Katzen taught many of us how to cook. Her 1977 Moosewood Cookbook is listed by The New York Times as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time. She continues to illustrate and publish cookbooks, and was voted by Health magazine to be one of the “Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.”
Regal Park – This tiny park has a panoramic display of downtown Oakland as you look out over the roofs of craftsman-style homes in the Berkeley Hills. Several picnic tables, a simple shelter, and a lone basketball hoop are the only accoutrements. The rest is just lawn.
The Cheese Board – Known for its cheese, of course, but in my opinion it also has the best bread in the Gourmet Ghetto — or in all of the Bay Area for that matter. Their sourdough baguette, in particular, has set my personal standard. (1504 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 510-549-3183)
Monterey Market (and the flower stand outside) – You never quite know what you’ll find there, but the price and quality are always right. No matter how much beautiful, utterly fresh produce I pack into my cart, I almost always get change back from my $20 bill. Plus, the nicest flowers by the nicest people for the best price. (1550 Hopkins, Berkeley. 510-526-6042)
Coffee and millet muffins at Café Fanny – I go out of my way to treat myself to the organic cafe au lait and the sweet millet muffins at Fanny’s. There is something otherworldly about this combination. I have not yet had a bad day after this breakfast, not once. (1603 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. 510-524-5447)
Lunch at Ajanta – I love Indian food and I go to several different Indian restaurants around town, but Ajanta is my favorite for a special-occasion lunch. Even their chai is a standout. The menu changes monthly, so there is always an element of the unexpected. (1888 Solano Ave., Berkeley. 510-526-4373)
The Blue Nile – Fantastic Ethiopian food! You’re supposed to use the spongy injera bread instead of utensils to scoop the food, but hopeless gringa that I am, I sneak a fork in my purse. (2525 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. 510-540-6777)
La Note – I must live here forever because of their crème fraîche pancakes and their hot chocolate. (2377 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 510-843-1535)
KPFA Morning Show – Philip Maldari and Andrea Lewis work incredibly hard, but it never shows. Getting up at God-knows-what time every morning to cheerfully and intelligently cover a dizzying range of topics, they practically define the beginning of my every day. (94.1 FM)