Look for ‘Food Thyme’ to debut soon in The Acorn Newspapers

Regina, Annette and Christina

The Acorn Newspapers will soon launch "Food Thyme" which is scheduled to run twice per month. Three women will work cooperatively on the column. They aren’t just food or theater critics, or society writers or event essayists, but a combination of all and more. You might call them culinary consultants who possess an understanding that the total dining experience is that of a satisfying breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper or dinner, sometimes combined with a special event.

Look for the Food Thyme trio to appear anywhere and everywhere in the Conejo Valley/Las Virgenes areas where people are laughing, dining and having a good time. Since there are three members of Food Thyme, with hugely diverse personalities, a trilogy of perspectives will be presented.

Christina Briganti said that with parents from Mexico and in-laws from Italy, it’s easy to see why she loves to cook. A member of a gourmet club for several years, Christina is continuing to expand her culinary knowledge at the Epicurean School of Culinary Arts. When asked if she were stranded on a deserted island, what three food items would she prefer, Christina answered, "Baguette, blue cheese and a bottle of water." Lucky for her family, they mostly eat roasted chicken with herb mashed potatoes.

Annette Buttress is currently organizing a culinary trip with friends from Istanbul, Turkey, through to the Greek Islands. Annette said that adventure cooking pleases her the most. Like most things, she believes that entertaining can be learned and she enjoys sharing her wealth of experience. Also a member of a gourmet club for several years, Annette is most at home in her own kitchen, trying out recipes from different sources. In 1999, she produced a personal cookbook for friends, using their favorite recipes.

Regina Stephens lived in Europe for nine years, and said that experience piqued her interest in various cooking styles. Knowledge of foods and dining customs of different countries are familiar to her. With two children and an extended family that’s very close, cooking is a common domestic event. Feta cheese and wine are must-haves in the refrigerator along with her favorite spice: black pepper.

Christina and Annette found each other in a Calabasas Mom’s Club, and they later joined a gourmet club together, traveling from home to home, experiencing culinary treats from around the world. When the club disbanded, they decided to form another one that would go out once a month or so and enjoy an evening of fine dining. That was when close friend, Regina, joined in the fun.

"We had a lot of people that knew that we were doing this, and a lot of people wanted to know about the restaurants that we had visited, where to go on a special occasion, or wanted to get their hands on some of the recipes that we were talking about that we had tried. And we thought, wouldn’t it be fun to put out a newsletter with all this information since so many people were interested in sharing our adventures with us," Annette said.

"You know, you really don’t go to many occasions that aren’t associated with food in some way or drinks, so we decided that we’d like to go to all the different places, see all the different things that they have to offer, and tell everyone about our fun in a column."

Thus, Food Thyme was born. Look for it soon on these pages.