a great recipe to level up your home cooking, according to cookbook author Amanda Haas.This chimichurri recipe, a favorite in her family, calls for parsley, cilantro, garlic, mustard, lime, capers, pepper and sweetener. It’s healthy and pairs well with grilled skirt steak or cauliflower, and it can be used to add flavor to everyday meals like sandwiches or breakfast scrambles too.“I was thrilled that my kids would literally drink this sauce out of a pitcher, if I let them,” Haas writes. “I’ve now been making so much of it for so long, everyone started calling it ‘Haas Sauce.'”ChimichurriMakes 1¼ cupsINGREDIENTS1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)1 tablespoon Dijon mustard3 cloves garlic2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons capers, rinsedKosher salt and freshly ground black...

Easy, healthy home cooking: Super simple honey mustard salmon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

This recipe — which uses only three ingredients plus salt — is so simple that a publisher rejected it in a previous form, according to cookbook author Amanda Haas. But it’s included in the pages of her new cookbook, “Homemade Simple,” and is already earning rave reviews from home cooks, she says.The honey mustard glaze, made with only two ingredients, works well atop salmon as well as on chicken wings or roast chicken. One tip: Pick salmon fillets that are equal in thickness so that they cook evenly.Honey-Mustard SalmonServes 4INGREDIENTS1/4 cup Dijon mustard1/4 cup honeyFour 4-ounce salmon fillets, pin bones removedKosher saltDIRECTIONSPreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard and honey.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | You say breakfast, I say dinner, we all say delicious Restaurants, Food and Drink | Make these appetizers for your New Year’s Eve cele...

Tom Smothers, one half of famed comedy duo, dies at 86

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

By Lisa Respers France | CNNComedian Tom Smothers, who with his brother performed as the singing comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, has died, according to a family statement shared by the National Comedy Center. He was 86.Dick Smothers, Tom’s brother and co-star of their “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” said his brother was at home at the time of his death related to cancer.Related ArticlesObituaries | All the things Taylor Swift made us care about this year Obituaries | ‘Parasite’ actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in midst of drug probe, police say Obituaries | Kanye posts apology in Hebrew to Jewish community Obituaries | Actor Mike Nussbaum dies at 99; had roles in ‘Field of Dreams,’ ‘Men in Black’ Obituaries | Prince Harry accused Dominic West of ‘invading his privacy’ after actor revealed drunken antics on South Pole trek: report “Tom was not only the loving older brot...

Bay Area college basketball: Local teams have work to do if March Madness awaits in 2024

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

Nearly two months into the college basketball season and with conference play about to get started, NCAA tournament projections for Bay Area men’s teams are sketchy at best.Unless things change dramatically or someone emerges to earn an automatic bid by winning their conference tournament, the local teams could be shut out of the 68-team NCAA field for the first time since 2021.USF and Saint Mary’s are best positioned to perhaps land at-large bids, based on their current NET computer rankings. They begin play a week from now in the West Coast Conference, where No. 13 Gonzaga (9-3) looks like the favorite but is nowhere near as formidable as in recent seasons.Saint Mary’s has most consistently carried the Bay Area banner in recent years, securing NCAA berths the past two seasons and in four of the past six tournaments. USF ended a 24-year drought with a bid in 2022, but Cal hasn’t been since Jaylen Brown’s lone season in 2016 and Stanford’s wait is a year longer.San Jose State most r...

Wind Advisory in effect as rain approaches Bay Area

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:48 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) --Rain is approaching the Bay Area and a Wind Advisory is in effect for the North Bay as the first of two rain systems is expected to hit Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday's rain will arrive in the North Bay and start to spread across the region through the day, the NWS said.The second is due to arrive on Friday through Saturday morning. "Two successive low pressure systems bring rain and dangerous coastal conditions to the Bay Area this week," said KRON4 Meteorologist Kyla Grogan. "The first system rolls in overnight Tuesday and impacts will be felt on Wednesday." High Surf Warning issued for Thursday along Bay Area coastline Wind Advisory in effect for North BayA Wind Advisory went into effect for the North Bay Wednesday morning and will last until 4 p.m., the NWS said. Gusts could reach as high as 40-50 mph. The NWS recommends securing loose objects -- like outdoor holiday decorations -- and exercising caution while driving hig...