Saturday, March 31, 2012

All Quiet on the Blog Front.

I apologize for the hiatus. It's been quite a busy week! Will be posting on a few of my San Jose favorites very, very soon!

In the meantime...


Cake, anyone?

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Coffee and caramels.

I'm on my way to becoming a hipster! ...Or so they say of those who frequent Barefoot Coffee (Serving up some serious coffee to local javaholics). I don't frequent it quite just yet and that will be a long time coming but...

Orange&Ginger Cubano. Something of a lift right after a long yoga session. Definitely lighter on the ginger tone than orange yet still delicious!



I also picked up Fig Caramels from the local Campbell chocolatiers Snake & Butterfly. They have chocolate bars and chocolate confections in an array of interesting flavors such as Bacon Toffee and Cherry & Chili. Everything is made in small batches from organic, fair trade cocoa beans that are hand-roasted and poured. 
This was a pretty gloomy weekend from start to finish, but at least I had my fair share of coffee and chocolate! 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Pesto!

I found this charming little video on homemade pesto today. Enjoy!

Honey Honey.

I've been listening to Feist on and off since my high school days. The band, as well as Leslie Feist herself, are some of my favorites had I an actual favorites list (there's too many to list!). Anyway, since this post is about honey, I'd thought this song would be fitting!    :)

I like the chewy consistency of honey when it is poured over ice. Had I grown up on a maple farm in New England, I'd have eaten maple syrup poured over snow until my tongue froze over. I'm a lover of honey. 

Lately, I've really enjoyed honey in my tea with a bit of milk. I was never much of a tea drinker but the melding of Mexican Autumn Flower honey I got at Blue Ribbon Market with the creaminess of milk, to me, is just perfection. 

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Dinner for One, Please.


There's an art to dining alone - I noticed that while in New York.

I say there's an art because not all people are comfortable with the idea. I know I wasn't. When a restaurant is filled with not only people but also loud bantering among good friends and exchanges of ideas fueled by glasses of disinhibition, the sight of one person sitting alone at the bar is kind of off-putting. Being that person may be nerve-racking.

Such a simple act requires a great deal of confidence. All those moments of waiting and in between waiting. I could only check my email so many times. I liked filling up my journal while eating, but there were only so many thoughts I could pen onto paper.

As it became a norm, the feeling of unease wore away. The bar then became the communal table, and conversation flowed with such simplicity. I think those are the moments I remember most clearly. Honest conversations without inhibition because the person in front of you exists only until you both part on your perspective paths.  Those are the moments I will cherish in my memory until it withers.

That was my New York.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Back to Reality.

I'm one of those people who are in perpetual vacation mode. At the start of any vacation, I'm so excited about the boundless possibilities that I never consider it ending any time soon. The moment when it really hits me that my time on cloud nine is over?

When the goods finally run out.

The gentleman sitting next to me on the plane probably raised an eyebrow (or two) as I kept taking out snacks from my small brown goodie bag. Seriously, he must've thought I had Mary Poppins' bottomless carpetbag.


I was unabashed. That goes without saying. Haha. Who could resist the lovechild of a pretzel and croissant from The City Bakery? A crispy yet flakey croissant with the insides of a soft pretzel, sprinkled with rock salt and sesame seeds. It was also made from whole wheat to boot! Sigh*...

A couple doors down was Tarallucci e Vino. My lucky day... Of course, I had to drop in. And so was the start of a seemingly inconspicuous brown bag that made my heart flutter with joy. 

Pan au Chocolat. Just enough bittersweet chocolate. Incredibly light with crisp flakiness that held its shape. Heaven. BEST I've had so far. 



Saturday, March 17, 2012

Last meals.

If I were able to choose my last meal, it'd be my mother's chicken curry. No doubt about it. I should mention that I love all curries (mostly), but this one tops the charts!


My parents always bring their A games into the kitchen for special occasions. They're always finding new ways to tweak old recipes that are already tried and true. As of late, my mother has been using sweet potatoes in her curry instead of Yukon Gold or Russet and WOW does it make a difference. The sweetness of the potatoes combined with the creamy curry is mesmerizing! I can't stop eating. No, seriously, I can't stop eating! 

Image via. burning koala

Stockton Bakeries.

I've lived in Stockton for nearly four years now, so believe me when I say that good bakeries here are hard to come by.


Genova Bakery churns out the freshest breads for eateries all throughout Stockton. I often see their trucks making deliveries down the Miracle Mile. I believe they are still a family-run business and have been operating at the same downtown location, the Rolleri Building (now a historical landmark), for decades. Their focus is more toward breads than pastries. I absolutely love the milk bread. I can't say that I make it a point to come here often though, mainly because it's not exactly in the best part of town.

Edit: A friend kindly mentioned that Podestos carries Genova baked goods!

Drawing by Brian Canevari.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Mary's Fish Camp

I used to be impartial to lobster, surprise? No, not really. Perhaps it was because I wasn't a huge fan of seafood in general. I don't recall even having had a single lobster roll in my life, that is, until I walked into Mary's Fish Camp.
I must be honest, the lobster roll at Mary's Fish Camp converted me. Tossed in a creamy sauce, the huge chunks of meat were extremely fresh to the taste. The buttery, soft, and chewy bun added nothing but heavenly goodness. I was dangling on cloud nine, not wanting to let go with every bite.

The gentleman sitting next to me at the bar considered it to be the best lobster roll in the city and I wouldn't doubt that for a second.

Image via. The Daily Obsession

Rice to Riches

Of the many things that I miss about New York, rice pudding is somewhere on the top of the list. 

I accidentally stumbled upon Rice to Riches when looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth after dinner in the West Village. 

Among the plethora of options, I chose Man-Made Mascarpone and Cherries without much hesitation. After all, when do I ever sway toward an original flavor anyway? It was around 11pm once I got back to a friend's apartment but as soon as I picked up a spoon, I couldn't stop eating! One word: Heavenly. 

So of course, with New York being on the other (dare I say better?) side of the country, my only choice was to make it for myself. I followed this recipe from Daisy's World and so far, it fits the bill! The pudding at Rice to Riches had a somewhat heavy aftertaste of condensed milk. I was worried that reducing milk, cream, and sugar would not produce the exact same taste but, lo and behold, it did! Now I have enough rice pudding to last me tomorrow, the next day, and probably the majority of next week! 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

For Gayle.

The beginnings of this blog can be attributed to Gayle, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in New York on a cold winter's evening over dinner at Cafe Cluny. She inspired me to live in the now and pursue my passions like a raging wild fire.