happy new year!

we're going to be pretty low key this year but i can't wait to have my first new year's kiss. 2010 has been a big year with my graduation and a wedding and a big new beginning together here in San Francisco. there is alot to celebrate.

first christmas

well the holidays are in full swing around here. we've had a christmas party with a bunch of our friends from around the bay. it was so good to have so many people we love in one place. i made this incredible dip. i doubled the recipe, but i could have quadrupled it i think and still wouldn't have had any left. Today we went ice skating on the Embarcadero, we've made a few holiday hot drinks, and started our christmas shopping. i'm not sure how much i'll be posting after we leave thursday so i might just plan on starting again in the new year. but i'll leave you with these two christmas mixes. they are filled with songs both old and new, that have put me fully in the spirit. we can't wait to share that with our families over the next two weeks!

snowflakes

via bugs and fishes
though we don't have snow here in san francisco we are feeling very christmas-y. due in large part to making paper snowflakes for our studio. jacob found this instructional about how to cut six point ones and now we can't get enough. its fun and very easy. we feel crafty and we're getting pretty detailed, it's true how unique they all are. now we have to figure out how to get them to hang from the ceiling.

friends & food

our lives have changed for the better over this past month and this week really showed that difference as we ate out with two different couple friends. we've felt reclusive lately due to our busy schedules and tendency to enjoy reading at home, aka we're nerds. so it was wonderful to be introduced to two new places, fried chicken at Hard Knox Cafe in the dogpatch and souffle pancakes, incredible!, at Bette's Diner in Berkeley. and interact with unique, fun individuals. we can't wait to hang out again soon!

christmas tree, oh christmas tree...

we found our tree. its tiny and sweet and perfect. it fills our home with piney needle smell. time to put on the christmas music!

butternut squash soup with a hint of apple

via food52.com

my first encounter with butternut squash soup occurred at the urban standard during college. it was lovely, sweet and savory with a drizzle of sour cream on top. but since cooking butternut squash for the first time this year, i have stayed away from similar recipes knowing that it would not be the same, and i would only hold it to a now impossible standard. but then i received this recipe in my email from food52 and couldn't resist. it has apple cider for the sweet and sour cream for the savory and was very simple. its delicious but i would suggest doubling it, as i did, because it did not make as much as i expected, though it says it serves four. doubled it served three with maybe one bowl left over and we each had cheese toast as well. i used sparkling cider instead of plain, and i'm not sure if that's why the apple flavor was a bit overwhelming, or if i just like it a bit savory than most. either way next time i'm going to cut back a little and use plain not sparkling, adding more to taste later if necessary. also, i did not think there was enough chicken broth so i added more and i just know looked at her step by step picture instructions and she warns that it looks like it won't be enough but it is, so next time i'll put in the smaller amount. let me know what you think.
as it was it warmed us up and made the winter evening a little brighter.

six months

we've been married six months. thats longer than we officially dated. yeah, we know. we're crazy.
its been a wonderful six months, and stretched us both. i know i couldn't have imagined anything better. all the good and bad wrapped together. i am so grateful for everything we've shared so far and what we have ahead. we celebrated on friday at pizzeria delfina. we rode our tandem, and then pushed our tandem, up filmore but it was definitely worth the effort to fly back down later. we stopped in browser books and wandered a bit before sitting at their bar. it was fun and cozy and i enjoy seeing everything go on. the pizza crust was some of the best we've had, crunchy, crisp and flavorful, but the meatballs were incredible. soft and juicy with a unique sauce. topped off with homemade gelato, it was perfection. i'm so glad i got to celebrate with him.

amy

it was so good to have amy with us over the holiday. we had a great time eating at dynamo donuts, they had both coconut and apple, maple, and bacon flavors. my two favorites. we checked out sightglass, an incredible cafe that was started by guys who worked at blue bottle, but they definitely took it up a few notches. the coffee was incredible, i'd never tried chemex made coffee before, it was very bold and flavorful. we stopped by the farmer's market to pick up some food for the week and found some of my favorite flowers ranuncules. it was wonderful. we made stuffed peppers from this recipe, which we loved and you should try. amy is such fun to be around from taking walks to reading harry potter and waiting for the turkey to cook, it was great to catch up and feel that a bit of our families was with us over the holiday. we can't wait to be home in a couple of weeks!

holidays

thanksgiving was lovely.



i loved decorating our little studio.



the turkey was very tasty.


we cooked all day and took a couple of walks and had wonderful company. i even got to skype with my family! i just always wish there was more.you should definitely try this recipe for sweet potatoes.
what a great beginning to the holidays.

thanksgiving

the rush of holidays is about to begin and i can't wait. but i'm very grateful to sit down and start the holidays right with thanksgiving. while we can't be with our families this year, which makes me sad because its the best holiday in the mosley household, Amy, jacob's sister has joined us and we're doing it out right with turkey and sides and friends from jacob's work. i'm brining the turkey now, so finger's crossed its tasty. it apparently roamed around with other turkeys and got pretty good food so it better. i have a lot to update about since we've done some exploring with amy but i'll wait till after the holiday to do so. i'd love to hear what your thankful for, i know it's cheesy but since you can't all be around my table i'd love for you to share here. happy thanksgiving!

a foray into dried beans

ive heard they're better but its been hard to convince me that soaking and boiling are worth my time. but i bought some white beans and tried it last week to make this hearty minestrone soup and it was a feat i'll repeat again. it lasted a while even though it said it only made four servings, and it tricked me as well because the cook book, food and wine 2010, had two recipes for minestrone soup one with a picture and one without, and while i thought i was making the one in the picture i soon realized that it was actually the one without. obviously this soup and i were fated to come together and i am very glad we did.

1 1/4 cup dried white beans, i used cannelli
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 oz pancetta, finely diced
2 medium shallots, i left this out
2 large celery ribs, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and diced, i'd never used a fennel bulb but it smelled like licorce and was a nice addition
1/2 teaspoon crused red pepper
2 bay leaves, i also left this out , i don't understand why you put something in only to take it out, i just don't feel it must be very necessary, but i should give it a try one of these days
2 tblsp tomato paste
1 14 oz can plum tomatoes, juices reserved
1 qt low-sodium chicken broth, i used half this amount maybe, and substituted water
salt and pepper

in a large pot, cover the beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender about two hours, add water as necessary to keep the beans covered. ( i soaked them for longer so i only boiled them for 1 hour)

meanwhile, in another large pot ( i hate using another pot so i did the beans before and then put them in the bowl they'd soaked in and used the original pot for the next steps)heat 2 tblsp of the olive oil. add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crip, about four minutes. add the shallots, celery, onion, carrot and fennel and cook, stirring occassionally until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. add the garlic, crused red pepper and bay leaves and cook, stirring until fragrant about two minutes. add the tomato paste and cook. stirring, until it sticks to the bottom of the pot, about two minutes. stir in the plum tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil. simmer over low heat until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is flavorful, about 1 hour. add the beans and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to thin out the soup. discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. now that the weather is changing its the perfect winter soup.

SFMOMA

its been way to long since i've visited the modern art museum here. about three years to be exact and the other day at work a woman who works there gave me a free pass. so when jacob said he wanted to see the henri cartier-bresson exhibit i knew we had to go. it was a beautiful exhibit. as you know, i love photography and henri is a brilliant example of the capturing of life that photography allows. he often used a small leica camera to be discreet and was not afraid to take shots of the mundane or emotional. he traveled the world during such an influential time, he captured the great depression, wwii, ghandi, mexico, indonesia, africa, china and developed the art of photojournalism. i was very empowered to continue to look for unique ways to frame and compose a photo as well as the importance of taking photos of people. the skill of setting people at ease is not gained easily but is something i need to master. we finished off the day with cake and coffee at their rooftop blue bottle coffee bar. it was very inspiring.

my butternut squash addiction continues

i love smitten kitchen. i've said this many a time in know but i can't get enough of her recipes accompanied by her candor and humor. not to mention that she's been blogging for awhile now so she has many different variations of key ingredients, such as butternut squash. this is one such recipe. delicious, savory and sweet. the perfect combination without being a typical soup. it was a bit complicated but worth the time as she states in her description.

here's my input on an already perfect recipe. i substituted gruyere cheese for fontina and would suggest that you try the orginal, while gruyere was good, fontina might add more flavor, i just had some on hand already.

and then we get to the pie crust. i've tried a few different pie crusts lately but this was perfect for savory items, with the lemon and sour cream it fits wonderfully and is worth the effort. though i did skip some of the more mundane steps, i do keep my flour in the freezer, which helped things along.

my biggest pet peeve with recipes lately though is serving size. many online don't have them at all or i feel that they are very arbitrary. who sets serving sizes anyway? for example this says it serves 6, jacob and i ate it for two meals and he ate accompanying food as well, and my stomach's a little weird so i didn't eat as much as usual. i think it would serve three maybe with a salad or sausage as the case may be. There should atleast be a differentiation like, for dinner this serves two but as a side you can easily serve six, or 1 hungry man but 3 girls at lunch. atleast the arbitrariness of this would be identified and i think it would relieve a lot of frustration.

brandi

charlie is feeling a bit better and has very much appreciated the care he's received from my family and others. this photo is an example of that. from jacob's family beagle to mine. thanks furrs!

sparks

i've joined a group that encourages each other to take risks to make themselves a better person or the world a better place. i have felt strongly about the importance of where food comes from and how for awhile. it became most evident since reading animal, vegetable, miracle by barbara kingsolver in my contemporary biology class.

but i've been a coward about acting on the conviction. i don't want to spend too much, i don't want to go out of my way and i definitely don't want to be a problem or make other people uncomfortable. but i can no longer push away the inevitability of taking action. i have to act on the knowledge i have and not live in ignorance of the system in place. its daunting sure, but i want to make known that i don't like how animals are treated in our factory farming system, nor do i deserve to pay only pennies for the food that fuels my body. its a luxury to have access to ethically raised, organic food yes, but its also a luxury to shop around and buy the cheapest food possible. i don't want to be apart of this system of food anymore and i want to make other options more available by talking about it here, not too much i hope, don't worry, and asking for it in stores. this is definitely outside of my comfort zone and already at a store today my wallet gasped in horror at the prices of well tended food but i'm beginning to think that that's my false assumptions about food not the overpriced butcher's fault and talking about it is a step in the right direction. we'll see where this risk takes me.

charlie

{not actually my dog but looks very similar}
charlie is my dog at home in texas. he is a very good dog, we got him as a puppy and he loves to run out side and be petted as he sits in a chair next to you. his favorite thing is a good walk though, but last night he was attacked with my dad, who's okay, on their normal walk around the block. he's out of surgery now but they went through a lot. i miss them both and am very sad i can't be there during this terrible time. things like this make the distance seem even farther. i'm just glad my dad was there to take care of him. please be praying for my family as he's recovering.

comitted

this year has been full of thoughts and discussions about marriage naturally since i got married in may. why do we do it? why are there so many rules around it? what does a good marriage look like? how do i make sure mine works? i finally read this book and feel much more sane about my qualms about yet need to be married. she sheds a historical, philosophical and of course humorous light on our practice of marriage and its place in our life.

cheesy bread

this week has been out of the ordinary since the family i work for has been out of town. we've had a little more free time in the evenings but varied constraints throughout the day, and the dogs sleep with us. enough said. but its been feeling like fall, and we've spent some time in the east bay where some of the trees are actually changing color, and had good times with friends old and new. my soup this week was butternut squash, it was very savory, almost to much since i adjusted the spices for dried and overcompensated i think, as in i dumped in what looked right and so i'd just stick to her measurements if at all possible. it was a good twist on a normally sweeter soup. we didn't try the croutons but i did make this recipe for gruyere cheese, pull apart bread. here's the recipe from food and wine 2010:

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cube 1 stick
1 lg onion, finely chopped, i probably did about a 1/4 of the onion which wasn't quite enough but still really flavorful, i might suggest trying 1/2 an onion
1 tblsp poppy seeds
kosher salt and pepper
3 onces Gruyere cheese, coarsely shredded, {1 cup}
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

preheat the oven to 425. butter a 9 by 4 1/2 inch metal loaf pan. In a large skillet, melt the 1/2 stick of uncubed butter, pour two tbls of the melted butter into a small bowl and reserve. add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat. stirring occassionally, until its softened, about 8 minutes. stir in the poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper. scrape the onion mixture onto a plate and refrigerate for 5 minutes, until cooled slightly, then stir in the coarsely shredded gruyere cheese.

meanwhile in a food processor, or i just used a fork and then my hands, pulse the 2 cups o flour with the baking powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. add the stick of cubed butter and pulse until the butter cubes are the size of small peas. add the buttermilk and pulse 5 or 6 times, just until a soft dough forms.

this is the tricky part guys.....turn the dough out onto well- floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. pat or roll the dough into a 2 by 24 inch rectangle. spread the onion mixture on top of the bread. cut the dough crosswise, in as close to the same width strips as possible. mine weren't and began to wobble in the next step. stack 9 pieces onion side up then top with the final piece onion side down, after about the 5th piece it began to wobble, so i put it in the loaf pan sideways and added the other pieces side by side. carefully lay the stack in the prepared loaf pan and brush the top with the reserved melted butter.

bake the loaf in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until it is golden and risen. let the bread cool for atleast 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.


this was amazing, super filling and perfect with the soup, worth the time for sure. especially if you don't have a dog in the house and leave it on the counter. you fill in the gaps.

and i must credit jacob's amazing skills as dishwasher to make this kitchen possible.

i'd love to hear anyone else's twist on their favorite soup...

lake tahoe

our vacation wiped me out apparently, i've been very busy since coming back and haven't gotten to sit down and write anything yet. we had a lovely time. it was breathtaking to be up in the mountains, in the crisp, cold air. we so appreciated getting to run an errand for the family i work for. we hiked around and marveled at the lake. its truly amazing, none of my photos captured it so i'm leaving you with a photo we took on a hike by their house. it was so nice to just absorb some of the quiet and the colors of fall.

happy halloween!

we love celebrating around here and holidays are the perfect excuse to go all out.

we went to a pumpkin patch on thursday and found the perfect one. if only we could fit him in our studio. we then walked to tennessee valley beach. it was a beautiful fall, for norcal, day. cool, but not windy and just a bit damp.

we carved our jack o lantern that night and are now officially ready for the big, day. now we just need some candy.

julie and julia

i read this book in approximately two days last week. it was amazing. i love female memoirs and she is hilarious and honest and of course a good eater. i am now slightly obsessed with julia child as well. i have a few videos of her cooking and learned how to cut an onion finally. what julie seemed to learn and what i took away is julia's joy for life and desire to share that with others through food.

fall photos

here are my most recent holgas. my current processor keeps saying that i need to buy a glass lensed camera. thank you, the point is not for them to be crisp. i like my holga! i don't think he gets it. i think they have a very fallish feeling to them.

this is my first try at a double exposure. interesting but not obvious.

the indoor ones are much darker than the actual light in the room. i think i need to hold the shutter down a little longer. i also have no idea how the candle got in this picture but i really like the affect.
*jacob reminded me when he saw this picture that we went to a cafe and i took a picture at the table, i must not have advanced the film. it worked out very well though i think.

this is volksy's engine. i think its very artistic.

if you have any clues for other film developers or access to a dark room let me know.

fall food

via smitten kitchen
fall cooking is apparently my favorite. the soup goal is going pretty well. black bean improved over time and was very filling and julia child's potato leek was delish but i like a little more flavor personally. i think i might try butternut squash soup next week. i did pick up a butternut squash at the farmer's market on sunday but wanted to go a different route than soup this week. i found a warm salad with tahini sauce and chickpeas recipe from smitten kitchen who got it from another wonderful food blogger orangette and was sold. its amazing, warm but cheery and bright, yet light as well. the perfect autumn dish.

rangers vs. giants

this is going to be a rough week in san francisco for the furrs. we both have fond memories of texas rangers baseball, me of wandering the stadium with my bff kimberly and he of rooting for them as a kid when nolan ryan was king. but the rangers have never before made it to the world series. they pulled it off beautifully this year though. did you see our pitcher? and are now competing against the giants here in san francisco. if any of you would let jacob watch the game with you on skype i know he would appreciate the company of like minded fans. while we wanted to watch it on the bay in kayaks, there's a splash zone and you can watch on the big screen, we'll hopefully get to watch it upstairs at my work at the least.
go rangers!

gamine

via gamine's photos
i've mentioned gamine before as my dad and i went there for valentine's day. it was delicious and they had pork chops so i knew jacob and i would return. this occurred spontaneously at the suggestion of jacob on wednesday. it was just as wonderful as i remembered. its small, and warm and cozy and very french. its near our studio so we rode our bikes even though we got all dressed up. we looked very good, jacob even wore his tie. i love date night. i tried the french onion soup, a revelation, i am going to attempt this soon. and jacob got the grilled pork chops. they were juicy and tasty on top of brussel sprouts which we bravely tried and loved. what mustard sauce can do....we topped it off with creme brulee, and a crepe suizette, the thing was on fire. it was a beautiful night. i can't believe its been 5 months, tomorrow.i think i can keep this up.

lunch dish

photo via 3191 miles apart
i began a quest this week fueled by the desire to make more accessible lunches and expand the options from sandwiches, combined with a new empanada fixation from work and this quick lunch option here, topped off with a desire to make nigella lawson's lunch dish for some time. culminated in a delicious savory lunch turnover that i want to share for many reasons. not only because its amazing but because this is the third pie crust i've made in the past two weeks and its my favorite,i can imagine it with most anything, its perfectly flaky and it has cream cheese in it,yum, and you have no need for ice water or cold butter or any of the other persnickity crust issues that force you to the store to buy it in a box.

Cream Cheese Pastry
8 tablespoons (1 stick unsalted butter) at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup half and half
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

*i would double this next time because i only made four turnovers and had extra filling. and i would suggest throwing some grated cheddar in it and seeing what happens i think it would be an extra kick that would put this dish over the edge.

Mix butter, cream cheese and cream to thoroughly combine. Add flour and salt and mix until combined and a ball forms. Divide the dough into two disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

lunch dish
2-3 (about 12 oz) tomatoes, or same amount of drained, chopped or canned ones
2 small onions
2 eggs hard boiled
4 ounces pitted black olives
2 tablespoons olive oil, not extra virgin
9 ounces ground beef
fat pinch all spice, (i used cinnamon and nutmeg, probably a bit too much cinnamon but it was still varied)
salt and pepper
{i'm thinking about adding a few chopped red bell pepper and maybe some ground chipotle pepper because it was a bit too even keeled for us around here }
serves 6
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut an x in the bottom of your tomatoes, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle and leave for 5 min. drain, run under the cold tap and the skin comes right off,thanks smitten kitchen, cut into quarters and remove seeds and chop roughly. peel and chop the onions, hard boiled egg and olives too.

in a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. cook the chopped onions until softened and beginning to color, turning the flame down to low if they look as if they're sticking. turn the heat back to medium and add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring a minute or so before adding the beef. stir well, breaking up the clumps of meat with wodden spoon as you go, then, when the meat's browned, stir in the chopped eggs and olives and season with the allspice salt and pepper. cook over gentle heat for about 20 minutes, stirring.

remove pastry from fridge and roll out thinly. cut into 5 inch diamater circles. i used the top of a bowl for a guide. place filling in center and fold over pinching into a half circle, turnover shape. place on baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes.

wrap and freeze for a quick lunch on the go or we enjoyed them with roasted potatoes last night.

red door cafe

via
on the way home from church down busy franklin street i've seen an interesting cafe on a side street. it has a red door and there's always people outside but i've never stopped. jacob made sure we changed that on sunday. we waited outside in the cold and rain but the looks of the food inside and the warm coffee in our hands made it worth it. it was incredible. i've had a lot of french toast people but this was unique with the perfect amount of cinnamon, nuts and egginess. and the presentation was very fun in their warm, eclectic atmosphere. but the best part was jacob's cuban, the amazing flavors came together with pesto in the salsa. it was perfect. i love sunday brunch

san francisco is pretty

we just found this video through npr's picture show blog. its one of our favorites and this shows vividly why i have fallen in love with this city. enjoy!

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

beef stew with blue cheese

in the same vein as the carrot and sweet potato soup, aided again by sunset magazine
{the recipe is actually submitted by one of my favorite food bloggers molly watson}.
i made beef stew with blue cheese and chives to help with jacob's GRE this past week.
{he aced it by the way and i think we all know why....}
i've been disappointed with stew before, tender meat but flavorless broth, not so with this one. i think its the full bottle of wine, but maybe its the blue cheese, you be the judge.

*i halved the recipe so it serves four technically but after we ate the first batch we were low on broth so i simmered it with leftover chicken stock, approximately a cup, for the second meal.


about 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1.7 lbs of beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2 in pieces
2 slices hardwood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
about 1 tsp salt
1/8 cup flour
1/2 tbsp. paprika, it suggests smoked Spanish paprika but this did not come with my spice kit and the plain paprika was great
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 bottle (750 ml ) dry red wine, we bought ours for 2 bucks at trader joe's but i'm sure the better wine the tastier, and of course because it cooks for over an hour the alcohol content is neglible
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4s or smaller, they suggest large pieces but some of our potatoes did not cook all the way through initially
1/2 lb baby carrots cut into rounds
1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup or more crumbled blue cheese
pepper
1/8 cup minced chives or green onions

* its especially important to have all your spices etc measured out before beginning because the pan gets hot and everything starts to move fast or else burn and i was scrambling, just a tip.

Heat a 3-4 qt oven proof pan over medium-high heat. add 1/2 tbsp oil. when its hot, brown a fifth to a quarter of beef at a time, turning meat and adding remaining oil as needed, about 5 min per side, and adjusting heat so meat sizzles but doesn't burn. transfer meat to a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. add bacon to pan and cook until fat renders{ don't know what that means, it got soft for me } and starts to brown. with a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl with beef. add onions to pan and stir in 1/2 tsp salt. cook, stirring until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. transfer onions to bowl with beef. add flour to pan and cook, stirring until it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. add paprika and chipotle; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

add wine and increase heat to high. scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. add reserved beef, bacon and onions. bring mixture to a boil. cover and bake until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

return pot to stove. {this is where my oven proof pan was not big enough and jacob transferred it to larger pot} add potatoes and bring to a boil. add carrots and return to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer. cook, uncovered, until veggies are tender, 30 minutes. stir in butter and salt to taste {now that i'm reading this i don't think we did that, but i bet it would be good} serve hot, topped with blue cheese, a few grinds of pepper, and chives.

boot coffee

jacob roasted 3* lbs of coffee this week at boot coffee consulting. it was pretty awesome. we ate some pie and chatted with jodi and i had a kinda epiphany. we'll see where it goes but i feel i have a little more direction now.

edit: make that 36 lbs of coffee. i was apparently too busy talking.

the brothers bloom

i don't know how i missed this movie but jacob and i just rented it this week and it was perfect. the story of two con men and their eccentric mark. the movie reveals the importance of the story your life tells with lots of laughs and an incredible 1920s feel.

not to mention that i pick movies by the actors that are in it, i mean rachel weisz, adrien brody and mark ruffalo, it had to be good

apple pie with gruyere cheese crust

ever since pushing daisies,the beautiful yet dark tv show about love and pie, came out a couple of years ago, i have wanted to try the pie man's apple pie with gruyere cheese in the crust. as its fall and i'm baking more now i decided to attempt it at last. when i googled this pie a blogger had fortunately already come up with the recipe.
it was amazing. i love anything sweet and savory and this hit the spot. in the future i would slice my apples up thinner, i used a corer and slicer tool, and i used Golden Delicious but really want to try some of the varieties she mentions. also i need a pastry brush because when i poured the egg over the pie crust it fell off the sides and made an overall mess. but a delicious mess in the end, one you should definitely try.

craziness

this week has been a bit crazy with fleet week people taking all our parking and jets zooming overhead and a guy in a golf cart hitting our tandem bike and working more than usual but san francisco redeemed itself somewhat with lit crawl, where we heard readings about the antique object in the very quaint store gypsy honeymoon,


to the miraculous return of my wallet. it apparently fell out of my purse when i was walking home last night, which i didn't realize until our doorbell rang and two guys returned it from the sidewalk with everything in tact. amazing.
i'm just glad i have today off from work to recover from this week. happy columbus day!

carrot and sweet potato soup

i decided that since its fall i'm going to make soup. not the think weak stuff you get off a can but real, hearty, put in the freezer to eat later when you don't have a lot of time and its raining soup. this decision was accompanied by the delivery of a hand me down sunset magazine. in it was a section of soups. so i gave creamy carrot and sweet potato soup a go. it was delicious and very satisfying. i halved it since i didn't want to end up with alot of extra inedible good but i'm giving you the full recipe here, for 5 or 6 servings and i'm going to double it next time for more enjoyment. try it out:

2 tbs butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp each cinnnamon and nutmeg, {i didn't have nutmeg but it was delicious with just cinnamon}
4 3/4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds
{i technically bought yams but i am still not sure the difference, i just want to be clear, if anyone else can enlighten me please do}
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped carrots about 1 lb
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Melt 1 tbsp butter ina 5-6 qt pan over medium heat. add onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. add cinnamon and nutmeg and cook, stirring 1 min. move onion mixture to side of pan and add remaining 2 tbsp butter to open space. increase heat to medium-high and cook until butter begins to brown, about 1 minute. add sweet potatoes, 31/2 cups water, the broth, and carrots. cover pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.

puree half of soup at a time in a blender with center piece of blender lid removed to allow steam ot escape and a towel draped over lid opening to avoid splatters. {though complicated sounding, it worked perfectly} pour soup into a large bowl and stir in half and half, salt and pepper. ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and parsley. enjoy!

save blue like jazz

check out their website and donate to get blue like jazz to production. many people i know including myself were deeply affected by this book and i think that it has alot of potential as a film.

cafe divine

i feel that i am not doing you people who live in sf justice, i did start this blog mostly to share fun things to do in the city and now i seem to only tell you fun things i do after they're accomplished but there are so many more things to do in the city then that shows. so as a hump day pick me up i am introducing you to cafe divine. its in north beach, right off washington square park. its very cozy and quaint. they have music five nights a week, including a first and third monday accordion night. we tried to go after seeing amelie but it closed at ten, the only bummer. we haven't made it back yet but now that i know they have waffles topped with bacon it won't be long. enjoy!

A General Theory of Love

i loved this book. it explained the biology behind love and how emotions are developed. the way the brain developed and reacts now is so intriguing. her argument for love rang true and while it feels sad that the author must explain that love needs time and is essential to human life. its also important sometimes to hear the simple truths and i believe its insights will inform my future interactions.

blog crisis

my blog posts have dropped off a bit and i think i'm having a bit of an existential crisis, if anything to do with blogs can be called that, in regards to why i blog.
is it to log and share my life with people around me? is it to meet new people? is it to have a million followers? is it to showcase my writing style/personality for future employers? is it to try and get sponsors and make money? is it *gasp* to make me seem cool?
so since i am not really certain i don't really know what to write. noticing my stats bar for the first time has added to my problem. because previously when no one commented i just assumed that my parents and a couple friends read it but thought that maybe, secretly there was a crowd of people out there anxiously awaiting my next post with bated breath, why this would inspire me to write i don't know, but now that i know the numbers, they're not that bad just not astronomical, i'm a little disapointed. but do i really want to work to add more readers, by putting it on my facebook or commenting on other bloggers obssesively? a part of me cringes at my need to have more readers, why do i need readers, i should just do what i want!? so we're back to why i blog again. very circular, i know.

well one thing i do know, and if you've read this far i'm grateful and therefore rewarding you, i like blogging about the city and things to do here. this is a big weekend so gear up for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and LitQuake. These are two huge fall events that showcase the best of SF. Free music in Golden Gate Park and free poetry and lit readings in cafes all over the mission. Fortunately, though the overlap, LitQuake is the 1st-9th so you have time to make it to both. Enjoy!

saturday bliss

saturday was a full day of exploring. bekah and i caught up over coffee and books at the book sale. it was so nice to chat with her.

jacob and i enjoyed the sunny weather by exploring sutro heights and hiking from sutro baths to legion of honor. i've never been there before so it was our first time to explore a place as newbies together. sutro heights is rolling and manicured until it drops off into the ocean. its a very interesting contrast and was originally built in the late 1800s.




we sat in a tree obviously smoothed from other climbers and enjoyed the view. its right next to the cliff house a restaurant and an interesting oddity the camera obscura, it uses the technology of the first camera ever invented by da vinci and gives a 360 view of the cliff house and beach surrounding the camera. we wandered around sutro baths, which was covered in tourists, but i would so have loved to come down there when it was in full swing and bathed and enjoyed the rides and the musee mecanique games. its a very different time and its interesting to see how a place evolves especially when its destroyed by fire and earthquake and rebuilt every few years. we left the crowds behind and walked along the cliff taking in the views. our lighthouse stood out across the golden gate and we saw dolphins swimming and diving for food. there were a couple close calls with renegade bicycle tourists but we made it along the path unscathed.



as the sun set we decided to try bill's burgers on clement st. it was very quaint with chandeliers and a plate collection on the wall. they served our burgers straight off the grill and the carmelized red onions were perfection but the best part was their fountain coke, they didn't short us on syrup and you could tell. A-mazing. i love exploring the city together.

the blue hour

i love this blog of photographs, food, and music, not least because,he lives in london, my favorite. check it out.

lentils

jacob and i made an amazing dinner from How to Cook. Its called smoky brown lentils with balsamic vinegar and pancetta/bacon. it was delectable. savory and sweet and very satisfying.

it served four but i'm going to halve the recipe here for you because that's what we made.
2 1/2 red bell peppers quartered lengthwise and seeded
1 lg red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed ( you can also buy a package of steamed lentils from tj's which is the perfect amount and even easier)
1 1/2 tbls balsamic vinegar
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 oz pancetta or bacon, we did bacon, diced
salt and blac pepper

preheat the oven to 400 F
Put the peppers and onions onto a baking sheet or roasting pan. pour over 1 1/2 tbls of the oil and add salt and pepper. roast in the preheated oven for 30 min.

Meanwhile to cook the lentils, put them into a large saucepan and add 4 cups cold water. bring to a boil, remove the lid, and cook at a fast simmer until the water has been absorbed and the lentils are tender about 20-25 min.

Put the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar into a small bowl and beat well. add the garlic and bacon to the onions and peppers and roast for 15 min more or until golden. remove from the oven.

Squeeze the insides of the roasted garlic out of their skins into the balsamic dressing and mix. drain the cooked lentils and put them into a large bowl. pour in the dressing, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir through.

Add half the roasted veggies and bacon to the lentils. stir gently, then transfer to a serving dish. spoon remaining vegetables and bacon on the top and serve.

you'll love it, trust me. i also made gorgonzola and walnut bread to accompany it. no yeast here so it wasn't too tricky so we had a delicious simplish {it was messy} meal.

i thought it might be tasty to roast tomatoes as well, there's lots of potential here.

the big book sale

one more reason why i love my job at reader's cafe is that it made me aware of the big book sale. this is the 46th annual big book sale and its in the festival pavilion at fort mason center. so its huge, the largest on the west coast apparently. old books, new books, in between books, on every subject imaginable. its incredible and its only this weekend so you should hit it up, especially since all the proceeds go to benefit the san francisco public library. and if you bring a receipt from the sale into readers cafe you get 10% off your purchase. coffee and books, the best combination

cooking

i found* a new cookbook called How to Cook by Lesley Waters. its amazingly simple but is something i've been lacking, fundamentals. it has sections on everything from boiling to braising and poaching. i've been winging it and wondering why my rice comes out crispy when apparently you're supposed to cook it with the lid off. no one ever told me these things. upstairs, at my job, i often found myself googling recipes such as stir fry, when i initially got started, to try and figure out how to "make it" as a personal assistant. i said i had cooked before okay, i didn't mean i was a chef or even truly comfortable in the kitchen. i made it work mind you, but i think i will now feel confident. i made steamed carrots for the first time with an orange, butter sauce, which made them amazing and tonight i'm attempting gorgonzola and walnut bread.

*at the book store connected to the Readers Cafe, i'll be posting about the Big Book Sale happening this weekend.

cloud atlas

elissa recommended this one to me. its intersecting and interlocking stories was beautifully done but what i loved most was the ending with its emphasis on the world being what you make it. while the book doesn't seem to hold much hope for people actually making a world worth living in, i think there is the possibility and that's what makes life worthwhile.

holga film

even though i got my film in may, around my birthday, i just now developed the pictures. it was great to see shots from that time of birthdays, the wedding and our honeymoon. most of them are very blurry but a couple really turned out well, i think. i can't wait to see what happens with my next set.

*these are iphone pics of film pics. i'll work on getting them put on a cd