We love crab season. And buying them fresh from our backyard, Monterey Bay, is extra great. And this year, with the quarantine, we really needed a special at-home treat. We grabbed a couple of the largest crabs we could find at the wharf, did a simple boil of water, wine, and salt, and dove in…
Category: Playing with Food
Fridge Diving: Turkey Pot Pie in an Au Gratin
@lecreuset has small au gratin bakeware that are just the right size a turkey pot pie for 2. But I make 2 this size so we can each have our own leftovers. Pretty take on what we had in the fridge and freezer. #quarantinecooking Makes 1 large or 2 small pies Pastry Cut butter into 1/4″ cubes…
THE Madre’s Soft Cream Jumbles
Few remember “the year of the cut-out cookie debacle,” in which I spent months trying to make a decent sugar cookie. Tears were shed, cookie sheets thrown into a snow bank, Martha Stewart cursed. Finally, I sought out THE Madre, who led me step by step through her Soft Cream Jumbles and to success. The…
Harvest 1
First head of the season. It may not be pretty, but it’s organic! #cabbage #communitygarden #gardentherapy https://www.instagram.com/p/B36HGCAlVJ8/?igshid=1k6od7332avm4
The Best Bite
@littlemomentsapp #fmsphotoaday #fms_thisorthat When asked what my best bite of food has ever been, this scene jumps to the front of the line. My beloved brought carnitas, his brother-in-law brought tri-tip, Noemi (mom) made her out-of-this-world fresh tortillas and salsas, add a little queso fresca and my tastebuds were blown.
From the Garden: Poached Egg on Greens
A sunny afternoon at Hogs Island Oyster Company in San Francisco’s Ferry Building introduced us to a version of this tasty salad. The next day, we were craving another serving, and the frisee in the garden was begging to be picked (plus it gave my fella a reason to teach me how to poach eggs). We were delighted with…
From the Pantry: Couscous with Almonds and Mint
“Ahhh, couscous — the food so nice, they named it twice.” –Dale Denton (played by Seth Rogan), Pineapple Express After spending a blissful afternoon in the garden and a lingering lunch on the patio at my favorite local grill, I swept into the house only to remember that, in an hour or so, I needed a dish…
Playing with Food: Sardine and Swiss Chard Gratin (or Why My Cat Licked My Shoe)
It all started with an abundance of organic Swiss chard in my community garden. When I spotted aphids on one plant, I knew that it would be a fight to save the crop if they took hold. Instead of whipping out my bottle of insecticidal soap, which would have been fruitless with the rain that…
Playing With Food: Bunless Oyster Po Boys with Homemade Slaw and Remoulade
“Any good kitchen should be stocked up in oysters, shouldn’t they?” — Michael Fassbender (actor, producer, bivalve eater) On the drive south from a weekend in Sonoma, my love and I decided to make a quick stop for Pacific oysters at a seafood wholesaler. A short time later, we were back home with an abundance…
I Blame GBBO: Chicken Pie
“This is Desperate Dan territory. Making massive pies out of hot water crust pastry is always a good thing to do on a cold day. They’re warming and hearty and they set you up.” –Richard Burr, finalist in series 5 of The Great British Bake Off I blame The Great British Bake Off. I am…
January, 23: National Pie Day Steak Pie
As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no ‘I’ in team, but there is an ‘I’ in pie. And there’s an ‘I’ in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team … I don’t know what he’s talking about. -Simon Pegg as Shaun of Shaun of the Dead Last Sunday, I decided to serve up a steak pie…
My first Salsa Verde
“..no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” ― Julia Child (culinary icon, OSS agent) My tomatillos finally ripened. The bright yellow star flowers that delighted all manner of bee and butterfly bent their heads into little purses to hold tangy yet oddly sweet purple and green fruit. Unknowingly, I had planted a variety that…
Living Life Forté 