Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Mendocino Memories

Papa and I had a great salad at the Mendocino Cafe, and Margi and I recreated it in SF.
Main ingredients:
red cabbage, golden raisins and browned sliced almonds. Make a dressing that appeals to you and enjoy a nutritious side dish.

3 Youngs at Farmers' Market

Here we are on a chilly September day choosing fresh produce at Ft. Mason.

Friday, January 7, 2011

lentil spread


Most people see this and ask me if it is pate. To which i get a film in my mouth recalling the last time i accidentally stuck a big blob of pate in my mouth getting a FREE sample at a cheese store in Bayhead. I have a relatively open palate, but pate makes me barf.


I can't put amounts, because every batch is different and fin throws everything in- and at this age, he is lacking in culinary precision.

lentils
garlic
onion
sun dried tomatoes
dijon
red peppers
alepo pepper (highly optional- a butcher gave me some when i bought goat to grill, and i am moving product)
toasted walnuts
capers

darn- i am having my problem again where blogger doesn't let me upload another image. blogger, i need to have a talk with you.

it's hot in here and i feel stuffed


Monday, January 3, 2011

Presidio Chicken

My dad has always laughed at how much I love free stuff. Whenever an amuse bouche arrives, or there is a pile of mints, or chocolate chip cookies at First Republic, he whispers "free," and we giggle because we are so psyched. Tori calls it "granddaughter of the depression" syndrome.
Now that i live closer to the land, I have a little obsession with foraging so on Michael's rehab walks when we come upon mass amounts of rosemary, I want to pick pick pick because it is free free free.

Honestly, I don't even like rosemary and at this moment I am over roasting whole chickens, but I couldn't think of anything else to do with it- ideas? rosemary popsicles?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Minty Hot Chocolate



Now that Christmas has gone and 2011 has come, the last bit of fall that we have been holding has been pushed out of our grasp . The chilly rain falls and the gray sky sits, and all I want to do is sit by a heater with a warm blanket. I eat soup and drink tea with lots of honey. But when the cold days seem to drag on and the rain hasn't stopped streaking down for days, I want hot chocolate. Delicious, creamy, steamy hot chocolate, to make everything better.


My hot chocolate experience started with the packet and water after skiing, then I started to add milk, and eventually cinnamon. But how do you make hot chocolate, actually using real chocolate?! Because I love me my hot chocolate, I heated milk added chocolate and sugar and mint extract, and there it was sitting in my favorite cup.

Making hot chocolate from scratch is very, very easy. You can use any kind of chocolate depending on the bitterness you want, and you can use any kind of milk; including cream or half and half. I used half dark, dark chocolate and half semi sweet chocolate chips with a teaspoon of sugar. I also added a bit mint extract, to make it minty and bring out the chocolateyness ( if that is not a word it definitely should be)

I love stuff, as in toppings. Toppings just make everything better, so i used whipped cream (yumsers) and some shaved chocolate! You could also use marshmallows, candy cane, anything you want to make it delicious.

Recipe: serves 2-3

1/3 cup dark chocolate
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate
4 cups 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 teaspoon sugar
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

Bring the milk to a simmer over low heat. Slowly add the chocolate, and mint extract. Whisk for several minutes until the chocolate has been incorperated with the milk. Poor into a cup and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy :)