On the road again

I bring you the fourth and final installment of my San Francisco travel diary.

It was hard to believe as we awoke that our last full day had really arrived. But there was no time to sit and reflect on the bittersweet. We had a lot to see and do, but first we needed some fuel.

We started with breakfast at Blue Bottle Coffee Café. Tucked away in a square Blue Bottle is full of light, minimal décor so that you can focus on the chemistry lab they have assembled for perfect coffee prep. This is for serious coffee connoisseurs but I’m a coffee wimp who instead opted for a beautiful latte to go alongside my poached eggs. The dudely followed suit and ordered similarly.

Perfectly caffeinated and pleasingly full we walked a few blocks to pick up the cable car. We didn’t feel we could leave San Francisco without a ride on this landmark. At the end of the line was Fisherman’s Wharf where we picked up tickets for Alcatraz. With those in hand we found ourselves with a few sunny hours to fill.

We walked over to Ghirardelli Square where the dudely insisted that we enjoy Ghirardelli’s famous hot fudge sundaes. Who was I to argue with such a brilliant suggestion? They were certainly good but almost too rich. They left me in need of something to cut all that sweet. Conveniently, Crown and Crumpet was a few short steps away so we picked up some nice cups of tea for the road.

The road we were heading for was Lombard Street, the crookedest street around. It was completely amusing to see cars zig and zag their way down this tiny stretch of narrow road surrounded by hedges. It was quite like a maze, but where you know how to get in and out.

As we made our way back to the boat for the ride to Alcatraz we stopped to see the sea lions. What a lazy bunch they were. They just napped and sunned themselves, completely unaware of the gawkers snapping photos.

Alcatraz was unlike anything we’d expected. They had an amazing audio tour of the cell house that put several years of history into a perfectly presented 45 minute tour. As we made our way through the cell house we learned of various escape attempts, the most violent being the Battle of Alcatraz. The most clever escape attempt used fake walls and heads to fool guards. This proved to be the only successful break. But there is a lot more to Alcatraz than just its prison history. Look into it sometime. It’s a remarkable story.

For our last dinner in San Francisco we chose B44, a Spanish restaurant. Cold and starving after our Alcatraz trip we showed up almost an hour early for our reservation but they graciously showed us our table. We started with cocktails, of course, and followed that with appetizers. I had the most perfect salad while the more adventurous dudely chose grilled local sardines. The appetizers were delivered with a galvanized bucket of bread and the best olive oil/anchovy/olive dipping sauce. For the main courses the dudely went traditional with paella while I had steak chimichurri. Believe it not but we ended up having to share dessert. I guess our stomachs do eventually reach their limit.

From here it was back to the hotel to pack and get a good night’s sleep. And we slept like babies, dreaming of our next trip to this fabulous city.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Homemade Ginger Ale and Its Candy
Source: Ming Tsai

Ingredients: *****
If you count the two types of water as separate ingredients you still only need four items to make these recipes. Of course, you could up the count with various garnishes but I kept it simple.

Preparation: *****
I think the ginger my grocery store had out was on the older side. This made it impossible to just “spoon” off the peel so I had to get out a paring knife and actually peel it. Lumpy, bumpy ginger is not the easiest to peel but I got through it. The rest of the time spent on this was unattended, a fact I like a lot about this recipe.

Taste: ***(**)
The ginger ale gets three stars. It was very refreshing but not quite as ginger-y as I like my ginger ale. Living on the East Coast I can’t get my favorite ginger ale from Vernor’s locally; it’s only available in the Midwest. I was hoping this would be a suitable substitution but it’s not quite there yet. I’d increase the amount of ginger next time and see if that gets me any closer. I’m guessing I’m going to need to know what else comprises Vernor’s nineteen ingredients before I actually get any closer though.

Now the ginger candy was a complete surprise and earns five stars. I’d almost decided to skip this altogether but I’m so glad I didn’t. A sugary outside melts to reveal a spicy, chewy interior. It’s the perfect post-dinner sweet tooth fix. Not that I need one, of course. I just like to have options readily available should the need arise.

On the road again

I bring you the third installment of my San Francisco travel diary.

Well rested after a packed day one and two we were ready once again to take on San Francisco. We were up fairly early finishing off our cheese, bread, and fruit from the day before and plotting out the bus route to Golden Gate Park. Our mission for the morning and early afternoon was leisurely strolls in the botanical garden and Japanese tea garden.

We entered Golden Gate Park at Haight Street. This gave us a little tour of the children’s park where you must be accompanied by a child to enter, the lawn bowling club where I would have enjoyed pretending to know how to play, and some soccer and baseball fields where I was interested in neither. Around a little bend and there we were at the botanical garden.

Neither of us is much into gardening but we certainly admire the work of others. At the botanical garden there is a lot to admire. There are more species that I could ever hope to remember. (Though we both quickly, and correctly, identified the squirrels and the ducks.) It was really jaw dropping to see so many things in bloom and so green at the end of March. I captured as much as I could on camera. I’m really glad we gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost here, both literally and figuratively. It was the best possible way to spend a Sunday morning.

Once we realized time was getting away from us we made our way the short distance to the Japanese tea garden. As soon as we entered the gate we knew we were in for a treat. But first, my stomach was grumbling and our late lunch reservation was still two hours away so we had some tea and snacks at the teahouse.

The garden is a lot smaller than we imagined it would be but that gave us plenty of time to explore every nook. Of course the plantings were beautiful with azaleas in bloom and cherry blossoms just passing their peak. My favorite parts of the park though weren’t the plantings. The pagoda was just amazing if not a bit in need of a spruce up, though the peeling orange paint was pretty fantastic. I also spent quite some time staring at the peace lantern and the Buddha. Both just gave off such a sense of tranquility. Finally, there was the koi pond with a great little stone pathway that passes near the waterfall and leaves you looking directly at the great Drum Bridge.

But enough of nature we had to eat! And eat and eat! Our late lunch reservation was at Zuni Café. If I lived in or near San Francisco Zuni Café would become a regular stop. I had read in many places that their roast chicken with bread salad was a must have and have it we did. But that takes an hour to prepare so we had to fill the time. We filled the time and our bellies with a lovely half bottle of wine, a half dozen west coast oysters, and a salad. Everything was delicious and took the edge off our hunger as we sat back and awaited the arrival of our bird. The next hour left me staring into their open kitchen watching salads, pizzas, and desserts being prepared. And the chicken came. I’m not sure we said anything more than, “Do you mind if I take that piece?” right up until the point it was all gone. It was magnificent. Then the dessert menu came out and the waitress jokingly said she’d be surprised if we still had room. Little did she know I am, and the dudely has become, a serious consumer of dessert. So it really was no trouble at all for us to have a rich, chocolatey flourless cake dolloped with whipped cream and ice cream truffles. Oh, and coffee to wash it all down.

We waddled back to the bus stop and returned to our hotel for a quick refresh before we headed out for another night of jazz. (The dudely tells me it was a very big deal back in the day to have recorded your album in San Francisco. People had tried to fake it on albums only to be found out.) This time we went to the Palace of Fine Arts for a performance by the Branford Marsalis Quartet. You’ll get differing opinions about what the best part of the concert was. For me it was the slower songs but for the dudely it was the fast, almost out of control songs. Whichever way you call it, it was a perfect end to a perfect day.

Flashback

Two years ago my scrap basket was at a modest size. In fact, it was so modest that I actually had to cut into yardage to make this patchwork belt. Wow. It's hard to believe there was ever a time when the scraps weren't threatening to take over....

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: *****
With the exception of a head of cauliflower and a fresh bunch of cilantro this meal comes straight from the pantry. That was almost true in my case. At the very last minute I had to send the dudely out for curry powder because I swore I had some in my pantry. I even briefly scoured the internet for a suitable substitution to avoid his dinner time trip to the supermarket. That, however, would have required approximately 20 other spices I definitely didn’t have.

Preparation: *****
It’s a simple one pot meal. Don’t take the recipe’s recommendation and use a large skillet though. Use a large stock pot and you’ll actually be able to stir everything together without covering your floor and stove in chickpeas and cauliflower florets. Ahem.

Taste: ***
This recipe was a major disappointment for me. It didn’t taste bad it just didn’t live up to its potential. This recipe had everything going for it, too. It was a curry. It was meatless but hearty. It was a quick, one pot meal making it perfect for the weeknight dinner rotation. But it was flat, neither great nor bad, just there. I could try adding a lot more curry powder next time and that might help. I have no patience for tweaking a recipe into perfection though when the result could be just as disappointing. I’d rather spend my calories on the hope that comes with a new recipe and its possibilities. So that’s what I shall do: hope next week is better.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my brother's birthday, number 36 if I remember correctly. He is tall, funny and really good at making things. All sorts of things, but especially out of wood. A few weeks ago my husband spotted this vintage book in a local antiques shop and we bought it as a birthday gift. Hopefully the USPS and Canada Post got it to him on time.

I love the illustrations and tables of still-relevant data, I wonder if Dick Proenneke took a copy with him to Alaska? There's probably a logging app for the iPhone these days, but coverage is still pretty spotty out the woods.

Who knew that early 20th century lumberjacks enjoyed reading a few lines of poetry during their lunch breaks? I guess I figured they would be too busy singing.

Hope you have a great birthday little brother!

We Heart Cheese

When you love cheese and love to make things you eventually find yourself in a cheese making workshop. That’s exactly where Elise and I found ourselves on Easter Sunday. With us was a random group of characters united by the idea that making your own cheese is a worthwhile pursuit. For most the draw was self-sufficiency and the ability to eat really locally. For Elise it was about making the perfect yogurt. For me it was about supporting my cheese addiction.

Ricki Carroll was our very knowledgeable, if not a little quirky, guide for the day. She’s been teaching this class for over 30 years and has spent a lot of time with cheesemakers the world over so she knows her stuff. Assisting her was the charming Jamie who wore a path between the kitchen and our classroom so that we would never want for any supply.

We began the day by starting a farmhouse cheddar, the only hard cheese we attempted that day. I was pretty excited about starting here since my favorite cheeses fall into the hard cheese category. However, that excitement was replaced with a small nugget of disappointment as I realized we would not be allowed to hang around Ricki’s house the one to two months the cheddar would need to age. But this was all about the technique and we certainly got that as we learned to test and cut the curd, hang the cheese, and press it into a wheel. Now I just need a non-communal condo basement where I can safely store my wheels of cheddar and gouda. Oh, and the patience to wait months, and up to years, to age my perfect cheese.

The majority of the day’s demonstrations were of soft cheeses. Ricki and Jamie, along with their novice volunteer assistants, showed us how to make queso blanco, fromage blanc, yogurt, ricotta, mozzarella, and more. What struck me about the soft cheeses was how few ingredients and how little time is required to make them. You don’t need fancy equipment either. Most things, like a thermometer, a stainless steel pan, a slotted spoon, strainer, and cheesecloth, are already in our home kitchens. It’s very doable and instantly rewarding because within 30 minutes you could be sitting down to a caprese salad featuring your very own mozzarella.

Everything that we tasted was good, though I certainly had my favorites. That’s how I ended up bringing home a yogurt kit and a mozzarella and ricotta kit. I have yet to see if I can recreate these on my own but that’s part of this weekend’s plans. I’ll let you know how it goes.

On the road again

This is the second post in a series of four about my trip to San Francisco.

Our second day in San Francisco was another bright and beautiful one. From near our hotel we caught the bus to the Ferry Building for the farmers’ market and some general food grazing of the great vendors inside. The farmers’ market was wonderful. There were so many things that I would have bought if only I had a kitchen in San Francisco. We saw big bunches of beautiful carrots, greens, and flowers. I made three rounds of the market just to make sure I didn’t miss ogling any of it. We did pick up some glorious deep red strawberries along with a few blood oranges for our breakfast.

Inside the Ferry Building we picked up a big round of sourdough bread and two rosemary rolls from Acme Bread Co. There are so many gorgeous loaves to choose from here. It was a small miracle we didn’t walk away with more. We then slipped next door to the Cowgirl Creamery for some cheese to round out our breakfast buffet. Again great restraint was required here, especially being a bit of a cheese freak. We picked up their very own Mt. Tam triple cream and some locally produced San Andreas and Midnight Moon gouda. At this point our stomachs could take no more so we found ourselves outside soaking in the sunshine, gorging on our purchases, and people watching.

There was one last stop at the Ferry Building before we said good-bye. We just had to stop by Ciao Bella Gelato for a little something sweet to fuel our upcoming walk. I went with two selections of gelato (a hazelnut mascarpone and chocolate) while the dudely was swayed into two selections of sorbet just by the mention of “wine” in the description. I’m sure it’s hard to pick something bad here.

From here we set out on foot for Coit Tower. Our intention was to take the Filbert Street steps up to Coit Tower but somehow ending up missing those. Somehow though we made it; just keep heading up! At Coit Tower you’re rewarded with great views of the surrounding city. On the way down we managed to locate the Greenwich Street steps and took those, landing in the North Beach neighborhood.

We wandered a bit around the North Beach area and a shop or two before eventually landing at Washington Square Bar & Grill for a very late lunch. It wasn’t a planned stop on our San Francisco tour but they had opened their front windows wide to enjoy the great weather and they served up a good omelet and corned beef sandwich along with plenty of water for our dehydrated bodies. At this point we were refreshed and had enough energy to wander to Chinatown where we took in the sights and sounds of one of the main streets. It was lots of window shopping but no buying. It was fun just to look.

At this point I had to throw in the sightseeing towel and go back to the hotel. My sore feet had gotten the best of me and and we had a big day 3 planned so rest and a good night’s sleep it was.

Spring ensemble

I did it! I found the perfect spring coat to go with my perfect vintage pin. Could I be content with that? No. I had to make the perfect patchwork scarf. It’s a good thing Heather Bailey looked in her crystal ball a few years ago, saw my future coat, and kindly included the perfect colorway in her Freshcut line. Yep, perfect.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients: *****
The name really tells you the ingredients in this recipe are going to be great. It does leave one surprise for the ingredient list though: white beans. All are easy to find and readily available year round which is especially good when you find yourself still needing to make soup in the middle of April.

Preparation: *****
The hardest part is peeling the funny bumps and valleys on the sweet potatoes but just give those to your dudely to take care of, as I did, and you’ll be in the clear to chop onions and garlic, de-case sausages, and clean and chop kale. The soup really comes together very quickly. It requires just enough time to sauté the onions and sausage, add some water and broth, and then the brief simmers to achieve tender potatoes and kale. And those simmer times were the perfect length for doing some seam finishing on a sewing project.

Taste: ****
This recipe really hit the spot during our weekend of cold, cold April weather. It also made a ton so we were able to dip into the pot many times over the weekend and still have plenty for lunch today. It’s a good thing we loved it. The only change I’ll make next time around is using hot Italian sausage in place of the sweet ones to balance the flavor a bit more. With all those sweet potatoes there’s really no need to include sweet sausage. Besides, we’re already sweet enough.

On the road

I alluded last week that I had spent some time away working on my list. I spent a long weekend in a new to me city: San Francisco. Here’s day 1 of 4 in that city by the bay. I’ll be bringing you days 2, 3, and 4 each Thursday over the next three weeks.

We believe it’s important to start your day with a good breakfast and, boy, did we ever! Located a few blocks from our hotel was Dottie’s True Blue Café. The guidebook warned of its popularity and potential lines down the block and this day was no exception. But the weather was brilliant, the line moved fast, and the food was unbelievable. Once inside you notice the funky yet delightful décor made up of chandeliers from old coffee pots and cups and saucers, a great little bar, and a cozy assortment of tables and booths.

From there our intention was to catch the bus to Ghirardelli Square but we ended up walking the distance. The bus transportation in San Francisco is great with many of the stops giving you minute-by-minute updates of arrival times. We kept passing stops and seeing it would be a few minutes until the next bus and deciding to just walk one more block. By the time the bus caught up with us we were nearly there and it was really no problem to keep enjoying the sun and warmth.

Once at Ghirardelli Square we began the beautiful 3.5 mile walk along the Golden Gate Promenade to the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. On this walk you pass through Fort Mason, the Marina, and Crissy Field. Everything was green and blooming and I stopped more than a few times to capture those beautiful blooms with my camera. I also loved capturing how the Golden Gate Bridge seemed to grow and change as we got ever closer.

Tops on my list of things to do in San Francisco was walking the Golden Gate Bridge so that’s just what we did. The dudely was quite horrified that I wanted to walk the whole thing, down and back. He thought halfway was more than sufficient. You see the dudely has a bit of a fear of bridges. But we did and were awarded with amazing views of the city. I was brave enough to capture the sights down into the bay while the dudely hung back, way back.

At that point we’d walked about 10 miles in total since breakfast so we caught the bus back to Ghirardelli Square for afternoon tea for two at Crown & Crumpet. Crown & Crumpet is just fabulous. Not only did they serve us a delicious tea complete with scones, crumpets, tea sandwiches, and sweets but they treated us like a million bucks. Oh, and the décor? Divine! Bright white tables and chairs with floral tablecloths a la Cath Kidston, lots of etsy art, and a big comfy couch and chairs around the “fireplace” are what we found. But my absolute favorite feature was the chandeliers in giant white shades. I really wanted to fold up the entire place, tuck it in my pocket, and bring it home with me. I did bring home some small pieces of Crown & Crumpet: a cup and saucer complete with a witty tea related comment, a teapot perfectly sized for one, and a few ounces of tea. Splendid.

Oh, but we weren’t done yet! We hopped the bus back to the hotel to change for our night on the town. At Yoshi’s we enjoyed cocktails, a sushi feast, and a caffeine pick me up. It was certainly good but it’s not the reason I’ll be rushing back to San Francisco. We followed up dinner with a live jazz performance by Grupo Fantasma at Yoshi’s intimate little jazz club. (Be aware the club has a one item minimum per person, plus tickets, which caught us off guard as we had just gorged ourselves in their restaurant. We were a little annoyed.) The group was high energy, which was much needed after a long day. They unexpectedly, to me anyway, invited everyone to dance. Too tired for that, it was a great opportunity to people watch; there was some crazy dancing happening on that floor. That alone was worth the price of admission.

It was a very good first day.

Little Chef

When little Miss Lou got her play kitchen two years ago I had to make her an apron and oven mitt. She was very happy to play with the kitchen as is but a sewing auntie couldn’t possibly resist the opportunity to sew for her niece.

Now at nearly 4 years old she’s become quite good at voicing requests of her sewing auntie. With the play kitchen being used less and less in favor of real cooking with Mommy and Nana she decided what she needed was a chef’s hat. Because a little chef who provides running commentary, much like a TV celebrity chef, must be properly attired.

So that’s what she got, a classic chef’s hat. I found a free tutorial that provided the general recipe for construction but was peppered with errors. (I’m laughing at my own remarkable cooking humor as I type this.) Don’t get too steamed. Just eyeball the placement of the velcro and pull out that basting stitch that is not put in a location that would be covered by the band. In the end what you’ll create is perfect in the eyes of a 4 year old. Besides the real goal of this project is to foster their love of cooking. Afterall, food and memories go hand in hand.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Roasted Asparagus and Red Onion Quesadillas
Source: Gourmet

Ingredients: ****
Asparagus is my favorite vegetable. When I saw in my local grocery ad that it was available from somewhere north of the equator I knew I had to find a recipe that prominently featured this green goodness. I chose to forgo the pepper jack in favor of mozzarella. OK, saying I chose to forgo the pepper jack really means I forgot to buy it and had mozzarella on hand.

Preparation: *****
You’re supposed to dirty a whole bunch of pans in all the roasting and broiling but I went with dirtying a single pan. I first roasted the asparagus and removed them to cool. Then I threw the onions on that same pan, roasted them and removed them to cool. A quick wipe down and the pan is ready for broiling. Overall, it’s a really simple recipe to prepare.

Taste: *****
They tasted like spring. I know that might sound like an exaggeration but it’s not. I’m coming from the land where winter has been long and hard. These last few weeks have been especially hard with the spring cravings setting in and refusing to budge. All I want is fresh asparagus, greens, and strawberries. If you’re in a state such as I am I really recommend finding some semi-local asparagus and whipping these up for dinner. And if you are lucky enough to find some spring greens too, that’s even better. It will at least feel like spring in your kitchen even if it’s not spring outside your kitchen window.

Fun facts

It's true; I celebrated a birthday yesterday. In the spirit of giving I thought I'd share a few fun facts about me and my first 32 years.


1. I am the oldest of four.
2. It goes girl-boy-girl-boy.
3. I refused to miss school the day my youngest brother was born.
3. My full first name really is Tory.
4. Although I’ve mistakenly been called Tony and Troy. Yuck!
5. As a child I was a sleepwalker.
6. I was and still am a vivid dreamer.
7. One of the weirdest involved a saxophone playing serial killer at McDonald’s.
8. The most recurring involves tornadoes.
9. I won two spelling bees in elementary school.
10. On the way to a regional competition I threw up all over.
11. I really admire the dedication of runners.
12. I can’t imagine running for exercise.
13. Ironically, I was a distance runner on the high school track team.
14. I don’t really care for white wine.
15. Please make mine red & dry.
16. I don’t text.
17. I don’t even know my cell phone number.
18. I believe ice cream to be a perfectly acceptable dinner.
19. So is cookie dough.
20. I still think about when I grow up.
21. Strangely I’m always taller in those daydreams.
22. My favorite movie in college was Toy Story.
23. Now I can’t remember what I watched two weeks ago.
24. I have very tiny fingers and hands.
25. The same cannot be said of my hips.
26. My favorite sport is men’s college basketball.
27. I am a devout Spartans fan.
28. Thursday is my favorite day of the week.
29. After Dr. Greene died I couldn’t bring myself to watch ER anymore.
30. Now I watch America’s Next Top Model.
31. I love tulips.
32. I hate forsythia.