May 20 – We started the week in Santa Cruz, with a big breakfast, a hike in the redwoods, and post-hike beers at this funny little biker bar in Felton. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.


May 21 – Monday, Sean had a meeting in Capitola, and I worked at various spots around town. I was here for my 2:00 conference call. Which was not a bad place to be.

May 22 – Another busy week means that some of my meals fell into the semi-homemade category. But this Tuesday night dinner was surprisingly good. I made a simple soup with potatoes, turnips, and carrots, and a box of Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup from Pacific Natural Foods (a box that was from the stash that I won when I entered their Every Day Food Challenge). Doctoring up pre-made soups is a very, very easy way to make dinner. I’ll have to discuss this with you sometime.

May 23 – Wednesday night was editing, editing, and more editing. And I realized at one point that I inadvertently created a face out of some of the proofreading marks I had made. It made me smile when I was feeling worn out and tired, so I had to share it with you here.

May 24 – There is a sandwich place in my neighborhood that I like quite a bit. On Thursday I ordered a half sandwich and a cup of soup, but I don’t think this was a half sandwich. It was pretty big, and goooood. If you’re ever in downtown Oakland for lunch, check out The Lunch Box on Franklin at 17th. Great sandwiches, tasty soup, not too expensive.

May 25 – On Friday, I finished my proofreading project and got it in the mail. That was satisfying.

May 26 – This wasn’t the most exciting thing about Saturday. But it was the only thing I managed to take a picture of. I had to take a picture of this sitting on my end table because when I saw it there, I realized that some parts of my life are very, very, very dorky. We actually had a really fun cook out at my friend Eunice’s on Saturday night, but I forgot to bring a camera. Sigh.

A three-day weekend was a very welcome way to finish off a long week. We were pretty grateful to get to stay home and relax. Next weekend we’re going camping! I’m anticipating some great pictures from that trip. If I remember to bring my camera, of course.

Whew. The last two weeks, nay, the past month has been crazy nuts. We have been BUSY. There’s been traveling, and hiking, and visiting with friends and family. There’s been working and more working. There has been stress, but thankfully, there has also been plenty of laughter to alleviate some of it, and there has also been some darn good food here and there along the way.

Like this souffle. I made this weeks ago, right before things got hectic, and I’ve been waiting, sometimes less than patiently, to share it with you. If you’ve ever thought of making a souffle, and pushed the idea aside thinking it’s too hard, think again. I, too, left my souffle dreams unfulfilled because I thought I wasn’t up to the task. They have a reputation as demanding and persnickety, and I’m not always good with persnickety. But this was surprisingly easy. And wow, delightful. It made an ordinary Sunday night dinner feel so special.

The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, a book that I coveted for a long time before Sean bought me a copy for Christmas. This is a tome: heavy and glossy and so, so beautiful. And Dorie writes recipes better than almost anyone. If you’ve been waffling about picking up a copy for yourself, just do it already.This one definitely deserves its spot on my shelves.

I halved Dorie’s recipe, and it was more than enough for two. This is a rich treat, and is perfect alongside a light herb-y green salad. There is a lot of cheese in this thing and it smells heavenly. I used a mix of Gruyere and Emmenthal; she also suggests Swiss, and I am curious how this dish would differ with another type of cheese, like Manchego or a mild goat cheese.

Making a souffle is fun, and actually quite simple: It starts with a basic bechamel, into which cheese is melted and egg whites are folded. Then it bakes and emerges puffed and steaming and really quite impressive. I was nervous that it would fall in the oven if I so much as walked into the kitchen, but it’s not as delicate as all that. Dorie does specify that you shouldn’t so much as think of opening the oven door for the first 25 minutes of baking time. I heeded her warnings, and all was fine.

This does need to be served right away, as it begins to deflate pretty quickly. I managed to get in a few pictures, but the souffle did not want to sit around and wait. It was impatient to be eaten, and we were impatient to eat it.

A souffle might not really scream Memorial Day weekend, but if you’re inclined to give it a try, I’m sure people would be pleased. Or you could file the recipe away: Bastille Day is coming up, after all. I wouldn’t file it away for too long, though. Now that you know that it’s not as intimidating as its made out to be, you have no excuse.

I’ll share my (many) Santa Cruz photos in a separate post. But here are some images from my week, and from Santa Cruz.

Last Sunday, May 13, we were driving back from a family weekend in Upland. My memories of driving from the Bay Area to Southern California were far more pleasant than my recent experiences have been. It is a LONG drive. But it was totally worth it to have brunch with my parents and aunts and uncles on Mother’s Day. No pictures, though. Oops.

May 14 – I did make a roast chicken dinner on Monday night. Because I’m super traditional like that.

May 15 – Tuesday I took a break from the editing/proofreading and made these awesome swiss chard rolls. They’re an updated version of dolmas, which recipe I adapted from Food and Wine. I want to share them. If I ever have free time to write again.

May 16 – This was my life last week. And, sadly, it is still my life this week. I love getting freelance jobs, but they are hard to squeeze in around my real, full-time job. And they make fun stuff like blogging temporarily impossible.

May 17 – I did get another small break on Thursday night to go have dinner with Sean and my brother, Patrick, at Camino. This place is special. We will be going back.

Friday I worked, and I worked some more. And I made a very late night dinner that was surprisingly delicious. But I forgot to photograph it.

May 19 – And then, finally, Saturday. Saturday in Santa Cruz. Walks on the beach, beers at Seabright Brewery. And a lovely glass of wine at a charming B&B. After last week’s stress and frustration, I totally needed this.

The work isn’t quite done yet, and sadly, I’m still feeling a little stress and frustration. But I have two three-day weekends coming up, and a camping trip. So at least there is more relaxation to look forward to.

It would be pretty swell if I could spend my days cooking and baking, and writing and sharing it all here on this blog. Alas, food blogger is not my full time profession. And sometimes life gets in the way of me doing the things I really want to do. This week I’ve been so inspired to be in the kitchen, but life is getting in the way. This week is particularly nutso, and this weekend will be the second weekend in a row that we’re heading out of town (and away from my kitchen).

All this is to offer apologies for my absence, and sincere promises for some sweet treats and savory wonders coming next week. I might also have some great pictures to share of one of my favorite places on earth, as we’re heading to Santa Cruz this weekend for a little getaway/business trip.

To tide you over, here are a few things that have been inspiring the crap out of me this week:

Now that I’ve successfully produced my first souffle, I can’t wait to try another. Eggs on Sunday’s cheese, leek, and herb souffle is on the list.

I have been obsessing on New Orleans lately. Joy the Baker’s pictorial travelogue just took that up a notch.

These beautiful photos from The Yellow House, and the Marge Piercy poem selected to accompany them, are a great reminder for me to slow down and focus on the small, beautiful, and productive moments of my life.

Love & Lemon’s Green Enchiladas with Cashew Cream have to happen. I am counting down the days until I have time to make this happen.

Also, Joy the Baker’s chamomile cupcakes have inspired me to create a cookie in their image. I cannot stop daydreaming about these cookies that haven’t even been baked yet. The thought of them is keeping me going.

If you’ve never heard of Ernest Callenbach, I recommend you pick up a copy of his book,Ecotopia. It might be a little dated, but it was a life-changing book for me when I read it 15 years ago. Callenbach passed away last month, and Mark Bittman’s touching memorial is a reminder to me to focus on what really matters, and to always be hopeful that we can bring about change.

I hope your days are a little less manic than mine right now. Amidst the craziness, there are pockets of joyful things to look forward to: Dinner tonight with my brother, the aforementioned weekend in Santa Cruz, and those cookies. I’ll be back soon, and in the meantime, I’m sure the internet has no shortage of things to keep you occupied and inspired.

Sadly, it also means that I missed three days of photos. I stupidly neglected to take any pictures during our trip, which makes me so sad. I am not that great at capturing images for posterity. At least I have a ton of awesome memories. And the week leading up to our mini-break was full and beautiful.

May 6 – I made a cheese souffle! I was so nervous about this one, as I’ve heard that souffles are hard, and I’ve never worked with whipped egg whites before. But it was spectacular, and it turned out perfectly. Of course, I have to thank Dorie Greenspan for an excellent recipe. I’ll post my version here soon, promise.

May 7 – We finally replaced the propane tank for our grill, and I made salmon burgers. I had no idea how they would turn out, but they were a surprise favorite. I’m already plotting new variations, and minor improvements. Of course, I have to thank Mark Bittman for an excellent recipe.

May 8 – I got my May Pairings box from the folks at Turntable Kitchen. This month it held some fragrant chamomile flowers and a packet of buckwheat flour. I immediately started dreaming of some chamomile scented cookies. I’ll be experimenting this week. Keep an eye out.

May 9 – Mornings in our apartment: I make a pot of coffee, and put half in a thermos for Sean. I make breakfast, which has lately frequently consisted of some type of smoothie. I check email, and then pack up my lunch, my gym clothes, and my laptop, and try to remember my wallet and keys and phone, too. I try to get to work by 8, but more often I wander in around 8:15. It’s nice to live so darn close to work: My commute consists of a four-block walk. Not too shabby.

May 10 – Thursday night I went to a Death Cab show with my friend Eunice. It was a-a-a-mazing. I took this photo before the show, when I met Eunice for a drink at a bar near the Fox Theater, where the show was held. The light was so great, and I love Rudy’s, so I was happy to capture this lovely moment in our neighborhood. I love Oakland.

I know that Sean got some great pictures on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but I didn’t touch a camera. Not even my iPhone camera.

I’m hoping this week is quiet and relaxing, to make up for how crazy last week felt. So far so good.

Fruit crisps are the best desserts. Effortless to put together, sweet, buttery, with layers of textures, and totally guilt free of course, because, duh, fruit. (Ok, I guess that last part isn’t entirely true, but the rest of it is so good that you really shouldn’t feel guilty.) If you’re not sure how you feel about baking, I’d recommend starting with a fruit crisp. You don’t have to get the measurements exactly right, there is room for variation, you can use seasonal fruit, or just fruit that you like, and the amount of work required is minimal. Peeling the apples was the hardest part of this process.

I got totally fixated last week on making an apple crisp when I got a copy of Joy the Baker’s cookbook in the mail. This book is a real joy. I went back and forth about ordering it for awhile, because, as I’ve mentioned, I have a bit of a cookbook problem and I’m trying to be really picky about what ends up on the shelf. This one completely deserves its spot. I’ve had it for less than a week and I’ve already made two recipes from it, with plans for another soon.

I made a few minor changes to her recipe, because I know that I like things a tad less sweet, and a tad more oat-y. And that’s the beauty of the crisp. You can change it up easily and you’re practically guaranteed a dessert that still woos people. Here are the basics: Toss some fruit with sugar, and set it aside so the fruit can start to macerate. Which is just a fancy word for soften. Make the topping by mixing together flour, oats, brown sugar, nuts, and butter. You can be creative with seasoning, too: try some maple syrup, or nutmeg, or vanilla. Then just put the topping on top of the fruit in a baking dish and bake until its crispy and bubbling and your house smells amazing.

I know apples aren’t particularly seasonal. I just wanted them. But it’s nearly time for stone fruits and cherries, and these make some of the best crisps. A few years ago I made a crisp with peaches and blackberries and almond paste, and I still think of it fondly. I know this one will be remembered, too.

Our anniversary celebration was put on hold for a few days, as Sean was in Boston for work. Kind of ironic. But we toasted to each other, and to our excellent year together, on Saturday night. We even opened a special bottle of wine, one we had been saving for just this occasion.

My week alone wasn’t too bad, though. It started off with my very first perfect poached egg.

Apr 29 – I’ve been trying to poach eggs, and failing, for years now. But last Sunday morning I tried a new method: I cracked the egg into a ramekin that held a splash of vinegar, and let it sit in the vinegar while I brought the water to a boil. The vinegar held the white together, and the egg didn’t taste of vinegar at all. Success!


Apr 30 – During my single lady week, I ate a lot of meals like this. This was my favorite tortellini salad, and I ate it out of giant mixing bowl while sitting on the couch, because why bother dirtying another bowl?

May 1 – On Sunday night I roasted a chicken, and used the meat throughout the week. The highlight was this excellent Curried Chicken Salad. I absolutely loved it in the endive leaves.

May 2 – On Wednesday I picked up our CSA box. It contained the tiniest fennel bulb I’ve ever seen.

May 3 – I made Joy the Baker’s Kale Peanut Butter Smoothie for breakfast Thursday morning. It’s the best green drink I’ve ever had. The juicer was a huge mess. Worth it.

May 4 – Friday night, I waited for my man to come home. Dinner was totally snacks, and these radishes, with a little slip of butter on a chewy baguette, were the best.

May 5 – We celebrated. I cooked a steak, we drank red wine, we laughed. It was awesome.

Here’s to another amazing year together, another year cooking, and another year sharing it all with you.

If you’re looking for something fun to make tomorrow to celebrate the awesomeness of Mexican food (that’s what that holiday is about, right?), here’s a round up of my favorite Mexican food recipes.

Starting with enchiladas:

These Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas are a great riff on a classic.

Squash and Pepper Enchiladas, with chayote squash, aka zucchini tush. Also a great take on enchiladas, if you’re looking for something a little different.

But if you’re looking for super classic Chicken Enchiladas, this recipe is just what you want.

There must be beans! These Frijoles de la Olla are on my all-time favorite list. I’ve been making them like this for over 10 years. Make yourself a big pot of beans this weekend. Then turn them into refried beans. (When I was a little kid my parents nicknamed me the Refried Bean Queen. That is all.)

Chicken Mole is intimidating. But you can totally do it! It’s worth it.

A recipe for Chicken en escabeche turned into these spicy, juicy chicken and chard burritos.

And if you’re looking for something TOTALLY different, you should absolutely try Mexican Pizza. This might be one of my most brilliant dinner ideas ever.

And as a happy bonus, here are some of the recipes from other awesome bloggers that have caught my eye:
Chiles en nogada from Homesick Texan
Tlacoyo Masa pockets from Serious Eats
Yucatan-style Slow Roasted Pork Tacos from The Amateur Gourmet
Stuffed Poblanos from Shutterbean

Are you planning to cook something special for Cinco de Mayo? What’s your favorite Mexican dish? Share in the comments!

This week Sean is out of town, and I am eating like a total single lady. By that I mean on the couch, surrounded by magazines and watching How I Met Your Mother. By that I also mean I’m eating super easy salads, for which most of the prep work was done Sunday night. This Curried Chicken Salad is a perfect example a of single lady dinner. It took me about 15 minutes to throw together, it’s simple and summery, and its served in endive leaves, for goodness sake.

I love Curried Chicken Salad because it is totally classic, but still a little unexpected. It’s easy, but seems kind of decadent. It can be varied in endless ways, or kept simple and basic. I had originally intended to eat this chicken salad wrapped in lettuce leaves, but I couldn’t find any with that good cup shape. However, the endive was perfect: It added just the right amount of bitter crunch. This salad is also great wrapped in a soft whole wheat or green spinach-y tortilla.

Some people might question the grapes in this equation, but don’t doubt. They are cool and crisp and sweet, an excellent foil to the heat of the curry powder. Oh yeah, I use pretty hot curry powder. You can do your own thing, and use more or less than I specify here, depending on your taste. If in doubt, start with a scant teaspoon and add more to taste. I also love the crunch and bitterness of walnuts. I’ve seen versions made with cashews, too, but I can’t vouch for that. You can add any number of things you like: cilantro, green onions, raisins, chutney. I like to keep things very, very simple. Easy is good.

This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal, because you don’t need exact measurements, and you can make it your own by adding in more or less of whatever ingredients you want. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner, because you can make it with rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken from a weekend roast, so it really takes no time at all. And definitely give the endive a try. Such a nice accident.