The Sunday Edit: An Ode To California

Sunday, August 16th, 2026

Okay this may be an extremely unpopular opinion, but (as they say) this is a hill I will die on.

This is from a text exchange with a friend visiting family in Italy (we were also there in July).

I’m sorry for all of you reading this that don’t get the bounties of the Golden State, but it really is spectacular right now—a special time of year when summer produce starts to bleed into fall.

I went out for dinner three times last week and each was exceptional in the way a restaurant only can be with the freshest quality produce. And two of them I walked to (now I’m bragging!). I left California for a good 10 years and I’m not joking when I say the food was one of the things I missed the most.

First was RVR (Travis Lett’s, of Gjelina)—my parents were in town so Jamie and I took advantage and went for a date night. The food is spectacular: incredibly moreish Japanese flavors paired with the most seasonal Southern California produce available, think peppery arugula with sesame dressing (which we devoured), tomatoes dressed in a delicate soy/mirin sauce. It’s just insane and the vibes are 12/10.

On Thursday I took my parents and kids to Le Great Outdoor, where almost everything is cooked over an open flame. We had bruschetta (Ozzie’s favorite) with the juciest tomatoes that rival anything I ate in Italy, sweet corn on the cob, branzino and ribeye with a chimichurri sauce, but it was the grilled peaches with honey gelato that really stole the show. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a California peach in August. This is fact.

And then we went to Companion with friends on Friday night, which is like an old Italian restaurant, but new and with everything from the farmer’s market. The hamachi crudo is my favorite—the garnishes are one of a kind.

None of this is a slight on Italy, to be clear. It’s more of an ode to California.

On one of the nights that I wasn’t out (look at me, girl about town!) I roasted salmon and topped it with a sungold puttanesca that took literal minutes to make (it’s on the menu this week).

If you’ve been here a minute, you know that I am an unabashed tomato snob and if there were a hierarchy of tomatoes, sungolds would be at the very tippy top. They’re sweeter than regular tomatoes—so much so that if you ever doubted that tomatoes were in fact a fruit, these will change your mind. If you can’t find them, any cherry tomato will work, but get your hands on these golden babies if you can.

And if you’re not in California, this week’s menu might make you feel like you are: heirloom tomato panzanella (that’s salad with bread, friends), shrimp and quinoa bowls, a little Mexican flair with sheet pan fajitas…we’ve got it all.

I can’t wait to see what you cook! Please don’t forget to send me pictures. It makes my week. :)

Nutrition news, cultural discussions, and new discoveries.

• Needed launched creatine and it’s kind of amazing. Creatine monohydrate is generally pretty similar across the board. I always look for purity and third party testing, but it can be hard to distinguish between them. Needed’s is like nothing I’ve ever tried—the consistency is almost like powdered sugar, much finer than anything else. I’ve been adding to my coffee and it dissolved completely! No sandiness, no taste.

• Totally obsessed with these animal print sneakers. Who would have guessed they’re Rothy’s?!

• The New York Times wrote a piece all about new research on inflammation and it’s truly fascinating. The tricky thing about inflammation is that it’s 100% necessary for immune function, but chronic, low grade inflammation is the root of many age-related diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Reducing inflammation is a key part of my nutrition practice, but I’m excited to see how this research unfolds.

• Celisse dropped a red polish and it’s perfect. The only nail polish I would attempt to use myself.

And I’m so happy to hear that The French Caddy resonated with so many of you! I’ve been using mine daily and I don’t know how I survived school mornings without it. In case you missed it:

Alright, let’s cook!