Sunset Harvest 2021

The Harvest Issue

137

fall recipes design ideas travel tips garden hacks Wine Country Escapes

The New Way to Landscape PL

!

US

Next-Level Craftsman Remodel

EASY ECO-FRIENDLY HOME UPGRADES

Venture out in Central Oregon, a Pacific Northwest destination where outdoor escapades, craft cuisine, and an art-loving spirit will feed your soul. Pedal majestic byways, hike to ancient volcanic wonders, or paddle a glassy lake. Then pause - on a patio - for a magic sunset moment to celebrate with those you love.

Make a plan to venture out at VisitCentralOregon.com

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Elegant Solutions for Luxurious Outdoor Spaces.

Create your very own personal retreat featuring elegant fire bowls to beautiful outdoor kitchens. Kindred Outdoors & Surrounds seamlessly marries design and functionality making it easier than ever to create your memorable space. www.mykindredliving.com Featured: Mezzaluna™ Fire Bowl in Oyster Shell with a Honed Finish

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CONTENTS THE HARVEST ISSUE Guests enjoy the urban bounty of L.A.’s Little City Farm.

64

Mod Mex Surprisingly simple recipes from

renowned chef

Enrique Olvera’s Damian.

72

Beyond Korean Barbecue Innovative ribs,

salads, and sides that will keep you grilling all fall.

Travel & Escapes

83

The New Way to Wine Country Creative tastings,

inventive bottlings, high design, and more.

Voices of the West

96 In Vino Veritas

How top sommelier DLynn Proctor is

pushing for more inclusivity and

education in the wine world.

4

Editor’s Letter

7

Best of the West

Farewell to my lawn.

Home & Garden

17

The future of agri-

The ultimate guide to

tourism has arrived,

upgrading your home

THOMAS J. STORY

how to paint a plein-

and saving the

air landscape in an Altoids tin, Tomales

travel plan, gardenfriendly candy for Halloween.

The New Electric House

planet.

26

Garden Checklist What to do in your garden now.

30

Cool Craftsman Remodel A designer creates a stylish and cozy

Food & Drink

49

Malibu Farm.

retreat.

Groundbreaking Bay

Easy healthy waffles,

eggs, and more from

blended-family

40 Avant Gardens

Beachy Brunch

54

City Farm to Table

Area outdoor spaces

A bucolic harvest

to the child in us all.

grown in urban L.A.

designed to appeal

feast inspired by and

ON THE COVER

Sagra Farms hosts a dinner at Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, California.

Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Green Thoughts

If all goes as planned, I hope to have a planter like this one at Stemple Creek Ranch (see page 7) instead of grass one day.

CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER

Michael A. Reinstein PUBLISHER

David Steinhafel

I’m finally saying goodbye to my lawn. It’s been harder than I thought it would be. For 20 years, it was a good, if fickle, friend, providing soft landings for my children when they were young, offering me a soothing hit of pseudo-nature-bathing serotonin when fully (rarely) green.

I enjoyed hand-watering it on cool weekend mornings, a cup of coffee in my hand, waving at neighbors, fulfilling a nostalgic aspiration inspired by some long-forgotten 1960s TV show. It also prompted pangs of guilt with every drought, mailings from the utility department telling me I was a water hog (a broken sprinkler, that wasteful hand-watering). We loved the volunteer dandelions in spring. We hated the crab grass with its woody tendrils. When the sprinkler system fully failed, I petulantly refused to fix it, thinking that would show the lawn who was boss. But it didn’t fully die nor did it fully live: a scraggly purgatory of anti-lawn.

Two months ago we had it ripped out with pickaxes and shovels, a gargantuan effort of the crew who filled a flatbed full of roots and depleted dirt and memories. We finally made the leap to a grassfree yard after some soul-searching talks with David Godshall, the philosophical co-founder of the Los Angeles landscape design firm Terremoto. He’d sketched out a back-of-the-napkin drought-tolerant utopia of native plants and trees for pollinators and migratory birds, river rocks on a gravelly slope, something akin to the chaparral my yard might have been if this neighborhood had never been developed back in the 1920s. Once we’re finished, there will be a water feature to offset traffic noise but also to slake the thirst of nocturnal animals, an edible garden on the parkway for us, our neighbors, and other urban foragers, and above it all one of those oak trees that have dotted the hills up and down California for some 20 million years. (By comparison the palm trees, eucalyptus, and persimmon in my yard have been in the area for only about 100.) Godshall calls it a “psychedelic oak tree.”

I’m not quite sure what he means, but I like the sound of it.

My job for now is to make sure the lawn is fully dead. So I water it now and again, just enough to coax up the last little tendrils of crabgrass lurking in the dirt. If I don’t pull them all out in a year they’ll come back and compete with our new plantings, undoing our low-water, sociable habitat. And so to defend my future garden I water and I wait. And the last of the lawn creeps up. Little wisps of green here and there. I pull them out and say goodbye to a dream of what was and hello to what will flourish next, blade by blade.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hugh Garvey CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Michael Wilson PHOTO EDITOR

Christine Bobbish STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Thomas J. Story

SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL INITIATIVES

Matt Gross

SENIOR EDITOR

Kristin Scharkey DIGITAL EDITOR

Jennifer Konerman HOME & DESIGN EDITOR

Christine Lennon GARDEN EDITOR

Deanna Kizis

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Magdalena O’Neal SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Lindsey Otta

DIGITAL PRODUCER

Nicole Clausing WILDLANDS EDITOR

J.D. Simkins

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Jamie Elliott

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Navpreet Sekhon Teaghan Skulszki Sales SVP, MEDIA SOLUTIONS

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Pamela Coffey HEAD OF OUTDOOR

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SVP, REVENUE OPERATIONS

Kelly Facer

DIRECTOR OF AD OPERATIONS

Mindy Morgan

—Hugh Garvey,

E D ITO R-I N - CH I E F

P.S. Does the idea of surprise and delight and the sheer joy of opening a mystery box of goodies handpicked by Sunset editors every few months sound appealing? If so, sign up for our brand new Best of the West subscription box at sunset.com/box. Prices start at $69.99.

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SALES & MARKETING INTERN

Morgan Madison Marketing CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Correction: In the feature “Knock Wood” in the August September 2021 issue, the photographer credit was incorrect. The photographs were taken by Jeremy Bittermann.

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SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

Sunset Media International Corporation BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Tom Griffiths, Graydon Sheinberg

VP, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & CIRCULATION

Shawn Byers

THOMAS J. STORY

HEAD OF CUSTOM EVENTS

Searching for the perfect color?

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DeVaul Paint (714) 546-9191

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Ganahl Lumber ganahllumber.com

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Painter’s Warehouse (760) 346-4444 Tru-Tone Paint trutonepaint.com

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Santa Barbara Paint sbpaintdepot.com Santa Ynez Paint (805) 686-5114

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San Diego County

(805) 466-2226

Ventura County

Decor Color & Design decorpaintstore.com Frontier Paint frontierpaint.biz

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©2021 Benjamin Moore & Co. Benjamin Moore and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks licensed to Benjamin Moore & Co. All other marks are the property of their respective owner. 7/21

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BEST

OF T H E

The Future of Farmstays

Agritourism gets a new look at Sagra, where glamping meets sustainability in pastoral locations across the West.

At Stemple Creek Ranch in West Marin, white safari tents and modular cabins sit clustered next to an edible garden in a dell ringed with wildflowers. Farm-to-table meals are grilled over a fire fueled with fallen oak. Guests learn the inner workings of the ranch by day, eat food cooked by Michelin-pedigreed chefs by night, and doze off reading about ecology in their well-appointed tents.

Welcome to the future of agritourism. Stemple Creek, which produces grass-fed beef on its solar-powered ranch, Continued on page 8 is home to the first overnight

GABRIELA HERMAN/@GAB

Story by H U G H GARVE Y • Photograph by GAB RI E L A H E RMAN

WEST

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

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SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

Guests at Stemple Creek Ranch enjoy grass-fed beef raised on the regenerative farm.

Co-founders David Rust and Kathryn Arffa were inspired by European agritourism.

Tastefully outfitted glamping tents and cabins make farm life a luxe affair for guests.

and educational elements with an eye toward sustainability. In the coming months Sagra is bringing more farms in the West and beyond into the fold. Expect new additions to abide by the principals put into practice at Stemple Creek: not only will the farms and ranches be postcard perfect, they’ll also be committed to soil

health and animal welfare; the stylish cabins and tents will be tricked out in soothing neutrals with private bathrooms and low-flow Nebia showers; and the onsite shops will be stocked with naturally dyed bandannas and organic soaps along with books on sustainable farming. Book a stay at sagrafarms.com.

FOOD AND TENT: GABRIELA HERMAN/@GAB; OUTDOOR DINING AND PORTRAIT: THOMAS J. STORY

farmstay and culinary experience hosted

by Sagra Farms, a hospitality startup connecting travelers with farms in stunning pastoral locations. Inspired by the decades-long European tradition of farmers hosting guests at, say, olive oil farms or wineries in Tuscany or Provence, the founders of Sagra have added glamping

Farm-to-table isn’t a catchphrase: Many ingredients in the meals are harvested on-site.

The west rim is heart-pounding, soul-searching, bucket-list-checking adrenaline rushes you’ve never felt or seen before, including one of the largest glass cavalier bridges in the world that will have you stepping 4,000 feet out over the Grand Canyon floor. Skywalk is just one of the ways you can jolt your senses and ignite your spirit at Grand Canyon West. Plan your adventure today.

SKYWALK + GENERAL ADMISSION IS JUST $59 FOR A LIMITED TIME Get your tickets today.

MORE TO EXPLORE

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grandcanyonwest.com

Helicopter & Pontoon Tour • Zipline • Whitewater Rafting • Eagle Point • Guano Point Hualapai Tribe Cultural Attractions • Dining • Shopping • Overnight Accommodations

8/16/21 12:02 PM

Tomales To Do

The area around Tomales Bay in West Marin offers a unique combination of unspoiled farmland, picturesque coastline, and impeccable seafood. Here are three new reasons to visit the iconic Northern California getaway.

1

2

1

DILLON BEACH RESORT Dramatically sited Dillon Beach sits at the mouth of Tomales Bay and is now

home to a recently revived mini-resort that can serve as a one-stop coastal retreat. There’s a general store with artisanal cheeses, craft beer, and

surfboard rentals; tasteful tiny cabins with ocean views; and a restaurant that sources from local farms and

foragers. Order an IPA and a bowl of

poke and watch the kitesurfers shred

2

3

THE SHUCKERY On your way to Tomales, stop in Peta-

luma for a glass of natural wine, a dozen local oysters, and a tin of Spanish

conservas at this women-owned, seafood-centric restaurant just off the

courtyard of the historic Hotel Petaluma. THESHUCKERYCA.COM

3

WILLIAM TELL HOUSE The tiny town of Tomales has a newly refreshed inn and saloon, and it just

happens to be the oldest one in Marin.

Established in 1877, the spot now offers rustic-chic rooms, craft cocktails, a menu chock-full of chowder and

cioppino, and drag brunches on the patio. WILLIAMTELLHOUSE.COM

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SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: THOMAS J. STORY (2); © 2019 ANGELA DECENZO PHOTOGRAPHY; @CROISSANTSANDCAVIAR

out on the bay. DILLONBEACHRESORT.COM

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This Colorado artist is painting Western landscapes inside Altoids tins.

Story by KRI STI N SCHARKE Y

Remington Robinson almost always has a few Altoids tins in his car.

That way, if inspiration strikes—and the light is right—he already has a miniature canvas to paint en plein air.

The Colorado artist, who also works as a muralist in the greater Denver area, has gained a massive following for his miniature oil paintings on the inside of the mint

containers. He captures the flora, fauna, and landscapes of Boulder and beyond—each painting typically takes a couple of hours. Think poppies at the base of the Flatirons (seen above) or an eagle’s nest at the Continental Divide.

“I just love nature and studying the natural laws,” Robinson says. Painting is “a way of really meditating on that

DO IT YOURSELF Try your hand at painting plein air— miniature style—with tips from Remington Robinson.

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SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

PRINCETON ARTIST BRUSH CO. VELVETOUCH PROFESSIONAL 4-PIECE SET “If you’re going to paint small, make sure that your brushes have a good tip.”

Want your own Remington Robinson original? Altoids paintings can be purchased through Sugarlift gallery (sugarlift. com) or on the artist’s website, remingtonrobinson.com. FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @ REMINGTONROBINSON.

WINSOR & NEWTON WINTON OIL COLOUR “I like their studentgrade Winton paints, because the consistency is perfect for applying a small dollop into the tin without any extra linseed oil coming out of the tube.”

WINSOR & NEWTON GRIFFIN ALKYD FAST-DRYING OIL COLOUR “They have a faster drying time, which has its advantages and drawbacks.”

TOP: COURTESY OF REMINGTON ROBINSON

Pocket Edition

and recreating it in a different form.”

Each Altoids tin includes the remnants of Robinson’s paint palette in the bottom lid. A dried “little artifact,” as he’s explained on social media, that’s part of the piece. “It’s showing the process, in a way, for anybody who wants to see it,” adds Robinson, who says he’s painted more than 400 Altoids tins in the last few years. And no, he doesn’t eat all the mints.

The process starts with a bulk purchase of Altoids tins on eBay, though sometimes friends gift him with theirs, he says. He then primes a piece of wood white and attaches it to the inside of the lid using micro Velcro. When he’s done, Robinson signs his name with a pencil sharpened as fine as a needle.

Robinson isn’t the only artist painting in miniature form. The Whiskey Painters of America, for example, formed in the late 1950s as a group of artists who now call themselves the “most unique and exclusive miniature painting society in the world.” Perhaps thanks to social media, even Altoids tins are a somewhat common medium: Etsy shops are selling paint tray organizers that fit directly into the bottom of the tins.

Robinson is more than happy to offer advice to artists who want to try their hand at the style. Meanwhile, he’ll continue to make his own mark on the form.

“He does just beautiful, beautiful work that is typically very ultra-representational,” said Mary Horrocks, executive director of the Open Studios arts organization in Boulder.

“It just shows what a consummate artist he is.”

Our Kind of ­Halloween Candy These lollipops grow all sorts of plants.

THOMAS J. STORY

Story by KRISTIN SCHARKEY

Pumpkin carving isn’t the only Halloween activity on our list: We’ve got our eye on some organic lollipops that are more than just delicious— each one is filled with edible flowers or herbs, like marigolds. They’re an opportunity to connect with your kids in the garden.

Amborella Organics lollipops may look like any typical version of the popular candy, but they’re far from it.

You can plant the biodegradable stick in the ground to grow the plant or herb that inspired each flavor, from Baby Blue Eyes to mint.

The goal, co-founder Taylor Clarke says, is to encourage people to “think about the things they consume a bit differently, and get into nature and have a relationship with plants.”

The idea for the pops came from Taylor’s husband, Brennan Clarke, who was inspired to recreate summer memories of growing tomatoes in a balcony garden with his grandmother. As an adult, he noticed that the bulbs and stems of flowers in his own garden looked like lollipops.

The California couple then developed a seed-bearing stick made of recycled paper, plus recipes for the vegan candy. The entire line is made with plant-based dyes and is gluten-, dairy-, nut-, and soy-free, while the seeds are non-GMO. Taylor says she wants “generations old and young to have that same experience in the garden with someone they love.”

HOW TO PLANT YOUR LOLLIPOP STICK

Lay the stick

“Water gener-

It can take up to

cover com-

day, Taylor says,

germination,

horizontally and pletely with a

layer of topsoil.

ously” every

and make sure it’s exposed to sun.

12 weeks for Taylor says.

WHERE TO FIND THEM

You can find the lollipops online at Nordstrom and Macy’s, or at amborellaorganics. com.

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WT: XXX PF: XX ZO: XX

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ON TREND: FOCUS ON FIXTURES

Indulge us for a moment to talk about kitchen and bath

fixture trends the same way we do food fads. Polished chrome is the standard, meat-and-potatoes choice that will never go out of style. Brushed nickel has a caramel macchiato vibe—big in 2005, but a little decadent and there’s a chance you could regret it later. Unlacquered brass hardware is like a poké bowl. It was suddenly everywhere around 2018 but might not be for everyone.

Enter matte black faucets, door handles, and cabinet pulls, which are like the plant-based burgers of hardware design. They burst on the scene over the last couple of years, and they took a minute to adjust to.

But they’re surprisingly good. When you mix them with gold and brass, they can be very, very good. And they’re here to stay.

“Black and gold bathrooms got very hot very fast,” says William Zhang, Director of Design and Product Innovation for Emtek, a door hardware brand based in Southern California that specializes in custom-assembled, mix-and-match knobs, plates, and pulls. “If you’re a hardware brand that doesn’t offer a black finish with gold accents in 2021, you’re missing out.”

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Left: Emtek Tribeca cabinet pulls in satin brass finish; Below: Emtek Select T-Bar knurled door lever with urban modern rosette in satin brass/flat black split finish; Bottom: Emtek Select knobs with conical stems in knurled, and straight knurled.

Rob Diaz, a Los Angeles-based designer with a long, celebrated career in residential real estate, is a fan—and he knows a thing or two about trends. “I don’t like anything with too much shine,” explains Diaz, who’s known for outfitting kitchens and bathrooms with unusual slabs of honed marble, soapstone, sanded pale oak floors, and high-end brass. “My first choice for faucets would always be to go with aged brass. But economics play a part in these decisions. Not everyone wants to spend $20,000 on faucets and hardware for a bathroom.

Matte black is more economical, and it’s an easier way to get a clean line. And I’m seeing that buyers and homeowners are ready for a darker, moodier feel.”

“Black is great because it’s so versatile, and so easy to use,” adds Zhang. “And you can make a big statement with contrast, and mix it with various elements like gold, marble, or a bit of chrome.”

Will black and gold ever get old? It’s hard to say.

“I think it will hold up well,” Diaz says.

Only time will tell if it will turn out to be more like pizza—always a winner, and in it for the long haul.

CLOCKW I SE FROM LE FT: G REG BI RMAN/ @GRE G BI RMAN ( 2) ; KA RI N BOHN/@K ARI NBO HN/HO USE O F BO H N / @ H OU S EOF BOH N

S

page

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EMTEK SELECT DOORKNOBS

Mix & match knob, stem and rosette for a custom look Part of ASSA ABLOY

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8/16/21 11:54 AM

Being Small

TUOLUMNE GROVE HETCH HETCHY RESERVOIR, OF GIANT SEQUOIAS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Photo credit: Rush Creek Lodge at Yosemite

Discover the beauty of road tripping through Tuolumne County – an easy getaway, 2.5 hours east of the San Francisco Bay Area, with miles of fresh air, outdoor adventure and charming historic towns. From hiking, to strolling unique shops and enjoying local cuisine, there’s plenty to explore throughout the High Sierra, Gold Country and Yosemite. When you’re ready to wander freely, we’re here to welcome you.

VisitTCToday.com/SunsetHarvest

Request a FREE Inspiration Travel Guide

INNER HETCHSANCTUM HETCHY RESERVOIR, CELLARS, SONORA YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Photo Credit: Jennifer Rapoza

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Photo credit: Rush Creek Lodge at Yosemite

8/16/21 12:11 PM

HOME

&

GARDEN

More Power to You

The road to a cleaner, safer, healthier planet begins at your front door. Research shows that homeowners have a critical role to play in the race to a zero-carbon world. There are myriad ways we can make a difference, like reducing our dependence on gas to power our homes and putting more solar panels on rooftops. Here’s how to flip the switch on an all-electric house.

Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

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GET LIT THOUGH LIGHTING ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 9 PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE POWER BILL, SWAPPING OUT BULBS HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING. BUT LIVING WITH HYPER-EFFICIENT LED BULBS DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN LOOKING GREENER IN THE MIRROR. THESE SUPER-CLEAN OPTIONS CREATE A FLATTERING GLOW, CAN LAST A DECADE, AND DON’T CAST OFF HEAT LIKE THEIR INCANDESCENT RELATIVES.

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1

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1 / Philips Hue

Bluetooth-connectable, dimmable, and programmable (voice controlled and linked to all of the lighting in your home), there’s not much this E26 standard Hue can’t do ($25, philips-hue. com). Made-in-L.A. Conway Goods Exto extension cord and outlet ($59, conwaygoods.com) makes for an ad-hoc, modern table lamp.

2 / Tala

The handcrafted porcelain Tala 6W LED bulb is like a calming orb of light. Made in Britain, Tala bulbs are available in a dozen different shapes and sizes and built to burn for 30,000 hours ($34; Tala Alumina Table Lamp, $190, both at rejuvenation.com).

3 / Bulbrite Solana Smart LED Edison

You can have your exposed-bulb aesthetic without coming off as an energy hog, thanks to these smart bulbs, which can be scheduled to illuminate when you’re not home and dimmed to create a mood via the Solana app. ($40 for two, wayfair.com; Agirlvct Polygon desk lamp, $17.99, amazon.com).

4 / Copper Dipped Globe LED

Don’t hide this 4W dimmable, copperdipped bulb (built to last for 15,000 hours) under a shade. Color Cord cloth-covered wire pendants are customizable with 100 options (copper-dipped LED, $20, hangoutlighting.com; pendant, $80, colorcord. com).

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When it comes to cleaning up our energy habits—reducing our use of natural gas and electricity generated at coal-and-gas-powered plants—people in the West are ready to change their ways. Nearly three-quarters of Californians said that they would prefer efficient electric appliances powered by clean energy instead of fossil gas, according to a survey conducted by FM3, the California-based research organization, and released by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm. And the state energy commission aims to put standards in place that would require newly constructed homes to be electric-ready. In June, on the hottest day in Oregon’s recorded history, lawmakers passed groundbreaking legislation requiring the state to convert to 100 percent clean, “responsible” energy by 2040. At press time, 48 cities in the country had outlawed natural gas in construction of new homes and commercial buildings, according to the Sierra Club’s tally.

Every piece of the technology puzzle that we need to make this dramatic shift in our power supply and our behavior at home already exists.

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

That switch will require a transition from old ways of thinking and a gradual phase-out of gaspowered appliances. The very same poll cited previously also indicated that more than 60 percent of Californians said they’re not familiar with the cleaner, more efficient electric alternatives available to make that transition. We’d like to change that.

But before we get to the solutions, we should explain the problem.

The facts about greenhouse gas emissions, or GHGs, are sobering. More than 40 percent in the United States stem from what experts call “kitchen table” decisions, according to the nonprofit Rewiring America. That includes the kind of car you drive, and how you wash your clothes, heat your house, and cook your food.

If that feels overwhelming, or surprising, you’re not alone. More than 80 percent of electricity in America’s collective power grid is generated by non-renewable sources, like coal and gas. Most households are still connected to that grid, and roughly half have large gas-powered appliances like a furnace, water heater, or stove.

That means an overwhelming majority is emitting greenhouse gases every time we flip on a light switch or fry an egg over a flame—even plug in an electric car. Total global emissions reached an all-time high in 2019, despite the dip in our global dependence on coal because natural gas usage increased.

If that doesn’t give you pause, consider that those same appliances are also adding pollution inside of your home, which can cause respirato-

COURTESY OF DVELE

2

This Dvele home in Ventura, CA, is all-electric and self-powered. The company has data claiming that their homes are 90% more efficient than a traditional new house.

COURTESY OF DVELE

ry issues and shorten lives.

“If we want to decarbonize, we know we need gas out of the home,” says Matt Vespa, a senior clean-energy attorney at Earthjustice. “We had to make adjustments when we stopped cooking on woodstoves. And now we have to make adjustments to electric.”

To reduce air pollution 28 percent by 2025—a target set by the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change signed by nearly 200 nations to mitigate pollution and avoid climate disaster—and decarbonize completely by 2050, the time to phase out dirty energy dependence is now.

We’re not suggesting that you haul your beloved gas stove to the curb. But replacing it with a cleaner cousin when it breaks, or when you move, is not just a good idea—it’s a necessary step. The same idea applies to your clothes dryer, your water heater, and your home heating and air-conditioning.

Innovators like Kurt Goodjohn, who founded the California company Dvele, which makes self-powered modular homes, are showing us how to put it all into play without sacrificing comfort or style.

“We’re the only company in the world that offers a self-powered home that’s totally energy independent, built in a factory environment, in about six months,” says Goodjohn. “Our homes are close to 90 percent more efficient than the typical new homes built today, and even more than older homes. And we don’t allow gas in the home. We’ve had to turn customers away because they wanted a gas stove.”

Through a combination of efficient materials, insulation, and sealing, and all-electric appliances from Bosch and Miele, a Dvele home comes readymade for living in comfort with modern amenities—and the smallest possible carbon footprint.

Sensors placed throughout the home pick up on its occupants’ habits, how much hot water they use and when, which rooms get warmer or cooler throughout the day, and smart systems develop more efficient responses. Each home comes equipped with solar panels and a whole-house storage battery, and is designed to be self-powered—meaning that it’s not

connected to an aging, increasingly unreliable power grid. We saw what happened when the system failed last winter, when a massive cold front caused power outages throughout Texas and residents went without heat for days.

“When you look at what happened in Texas, we’re learning that we can’t rely on an aging power grid,” Goodjohn says. He and his colleagues imagine a future where neighborhoods behave like self-sustaining power plants, and individual homes with storage batteries and panels are linked to share clean energy. They’ve recently broken ground on a 28-home development in the California city of Costa Mesa with this in mind.

Current homeowners who aren’t in the mood to move, or to build a modular home, can take some cues from

Dvele, a Southern California–based self-poweredhouse manufacturer, creates high-tech, modular homes with all-electric appliances in the kitchen (top) and a tiny carbon footprint.

Dvele and adapt some of the brand’s strategies for their existing homes.

Start by swapping out your electrical panel (see page 20) to accommodate new electric appliances, car chargers, and solar panels. Replace aging or malfunctioning appliances with electric versions (page 21) or plan in advance to replace them when they break. Install solar panels with an affordable battery storage option (page 20). Try upgrading your heating and A/C to mini-split ductless systems in the rooms you use most to avoid the waste of a whole-house system.

There are dozens of decisions you can make every day, like brewing tea with an electric kettle instead of firing up the stovetop, that can add up to a difference.

Start small—or swing big. It’s up to you. It’s up to us.

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Solar panels are now efficient enough to generate power under cloud cover in Seattle. A 3,200-acre solar farm near Los Angeles produces enough energy to power 250,000 homes.

The technology around solar electricity is improving at such a rapid pace that a swift nationwide transition to entirely renewable, clean energy seems within our collective grasp.

A 2019 PEW Research Center Survey found about 6 percent of U.S. homeLynn Jurich, a Stanford business owners have installed solar panels. school graduate, “There’s no reason why we can’t get that number up to 100 million,” says co-created the Lynn Jurich, the CEO and co-founder of San Francisco–based solar installation, “solar as service” finance, and leasing company Sun Run. model using residential rooftops Sun Run utilizes the existing power grid to connect homes with solar panels, to create and sell which are installed at no cost to the owner. Sun Run owns the panels, but they clean, affordable sell the power back to the house at a competitive rate. It’s one of dozens of solar energy. providers coming up with ways to make renewable energy affordable for a wider percentage of the population. “When you look at the areas that got started earlier, like Hawaii and cities like Bakersfield, the number of solar homes is much higher. We can catch up,” Jurich says.

On average, building an all-electric house is more affordable, reducing the cost of new construction by $6,000, according to an Natural Resources The first step on the path toward a carbon-neutral home is a Defense Council document and new electrical panel, or circuit breaker, which you’ll need to run CalTech Entrepreneurs Forum rea 240-volt outlet to an induction cooktop or a car charger. The search. And on the horizon? A vehicleSpan panel (left, span.io) is a high-tech alternative that lets you to-grid system, also known as V2G, monitor energy input and output from an app on your phone where plug-in electric cars can comand spot inefficiencies. The Square D Energy Center smart panmunicate with the power grid and sell el (se.com) is also app-controlled, and makes solar installation electricity back to the system when a breeze. “Our generation is faced with an unprecedented endemand increases. ergy crisis,” says Richard Korthauer, Schneider’s VP of home and If you’re solar-curious and uncerdistribution, who says this panel can “future-proof” a house. tain about next steps, there are sever“We are focused on innovations that will ensure homes of the future are more sustainable, energy efficient, and resilient.” al nonprofits and services designed to

CIRCUIT TRAINING

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FROM TOP: LEO PATRIZI/GETTY IMAGES; JURICH: © GUERIN BLASK/AUGUST

SO L AR FL AI R

With a host of generous incentives, lower-cost installation, more efficient panels, and more affordable home battery storage options, it’s prime time to make the switch to solar.

smooth out what has been (somewhat notoriously) a bumpy process. A good first move could be to enter your address at sunroof.withgoogle.com, a free service developed by a Google engineer that calculates your home’s solar energy potential, and what rebates are available in the nearby region.

Energy Sage (energysage.com) is an online resource that’s designed to demystify the process and let homeowners compare prescreened solar providers in their area for the best deals and most reputable company. Another database of incentives for renewable energy and rebates, organized by state, is the NC Clean Energy Technology Center site at dsireusa.org.

Once a solar provider is chosen, the process is the same for everyone: There’s an engineering site visit to analyze sun exposure and choose placement; applications for permits are filed; equipment is ordered; panels are installed; and once it’s inspected, the connection is made.

A whole-house battery for solar energy storage is still out of the price range of most homeowners, costing $10,000 to $20,000. One study by the research organization BloombergNEF predicts that the price of a lithium ion battery will drop by half in the next 10 years. In the meantime, energy innovators are enthusiastic about the climate impact of all of this clean energy, and the financial gains and jobs that can be generated as well.

“Let’s go faster together,” says Jurich. “There’s money to be made.”

E N E RGY STARS Gas stoves typically account for about 2 percent of a household’s total gas usage, but the fumes they produce are proven to be dangerous. When you’re cooking with one, use that vent!

And when it’s time to buy a new range or cooktop, be ready to go electric. Induction ovens and burners are more evolved, savvier relatives to lazy electric coil burners, and higher powered than electric radiant heated options. And now that 48 American cities (and counting) have banned natural-gas-powered appliances in newly built homes, buildings, and restaurants, cooks who are not yet sold on induction—the engineering marvel that boils water in under two minutes, with magnets—will have to adapt. Here are a few top-performing induction ranges and cooktops that will clean up your kitchen. Sadly, they don’t do dishes.

Bertazzoni Induction

The 140-year-old Italian range and cooktop brand Bertazzoni offers a luxury induction range in poppy colors at a slightly more affordable price point. Available in two sizes, 30 and 36 inches wide, its simple, straightforward knobs and controls are intuitive for the user. And even induction naysayers will be impressed by the even baking and surprisingly effective electric broiler ($5,499, us.bertazzoni.com).

Aga Induction Elise

Even the luxury European gas-stove giant AGA, popular since the 1930s and known for staying hot at all times, is getting onboard the induction train. The AGA Elise has a ceramic cooktop that allows pots to capture 90 percent of the energy output, compared to 55 percent on a gas flame. And since it’s available in five colors plus stainless steel, it doesn’t compromise its classic good looks ($7,469, agarangeusa. com).

GE Profile 30” Smart Slide-In Front-Control Induction Fingerprint Resistant Range with In Oven Camera Model

GE Induction ranges offer many of the top-rated, midpriced induction options to date. This newest version features an in-oven camera, precision sensor on the cooktop that regulates pan temperature and holds it at a set degree (no more guessing at low, medium, or high), Air Fry technology and built-in WiFi ($3,999, geappliances.com).

Bosch Series 36” Induction Cooktop

It’ll take you longer to read the manual of this professional-feeling Bosch than it would to slow-cook chili on the 36-inch cooktop. Once you get the hang of it, you may never burn dinner again. It has power-boosts to boil water quickly, precise temperature controls, a wide control panel to explain which burner is doing what, and a gentle keep-warm setting that won’t scorch butter ($2,499, bosch-home. com/us).

Samsung Cooktop

At just under $1,300, this 2021 Energy Star award winner is an affordable, efficient cooktop that is WiFi-connected and has similar power and temperature controls as pricier models ($1,299, samsung.com/us).

MAKE THE SWITCH THESE ARE THE PRODUCTS THAT BURN THE MOST GAS IN YOUR HOME—CONTRIBUTING TO THE MORE THAN 48 METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE RELEASED BY THE AVERAGE HOME IN THE U.S. EVERY YEAR—AS WELL AS STATE-OF-THE-ART OPTIONS THAT COULD REPLACE THEM (BONUS: MANY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GENEROUS REBATES).

CLOTHES DRYER

You may not even know if your clothes dryer uses gas or electricity. Peek behind it to check: If it’s plugged into a regular 120-volt outlet, and there are two hose attachments (one is for water, the other—it’s usually yellow—is gas), it’s heated with gas. An electric clothes dryer, like most high-powered electric appliances, needs to be plugged into a special 240volt outlet (see page 20). LG makes the highest performing, quietest models in the market.

WATER HEATER

A standard tank-style, gasor propane-powered water heater wastes energy to maintain the temperature of 40 gallons of water. An electric tankless water heater uses 20 to 30 percent less energy and is clean burning. Brands like Stiebel Eltron, Rheem, and Ecosmart sell wellreviewed systems in sizes for any household. Solar water heaters by brands like Sunbank and Duda are gaining steam in the market. They can be plumbed through an electric heater when solar output is low.

FURNACE

HVAC uses half of the energy in U.S. homes. If you live in the West, chances are your heat comes from natural gas. Upgrade to an electric heat pump from a brand like Trane or American Standard to replace both heat and AC. Pumps draw warm air in on cold days and push it out on hot ones, and use much less energy. As a single-room, efficient alternative, Mitsubishi mini-split systems also heat and cool and don’t use ducts, which can leak and waste power.

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COU NTE R I NTE LLI G E N CE If stepping off the gas completely in your kitchen isn’t an option, reduce your fossil fuel consumption with these cool countertop appliances.

1 / The Toaster With the Most

You’d be shocked how seldom you need to spark up the oven when you make the toaster oven your frontline pizza warmer, veggie roaster, and steak finisher. The handsome matte-lacquered Balmuda has an additional steam heat function that boosts thermal output and turns out tender yet crunchy toast ($329, us.balmuda.com).

2 / Kettle Health

Stovetop teapots throw off waste heat and create indoor air pollution. This George Sowden–designed electric kettle keeps air clean, efficiently sets you up for a cuppa, and adds a pop of color to the counter. Bonus: It’s double walled for heat retention ($125, dwr.com).

3 / Slow Food

Chefs love induction burners for their ability to hold super-low temperatures with

precision—or get searingly hot when needed. The Japanese Vermicular Musui-Kamado cast-iron induction cooker is a looker, and can do everything a standalone cooktop can, as well as serve as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and sous vide machine ($670, huckberry. com).

2

3

1

4/ Pizza Perfected

Brick-oven pizza is within reach—without the pollution and bulk—thanks to the mighty Breville Pizzaiolo, a compact countertop pizza oven that reaches the necessary 750°F required to make a blistered Neapolitan-style pizza in minutes ($999, williams-sonoma. com).

5 / The Golden Ratio

Portland-based Ratio’s sleek six-cup automatic coffeemaker replicates the action of exactingly brewed pour-over and boasts an energysaving thermal carafe ($345, ratiocoffee.com).

5

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ARROYO GRANDE Come stay awhile in Arroyo Grande. Have lunch and go shopping in the Village. Say hello to the local roosters and stroll across the swinging bridge. Up for adventure? Ride your bike through wine country or spend a day at the lake. Whatever you choose, it’s time well spent.

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THOMAS J. STORY

YOUR

FA LL

GARDEN CHECKLIST What to do in your garden now—no matter where you are in the West.

Contributors: D EAN NA KIZ I S , N I CO LE CL AU S I N G, M I KE I RVI N E , a n d JO HAN NA S I LVE R

All Regions PLANT Pots of African violets will bright-

includes Annual Baby’s Breath, Indian Blanket, Clarkia, and, of

course, orange California poppy.

en up indoor rooms. For an ombré

M A I N TA I N

tones of purple or magenta.

means your garden will be more

display, try several varieties in

To extend your spring garden

display, sink flower bulbs over mul-

tiple weeks. Start with shallow

planting, then plant more deeply.

The shallow ones you planted first will bloom first; the deeper ones will bloom later.

Order wildflower mixes and plant

them in the fall. Urban Farmer

(­ufseeds.com) has seed packets

specific to your state. A Washing-

ton blend has Siberian Wallflower, Five-Spot, Lance Leaved Coreopsis, and Scarlet Flax. California’s

Amending your soil in the fall

red pepper flakes, smashed garlic, or fresh herbs from the garden.

Southern California PLANT Set artichokes, herbs like sage

fertile come spring. To add oxygen

and thyme, and rhubarb. All will

then add compost or other organ-

and overwinter well. Cole crops like

to a vegetable bed, till the soil,

ic materials. For flower gardens,

dig in compost as you sink bulbs and pull annuals.

mature before the first hard frost broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cab-

bage, and cauliflower will do the

same, but cover them with soil up

to their first set of leaves to prevent

H A RV E S T To enjoy the remainder of your

harvest a little longer, quick pickle vegetables in a mixture of 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar (white,

champagne, apple cider, or rice vinegar all work well), and 1

tablespoon kosher salt. Customize the flavor with 1 tablespoon sugar,

weak and leggy stems. For something different, try Romanesco, a

hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower, which grows a gleaming green

with pointed heads. Use it to make an arrestingly vivid pesto.

October in California is the per-

fect time to plant strawberries so

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

27

Pick winter squash, pumpkins,

and decorative gourds when

PLANT

and resist an easy puncture with

improve the fertility of a raised

a knife or clippers, and leave 2

field peas, or Tyfon greens. They’ll

vines are dry and rinds are hard

your fingernail. Cut the stem with inches attached to the fruit to

lessen the chance of spoilage.

Don’t forget to toast the seeds for snacking.

Southwest PLANT Add winter greens, including

arugula, bok choy, cabbage, kale, and mustards to your vegetable garden. For lettuce, sow a succession of seeds over several

IDEA WE LOVE

weeks to keep a steady supply of leaves ready for cutting.

At the nursery, look for skunk-

OPTIMISTIC ALLIUM If you only plant one thing this fall, let it be garlic. “Planting

garlic is a metaphor for life,” says Andrea Bemis, a farmer and cookbook author who owns Tumbleweed Farm in Parkdale,

Oregon. “My husband and I like to joke that by the fall you’ve already had your big mistakes in the garden, so garlic is a clean slate. It gives you hope for the future.”

To plant yours, pick your fattest cloves to replant, or buy

garlic from the farmers’ market. Hardneck will give you garlic scapes; softneck can be braided after it dries. It’s a hearty

plant, so a spot that gets sun and has well-drained soil will work, but make sure you plant before the first hard frost. To

make a night of it, make a cocktail, break apart your cloves,

then head out to plant. “Magical stuff will be happening under the dirt while you hibernate for the winter,” Bemis says.

When summer returns, harvest and cure on a wire rack in a

dark, warm place. When dry, store in a paper bag. And

remember, Bemis says, “Every great meal starts with a clove of garlic.” For Bemis’s recipe for Chicken with 40 Cloves of

Garlic, check out her cookbook, Local Dirt: Seasonal Recipes for Eating Close to Home, at hc.com.

bush sumac (Rhus trilobata)

shrubs, as well as ‘Red Push’ pistache (Pistacia x ‘Red Push’) and

‘Bonita’ Arizona ash (Fraxinus ve-

lutina ‘Bonita’) trees. By the time they’re in the ground, they’ll al-

ready be changing color during fall’s last call.

Best planted now, hummingbird

favorites Baja fairy duster (Callian-

time for next summer’s heat.

Meanwhile, onion bulbs planted in

ous trees so they’ll go dormant.

Divide and transplant perennial

the fall won’t bolt in the spring.

flowers—acanthus, agapanthus,

M A I N TA I N

daylily, dusty miller, heuchera, hol-

M A I N TA I N Reduce watering frequency

and adjust your irrigation timers.

In autumn, when high temperatures sink below 90°, desert-

adapted trees can be deep-wa-

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

chard, and turnip. Set out seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. In the foothills and

Central Valley, sow seeds of pea and spinach, and plant sets or cloves of garlic and onions.

PROTECT Scale insects or mealy bugs

leave a sticky residue on house-

plants. Look above the honeydew

coating to find the pests and rinse them off, then treat with cotton

swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol or neem oil.

M A I N TA I N Feed winter-flowering orchids

with a weak 20-20-20 fertilizer each time you water.

Pick persimmons when they turn

doors to ripen. Flat-bottomed varibest eaten when firm or when

they’re just soft to the touch. Allow varieties like ‘Hachiya,‘ with round

pointed tips, to ripen until the flesh is almost pudding-like.

Northwest PLANT

days.

tive landscape trees is vine maple.

rus—need a drink every 7 to 14

In late October or early Novem-

and yarrow—that are getting un-

28

carrot, onion, pea, radish, Swiss

thirstier species—including cit-

through the winter. Stop feeding

in the garden.

In coastal and inland regions,

continue to sow seeds of beet,

eties such as ‘Jiro’ and ‘Fuyu’ are

der, rosemary, and thyme. Older

for grapevines, roses, and decidu-

them under in the spring.

spring.

red to a purple-blue come early

lyhock, Japanese anemone, Rud-

wieldly or could fill empty spaces

and improve your soil when you till

deep orange and bring them in-

Like hibernating bears, some

and reduce frequency of irrigation

grow slowly through the winter

two punch of color, turning from

ber, cut back overgrown woody

beckia, Shasta daisy, statice, stock,

bed. Try crimson clover, Austrian

H A RV E S T

(Ruellia peninsularis) bring a one-

bearded iris, bergenia, coreopsis,

garden favorites need to rest

Consider a cover crop to greatly

dra californica) and Baja ruelia

tered every 14 to 30 days, while they’ll have deep root systems in

Northern California

Mediterranean plants like laven-

One of the Northwest’s best na-

Most nurseries carry it, but for a

wider selection look to mail-order

specialists like Mendocino Maples

Nursery (mendocinomaples.com).

specimens that have become

M A I N TA I N

pruning them as low as 12 to 18

spread it over shrub and perennial

overgrown can be rejuvenated by inches above ground.

If you have finished compost,

beds or dig it into empty annual

KATE SCHWAGER

H A RV E S T

plots. To stockpile for spring, cover your heap with a tarp to keep

winter rains from washing out the nutrients.

H A RV E S T Just before the first frost, har-

vest your tomatoes, cucumbers,

eggplants, summer squash, watermelons, and peppers, since

they’ll be damaged by the cold.

Tomatoes that aren’t ripe can be placed on an indoor windowsill.

PROTECT East of the mountains, cut back

fuchsias and overwinter them in a protected, dark place. A cool basement will do the trick.

Mountain PLANT At 6 to 8 inches tall, heirloom

miniature daffodils are the per-

fect size for rock gardens and in groundcovers. Hoop petticoat

daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium) and double pheasant’s eye (N.

albus plenus odoratus) are white;

the Tenby daffodil (N. pseudonar-

cissus ssp. obvallaris) and hoop daffodil ‘Golden Bells’ and ‘Julia Jane’ are golden yellow.

Plan for early spring color by

planting botanical crocuses in

blue gamma, buffalo grass, and

sheep fescue lawns. Good choices include Crocus chrysanthus ‘Blue Pearl,’ pale yellow ‘Cream Beauty,’ and gold ‘Goldilocks,’ along with C. tommasinianus

‘Barr’s Purple,’ ‘Lilac Beauty,’ violet ‘Roseus,’ and ‘Ruby Giant.’

M A I N TA I N Remove, clean, and store gar-

den supports. Nest tomato cages. Save a large plastic nursery pot to hold bamboo and metal stakes.

Landscaper and ceramicist Dustin Gimbel’s new cactus sculptures are of totemic proportions and will add a bright exclamation point to any garden. To make them, Gimble uses an extruder—“it’s like a big pasta maker with clay,” he says—

then hand-carves each segment into shape. His sculptures

Let a few stalks of endive, let-

are arresting and covetable, so much so, in fact, that when

and spinach go to seed to pro-

ington, to pick a site for three totems at Dan Hinkley’s iconic

tuce, mesclun mixes, mustard, THOMAS J. STORY

G A R DE N G OA L S

we spoke to Gimbel he was on his way to Puget Sound, Wash-

vide food for birds. Uneaten

Windcliff garden. (One cactus sculpture there will reach an impressive 15 feet.) Available in

next spring and provide early

artistry is high— $140 for 12 inches—but Gimbel also makes table pots for those with more

dropped seeds will germinate

four different designs and glazes, the cacti can be ordered by the foot. The price for such

fresh greens.

down-to-earth ambitions. Totems, price upon request. Pots, $49 to $65; pottedstore.com.

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29

BRINGING IT

CHANNELING HER INTUITIVE SKILLS FOR CREATING INVITING AND GROUNDED INTERIORS, LAUREN SOLOFF BUILT A LAYERED AND WELL-LOVED HOME FOR HER OWN BLENDED FAMILY OF SIX. Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

30

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H O M

Opposite page: Soloff poses in front of her backyard office.

This page: A custom emerald green paint, Paperstone counters, and a checkerboard floor in the vintage kitchen.

Sher and Soloff share a rare quiet morning with Tallulah (one of their four children) and their dog, Luna, on the front porch of their restored 1908 family home.

F

A long table with room for dinner and homework was a priority.

Soloff painted much of the woodwork (like built-in shelves) white to make the house feel light and open.

F

Five years ago, when Lauren Soloff and Adam Sher first brought their newly blended family to see the 1908 Craftsman they bought in Jefferson Park, a neighborhood in central Los Angeles filled with classic homes in varied states of restoration and repair, the kids did not get it.

“The previous owner had worked hard to restore the house and was very into classic Craftsman details like flickering orange light bulbs in the hallway. It was dark. It felt a little bit like we were in an Edward Gorey book,” says Soloff, who has spent the last 15 years working as an interior designer, visualizing dream homes for her largely Californiabased clientele. The three tweens—Soloff’s son and Sher’s daughter and son, all from previous relationships—were wide-eyed and

uncertain. Soloff was undeterred.

“In my work, I felt like I could always tune in to what a house can do. I could guide projects from a very intuitive place,” says Soloff, who studied architecture at UCLA but found herself more intrigued by interiors. “I did have some anxiety about a Craftsman at first. So my instinct was to get rid of all of the details. I took out all the light fixtures and the wallpaper and I painted it white. Once I did that, I could start to see the house.”

The newly married couple had scoured the city for a house that fit a long list of criteria.

It had to be convenient enough to their kids’ three schools, have five real bedrooms (one for each of the children, and another so they had room to expand their family), and not

cost a flat-out fortune. When they discovered this house, which had three bedrooms downstairs and a fully renovated attic space with two bedrooms, two baths, and a TV room with a kitchenette, they knew they’d found a winner, even under layers of moody paint and historic fixtures.

“It was a proper house, and it felt rooted to me,” she says. “It was really important to us that the kids each had a dedicated space that was very defined as their own that wasn’t too far away, geographically, from their old lives. I wanted room for them to grow, physically, and as a family, adding a baby to the mix. We knew that the kids’ emotional lives were hinging on us getting settled. So to find a house with that essence, that felt like a traditional family house, was

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A group of Westport chairs around a backyard firepit, and planters filled with veggies, add to the city-meetscountry feel.

Moody Hues According to the paint experts at Benjamin Moore, a three-color exterior palette in earthy, muted shades is the standard for vintage Craftsman homes.

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Ashwood Moss Soloff chose a deep gray-blue to paint the eaves and the railings on the back porch to highlight the woodwork.

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Gloucester Sage Earthy, warm green, like this muddy Gloucester Sage from the Historical Color Collection, is a classic choice.

Brown Sugar Chocolate brown adds more depth to the trim.

Soloff used Farrow & Ball Mahogany; Brown Sugar is a close match.

important. In a strange way, the house gave us more support.”

Starting with a clean white slate, Soloff got to work infusing the rooms with her own warm, organic aesthetic, which has strong, simple Shaker influences mixed with an English farmhouse vibe—thanks to her skill with combining florals and patterns from classic brands like Claremont, Howe, William Morris, and Pierre Frey. Some strategic Danish modern furniture and contemporary art keeps everything anchored in the present tense. Their first furniture purchase, the massive RH dining table that she describes as “big enough to have piles of homework that you can just push out of the way and still have six people sit down for family dinner,” set the tone.

Nearly four years ago, when their daughter Tallulah was born, that last puzzle piece clicked into place. And since early 2020, when they were all stuck at home, Sher started using the front room for his legal practice, the now-teenagers each had designated corners for remote learning, Tallulah had a garden with chickens and pots full of strawberry plants to play in, and Soloff could retreat to her backyard home office. The layout of the house and all of its inviting nooks had made the chaos feel more manageable.

While Soloff has wrapped up her last work projects, taking an indefinite hiatus to live a slower life and make space for whatever opportunities may come next, her own family home has helped her zero in on what makes a house really sing.

“As I leave this world of interior design, I’m really aware of spaces that, to my mind, feel successful,” she says. “I always gravitate toward things that feel effortless. But I’m very aware that there’s a lot of precision and control that goes into making things feel that way.”

In other words, a lot of loving effort goes into building a home for a family, and supporting the family that lives within its walls, to make it all look so easy.

Shoes in a spectrum of sizes tell a family story at the front door. Gentle Luna looks on.

“Pemaquid Fog” wallpaper by Ralph Lauren and smoky blue tile in the primary bath.

In the primary bedroom, a Schuyler Samperton upholstered chair and vintage settee.

Soloff has an eye for “slower life” details, like wire baskets and vintage sketches.

A mix of collected treasures, like this vintage chest of drawers, fill a bedroom corner.

The second-floor rec room—with a kitchenette—felt tailor-made for a pack of siblings.

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White porcelain, vintage tile, and fresh lilacs look at home in the built-in storage.

The renovated attic space makes for a cozy pitched-roof bathroom, and a nook for a tub.

Morris & Co. Bird and Pomegranate wallpaper, a pattern from 1926, in a guest bedroom.

A mix of natural materials like rattan, woven grass, carved wood, clay, and bone give the living room a rustic elegance.

Striped fabric on the ottoman is Claremont.

Soloff’s chicken coop, home to four hens, was customized from a My Pet Chicken kit and painted in OffBlack by Farrow & Ball. Tallulah wears a dress by Dôen.

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A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER DRAWS ON OREGON AND CALIFORNIA INFLUENCES TO CREATE GARDENS THAT EVOKE CHILDLIKE WONDER AND A SENSE OF DISCOVERY. Story by D EAN NA KIZ I S Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

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The gardens designed by Molly Sedlacek, of OR.CA, a design and product studio she operates out of Marin, California, are so evocative, playful, and unique they’re more than just landscapes—they’re functional art installations. A seating area looks like a long-forgotten paleontology dig.

Salvaged redwood “mushroom stools” are scattered across a weathered cypress patio, sculptural yet inviting.

A trio of hammocks and climbable wood totems tell the story of a father raising his two sons.

When Sedlacek opened OR.CA, which takes its name from her childhood in Oregon and her love of biophilic California design, her mission was to create gardens that would tap into people’s formative selves. “When we’re children, we take in nature with curiosity and wonder, with no preconceived notions of what a space should be,” she says, adding, “OR.CA is my inner child connecting

42

to materials and outdoor space, and translating that to adults.”

After using the phrase inner child, Sedlacek wonders if she sounds too “woo-woo,” but her landscapes are clearly tapping into something we crave. In just two years, her studio has installed gardens in Marin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, with gardens in Texas and New York in the works. Meanwhile, the heavy materials she uses and the time it takes to create her bespoke pieces aren’t child’s play. For a limestone fire pit, she crafted a chair for artist Kevin Carman to sit in while he handcarved not only the pit but the round volcanic balls inside. “That’s pretty much the opposite of how someone will tell you to build a garden—slow and methodical,” Sedlacek says. Then again, she adds, “It’s not an add-tocart type garden.”

Sedlacek’s creative process begins before she meets with a client. In nature, she keeps her mind open so that when it’s time to design, her subconscious can offer up inspiration from her deep well of mental imagery.

The effect is artful without being pretentious, imbued with a sense of history without being nostalgic. For a

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garden in Marin, thinking about a seating plan unearthed the image of curving vertebrae. (“I must have seen a skeleton while hiking,” she says.) When creating a garden she affectionately refers to as “Mars”—thanks to its red-hued sand and the fact that “it’s pretty out there”—she made a “chunk bench” out of blocks of cypress that invite long talks by the fire pit and boisterous play.

And while there are always things clients require in their gardens—a place to sit, a heating element, a dining space—Sedlacek needs them to hand over the garden keys,

CANVASSING THE AREA

When Sedlacek designs a landscape, she considers what it will look like as a whole. Here, a main viewing deck is two-and-ahalf stories up, so the client can admire the garden the way they would a painted canvas.

metaphorically and often literally, so she can create a landscape of found materials that possess a magical sensibility. “My designs don’t work unless there’s a story to be told about materials, space, how the client plans to use their home, and their dreams for the future,” Sedlacek says. “As soon as that story is clear for the client, that’s when the trust unlocks.”

“OR.CA gardens have a permanence — almost like they grew from the earth and will be there forever, which is an interesting contrast to the impermanence of landscapes.”

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SEAT STEALER

Biomimicry is a recurring theme in Sedlacek’s work. Vertebrae-shaped chairs invite adults, children—and their stuffed red pandas—to take a seat. The limestone fire pit containing volcanic rocks was handcarved by sculptor Kevin Carman of Ventura, California.

KEEP IT LOCAL

It was important to Sedlacek to use old-growth redwood salvaged from Cazadero in Sonoma County, a scant 60 miles away.

“We wanted to make sure that trees fell as close to us as possible,” she says, although creating outdoor furniture this way isn’t fast. “There are people who are patient,” she says. “This isn’t about instant gratification.”

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SOCIAL CLIMBING

“‘Mars’ is a garden for a single dad and two boys, so the story is really about the three of them playing together,” Sedlacek says. She created totems, hammocks, and a “chunk bench” for the boys to use as stepping blocks, and a place for their dad to host friends around the steel firepit. “It’s a kids’ jungle gym that’s designed to appeal to adults,” she says.

A LAYERED APPROACH

Sedlacek uses client requirements—like a heat source or sitting area—as layers that work into an overarching concept. “We can adapt to almost anything if we have the freedom to weave in materials that have a very found feeling.”

“When we’re children, we take in nature with curiosity and wonder, with no preconceived notions of what a space should be.”

WEIGHTY MATTERS

“I like to build things that are very heavy,” Sedlacek says. “Plants can die off, change, and grow, so with wood you always have this very concrete idea to anchor the yard. I think I feel comforted by that.”

SIT AND STAY

Streamlined Adirondack chairs of Northern California cypress are for sale on ORCAliving.com. They’re intentionally heavy so they’ll stay in place despite the elements.

FAMILY TOTEM

To build climbable garden stacks, Sedlacek used salvaged cypress from Arborica in West Marin and had it chainsawed into shapes and threaded on a steel rod. The wood towers are strong enough to support adults and children.

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TOTAL RECLINE

Sedlacek installed three hammocks in the garden, but the family always ends up piling together into one. “I’m like, ‘Oooh! please hold on!’ ” Sedlacek says. “It’s pretty cute.”

The boardwalks are also the kids’ favorite place to run around.

An OR.CA Grows Up This OR.CA garden in Oakland shows the ultimate reward of a landscape in its prime. Cedar turns a soft silver. A corten steel fireplace gains a rustcolored patina. “I always tell clients when everything goes in that it’s not the end product. Each year things get richer and more beautiful with time, just like humans. It’s like our wrinkles—they mean a lot, and it’s a journey.”

AGING IN PLACE Sedlacek tells clients to embrace how materials age. “If you don’t, you’ll always be fighting nature.”

CASS CLEAVE / IG: @CASSCLEAVE

FEELING FUNGHI Stumpy “mushroom stools” are inspired by the late sculptor JB Blunk. They’re custom-made from cedar salvaged by Evan Shively’s Arborica in West Marin.

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Sunset Page Template.indd 1

8/16/21 12:02 PM

FOOD

&

DRINK

Breakfast From the Farm

Eat well and be well with these healthy, beachy breakfast recipes from Helene Henderson’s new Malibu Farm cookbook.

© 2021 ERIN KUNKEL

Photographs by E RI N KU N KE L

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Malibu Farm is one of the most iconic coastal restaurants in Southern California, and the last kind of restaurant Helene Henderson imagined herself running. The Swedish-born private chef turned restaurant empire builder is a selfprofessed sea-averse, non-swimming lover of the land who’d long dreamed of running a spot in the country—not a café teetering on pilings above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

After years of running pop-up events and teaching cooking classes out of her Point Dume home, Henderson took over an old diner at the end of the Malibu Pier. Her obsession with fresh ingredients and lean local proteins, and a light touch with breakfast, made that first little restaurant an instant hit—the kind of place you’d see Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece fueling up at after a morning surfing the break by the pier.

Over the years—undeterred by wildfires, mudslides, and a pandemic— Henderson created a restaurant franchise that now extends to Lanai, Newport Beach, and other stunning coastal destinations.

In her new book, Malibu Farm Sunrise to Sunset: Simple Recipes All Day (Clarkson Potter, $40), Henderson has compiled the recipes that helped make her restaurant famous, from the vegan chopped salad to the chicken parm from the farm. Here we share breakfast recipes from the book that embody so much of what the café is about: seasonal produce minimally but exactingly prepared in dishes that sing with flavor and life. Plus they’re on the healthier end of the scale: The pancakes are vegan, the waffles are gluten-free, and the omelet is as much salad as you’re likely to ever get at breakfast. One and all, the dishes set you up for the day just right.

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The Open-Face Salad Omelet S E RV E S 2 “One morning at 9 a.m. I wanted a sal-

ad. It seemed too early for a salad, but

I was hungry. And so I made a very thin omelet, and I topped it with a very big salad. It was exactly what I wanted. I

put it on the restaurant menu, and lo

and behold, I am not the only one who wants a salad omelet. We’re making a super-thin open-face omelet, more

like a crêpe, so the size of your pan will

determine the diameter and thickness of your omelet. I use a 6-inch skillet.

Choose a pan that’s lightweight

enough to lift easily. If you are using a pan that is not nonstick, you will need

TIP:

For a rich to pping, fold a few ta blespoons of yo ur favorite jam into 1 cup of whip ped cream.

more oil.” Henderson’s go-to lemon dressing is an easy to remember 2

parts olive oil to 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice whisked with salt and a grated clove of garlic.

I Heart You Gluten-Free Waffles

Olive oil

SE RVES 4

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

“In Sweden, waffles are always heart-shaped and very, very thin. For many years I

2 cups fresh arugula

waffle iron. They are easy to find for home use, but commercial heart-shaped

4 large eggs

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes Lemon dressing (see above) Salt to taste

2 Tbsp. shaved Parmesan cheese, for

wanted these waffles for my restaurant. I searched and searched for the right

Swedish-style restaurant waffle irons were hard to locate, until one day I finally found them. Where? Online from China, of course.

We set out to create a recipe that reminded me of my childhood but was also

garnish (optional)

gluten-free. You can use any standard waffle iron here, but I recommend track-

(optional)

whipped cream, maple syrup, and gluten-free granola for a nice crunch, or with

4 slices prosciutto, for garnish

1. Oil a 6-inch nonstick skillet and heat

ing down a Nordic-style heart-shaped one. We top our waffles several ways: with a berry compote, or with whipped cream with fresh berries. It’s your choice!”

it over medium heat.

3 large eggs

gether. Pour half of the eggs into the

½ cup sour cream or creme fraîche

2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs to-

skillet, and cook without stirring until

the omelet starts to brown and sizzle

and is mostly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle half of the moz-

zarella cheese over the omelet, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for

about 1 minute so the cheese melts.

Transfer the omelet to a plate. Re-

peat with the remaining eggs and cheese to make a second omelet.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the cherry

tomatoes with the arugula and the

lemon dressing. Season with salt to taste, and top the omelet with the

salad. Garnish with the shaved Parmesan cheese and prosciutto, if using.

1. Whisk together all the wet ingredi-

3 cups whole milk

ents (eggs, milk, sour cream, and

butter) in one medium bowl and all

1½ Tbsp. salted butter, melted

the dry ingredients (sugar, salt, car-

¼ cup white or brown sugar

damom, if using, and flour) in anoth-

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon (optional)

2½ cups gluten-free flour (I

recommend Bob’s Red Mill glutenfree all-purpose baking flour)

Nonstick cooking spray

FOR SERVING: whipped cream, maple syrup, and gluten-free granola; a

berry compote; or whipped cream with fresh berries

er. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring steadily

until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Let the batter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

(The batter can also be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge.)

2. Spray a preheated waffle iron with

nonstick cooking spray, and spoon

just enough batter into the iron to fill

it. Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is brown and crisp on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Serve the waffles with the toppings of your choice.

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For more recipes, pick up Malibu Farm Sunrise to Sunset: Simple Recipes All Day. $40, penguinrandomhouse.com

N O T E : The pancake batter can be

made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.

1. Combine the tofu, chocolate oat

milk, 1½ bananas, the brown sugar,

and the vanilla in a blender and process until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, combine the dry in-

gredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Pour the blended

tofu-banana mixture into the dry ingredients and combine to form a smooth batter. Then stir in the

TIP:

You can repl ace the chocolat e oat milk with an y milk alternative and add 1 tables poon of cocoa powd er.

quinoa.

3. Place a large skillet over medium

heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil or vegan butter, and heat until melted. Spoon ½ cup of the pancake batter per

pancake into the skillet (the number of pancakes will depend on the size of your skillet). Cook until bubbles

appear on the surface of the pan1 cup (8 ounces) silken (soft) tofu

Vegan Chocolate Banana Pancakes SE RVES 4 “Pancakes topped with whipped cream and berries will always hold a special place in my heart

and in my world, but the world has changed. And

1 cup chocolate oat milk (see Tip above if you can’t find this at the store)

3 ripe bananas

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1¼ cups gluten-free flour (I

recommend Bob’s Red Mill glutenfree all-purpose baking flour)

we should and must aspire to change with it. Veg-

½ tsp. baking soda

restaurant, this meant we needed a vegan pan-

¼ tsp. salt

ans are no longer few and far between. For our

cake option. It took a few trials, but then it finally came together. These pancakes are vegan and gluten-free, but shh, don’t tell. They are now my

favorite pancakes, so even old dogs (and mature

cats like me) can learn new tricks. I am pretty sure these pancakes will become your family favorite.”

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1 tsp. baking powder ¾ cup cooked quinoa

Olive oil, vegetable oil, or vegan butter Maple syrup, for serving

Confectioners’ sugar, for serving Coconut Crispy Oats, for serving (recipe follows)

cakes, about 2 minutes. Then flip

them over and cook on the other

side until cooked through, about 2

more minutes. Transfer the pancakes to a large plate or platter and keep

covered, or place in the oven on low

temperature until ready to serve. Repeat, adding more oil or vegan butter for each batch of pancakes.

4. Once all the batter is used up, slice

the remaining 1½ bananas. Add a little oil to the same skillet and sauté

the banana slices over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until browned on all sides.

5. Serve the pancakes garnished with the sautéed bananas, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar.

REPRINTED FROM MALIBU FARM SUNRISE TO SUNSET BY HELENE HENDERSON. COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY HELENE HENDERSON. PUBLISHED BY CLARKSON POTTER, AN IMPRINT OF RANDOM HOUSE, A DIVISION OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month Type 1 diabetes impacts more than just the body. Managing this chronic illness is a complicated, tedious, all day, everyday struggle that can take a relentless toll on your mental well-being.

Children’s Diabetes Foundation helps ensure that the Barbara Davis Center can continue to provide patient programs that support both the physical and mental burdens of living with type 1 diabetes.

Do you know the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?

SUDDEN VISION CHANGES FREQUENT URINATION EXTREME THIRST WEIGHT LOSS IRRITABILITY FATIGUE

Learn More at www.ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org 53_Sunset_Childrens Diabetes_53.indd 1

8/16/21 11:51 AM

Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N

A SMALL EXPERIMENTAL FARM IN THE CENTER OF LOS ANGELES SHOWS WHAT’S POSSIBLE WHEN SUSTAINABILITY PIONEERS WORK TOGETHER TO TURN DORMANT SOIL INTO A SOURCE OF FOOD AND COMMUNITY.

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E DE N

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Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

UR BA N

If you stand quietly in the middle of Little City Farm, next to the tall bamboo tripods heavy with climbing bean stalks and the rows of tomatoes, peppers, chard, and onions, you can tune out the sounds of chickens clucking and children playing just long enough to hear the roar of cars speeding down Olympic Boulevard.

Look up, and beyond the 100-year-old palm trees that stand at attention on the neighboring streets, you might spot an LAPD helicopter crossing the blue sky.

It’s so easy to forget that you’re in the literal center of sprawling Los Angeles when you arrive at this urban homestead, surrounded by hay bales, backhoes, and pitchforks. It’s such a wonderland of edible, growing things that guests (and magazine writers) spend the first few minutes on the grounds a little dumbfounded by the abrupt change in atmosphere.

“Now imagine that all of the houses on the street were like this, growing different types of vegetables and fruit, and they were sharing it with their neighbors,” says Ben Hirschfeld, the founder of 3R Garden Design, who created this small-but-mighty farm with the homeowner, sustainable design entrepreneur Jenny Silbert, and chef David Kuo, owner of the West L.A. restaurant, Little Fatty, using reclaimed materials, many donated plants, and hours of hard labor.

“I want this garden to be an example of the future, of how hyper local food could be,” says Hirschfeld.

Silbert lives in the house at the top of a flight of stairs on the double lot with her husband, Aengus O’Neil-Dunne, and their three kids. Silbert is an architect, a designer, a self-described “master scavenger,” and the founder of Rewilder, a company that upcycles waste, turning the banners advertising the Hollywood Bowl that hang on street lights across the city into tote bags, and foam scraps from the mattress industry and discarded industrial fabric into outdoor furniture. When the family bought the property back in 2016, the main house occupied one lot, and a tennis court and a smaller bungalow and a patch of yard was on the other.

A chance meeting with Hirschfeld changed everything.

“I was at a sustainability pop-up market at the Google headquarters in Venice for Rewilder,” she says. “Ben was in the booth next to mine selling furniture he made from reclaimed materials, and we just started talking.”

Hirschfeld described his passion for planting edible landscapes to Silbert.

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Silbert shared that she wanted to plant a garden at her home, using the sizable lot they had, and to have her kids experience harvesting their own food. Within months, she’d hired him to plant a small orchard that was irrigated with gray water from the house.

It was a modest success, but Hirschfeld had bigger plans.

For years, he had been talking about his urban garden dreamscape—a fantasy world where the city offers rebates for edible gardens in the same way it rewards people for planting drought-tolerant natives and no-water lawns— with anyone who would listen. His business creating school and community gardens, and maintaining smaller residential gardens, was starting to thrive. And he was trading his produce for free meals at restaurants like Little Fatty, Kuo’s popular Taiwanese restaurant.

“I would show up with a wheelbarrow full of vegetables,

Previous spread: The farm plan included space for large dinner parties. Opposite page: Silbert’s home in L.A.’s Country Club Park is accessed by stairs. This page, clockwise from left: Snow peas ready to pick; Silbert’s daughter Marion; Yolo mezcal stocked the bar for the cocktail, a honeyginger-lemon base with fresh-picked peppers. Mural by Elle Street Art.

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and I would take all of the women I met from the dating apps there for dinner,” says Hirschfeld, who grew up in Beverly Hills and is a self-taught farmer. “I was kind of a VIP.” Hirschfeld’s goal was to partner with a restaurant and supply food for seasonal dishes on the menu, as an example of what truly local farm-to-table dining could be. After years of preaching about his vision to Kuo, the chef’s interest was piqued.

Silbert, meanwhile, wanted a farm partner to help defray some of the costs of maintaining the orchard and planting a larger garden. So the three of them sat down over brunch to hatch a plan: They’d take a jackhammer to half of the tennis court and plant a full-fledged vegetable plot, a kind of backyard garden partially maintained by Kuo as a way of navigating current laws around agriculture and farms that supply food to restaurants.

Kuo, for his part, has been patient with the process. He describes growing up as a first-generation Angeleno, in a house known in the neighborhood for “growing weird plants in the backyard,” before the Asian veggies his mother wanted to eat and cook with were widely available at local markets. And he’s excited to see how the relationship grows.

“I still have to order ingredients from larger suppliers, because we’re never going to get 200 pounds of onions from Little City,” says Kuo, who worked with Jean-Georges Vongerichten and in a Wolfgang Puck kitchen before opening his own restaurant. “But it’s been a great partnership. We have been selling the vegetables at a sandwich shop and market next to the restaurant, and people are really into the idea.”

When the coronavirus hit, it seemed like there was nothing but time to spend outside, and the mood was ripe for radical, life-changing ideas.

“No one can believe that this land was a tennis court for almost 100 years, until March of 2020,” says Silbert, who hired Elle Street Art to paint a vibrant mural across the remaining sports court. “It’s astounding, actually, when I think about the timeline. We spent a month digging out rocks. Everything about this land was literally the polar opposite of what is here now. It’s extraordinary to see how it’s grown. It feels really profound.”

“We had to till it, and truck in some soil, and amend it until it was rich enough to grow plants,” adds Hirschfeld, who works 16 to 20 hours a week at the farm. “Everyone I talk to is excited about our progress. The owner of C&S Nursery will just give us flats of seedlings. He wants this to succeed.”

The experiment appears to be paying off. Silbert is using the garden and the smaller house to host events, as an educational garden, and as an urban farm rental on Airbnb. She’s hosting the “Women in Green” forum on the property, and is organizing a gathering with Good Is the New Cool: The Principles of Purpose author Afdhel Aziz.

The dinner they hosted for Sunset, with a Yolo mezcal cocktail and a familystyle meal by Kuo, featuring produce from LCF, was an example of how thoughtful, local, sustainable entertaining can also be beautiful.

“For Ben, it’s about farming. For David, it’s about food. But for me, it’s about community,” says Silbert. “Living in harmony with your values in a city like this is a hard thing to reconcile. The farm has made it easier for me.”

Opposite page: Guests mingle in front of the rows of raised planter beds. Left: Little City Farm packs plenty of garden charm, like beehives and a greenhouse made from reclaimed windows, on a small plot. Above: Marion holds a colossal sunflower.

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“ It’s extraordinary to see how it’s grown.

It feels really profound.”

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Hirschfeld and Silbert pictured with Kuo, who shares his favorite recipes using

Little City produce, including egg rolls

made with a bounty of chard, a crowdpleasing tofu dish, and his addictive

Little Fatty special: Midnight Noodles.

5 scallions, white part only,

oil is shimmering, add scallions and

4 cloves garlic, minced

Omnipork and sauté, breaking it

thinly sliced

2 tsp. minced ginger

2½ Tbsp. ground dried chilies

2 Tbsp. fermented black beans, soaked, rinsed, and drained

2 tsp. doubanjiang (fermented chili

bean paste; Korean gochujang is a

Mapo Tofu Kuo flavors this Sichuan classic with Omnipork, a new plant-based meat substitute developed in Canada and made in Thailand. (See omnifoods.co/ us/find for where to buy.) Beyond Beef, Incogmeato, or any plant-based ground meat substitutes would also work. S E RV E S 4 Kosher salt

1 lb. firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes ¼ lb. Omnipork Ground 1½ tsp. dark soy sauce

2 Tbsp. ground Sichuan peppercorns, plus more for garnish

¼ cup vegetable oil

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decent substitute)

¼ cup Shaoxing wine 1 cup chicken stock

1½ tsp. kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce; hoisin sauce will work as a substitute)

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. water to form a slurry

1. In a medium bowl dissolve 1 tsp. salt in 2 cups of water. Add tofu cubes.

Let rest for 30 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine the Omnipork, dark soy sauce, and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Chill for 30 minutes.

3. In a large pan over high heat, add 2 Tbsp. of the vegetable oil. When the

sauté about 2 minutes. Add

apart into tiny morsels, until cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer meat and onions to a me-

dium bowl and set aside.

4. Add Tbsp. oil to the same pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 2

minutes. Add the ground chilies, fermented black beans, and

douban­jiang, and sauté, stirring

occasionally, another 2 minutes.

Add Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, cooking and stirring until the

liquid has nearly evaporated. Add chicken stock, mix well, bring to a

boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Return cooked Omnipork mixture to

pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add kecap manis,

drained tofu, and black pepper, and simmer 5 minutes. Gently fold in

cornstarch slurry and simmer 1 minute. Serve with a dusting of ground Sichuan peppercorns.

Swiss Chard Egg Rolls S E RV E S 4 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus

diamond, not a square.

2 lb. Swiss chard, torn into

mixture in a line across

more for shallow frying bite-size pieces

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp. shallot sauce 8 egg roll wrappers

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Set a large sauté pan

over medium-high heat

and add 2 Tbsp. oil. When

the oil is shimmering, add the Swiss chard, onions,

garlic, shallot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and sauté, stirring

occasionally, until mixture is lightly caramelized and tender, 7–10 minutes.

Transfer to a medium

bowl and set aside until it’s cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.

2. Fill a small bowl with ½

cup water. Place 1 egg roll wrapper on a work surface with one corner

pointing toward you—it should look like a

Place about 1/3 cup chard the center. Using a pastry brush (or your finger),

lightly wet the edges of

the egg-roll wrapper with water. Wrap the corner

closest to you over the filling, fold in the two side

corners, and then roll it

away from you. Press the edges together to seal, adding more water if

necessary. Repeat until

you’ve used up the chard

mixture—you should have about 8 egg rolls.

3. Set a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and fill with ½-inch oil.

When the oil reaches

350°F, add egg rolls one at a time, taking care to not crowd the pan. Fry in

batches if necessary.

Cook, rotating them occasionally, until crispy and golden on all sides, 5–7 minutes. Remove to a

plate lined with paper

towels to drain, but serve

soon, while they’re still hot.

1. Set a large pan over medium-high

Midnight Noodles (Zha Jiang Mian)

heat. Add vegetable oil and heat

until shimmering, about 2 minutes.

Little Fatty’s thick handmade noodles are the real star here. If making your own is outside your bandwidth, look for a chewy Shanghainese noodle or use Japanese udon to soak up the rich sauce. S E R V E S 4

Add diced onions and sauté until light brown and beginning to caramelize, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add the

ground pork. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 10

minutes. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook 5 minutes.

2. Raise heat to medium, and add

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

¾ cup diced white onion

black bean sauce, tianmianjiang,

¼ cup sliced scallions, white part only

until the sauces reduce and start

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

vinegar and rice wine to deglaze.

¾ lb. ground pork

and shallot sauce. Cook 5 minutes

1 Tbsp. minced ginger

to stick to the pan, then add black

1

3

cup black bean sauce

Add sugar and black pepper and

sauce; hoisin makes a decent

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a

1 Tbsp. tianmianjiang (sweet flour substitute)

stir well, then add chicken stock.

simmer and cook about 20 minutes. Stir in half the cornstarch

¼ cup shallot sauce

slurry to thicken, then turn off heat

1 Tbsp. black vinegar

¼ cup rice wine, such as Shaoxing 2 tsp. sugar

and stir in the rest.

3. Meanwhile, cook the wheat noo-

Pinch of black pepper

dles according to the package di-

2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp.

transfer to a bowl, mix in the sauce,

1½ cups chicken stock

water to form a slurry

rections. When they are ready, and serve.

16 oz. thick fresh Asian wheat noodles, like nian gao

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

63

Story by MAG DALE NA O ’ N EAL

Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE OF THE BEST MEXICAN CHEFS ON THE PLANET OPENS A BREEZY OPEN-AIR RESTAURANT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA? PEAK-SEASON PRODUCE STARS IN SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE, STUNNINGLY DELICIOUS TACOS, TAMALES, AND MORE THAT YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME. 64

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

Damian in the Arts District of Los Angeles, legendary chef Enrique Olvera—known for New York’s Cosme and Atla, and Pujol in Mexico City—is further evolving the definition of what Mexican food can be. The dishes at Damian (and its taco annex, Ditroit) incorporate California’s rich bounty into Mexican preparations tweaked just so. Ingredients like uni are combined with market greens in an inventive take on Caesar salad. Yukon gold potatoes are delicately hand-mixed with freshly ground white masa to create a tamal that becomes a potato-studded vessel for salsas of every kind. The dishes come out of the kitchen into an indoor-outdoor dining space covered in the greenery typical of Mexico City: Abundant monsteras and plume split leaf philodendrons hang overhead as custom cutlery is placed alongside handmade Oaxacan dishware.

Unlike at many restaurants of this caliber, the dishes themselves are deceptively simple yet overdeliver in complexity of flavor. Head chef Chuy Cervantes uses greens like wasabula, yu choy, and broccolini to embellish his dishes. A guacachile sauce is made by blending peppers, onions, and garlic before being brushed over carne asada, further deepening the char on a well-grilled steak.

The dishes shared with us—and now you—are excellent expressions of what we love about the ever-growing diversity of Mexican food in the U.S.: They’re easy, despite their fine-dining restaurant pedigree; they’re delicious; and they’re local as can be. While each may require a bit more prep than you’re used to on a weekday night, no dish is beyond the skills of a home cook, each worthy of a party, the equipment needed no more exotic than a grill or a blender. Some dishes need no cooking at all.

Tuna tartare is served atop a layer of chilled avocado salsa with a sprinkle of homemade furikake, an already winning spice combination that’s even better when handmade. The tuna is chopped until creamy, all the better to complement the crisp tostada. Plan ahead, invite some friends over, mix up a round of smoked highballs, and you will be transported to the lush plant-draped patio of Damian.

Plus, you’ll have some amazing dishes to pull together time and again when you want to cook simple yet stunning modern Mexican meals at home.

seeds. Add chilies to the pot with

Potato and Seed Chorizo Tacos From Previous Page

This recipe shows that vegan can also mean insanely delicious. The seed mixture comes together with a blend of chilies, roma tomatoes, onion, and garlic

few more minutes until the chilies have softened.

to create a sauce that binds the pumpkin and sunflower seeds together. This

5. Transfer the mixture to a blender

M A K E S 4 TAC O S

6. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a

mix then coats boiled fingerling potatoes to create the base of the taco filling.

1½ Tbsp. sunflower seeds 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds 3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

4 Tbsp. chopped white onion 2 cloves garlic

½ cup chopped roma tomatoes 6 guajillo chilies

3 dried morita chilies

1 cup fingerling potatoes 8 corn tortillas

1 lime, cut into wedges

1. In a small pan over medium heat,

toast sunflower and pumpkin seeds until lightly colored and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. Place the seeds in a food processor and pulse until the texture is crumbly. Set aside.

3. In a small pot over medium-high

heat, add 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté about 4 minutes until soft, stirring often, then

add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.

4. In a small pan, toast dried chilies until fragrant, then remove from

heat, slice open, and discard the

66

the softened tomatoes and cook a

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

and blend until very smooth.

frying pan over medium heat, and add the seed mixture. Cook 4–5

minutes until golden brown, then

add the blended sauce to the pan

and fry, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a thick, chorizo-like consistency.

7. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add fingerling potatoes.

Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Slice the potatoes into ½-inch

rounds, toss them into chorizo mixture, and reheat together.

8. Heat tortillas and transfer to a plate, stacking two for each taco. Spoon

chorizo mixture on top and garnish with lime wedges. Serve with salsa.

From left: Chef Chuy Cervantes, general manager Ana Odermatt, and beverage manager Jun Kwon.

Carne Asada With Guacachile

This carne asada comes together with

just a few ingredients and a quick sear on the grill. Can’t get to a grill? Throw

these steaks onto a super-hot skillet to get the same char.

S E RV E S 2

1 jalapeño, halved

1 serrano chili, halved

1 chile güero or fresh banana pepper, halved

½ small yellow onion

1 clove garlic, smashed 3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

Tamal de Papa With Russian Salad

Kosher salt

tato is evenly distributed throughout the tender tamale. The team at Dami-

1 bunch bok choy

Gently mixing the potatoes and masa by hand ensures that the roasted poan sources corn from Masienda (masienda.com) in West Los Angeles and

grinds it in-house. Corn husks can be easily found in most Mexican grocers or well-stocked markets.

1½ lbs. fingerling potatoes (about 8

potatoes in foil and bake 15–20

½ lb. baby carrots (about 10 carrots)

off skins once cool enough to

½ cup English peas ½ cup mayonnaise 1 lime, juiced

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes 1 cup white masa

2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil 8 corn husks

1. To make the Russian salad: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches,

separately blanch fingerling po-

tatoes (8–10 minutes), carrots (3–4 minutes), and peas (about 90

seconds), transferring each to an ice bath once finished. Lay vege-

tables out on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry.

2. Slice fingerling potatoes and carrots into ½-inch rounds.

3. Place vegetables in a medium

bowl and mix with mayonnaise,

lime juice, and ½ tsp. salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. To make the tamales: Preheat

oven to 400°F. Wrap Yukon gold

68

1 bunch broccolini 1 Tbsp. olive oil Black pepper

2 limes, cut into wedges 8 corn tortillas

M A K E S 8 TA M A L E S

small potatoes)

2 8 oz. flatiron steaks

minutes, or until fully cooked. Peel handle. In a large bowl, combine masa, cooked potatoes, 1½ tsp. salt, ½ cup water, and mix with

your hands until potatoes are broken up into chunks and combined

with other ingredients but still recognizable. Slowly add oil to the

mixture 1 Tbsp. at a time, continue mixing with your hands, ensuring oil is combined before adding more. Add ½ cup water in the

same manner and continue mixing until incorporated.

5. Spoon a 2½ oz. portion of mixture in the center of a corn husk and

wrap the sides up over the dough to encase it.

6. Heat a steamer pot over medium

heat and place wrapped tamales inside with the lid on. Cook until

firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes

out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the corn husks, place a

hefty spoonful of Russian salad

on top, and serve with your favorite salsa.

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. In a large pot over low heat, cook jalapeño, serrano, chile güero, onion,

garlic, and grapeseed oil until everything has softened, about 10 min-

utes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Place cooled vegetables into a

blender, reserving oil. Blend on high and slowly stream in reserved oil to

emulsify. Continue blending guacachile until smooth, and season with salt to taste.

3. Brush steaks, broccolini, and bok

choy with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. On a gas or charcoal grill, place

steaks over direct heat. (If cooking

inside, set a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it’s smoking.)

Cook until the steaks reach desired

level of doneness: 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare, 3 minutes for medium.

5. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and sprinkle with more salt and a

squeeze of lime. Allow to rest before slicing, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Serve with guacachile salsa, cilantro, lime wedges, and warm tortillas.

Tuna Tartare Tostada Serving raw fish can be

daunting, but the simplicity

and freshness of this recipe

are what makes it so brilliant.

The homemade furikake

leaves room for personalization; add more nori or sesame seeds to suit your fancy.

The avocado purée is spiked with fresh lime juice. Fry a

couple of tortillas in a skillet

with oil to make homemade tostadas, or opt for a store

bought brand for a fast and easy appetizer.

M A K E S 2 TO STA DAS

2 ripe avocados, skin and pit removed 4½ Tbsp. lime juice, chilled 1 small bunch cilantro 3 Tbsp. sesame seeds 6 dried morita chilies ¼ cup nori

1 Tbsp. bonito flakes

4 oz. sushi-grade ahi tuna 2 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. soy sauce 6 lime wedges

¼ cup wasabula greens or arugula, for garnish

2 tostadas

1. Put cilantro and lime juice in a

blender and purée until it becomes

a bright green liquid. Add avocados and blend until the mixture reaches

a mousse-like consistency. Chill until ready to serve.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Working in separate batches, scatter sesame seeds, morita chilies, nori, and bonito flakes on the baking sheet. Bake each until fragrant

(keeping a close eye as they each

cook at different rates) and chilies have puffed up.

3. In a food processor, crush chilies,

nori, and bonito flakes separately.

Combine with sesame seeds in a small bowl to make the furikake.

Store in a sealed container.

4. Finely chop the tuna into small bits, similar to a traditional tartare.

5. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, soy sauce, salt to taste, and a

squeeze of 2 lime wedges. Add the

tuna and mix to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

6. To serve: Spread avocado purée on a tostada. Spread fish over the

pureé. Sprinkle furikake over the fish, and garnish with wasabula greens and lime wedges.

Smoked Highball

Calling all homegrown craft cocktail-

ians: This drink depends on the quality of the ingredients. With a high-quality whiskey and pine-infused liqueur, the

earthiness of the spirit is accentuated.

As you sip, you inhale the oils releasing into the glass from the garnish of fresh eucalyptus.

M A K E S 1 C O C K TA I L

TIP:

Finely chop ping the fish until it’s almost spreadable makes for creamycrunchy bite s.

Lapsang Souchong tea leaves in a small bowl and allow to steep at

room temperature for 30 minutes.

Strain mixture through a fine mesh

sieve and transfer to a jar or bottle to store.

2. Fill a shaker with ice and add ¾ oz.

each of infused pine liqueur, whiskey, and Charlene McGee. Shake gently just to bring ingredients to

1½ cups Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur

temperature, about 4 seconds.

(available at astorwines.com)

1 Tbsp. Lapsang Souchong tea leaves ¾ oz. Suntory Toki Whiskey

1. Combine Zirbenz Pine Liqueur with

¾ oz. Empirical Spirits Charlene McGee

3. Strain into a highball glass over ice,

top with club soda, and garnish with a sprig of fresh eucalyptus.

(available at astorwines.com)

2 oz. club soda

Fresh eucalyptus sprig, for garnish

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

71

IN L.A., AMAZING KOREAN BARBECUE IS AS COMMON AS ARTISANAL EVERYTHING BAGELS. SO THE FOLKS BEHIND YANGBAN SOCIETY DECIDED TO BLEND THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS IN THIS NEXT WAVE WESTERN FEAST. Story by H U G H GARVE Y Photographs by TH O MAS . J STO RY

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

73

many restaurant ideas, the concept for Yangban Society began as a late-night conversation between two chefs dreaming of what to do next. Katianna and John Hong had been working at fine-dining restaurants for years, most recently at the Michelin three-star The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, and longed to create something more casual and fun. They wanted a menu inspired by Korean culture, but not labeled by the catch-all term “Korean American fusion.” Most of all, Katianna says, “We wanted it to be authentic to us.”

74

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

“Us” is two Korean Americans with distinctly different backgrounds: John came to California after growing up in a Korean-speaking home in the Chicago suburbs. Katianna was born in Korea and adopted at the age of 3 and raised by a Jewish mom and Irish Catholic dad in upstate New York. Early on in their relationship, Katianna and John took a trip to Korea where John developed a newfound love for the traditions he grew up eating, while the trip inspired Kat to explore “Korean culture and identity and where I fit in by learning about Korean food.”

Opening a Korean restaurant in Los Angeles is like opening a bistro in Paris. To stand out, chefs typically either do it in the most classic fashion or try something completely different. The Hongs decided to do both. At Yangban Society, which is opening in downtown L.A. at the end of September, they’ve applied their training in fine dining to this old-school deli meets Asian minimart meets all-around hang zone. Here impeccable ingredients and exacting technique star in grab-and-go-friendly meat and rice dishes, noodles, salads, smoked fish, and dips topped with trout roe and furikake. “We designed it to be a place where we’d want to hang out,” says Katianna. “You’ll be able to take a number, banter with the staff at the counter, and grab a bottle of Hite beer or mini bottles of Johnny Walker Blue from the cold case.”

“In Korea,” Katianna adds, “yangban were the aristocrats who maintained the standards of society, most often older male politicians.” She and John liked the idea of all Asian Americans acting as yangban, but in a new way. They want to eventually feature local art and music to make the restaurant an immersive cultural experience. “We want to inspire our clientele to do great things for their community,” says Katianna. “We’re all yangban.”

Grilled Tomato and Cucumber Salad Tomato water requires you to plan a day ahead, but the mixture adds another layer of tomato flavor to this pretty grilled salad.

FOR THE SALAD

SE RVES 4

Olive or avocado oil

FOR THE TOMATO WATER 4 tomatoes, quartered

4 medium heirloom tomatoes

2 cups seedless cucumber, cut into large dice

1½ cups torn mixed herbs, such as perilla leaves, Thai or red basil, cilantro, and parsley

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

¼ cup chrysanthemum greens,

1. Combine tomatoes and salt in a

¼ cup chopped chives or thinly sliced

2. Set a fine mesh strainer lined with a

1 tsp. Korean chili flakes

blender and process until smooth.

double layer of cheesecloth over a

medium bowl, pour on the blended tomatoes, and refrigerate. The next day the hung mixture should yield about ½ cup tomato water.

FOR THE TOMATO WATER VINAIGRETTE ½ cup tomato water

1½ tsp. plum vinegar, sherry vinegar, or brown rice vinegar

½ tsp. Kosher salt ¾ Tbsp. olive oil

¾ Tbsp. sesame oil

1 small clove garlic, finely minced 1 tsp. soy sauce

• In a medium bowl, add all

ingredients, and whisk to combine.

Set aside.

76

optional

scallions

Tomato water vinaigrette Maldon salt

1. Rub the whole tomatoes and diced cucumbers with a small amount of oil to barely coat.

2. Heat a grill to high and grill tomatoes over direct heat until charred but not mushy, about 2 minutes. Place

cucumbers in a grill basket and grill over direct heat, about 2 minutes.

3. Dice the tomatoes and combine with the grilled cucumbers, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add

herbs, greens, chives, chili flakes, and vinaigrette, stir to combine, and marinate in the refrigerator 1–3 hours.

4. Season to taste with salt, toss, and serve.

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

“This cheesy, spicy melty side dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.”

Grilled Korean Cheesy Corn and Grains Savory-sweet Korean corn cheese is a deeply satifying cross-cultural mashup. Typically made with canned corn, this version uses grilled fresh corn.

Japgokbap is traditionally a mixture of millet and sorghum and legumes.

Feel to free to use any combination of cooked grains, whether it’s a mix of barley, brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, or farro. No matter what combo you use, this cheesy, spicy, melty side dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

SE RVES 4

sesame oil, and set aside.

2. Heat a grill to high. Rub the corn

cobs with a small amount of oil and grill over direct heat until just

cooked. Cut the corn off of the cobs and reserve.

3. In a medium cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp. oil.

Add onion, red bell pepper, and

garlic, and sauté until they begin to kernels, Korean chili flakes, and soy

combination of cooked mixed grains of your choosing

½ tsp. sesame oil

sauce, and sauté another minute.

Remove skillet from the heat.

4. Using a spoon, layer the cooked grains over the corn mixture.

3 ears corn on the cob, husked

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together

Olive or avocado oil

mayonnaise, sour cream, curry pow-

¼ medium onion, diced

der, and 2 Tbsp. water. Pour creamy

½ medium red bell pepper, diced

mixture on top of the corn and

4 cloves garlic, minced

grains in the skillet.

1 tsp. Korean chili flakes

6. Top with shredded mozzarella, pep-

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or other mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. sour cream

per jack, and scallions. Set the skillet on the grill and close the grill lid, or

place the skillet in a preheated 425°F oven. Bake 20–30 minutes, until the

½ tsp. curry powder

cheese is melted and bubbly and

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 2 scallions, thinly sliced

grains in a medium bowl, toss with

soften, 3–5 minutes. Add grilled corn

1 cup cooked Japgokbap, or a

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Place Japgokbap or other cooked

lightly browned. Serve immediately,

but take care not to burn your mouth on the hot cheese!

THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021 • SUNSET

77

Deli Pickles Be sure to use Kirby pickling cucumbers as other varieties won’t yield the same satisfying snap. Serve sliced lengthwise into quarters as a side dish or for snacking.

SE RVES 6 4½ Tbsp. pickling salt

½ cup apple cider vinegar 6 cloves garlic, peeled

1½ lbs. medium Kirby cucumbers, about 8–10 in all

2 Tbsp. toasted, crushed perilla or sesame seeds

Egg Salad

2 oz. perilla leaves, optional

1 tsp. whole black peppercorn

¼ oz. ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

Ridiculously easy to make and made all the more delicious thanks to a generous dollop of briny cured trout roe.

SE RVES 4 8 medium eggs

¼ cup minced chives ¼ cup chopped dill

1–1½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise, or other mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. cured trout roe

1. Set up a steamer basket and steam the eggs, covered, for 9 minutes.

1 bunch dill

Meanwhile, set up an ice bath by fill-

• In a medium pot, bring pickling salt,

combined ice and water. Once eggs

garlic to a boil. Meanwhile, layer

ing a large bowl with about 4 cups

are cooked, transfer them immediaetly to the ice bath. When completely cooled, peel eggs.

2. Chop the eggs roughly and transfer to a large bowl. Add minced chives and chopped dill. Add 1 cup

mayonnaise and mix. Taste. Add

remaining mayonnaise if desired.

3. Keep refrigerated until it’s time to

serve, then top with cured trout roe.

78

5 scallions

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

vinegar, 4 cups filtered water, and cucumbers, perilla seeds, perilla leaves, peppercorns, ginger,

scallions, and dill in a clean, 1-gallon, heatproof jar. Carefully pour boiling liquid over cucumbers. Make sure everything is submerged, using a

plate to weigh the cucumbers down.

Allow to cool to room temp, cover jar, and refrigerate. Pickles will be best in 4 to 5 days.

COOL GRILLING HACK:

USE A METAL SPIDER STRAINER AS A GRILL BASKET, TAKING CARE TO USE AN OVEN MITT AS THE HANDLE WILL GET QUITE HOT.

Grilled Snap Peas With Everything Bagel Seasoning Everything’s better with everything bagel seasoning, including grilled sugar snap peas. Crunchy, nutty fried shallots add earthy notes while lemon zest makes the whole dish sing.

SE RVES 4 1 lb. sugar snap peas or snow peas 2 tsp. avocado or olive oil

2 tsp. everything bagel seasoning 1 Tbsp. fried shallots 2 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. lemon zest (from half a lemon) Maldon salt to taste

1. In a large bowl, toss the snap peas

with oil to coat, and transfer to a grill basket. Grill over high direct heat,

tossing every few minutes, and close the grill lid for a couple of minutes at a time to impart some smoky flavor.

The snap peas are done when they

are blistered and slightly charred but remain crunchy and fresh.

2. When cooked, remove from heat, return to bowl, and toss with every-

thing bagel seasoning, fried shallots, soy sauce, and lemon zest.

3. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

N O T E : Instead of grilling,

you can also sauté the snap peas in a very hot cast-iron skillet on the stovetop.

Gochujang Spareribs These sweet and spicy and oh-sosticky pork ribs benefit from a sauce spiked with gochujang, the deeply flavored fermented Korean chili paste. For maximum deliciousness, make sure you give yourself 3 to 12 hours to cure the pork ribs in the dry rub.

SE RVES 4

FOR THE DRY RUB 1

3

cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Korean chili flakes 3 Tbsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. garlic powder 2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp. ground ginger

• Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and reserve. Can be stored in a lidded container up to 1 month in a cool, dry place.

FOR THE GOCHUJANG BARBECUE SAUCE It’s the heart of so much Korean cooking—spicy, a little sweet, a little tart. ½ cup ketchup

½ cup gochujang 2 Tbsp. hoisin

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. plum extract

2 Tbsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp. ginger powder

1 tsp. hot mustard paste 3 oz. canned chipotles

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 rack spareribs (about 3–4 lbs.)

1. Combine ketchup, gochujang, hoisin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, plum extract, onion and garlic powder, black pepper,

ground ginger, mustard paste, and chipotles in a medium saucepan.

Stir and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook 8–10

minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Carefully transfer mixture to a blender, and add apple cider vinegar.

Cover, then blend until smooth. Chill

mixture and reserve. Can be made a day or two in advance.

FOR THE RIBS 1. Remove membrane from back of the spareribs with a sharp paring knife

and a kitchen towel. Brush both sides lightly with oil and evenly sprinkle on

dry rub, starting with the back. Cover and cure for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

2. When ready to cook, allow to temper at room temperature for 1 hour.

Season both sides with kosher salt.

Set up grill for indirect cooking: heat

one side to medium-low, leaving the other half cool. Place ribs over cool side and cook 20 minutes, flipping

occasionally to balance the time on each side. The goal is to add grill flavor and a little caramelization

before cooking completely. Once

grilled, transfer ribs to a sheet tray with a rack. Allow to rest 15–20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 275°F. Use

convection mode if you have it.

Liberally and evenly brush

barbecuee sauce on both sides of

the ribs, starting with the back. Bake with a high fan for 1½ hours or until pork reaches an internal

temperature of 180–190°F. Remove

from oven, brush with more sauce, cover with a foil tent, and

allow to rest 30–40 minutes before serving.

80

3 More Ways With Gochujang

SUNSET • THE HARVEST ISSUE 2021

1. Mix gochujang

with a drizzle of

sesame oil and serve as a dip for crudités.

2. Combine equal parts Kewpie mayonnaise

and gochujang for a creamy burger or

sandwich spread.

3. For a quick and easy glaze for grilled meats,

thin gochujang with a little neutral oil, soy sauce,

and water.

WT: XXX PF: XX ZO: XX

page

78

‘Tis the Season!

Sunset aficionados will appreciate our collection of vintage covers on greeting cards, totes, puzzles, coffee mugs, and more. Visit shop.sunset.com to see the ever-expanding line of unique items. shop.sunset.com

SUNSET_HOUSE_ADS_SHOP_HOLIDAY_2021_SK_V3.indd 78 Sunset Page Template.indd 1

8/9/21 7:25 AM 8/16/21 12:08 PM

T R AV E L

&

ESCAPES

The New Ways To Wine Country

From over-the-top tastings to bottlings that break the rules, here are 45 novel ways to experience wine in the West.

Story by KRI STI N SCHARKE Y

EMMA K. MORRIS/COURTESY OF ASHES & DIAMONDS

Illustrations by LYN D O N HAYES

Ashes & Diamonds

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P E R F EC T PA I R I N G S

WINERIES ARE PULLING OUT THE STOPS WITH EXPERIENCES THAT TAKE TASTINGS TO NEW HEIGHTS.

Take Flight Cruise above Napa Valley during a 20-minute opencockpit flight in a Boeing PT-17 Stearman before heading to Brasswood to sip Aileron Estates wine. $650, two-week advance booking required. aileronestates.com

Live Social Abbot’s Passage Winery & Mercantile launched a shuffleboard social club where guests can rent a court among the Sonoma Valley vineyards, complete with a grazing board and wine. $250 for two hours; $200 for members. abbotspassage.com Get Arty Yountville’s Cliff Lede Vineyards hosts tastings in its rotating art gallery. Previous exhibitions have included artists such as Tom Everhart, who puts a neon spin on “Peanuts.” $90. cliffledevineyards. com

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Prey Tell Meet the falcons that mitigate damage from birds and rodents at Bouchaine’s Napa Valley vineyards before a glass of wine. $75. bouchaine.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: © 2021 ROBERT MCCLENAHAN; BOUCHAINE VINEYARDS; © 2021 ROBERT MCCLENAHAN; WOOL+SON; UNTAPPED MEDIA

Learn to Sabre At Napa’s Domaine Carneros, you can learn sabrage, a.k.a. the art of lopping off the top of a sparkling wine bottle. The demonstration includes estate sparkling wines, cheese, meats, and caviar. $150, $120 for members. domainecarneros.com

Vidon Vineyard “We want you to enjoy our unique varietals” in a tasting room overlooking the valley. vidonvineyard.com

R A D W I N E R OU T E NO. 1

OPPORTUNITY IN OREGON

The Setting Inn Stay at this “picturesque getaway” that boasts amenities such as retro yard games. thesettinginnwillamette.com

“There is a movement happening” in the Willamette Valley as new vintners enter the game and try new styles, says Tiquette Bramlett, president of Vidon Vineyard and founder of Our Legacy Harvested, which offers education to advance diversity in the wine community. Here are her favorite spots in northern Oregon.

Forage Housed in a 1915 Craftsman, this restaurant is centered around a love for wine country and Pacific seafood that “shines through on their menu.” foragecafe.com Honey Pie Pizza This spot “offers New York– style pies made with love and local ingredients.” honeypie.pizza Alumbra Cellars Elena Rodriguez took over the vineyard from her father, who planted it after leaving his native Mexico. Their story shines a light on “new beginnings.” alumbracellars.com Collab Kitchen Chef Kari Shaughnessy uses local ingredients to make dishes like cured trout with padron and crispy potatoes. macmkt.com Verdant Abbey Road Farm offers guests an intimate sixcourse lunch made with “hand-picked ingredients” from the garden and property. abbeyroadfarm.com Atticus Wine During private tastings in English or Spanish, Ximena Orrego and Guy Insley “welcome you into their home.” atticuswine.com

PIZZA: CHRISTY RIMRODT; MOONLAND: DANIELLE ADAMS

Dauntless Wine Co. This winery was founded by three Iraq War combat veterans. Each label “commemorates a piece of military history.” dauntlesswine.co

DOUBLE TROUBLE “CO-FERMENTS” ARE A TASTY TREND IN DRINKS. MADE

BY FERMENTING GRAPES AND OTHER FRUIT TOGETHER, THESE WINES AND CIDERS BRING THE HARVEST RIGHT TO YOUR GLASS.

Mendocino grapes meet organic apples in Moonland 2020 Apple & Carignan ($30), a tangy little number that we’d pour for our sassy aunt with a penchant for trying new things.

Warning: With a crisp combination of Newtown Pippin apples and Grüner Veltliner grapes from Edna Valley, Scar of the Sea 2019 CoFerment Cider ($15) may bring the beer lovers in your life to the dark side.

If you’re not sure about co-ferments, start with Ashanta 2020 Brutal!!! ($40) This sparkling pét-nat—made with French Colombard and wild elderberries—is so juicy you might forget you’re drinking wine.

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ON T HE E D G E

DESIGNER ERIN MARTIN IS RE-ENVISIONING NAPA—ONE MOODY, ECLECTIC INTERIOR AT A TIME. HERE, SHE TAKES US INSIDE SOME OF HER GREATEST HITS.

2

You have all of these moments in your life that are just waiting, and you’ll miss them if you’re scared. I feel I’ve been very lucky to not be scared regarding design.”

—ERIN MARTIN

1. Brand Napa Valley Martin left “love letters” to the “glam” family behind this St. Helena winery throughout her design. A mirror from a London dance school, for example, pays homage to the owners’ ballerina daughter. An entry console from arborist Evan Shively rounds it out because, as Martin says simply, “I love wood.”

3

2. Trinchero Family Estates “It’s chockablock, it’s full, but everything’s telling a story,” Martin says of this St. Helena winery design. A Catholic starburst sits above the winery door, while the signatures of each Trinchero family member are etched into the glass of pendants in the entry.

3. North Block Hotel Ceramic flowers by sculptor Owen Mann trail along the dark walls inside the hotel’s restaurant in Yountville, where Martin also commissioned artist Michael Duté to emblazon oversize versions of the white herons that fly across the valley. She hopes people “just have a damn good time and stop being so damn critical.”

Visit Erin Martin at her St. Helena showroom, which showcases rare items and work from a rotating slate of artists, at 1350 Main Street.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TUBAY YABUT (2); MARIANA CALDERON

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R A D W I N E R OU T E NO. 2

BIBULOUS BERKELEY Ditch the country and hit the city on this route from Vinca Minor winemakers Jason Edward Charles and Emily O’Hara Charles.

Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel The Charles family suggests you stay in this “historic hotel” with “a couple of pools.” fairmont.com/ claremont-­berkeley Vinca Minor Jason and Emily have worked with old-vine Carignan for nearly a decade—they also produce a bit of Chardonnay. vincaminorwine.com Hammerling Wines Josh Hammerling “is producing some of the most exciting sparkling wines right now in California,” Jason said. hammerlingwines.co Maître de Chai On the weekends, Alex Pitts and

Marty Winters often cook woodfired pizzas in an oven shipped over from Italy. mdc.wine Snail Bar Formerly of Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50, Andres Florez is now “serving up small plates and natural wines.” snailbaroak.com Pizzaiolo This Oakland restaurant is a “great spot for wood-fired pizzas and fresh pastas.” pizzaiolooakland. com Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop Enjoy the outdoor patio at this Oakland bar “serving natural wines, beers, and small-production ciders.” redfieldcider.com

SNAIL BAR: ADAHLIA COLE; VINCA MINOR: AUBRIE PICK

Snail Bar

Vinca Minor’s tasting room in Berkeley

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JOIN TH E CLU B WINERY MEMBERSHIPS HAVE MOVED BEYOND SUBSCRIPTION MODELS. EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS? CHECK. Ashes & Diamonds Picture this: You’re sipping an ’18 Blanc at the Pierre Koenig–designed Hollywood pool house. You’re one of the first to drink it—and one of the few to step onto the historic property—because you’re a member of Napa Valley winery Ashes & Diamonds.

And that’s just one of the perks. The winery’s VIPS also get complimentary pool access at the recently renovated Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs in Calistoga, not to mention preferred rates at other hotels and exclusive event invitations—à la the ‘18 Blanc release.

Membership levels range from $345 to $1,290. ashesdiamonds.com

Hoopes Vineyard Take your pick of five clubs hosted by Hoopes Vineyard, though two are especially experiential. Join the “Oasis Herd” and part of your fee is a donation to the Napa winery’s animal sanctuary. You choose how to spend the rest, whether it’s a wine allocation or time at the sanctuary and regenerative farm. Another club, “Sophie’s Chef Squad,” grants access to seven cooking classes with partner chefs including Food Network stars and James Beard Award winners; members receive a food box with ingredients, plus three bottles of wine. Annual costs range from $1,200 to $5,000. hoopesvineyard.com

Ashes & Diamonds

SAVO R SO N O MA

Check out these new spots to sip and savor in California wine country.

Valley Bar + Bottle Shop The chicest restaurant and bottle shop on Sonoma’s town square serves winefriendly dishes like fried chicken with cucumber and coconut-peanut curry. valleybarandbottle.com

The Matheson On track for a late summer opening, this sushi lounge meets farm-to-table restaurant in Healdsburg also offers a rooftop cocktail bar. thematheson.com

Valley Bar + Bottle Shop

SPRING FORWARD

The Matheson’s charred octopus

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We’re all about the right-sized egalitarian vibes at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs, which reopened in Calistoga with a new restaurant plus a mid-mod redesign of the spa and guest rooms. Wine country doesn’t have to be superluxe to be cool. drwilkinson.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JORDAN WISE/COURTESY OF ASHES & DIAMONDS; KATIE NEWBORN (2); MICHAEL WOOLSEY; EMMA K. MORRIS

Little Saint This 100% plant-based restaurant from the duo behind renowned SingleThread is slated to open in Healdsburg in late November. The restaurant sources from its own farm.

AROMATIC APÉRITIFS GO FOR THE WINE, STAY FOR THE COCKTAILS. You know what’s better than a

glass of vino? A

cocktail beforehand. Luckily,

there are myriad makers produc-

ing beverages to sip before and after a meal.

Here are three to try from Califor-

R A D W I N E R OU T E NO. 3

nia wine country:

WA LT Z T H RO U G H WA L L A WA L L A Fiona Mak, who exclusively makes rosé at SMAK Wines, offers an inside scoop on the east side of this Washington valley.

SMAK Wines “What can I say? Rosé all day is not enough for me—I want Rosé all year!” smakwines.com

BOTTOM LEFT: THE INN AT ABEJA; MASSICAN: COURTESY OF WINE.COM

Hoquetus Wine Co. Robert Gomez’s Cabernet Franc “is so good that I offered to make him hand-pulled duck egg noodles with Chinese cumin lamb.” hoquetuswine.com Itä Wines “It takes a lot of guts to open a winery during the pandemic. This tells you a lot about Kelsey Albro Itämeri.” itawinery.com

Walla Walla where you can order ahi tuna tacos, black truffle macand- cheese, and a mixed plate with pulled pork, andouille sausage, and brisket all in one place.” wtfeatit.com

The Inn at Abeja “You can relax in your own ensuite room in the large farmhouse if you’re here with a group, or one of their beautiful bungalows as a couple’s getaway.” abeja.net

College Cellars of Walla Walla This is “a teaching winery where the wines made by current and past students can be tasted and enjoyed.” collegecellars.com

Aluvé “The newly built winery building” houses a tasting room full of mementos from two Air Force veterans. aluvewine.com

Dan Petroski suggests a three-to-one ratio of gin to Massican Dry White Vermouth ($20) in a martini garnished with an olive. massican.com About 30 types of roses go into Ortolan Rosolio ($49), which smells as sweet as it tastes.

Robert Collier and Amy Navor add Champagne or citrus—or both, like soda water and a squeeze of lime. ortolanrosolio.com

Devona John Abbott and his wife, Molly, produce wine with grapes from both sides of the Columbia River.

“Each of John’s wines is carefully crafted, full of complexity and depth.” devona.net Agapa’s Mexican Cravings This food truck has “bigger-thannormal street tacos with juicy, luxurious fillings of your choice filled to the brim.” agapas.net Where There’s Food… Eat It “There aren’t many places in

Samantha Sheehan couldn’t find a dyefree spritz, so she made her own. The tangy Mommenpop Blood Orange ($22) is made with Pinot Noir grapes.

Just add ice. mommenpop.com

The Inn at Abeja

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@Bellingham Experience

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and show them some behind the scenes into my world as well.

How do you feel this film helped in-

spire others to pursue their dreams?

Besides being seen by so many peo-

ple, many people of color were now introduced and exposed to a world they didn’t otherwise know existed. Now they can look to this as a path to working/operating/owning in the space of restaurants, wine bars, hotels, distribution, supply, and wineries.

Do you feel that you were often one of few people of color in your industry?

I have been one of the few since the

late ’90s and professionally since the early 2000s. Let’s not forget Alicia

In Vino Veritas

Towns Franken, Andre Mack, Gary Obligacion, Tonya Pitts, Annette Alvarez-

Sommelier DLynn Proctor is pushing for more inclusivity and education in the wine world.

Peters, and Nadine Brown, and how they were all doing this in the ’90s as well.

DLynn Proctor has been an integral player in the wine industry for more than two decades as a sommelier, wine educator, and now the director of Fantesca Estate & Winery (where he hosts private tastings). The Napa Valley wine pro co-founded Wine Unify last year to foster wine education for underrepresented minority groups, and to amplify the voices of people of color within the industry, through awards, mentorship, and more. We spoke with DLynn about producing and starring in the Netflix film Uncorked, and how his work with Wine Unify is changing the wine game for the better.

You’ve received many awards, in-

cluding Best Sommelier in America.

What advice do you have for others?

This is always a tough question. I never have a perfect answer, and struggle to find the right words. Simply, do it your own way. Stand out from the crowd, be better than anyone around you in

Interview by MAG DALE NA O ’ N EAL

whatever you are doing. Out-study, out-work, out-prepare, out-present,

Why wine? Why become a sommelier?

glassware, access to wine devices

out-shine; just demand attention and

I only had three choices—from my

such as the Coravin, access to pur-

presence, but be prepared.

vantage point. It was either food, wine,

chasing wine and books. We will con-

or winemaking. I’m a bit too outgoing

tinue to give access to mentors, some

to be in the kitchen, and need a bit

of which are the best and brightest in

more interaction with people to be a

the industry and have been successful

full-time winemaker, so I chose a posi-

for two or three decades. There is no

tion that constantly kept me in front of

ceiling for Wine Unify.

which included history, travel, family stories, and anecdotes.

How did Wine Unify come about?

What part did you play in Uncorked,

which follows a man on his journey to become a master sommelier?

I was fortunate to have [director] Pren-

What still excites you about wine?

Mother Nature excites me every year because she finds a way to keep vintners and winemakers on their toes, and in tune to what she gives per vintage. Traveling to regions and places— and hearing the stories of the families—and tasting their cuisine is also paramount for me.

What are you focusing on next?

It was time for a change in the indus-

tice Penny and [producer] Datari Turn-

try. People of color and women have

er help bring a little bit of my story to

been screaming for equity and access

life in the film. I was given the script by

Opening paths. Always more wine, def-

for years. There was no better time

Prentice to add in some details about

initely more TV, movies, and media.

than 2020. We will give access to edu-

my journey. I was delighted to be on

More mentoring—I’ll never stop being

cation, access to wines, access to

set to help guide these brilliant actors

there for people.

I don’t know. I just hope it’s great.

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COURTESY OF FANTESCA ESTATE & WINERY

people and engaged in conversations

“It was time for a change in the industry. People of color and women have been screaming for equity and access for years.

There was no better time than 2020.”

DESIGNING YOUR LEGACY HOME .

MALIBU

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