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I first tasted this dip in 2006 when we went to the Olive Oil Tasting in downtown Sonoma. It was a really fun event in the old mission off the square. There was lots of wine, olive oil, snacks, and this yummy dip. The chef from Blackstone winery was mixing up a huge batch of it while we were there. I kept going back for more because it tasted so good with the wine and I wanted to know what was in it! I knew there was basil and roasted red peppers, but I couldn't figure out the rest. I finally asked the chef for the recipe and he led me to their website where they had it posted. You can make this using a food processor, which is how I do it. You can also chop and mix everything by hand if you don't have one it will just be chunkier, which is okay too. One batch makes four cups of dip. So if you are hosting a party, or attending a party, this dip is perfect. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Just divide it up in containers and you're all set. O...

We spent last Saturday in San Francisco with my sister Kathy, her husband Mike, and their two kids. We had a blast walking all over Union Square. We darted in and out of shops looking for the best Christmas decorations. Of course we did a little shopping, too. The Paul Frank store was definitely a hit with the kids. Our first stop was Macy's. We were all quite impressed by the large, shiny red balls hanging in the entrance to Macy's . We ooed and aaah'd as we went up the escalator trying to find Santa. Once you get to the top floor (where Santa is) you can go up one last escalator to the Cheesecake Factory (inside Macy's) and go on a deck outside! It's pretty cool. We all posed in the big window in front of all the beautiful Christmas decorations and experienced a bit of vertigo as we pressed our noses against the glass and looked down. The best part for the girls?? Trying on glittery Ivanka Trump stilettos that were not on the sale rack. eeeks! After that ...

But first let's talk about food. It's been a good year for us so I splurged on food and even bought flowers for the table. I haven't bought flowers all year. It felt good to have them in the house again. I was only making dinner for our little family of three. But I still wanted it to be special so I asked everyone what they wanted, and that's what I cooked. Don wanted dressing, Elli wanted pasta, and I wanted gratin potatoes with gruyere cheese. So that's what we had with our smoked turkey (from New Braunfels Smoke House in Texas), gravy and cranberry/pomegranite sauce. It was delightful. It took me all day long to fix everything. I had pots and pans juggled everywhere. Somehow I got it all done without an incident. I sure would like a bigger kitchen again. But for now we'll be happy that there are flowers on the table. I used Don's dressing recipe. I usually buy a jiffy cornbread mix for the corn bread and I forgot so I had to make it from scr...

I stopped by the Oxbow market in Napa on Friday to pick up some lunch. This is a regular occurrence for a lot of people judging by the crowd. But not for me, I'm a cheapskate when it comes to lunch. I would rather brown bag it and eat left-overs so I can spend my money later on dinner and good wine. But last Friday was different, I had a meeting in Concord that was ending right before lunch. I wasn't sure what the lunch situation would be so I didn't pack a lunch. As it turned out there was no group lunch planned so I left the meeting and headed to Napa. The Oxbow market is only about a mile from our store so I thought it would be a good place to stop. The last time I was there they had just opened and most of the restaurants weren't there yet so I was looking forward to seeing how it had evolved. I started imagining all the food and smells - freshly ground coffee, burgers on the grill, hot soups, taquerias, home-made pizzas, cured meats, olive oil,...

Rachel and Kris The invitation to attend the Napa Valley Film Festival came through the Clever Girls Network . I applied thinking I had a pretty good chance of getting picked since I live in the Bay Area and work in Napa. And I did! Adrian and Rachel Lucky for me two of my blogging buddies were also selected - Rachel of Mommy Needs a Vacation and Lizz of Am I A Funny Girl .  What a fun time we had drinking with our Clever Girl friends on the rooftop deck of the Avia hotel, hob-nobbing with movie directors, producers and actors like Adrian Grenier. ( The hunk on Entourage. ) Our passes got us in the TweetDeck VIP area, all movies, wine tastings all over Napa, and the late-night "after party." George Clooney was there early in the week for the screening of his movie. Adrian Grenier was on a panel talking about his new online platform SHFT.com dedicated to sustainable design and conscious consumer. And they launched their brand new SHFT Pinot Noir that I trie...

Anderson Cooper and Gloria Don and I were driving home from Napa last Wednesday when I got this email out of the blue. TO: Kris Mulkey FROM: Brian Grobman SUBJECT: tv show Hello, My name is Brian and I work at Anderson , a new daytime talk show hosted by Anderson Cooper.  I was interested in speaking with you about an idea I had for a story.  Please give me a call when you get a chance at 212 275 8939 or contact me by email at brian.grobman@andersoncooper.com It would also be helpful if you let me know a number I could reach you at as well. I look forward to speaking with you as soon as possible in the near future. Best, Brian Brian Grobman Anderson 1271 Avenue of the Americas // 16th Floor New York, NY 10020 E: brian.grobman@andersoncooper.com I responded immediately: TO: Brian Grobman FROM: Kris Mulkey SUBJECT: tv show Seriously? Kris 415-555-5555 He called me 5 minutes later. Holy crap. He thought my message was odd/sassy/fun...

My sister Kathy and her family are the kind of people you hope are your neighbor or friend. They're generous, and they're doers. When they learned that a neighbor boy was in the hospital unexpectedly she and her family didn't just sit back and do nothing. They kept in touch with the family to find out how their son was doing. She asked everyone she knew to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers. She listened when the worried mother expressed her fear and frustration with how her son was doing.  She felt sad when the mother told her they were staying at a hotel because the hospital was 45 minutes away from their home. They were spending night after night in the hotel so they could spend more time by their sons bedside.  The constant worry and financial burden were becoming difficult to deal with adding even more stress. Kathy wanted to do something. But she wasn't sure what. Then all the kids from the neighborhood had an idea. What if they organized a ...