Archive for the ‘USA’ Category
Joshua Tree in Bloom
You go for a blast of flowers and colors and stay for the details.
Near the Cottonwood region of Joshua Tree – purple chia and yellow desert sunflowers.
Strandbeest and Theo
My first experience with Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest, aside from youtube videos and his TED talk, was a model kit. This is a 3d printed kit of Animaris Ordis Parvus that we bought from his website. It’s very sight gives joy. Yesterday, I noticed that the elastic holding the backbone had disintegrated, my poor strandbeest with a broken back and in captivity and it made me a touch sad.
In Theo’s words:
“Since 1990, I have been engaged in creating new forms of life. These forms are not made of protein like the existing life-forms. Theirs is another basic stuff: yellow plastic tubing. Skeletons made from these tubes are able to walk and get their energy from the wind, so they don’t have to eat. Their habitat is the beach where I was born. They evolved gradually, over several generations. As they developed, they became more adept at weathering storms and coping with the sea. My ultimate wish is to release herds of these beach animals on the shore to make their own way through life. By redoing the Creation, so to speak, I hope to become wiser in my dealings with nature that is already there. It presents me with the same problems the Real Creator must have come up against. Strandbeest is a testimonial to my experiences as God. I can assure you that it’s not easy being God, there are plenty of disappointments along the way. But, on the few occasions that things work out, being God is the most wonderful thing in the world.”
A breakfast and a lunch in San Francisco’s Little Italy
Mama’s on Washington Square. Even for a mid week breakfast, there was a long queue outside.
Mama’s screwdriver is made with grapefruit juice and soju. On yeah, a morning screwdriver is the best way to celebrate middle of the week time off from work. This is completely no-nonsense drink that would provide a buzz long enough to last the trek up to Coit tower.
Mama’s Benedicts. Tasty! Enough energy to last the trip to Coit tower and back and then slump on the luncheon chair at Tony’s Napoletana.
Menu at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. When pizza appears on the menu along with the oven temperature, one has to take it seriously, right?
The gluten free. You could ask, why one even bothers. There is something in the aroma of bread and cheese that is simply put, irresistible. Overall verdict, the dough is not as good as Mariposa’s.
Chantal Guillon – land of macroon wonder
 Chantal Guillon in Palo Alto Downtown |
 Store front |
 Blood orange macaroons |
 Guava macaroons |
Freedom Wings
Osmanthus in Oakland was our pick for lunch after the naturalization ceremony in Oakland’s Paramount Theater. Pizza is what we would have celebrated with but with the gluten intolerant microbiota, we decided on Asian cuisine instead. And a modern pan Asian restaurant to celebrate the occasion was perhaps even apt. Of the 1097 fellow Americans who took the oath representing 55% of world’s nations (yes, a whopping total of 109 nations!) over two third were formerly asian.
Oakland, thank you for supporting restaurants like Osmanthas (and Juhu Beach Club and Asmara and …) . And thank you for restoring the Paramount theater and hosting this celebration there. It is an important milestone in our lives and it is extraordinary to share the experience with 1000 others in this stunning old Art Deco theater. It was a solemn occasion with speeches and presidential videos (w/ camera flashes and twittering and cheering!). Throw in 15 minutes of Charlie Chaplin on the big screen next time or even Walt Disney cartoons and lets us feel the true glory of this beautiful venue, Might even lull the crying babies!
Chicken wings lunch plate with honey ginger glaze.
Dry-fried chicken wings lunch plate with sichuan peppercorns
“Ms Grant” – a gin, ginger, lime and castilian bitters cocktail and “Plum Manhattan” – a rye, vermouth, umeshu, sour cherry bitter cocktail.
Also the basa fish with fermented black beans and “kiang ton” spareribs. Every dish was done expertly with the usual play of textures. Dishes were served with this delicious Japanese style pickled cabbage that elevated this simple vegetable to fine cuisine. The flavors in their fermented beans and sichuan peppers were memorable enough that my taste buds can recall with clarity after 24 hours!
Thinking about the wings now, I would say that only thing that could have made the chicken wings better is if they were Pok-Pok’s. But at the time, after a wonderful glass of Plummy Manhattan, I was happy.
Starting 2015 with lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe
Nibbled at the edges of this excellent sourdough, thus convincing ourselves that we were managing to stay on the right side of our gluten quota.
“Bob Cannard’s chicories with crème fraîche, ginger, roasted beets, and chives”. Ginger-y creme fraîche! Bless Alice Waters. Chez Panisse salads are to die for.
“Shaved winter vegetable salad with Dungeness crab and citrus vinaigrette”. Mildly citrus-y vinaigrette with perfectly crunchy carrot and fennel shavings.
“Fish and shellfish fritto misto with snap pea and cabbage salad, cress, and saffron mayonnaise”. The fries felt like eating cloud! What? Each bite was feather lite crispiness on the outside and melt in your mouth on the inside. Mayo was made even more indulgent by the addition of saffron. The tart cabbage salad with green and white florets of cauliflower and peppery baby cress provided an excellent counterpoint .
“Black truffle and ricotta cheese soufflé with roasted Belgian endive, cardoons and cress.” Don’t let the picture fool you, this soufflé was like a puff of air in its lightness. Cardoons and endive were both braised and roasted.
“Bittersweet chocolate custard with crème Chantilly and almond biscotti” with sightglass espresso.
Saltwater and champagne by the bay
Saltwater happened to be located right opposite our cottage. We started our outdoor dinner with the raw deal where we were served the same variety of oysters raised in different waters – indeed they tasted different.
Salmon tartare
Smoked tuna with a celery, pine nut, berries and tangy creamy sauce
Back at our cottage to share a bottle of champagne.
Marin and its happy cows
Cowgirl is a great place to pick up local cheeses – some of them are such limited production and they don’t even make it to their Ferry Building location in San Francisco.
Their cheeses are made with milk from happy Jersey organic cows from John Taverna’s dairy, located in Chileno Valley in Marin County. On this trip, we tried a couple new ones:
- Inverness: Cowgirl describes this as full flavored, tangy lactic curd with a dense, creamy mouth feel. This is aged for two weeks to create a delicate version of St Marcellin style cheese.
- St Pat: This is cowgirl’s spring seasonal cheese. This creamy semi-firm cheese is wrapped with nettle leaves that grow wild in Marin. Cowgirl describes this as mellow, soft, and full of smoky artichoke flavor.
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Meandering about Abbotts Lagoon trail
This photo is from the Point Reyes lighthouse and if one kept walking on this beach in a straight line, one would reach Abbotts Lagoon. Attempt this crazy route only if you are equipped with heavy woolens on a summer afternoon.
Some kids were being kids while their parents had beached themselves nearby.
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Drakes Bay Oyster Shack
In Bay Area, oyster on the half shell is usually $3 per piece. I am convinced that Oysters are calorie free food particularly when not accompanied by champagne. Hence, if it weren’t for the price, I think I would eat them by the dozens every day. Drakes Bay Oyster Shack is where you can get your oyster fix for half the price. They have been farming 4 generations at Point Reyes but we don’t know how long they will be allowed to continue. While they are, one hopes will continue to serve big fat plump oysters by the dozen. We landed up here towards the end of the day so all they had left were oysters doused in Bloody Mary mix – what a lovely start to the evening!
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Marin Sun Farms
One can presumably spot myriad wild life at Point Reyes National Seashore but what we saw most were happy cows. I can only assume they are happy – rolling grasslands and other fellow cows as far as eyes can see. Occasional hikers and cold breeze can perhaps be considered the only hardship they endure.
Marin sun farms in a family owned pasture to fork farm with the restaurant right on Highway 1 at Point Reyes Station. Sea air and good hikes can easily prepare you for their fat and juicy steaks. Be prepared to wait an hour for your food, even if you are ordering just a burger, but the wait is well worth it.
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A brief sojourn at Inverness
 Cottage on the beach. Skylights and large windows dissolve the barrier between inside and outside. |
 If we had a kayak, we could launch from our doorstep. Blue Waters Kayaking were a mile away. |
 Put your feet up and stare the flecks of gold blow across the blue sky. |
 Watching the changes in sun, breeze, tide and sounds, you really feel moored like this old boat. |
 Early in the morning, sitting on the patio, drinking tea and looking out at the sun sparkling on the Bay. |
 Lazing out on the deck, body and soul disappears into the surrounding. |
San Diego Food Highlights
This warm winter in San Francisco Bay Area with its little to no rain is reminding me of San Diego. In particular, a crafts beer shop and a taco truck, both near my then home in San Diego. The beer shop is Bottlecraft beer, located in Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego downtown. They hold flights of beer and here is where I tasted my first sour beer. The taco truck is Mariscos Alex, a San Diego fixture.
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A memory from the vault
Watched an episode of Portlandia yesterday. Missed our friend who now calls Portland his home. Browsed through some old photographs of a memorable trip to Portland, and found these …
…a cup of coffee at Stumptown.
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…a macaron at Pix.
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…a glass or was it two of delicious beer at old Lampoc.
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Rattlesnake sausage, you say!
Rattlesnake+rabbit sausage and a cajun sausage, served with smoked beans and salad – Rosamunde Grill.
Really, rattlesnake and rabbit! Do rattlesnakes eat rabbit?
Gajalee, Indian coastal cuisine in San Francisco
 Machi fry – catch of the day, coated in semolina and deep fried. Served with sambaar, a south Indian daal and yogurt raita. The semolina has a coarse corn grit like texture and offers an additional layer of crunch. |
 Tisyra Masala – Half shell mussels cooked with spices, onion, and grated coconut. For those of you who can close your eyes and imagine a coastal Indian town, this dish can transport you there. Watch out for broken clam shells. |
A perfect dessert at Range
Hazelnut millet génoise with cardamom mousseline, huckleberry compote and popped millet brittle.
For dinner we had couple of fish dishes that were unapologetic in their subtle and non-fussy conception and closer to Catalan style cooking than Californian. One, an olive oil poached cod, was extraordinary. Cocktails were definitely designed for a younger audience in mind – smooth and sweet. L’Ascensor….sigh!
Our dinner at Commonwealth on the other hand was so disappointing that we came back to Range for a repeat of the hazelnut cardamom génoise.
Ganja cookies at Dolores Park
Ganja cookies happens to be one of the many things you can get at Dolores park – sunshine, music, people watching, dog walking, watching kids improvise, picnic-ing – joys of a summer day in San Francisco.
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Roxy cafe in mission district of SFO
Roxy is a small cafe on Market street, mission district of San Francisco. Great food and don’t be fooled by the sign on the door that says shakes and pastries. At the time we turned up, they had no pastries left. The one interesting thing about kitchen is they only have access to sous vide machines, blenders and torches. No stove and exhaust. A fantastic meal overall.
Potato coconut soup with purple cauliflower and prosciutto
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Off the Grid, Picnic at Presidio
If the Sunday sky in SFO is clear, head out to Presidio for a picnic . You can take your own lunch but not to try some of the “off the grid” vendors would be a shame.
A wide range of food vendors …
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Memory of Hong Kong in San Francisco’s Chinatown
Place: Hong Kong Clay Pot Restuarant, Chinatown, San Francisco
Ordered: Biiter melon with frog and sea food clay pot
Served: Biiter melon with shrimp, sea food clay pot and a pot of tea
Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant, looking out towards Grant. Catch a narrow flight of stairs to get to the restaurant.
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Bengali Gimlet and South Indian Dosa
Place: Dosa @ Fillmore, San Francisco
Food: Egg dosa and spicy basil dosa
Drink: Bengali gimlet
 Egg dosa, cage free with onions and spices |
 Spicy basil chutney dosa with cashews and spices |
Gimlet was so good that I had to try and reproduce at home. And here is the variation that I ended with. To make the spiced syrup, toast the following until highly fragrant and nose is itchy …
- 4 Tbsp cumin seeds
- 4 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 Tbsp allspice berries
- 4 Tbsp black peppercorns
Crush above with mortar and pestle or equivalent gear and add to 1.25 cups water, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (to give your drink a beautiful yellow color), 2-4 hot chiles, a handful of crushed keffir lime leaves, and 1 cup sugar. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Cool for a few hours during which the flavors get to mingle. Then strain and keep. Makes about 2 cups and will serve 32 gimlets.
Glamping in Big Sur
Gateway – Internet on one side and beach on the other …
After 14 years of living in Bay Area and passing by Big Sur at least a dozen times, we finally decided to spend a weekend there. What can I say, better late than never? And thanks to airbnb, we found this wonderful cabin within a stone’s throw of Pffifer State Park. And what a cabin! Constructed from a winery barrel that once held Burgundy in the foot hills of the Sierras, it offered the view of forest canopy, blue skies, blue sea, stars at night, and most importantly a full kitchen, porcelain toilet and a hot bath. The weekend was unusually warm for May making the trip to the Andrew Molera State Park more than just picture perfect. From the parking spot, the beach is a short 2 miles away that takes you through the camp site along the Big Sur river to where the river meets the ocean.
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Bombay Street Food in Oakland
Juhu Beach Club
Juhu Beach Club in Oakland is all about very Indian flavors served up in a modern setting. If I didn’t know I were in Oakland, I would have thought I was eating in London.
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Locomotoring 