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San Jose baker to compete on Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

Just as many relationships start nowadays, the first contact San Jose baker Elizabeth Medina had with the Food Network was when their reps slid into her DMs. (That’s reaching out via direct message on social media for any non-Instagrammers out there.)The message? Would Medina, who runs her own cookie-decorating business, Sugar Queen Baking, be interested in competing on the network’s “Christmas Cookie Challenge“? Now in its seventh season, the Food Network show pits four participants against each other each episode to complete cookie-related baking challenges and impress judges Ree Drummond and Eddie Jackson.Medina will be up to bat — or rather, up to (cookie bat)ter — Dec. 7.Medina was hesitant initially. Having seen the show, she knew that one of the challenges involves building a three-dimensional cookie structure, but she’d never even made a gingerbread house. Most of her customers, after all, prefer her art — royal icing on vanilla suga...

Recipes: Make 3 dishes that showcase fresh fruit

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

Crackling leaves and football games. Nippy evenings and early sunsets. Cups of steaming hot cocoa. And glorious fruit — apple desserts with pomegranate, green salads with the perfumy sweetness of pears and Hachiya persimmons baked into warm cakelike pudding.Cakey Persimmon PuddingThis dessert showcases the likeable elements of fruitcake without the components that many find objectionable. The underlying sweetness of the Hachiya persimmons shines through, augmented with the taste and texture of nuts and dried fruit. If you like, substitute dried cherries or dried cranberries for the raisins.Yield: About 10 servingsINGREDIENTSNonstick vegetable spray1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened2 cups granulated sugar2 eggs, well beaten1/2 teaspoon vanilla2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon4 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt2 cups persimmon pulp, about 3 to 4 very ripe Hachiya persimmons; see note below3/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots3/4 cup raisins1/4 cup fine...

Kurtenbach: If you don’t take Brock Purdy’s MVP candidacy seriously, you don’t know football

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

It shouldn’t be surprising that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is now the betting favorite to win NFL MVP this season.After all, he played a nearly perfect game and out-dueled the previous betting favorite for the award, Jalen Hurts, in Philadelphia on Sunday.The truth is that with five weeks to play in the regular season, there is no clear-cut top option for MVP. The race remains wide open, with Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Tyreek Hill, and even rookie C.J. Stroud still in the hunt for the award.With so many names being bandied about, it’s easy to dismiss Purdy’s candidacy as a fad.But this isn’t lip service — Purdy can absolutely win the award.And if he continues the form of the last four weeks, he absolutely should win it.Because not only is Purdy playing exceptionally well for the NFL’s best team — he’s also playing at a historically high level.(AP Photo/Chris Szagola) Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | ...

To save on their mortgages, Bay Area buyers are increasing their down payments

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

Who has $235,183 lying around in a bank account? The average homebuyer in Silicon Valley, apparently. That’s the median down payment for a home in the San Jose metro area — and it’s on the rise.In the third quarter of 2023, the median down payment in San Jose reached nearly 25% of purchase price, up from 23% in the first quarter, according to data from Realtor.com. In San Francisco, the median down payment increased to 24.4% from 21.8%.Even with sky-high Bay Area purchase prices, those percentages are higher than anywhere else in the country — and significantly higher than the national average of 14.7%.“Because interest rates are so high, people want to keep their mortgages affordable,” said Esther Chien, a mortgage officer based in San Jose. “The only way to do that is with a higher down payment.”Take, for example, a $1.27 million home — the median sales price in the Bay Area. With existing mortgage rates at 7.22%, a down paymen...

San Jose doctor in ‘Dragon Balls’ lawsuit against Los Gatos restaurant claims the truth has come out

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

A doctor suing a Thai restaurant in Los Gatos over claimed internal burns from a spicy appetizer alleged in a recent court filing that she now knows what led to the incident.San Jose neurologist Harjasleen Walia sued Coup de Thai in July, claiming its Dragon Balls chemically burned her vocal cords, esophagus and the inside of her right nostril, leaving her with permanent injuries.The restaurant in an October court filing denied Walia’s allegations or causing injury to her.She claimed in the lawsuit that when she had gone to eat at the downtown Los Gatos restaurant with her friend in July 2021, the Dragon Balls were advertised as spicy, so she asked her server that they be made with less spice because she does not tolerate spicy food. The server “said that they would have the chef make them less spicy,” the lawsuit claimed.In a recent court filing, Walia alleged that a later admission — the filing does not specify when or by whom — made clear what led to...

Pashelka: No, the Sharks are not the NHL’s worst team (lottery odds be damned)

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

The San Jose Sharks have moved out of last place in the NHL’s overall standings.To those disappointed Sharks supporters already eyeing the NHL Draft Lottery, we say this: It was going to happen eventually.Going into their game Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Sharks, with some key players getting back to full health, have won four of their last six to climb out of the league’s basement.No win was more memorable than Tuesday’s remarkable comeback victory over the New York Islanders.San Jose scored three times in the final 8:05 of the third period, with two goals coming from Tomas Hertl and one from Kevin Labanc, before William Eklund took a pass from Mikael Granlund and beat Ilya Sorokin shortly before the end of overtime for a 5-4 Sharks win.“I was just trying to get some speed there and Granlund made an unbelievable play to me,” said Eklund, who had the first three-point night of his NHL career, “and I just tried to rip it through the net and it went in.”The Sharks are n...

Petaluma PD seek public help to find missing person at-risk

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

(BCN) -- Petaluma police are seeking public assistance to locate Benedetta Pelosi, 33, who was reported missing early Wednesday morning.Pelosi was last seen around leaving her residence in the 100 block of Wyndham Way for her routine walk, but she has not been seen since, said police, who added that officers were not able to find her in the area she frequently walked. Oakland police union blames Mayor Thao for missing out on grant According to police, Pelosi has a cellphone but it is turned off. Pelosi is described as a white female adult, standing five feet and three inches, and weighing around 105 pounds. She has short brown hair and brown eyes. She is believed to be wearing a multicolored sweatshirt, black leggings, reading glasses, and carrying a blue backpack. She does not own a vehicle and has concerning medical conditions, according to police.Those with relevant information are asked to contact their local police agency or the Petaluma Police Department at (707) 778-4372....

Port of Oakland names new director of environmental programs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

(BCN) -- The Port of Oakland appointed Colleen Liang as its new director of the environmental programs and planning (EP&P) division. Liang joined the Port in 2000. During her 23 years at the port, she has served in every environmental position, most recently as acting director of EP&P. Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut plane engines indicted on 84 charges "I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to lead a great team in the environmental programs and planning division and oversee the port's stewardship of the Oakland waterfront," she said in a statement. Liang will continue overseeing the port's zero emissions program, environmental compliance, hazardous waste and materials management, planning and permitting programs, and grant funding opportunities for zero emissions and sustainability projects. "It is important to me to continue building on the port's momentum of environmental innovation and sustainability," she said. "I'm thrilled to be a ...

One person stabbed with life-threatening injuries in SF

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

(KRON) – One person was stabbed near Mission Street on Tuesday, the San Francisco Police Department announced. San Francisco police responded to 20th and Mission streets regarding a stabbing at 7:50 p.m. on Dec. 5. Ex-San Jose cop went on road rage rampage, according to court docs Upon arrival, officers located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds. Police said they rendered aid and summoned medics to the scene. The victim was transported the victim to the hospital for life-threatening injuries. There has not been an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact SFPD at (415)-575-4444.

Stock market today: Wall Street opens higher following more signs of easing pressure on inflation

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:50:32 GMT

Wall Street is opening higher following the latest signals that pressure on inflation may be easing. The S&P 500 was up 0.5% early Wednesday and is near its highest level in 20 months. The Dow rose 89 points, and the Nasdaq was up 0.6%. Campbell Soup and Toll Brothers jumped after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. Treasury yields relaxed a bit more after reports suggested a cooldown in hiring and a pickup in business productivity. Those amped up hopes that the Federal Reserve is done raising interest rates in order to fight inflation. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street move higher Wednesday before the opening bell with more jobs data on the way that could provide further evidence that the labor market has cooled enough to bring an end to the rate hikes orchestrated by the Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation.Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4% before markets opened, while futures for the Dow Jone...