My Traveling Taste Buds, Part I

Hello lovelies! I underwent a delightful little procedure earlier this week that has rendered me useless around the house. Because I am not operating in my full capacity as Domestic Goddess, I shall reminisce about our mini-vacay the Hubs and I took last month.

Our vacation began by visiting family in the Midwest. While there, I asked Hubbie's family where I might partake in some local cuisine. As we were driving along the highway I spotted a Culver's whose claim to fame was frozen custard. Of course, being the sugar-loving lady that I am, I had to try this Midwest delight. And my family was so kind to oblige.

So there we were at the freezer trying to decide which delectable flavor to enjoy. We decided on raspberry cheesecake. While we were at the counter paying we figured we might as well have a little smackerel as well. So we opted for the chicken fingers and cheese curds. One of my friends had recommended that I also try cheese curds. Two birds, one stone. Awesome!

Three words sum up the frozen custard: Oh. My. Goodness. I must get a recipe for this frozen treat! I've never had ice cream so creamy. And intertwined with the frozen raspberry crunches and the bites of cheesecake... Hubs and I ate the whole thing between the two of us. I was certain I gained 10 lbs from eating my half! I will no doubt be posting about my frozen custard adventures when the weather warms up again.

And these tasty nuggets. I've always seen the commercials for the happy cows and their taking residence in Cali, but the cheese curds we ate were amazing. I always hear Midwest folks brag about how their cheese is better. Well sure, anything is better when it's battered and fried! Trader Joe's sells cheese curds on occasion. I'm not sure which cows are the source of Trader Joe's cheese curds, but I feel a cheese curd night comin on. No need for ketchup or anything!!

The rest of our vacation was spent in Lake Las Vegas, a romantic getaway for two (literally--we were almost the only two people there). We had a lovely hotel room with a fantastic view of the lake.

After a day of relaxing we decided to venture out on a guided tour to Hoover Dam, which also stopped by the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. Well how could we possibly pass that up?

We arrived at the dam and I could not resist feeding a friend. Can you spot my little buddy? He was munchin on a cracker. Anyways, back to the "Dam Tour"...

What an amazing feat that these engineers and builders were able to not only envision, but to execute such a tall order given the limited technologies of the time. As an engineer, I am impressed by the quality of the work and the pace at which the dam was completed. Says a lot about the work ethic of the working man's culture back then.

After a two hour tour marveling at the engineering masterpiece that is the dam, we got back on the bus and made our way over to the chocolate factory. Our "sample" wasn't nearly enough to satisfy our chocolate craving, so of course, since we were on vacation and all...

Our favorites were the dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt. Hubby will definitely be getting some homemade chocolate caramels in his next care package!

We had a lovely time meeting family in the Midwest, and a great romantic escape during our week and a half off. But more importantly we thoroughly enjoyed each other's company before he went on deployment. The memories we made will last a lifetime and I'm so grateful that we got a chance to spend time with each other before he had to leave.

The Navy Wife Way of Life

Good readers,
It has been a good while since I've last blogged. I spent the last month and a half or so enjoying my hubbie's company before he deployed. I promise to write about our adventures together soon. But now, I blog as a means to pass the time, and I've been careful about not having too much idle time so as not to dwell on the fact that he's not around. In other words, I've been too busy with things to do outside of the house that I can now blog about.

The evening after my hubs deployed, I went with a few of the wives whose hubbies are also deployed to Coronado's Holiday festival. While it was more geared towards children, we enjoyed sipping some hot cocoa and seeing the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado all lit up. We decided to check out one of the newer restaurants nearby, and from the window watched a firework show as we discussed projects and goods we were going to send in care packages for Christmas and hobbies and projects on our to-do lists to help pass the time. It was a great way to connect with people who understand what it's like to be a Navy spouse.

The Del lit up like a Christmas tree.

Now, more than ever, I have found the need to seek people out. But not just people, Community. Which is why when I saw that South Park was going to have a Winter Walkabout, I had to tell some friends about it. I went to the last Walkabout and I was not disappointed. For several blocks, small mom-and-pop shops stay open late on a Saturday night. Each offers anything from cookies and cocoa to wine and cheese to patrons who peruse their store. There are people playing Bingo on the sidewalk outside the little candle shop that also sells a delicious jalapeno jelly. Street vendors try their best to stay warm as they merrily chat with passersby. And every single store is packed with mingling people. It's an event that is appealing to me with every sense--food, sights (I loved browsing through every store I could walk into), sounds of people enjoying the evening, the scents of the candle shops and restaurants we walked by and the feel of the fabrics that I grazed as I searched for a scarf I'd seen in October, which sadly was not to be found this time around.

One storefront display was a mannequin dressed in lotto tickets!

I also enjoyed taking a peek at the little vintage boutiques which boasted little knick knacks on antique trunks. So much to take in and enjoy.

I finally ended my weekend with a trip up to Irvine to see the hilarious Ms. Anjelah Johnson. I went with a couple of friends who wanted to take a ride on The Spectrum's ferris wheel after the show. With me being afraid of heights I happily (and safely) took pictures from the ground.

Irvine Spectrum Ferris Wheel, as seen through my iPhone

Irvine Spectrum's Ice Skating Rink, also taken with my iPhone

Overall, it was a good first week, all things considered. Now back to my projects.

Fall Activities

Fall is my second favorite season, after summer. Living in San Diego, we really don't see many of the seasons, just the good ones. This fall has been a pretty warm one, but that hasn't stopped me from celebrating the change of the seasons. I went to the Little Italy Farmer's Market and picked up a bunch of absolutely beautiful cream roses. Even Spartacus had to get his fill of fall.

This fall, I've been inspired to include pumpkins in my home, but in particular, my kitchen. I kicked the fall season off by making a pumpkin spice waffle breakfast one Saturday for the hubs and me. I attempted baked pumpkin donuts (I say attempted because I was at high altitude, and my mom didn't have baking powder, so I had to improvise, they came out like gingerbread but they were fantastic!). And my last pumpkin creation was a pumpkin roll with filled with whipped, sweetened cream cheese.

In honor of what I thought would be a lovely fall weekend (it was lovely but MUCH warmer than anticipated), my hubs and I decided to check out Lakeside's Stelzer Park with a picnic. Boasting a few hiking trails and picnic grounds, we thought it'd be nice to get away from the hustle-bustle of the city and head to the quieter suburbs. About half an hour outside of SD's famous gorgeous skyline lies the quaint Lakeside. Most people know it as the place you have to drive through to get to one of the closer casinos in the area.

On a whim I packed some goodies for sandwiches, some chips with some homemade jalapeno jelly mixed with cream cheese (the hub's favorite dip of the moment), some smokehouse almonds, root beer, and because we didn't have the $3 fee to park, we ran back to the local convenience store and I got us a maple donut to split so I could take cash out.

After our lunch, we decided to take a hike. The trails are uneven and rocky but well-marked. Poison oak is everywhere. After about a mile hike we decided to turn around.

 On our way back, just outside of the park entrance we saw someone holding up a sign with newly developed homes for sale on 1+ acres of land. Hmm, maybe we'll have to revisit this place sometime soon...



We're Hitched! Yo ho, yo ho, it's a Navy life for me.

After four months of not blogging, which I blame fully on wedding planning, I am back! As stressful as most people convey wedding planning, it was a joy for me. It was super-exciting to see what was in my mind's eye come to fruition, and all within my tight budget. I believe I found my true calling in life!

We had a fairy tale wedding in a country club in August. Our colors were navy blue and green apple. We had green hydrangea, green cymbidium orchids, jade roses, every kind of green flower imaginable, were incorporated into our flowers. Our bridesmaids dresses were navy blue. People blew bubbles after we were pronounced husband and wife. The food (AND CAKE!!) was amazing. Our DJ gave the whole night such great energy. It was by far the most beautiful and emotional day of my life. I'm so happy to have found my partner-in-crime!

I have been debating for some time as to whether or not I should make the fact that I am now a Navy Wife an integral part of my blog. Seeing as how I will face many a deployment as a Navy wife, it's a lifestyle that not all can handle (I'm still learning the extent to which military spouses sacrifice, having already had a missed birthday and that our 1 month anniversary will be apart) and I plan on using my blog as a happy distraction, an outlet for my creativity and to pass time while I wait for my husband's return! I do want to give a shout-out to all the strong women (and men) out there who are Navy spouses. It's not always rainbows and butterflies in Marriedland; deployments, underways and duty certainly don't make it easier. Hats off to spouses, because we serve too.

I have lots of ideas for things to do while he's away. Getting back into my hobbies now that the wedding festivities are over would be one genre to get me going. Of course, spotlighting different parts of San Diego will keep me out and about as well. Great ideas for blog entries are not in short supply.

With fall already here (my, my how time does fly!), I am drawn to fancy coffee drinks (hello Pumpkin Spice Latte), blankets and caramel apples. I remember for years, my family used to ring in Fall with a trip to the apple orchards in Yucaipa. The last few times we went, we ended up going too late in the year to pick the apples ourselves, but that didn't stop us from having a huge picnic and buying freshly baked apple pies from the dozens of quaint little country store-esque bakeries lining the way out of the orchards. I would love to get everybody together again to do that, it's been ages.

This past weekend I woke up craving some freshly baked goodness for breakfast. It was still summer, yes, but the air was cool and the clouds were letting us know that Fall is on her way. I remembered I had thrown some ripe bananas in the freezer a couple weeks ago with every intent to use them. So that I did. With our eating habits as, um, extravagant as they've been, I decided to make a lowfat and somewhat healthy rendition of banana bread. Here's what I came up with:

**LOWFAT BANANA BREAD**
1.5 c wheat flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c mashed banana (I use frozen, just defrost the whole thing slightly and the peel comes right off, and it's already the right consistency too!)
1/2 c sugar
3 Tbls applesauce (I used no-sugar added applesauce NOT sugar-free, instead of oil, adds fiber and cuts out fat)
a pinch of citrus zest (for this last week's loaf I used lemon zest, but I think orange would be even better)
1/4 c chopped walnuts (I'm not a fan of walnuts, too strongly flavored in the banana bread, but that's just me)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, stir in egg, sugar, banana, applesauce and zest. Add to the flour mixture until just combined, and if you'd like to add walnuts you may do so at this point.
Pour batter into a prepared (non-stick cooking spray) pan (you can use a loaf pan but I used a square pan as I have no more room to acquire a loaf pan, which also benefited me because it took less time to bake).
Bake at 350F until a wooden toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. For the loaf pan it will be about 50 min, for the square pan I used, it took about half the time. Let cool before serving. Happy eats.

And Happy Fall!

Wedding bells are ringing... and trying to live in the moment.

Once again, I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon, in all the efforts to plan a wedding for 150 guests. It's been only about a month since we've been engaged, and I think I've made significant progress!

Photo from our engagement photographer, Tina Jankowski. She did a GREAT job!

Week 1- exactly one week after we got engaged, I was trying on wedding dresses. It was the second dress that I tried on that I fell in love with, and decided that was the one. Of course I still tried on a bunch of other dresses because it's fun, and it only happens once, and it didn't seem like it'd be so much fun to try on wedding dresses after getting married. So I thought I'd have fun with it and enjoy it. I bought my dress that day.

Week 2- I was so worried that 5 months would not be enough time to plan a wedding as extravagant as I (well, my mother, rather) wanted. The fiance and I were fine with a small beautiful ceremony near the ocean at sunset. As long as he wore his beautiful uniform and I found the perfect dress (and shoes, of course) I was fine with an intimate cocktail reception. Classy, elegant, simple. But my mother would have none of this. She claimed she and my father had a large wedding, they had almost 300 people, and that a wedding half that size was not really all that big. Ummm, ok. By week 2 the fiance and I had scouted out a beautiful place that was available around the dates we wanted, but were still searching to make sure all our options had been exhausted.

Week 3- The next thing of course was to show the venue to the parental units. They fell in love with it also, and the venue was booked. Between making invitations and making sure I'm on track with our wedding to-do list, I was booking appointments with DJs, florists, etc.

Week 4- DJ interview went well. Met with a florist. The bridesmaids picked out their dresses. Sooo many details! I found my shoes!!!! Those of you who know me know that I have a great love of shoes. So it was no surprise to me that finding the perfect shoe was going to be a big undertaking. I absolutely had to be in love with these shoes if they were going to be on my feet when I marry my Prince Charming. I went to several different stores, looked online, but nothing really caught my eye. I was frustrated, I love shoe shopping, but nothing had piqued my interest! That is until I walked in to Macy's on Saturday and had a very lovely salesman help me out. He took me straight to the Badgley Mischka table and said "If I could show you a 'bridal shoe table' it would be this one." There were about 4 other women, who all happened to be brides, looking at this table. I knew I was in the right place. He picked up a pair of gorgeous shoes. I tried on a pair. For the 5 minutes I had the shoes on, 4 women stopped, looked down at my feet, and were in awe of the beauty that lay below. I was sold.

Week 5- We found our photographer! So excited! A very good friend of mine I've known since high school informed me that a friend of his that we used to all hang out with has a photography business with his wife. Awesome. Only leaves us with our cake (it was included with our venue, so next week is cake tasting!) and flowers. Oy, flowers. Sooo expensive!! I've decided that since I'm taking the week before the wedding off from work that I shall be the one to put the centerpieces together. It should be fun, I hope.

And so has been the story of wedding planning. It's a lot of fun planning, it's all going by so quickly. I don't think it has quite sunk in yet that I am getting married, much less that I'm engaged. I am enjoying every minute. One thing our DJ told us is that the night goes by very very fast and it's important to streamline all the introductions and hugs and all that because especially after dinner, it's like a whirlwind and it's all over.

Funny how we spend so much time and energy planning for a 5 hour event of 1 day of the rest of our lives. It's so much fun and you're looking forward to it, then all of a sudden you blink and you're married. It's something that I have been looking forward to since I was just a little girl, and it will soon be behind me, a moment I will never get back. Kind of bittersweet when I reflect on it that way. But I plan on enjoying every minute.

I leave you with a poem that has stayed with me since high school, about the passage of time. I memorized it 11 years ago and it's a fitting poem about life and bittersweet moments.
"Caminante, son tus huellas, el camino y nada mas.
Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace camino, y a volver la vista atras,
se ve la senda que nunca se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante, no hay camino, sino estelas en la mar."
-Antonio Machado

My roughly translated version to make sense in English:
Traveller, there are your footprints, the path and nothing more.
Traveller, there is no path, you make the path as you go.
As you go, you make the path, and when you look behind,
you see the path that you will never return to step.
Traveller, there is no path, only wakes in the sea.

Sugar and Spice...

Once again I have fallen of the blogging train. Yes, I am fully aware it has been almost a month since my last post. But good readers, I have a very good excuse. I got engaged a couple of weeks ago to the bf and it has been a whirlwind of visiting venues and wedding cakes and sugar plums and dancing fairies and rainbows and unicorns. Err, maybe not exactly like that but we've been busy planning the wedding of our dreams! Very exciting, very stressful, very unproductive for this little blog of mine.

I decided to no longer neglect my blog when a friend of mine asked for an easy cookie recipe to share with friends. I have a few recipes that I think are really good, and when he said he was looking for oatmeal or chocolate chip cookes I thought of a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother. My grandfather's favorite cookies are oatmeal. Not just oatmeal cookies, BURNT oatmeal cookies. He can't get enough of them. Or maybe he likes 'em burnt just so he doesn't have to share....When my grandma decided to change it up and use a different recipe (not sure where it came from), I asked her to leave some normal ones for us to try. They were fantastic!! I couldn't get enough. The cool thing with these is you can mix in pretty much any kind of "whatever" you want to throw in there. (See suggestions at the bottom) So we'll call them "Everything Cookies". Yes, it's kind of a lot of ingredients, but you throw it all together in three parts, anyone can handle it, I promise! It always helps when you have a willing party to measure everything out for you, too. (And someone to do the dishes!)

As for beer pairing, these would be PHENOMENAL with a stout, I would highly recommend Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. I don't think I could recommend a better pairing. I know it's only 7am, but if you put a pint of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal stout and a plate of these cookies in front of me right now, I simply would not be able to stop myself!! Without further ado, the recipe:

"Everything Cookies"
(NOTE: 1T = 1 Tablespoon, 1t = 1 teaspoon!)
*"Wet" ingredients*
1/2 c vegetable shortening (like Crisco)                     1/2 c butter, room temperature
1 c sugar                                                                  1 c brown sugar
1 T vanilla                                                                2 eggs
*Cream these 6 ingredients together until pale in color

*Dry ingredients*
1 t baking soda                                                        1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt                                                                  2 c flour
*Mix the next 4 ingredients in a bowl separate from the mixture above. Gradually add to the "wet" mixture above until combined.

1 c coconut (optional)                                              2 c crispy rice cereal
2 c oatmeal                                                              2 c chocolate chips (optional)
Mix in the cereal and oatmeal. The coconut and chocolate chips are optional.

Using a spoon sized amount of dough, place on a slightly greased cookie sheet (hello cooking spray, you are my friend). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Happy eating!

***Mix-in Suggestions***
Raisins
Dried fruit (I like apples particularly)
A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg or apple pie spice to make a more traditional oatmeal cookie
Nuts
White chocolate
Orange or lemon zest

OR you could add a glaze (which I haven't done but I think it would be awesome):
Maple
Maple cinnamon
Vanilla... The possibilities are endless!

Beer and Dessert Pairing

Gentle readers, my apologies for not posting sooner, I've been getting over a bug that knocked me flat on my bum. But, alas, the fever and chills have subsided, and I am once again well. This past Friday was finally the night of the beer and dessert pairing!

One of the home brews we tasted on Friday

My friend had 6 beers ready for tasting, which meant I really had my work cut out for me!! The majority of his beers (descriptions are in the previous beer post) were expected to have nutty, bready, or caramel undertones. So to match these I made candied almonds and caramel pecan shortbread. I knew the candied almonds would work with any of those beers. They were not too sweet and I had toasted the almonds to give them the depth of roasting that I thought would cut through the taste of the beer. The caramel pecan shortbread I thought would work well with the beers that had bready flavor. I had hoped the caramel and roasted pecans would bring out some of the character of the beers that maybe would not have been as pronounced otherwise.

A couple of the home brews on tap

My bigger fears lay within the lighter beers which were being sampled. For these I thought chocolate covered candied oranges would complement the citrus notes in the beers and the thin layer of chocolate would contrast with the beers. I started these a month ago--I sliced oranges from my parents' tree in the backyard and let them soak in super-saturated sugar syrup for about 30 days, then dried them out and coated them with chocolate. I have made these before and I like to offer them at Christmas, so it was a treat getting to eat one in the spring!

The one that made me MOST nervous was a brew with spruce and honey. My friend mentioned that it was not expected to have a sweet finish. And the spruce, wow. I initially went to honey, pine nuts, gin? I had absolutely no clue what would complement, cut or contrast a beer with spruce. Or honey, for that matter. What did I make, you ask?? Baklava. Not just ordinary baklava. I chopped almonds and added a touch of cinnamon. I layered the delicate phyllo dough generously with butter, filled it with the almonds and cinnamon, and baked it for an hour and some change. The super-saturated sugar syrup that was used to make the oranges was used in this recipe. I boiled it down til it thickened up, then cooled it and stirred in some honey. I poured it over the freshly baked baklava and let each layer soak up the orange and honey-laced syrup.

When the bf and I arrived after walking a couple of blocks in the San Diego drizzle, desserts in hand, the group had already begun tasting. What was next? The honey and spruce beer. "Which one goes with this one??" they asked. "Baklava," was my reply. I had my reservations about this pairing, but now was as good a time as any to bring out the desserts and laissez les bons temps rouler! As I tasted the beer and then took a bite of the baklava, it was not what I expected. The reaction around the room echoed my sentiments. The small studio with over a dozen people immediately fell silent as we all relished in the flavor of the beer and the after-effects of the orange and honey dancing on the tongue, complementing this beer PERFECTLY. Everyone in the room was reveling in the beer and baklava. At the risk of sounding over-the-top and perhaps a tad cheesy, it was more than just beer and dessert. It was an experience. The pairing I was afraid of most turned out to be the best pairing of the evening.

Desserts (in the background)

We tried the rest of the beers, which went well with the nutty and sweet combinations. We chatted about work, about beer brewing, about life. We listened to music and some people danced. It was lots of fun. We didn't stay long, it had been a long day for both me and the bf. But I was very inspired by the fact that it not only was possible to pair Beer AND Sugar, that it was amazing! You can be sure that I'm ready and willing to do it again soon!!

NOTE: A quick "Thank you!" to my co-worker Mike C. for the pics.

Spherification, Gelification and Foams, oh my!!

Several years ago I was watching a show on Food Network about foods of the future. It was burned into my mind that day... A chef wanted people to "taste light", so he melted sugar and blew it by hand into the shape of a lightbulb. He "served" it with orange oil, which was spritzed into the air as patrons broke the delicate sugar bulb and dissolved it on their tongues.

Another chef wanted to reinvent the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He made a sphere of peanut butter and froze it in liquid nitrogen. At this point, he liquified the jelly and dipped the frozen peanut butter into the jelly to coat completely. The peanut butter was still so cold that it froze the coating of jelly. He added several more layers of the jelly before setting it aside.  He wanted to get the essense of bread without the same texture, so he made a "soup" out of the bread and plated that first. He then added the pb&j sphere to the plate, and by then the jelly had melted and made a gelatinous shell around the peanut butter.

Why all the effort? And how is this all done? The culinary community a terribly competitive world, so it makes sense that chefs are looking for ways to set themselves apart from others.

More like a prolonged chemistry experiment, molecular gastronomy uses such chemicals as calcium lactate gluconate, xanthan and sodium alginate. Chefs rely on the "cooking" properties of mixing said chemicals in a water bath and work their "cooking" magic on the ingredients, creating spheres with a gummy outer shell and a liquid interior or turning liquids into solid spheres such as spherical yogurt or spherical "olives" made from olive juice. As this is considered fine dining, the portions are small, usually served on Chinese soup spoons. These recipes can take over 24hrs, it can be time-consuming to set up the water bath.

Photo credit: http://www.molecularrecipes.com/spherification/
Visit site to view recipes!

Molecular gastronomy completely challenges how we view food. I found a recipe for "ice cream", only it's served hot. As it cools, it begins to melt. It's more like a custard or pudding from what I read, but it's called ice cream because as it comes closer to room temperature, it melts, just as ice cream would.

So when I saw a preview for a show on Syfy for a show called Marcel's Quantum Kitchen, which was ALL about a chef who does special events tailored around a molecular gastronomy menu, I was thrilled! It's a total chemistry experiment, and it's so inspiring to see people use their imaginations (and science) to turn our traditional notions of food on its bum. It's on in FIVE minutes. Can't wait!

Visiting Nature

So often we get bombarded by daily life--skyscrapers, cell phones, laptops, traffic. Wake up, sit at the computer for 8 hours (or 9 in my case) and go home, only to have to look forward to the same thing the next day. We get so caught up in our own little technology bubbles that we, on occasion, need to just burst that bubble and relax for a minute! I find it amusing that while at one point in time (and not even that long ago) most of a person's work was done outdoors, tending to the fields or livestock, we now seek the outdoors as a means to escape the monotony and boredom, to detox from daily life.

It is for this reason a couple weeks ago that, when my co-workers invited me to join them in going to the Botanic Gardens in Encinitas, I thought it would be a lovely idea. We hopped in the car and drove to Encinitas. The drive alone is picturesque, as you drive up the 5 there's an amazing ocean view to the west that always makes me want someone else to drive so I can stare out the window, especially as the afternoon sun draws closer to the horizon.

We arrived at around 1030 to the delicate fragrance of cookies and pineapple. Why it smelled like that I have no clue, but it was a beautiful aroma of sweet florals wafting through the air. With more than 4 acres of gardens to explore, we decided to start at one end and work our way around the circle.

We began close to the gift shop and wound our way through the New Zealand, Central American, Canary Islands and Australian Gardens. Each garden has plants native to its appellation, various blooms and plants for as far as the eye can see.

The Children's Garden was my favorite, I think. They had a very interesting plant whose name I no longer recall, with beautiful drop blossoms and quarter-sized spheres with a curious texture.

Farther up the path are beautiful hibiscus flowers. Not only are they enticing to look at in their simplicity, I love hibiscus for tea on a cool cloudy day like today, or iced with some sugar for an agua fresca, to beat the hot summer sun-- and once upon a time, I even found candied hibiscus at Trader Joe's, which was delicious.

Walking past the waterfall in the Tropical Rain Forest, one may cross a bridge to an overlook. Of this, I wish I would have taken a picture. Looking down from the gazebo is all of Encinitas, newly built dream houses with white picket fences. Sigh, maybe someday. Looking outward, to the west, is the most picturesque ocean view. Light breeze, warm sun. On the edge, the very edge of the horizon, the eye makes out a large ship, moving along the waters shimmering from the afternoon sun...

By the time I realize I am still entranced by the ocean view, we've meandered to the Fruit Garden. Banana trees abound. Citrus trees have maturing fruit, tempting visitors to disregard the "DO NOT PICK FRUIT". It wasn't until now that I understood Adam and Eve's temptation!! What a shame that some of those perfect lemons and cara cara oranges with their deliciously pink flesh were on the floor.

On our way to the Herb Garden we found ourselves in the Desert Garden. Another lovely ocean view, but I chose to focus on the garden, which to my surprise had succulents mixed in with these:

And finally, walking through the Bamboo Garden, we saw many species of bamboo. My favorite was a two-toned bamboo with deep yellow stripes against the bright green shoots. Walking through one can also see the sculptures donated by local artists which reflect the tone of each garden. But the plants speak for themselves.

On the way out, I noticed that the Botanic Garden also has events on a regular basis, like a Chocolate Festival (in May, I'd love to go!) and a Lady Bug Day (my favorite insect). Visiting the Botanic Gardens set me right as rain. The relaxed pace at which we toured the gardens allowed me to literally stop and smell the flowers. Sometimes that's all we need to get us ready to go back to the real world.... Now where's my cell phone??

Beer Cuisine, Part Deux

Ohhhhh kay, I just got word of what my friend has planned for the tasting party. He was definitely busy, he's got 5 (count 'em, FIVE!) brews to be sampled. He sent me a description of each one, which I shall paraphrase. Aaaaand the ideas are rollin'! These are all PRELIMINARY ideas!! No passing judgments on my brainstorm session!

1. English Mild Ale -- ~3.5% ABV, dark english ale
Light-bodied, light to medium brown in color, lower carbonation
Very low hop flavor, but should be spicy and earthy hops with slight fruitiness. Very subtle chocolately/nutty taste, slight molasses flavor from brown sugar. Expected to be a very light fruity ale with enough dark malt backbone to make it interesting.
MY THOUGHTS: When I read spicy/earthy my mind immediately ventured into the cinnamon (spice) and oatmeal (earth) realm of desserts. The fruitiness kinda throws me off right now. When I hear fruitiness I usually think citrus but it doesn't sound like that's the case here. The molasses and nutty tones still make me think something simple (yet delicious) with oatmeal (maybe with a dash of cocoa infused in the dough/batter, etc.) may complement this brew. I still need to think about this some more, as I think even the texture of the cookie should contribute to the tasting experience.

2. German 'Altbier' Ale -- ~5% ABV
Color is copper to very light brown, with some red hues, high carbonation
Clean finish, 'grainy' German malts, spicy hop bitterness, lighter body with a very dry finish. Like a refreshing light German lager, but with a bit more color and flavor.  Flavor is slight bready and toasty, fine spicy/floral aroma.
MY THOUGHTS: Bready and toasty popped out at me, initial thoughts are of a sweet bread of some sort to bring those flavors out. Maybe something with toasted almonds or pecans... The spicy and floral can be added with some creativity... Maybe eclairs with a filling infused with toasted nuts... I'll need to ask what kind of floral tones we're dealing with...
3. English Extra Special Bitter (ESB) -- ~5.5% ABV
Clear orange/copper appearance with minimal head
Bready-tasting malts, and earthy hops, moderate fruitiness. Slightly caramel-sweet finish, but not overly sweet. Similar to #1, but higher alcohol content, more earthy hoppiness, lighter color and flavor. Bready, biscuity flavor on the finish.
MY THOUGHTS: Biscuity flavor draws my mind to shortbread cookies or biscotti, not a lot of sweetness to those cookies, which would complement the beer. If I were to make the cookies out of brown sugar vice white sugar it may bring out more of the caramel tones in the beer.

4. American Brown Ale -- ~5.5%
Dark Brown color, Medium body and medium to high carbonation
Nutty/chocolately, caramel malts, flavor typical of brown ales. Fair amount of citrus, tastes a bit like a dark, more-richly flavored Pale Ale.
MY THOUGHTS: Chocolate and orange. Somehow. But not a strong, uber sweet chocolate, maybe bittersweet chocolate at most.

5. Strong American Amber with Honey and Spruce -- ~8%
Very deep red color, Medium to full body, high carbonation, big creamy lasting head.
Strong hoppy red ale with piney/sprucey/honey flavor, balanced by loads of sweet caramel malts. Could be a wild card.
MY THOUGHTS: Honey and caramel, check. The pine... Hmmm. I am very intrigued and I think he's right that this could definitely turn out to be a wild card. It's a bold pairing but I like the sense of adventure. Something with pine nuts maybe? There's a bacon-y smokiness about pine nuts, which stimulates my imagination as to how it'd taste when mixed with caramel or molasses flavors. I think my dessert will be just as adventuresome as this brew.

Initial thoughts aside, I don't want to just whip up a batch of cookies for each beer. I'd like to think along the lines of cookies, bread, pastries, ice cream, maybe even a tiramisu type dish if I could get the flavor combinations right. I want to find balances of texture as well as flavor, I don't want the same cookie-cutter (pun intended) line up. So for this I will need to brainstorm more. And that quite possibly may entail experimentation. I can't wait.

Beer Cuisine

Yesterday at a Friday afternoon happy hour with co-workers, one of my co-workers divulged that he had a couple of batches of home brews which will be ready for tasting soon. He mentioned that he would like to have a tasting party in a few weeks. He asked me if I might be able to make some desserts which would complement his brews.

So I got to thinking, what is my favorite thing in this whole entire world--combinations!!! A firm believer in the "two heads are better than one" school of thought--everything gets better when it has a partner in crime. The added complexity and completion from the marriage of two things (keep it simple!!)--anything from color combinations (hello orange and navy blue!) that please the eye to food (mmm peanut butter and chocolate) to finding awesome desserts that pair with varying flavors of beer--an intriguing challenge. I am soooo excited!

Not being able to drink wine puts me in a difficult position--I'd like to be educated about pairing food with alcoholic beverages, but because of my allergy I cannot partake in the countless weekend courses pairing wines with cheese, chocolate, and entrees. I know there are courses out there for pairing with beer, but I think my unbiased ignorance will make it fun; I get free reign to play with flavor combinations so long as I know what to expect from the beers that my friend is making. Even then, there are no set rules for pairing, it's a "to each his own" sort of realm to experiment. So that I shall do.

After a 5 minute browsing sesh I found that pairing beer is much like selecting a diamond. Only with beer, there're only three C's, not four. :)

The 3 C's to keep in mind:
- Cut
- Complement
- Contrast

Before learning that, I just thought I'd complement the beers. Because I don't know what exactly to expect from the beers (I don't quite know what we'll be tasting yet), I am at this point hesitant to offer a dessert that the beer will cut or contrast. That being said, I know like with magnets, opposites most certainly attract, so I will keep that in mind but venture on the side of caution.

When I think of lighter beers like lagers and light ales, my mind immediately goes into brainstorm mode. I think poultry, grilled veggies, barbeque, summer, thirst-quenching. Usually simpler than most beers, they can be enjoyed in larger quantity (within responsible limits, of course) and upon further thought, maybe I do want a dessert that will contrast with a lager or light ale, should my friend happen to have us sample such a brew.

When I think of wheat beers I think of bread, citrus, coriander, spice, pumpkin, banana, fruit, vanilla even. Wheat beers are my favorite. I can drink them with most of what I eat because they're light enough to be served with seafood, chicken, veggies, and have enough going on to keep drinking it with a light dessert.

Amber ales--not as hoppy as the stronger (my less favorite) bitter India pale ales, more malty and generally more complex than it's aforementioned sisters. I think of caramels, burnt sugar perhaps, sweetness, but still with a linger of hops. I'm struggling with this one. Do I want to pair it with caramel flavors? Would it just meld in with the beer's flavor and get lost? My goal is to find a balance, one way or the other, such that neither beer nor dessert be overwhelmed by the other. Requires more thought...

Bitter ales--these probably being my least favorite of all beers, I'm not usually a huge fan of hoppy brews. They seem unfinished to my palate. But, never one to snub most food or beverage without judging them for myself (well, there may be exceptions), I shall attempt my best shot at brainstorming. Because of their strong nature, I want to find something that will stand up to the hops, without being rich in the chocolaty sense. I might have to sample a bitter ale just to get a better grasp on this one...

Porters, stouts--my second favorite. I think smoky flavors, mesquite, chocolate, creamy, oatmeal, Irish cream, strong and robust flavors that you can find underlying in the beers themselves. I also think of hearty fruits that pair well with chocolate like raspberries and blackberries. This is probably going to be the easiest class of beer to pair.


My favorite stout, sweet and delish. Perfect with any dessert.

I have not had too much exposure to Bocks, of which I sampled one with my dad, who's favorite is Celebrator's Doppelbock. If I recall correctly it was rick, dark and hoppy. I prefer the maltiness of the stouts and porters. Maybe something with bitter chocolate would pair well?

And last but certainly not least (the IPA's were farther up the list!) the lambics. Oh Lambics, how I love thee. These are special brews because they are double-fermented and usually sweet. Some can be sour and fruity as well. I think of salads with vinaigrettes and fruity desserts with vanilla. Sour lambics are a bit more challenging to pair, but the tartness of cherries (in particular) currently come to mind.

Lindeman's Framboise, possibly the most popular lambic around

Sooo many beers, so many possibilities!!

I need a vacation!!

This week has been long! I mean yes, it is the same hourly duration as any other week, but perhaps it is life's daily stresses that make my mind scream "vacay!"!! Where my humble pocketbook dost not venture, my mind can...

Back in 2001 my uncle got married in Sonoma. I was in high school at the time, so I didn't enjoy Sonoma for most reasons that people head up north. That and I was not even remotely aware that I was allergic to wine. Anyways, the road trip alone with all my cousins was loads of fun. From accidentally flinging a tomato which landed on a fast food booth's glass divider, sliding down the glass leaving a trail of secret sauce as we filled the entire restaurant with roaring laughter--to classing it up with a trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train for the Rehearsal Dinner, it is to this day one of the most memorable road trips I have been on.

The Sonoma Mission Inn is where the wedding was held. Wherever the eyes roam is a new picture perfect for framing. Driving up the long driveway all you can see is a vast compound. You really can't tell what awaits until the valet opens your door and you step outside...

As teenagers who were somewhat restless after a couple hours of the evening's festivities, we decided to roam the grounds. We stumbled into the pool at dusk. The water looked so inviting, like the warmth would melt all the stresses and worries away.

We also walked around the corner where we saw the spa. Oh how I would love love love to get a massage from one of their masseuses and relax in a luxurious cabana outdoors! I can see myself relaxing there now... The ambiance of the afternoon light, the soothing scent of lavender massage oil, soft soothing music so far in the background you must be at complete peace to hear it. Muscles relaxing, tension letting go...

Being there then, I didn't appreciate all that I saw. But revisiting it in my mind, everything about the place, from the attention to interior design details, to the landscaping and architecture--everything-- entices guests to check their worries at the door. So to you, Sonoma Mission Inn, I leave my worries. You can have 'em.



The little plumeria that could (I hope)

I finally got around to going to the local hardware store and picked out a cute pot with a hole in the bottom. I proceeded to spend $7 on 5lbs of rocks which I think is kinda dumb since I could have just found some or something. Picked up some sand. Grabbed some soil. Ok, I think I got this. Maybe.

What you need to know about me is the reason I've been putting off planting my little plumeria is because I'm TERRIFIED. Over the course of the last couple years I've killed multiple orchid plants, a beautiful hydrangea which changed colors over the course of its blooming (I have yet to find another one that does that--it was a special hybrid that I found at Lowe's one day while I was on a mission to make my grandparents' anniversary invitations and I needed to press some green flowers to make the invites), countless herbs, and yes, even a few cacti!!!!!! I don't know what it is with me, but for some reason I have a very difficult time keeping plants alive. As we speak I have a bamboo shoot that is dying in a ceramic pot in my bathroom. You only have to let those things sit in water--how does it manage to die on me?!?!

Not wanting to bear all of the burden of this plant perhaps not taking root, I had the bf help me out. I figured if I had an accomplice it wouldn't be all my fault if the thing never decided to grow. So off we started. Poured rocks at the bottom. Added the mix of sand and dirt. Planted the stalk in the soil a third of the way in. Water generously, then again only when the soil is completely dry (ok well I have yet to do the last part, it's still wet).


Spartacus wanted to help too

I even took it inside after I planted it because over the weekend it was hailing. I did have enough common sense to know that a tropical plant probably wouldn't be too keen on being left outside in the freezing cold. That's just cruel.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it does well, takes root, and starts sprouting some leaves!

Aloha!

About a month ago I got back from a business trip to Honolulu. It was my first time to Hawaii...

...I. Was. CRANKY. Despite all the hullabaloo about how beautiful it is and after all the "Lucky!" and "Sooo jealous!!" statements, there I sat on the plane, dreading the entire trip altogether. Not only did I have to go through the new scanners that expose you to radiation equivalent to a few hours of flight in a matter of milliseconds, but I got a VERY thorough pat-down (I'd call it second base at least!!) waaaaaaaaaay to early in the morning which I felt was entirely unnecessary since the TSA had seen through every inch of my body. I knew I wouldn't have time to sight-see. It would be 6 hours on a plane (which, by the way, I'm a white-knuckle flyer--it's not my favorite thing in the world), 6 hours back. Wake up early for work, do my thing, get back to the hotel, clean up, have a working dinner, watch tv til I fall asleep. I'd done the same thing when I went to Albuquerque a few months back, except this trip to work, eat and sleep was a 6 hour plane ride away. Raaawwwwrrrrr.

Getting out of the airport and getting the boss' rental car was the usual. First things first, we had a meeting to take care of as soon as we landed. Ok that was taken care of. Checking into the hotel gave me the first notion that maybe it wouldn't be as boring as I thought it would be. Staying at a Hilton is never a bad gig. Staying at a Hilton in Hawaii is even less so.

The "lobby" was little more than a roof and a tall granite concierge station. The rest was open to the moist warm air, the palm trees, the sound of water splashing from the pools and fountains and of course, the ocean view a mere matter of yards from where I stood.

I took this photo upon my arrival to the hotel.

Because there were no king sized beds available, the concierge upgraded me to a partial ocean view. On the 23rd Floor. Awesome.

The view from my room. Looks like something out of a travel pamphlet!!

The first night of dinner was as expected. It was a long day and I needed a drink. Never in my life had I tasted a pina colada as sweet and fresh and fabulous as I'd tasted that night. It also had fresh strawberry puree at the bottom, and the sweetest pineapple wedge balanced on the rim like only Hawaii can pick. Best $11 I've ever spent on a drink.

The second afternoon we had some free time, so I decided to make good use of it and walk down the boardwalk towards Diamond Head. Just in time to watch the sun set. I thought maybe here I'd get to see the green flash...



Took this while standing with my toes in the sand on Waikiki Beach

I went out to dinner with the boss again to a seafood restaurant. Now those of you who know me know I'm not a huge fan of cooked fish. At. All. So when I saw the Tuna Carpaccio I could not resist. It was served with a mild warm sesame oil and topped with sweet Maui onions and radish greens with a housemade chili sauce similar to sriracha. The crispness of radish and onion was the perfect complement to the delicate, buttery texture of the fresh tuna, which was only made better by the slight bite from the chili sauced which graced my plate. My mouth waters as I type.

...So as not to bore with EVERY single detail, the rest of the trip went as expected, but I wasn't cranky about being in Hawaii at any other part of the trip than before I was there. While at the Honolulu Airport, I happened to glance a cart which was selling various plants native to Hawaii to be brought back to the mainland. So I just had to stop and take a look. I found a couple really beautiful looking images of plumeria on the package and decided to take them home with me. I gave one to my mom as a souvenir, and decided to keep the other one here with me. And I barely got around to planting it yesterday. I'll post more about it tomorrow.

The SD challenge

A couple of weeks ago I was begging the bf to take me to Coronado and watch the sun set. He was initially hesitant, as he doesn't like to brave the hordes of tourists and townies alike vying for a patch of bench real estate to catch a glimpse of the sun sink into the Pacific. I explained to him that a sunset was in order, that I wanted to get a chance to see the elusive "green flash", that I wanted to --"Green flash? What are you talking about?"

"Well, the green flash is... um, at the very last moment before the sun dips below the horizon, sometimes you can see a green flash." At which point I had to pull out the 'ol smart phone to wikipedia why, in fact, said green flash occurs.

Growing up I was the most inquisitive person on the face of the planet. I would ask questions constantly about why things were the way they were and I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could. So, of course it was only natural for me to feel the need to find out while sitting on a bench with my hot Chai latte to counter the cool breezy evening.

(found this photo on wiki)

"Ok wikipedia says it has to do with the light slowing down because of the density of the air towards the horizon. The rays follow paths that curve in the same direction as the curvature. Blue and green--that end of the spectrum has a higher frequency and curves more than the reds and oranges--lower frequency light, so green light from the setting sun can still be seen for a brief moment after the red light is obstructed by the earth's curvature. Kinda like for the same reason the sky is blue I guess."

Ok so that was a total lesson physics. What can I say, I'm partial to it. I was a physics major for two years and some change, sorry for nerding out!

So there we sat, on the bench, waiting for the sun to set. Unfortunately, there were too many clouds along the horizon to catch a sunset, so we decided to escape the cold and walk back to the car.

"Next time," he said.
"K."

So it was then that I decided that we should make it a point to visit at least one point of interest in every suburb of SD. I'll post the checklist and highlights in my next post!

Rain, Rain...

...is on the horizon. The looming clouds are not yet the right shade of gray, but I can feel it in the air. The dampness in the air clings to my skin, so I know it won't be long before the rains come. I used to hate the rain, it always made for a boring day indoors when I was dying to go outside and soak up the non-existent sun. But nowadays I don't mind it as much. There's something incredibly comforting in the idea of taking shelter while the rain falls heavily outside, martini--I mean hot cocoa--in hand, snuggled under a blanket with a good book or great company. Hell, you could even throw in some freshly made kettle corn. But I digress from the intent of this post...

There's nothing more satisfying than getting inside when it's raining, changing out of your wet clothes, and having a hot, hearty meal to look forward to. When I woke up this morning and saw the clouds, my mind immediately went to "Hmmm, what should I make for dinner tonight?" Several things came to mind, but I've narrowed it down to two entrees. In fact, as I write this I'm still debating as to which one I'd rather have tonight.

First thought: pot roast. Beef slow-cooked in a rich onion soup until it's so tender it falls off the fork. Baby carrots and tender white potatoes that add depth and texture to the soup. It's pretty easy to make...

**POT ROAST**
- Beef (chuck, rump roast, etc.) I usually estimate 1/2lb per person.
- 1 pkg Onion soup mix
- Water
- Baby carrots
- Potatoes
- Flour/Cornstarch for thickening to make gravy

- Set your burner to high with a pot large enough to cover the meat in water.
- Place the meat fat-side down and let it brown. This makes your kitchen smell amazing, but it also gives a great flavor to the beef. Turn it over when it is sufficiently browned, you'll know when it's slightly past golden that it's ready to flip. Let each side of the meat brown.
- Pour a packet of onion soup mix over the meat, and then add just enough water to cover the roast. Your heat is still on high at this point, so let it come to a boil, then lower the flame to low, put the lid on and go do your thing for 1.5 hours. At this point, you may now add the carrots and potatoes, then let everything cook together for another half hour. Yes, 2 hours total. On low heat. It's not labor intensive, and is a great make-ahead meal, so don't be discouraged that it takes 2 hours. You'll find that the meat falls off the fork.
- Gravy:
In a separate deep saucepan, add some soup from the roast, tasting to make sure it doesn't need extra salt, it probably won't. Take some flour and mix it into a small amount of cold water, it should be like a watery paste. Stirring constantly so as to avoid lumps, add in the slurry. Boil until the mixture thickens. Plate your roast and veggies and generously bathe with the onion soup gravy.
******************

Ok recipe over. I try to serve a protein, a starch and a veggie at every meal, so I started thinking what to serve with it. The idea of freshly baked bread came to mind. I looked up a recipe for focaccia bread online and found one which I'd like to use. But then when I started thinking about it, I thought fresh bread and chili sound really stellar together.

So at the risk of boring you, gentle readers, with recipe after recipe I shall leave to your imagination how I make the chili and focaccia bread. But the hot chili and the warmth from the smoked paprika, rich garlic, cumin, even undertones of cocoa made me reconsider the roast idea. I like making mine out of ground turkey, it's healthier that way.

The focaccia recipe I found was simple, and I thought it would be awesome to add some chopped fire roasted green chiles (from the can!) and perhaps some monterey jack cheese on top and let it bake. Bread takes a while to make, so I think I'm going to get going on that!

Any rainy day plans of your own?

Welcome to The Littlest San Diegan's Blog!

I am excited to finally create a blog and share my inspirations and passions. "Why jump on the Blogging Bandwagon now?" you may ask yourself, but I had so many things that I care to write about that I just couldn't cram into my teeny Moleskine day planner anymore. Hence, the breaking down and setting up a blog.

A little background on me: Not a San Diego native, but a SoCal native indeed. I love to see new places. In fact, I've lived in a handful of counties throughout the years because of said quirk, but I must say that San Diego is the first place I've actually felt a great connection with. Home.

I grew up cooking--at the ripe old age of 2, I would be set up on the kitchen counter by my grandma, her primary intent of keeping me out of trouble, but it wasn't long before I was asking what she was doing and helping her stir whatever was on the stove while she reached for some extra salt or filled a small spoonful to taste-test the evening's meal. I was about 8 when I decided that it would be my lifelong dream to open a restaurant. Now I also went through the "doctor, lawyer, teacher, veterinarian, astronaut, astrophysicist" phase but my desire to one day be a chef and restauranteuse has not yet faded. It has, instead, been overshadowed by the everso financially stable engineering career path, but food is a sincere passion of mine which I intend to persue regardless of whether or not it gets me a paycheck.

This little blog of mine will be my forum, primarily to discuss food, travel and any other hobby of the moment--I find inspiration in so many aspects of life! I hope you find it entertaining.