Coffee Craw & National Pisco Sour Day

Official Poster

Last Saturday, DH, Dan and I headed to the Tenderloin area of SF to check out the city's first coffee crawl. While the Tenderloin may be more infamous for its colorful cast of characters lining the streets, the area has built up a reputation in the last couple years for its independent and excellent coffee spots. The Coffee Crawl was a celebration of these coffee shops and the self proclaimed 'coffee nerds' that love them.
Since we tend to drink a latte...then an espresso...then an ice coffee all before the clock strikes noon most Saturdays, an organized event celebrating coffee seemed like a natural choice.

Cupping Demo outside Farm:Table

We began the 'crawl' at Farm:Table where the Verve espressos were pulled super short and were almost orange in color. Our teeth were instantly ochre-stained from imbibing (picts not included!)

Next we headed to Bamboo Bike Studio where patrons were making their bikes out of, you guessed it, bamboo! What will they think of next?! The coffee offerings were less than interesting but the coffee-braised pulled pork sliders were just as good as that sounds.

Make your own bamboo bike

Bamboo Bike frame

The highlight of the 'crawl' was, unquestionably, the Sight Glass Coffee demonstration at Hooker's Sweet Treats. Led by brothers and Sight Glass co-owners, Jerad & Justin Morrison demonstrated brewing their Kenyan Kii (pronounced 'key') coffee four different ways. Using a V60, a Chemex and a press pot, the Morrison's showed the way different methods produce wildly different flavors in the very same coffee.

Jerad Morrison of Sight Glass, demonstrating press pot

There is a sort of frantic fervor to the coffee scene these days that can verge on comical. Every week there seems to be a new, must-try roaster and a new, almost cult-ish coffee drink to try. Between Intelligencia, Stumptown and Blue Bottle; from 'flat white' to 'Gibraltar' - I have a hard time keeping up, or keeping interested for that matter.
The brothers behind Sight Glass cut through that hype beautifully. Articulate, amicable, and incredibly well informed on their subject, Jerad and Justin Morrison managed to educate and engage without isolating their audience. A job well done indeed. And their coffee was exquisite all four ways!

La Mar

Pisco Sours for All!

To end the day, we decided to honor what ought to be an International Holiday, National Pisco Sour day! The Peruvian national cocktail was being served at La Mar in the Embarcadero for $5 all weekend long. Don't mind if I do!

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade Yogurt with granola and red walnuts

Good yogurt is a weakness of mine. In Italy, I would polish off quart-size containers every 2 days or so, eating it in quantities no one could be proud of.
The tang and thickness was unlike any yogurt I'd tasted before and would prove to be one of the things I would miss most from the boot-shaped country.
I'd heard the homemade variety came close but for whatever reason never attempted it. When I happened upon the cookbook The Home Creamery at the library, I took it as a sign to try my hand at homemade yogurt.

Everything must be sterilized to avoid bad bacteria

Constantly stirring the milk as it heats

Sterilization is a key first step whenever living cultures and bacteria is present. Yogurt is no exception. 
I made my first yogurt using organic cow's milk and the cultures from a sampling of store-bought organic yogurt, an acceptable substitution if you are unable to find yogurt starter. I have since found an amazing cheese-making supply source that carries yogurt starter. Added bonus is it's minutes away from the winery DH works out of.

Yogurt, right; homemade buttermilk, left

The results of the yogurt were mixed. DH loved the thin, tangy consistency but I was not satisfied. Next time around I will use the yogurt starter and try organic goat milk instead.
To be continued...

Sunset Hike at Panoramic Hill

The Bay

Along with miniatures, I am a total sucker for sunsets. A pink-orange sky can send me a whirl like a child seeing a squirrel for the first time. There's no telling just how many photographs of skies I have taken but rest assured, the final count greatly exceeds photos of loved ones in my library!

Port of Oakland. East Bay

So it is with some reservation I write about an everyday occurrence like a sunset. But this was one epic sunset. Upon the recommendation of a friend, DH and I decided to check out Claremont Canyon, a regional preserve hugging the hills of Oakland and Berkeley. 
We arrived right before sunset on Friday, that perfect moment of every weekend when the energy is high and there is nothing but potential for fun and freedom of the next 48 hours. 

Upper Jordan Trail

across the preserve

perfect viewing spot

Cal students, idyllic (from afar)

The Upper-Jordan trail we hiked was super steep and super quick, perfect to catch the entire sunset. We stopped off at about the halfway point where the trail opens up onto a huge green hillside and one can take in a sprawling, panoramic view of the bay. Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Candlestick park and the port of Oakland are all within view at this incredible, serene spot.

What a perfect start to the weekend.

Mom's Salmon, redux

homemade garlic-olive oil mayonnaise

Growing up my mom was never much for cooking. Perhaps because she and my dad worked in restaurants, they saw a less glamorous side of the kitchen. We often ate out or brought the restaurant's food home. 

That said though, she had a few knock-out hits up her culinary sleeve. I can count on one hand the all-stars and to this day I am hard pressed to find a better version of each. She would argue these 5 or so recipes are not original or necessarily remarkable but to my mind, they are unbeatable. 

This post marks the start of my attempts to replicate each delicious dish, this time with my own twist.

salmon fillet with a layer of aioli

sprinkling of dill

slightly charred but delicious all the same

Mom's salmon entailed a light layer of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of dill placed in a 350 degree oven for 20ish minutes followed by a 5 minute broil. Simple as that. The mayonnaise works as a sort of barrier, locking all the moisture and flavor of the salmon and the dill adds a complimentary albeit subtle flavor.

mayonnaise, practically neon green from the olive oil

For my version, I decided to make a homemade garlic-olive oil mayonnaise, care of Alice Waters. Olive oil, egg yolk and a splash of water and salt is all it takes to have a truly transcendent spread. Mashed garlic cloves makes this more of an aioli but I'm not splitting hairs here. It works well on sandwiches, sweet potato fries or all alone but is far from a breath mint so to speak.

I will go on the record as saying I have no problem with store-bought mayonnaise so long as it is a good quality and preferably organic. Mayo gets a bad wrap but it has its purpose to be sure. 

tender, crisp & garlicky

 Thanks mama! Next up, chili!

Winter Risotto

Risotto Components

Risotto may be my favorite 'go-to' dish, any season of the year. The backbone ingredients of arborio rice, white wine and veggie stock are easy to keep on hand and just about anything tastes good mixed into risotto. Best of all, it seems impressive and difficult to make!

lacinato kale & kabocha squash risotto

This time around I opted for lacinato kale and lemon as additions. At the end, I threw in some kabocha squash to add a little sweetness and depth. 
Not that I know much of anything about music but risotto strikes me as the jazz equivalent. With the right foundation a little spontaneity makes for beautiful music.

Baby Butternuts

Baby Butternut Squash

I'm a sucker for all things miniature. Miniature art, miniature clothing (i.e. leather jackets for newborns), don't get me started on dollhouses and all the miniatures inside! So it's no big surprise that I had to have these miniature or baby butternut squashes from the farmer's market.

baby butternuts, halved.

I decided to halve, roast and stuff them as an alternative to stuffed acorn squash. Halving the baby butternuts was exactly one million times easier than their tough-skinned parents.

roasted with a drizzle chili oil

quinoa stuffed squashes

 
I opted for red and white quinoa with hazelnuts, cherries and ginger. Couscous or pearl barley might also have been good grain options. 

Linus Love

Roadster Classic

Upon learning we would be moving to the Bay Area this past fall, I figured I would ask for a bicycle for Christmas. What little I knew of the Bay Area seemed to have a strong bike culture, especially East Bay. I figured this would be as good a time as any to finally learn how to ride a bike.

Merry Christmas, Emily!

 Yes, you read that right, I have never officially learned how to ride a bike. For whatever reason, I never asked for a bike for Christmases or birthdays growing up, as most everyone else did and learned then. To be honest, the idea of riding a bike, especially on city streets has always terrified me.

The loving and ever generous DH granted my Christmas wish in the form of a brand new, custom built Linus bike. Not only is this bicycle a beautiful piece of artisan craftsmanship, it has proved to be the perfect vehicle. Single speed, back pedal brakes and upright handle bars make it the very best 'first bicycle' to learn on.

At the Berkeley Aquatic Park

I would be lying if I said I just hopped right on was instantly a cyclist. There was a bit of a learning curve and some frightful moments at the start. That said though, this truly is the city of cyclists. In Berkeley there are what's called Bicycle Boulevards wherein bicycles have the right-of-way and car traffic is discouraged.

At Berkeley Farmer's Market

Now Linus and I go everywhere together. I rarely ever drive my car anymore and when I do, I find myself missing my Linus. Saturdays now entail cycling all around town, exploring new streets and neighborhoods and stopping for bite to eat or a beverage along the way. Cycling is like the salt to any activity, it just enhances the flavor!

Outside Chez Panisse

It's a shame the phrase "it's changed my life" is so extreme because it sums up my sentiments perfectly. My only question is 'why didn't I ask for one of these things 20+ years ago!?'

Sunday Supper and saddest movie of the year

Sometimes I hate Sundays. Even the really great ones, as this past Sunday proved to be. Brunch with an LA friend in town, north bay friends over for coffee and conversation, lounging with NYTimes Sunday crossword, popcorn and a matinee...all the elements of a perfect Sunday still can't fight the simple fact the weekend is over. DH and I were both feeling the Sunday blues so decided to make a home-cooked meal to cheer us up a bit.

Dover sole fillets, lemons, garlic, rosemary oil, kale, seeded baguette

 We picked up some Dover sole fillets and kale at the nearby market. DH prepared the kale while I handled the fillets.

lemon garlic rosemary fillets

flaky, smooth consistency with subtle lemon-garlic-rosemary flavor

Sole fillets are my favorite type of fish and a quick pan fry is my personal favorite preparation. I used rosemary infused olive oil, garlic slivers, lemon slices and a splash of acidic white wine to saute the fillets. This is the simplest, quickest and most delicious fish dish in my book. 

Bulgarian sheep's milk feta, goat gouda & cowgirl creamery Pierce Pt cheese

one of the better designed labels around

DH assembled a quick cheese plate from what we had in the fridge and opened a bottle of white. Sarapo is the brainchild of Kent Humphrey of Eric Kent wines who was DH's first boss in the wine industry and now good friend. The label itself is simple, graphic and recognizable, as all good labels should be, yet few are. The wine inside the bottle stands up to its well designed label. Crisp and acidic, the chardonnay complimented everything, including our bad attitudes!

Part of our melancholy stemmed from seeing the new Inarritu film, Biutiful. A film about a man who is dying is probably not the best film to see when you are already a little blue. Javier Bardem's capacity for sadness is astounding, as is Inarritu's, though both actor and director alike make one feel completely a part of the sadness and the humanity of the story they are telling. The film is nominated for best foreign film and Bardem is nominated for best actor but if the academy had a 'saddest film of the year' category there would be no contest. It is a beautiful, compelling movie, not for the faint of heart.

One particularly beautiful scene as Uxbal walks across a bridge at dusk and observes the migrating formation of birds in the sky reminded me of our move up here New Year's day. We witnessed those very same formations and attempted to capture it on video, albeit not as successfully as Inarritu. Regardless, it was breathtaking scene in the film and in real life.

Cookie Contest at Omnivore Books

Ominvore Cookbooks

This past Saturday, DH and I trekked across the bay to flex a little sweet-tooth muscle at the Omnivore Books Cookie Contest. Omnivore is an adorable hole-in-the-wall cookbook shop on a residential street in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in style and content, offering both new, antiquarian and collectible cookbooks of all interests.

new amid antiquarian cookbooks line the shelves

The cookie contest was free to enter and $5 to eat/judge the cookies. Omnivore was offering to split the door money evenly with whoever won first place.

A cookie contest that is free to enter and involves eating several other delicious cookies...I can think of few better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.

My prizefighter cookie would be lavender shortbread. Several cookie recipes made the shortlist but ultimately I decided to pay homage to our favorite cookie in Los Angeles, the lavender shortbread cookie at Trails Cafe in Griffith Park.

My shortbread is more 'short' and buttery than chef Jenny Park's Trails cookies, which are chewy and with the perfect tooth and crumb. Easily the best in town in fact, if you are in LA, please go there and enjoy one for me...Today!

The trick is lavender infused butter which delicately perfumes the whole cookie.

I chop lavender beforehand to bring out the aromatic essence.

bite-size lavender shortbread cookies

As advised, I made 3 batches, or over 150 bite size cookies!

cookies!!!

polenta poppy seed triangles and s'more macaroons

more cookies. peanut butter oreo's were stand-out.

When we arrived to the event, the doors were already overflowing with both people and cookies. In all, there were over 60 cookie entrants and at least 60 'judges', not including children. First prize was a whopping $150 cash and went to a run-of-the-mill chocolate chip toffee cookie. The fix was in for sure. *joking.

l to r: gf puddingcakes, polenta triangles, almond-raspberry sandwich, pb'oreo' palm: salted-caramel whoopie pie

The room was amass with sweet aromas and the adrenaline of competition. Everyone was a critic and DH even overheard someone harshly critiquing mine, "nice flavor and great taste but too much crumb and poor presentation". I had no idea we were all taking things so seriously! I should have known never to use plastic Tupperware, the shame! Sugar high and snobbery aside, it was a delightful afternoon in the city.