tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81412942011-11-27T15:48:17.284-08:00MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-24696759629701036632011-06-21T17:41:00.001-07:002011-06-21T17:47:58.858-07:002011-06-21T17:47:58.858-07:00

So all the time I've lived in SF, I've longed for great pastrami-- The pastrami of my dreams is Second Avenue Deli in NY.Everything I've had here in this foodie town, though, I am sad to say, has been truly subpar--rubbery, flavorless, too salty.Well, what can you do? If you want something done right, you have to try it for yourself...So begins our Pastrami project. Day 1.We purchased a brisket

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/06/pastrami-project-day-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-8162362110493985042011-06-20T19:27:00.001-07:002011-06-20T19:27:23.761-07:002011-06-20T19:27:23.761-07:00

I have a lot of whiny cats in my house. It seems I can't turn around without a furry critter under my toes cranking out a testy "Mrah! Mraaah! MRAAAAH!" That's Cat code for "Food, pronto gringa!" in case you hadn't guessed.It's fine, I'm used to it. But when my Omnivore starts "mrah-ing" me, well that's a bit much. His version roughly translates as "Ribs, Asian Lime, with cinnamon coriander

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/06/posole-posole.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-18610583478632825792011-06-20T19:02:00.001-07:002011-06-20T19:02:41.689-07:002011-06-20T19:02:41.689-07:00

My Omnivore and I managed a sneaky little getaway to Napa on Friday and shock of shock it wasn't for wine tasting. We kept the economy moving though with some well distributed clothes shopping and then an extravagant lunch at Morimoto's in Napa. Ordinarily pricey lunches wouldn't be my thing, but I got an unexpected gift card from a friend and we thought , hey, why not blow it on something yummy?

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-more-morimoto.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-89043928753690656022011-02-23T21:09:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:10:50.662-08:002011-02-23T21:10:50.662-08:00

I'm fairly certain that My Omnivore thought I was being frivolous when I purchased these adorable cast iron one-pint kettles. But look at them-- how cute are they?Over the weekend I made Boeuf Bourguignonne and we scooped some of it into the kettles, topped it with heavily creamed and buttered mashed potatoes, popped that under the broiler until the potatoes were nicely crusted brown-- heaven in

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/02/cutest-cast-iron-pots-ever.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-11973073162789994812011-02-15T06:45:00.000-08:002011-06-20T09:03:00.622-07:002011-06-20T09:03:00.622-07:00

Generally speaking im not a veggie person and cauliflower has always ranked really low on my list of acceptable vegetables the only time I've really liked cauliflower was at Cibreo-- the Michelin starred resto in Florence. Yeah, I hear you say, whatev. But I'm determined to get over it-- there must be a way to make tasty. Martha Stewart, predictably, to the rescue. This recipe is absurdly easy-

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/06/valentine-dinner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-58732016292883256122011-01-16T09:52:00.000-08:002011-01-16T11:07:35.329-08:002011-01-16T11:07:35.329-08:00

So last night we checked out the new eatery, Straw in Hayes Valley, which I should say up front is the brainchild chef Naomi Beck and Ari and Maura Feingold, the latter of whom are friends of ours. It was actually a bit of a sneak peek, as the restaurant doesn't open til Jan 24, but get ready to line up for a prime spot in the fabulously cush Tilt-a-Whirl booth when it does.A block up the

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com3http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/01/pack-em-in-straw.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-23484368264698450782011-01-04T06:02:00.001-08:002011-01-04T06:02:28.039-08:002011-01-04T06:02:28.039-08:00

So before we left for our annual trip to New York, La Canadienne tipped us off to a foodie must-see. "You guys are going to Eataly, right?" she asked expectantly. Well obviously I hadn't kept up with the foodie buzz in New York. Eataly is a new venture co-helmed by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and others and it is an enormous Italian Food marketplace down on 23rd and Fifth Avenue. Well,

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com2http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-posts-new-york-eataly.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-33884311718510374792010-12-19T21:55:00.001-08:002010-12-19T21:58:28.055-08:002010-12-19T21:58:28.055-08:00

This year's showpiece: the Gingerbread Trailer. I was going to make a castle, but then I said something about how a trashy gingerbread house would be funny, and well, humor won out. - Posted from my iPhone

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/12/gingerbread-trailer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-44589571495350442292010-12-18T20:59:00.001-08:002010-12-18T20:59:24.237-08:002010-12-18T20:59:24.237-08:00

For Christmas I got a gift card to Cowgirl Creamery-- how well do my friends know me?So on the first day when I had no projects due, no classes to teach or rehearsals to run, no work to do--guess where you can find me??Like kids in a candy store, we sampled everything they'd let us try. Uh-huh. "We really like cheese " I confide to the guy. "Yeah, I know," he replies.And it briefly runs through

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/12/glorious-cheese.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-86967726626224894982010-12-08T18:01:00.000-08:002010-12-08T18:13:56.134-08:002010-12-08T18:13:56.134-08:00

Wow, it's been a while since I posted to my blog! Yikes! Not that we haven't been eating of course, but I haven't been good about posting where we've been and what we've had. There's a fat folder full of yummy pics, and I'll try to get up to date, but in the mean time, I'm happy to report that the Cheese Kitty, who has been a little under the weather in the last year, is on the mend, gaining

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/12/cheese-kitty-likes-brun-de-noix.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-30721512100721668542010-09-02T06:35:00.000-07:002011-06-20T06:36:38.256-07:002011-06-20T06:36:38.256-07:00

Sprouted wheatberries-- fascinating...- Posted from my iPhone

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/09/wheatberries-are-busting-out-all-over.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-57949172577870321542010-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:002010-08-28T21:05:15.332-07:002010-08-28T21:05:15.332-07:00

All summer long I try to make time to put some pickles aside, and usually I find myself right about now without anything in jars. But today, while My Omnivore is otherwise occupied, I'm off on my own wandering the Ferry Building farmer's market, looking for produce possibilities.As usual, I am shopping for food, but I'm hungry. Always a bad combination. Ooooh, peppers....Ooooh, rocket ship...

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com2http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/08/canning-day-pickled-watermelon-radishes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-39553222562083797212010-08-20T15:06:00.001-07:002010-08-20T15:09:12.264-07:002010-08-20T15:09:12.264-07:00

Am I just in a cutesy mood? Maybe it's watching all these cooking shows about Spanish chefs and the care of the presentation....From the top: homemade pickled red onions and pecans, homemade Guinness mustard and homemade sauerkraut, a little sip of the Russian Tea Room velvet Borscht with sour cream, and St. Jorge cheese and sweet 100's cherry tomatoes with Louisiana hot sausage. Is it weird to

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/08/lunch.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-26329246032011550822010-06-27T18:42:00.001-07:002010-06-27T18:42:17.199-07:002010-06-27T18:42:17.199-07:00

Traveling to New York today. There will no doubt be much to eat and I'm hoping to mobile blog a little from my beloved iPhone of course!This little bit of technology has become so integrated into my life that I feel blind if I walk out the door without it-- I check emails, do banking, read the news, update myself on World Cup scores, take photos, edit them with the mobile Photoshop, and upload

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/06/o-brave-new-world-that-has-such-iphones.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-18327144233227332642010-06-25T22:32:00.003-07:002010-06-25T22:32:22.621-07:002010-06-25T22:32:22.621-07:00

When we shop downtown I'm always looking for a place to cool my heels and get a little bite--a not-too-expensive bite, mind you. Yelpers have been talking about Bar 480 in the new Marriott hotel and though I'm not a big Marriott supporter I thought it might be worth checking out for a late snack after battling through the Apple store and wading our way through tourist hordes in Union Square. So

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/06/bin-480-in-marriott.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-62545974095104039192010-06-25T22:32:00.001-07:002010-06-25T22:32:10.646-07:002010-06-25T22:32:10.646-07:00

When it's so close to summer I get that edgy feeling-- like I'm in school again and playing hooky just feels right. Usually we have our heads down and face firmly planted in a computer screen, which is how I've been missing all this amazing sunshine we've been having. Well, that and the World Cup schedule, but mostly it's been work. Today though we decided to get out and go button-shopping and

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/06/quince-in-lifetime.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-26183321910949471532010-06-01T18:33:00.001-07:002010-06-18T20:16:51.866-07:002010-06-18T20:16:51.866-07:00

And now added to the list of things I won't buy commercial versions of anymore: Worcestershire sauce.I had a minor freakout some years back when I realized that not only does Lea & Perrins WS contain the reviled High Fructose Corn Syrup, but ENGLISH Lea & Perrins WS does not. Outrageous!I'm on a one woman boycott of the company but...let's just say that unsatisfactory were the replacement

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com2http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/06/homemade-worcestershire-sauce.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-36834989732555555372010-05-21T13:33:00.001-07:002010-06-01T18:59:33.724-07:002010-06-01T18:59:33.724-07:00

Lunch break. Why do I always forget that we are THIS close to Delfina? We could do this for lunch every day!Fries with Eyes: fried breaded smelts with lightly fried parsley and salt. Light, crispy, tangy and yum! Reminds me of the little fried fish at Blanco Cerillo in Sevilla. As I post this I hear one of the cooks say, "Yeah it's a great city. This is a great job." Oh yeah. - Posted from my

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/05/lunch-at-delfina-pizzeria.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-63811832250549852442010-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:002010-05-06T13:05:14.525-07:002010-05-06T13:05:14.525-07:00

Folks have been asking us a lot about where we stayed in Spain and how we decided on these places, so I thought I'd post a few links to the apartment services we used.I can't say enough about the pleasures of renting a vacation apartment for travel. In our case, all of the apartments were less expensive than hotels, conveniently located, and while not posh, were larger than a comparable level

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com1http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/05/homes-away-from-home-in-spain-vacation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-73960718324706211742010-03-31T06:51:00.000-07:002010-04-22T10:08:36.221-07:002010-04-22T10:08:36.221-07:00

So this place was recommended to us by no less than three reliable sources and I have to say, La Terraza in the Casino del Madrid, was one of more highly anticipated splurges of our whole trip.This Ferran Adria outpost is housed not in a casino a la Las Vegas, but rather, a gentleman's club. It was jacket and tie (by the restaurant's request) and we could only get in for lunch. So already, I

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/04/lunch-at-la-terraza-in-madrid-bring-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-81309183949276818602010-03-29T00:23:00.000-07:002010-04-22T10:13:12.458-07:002010-04-22T10:13:12.458-07:00

One of the most important missions when you arrive in a strange city after 22 hours of jet-lagging travel, is the hunt for coffee. I'd done only some cursory research on the topic for Madrid and found a place called Cafe Mexicana, which sounded promising. But when we walked up calle Preciados from the Puerta del Sol to find it, we discovered that they sold coffee-- by the pound only. Along with

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Travelling. That first night is always a doozy, but we feel slightly triumphant, having made it to Madrid and weathered flight changes after the British Airways strike started on the day of our departure.We have alit at Puerta del Sol and the Tio Pepe sign, even on the largely abandoned building, is like a shining beacon.Also like a shining beacon is the Museum of Jamon. Reports from across the

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I love the little extras of travelling.Pictured here, a personal care item from British Airways.Tsk tsk....what did you think it was?In the desperate haze of jet lag, So many things take on an Alice in Wonderland tone for me. The oversized Caterpillar's Kit Kat Bars, for instanceThe Red Queen belligerence of "Smoking Kills!"The stately parade of sushi luggage belts...The undulating ceiling of

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/03/oddities-of-travel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-34849604469940822772010-03-27T01:44:00.000-07:002010-03-30T22:31:01.011-07:002010-03-30T22:31:01.011-07:00

And away we go...Yes, at long last my Omnivore and I are off to (we hope) sunny Spain. It's a vacation literally a year in the planning. We've been thinking and researching and plotting it for so long and in some ways now that it's actually happening it feels surreal. Or maybe that just the effects of staying up all night packing...Now of course, when I say we're planning to eat fabulously I

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com0http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/03/off-to-spain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141294.post-21704653712541735672010-01-09T22:26:00.001-08:002010-01-09T22:47:24.583-08:002010-01-09T22:47:24.583-08:00

So we came up with a name for our potted ham hock, which my Omnivore had jokingly referred to as SPAM. "But it's smoked and potted ham hock," I said. "Spam, smam, smock?" he suggested. "Spock?"That one stuck. So it is now officially "Spock". Here's the hock after brining for five days in a Wiltshire cure and then drying in our fridge for three more days. Right there, it tasted pretty fine. We

MEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996661220808218136noreply@blogger.com3http://me-eats.blogspot.com/2010/01/mulefoot-madness-smoking-and-slow.html