This month we kick off the holidays by focusing on food and gatherings. And because we’re here in Marin, known to be one of the healthiest and now happiest counties in the country, you’ll find four recipes from longtime contributor and caterer to the elite, Lynda Balslev. I can vouch for them all, they are delicious, and she has simplified the process so you’ll be a hit at your next potluck or gathering.
Our article on generational translations was curated by members of our edit team, Mimi Pinson and Emma Robertson, both self-proclaimed word nerds, and both graduates of Novato’s fine San Marin High School. Since our team has representation from each generation, they had a little help around the lunch table. We hope you’ll be amused by the phrases they chose. I know I learned a few things that I’ll be testing out at our Thanksgiving gathering.
Art director Ryan Masterlaz used AI to create the opening image, which we loved, yet it’s still nothing like the hand and pen of a human. We had resisted using this tool, for many reasons. The top of this list is, as creators, we are also the target of artificial intelligence. For instance, when you ask a search engine “Best restaurants in Marin” the data is likely being culled by AI from an article we (or the IJ, or Pacific Sun) have created in the past 20 years (just like a writer would reference past articles in the creation of a new work, or a musical composer could be inspired by other musical compositions — ’80s rapper Vanilla Ice comes to mind). At the time of print we are considering aligning with a company that will identify the source of the content it pulls. That means if a consumer typed in “Best restaurants in Marin” into whatever they call their search function, Marin Magazine would be sourced. We are hopeful this will become widely used, and that those of us who work hard to create content will get credit.
As for now, the Chicago Manual of Style suggests that if an image is created using artificial intelligence, the publication will source the product used, and the prompt. It’s a controversial topic. For instance, we had so much positive feedback for our September cover of a Miwok woman, ready for the Big Time festival, which was created with Microsoft’s DALL-E 3 in collaboration with many consultations with a member of the Coast Miwok Tribal Council. However, we appreciate the critique published on page 16. It’s not an easy topic, and we’d love to know your thoughts.
Back to an easy topic and the “Where to eat” prompt, we hope you enjoy our annual restaurant profiles. In 2016, we started this section, and it’s one of my favorites because I learn something new every year about a popular chef or restaurant. I can remember years ago we decided to create this special section for Marin businesses, because being situated between San Francisco and Wine Country — nationally known foodie destinations — it’s not easy to get recognition. We appreciate the partnership with these businesses and hope you will check them out soon.
Besides the profiles, we have been celebrating our local restaurants and restaurateurs since our first issue in 2005, including in our “Best of the County” lists. Currently we have 28 articles on marinmagazine.com, ranging from burgers, pizza, ramen, French, Italian, alfresco — whatever you might be in the mood for can be found on these. These articles are cross-referenced with each city or town. So whether you are in Sausalito and looking for seafood, Novato looking for pizza or Corte Madera looking for a burger, bam! you’ll find what you’re looking for on our site. And as you’ve probably heard, our Local Getaways app has all of this content and more. Click here for our latest fun challenge and a chance to win $100 in DoorDash credit.
Finally, in Travel, we’re testing out a new word: Holi-ways. Not to be confused with the annual Hindu celebration of colors, our version is a little getaway during the holidays that is intended to offer both relaxation and adventure, all while knocking a few things off that holiday shopping list and supporting really cool local businesses in neighboring counties. Admittedly, I was shut down by my word-nerd team when I first proposed this headline, so I’m reaching out to a larger audience to see if it’s really that lame.
We hope you enjoy this issue, as always we enjoy feedback, [email protected].
