Friday Favorite: Silver Oak

A delicious bottle of wine I recently had the opportunity to drink. What a treat!

Thanks Jim!!

Memorable Meals of 2009

Well. In looking back at all of the meals I’ve had in 2009, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky. And a little bit full. But seriously. I ate amazing meals in two country this year (Hong Kong and the U.S.), and within the U.S., I ate in tons of cities including San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York City, Sonoma, Sacramento, Bodega Bay and Pebble Beach.

There were last meals at some favorite restaurants and first meals at some new restaurants. There were lots of old favorites and some old solid stand bys. Many meals at NOPA, Nopalito, Beretta, A16, SPQR, Fish & Farm, OTD Bush Street, Poleng Lounge, midi, Frances, Quince (old and new, thank you very much), Starbelly, Maverick, and Humphy Slocombe (yes, I consider those delicious ice cream cones a meal!)…

And then a delicious meal at Canteen with a dear new friend, seven courses of beef in the Tenderloin, an amazing warm summer night dinner at Park Chalet, and a fun fun FUN meal at El Dorado Kitchen.

Meals in my old SF neighborhood: Rex Café, Pesce, ZA Pizza, Café Meuse, U-Lee, Nick’s Crispy Tacos, Okozu, Polkers…

Meals in my new SF neighborhood: Beretta, Bar Tartine, Range, Monk’s Kettle, Contigo, Incanto…

And of course, some of the best meals were meals had at home! Dad’s home, my home, Tatiana’s many feasts, crabs in Defne’s new home, Sabine and Rohit’s house, many meals at Chad and Grace’s house-especially while Chad was in between gigs, my Michelle’s houses—my sister, Huie and Mah, Jen and Troy’s house, and lots and lots and LOTS of meals at Sarah and Evan’s house. To all of my friends and family that fed me—THANK YOU!

I had great meals in Miami at Sra. Martinez, Area 31, and at my dear friend Jorge’s house. Great meals in Washington, D.C. at Oyamel, Urbana, Tabard Inn, Proof, Circa, and then drinks at Marvin and The Gibson (again, yes, it counts as a meal!)

There were beautiful weddings were we of course indulged in delicious food—Mark and Serene, Nancy and Greg, and Bahram and Kristin.

Special events/meals including the Share Our Strength SF Gala dinner, Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival, Cochon555 and the SF. Chefs. Food. Wine Event.

And New York meals…who could forget the many many MANY New York meals? Blue Ribbon Sushi, Momofuku Saam, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Milk Bar, Boqueria, Harrison, 10 Downing, and The Breslin. There was also the brunch at Spotted Pig where I truly learned the meaning of “it’s a small world.” I can’t forget about my NY liquid dinners—Bobo, Jane Ballroom, Randolph, Whiskey Ward, PDT, Pegu Club, Employees Only and Summit Bar.

There were also some awesome Brooklyn eats: Prime Meats, Diner, Clover Club, Char No 4 and Marlowe and Sons.

Incredible.

If I had to pick my Top 10 Meals of 2009? Oy vey. Not a particularly easy task…but nevertheless. Amongst the many amazing experiences and meals, here are some of my favorites (in chronological order…)

1. One of my last meals in Hong Kong at the very start of 2009 at Tai Woo in Kowloon. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

2. The special pre-opening meal at midi restaurant in San Francisco with my friend Michelle...it reminded me of why I love the restaurant industry so much. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

3. My 30th birthday weekend in Sonoma—so many delicious meals over the weekend, but especially my birthday dinner prepared by my dear friend Wendy. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

4. Pebble Beach Food & Wine weekend! From a special meal at Peppoli restaurant to the L.A. Michelin stars dinner…it was an amazing weekend, in a beautiful setting and with some good friends. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

5. My Chinese French Laundry experience at Jai Yun restaurant with good friends, both old and new. That meal completely changed the way I think about Chinese food. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

6. My Last Supper at Postrio. Delicious. Sad. Happy. Sentimental. Anger. I had so many feelings that night. But at the end of it all? I realized I was one of the lucky ones--I had been part of something special. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

7. My dear friend Bahram’s wedding—which was not just a one night affair. It included a whole four days of festivities, fun and good food. (Read about that meal here in this old post.)

8. The many, MANY meals at Incanto…from taking two good friends, Seis and Lisa, to Cucina Poverna with good friends on a warm Sunday night, to a last minute Girl’s Night at the Incanto bar, to taking pals Defne and Joe there, to sharing the Leg of the Beast meal with a special 13 year old. I am never disappointed, I always love taking friends in to experience all that Chef Chris and his team have up their sleeves. (Read about that meal here in this old post, and here and here and here.)

9. My TWO Thanksgiving dinners. Because one just isn't enough. And I'm surrounded by people that love me (and good food.) (Read about both of those meals here in this old post.)

10. My TWO Christmas dinners. You can't have just one Christmas dinner after having two Thanksgiving dinners. (Read about both of those meals here in this old post.)

Ok. So that’s maybe a few more than ten meals. But hey, how is a girl suppose to choose from all of those amazing meals? 2010 is already starting off with a bang, and I know it’s going to be just as hard at the end of this year to choose ten amazing meals. But hey, I think I’m ok with that. I’m up for the challenge. In the meantime, thank you to everyone for sharing so many wonderful meals with me. Here’s to many more amazing meals in the new year!!

Urban Hike--Liberty Hill

What a great way to kick off the new year. I was suppose to be hiking in Marin with some friends today, but that was canceled due to the recent rains and muddy paths. So instead? I talked two of my good friends into an urban hike instead! And it turned out to be a beautiful morning for it.

Check out these photos from the various parts of our hike on and all around Liberty Hill today:

And to think--all of this, within the SF city limits. I saw SO many cool spots this morning, and all relatively close to my house. There were some intense hills, some stairs, some STEEP downhills, and lots of curves and turns. It was an AWESOME hike. I can't wait to explore more of the local hills, neighborhoods, and sights. Thanks to Jason and Eric for the great company and especially to Eric for leading us on this great hike. When are we going again??

Mt. Wanda

Some gorgeous photos from my recent Christmas Eve hike on Mt. Wanda. Many of the photos are courtesy of Cycling Teaching Guy, who has a fancy new camera and took many gorgeous pics.

The path...

Great views of the East Bay!

I loved this little barn in the distance and am glad my friend Adam's camera was able to capture this image framed by the pretty trees.

It was sunny and surprisingly not too cold--gotta love living in California!

I LOVED this picture of the leaves up close.

Gorgeous shot as you're approaching the final stretch of the hike. You can see how the trees almost create an awning overhead.

And one of the things I loved the most? This little bench just off of the path. I know I'll be back on this hike, and I have visions of sitting on this bench and contemplating the world with a good friend.

Here's to getting out on more hikes in 2010!!

Friday Favorite: A Three Legged Pig

One of the best house warming gifts I received after my big move.

According to the little tag, in the village of Pomaire, Chile, it's believed that little pigs bring good luck, and three legged pigs bring especially good luck.

So my thoughtful friends Sarah and Evan, appropriately, thought of me! Here's hoping this little piggy and new home bring me lots and lots of good luck in the new year! Happy New Year everyone!!

Meal of the Month: December

As 2009 comes to an end, I think about my December meals. What a treat to have had so many delicious meals. As I fully settled into my new neighborhood, many of my meals were local!

Two great experiences at Frances, Osha Thai food (after an afternoon of decorating my Christmas tree!), margaritas and nibbles at Velvet Cantina after a VERY long Saturday of working, an awesome meal with an awesome girlfriend at Monk’s Kettle (which lead to LOTS of drinks at the Phoenix!), a Mission food and drink crawl which included Range and Bar Tartine, and well, yes, of course, a number of meals at Beretta.

There was also dinners at Fritz, Delarosa, Poleng Lounge, an extra special dinner at Fish & Farm with my favorite 2 little boys, and nibbles (and Manhattans) at Postrio after an successful day of post-Christmas shopping.

And then there were lots of dinners at home. Well, not necessarily my home. There was a yummy night getting our fingers nice and dirty and eating some crabs at my pal Defne’s house. And then the yummy pasta night at Tatiana’s house with her and Easton (followed by lots of wine and good TV). And then dinner at my friend Adam’s sweet pad in Danville (which was followed by some trampolining in the rain…umm, that's a whole other story!)

But the Meal of the Month? Well, how could it not be my Christmas dinners? Oh yes. Dinners. Plural. Did I mention there was more than one? Like Thanksgiving, I have good fortune of having two meals that were very Christmasy. One with my good friend’s family and one with my own.

I’m very lucky to love my family, but the family that you choose, or have the good luck of meeting, can also be very special. It’s wonderful to have people in your life that have welcomed you into their life. And into their homes. An early Christmasy dinner with the Mo, Matt, Adam, Brendan and Jim sure reminded me how lucky I was to have these people in my life. To be invited into their home time and time again, to be able to take part in the precious family time that they all get together, and to be able to cook, drink wine, and eat with them was a treat.

Photos courtesy of Adam

Just a short day later, Christmas with my own family. In my own home. It was great to be able to have them all over for such a special meal. My first Christmas in my own home. It might have been my first Christmas in my home, but it certainly wasn't a new menu. We ate our traditional Christmas dinner--prime rib, Chinese broccoli, bok choy, baked potatoes, yams...and our secret recipe gravy! YUM! No matter what, Christmas won't be Christmas until I share this meal with my loved ones.

Photos courtesy of Michelle

To my friends and family--thanks for a yummy December!! Happy New Year!!

Resolutions

I don't always do the whole resolution thing. But this year, I've been doing a lot of thinking. About this past year, next year, and this next decade. What do I have in store for myself? What do I want? And what do I want to change?

In no particular order, here are some things I want to focus on:

Put down the BlackBerry
I'm addicted. It's practically attached to my hand and it never leaves my side. Why? I have a friend Jonathan, who when ever he is with you, he puts away his phone. And he makes a point not to take phone calls. I'm not saying I'll go completely 180 degrees, but there is a time and a place for the BlackBerry. I'm gonna walk away more.

Make healthier choices
Whether it’s choosing the healthier option when looking at the menu at dinner, or choosing the hilly route home, or skipping that glass of wine and opting for the early morning Pilates class instead, I’m going to make healthier choices.

Letting go
Sometimes, I hold on too much. I have grudges. It's not healthy. Either those people are no longer in my life, or I just have to let go of it and not let them bother me. I'm likely the only one being bothered by it at all! Why hang on to these negative feelings? So to those old friends, frustrating colleagues, family members I've lost respect for and ex boyfriends, I'm letting go.

Go solo
I like being around people. I like having company. I like talking to friends. I like bouncing ideas off of someone else. I like sharing my thoughts and feelings. But I'm with people a lot. It wouldn't be a bad thing for me to do more things alone. Eat out. Go for a hike. Sit in a coffee shop. Go to a bar. One of the best memories I have, is from sitting alone in a coffee shop in Paris while my friend Matt was at work. Having those days alone and wandering the city solo was incredible. Why wait for Paris? Why not do it here too?

Pilates pilates pilates!
Every single time I do Pilates, I feel instantly better. I'm thinking about the next time I can go to a class before the session's even over! So why is it so hard for me to stick to a routine? (Hmm, likely because very little in my life is routine...) I'm going to stick to it next year. Really schedule it in-and let very few things get in the way of it.

Clear the clutter
When I moved this last year, I threw away a lot of things. But even so, I still have a lot of things. And I need to continue to focus on clearing the clutter. I'm going to just keep what is important. And if something's old, worn, or no longer needed, I'm tossing it (or donating it!) Before I bring anything else into my house, I'm going to think about it and make sure it is something I absolutely need and want to have. Here's to less stuff and more empty space.

Pen to paper
I love writing. And it’s a stress reliever for me. But I find that I’m not setting aside enough time to write. I have these thoughts, or ideas of posts I want to write, and what do I need to do? Set aside time. I need to put PEN TO PAPER. So. Here’s hoping for more posts in 2010.

Take more risks
I’m generally not a huge risk taker (ok, so there have been a handful of exceptions). I tend to play it safe. Why play it safe though? Life’s short. And we don’t know how much time we all have. And who knows? That one risk may lead to other opportunities, or another unexpected surprise.

Be a photog
I love photos. And I generally take my camera with me most every where I go. But I often forget to take it out and USE it. Or I’m too embarrassed to stop everyone in the middle of what they’re doing to take a photo. Well. No more. I love photos. And I want to capture it all. Not only the foods I eat, and the places I go, but my friends, and the people I’m with. Time goes by so quickly, and at the end of the day, all of those really amazing moments will forever remain in my memory, but why not try and capture them on ‘film’ as well? So watch out friends. You hang around me, and you’re bound to get your picture taken.

Tell my family and friends that I love them more often
Ok. This is dumb, but Brittany Murphy got me thinking about this. Her very sudden death made me remember, our time here is short. And you never know what is going to happen. Do the people you love know how you feel about them? I know my family and friends knows how much I love them, but could it hurt to say it more often? We need to remember that if we loose our tempers, or we get angry, or if we disagree on something, we need to put it past us. So to my dad, sister, and friends, I LOVE YOU!

Guest food blogging...

Hola, this is Adam from CyclingTeacherGuy and I’m here guest blogging for Jamie. It was easy to choose a theme for the guest blog, food… I hope you enjoy...

Eating when you travel can be a bit tumultuous at times, especially when it’s your first time in a new country. With that being said, so many new experiences can develop throughout a trip. My favorites from Peru are below…

Lima is considered the gastronomical capital of South America, and they’re known for their ceviche and pisco sours, mmmm. We were told the ceviche was so fresh, it was caught only hours before, the flavor can attest to their claim. Anthony Bourdain did a feature on Peru and their cuisine, even having lunch at Segundo Muelle where the photos below were taken during our lunch. Next time you're in Lima, this restaurant is a must visit!

As in any large city, different neighborhoods can offer so much variety and character. The Baranco neighborhood just south of Miraflores was very special. Having been revitalized in recent years, we had to check out the food, markets and local bars to see for ourselves.

A great local restaurant, found us having goat cheese pizzas and lots of wine. Isidro was our waiter, and it turns out he was 85 years old and has never traveled outside of Peru. Our Spanish is above average, and his English was non-existent, so the communication came from our end. After four bottles of wine, and a few extra pizzas to get us home, we promised to come back for a visit.

When the wine spills in Baranco, just tie a napkin around the stem...

Isidro, 85 and full of character...

Breakfast in other countries is always somewhat of a toss up. Yogurt is the norm in Europe, eggs and lots of meat in Germany, so what does Peru serve at first light.

Well, bread and coffee. Some hotels had jam or butter, but it was always just bread and coffee. It took us about four to five of these bread rolls to fill up, some protein would have been nice, but the coffee was excellent!

We bought bags of bread from this local woman...

I had to include this non-food photo. Pisac was a great little town just over the hill from Cusco, and it's a must see for any traveler headed to Peru.

A huge thanks to Jamie for letting me guest blog on Adventures in SF!

The Holiday Season

It's been a busy few weeks and months, so while I wish I had gotten into the Christmas spirit a tad bit earlier, the past few weeks finally did put me into the holiday spirit.

It started with getting a Christmas tree! Nothing puts you in the holiday spirit quite like the smell of pine. My sister and good friend Tarlan (who's practically another sister to me) were with me for this outing/adventure. We had a great lazy Saturday picking up the tree and then spending the afternoon decorating it.

A few weeks later, I had an amazing outing ice skating with my sister and two of my favorite little boys. And even though it had been YEARS since I had been on skates, it all came right back to me. It was also so incredible to see these two boys learning to skate. Adorable!

Then there was a weekend of baking. Lots of baking. Let's just say my friends received lots and lots of yummy cookies and goodies for the holidays.

Then what really kicked it into high gear? An amazing night at a good friend's family's house for a pre Christmas dinner. It was so special to be invited into this wonderful family's home for such a special meal. We started with a blind taste taste of some of Napa's finest Cabernets. (My personal fav? The Silver Oak 2004--YUM! Thanks Jim!)

Then we kicked off Christmas Eve with a beautiful hike on Mt. Wanda. It was such a perfect leisurely hike and I loved having a chance to chit chat one on one with Mo, Matt, Adam and B-dog all along the hike. I hope they'll invite me back and we can continue our Christmas tradition.

Post hike? One of the most delicious brunches ever! Complete with marmalade made from fruit from a tree that was more than 100 years old in Roquebrune. The blue table cloth almost transported me right to France.

Christmas Eve, my cousins and sister came over, and we spent hours like little kids, decorating cookies! It was nice to be able to spend some time with my cousins--we caught up on each other's lives, chatted about our grandparents and reminisced together about the 'good old days'.

What became obvious to me this holiday? Christmas isn't about just one day. It's about the entire holiday season. And finding the chance to spend time with all of your loved ones through many days. I'm thankful to have so many amazing family and friends in my life. And thankful that I was able to see so many of them this holiday season.

When Life Gives You Lemons

Preserve them!!

On my preserving kick, and in an effort to make home-made Christmas presents, I decided to take a big bag of lemons I recently got off my dad's tree, and put them to good use!

I had the concept in my head, and then over dinner with some friends, my friend Evan talked me through the process. A quick search on the internet and I found a super simple 'recipe' from Epicurious.com courtesy of Paula Wolfert.

I wasn't exactly sure how many lemons it would take to fill a jar...and as usual with me, I was kind of winging it. I may have squished them down a little too much. Oh well. My kitchen is my laboratory, but methods are certainly not very scientific. I planned to take notes and continue to tweak for future batches. In the meantime, thanks to @mando66, I had some perfect size mason jars. (See? Another Twitter miracle!)

With the number of lemons I had, I yielded 4 jars in my first batch. And they were beautiful! The bright yellow made these the perfect holiday gift.

Now comes the hard part. Waiting a few weeks until I can open a jar and taste. Oh. And deciding who's going to get the remaining 3 jars.