Devouring life, one bite at a time
Okay, we’re going to walk through cleaning fish on the deck, but look out! It’s a little messy. After you let the fish bleed out, cut around the gills and pull them out. Cut down the belly to the anus. Open the belly and …
Last weekend gave me the amazing opportunity to go salmon fishing on my buddy’s boat. That’s been a major one on my list! Here’s the lovely vessel, Overtime, fitting because its owner has spent 500 hours on her in the last year. He can load …
I never dreamed piglets could be even stinkier than adult pigs, but I still have lots to learn if the masters’ patience allows.
This essay by Thomas Keller completely changed my thinking about how we eat and cook meat, and reinforced my deep respect for the labor that goes into each ingredient we consume. Please read before you picket!
If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s because I’ve been too busy having fun with my bestie who came for a visit from Minnesota last week. I’m dogsitting, but the pup, Zero, is so cool we let him join the gang and …
What is it about the woods and creativity? A little fresh air, a night under the stars, and a pen in hand was just the thing I needed this weekend. I took my first trip up to Anderson Valley on my first ever writing retreat …
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| A preparty shot from Daisy |
Meyer lemon finished campagne from Della Fattoria with local cheeses.
Fresh cherries, apricots and raspberries with St. Germain cocktails.
And that was only the beginning of the weekend …
Last weekend I made my first trip to the Asian grocery store in town. It’s time I get away from my Euro-American cooking comfort zone and explore some new terrain. I asked my friend Chuck if she needed me to pick up anything. “Maybe just …
Real women love ribs. And barbecue. And hot sauce. Yesterday I had my first barbecue in far too long for a meat enthusiast to admit. Chuck and I met a couple friends in Calistoga for a luxurious day of mineral pools and hot springs. At …
The culinary highlight was individual picnic baskets, to cut down on dishes. (She thinks of everything!)
Also included were (French Laundry) lemon tarts, fresh fruit, asparagus flatbread, and smoked salmon tartar on cucumber.
Each basket contained: an abalone po’boy sandwich, personally foraged by Daisy’s husband, Trout; a mason jar filled with potato salad (the classy Alice Waters one, not the mayonnaisy kind); a homemade chocolate chip cookie and wrapped caramel; and my special caesar salad (recipe to be revealed soon).
Now that it’s summer, I recommend food that can be served cold. It’s way easier to assemble and you have a little more leeway in serving time. Get an assembly line going for something like sandwiches, and the sides should be one-dish wonders like pasta salad, cous cous, or greens. Make it easier on yourself and invite friends to bring something, or at the very least, wine and apps.
What kind of parties will you be throwing this summer?
A lovely view enjoyed on the night of the Supermoon from a ridge in Forestville. Even from the perspective of a low-end point-and-shoot camera, the wonder of the moon’s luminescence can not be denied. Where did you go to see the lunar phenomenon? Did anyone …