San Diego Cooks

A vibrant collection of 70 recipes from San Diego’s top restaurants and chefs that celebrates America’s Finest City’s diverse culinary scene.San Diego is known for sun, surf, and slinging excellent tacos and beer. But when it comes to the restaurant scene, there’s a whole world of multi-cultural eats to explore—in and beyond the city limits. From casual yet-design-centric brunch cafés to high-end sushi restaurants, and from farmers’ market stalls to Michelin-starred dining experiences, this is a place where chefs and foodies alike enjoy the benefits of the region’s enviously long growing season, proximity to the sea, cross-cultural exchanges with Mexico, and the overall diversity of its population.San Diego Cooks proudly presents some of the city (and county)’s most iconic dishes. Recipes such as TJ Oyster Bar’s Baja Fish Tacos and Kettner Exchange’s Kale Salad with Lemon-Pepper Dressing come together quickly with a quick sear of protein and a few turns of a mixing bowl. Smokin J’s Smoked Brisket Chili with Cornbread and Extraordinary Desserts’ Lemon Meringue Cake are surefire crowd-pleasers. And with easy-to-find ingredients and simple instructions, all recipes are designed for home cooks of all levels. For those who want to level up, consider Valle’s charred Onion Tart and Avant’s Grilled Rib-eye with Mole Demi and Guajillo Marmalade.Welcome to a taste of some of the chefs, bakers, distillers, and more who are nourishing us with their passion, stories, eats, and sips throughout this dynamic region.

Ligaya Malones grew up in Kaua’i, Hawai’i and is a San Diego-based writer covering the intersection of travel, food, and culture. Her work has been featured in Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, New York Magazine, Food52, and more. Deanna Sandoval is a San Diego-based food and lifestyle photographer. Her bold, vibrant, and playful photographs have appeared in regional and national publications, including Wine Enthusiast, San Diego Magazine, The Infatuation, and Edible San Diego. In 2015, she launched Smoke & Brine, an food events and catering business.