I was born with what people call a “sunny disposition”. Maybe it’s because I’m an August baby, ushered into the world at the height of summer. Or maybe I’m just wired that way. Though, like anyone, sometimes I get the blues.
With so many inspiring opportunities on the horizon, 2012 promised to start off with a bang and… a sniffle. Yes, a New Year’s Eve cold- one that lingered a bit too long- and two weeks later it was tonsillitis, a sinus infection, and a fever of over 100º. Rest and fluids seemed to do the trick, or so I thought, until last weekend left me with a stomach bug.
I guess my body might be telling me to take a break, be gentle, maybe get away from The City for a weekend and just sit in a hot tub while looking at the redwoods. But until then, there is always jasmine tea, a good book, an extra kiss, an extra blanket, cranking the heater up to 63º, and some homemade vegan rice pudding.
I love this rice pudding for a several reasons.
- 1. I can’t tell if it’s dessert of breakfast; therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to eat it whenever I please
- 2. It is completely culturally confused, part Thai with its sweet sticky rice and coconut milk, part Indian with its cardamom and pistachios, and part European grandmother because all European grandmothers make rice pudding
- 3. It is relatively healthy even though it tastes decadent and totally naughty.
… get the recipe
Sometimes, life is a feast. Last weekend, San Francisco hosted The Good Food Awards on Friday and Saturday. Sunday through Tuesday, The 37th annual Winter Fancy Food Show was in town. I was a very busy and very well-fed girl.
These are my top 20 finds from the Fancy Food Show. In the coming months, I’ll also profile some of the small producers and their foods.
Please note: this list is in no particular order.
SYRUPS
- Mugolio by Primtivizia: This pinecone bud syrup from Italy is foraged by Eleonora Cunacia in the forests of the Dolomites. It is one of the most extraordinary things I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, this syrup is reminiscent of molasses and honey with lovely pine flavor.
- Bourbon Barrel Foods Bourbon and Vanilla Sorghum Syrup: Another syrup makes the list, this one from Kentucky. This sweet sorghum syrup is has only three ingredients, sorghum, Kentucky bourbon, and vanilla from Madagascar. It is earthy and sweet kind of like the fella who makes it.
HONEY PRODUCTS
- Savini Tartufi Miele Al Tartufo Bianco – White Truffle Honey
: The Italians and Californians sort of stole the show this year. I think most of my top 20 come from either place. This truffle honey was one of nearly a half dozen I tried, and it definitely wins. It is dark in color and has large slices of white truffle floating in it. The flavor is rich and sweet and dark- something to get lost
… get the recipe
Today, is a lovely day in California. The sun is shining and it is unseasonably warm. It is also a special day because I am guest posting on one of my favorite blogs, Kitchen Corners. If you don’t know Da, I’d like to tell you a bit about her. She is warm and kind and generous, she makes beautiful food, and even more beautiful babies. She is from Brazil, lived in the states for many years, but recently moved back to Bahia, Brazil for a year.
Da has the best taste in design and kitchen tools, and guest bloggers. No, not just me! Head over to check out her 31 Days of Salad. I’ve contributed a Radish & Purple Potato Salad with Lemon & Mustard Vinaigrette, but there are already 8 days of salads I’m dying to try, I’m sure you’ll love them too!
When I was a little girl, our local grocery store was Petrini’s. Frank Petrini was the owner of the chain of stores that opened in San Francisco in the 30’s, and I wonder if people like Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite know just how much Frank paved the way. I remember being able to get a several kinds of pâté at the deli and oh, the salumi! There were fresh baguettes, and the butchers cut your steaks. Frank is said to have selected the cows for all of his beef, himself.
One of the things I remember most about Petrini’s is the zabaglione ice cream. My parents absolutely loved the stuff, and I really wanted to like it because it was ice cream AND it started with a Z, but I could only get a bite or two down. Usually, when my parents would get it, I would beg for the spumoni ice cream, which sat right next to it in the freezer.
Petrini’s was owned as a family market until 1996. Now, Mollie Stones a generically upscale market sits in it’s place in my home town. I can’t remember the last time I had zabaglione ice cream, and I the last time I ate actual zabaglione was years ago at an Italian American joint by the ubiquitous name of Big Joe’s on an awesomely cheesy date with my hubby.
Needless to say, I was thrilled to see that Christianna of Burwell General Store had selected zabaglione the recipe for … get the recipe
While some folks are rushing out of the gates into 2012 with guns blazing, I must admit, I’m sauntering in rather slowly. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’ve been down with a flu bug since the 31st. No champagne or glitter for this glamour puss on New Year’s Eve, just a sofa, a blanket, a Ruby dog, and a big box of tissues.
Chances are, it’s not just the sniffles and the cough. January, if you ask me, it’s an amblin’ month. Why, I was just going a mile a minute during the holidays, and now this new year expects me to rise and shine and greet it with boundless energy? No, I think January feels like a good time to rest a little, to recoup, and to set intentions for the upcoming year.
I realize though, that resting, recouping, and intention-setting, can’t take complete precedence in life; a girl (and her hubby) must eat. This week has been filled with simple-to-prepare, comfort foods. The simplest among them are these roasted root veggies with herb oil and super-secret dipping sauce. Which, I suppose will not be a secret for very long.
You can use any root veggies you like, I used a combination of carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, onions, and a whole head of garlic. Virtually any veggies will work. The key here is to cut them relatively uniformly, and do not crowd them in the pan. I spread mine out over four pans; you want … get the recipe
Soon, it will be 2012. I’m savoring the last moments with my Christmas decorations and the quiet calm in the house as the tiny lights blink on and off. As I take stock, it is truly hard to believe all of the things that transpired over that last 365 days.
Through this blog in 2011, I learned so much about myself, about community, and about how to cook, write, and photograph. I learned that when I feel the need to make a change in the world, anything is possible if I reach out and ask. I learned that if I have a question, someone, or many someones will be right there to answer it. I learned that the best feeling in the world is when people tell you that your recipes are easy to follow and make them feel successful in the kitchen. I learned to make amazing pie crust and how to ditch my fear of poaching eggs. I learned that I am never done editing. I learned to say “no thank you” even when the opportunities sound really enticing, but are wrong for me. I learned to say yes, even when they big and scary, but are right. I learned that everyone loves cassoulet. I learned that the friendships I have formed through my blog, on Twitter, and at conferences are meaningful and real and make my life richer. I also learned to make sure that the immersion blender is totally unplugged.
Who can say … get the recipe
It wouldn’t be exactly true to say that I woke up to rain. Still, a heavy blanket of fog swaddled our little yellow house on the hill, and the ground was wet enough that I can imagine it may have rained overnight.
Bundled up in my red winter coat, I leashed up the pooch and went for a long walk in McLaren Park. Despite what folks say, we do have seasons in California.
Sometimes, we live with evidence of all of them at once. Just today, as Ruby and I tromped through mud and autumnal fallen yellow leaves, I also bathed in the smell of winter’s piney conifers. These firs, lush yet strangely expectant, as if they’re just waiting to be strung with shiny glass balls.
Just a short way down the path, I was surprised to find evidence of the first blackberry blossoms, a reminder that summer will come and provide mounds of juicy berries- rife for the foraging.
I found pink cottage roses wet with dew, spiders spinning sparkly webs, dazzlingly-bright yellow flowers, shy mushrooms peeking from beneath blades of grass, and nasturtiums- from whom I stole a sip of spicy nectar. When I left the cover of the tress and came upon a grassy playground, robins sang while hunting for fat little worms.
You see all the seasons, right there before me.
As we neared the end of our walk, a few raindrops fell. Tucking my camera into my coat and quickening my pace, I looked forward … get the recipe
I love the holidays. I like it when the air gets crisp. I love the tinsel and the flashing of Christmas lights behind drawn curtains as I walk the dog at night. I even love Christmas music.
I grew up in a family that made a big deal of the holidays. We had HUGE parties with lots of people- we hired a Santa at Christmas & an Easter Bunny when his time came around. Everyone was invited. While the fun and the chaos were always exciting, these parties were not my favorite part of the holidays. Christmas Day held gifts and a lovely family meal at my aunt’s stunning home in Napa. Still, this was not my favorite day of the season. It was always Christmas Eve when our closest family friends, The DeBonos, would come over for fondue.
I’ve known the DeBonos since I was five years old. The best thing about Christmas Eve was that nobody had to get gussied up, we didn’t have to be on our best behavior, and we always laughed until our faces hurt. Forget leaving pretenses at the front door, we could just pack them away in a box.
Much of my immediate family is gone now; it’s really just my brother and I. We’ve worked hard to build a family around us; people like (to mention a few) The DeBonos, our friends The Olivas, The Smiths, The Other Smiths, Miss Jackson, The Mackins, The Sloane-Frenches, The Jennings, Mr. Largo, Ms. Banana, and … get the recipe
