..:: a minor thread ::..

secret muffins

2009-07-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

I did an awful lot of baking this weekend-- cupcakes, muffins and two types of cookies. Add that to a fresh batch of lemonade with basil-infused simple syrup and a little Saturday-night get-together, I'm chalking this past weekend up as a pretty productive one.

A highlight of my three-day weekend was a trip with David to Culver City's Surfas, part restaurant-supply store and part gourmet grocer. I could easily fill up cart after cart here with goodies to outfit my dream semi-commercial gourmet kitchen! Half-sheet roll pans, baking cups, gel food colorings, bar supplies, perfect iced-tea pitchers and delightful baking supplies: you shall be mine! Someday..

Until that day, we're making do with what we have, using what's currently available in the kitchen, and keeping myself entertained with little things- like sneaking leftover chocolate Easter eggs into batches of banana muffins.. Can you say 'yum?'

up in smoke...

2009-06-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

there was a devastating fire in a warehouse building across the street from our loft in downtown los angeles, last night.

this is what greeted us as we made our way home just after midnight. blogdowntown.com has some amazing shots of the aftermath (we saw this sight leaving for work this morning, but i wasn't able to grab any shots. the building is now boarded up.)

see more of my rooftop-view photos.

iDaft

2009-03-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

Now, this is the most fun I've had all day, but I've had a pretty boring day. Nonetheless, if what you really need right now is a good excuse to have a midnight dance party, then please make your way to the Daft Punk Console. You can be your own Kanye West (or Daft Punk, for that matter) and remix the classic sound drops from Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

Now that is a good use of your time on the internet!

what i'll miss :: peet's coffee

2009-03-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I know: Peet's Coffee & Tea is no longer a Bay Area exclusive. You can find little outposts of this local legend all over the West Coast now, and thank goodness for that. The decades-old company has always had a great emphasis on quality over quantity, and their growth has been slow. But within the Berkeley/Oakland area, you're always within a mile or two of a Peet's, which makes easy work of satisfying that craving for an iced latte and a tasty, chewy vegan ginger cookie.

what i'll miss...

2009-03-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area my entire life, the thought of living somewhere so different from the little chunk of Northern California that I know and love seems really intimidating. How will I find my way around? Where will my favorite meals come from? What charming local secrets will I discover before anyone else? What will I miss?

There are many, many answers to that last question. As I prepare to embrace a new chapter in my life, I want to chronicle those things... I hope you enjoy a little peek into what makes the Bay Area 'home' to me.

raspberry-yogurt cake

2009-03-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

I had the urge to bake last week, and I finally found the time to follow through. I baked up this delicious raspberry-yogurt cake from a 2008 issue of Bon Appetit magazine (recipe available here.) There are a couple of culinary curveballs in this recipe, so be sure to follow it to the letter. Just as suggested, I have found that a fair-sized slice of cake is great compliment to my evening tea, or as a morning, er, snack. (They keep telling me that cake isn't breakfast. However, I'm not too inclined to believe that!)

Yes We Cab!!

2009-01-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

You know, it's not every day we make history with our votes. And it's not every day we make history with our wines. And well, I don't make wine, but luckily I know someone who does!

David and I had a brilliant idea over brunch back in December- a wine to toast Barack Obama's inauguration, called 'Yes We Cab!' Goofy, yes, but we thought it would be charming all the same. A quick call to our winemaker friend, Brendan Eliason at Periscope Cellars in Emeryville, CA and another to local artist friend J.B. Lowe and the idea is a reality!

If you're in the SF Bay Area, you can pick up your own bottle of Yes We Cab at the Periscope tasting room, at Solano Cellars in Albany and at both Vintage Berkeley locations (on College Avenue and Vine Street.) Special thanks to James Cardinell with Vinos Unico.

The fine folks at Periscope are hosting a screening of the inauguration, and will be showcasing Yes We Cab that night. Bottles will be available for purchase, so get one while you can! Get all the info on the event, here.

clearly up to no good.

2008-12-15T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to spend some quality time with friends, lately. One person I seem to manage to meet up with at least once a week with is my buddy Jason, who can always be counted on for some random adventure, often involving delicious food. I snapped this photo after we had finished a day of devouring cupcakes at Cupcake Camp, coffee in South Park, dinner at my favorite Mission eatery, Maverick and then some ice cream at Bi-Rite.. what a perfectly delicious San Francisco afternoon!

tea time.

2008-12-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Just a quick break from the making, the baking and everything else to share a spot of tea, with you. I hope you are all keeping warm this winter.

harvest.

2008-11-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

a quick photos of some of yesterday's prime supplies: granny smith apples and valencia oranges. they are the secret ingredients in the cranberry sauce that my family begs for every thanksgiving. they always ask for a recipe, but i don't really have one. in the words of boyfriend david, you simple "put these things in a pot. cook until tasty."

the best kind of cooking.

what you've got til it's gone

2008-11-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Things have gotten a little quicker around the studio. Why? Despite my hesitation about opening the box, I finally set up my new PC. It's new, shiny and runs Windows Vista (hence my hesitation.) But after I've gotten all the kinks worked out, Photoshop installed and the scanner working, I'm feeling pretty good about. Vista be damned! I'm determined to enjoy the faster processing time and extra RAM.

Also, can I tell you how happy I am that my scanner is working, again? Very happy.

a quiet moment.

2008-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Just another quiet night at home.

new toy.

2008-11-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

I finally, finally got around to purchasing a remote release for my digital SLR. Finally! So far, it's not quite as sensitive as I'd like it to be, but maybe I just need to get used to it.

This is my favorite photo, from the few test shots that I did, today. Say hello to Andy, or rather, Andy's elbows.

good morning.

2008-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Just a little frame from breakfast this morning. David and I called this "breakfast polenta" -- it's just polenta cooked up with a little sugar and cinnamon, and I've added dried sour cherries during the cooking process. Top it off with a little almond milk, and hey, delish.

Important Events and Important Ideas

2008-11-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

I've spent a week mulling this post over.. And by now, nothing I have to say will be new or novel or really stunning. But I still feel the need to comment. The past two weeks- the week leading up to the election and the week after- have been an incredible roller coaster.

Last Tuesday night, for the first time in my life I felt pride in my country. Surrounded by old and new friends, watching the results filter in as polls closed across the nation, cheering with each small victory.. It was unlike anything else I've experienced, and it was a far, far cry from a cold November night in 2004, where I nearly got in a bar fight (yep, I admit it) involving a Bush supporter and the still-fresh wound of my cousin's death in Afghanistan.

Last Tuesday was hopeful, epic, stunning and truly something of a unique experience. Watching Obama's landslide victory, in a room full of people who can finally stand up and say that they have president that they can believe in was uplifting. After a week of working extra-hard to spread the word about California's Proposition 8, watching it's narrow victory in the polls was nothing short of heartbreaking. In the week since the election, my dear California has been awash in vigils, rallies and protest marches against the legalization of discrimination, and the hate that has been written into our constitution. The Prop 8 campaign was full of nothing but lies and hypocrisy, but I can take a little comfort in the fact that it will surely be overturned, in time.

But in the end, I am nothing short of hopeful for what is to come.

I'll leave you now with some choice words from Keith Olbermann, about Proposition 8.

One more day. One more chance.

2008-11-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

By tomorrow evening, America will have entered a new era. I have nothing but hope for the future.

One more day, folks. We can't give up now.

departure gate

2008-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is what my October has looked like. On and off of flights, back and forth to Los Angeles. Lots of work, and lots of play, too. Spent some time in Pacific Palisades, discovered a great little cafe that serves My New Favorite Thing, Ever (tm): a green lemonade. That's lemonade with mint and a shot of spinach juice. I know it sounds weird, but it was amazing.

Also spent some time in the Coachella Valley with David, visiting Joshua Tree and touring the Salton Sea (as much as one can 'tour' a mostly-abandoned, completely desolate mid-desert lake that is barely able to sustain life.) It's been a tough few months since he moved away, so it was wonderful to be able to spend some quality time together.

Now I'm thrust back into life back in Oakland... Off to work, and the real world.

A time for honesty

2008-10-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I have a confession to make.

I'm not a good cook.

I mean, I thought I was. I really did. but now, now... I'm starting to doubt myself. I was raised with excellent cooking role models- I could name every PBS culinary personality, long before the advent of the Food Network. My father was the chef of the family, a titled passed on to him by his younger brother (a Diabetic pastry chef, who refused to abandon the trade.) My grandmother, well... she's inspired me to compile a cookbook, someday. My brother and I were always busy making a myriad of fresh baked cookies. Food was everywhere. And good food, too.

But looking back on some recent eating exploits, it seems that all of the successes have been collaborations. Amazing Monday night dinners with my former housemate and our respective fellows were totally a group effort. That trick of frying up slices of polenta in butter, topping with slices of fresh mozzarella, basil chiffonade and fresh tomatoes? Yet another housemate's recipe. Last week's kick-ass herbs de provence-rubbed roasted pork tenderloin served with wilted arugula and rice pilaf? I was sitting on the couch the whole time.

So it should have come as no surprise last night when my attempt at making something delicious failed. I grabbed pots and pans, wilted some onions, added garlic, toasted the rice, deglazed with white wine and prepared to make an awesome rice pilaf. Chicken stock, lots of salt (but still not enough?) some basil and other herbs. More garlic? No dice. Nothing seemed to do the 'flavor' trick.

So here I am, eating my self-described "rice with yellow" for lunch. It's fine. It has a flavor. But it could be so much more.

On my way to work this morning I caught a bit of and interview with Jacques Pépin, talking about his new book, More Fast Food My Way. I'll have to podcast the entire interview later, but in the snippet I heard he made some interesting points about food. It's not about The Golden Arches or the Slow Food Movement. 'Fast Food' doesn't have to be a bad thing, it is just food, fast. It can still be from scratch, it can still be delicious, but you don't have to spend your entire weekend preparing one meal.

Of course you still could, and he does. And I might. And I promise to strive for flavor. However, for the rest of this week I think I will stick to baking. That seems to be my true calling, anyhow.

Now, if only I could get my dad to hand over Uncle John's carrot cake recipe, I'd be in business.

oh, october..

2008-10-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

another month, fading quickly. i'm doing quite a bit of traveling this month, so my usual non-blogging tendencies are compounded by just not being around my computer. i am, of course, around my camera still quite a bit.

so, even if i'm not writing about it, rest assured that i am photographing it.

cheers.

hello, autumn.

2008-09-19T15:40:00.001-07:00

I can say, without a doubt, that it is now fall. Nevermind that fall doesn't come until this weekend, but stepping out for chai just now, it became very clear that the passage of time is, yet again, totally unavoidable.

Hello, Autumn.

what to make when you don't know what to make?

2008-09-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

i have food. i have plenty of food. but does any of it necessarily "go" together? not really. also, i have a terrible habit of buying things that "sound good at the time" and then not cooking them before they go past their prime.

so what's a hungry girl to do?

step one: chop and sautee red onion. add ground turkey, salt, and whatever seasonings you have on hand.

step two: boil water, trim and halve brussel sprouts. blanch brussel sprouts for 2 mins, then remove to a baking sheet. garnish with salt, pepper, olive oil and hell, toss a couple scallions on the top, just to see what happens. roast in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.

step three: don't throw out that water! heat it back up to a boil, toss in a package of gnocchi. sure, why not? remove from water when those tasty little pillows float to the top.

step four: toss ground turkey and gnocchi with some pesto sauce. add salt to taste, and serve brussel sprouts on the side.

step five: nom nom nom.

hey, it works for me.

Below the Blue and Briny Sea

2008-09-05T12:18:00.001-07:00

If you're around in the Bay Area tonight, definitely make a point of stopping by Periscope Cellars in Emeryville for the opening of Dana Robson's new solo show, 'Below the Blue and Briny Sea.'

This new work combines vintage maps and nautical charts with hand-stitched sea creatures and vegetation. The effect is really striking in person, and if you can't make the show tonight, do try to stop by the tasting room at Periscope sometime in September to see the show!

You can find more information about Periscope and the gallery at their website. Periscope is Emeryville's only winery, located in a former World War II submarine repair warehouse. This rustic and historic setting is the perfect compliment and contrast to Dana's charming artwork.

45 Years Ago; Today...

2008-08-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Is it any mistake that Barack will be giving his acceptance speech on the same date as King Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech? I think not.

November is approaching rapidly, and I am glad to see that our country is still dreaming, still hoping. I'm very excited about the changes that we will see this January, and frankly I can't wait for this dark time to be over.

It's about time, America.

Thanks, I think I will...

2008-08-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

Saw this flier a few nights ago, after work. Sometimes it takes something so small to make you smile.

Walking Anesthetic.

2008-08-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

A little snippet from listing to the radio, last night...

"It didn't hurt 'cause she's so pretty."

-Margaret Cho, on being tattooed by Kat Von D.

Love it. :)