I have great childhood memories of going to friends’ houses for slumber parties. Those nights away from my own ‘natural earth mama’ house usually entailed eating junk food at night and sugary cereal the next morning. Ice cream with Smucker’s Magic Shell topping for dessert and Apple Jacks for breakfast, thank you very much. That combo would never have made it through the threshold of my parents’ house. Continue reading kitchen magic
Category Archives: Recipes
the BOMB experiment
On a recent weekend afternoon, my husband and I logged in a few hours at a restaurant with an expansive patio. While sitting on that sunny patio, beers in hand, facing the water, we started scheming ways in which to market my husband’s amazing bacon. He’s been making ‘backyard bacon’ for a few months now. There have been winning batches in terms of taste, and one losing batch that was way too salty. He’s perfected the combo of curing ingredients, and time on the smoker, and the last round he made was out of this world. Full disclosure on being completely biased, but damn that bacon really is tasty. Continue reading the BOMB experiment
drinking the season
There are many things I love about this time of year. My favorites are artichokes, rhubarb, asparagus and nettles, although I think rhubarb is at the top of my list. I remember a patch of rhubarb that grew under a cherry tree in the yard of my childhood home. I also remember my mom and dad warning me to stay away from the poisonous leaves and my mom making strawberry rhubarb jam. It’s definitely a flavor of nostalgia for me, and there’s also something about the unique taste of rhubarb that I’m drawn to. In April, when I typically start seeing rhubarb in stores, I get excited. I like to ease into rhubarb season by making my favorite cocktail, the rhubarb daiquiri. The flavor of the rhubarb really comes through and melds well with the rum. For me, this drink represents spring. Continue reading drinking the season
“gourping” part one
In recent years there have been many references to “glamping” which for me, good or bad, conjures a specific image. Picture a wealthy couple rolling into a beautifully decorated canvas tent with a private cook on hand ready to attend to their every need for their weekend “roughing it” getaway. When I camp, I prefer to use the term “gourping” which is a word that encompasses the gourmet side of camping. I like to rough it, but I don’t like to eat freeze dried food or Oscar Mayer hot dogs. Continue reading “gourping” part one
trendy toast
If you live in the Bay Area and are a food nerdist like me, you may have heard about the toast trend that’s beginning to take over our 7×7 city. People will pay upward of $5 for toast in San Francisco, which to many might seem outrageous. Have we already run the course of every food craze imaginable, so all that’s left is toast? Continue reading trendy toast
veg reform
Last spring I traveled to Japan for two weeks, and very unfortunately, got a bad case of the flu. Anyone who’s been sick while on vacation can relate to the horrible feeling of not being in your own bed, and missing out on the things you should be doing on vacation. Lying on a tatami mat writhing in pain is not my first choice of activities. Luckily, I got sick toward the end of the trip, however, after arriving home, it was like the clock reset itself and I was sick all over again for another week. During that time, I decided to power through the Netflix queue and I ended up watching an innumerable amount of food documentaries. Continue reading veg reform
culinary crush
Some people swoon at the sight of actors or musicians, I’m enough of a food nerd that I get nervous and cagey around food luminaries. I ran into Cecilia Chiang two days ago at B. Patisserie and my husband had to push me to go say hello. I should mention that Cecilia is someone with whom I’ve interacted numerous times and have dined with, yet I transformed into a socially awkward 13-year-old at the thought of having a conversation with the “mother of Chinese cooking.” Continue reading culinary crush
happy-making
I find baking to be not only therapeutic, but also deliciously happy-making. The house smells good and nobody in their right mind turns down fresh-out-of-the-oven baked goods. A good chocolate chip cookie may be viewed to some as pedestrian, but I maintain that a good cookie is second to none. I like them chewy, gooey and with no nuts, thank you very much. I have spent years searching for that perfect recipe. My dear friend Kara shares my love for chocolate chip cookies, and six years ago she shared with me “the best cookie recipe ever” during a visit, and we set forth in the kitchen to see just how these cookies compared to the numerous other recipes we had tested over the years. The result? Simply referred to as the New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe, I haven’t found one before or since that compares.
planks and sticks 