Kitchen Travels

Travel: 24 Hours in San Francisco

(Actually, it was more like 18 hours.) Last Thursday, I met up with a dear friend of mine who was spending a couple days in San Francisco. Given that we hadn't seen one another in months, and that she had flown more than 20 hours from her current home in Brazil to arrive in California, I wasn't about to miss her visit. My friend, ever the social architect, had planned a "girls' night out." I, ever the social misfit, was happy to take part. Here's a peek into our soiree, along with a few random thoughts from yours truly.

Wordless Wednesday: Signs of Spring

Breakfast in Italy: Gluten-Free Artisan Bread

I know you're supposed to wait until it cools to slice it. I have no willpower when it comes to freshly-baked bread.

Before you get all jealous about my breakfast in Italy, let's be clear: I am most definitely not in Italy at the moment. Nor do I plan to be in Italy, sadly, any time soon.

That is, unless Nike rings me up and asks me to make a movie about what it means to #makeitcount, in which case... I'm there. Hear that, Nike? I'm available. Any time. Just say the word. Nike? Hello?

Buckwheat Pancakes with Caramelized Apples and Orange Syrup {Gluten-Free}

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century. Does anyone else remember PBS's Frontier House? The series documented the experiences of three (modern) families who agreed to move to the Montana Territory for six months, and to live as the 1880s frontier settlers did. I was completely hooked after just one episode. Despite all the hardships, that kind of life holds a strangely powerful appeal to me.

Lately, especially, I've been pining for a simpler life. Not necessarily an easier life (pretty sure I would miss electricity and indoor plumbing), but a simpler one. 

Chewy Granola Bars

If you've been following along for a while, you may have noticed a slight shift in my recipes over the last year. For example, I strive to use organic ingredients as much as possible. I have also made the switch to natural, plant-based food coloring, choosing to avoid artificial food coloring ever since an unsettling blue frosting incident (you don't want to know). Because one of my kids seems to have a strong sensitivity to granulated sugar, I've been experimenting with alternative sweeteners such as honey, brown rice syrup, and maple sugar. 

There are many upsides to adopting a more natural diet. But, as you can imagine, organic foods can sometimes be more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. In my experience, this is especially true when it comes to kid-friendly items like crackers and snacks.

Wordless Wednesday - Valentine's Day Party

Easy, Homemade, Beautiful Burger Buns (with love)

It's Valentine's Day, and most food bloggers have been posting all kinds of sweet and beautiful treats on their blogs for the last few weeks. I know lots of people make a big deal of this "holiday" every year, and for many, expectations are high. There will be chocolate, heart-shaped confections, expensive dinners, champagne... or at least the hope for these things.

Not for me. Valentine's Day doesn't hold any particular magic or allure for me. Don't get me wrong -- I am not one of those people who hates Valentine's Day. It's nice, and the sentiment behind it -- a day dedicated to love -- is, well, lovely.But my husband and I have never been the type of couple who get starry-eyed simply because the calendar says February 14. Maybe it's because he worked in the bar and restaurant industry for so many years. Kind of hard to plan a special date on one of the busiest nights on the year.

Foraging and Roasting Fresh Chestnuts

This is the third in a series of "catchup" posts. xo

Chestnuts! For me, like many Americans, they are woven into the fabric of fall and winter holidays. In a way, we all grew up with chestnuts, or at least the idea of them. Each year when the weather turns cold, we know we'll hear Nat King Cole famously crooning about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. We'll be singing the songs we love to sing, at the fireplace as we watch the chestnuts pop. Pop! Pop! Pop! If we find ourselves in one of New York's five boroughs (or any number of European cities) around the holidays, we might be lucky enough to snag a cone of freshly roasted chestnuts, hot from the corner vendor. 

And if we're fans of those gorgeous holiday magazines - aren't we all? - we'll be reading about chestnuts and dreaming of ways to cook with them. I'd bet money that every single November issue of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine included at least one chestnut recipe. It's a tradition that I sorely miss.

Photography: Visiting the Farmer's Market & Antique Store

I love photography. In fact, making and sharing pictures is one of my favorite things about writing this blog. So you can imagine my excitement when some local business owners, after seeing my blog photos, expressed an interest in hiring me to make photos for their websites. I felt happy and humbled.

One of my potential clients was curious to see how I might photograph things other than food, such as a place, event or object. With that in mind, I set out this past weekend in search of inspiration. I found it at the farmer's market and a local antique store.

Meet-and-Greet with Oliver Ridgeway - Grange's New Executive Chef

This post is the second in a series of "catchup" posts. xo

Remember when I attended the Follow the Chef Lunch at Grange Restaurant & Bar last spring? You could probably tell that I just love that restaurant. When I heard the exective chef was leaving to pursue a new gig, I was pretty bummed so happy for him. Who would take his place? And would the new chef continue Grange's tradition of turning out the local, seasonal food I loved so much?

I got a chance to find out in early December when I was invited, along with a select group of local food bloggers, to participate in a recipe contest. We were asked to develop an original soup recipe, reflective of Grange's menu philosophy, one that would celebrate "the abundant, fresh, and local ingredients the Sacramento area is known for." The entries were to be judged by Grange staff, with the final winner selected by the new Executive Chef, Oliver Ridgeway. To wrap up the contest, Grange hosted an afternoon meet-and-great with Chef Ridgeway, where they announced the winner and gave all the contest participants a chance to sample the Chef's food. We even got to bring a guest. So in addition to spending an hour or two at a great restaurant, I got to have an actual date out with my husband. Yes!