Itadakimasu

Itadakimasu. In my family, it is a tradition to say this before every dinner. You could say it is a Japanese way of saying grace, and it holds a deep meaning for us. With this one word, we are reflecting on and thanking all the people, the animals and the earth that provided us with what we are about to eat. Every bite took a journey to get to our table, often a complicated journey helped along by many hands. We appreciate and are grateful for all those efforts.

Similarly, I am thankful for everything it took to get this issue into your hands. As the newest and the third publisher for Edible Silicon Valley, I find myself regenerating this publication from its brief hiatus. I hope to continue what the founding editor, Kerri Stenson, started and what the next editor, Catherine Nunes, cultivated. The stories you read here and the partners who advertise with us all have a hand in the food and beverages our region consumes, enjoys and shares.

About the Editor

Growing up in the Santa Clara Valley, my parents instilled in me to eat well. There was always protein and plentiful veggies at every dinner and dessert was always made from scratch. I was never allowed the sugary cereals or the “butter” in a tub I would discover when eating at friends’ homes. For high school, it was very important to my mom to have me in a highly rated public school and one that also had Japanese in its curriculum. We spent my first year commuting across the Valley while also driving all around to find a new place to call home. We looked at land in the Santa Cruz Mountains complete with barn and goats; there was a mini-farm in Cupertino; several times we visited a Guernsey dairy farm. (I think it was just on route and we would pick up milk, but looking back maybe she was interested in buying the place?) At the time I was unimpressed and just wanted to be closer to school with an already-built house. We settled in Saratoga at the outskirts of the Valley and the foothills of the mountains.

That early exposure to eating mindfully and healthfully stuck with me—until eventually it all went haywire. This is an all too common problem today. Sixteen years ago I was diagnosed with gluten and soy intolerance. Having spent over 15 years as a vegetarian, this diagnosis made it harder and more stressful for me to find good-tasting food. Today I am a meat eater (many friends and family are still not used to that) and gluten is my friend again. Navigating the food we eat to avoid soy is one of my life’s biggest challenges. I joke that accidentally eating it knocks years off the back end of my life, however, it’s no joke that up to the next 14 days are really rough. So here I am today, embracing this opportunity to help us connect with and better understand what we are eating.

Practice Regeneration

We’ve all heard the adage “Leave it better than you found it.” The practice of regeneration is just that—applied to our farms and our soil. In my premiere issue, you will discover what one of our local soil scientists finds so fascinating as she helps us learn what she is so passionate about. In the theme of next generation, find how our Silicon Valley wineries are thriving in their successions. Read on to find out how to revive your gut health, and learn what to do with broccoli rabe. Finally, we take a dive into the agricultural practices and hardworking humans behind the wondrous joy of chocolate. Any chocolate lover knows that one bite leaves you better than before.

Keep the land yummy,

Coline LeConte
Publisher & Editor in Chief