Wish list . . . updated

From my holiday wish list, we got Junipero gin to concoct delicious, cool martinis. I love, love, love gin. (My body doesn't.)

Inspired by a drink I had at Aziza, I made lavender-infused simple syrup for the cocktails below. Use Junipero for subtle gin flavor or Tanqueray for big gin goodness.

THE FRENCH 94118
2 oz gin
1-2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp lavender syrup (see below)

Shake all ingredients over ice. Serve up in a well-chilled martini glass, optionally with an orange twist.

Lavender-infused simple syrup
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp lavender flowers

Be sure to use edible lavender flowers, which are available at herb shops and some specialty food stores.
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to gentle boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Continue simmering for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid reduces to resemble a thin syrup. Cool, then strain out lavender. If you have any leftover syrup, use it to sweeten whipped cream . . . totally luscious.

Springtime salad slaw

So it's technically summer, but it feels like springtime in San Francisco, perfect for a delicate salad of radishes, carrots, and fennel. This dish would be perfect for Easter brunch.

Note: I used a mandoline to make paper-thin slices of the veggies, but you can chop them. The thinner the slices, the better the dressing will adhere.

1 carrot
1/2 fennel bulb
1 bunch of radishes
juice of 1/2 orange (approximately 3 Tbsp)
2-3 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper
2-3 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

Thinly slice carrots, fennel, and radishes. Whisk together orange juice, champagne vinegar, and olive oil. Toss vegetables with dressing. Season generously with salt & pepper. (I used 2 tsp of salt.) Stir in parsley.

Serves 2-4 as a salad (as is or on top of frisee for extra flavor and texture.) Serves 4 as a slaw on top of grilled fish, such as halibut.

Holiday wish list

'T'is the season to wish for things that you can't have but would sustain you a whole year if you got them. Here's my holiday wish list*:

-a bottle of Junipero gin
-dinner for 2 at Coi or Eleven Madison Park
-episodes of Good Eats on DVD

Happy holidays!!!

(*This is my realistic, 3-item-limit wish list. One can get greedy and start asking for pie-in-the-sky, like having Michael Chiarello as a personal chef.)

In case of emergency

My beau has been compiling a stock of emergency supplies in case "the big one hits." I laughed along for a while, but I think it's naïve of me to believe that we'll be rescued immediately, or that I won't freak after being locked up for 24 hours without food or water, or that people will be loving and helpful. (My change of heart is also attributed to reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road.)

I am grateful now for all the work and research he did to compile our emergency backpack. Now we have to set aside some nonperishable food stuffs as well as lots of water. Here's my list of food that I pray will be in the house when the big one hits: (To be more precise, these foods will at least make me feel better about imminent death.)
1. Figs
2. Spinach (arugula, kale, chard, dandelion, collards, etc. are suitable substitutes)
3. Acorn and butternut squash
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon

And my shopping list for goods to stash:
1. Cannellini beans
2. Tuna
3. Veg-All
4. Coffee
5. Bourbon

What's on your list?

Summer lovin'

The pale ale has been drunk. The keg now sits empty and alone, waiting for its new yeastly friends to enervate it. With the next batch of homebrew, I will take the post-fermentation yeast slurry and attempt to make my own Vegemite.

Yes, the sewing has dwindled. I made baby slings for my pregnant younger sister. I finished off some grocery and produce bags, which will get some good use with the summer bounty. We're attempting to grow basil again, in the dining room against one of the few sunny windows in our apartment. If it lasts for several batches of homemade pesto, I'll be very happy.

Stitch in time

I haven't posted much on the food front lately because I've been obsessed with recipes/protocols of another kind: fabric patterns and sewing! I have rediscovered the joys and frustrations of thread. I have made several bags of varying styles and designs. In the first 10 days after retrieving my sewing machine from my brother, I averaged 1 bag per day.

I am obsessed. I skip workouts to sew. I daydream about fabrics. I mentally draw patterns on my bus commute. I lose track of time, forget to eat or drink. Hell, I'm now writing about it. I may have a problem. But I also know my creative processes, and I know this will abate. I have an art deadline to meet in a couple of weeks and my craft budget is dwindling. Most likely, I'll be lured away when the pale ale is ready.

Boil, boil, toil & trouble

My beau brewed beer a couple of weeks ago. My brothers have homebrewed, but I've never witnessed the process. I learned that preparation and cleaning are absolutely critical for a successful brew. It was awesome to see the cauldron bubble and to smell new aromas emerging from the kitchen.


Adding the pellet hops

The brew is resting now and may be ready to drink as early as next week. Hopefully, we'll tap the keg while our good friend--a beer lover--is visiting from Japan. Kampai!

Holy chili!

We're back from Bali, with warm weather and yummy food still in mind. People say that you can judge the quality of a vacation based on how much time it takes to get readjusted to (or frustrated by?) your routine life. With jet lag conquered, I'm happily still in vacation daze.

I think about the fried eggs atop nasi goreng, fresh tempeh (I'm not usually a fan), young coconut juice, flavorful bananas, thick coffee, the salt on my lips after a swim . . .

. . . and, of course, the chili peppers. I love chilis, in all of their delicious manifestations: fresh, stuffed, sauted, stewed, in paste, sambal, salsa, sriracha. It's not a macho thing, like how much heat I can handle before my eyes water. It's about complementing food, like giving an edge to sweet tomatoes, a savory depth to tangy limes, and fresh spice to salty proteins. Chilis also teach me a thing or two about fine balances. I think a cocky overindulgence on vacation led to a short bout of "Bali belly." Ouch!

Before we left for vacation, I made homemade sriracha sauce using a recipe posted on one of my favorite food blogs (whiteonricecouple).

Distracted by Bali

Since my last post, I have made several, simple yet satisfying, dishes: lemon curd, spicy tomato soup, crab-stuffed jalapeños, and warm spinach & roasted potato salad. All required little cooking time but featured good, bright flavors. The lemon curd and tomato soup were motivated in part for a friend who recently underwent oral surgery and was on a week-long, soft food diet. My beau found recipes for stuffed jalapeños in celebration of Cinco de Mayo; we substituted with crab salad and washed it down with jalapeño margaritas. Roasting jalapeños mellows their flavor, so we wanted the spice back! He flambed the jalapeños in tequila to release the heat before mixing up the drinks. Mmm.

I will expand on the posts and publish the recipes at some point, but I am currently distracted because we're going to Bali! Consequently, I've been obsessed with reading and researching for the trip. Drop me a line if you have any good tips!  

Stack 'em up!

I had 12 of these stacks for dinner tonight, but they would be excellent hors d'oeuvres for a party, served warm with the blue cheese slightly oozy. Alternatively, bring them as a salad for a potluck picnic, with a light squeeze of fresh orange juice.



Roasted beet + roasted fennel + blue cheese stacks

3 medium beets
1 fennel bulb
salt + pepper
olive oil
blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean beets and fennel. Slice beets into ¼” rounds. Cut fronds off fennel bulb and discard any tough, outer layers. Cut fennel lengthwise into ¼” slices. Arrange beets and fennel on a baking sheet/roasting pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt + pepper; toss to coat evenly. Bake for 30 min, or until beets are tender and fennel is golden brown.

Stack beets, fennel, and blue cheese to desired ratios and heights.