Cookies, Cakes, and Pie - Oh My!

Earlier this month I engaged in what one of my former bosses referred to as the "Chipmunk Rodeo" - an annual family camping trip that dates back quite some time so I am told. A little fresh air, cold mountain river water, and Eastern Sierra dirt has never hurt anyone and I know I wouldn't miss this trip unless it absolutely could not be avoided. It's one of my favorite annual activities!



Seeing as my family is quite large, and like many families obsessed with making sure there is enough to eat, it can be hard to contribute to the festivities as much as I would like now that I'm grown (mostly). The last few years I've brought to camp my serious baking skills serving up some sweets that surpass or at least compliment the requisite s'mores.



All of the items are made ahead, made to travel well, and made to make sure we can camp in style. This year's menu had a delightful citrus yogurt pound cake, an off the cuff peach-blackberry pie (with oat crisp topping), and what might have been a few too many peanut butter/peanut butter cup cookies.

I'll be posting the recipes over the next few days so keep an eye on the blog, they're worth watching out for!

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Memorial Mojitos: San Franciso by Stomach and by Foot

So I'm a little late in posting my entry this week, and a little later posting these photos at all. Memorial day weekend my mom came up for a little visit. Saturday morning after I picked her up from the airport, we went on a little culinary/cultural walking tour of San Francisco. Good times and a couple of large mojitos were had.

We started out at the Ferry Building to peruse the Saturday Farmer's Market and pick up a light picnic lunch. We went with local faves Cowgirl Creamery, Boccalone, and Acme Bread. I highly recommend Cowgirl's St. Pat cheese wrapped in nettle leaves - yum!

After the Ferry Building, we walked along the piers until we got to Fisherman's Wharf. We tried chocolate at Tcho and enjoyed all the tourist attractions Pier 39. Those sea lions really never get old, and the street performers were fun, too. I particularly enjoyed this family of circus students and this giant skeleton.

















After the Wharf we headed over to North Beach for a little pre-dinner cocktail and appetizer. Calzone's makes a great mojito, and the large open air bar and cafe seating make for great people watching. Then a quick walk through Chinatown and it was on to dinner at the Stinking Rose, a perennial favorite.













Later on it was back home to the East Bay, but not without a walk past one last city landmark. It was a very good day.

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It's My Party and I'll Die if I Want To

Mi casa es su casa on Sunday, May 16th, for a low-key and informal celebration of my 25th birthday. There will be food. There will be music. There will be drinks. There will be board games. There may even be cake.

Please bring yourself, your empty stomach, and something to share.

Yes, that is correct, I recently had a little birthday and Sunday was my party. There was food, games, laughter, and a minimum of bloodshed (more about that next time). It was an intimate gathering of friends and exactly what I wanted. A BIG thank you to all my friends who were there and there in spirit.



















It was a great fiesta and I got to do two of my favorite things - cook, and feed people. Look for the slaw and mole recipes later this week.

*All photos of people courtesy of J. Buchleitner (because I forgot to take pics after we ate). Opening picture is a found image - I cannot seem find this image again or its owner. If this is your image please let me know if you would like me to take it down, if it is okay to leave up please let me know how to credit you!

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Long Lunches are Essential for Good Mental Health

People over time have developed a need for shelter. Weird, I know. Why on earth would we ever want to put a roof over our heads. Further more these roofs are not just there when we sleep! We go inside to work, to learn, to cook and eat, and to live. This is all fine and good, but just because we go around spending so much time inside and being thankful for the roofs over our heads doesn't mean that we can forget about the outside, and how beautiful it can be all on its own.



I admit that I don't get outside in the fresh air often enough. I do occasionally have to leave my bubble of 'inside' though, to go to an appointment in the middle of the day for example. If that day happens to be one of the first and few sunny days of spring, and the cherry blossoms just happen to be in bloom, I might decide to walk to my appointment.



Of course, if taking the long way back to the office happens to walk me right by a little Mexican/El Salvadoran restaurant from which I have been meaning to procure an oft talked about but never experienced Plantain Burrito, I might just have to take the wide arch back and grab a bite for lunch.

Cuco's in the Lower Haight is not actually very far from my office, but its far enough that I never went from work to Cuco's. This was a dumb move on my part, I didn't know what I was missing. Cuco's the type of hole in the wall place you would completely pass by if you weren't looking for it, but you should definitely be looking for it. Completely unassuming and not much more than a doorway from the outside, it also happens to be situated right next door to a rather unpleasantly scented carniceria. The two are not related. Thank goodness.



The plantain burrito at Cuco's may just be the best thing I have ever eaten. And I am including in that consideration things which are made with bacon. The perfect balance of chewy/sweet/soft plantains, salty/melty/gooey cheese, nutty rice, earthy black beans, and a pretty darn good salsa (light on tomatoes, heavy on onion and REALLY heavy on the jalapeno) - words cannot describe.



The only thing is though, that I am not sure that I can ever eat another one. See, the burrito was SOOO good that I know that the next time I have one there is no way it can ever be as good as the first time. This was the ultimate burrito experience, and everything else can only be second best.

I suppose I will just have to hold on to the memory of my first Cuco's plantain burrito and savor the sweet sweet taste of that first perfect bite on a sunshiny day in San Francisco. It's depressing really. Maybe a plantain burrito from Cuco's would make me feel better.

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