Ode to Our State Bird
Crispy fried lemongrass quail with heirloom tomatoes, silken tofu and young black pepper, courtesy of chef Mark Malicki. It’s okay to be jealous.
Tag: Restaurants
End of Summer Treats
Behold a sassy jalapeño margarita, padrone peppers with pancetta, and an heirloom tomato salad with figs, arugula and feta. Thanks, Healdsburg Bar and Grill! What are your favorite foods to eat during Indian summer?
One Pig Dinner
Last week, I found myself in Healdsburg, at a Montessori school getting CPR and first-aid certified to be exact. “When in Rome,” I thought afterwards, and went to Zin Restaurant, as the locals do. Having worked here just after college and again last year, this is like a second family. So yes, I’m biased.
Wednesday is One Pig Dinner Night featuring one of Tony’s Local “Old Spot and Berkshire” Cross Hogs. And here I thought I was just getting an appetizer. But wait, the bread! I forgot how tangy their homemade super sourdough is. Don’t mind if I do.
I went for the wine pairings, the lovely and local Sanglier Rose and Quivera Zin, both of Sonoma County. And then ate more bread.
The first course came and went- Hard Cider Braised Pork Cheek and Shank on Falls Mill Grits. It was so amazingly delicious that I couldn’t bear to put my fork down to take a picture. But gee whiz, was it something else.
Second course was Smoked Shoulder and Spicy Grilled Loin, with white beans and Eastside Farm swiss chard. I cleaned my plate.
The grand finale was maple pecan bread pudding with candied bacon. I am loving all the bacon in desserts these days! I had it stretched onto long skewers and dipped in chocolate, and then recently as a bacon cupcake. The fatty, salty, smokey flavors just beg for sugar to round them out.
Thanks for a terrific night, Zin!
Props to Santos Anne
During my trip to New York last month, I had a spontaneous lunch with a friend in Williamsburg. We walked into Santos Anne, a new place on Union that popped up in the time I’ve been away. One of my favorite things about New York …
Jucy Lucys
And what exactly is a Jucy Lucy? I’m glad you asked. It’s probably one of the most genius burgers I’ve encountered in a long time, a specialty of the Twin Cities. At Matt’s Bar in Minneapolis, hundreds if not thousands of these juicy gems get …
Cafe in Bushwick
Fish tacos at Haab was one of the best treats while I was in Brooklyn.
Loved the decor, and even though I had a lengthy one-dish meal on my own, no one was rushing me. Quite the opposite! They went out of their way to get me the internet password and rehydrate me with millions of water refills.
Look forward to going back next trip!
A Friend Surprise
This week has been a whirlwind of celebrating birthdays, love, new projects and inspiration. Yesterday, I had my first session of physical therapy. Success! In one five minute exercise of resistance and deep tissue massage, I recovered 10% of lost range of motion in my …
Make Your Own Burger Tuesday
Life can throw you a few curveballs, but if you’re lucky you can knock ’em out of the park. When I ran out of food, the best was meeting up with friends at Stumptown Brewery. The kitchen is closed on Tuesdays. No! You can grill …
Cleaving
What amazes me about reading is when you find that perfect book for that perfect time in your life. Since I’ve been slowly trudging through books ever since I moved here from New York (where commuting gave me over 2 hours a day for reading), it is always incredible to find a book I don’t want to put down and can get through in less than a few weeks.
For me, that book was Cleaving, by Julie Powell. You may remember Powell from the heartwarming Julie and Julia. Well, forget her. Cleaving is the evil twin, the story of a dark time when Powell worked in a butcher shop while she was in a wrenching affair. The parallels she draws between breaking down meat and tumultuous relationships are poetic and relevant. Though dark and ugly, the writing is brutally honest and vulnerable, which takes a lot of guts (did I mention the parallels?). At a time when I couldn’t be more disenchanted by food and love, this was the absolute perfect read. This takes something as rudimentary as butchery or love, and shows the multi-layered complexity through beauty and ugliness.
At last, the part of me that always found butchery to be intriguing is finally understood by another. I am this close to walking into Willowside Meats and asking for a job.
Broin’ Down
It’s time I introduce you to some of my family. I have never been more of a family gal than now. I lived on my own on the other side of the country for five years and since returning to California, have an entirely new …