a favorite, thought i’d give it a go homemade (and makes a great lunch to bring to work the next day)! a colorful, delicious meal of veggies, textures & savory flavors
spinach, bean sprouts & shitake mushrooms w/ minced garlic, soy sauce & sesame oil, carrots, pickled radish, kimchi cucumbers & ground beef
mount si – one of the most popular hikes in washington state. just about a 45-min drive from seattle, it’s a close and good 8-mile round trip hike with all the characteristics of what makes the pacific northwest what it is. the shaded trail keeps you cool through the 4-mile incline. the rocky summit makes for a great lunch (with caution) on its stone stools. bring a light jacket or long-sleeve for the wind at the top!
ritual coffee in the mission, as coffee should be
breakfast on the go at the ferry building
scrumptious mini donuts by the bag at fisherman’s wharf
not too many seals hanging around this time, but still just as noisy & goofy!
berkeley
weekend farmers markets & city hall
the marina
the palace of fine arts
the painted ladies
beers in the haight
hot cookies in castro
super long wait around the street corner for some real good ice cream!
beautiful murals everywhere you look, so in love
a good wait on the sidewalk under the shining sun to duck into the type of cramped space a good noodle spot should be. really good ramen noodles with the fixings!
spicy green onion ramen
spicy katana-ya ramen
extra spicy tofu ramen
neighborhood: the mission, best first bite of a burrito ever.
wonderfully simple & detailed – a pioneer of all things garden, market fresh, seasonal, sustainable & local
hog island oysters
cannard farm rocket w/ artichokes, pickled shallots and duck rillettes
little gems lettuce w/ marinated beets and basil
pizzetta w/ wild mushrooms, thyme and parmesan
half moon bay sand dabs w/ wild rocket and fennel salad, meyer lemon and green garlic mayonnaise
spring pea and ricotta ravioli w/ mint and pecorino
llano seco ranch pork braised in the wood oven w/ sweet and spicy chiles, carrots and salsa verde
grilled riverdog farm chicken al mattone w/ fried parsnips, broccoli di ciccio and black olives
tangerine sherbet w/ champagne and langue de chat
the trials & tribulations of learning how to cook
while you’re cooking in a studio of your apartment building, and your curry is simmering away…and the smoke alarm goes off (and you instinctively assume it’s you), so you wave your arms with magazines frantically in the air under the detector trying to make it stop. and then you walk out on the deck – in your apron (because you know how simmering curry sometimes splashes a bit) – and you realize there are other people out on their decks, and even exiting the building down below. then – the 2 guys living a floor below and diagonally from you look up and see you in your apron and ask if it was me – who set the whole building’s fire alarm off – and then…the fire trucks come.
what to do…
exit the building…and evacuate with everyone else (after taking your red-handed apron off).
consensus of those who love me (probably just to make me feel better): that it wasn’t me, i was just simmering, after all – no smoke, i swear. but..we’ll never know. the firemen never identified it was me…(good thing i took off my apron).
conclusion: a little traumatized
well – on to the yummier side of the story, thai red curry w/ beef & veggies!
cheers!
our cooking get-togethers always promise good food, good drink & good company -
here’s to greek night!
papoutsakia, peloponnese-style dish w/ ground pork, tomatoes and w/ cheesy béchamel
avgolemono, egg-lemon chicken soup
deep-fried seasoned smelt
grilled mackerel
grilled king salmon collar & octopus, marinated in red wine
garides saganaki, shrimp w/ tomatoes and feta
greek yogurt marinated leg of lamb & grilled lamb chops
bakalva, pistachio & walnut from turkish delight, pike place market
cheers!
for when you crave bad chinese food. and by bad, not necessarily bad tasting, but the not-real-chinese food you find at american-chinese fast food restaurants and buffets. i certainly loved general tso’s chicken when i was young (and still do)! but also by bad, i mean unhealthy, too. and so, here’s a healthier, super easy & quick version, no measurements really required, go by taste!
for all the S’s of taste, sweetness, saltiness, sourness & spiciness – a good-sized dollop of each: garlic, less sodium soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, & about a 1/4 cup chicken stock
the sunrise
