We recently caught up with Stephanie Parker of Epicurean San Diego. As one of our favorite contributors, Parker is the perfect person to talk about food, drinks, and local farms with. 

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Tell us about yourself and what part of San Diego County do you live in?

I am a local food advocate, event planner, and tour guide connecting people to the faces behind their food. I live in Rolando.


What are you interested in cooking and or eating lately? 

I'm currently eating Whole 30! Lots of fresh veggies, locally sourced quality meats and fish, fruit, and nuts. When I'm not eating Whole 30 and being that fall is here, I love cooking hearty things like soups, stews, and lasagnas.


Taking in Finca la Corodilla in Valle

What are your essential kitchen tips, shortcuts, and tools? 

My Vitamix, InstaPot, and Breville automatic pour over are my kitchen MVPs. I am also a huge fan of my Microplane and a good set of knives!


Do you have a recipe to share? Tell us about it and include it here.

Lots of them! You can check them out at epicureansandiego.com/recipes


Have you had a good drink recently? 

I recently got a Bevy Box from the Beverage Botanist that had delicious stone fruit and fig cocktail ingredients. We added local gin from Old Harbor and local whiskey from Henebery.


Are you enjoying seasonal ingredients or dishes? 

Yes! I am so sad fig season ended. We have a fig tree and I look forward to that each year. It's spiny lobster season so I'm enjoying that as well! 


What do you love about San Diego's food scene?

The creativity! I love that you can have tacos anywhere and they're different all over. We have diversity within our food scene and I love exploring new flavors and dishes! Also, there is something about the comradery of the hospitality industry that is unmatched in other industries. 


Where do you like to shop for food and dine out? 

I grocery shop at farmers’ markets, farm CSA's, trade with friends, Trader Joe's, and Lazy Acres. I'll dine out (or did dine out) anywhere. If we are going to make a little bit of a trip out of trying a new restaurant in say, Encinitas or Oceanside, we always like to make a fun afternoon out of it and explore for a bit longer. 


Would you like to give a shout out to a favorite local grower(s) or farms? What do you value about their growing practices and produce? 

Jared Smith at Jared's Real Food in Lakeside. Jared has an incredible market garden growing some of the best produce I've ever tasted. He is a big advocate for holistic land management and his community in East County. 


What steps do you take to support a sustainable food system and why are these values important to you? 

I try to shop as local as much as I can. As a small business owner, I know the challenges of keeping the doors open and the lights on. Supporting a small business right now is more crucial than ever. Also, relationship building is huge! Being able to see the face behind your food is so impactful in ways we don't even realize. 


How would you like to connect to the Edible San Diego food community and why? 

Writing, recipe sharing, in-person events (soon!)


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