Heading into the holiday season, there’s another calendar marker that has me celebrating a little earlier than most: my second full year of publishing Edible Sacramento. What a thrilling journey it has been. With every issue, as press time nears, I feel a level of anxiety in making sure the magazine is as perfect as possible in an imperfect world. Wired nerves continue with the anticipation of finally getting to touch and read the hard copy. Even after proofreading recipes and articles a dozen times, I still enjoy reclining with the hard copy. I often read the issue multiple times and re-cook the recipes. There is something about print, holding the tangible pages in my hands, that hits me differently — maybe I’m “old school.” As I page through the magazine, I’m overcome with a sense of pride in our team of fabulous contributors.

I have already cooked the collard greens recipe that was inspired by our Seasonal Selection. My mom nabbed some of the greens from me and boasted about their deliciousness. I love to hear recipe feedback. Recipes can invoke fond memories, especially this time of year. We invited some local chefs for a potluck to share their favorite bring-to recipes. Wow was I lucky to indulge in this feast.

The taste of homemade toffee always makes me happy. The toffee recipe in this issue comes from Jeff Repetti, my longtime friend. For many holiday seasons, he has graced my porch with a tin of toffee. Each year, our household eagerly awaits this special delivery. Many times, I have begged for the recipe, but alas the answer was always, “No.” So, what did I do…? I bought a food magazine. Now he MUST give me the recipe, right? To my surprise, he agreed to share it with not only me, but our readers too. Interestingly enough, it originated as a recipe printed on a PG&E bill from the 1950s that was passed down in his family from Grandma Rosella. Jeff jokes, “It is the only time a PG&E bill actually gave you something.”

Could we run a fish story without a fun fish tale? No way! The “one that got away” are always fun stories! My story comes from my youth, when I attended the Maritime Academy in Vallejo. During my freshman year, the Golden Bear training ship went to dry dock, leaving the pier open. Of course, I had to fish off that pier, which sits just below Carquinez Bridge. My parents fished, and I often went out with them in the Delta, so I had developed some skills of my own. Throwing my line in and not really expecting to catch anything, I got a bite. Using my knowhow, I managed to get my catch, a very big (gets bigger every year) sturgeon, to go belly up. But here’s the problem: I didn’t have a net. The dock level was very far from the water level, and I just knew I was doomed. But heck, why not try? I lifted the line out of the water, and it instantly snapped, freeing my sturgeon, and leaving me with an epic “the one that got away” story to last me the years. After that incident, I became the kid with a very large fishing net in her dorm room for my remaining years of school.

Whether it’s fish tales, recipe memories or otherwise, I hope this winter season gives you a chance to connect with loved ones over food and stories. From all of us at Edible Sacramento, we wish our readers a happy holiday season and best wishes for a prosperous new year. Until 2024, cheers!