"Earthly Pleasures" for Black Diamond Living visits a farm in Brentwood where flavors come from fabulous soil. Chemical fertilizers? Not on your life. "The Art of Cheese" for Diablo journeys from farmstead to table, from milking parlor to tempering room in pursuit of its made-in-heaven complement - California's great new cheeses. "Wonder breads: all you knead" for Via details California's artisanal boom in the staff of life.

"I Enlisted in Wine Boot Camp" heads to the Santa Cruz Mountains for lessons in blending and tasting, and puts this writer on a horse for the first time in 50 years. Speaking of journeys, "Savoring Life in Provence" travels to one of the tastiest places on the planet, while The Philippines for Sally’s Place revisits a long-lost home and its cuisine. "Yan about Town" takes a far shorter trip—just across the city limits from Berkeley to Oakland’s Chinatown with TV chef Martin Yan.

"The Seattle Wake" for Slow recounts a visit to Seattle during the controversial WTO conference and a meeting with vocal farmers from all over the globe. Home again and hooked on horses, "Saddle Up extols the virtues of the East Bay, its trails and its equestrian facilities.