July 9th, 2012
Quaint, storybook, picturesque. All words used to describe Carmel, a town along a one-mile stretch of sandy beach on the Monterey Peninsula. It attracts antiquers, artists and dog lovers. All the homes are cute little cottages and I imagine myself renting one and spending a quiet weekend baking, photographing, blogging and leaving just for meals. The restaurants fit in with the cuteness of the town and my favorite spot is La Bicyclette. I tried it out for the first time over the Fourth of the July and between the atmosphere and the food, I can’t think of any place more inviting and delicious.
It has a European vibe and reminds me of sitting in a cozy cafe in Paris. The one in particular that comes to mind is Le Breizh Café in the Marais district that serves the best galettes. I just love the simplicity and non-fussiness of the space with the rustic wooden tables and chalkboard menus.
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August 11th, 2011
Of all the desserts I’ve tasted I’ve never actually explored wheat or gluten free sweets, until this past weekend. I was at the farmer’s market on an empty stomach so naturally baked goods were all the more appealing. That is when I discovered FlourChylde, a bakery based in Marin County. Aside from their beautiful occasion cakes, they bring treats to farmers markets around the Bay Area.
Vanilla Bean Cake with Raspberries- I had a sample of this and was hooked. It was incredibly moist and fluffy, a really fine crumb, which must come from the type of flour used. The sweetness from the vanilla bean was a nice contrast to the raspberries.
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February 28th, 2011
Dusty brown mound of yummy goodness. Bay Area’s See’s Candies sells this “sweet” potato every St. Patrick’s Day, which means I wait an entire year just to have it.
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January 11th, 2011
This past winter I celebrated my birthday at Bay Area’s Alexander’s Steakhouse. In October they opened a location in San Francisco to expand upon their successful Silicon Valley location. That same month the restaurant received its first Michelin star which they deserve for their great food and outstanding service.
My bonus birthday treat, a classic chocolate cake
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June 22nd, 2010
I really get in the mood for summer as soon as berries show up at the farmer’s market. Of course those berries don’t just magically appear all neatly packed into those square cartons. Someone has to pick them. I decided to experience what it would be like to do it myself.
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January 21st, 2010
Over the holidays I had brunch at Dottie’s True Blue Cafe in San Francisco. The extra exposure from being featured on Guy Fieri’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives didn’t help with the wait unfortunately. The cafe has about 10 tables and as expected a line forms even before it’s open. I got there around 10:30 and waited 1 hour and 20 minutes. Not fun. The wait time is hard to estimate because by the time I got to the front of the line, there were only a few people behind me.
The light fixtures of tea kettles and coffee pots are unique and really add to the charm of the place.
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November 13th, 2009
What a season for the Cal Bears. Even though it hasn’t turned out as we had hoped, that wasn’t stopping me from my cupcakes. It would have been fun to make roses for Rose Bowl, but there is always next year. Instead of celebratory cupcakes these can be pick-me-up cupcakes. Three games left. GO BEARS!
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October 8th, 2009
On Top Chef yesterday, the chefs had to prepare a family style dinner for chefs from Macy’s Culinary Council. Tyler Florence was one of five who represented and was also the guest judge. It reminded me of a cooking demo he did at Macy’s last fall. I watched Food 911 and Tyler’s Ultimate occasionally but after getting to see his personality and taste his cooking, (the latter definitely was a plus) I really became a fan. Coincidentally the demo and Q&A had a lot to do with home meals and preparing things for the holidays. Below are pictures and recipes that he made.
Full house in Macy’s home section. Tyler late because of traffic from Napa. It’s okay he made up for it by staying for 2-3 hours for the demo and signing.
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