New Belgium Beer Pairing Dinner

I'm not sure if you got the memo, but beer is the new wine. Beer dinners abound as the craft brewing industry continues to grow every year and people are coming around to the idea that the wide range of flavors in beer offer a whole new world for pairing with food. I attend no less than twenty beer festivals, drinking marathons, dinners and events each year and it initially wasn't because I liked beer. The truth of the matter is that I was determined to win the Awesome Girlfriend Award by showing infallible support for the Beer Geek. Lo and behold, I have learned some things about myself (and beer) as I welcomed beer into my life and onto my palate.

If you consider that your palate can be re-wired, you would be amazed that the flavors of food can be accentuated or even reinvented when you add in a swig of beer. The thing is, pairing beer with food is not so easy and intuitive if you aren't familiar with the various styles of beer and flavors that different hops, barley and yeast impart to those styles. Lucky for me, I live with a beer expert who was bribed offered consulting expertise in exchange for a batch of my furikake somen salad.

Unfortunately, most beer dinners (and all that I've attended) are not vegetarian (in fact, they are downright meat-centric). I decided that I would attempt a 3-course vegetarian meal with successful beer pairings. When my Fort Collins friends recently raved about attending a vegetarian New Belgium Brewing Company Beer Dinner at Tasty Harmony, I knew I had found the right brewery for my dinner.

Truth be told, my all-time favorite beer is a Wild Ale called Love 34, which was a singular batch made by New Belgium Brewing Company ("NBB"). I was blessed with the graces of Love 34 several years ago at a NBB tasting night at Toronado. The Love series of beers were Wild Ales only put into kegs for a superspecialsacred limited release (note Morgan's futile efforts to find any bottles to hoarde). Love made an appearance via some reincarnations a couple of months ago and I inhaled three Love beers that had been aged in various whiskey barrels with peach, blackberry or apple whiskey remnants in the barrels. My tormented and unrequited love affair with super rare beers continues. New Belgium is sneaky like that.

First Course:
Spelt Galette with Carmelized Onions and Blue Cheese
Paired with NBB Trippel


Ok, I am admittedly no pastry chef, but I know this to be a solid truth: well-chilled butter makes for a fine, flaky pastry crust that is nothing short of indulgence. The Trippel has a bold character that balanced the sweetness of the onions and the fruity yeast strain complemented the rich buttery crust. The notes of coriander in the beer played well with the funky character of the blue cheese.

RECIPE FOR SPELT GALETTE

* 45 grams whole wheat spelt flour
* 45 grams all-purpose flour
* 1/2 T. sugar
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 4 T. chilled butter (diced)
* 3 T. ice water
* 1 T. melted butter (for glazing crust)
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper (for glazing crust)
* 2 ounces of blue cheese (for filling)
* 2 medium onions (for filling)

The filling is comprised of carmelized onions and a small amount of crumbled blue cheese.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter (or two forks), smash the cold bits of butter into the flour mixture until it becomes crumbly. Don't be tempted to use your hands because the heat will melt the butter (note the secret about butter that is disclosed above). Add the water and mix well until you can shape the dough into ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest the dough in fridge for 1 hour or more. In the meantime you can whip up some carmnelized onions while you read a magazine or fold laundry.

When you're ready to bake the galette, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll out your dough into a rustic free-form circle. Scatter your carmelized onions onto the middle of the dough leaving about a one-inch margin around the edges. Fold the edges inward to overlap onto a tad bit of the onions and then keep folding small portions working your way around the circle. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Crumble some blue cheese onto the top and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the dough has cooked through.

Second Course:
Spring salad with fava beans, english peas, poached egg and brioche breadcrumbs
Paired with NBB Sunshine Wheat


The bright earthiness of the fava beans and peas were accented by the light, clean notes of the wheat beer. The orange peel flavor in the beer further brightened up the dish, while the slightly spicy yeast strain cut through the richness of the egg yolk. I thought this was the most successful beer pairing.

This spring salad is more of an assembly of farm fresh ingredients than a recipe. I blanched some shelled fava beans and english peas in salted boiling water (no more than a minute or two) that I had picked up from the farmers market. I piled them around a bed of fresh arugula and topped it with a poached egg. Then I toasted a slice of brioche bread and whizzed it up in the food processor to make bread crumbs and topped the egg with some brioche breadcrumbs and drizzled a nice olive oil over everything. Ta-da!

Third Course:
Vegan Coconut Panna Cotta with Grapefruit and Mint Sugar
Paired with NBB Ranger India Pale Ale (IPA)


Who knew that a hoppy beer and dessert could be such great bedfellows? The coconut milk base of the panna cotta provided a sweet foundation that offset the grapefruit and the slightly bitter, tropical fruit notes of the IPA. The mint sugar rounded out the dish, providing a sweet burst of freshness and crunchy texture that augmented the hoppy and citrus elements on the plate.

RECIPE FOR VEGAN PANNA COTTA:
(Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Neil Davidson of Mission Gastroclub)

* 1 can (400ml) Coconut Milk
* 1 can (400ml) Coconut Cream
*2 T. Brown sugar
* 1 tsp. Vanilla bean paste (or vanilla scraped from one pod)
* 1 tsp. Salt
* 2 tsp. Agar agar flakes
* 1 T. Grapefruit zest
* 1 grapefruit (cut into supremes)
* 8-10 mint leaves
* 1 T. white sugar

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pot, combine coconut milk, coconut cream, brown sugar, vanilla paste, salt, and agar agar flakes. Bring up to a boil, stirring occasionally, making sure the sugar and agar agar flakes dissolve. Stir in grapefruit zest and pour into desired serving dishes (or aluminum foil muffin cups). Chill for at least four hours, or overnight. Invert the panna cotta onto a serving plate and garnish with grapefruit segments and a mint sprig. Using a mortar & pestle, mash th emint leaves into the tablespoon of sugar until well combined and sprinkle mint sugar around or over panna cotta.

Beer Dinner Success.

Note: This opportunity was made possible as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, which provided a stipend to cover the costs of food and beer. Thank you to NBB for the rewarding opportunity to explore the world of beer pairings!

Product Review: Kaia Foods

I like raw food because I can appreciate its incredibly creative and interesting raw versions of familiar non-raw foods like pizza. Like making something creamy or cheesy out of cashews! Or using ground nuts and seeds to make delicious crumbly crusts for dessert. But I don't like raw food when it involves large amounts of coconut oil or the torture of delayed gratification while things soak for hours or slowly sprout or that many inventive recipes become inaccessible to the average household that doesn't own a food dehydrator. In addition to the occasional meal at Cafe Gratitude, I like to keep an eye out for tasty raw snacks that I wouldn't be able to make at home.

My latest raw obsession is this breakfast bowl sold at a stand at the Saturday Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The name escapes me (but I will find out and update), but the guy makes a lovely collection of raw smoothies, raw chocolate mousse and raw sushi rolls wrapped in nori or kale leaves stuffed with all sorts of goodies. But the breakfast bowl has this addictive flavor that outshines the rest. It is simply coconut water, coconut, apples, salt, vanilla beans all blended together and then topped with some fresh blueberries (or other seasonal fruit) and flax oil. So freaking delicious.

Since I am not into waiting for things to sprout and don't own a dehydrator, I had been wanting to find some local raw snacks that I could take with me to work. So when the good people at Kaia Foods in Oakland asked me to try some of their sprouted products, I jumped at the chance.


Buckwheat Granola (Cocoa Bliss):
This tasty sprouted granola contains sprouted buckwheat, agave nectar, raisins, flax seeds, sprouted sunflower seeds, cacao powder, sprouted pumpkin seeds, sprouted walnuts, dried coconut, vanilla extract and sea salt. I loved the crunchy texture of the buckwheat, but I wanted the cocoa flavor to be stronger. I ended up using it as the base of a delicious trail mix to which I added some chocolate chips and almonds. I really want to try the Dates & Spices granola!

Raw Fruit Leathers:
My favorite thing about these 30 calorie gems is how simple and pure they are--the ingredients are typically a pureed blend of 2 or 3 fruits and either a spice or vanilla extract. That's it! Gluten-free, raw and vegan. They are not as moist as traditional fruit leathers, but they have a clean and natural flavor that really lets the fruit shine. I tried Goji Orange, Vanilla Pear and Spiced Apple. The vanilla pear was my favorite although I wished it had vanilla beans instead of extract--I think seeing those little black specks makes me really believe in the presence of the vanilla. I really want to get my hands on the lime ginger one made with orange, banana, kale, lime juice, and ginger powder.

Sprouted & Dried Sunflower Seeds:
These came in very creative flavors: teriyaki, cocoa mole, garlic & sea salt and sweet curry. I was not a fan of the teriyaki flavor--it had an odd sweetness that I just could not get used to. The cocoa mole was a little bland in flavor, but a great addition to oatmeal or trail mix. The garlic and sea salt flavor was the best candidate for being a snack all on its own. And, surprisingly, I really enjoyed the sweet curry flavor--it had good a nice flavor of cumin and curry powder rounded out with a pinch of cayenne pepper. I made a big green leafy salad with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado with some green goddess dressing) and then sprinkled on some of the sweet curry sunflower seeds and some garlic and sea salt sunflower seeds. Kaia also has a nice little recipe booklet with some great salad dressing ideas such as Agave Lemon Dressing or Thai Dressing.

I also heard that they will be making kale chips, which I am really excited about because homemade kale chips involve some tedious care (think of washing and drying each leaf by hand) and have a very short shelf life.

Kaia Foods has a motto I can stand behind: keep it simple. I appreciate the thought and effort they put into making creative and healthy snacks. They are making a good effort to ship all over the country, so check them out at a store near you!

Sir Francis Drake Cheese: Cowgirl Creamery

When I was in high school, my friend, Jolene, used to frequently profess how much she loved cheese. Cheese?! I thought. With my limited exposure to artisan cheese, I imagined simple images of cheese--big wedges of cheddar cheese or mozzarella or maybe even heaps of string cheese. It sure didn’t seem all that exciting to me.
Fast forward almost ten years (omg, my 10-year high school reunion is this summer!), and now I love artisan cheese and living in San Francisco provides me with daily access to arguably some of the best cheese in the world from Cowgirl Creamery.

The announcement of Spring comes in many forms. For some, it’s the datebook’s announcement that that Daylight Saving Time begins on March 14 and that the first official day of Spring is March 20. Maybe you’ve noticed the asparagus standing tall and colorful beets showing their pretty faces around the market. Or maybe you live where it snows and you spot the first speck of green and can actually start to feel your toes again. But for me, it happens when I am wandering around the ferry building and, hold up!, I spot the spring’s first rounds of St. Pat’s. It’s a cow’s milk cheese covered in mossy green nettle leaves that lend a really earthy flavor and aroma. It is so highly celebrated in this community that you can even come on down to 18 Reasons for the Saint Pat’s release party on March 11.

But, if you want to know the real cheese secret, when late March or Early April rolls around, keep your eyes peeled for a sneaky little triple cream cow’s milk cheese called the Sir Francis Drake (or “SF Drake”, if you’re among the cult following). It’s exceptionally creamy and buttery with a hint of sea salt brine flavor. In fact, sometimes Whole Foods even carries it in early-March...

People go crazy over this stuff because, as it is explained to me when I question its limited supply, it has something to do with their signature Mt. Tam production going awry, which produces “just the right kind of bacteria” needed to produce this cheese. So they bathe the rind in a French fortified wine called Beaume de Venise and press in a few currants and BAM! Magic. If you let it ripen a little, the edges will melt into a rich, buttery goo leaving a thicker cakey consistency in the middle. And, I hear, it's salty ocean flavor is really prominent with the right beer pairing.

Get some. If you’re lucky.

Arizmendi Bakery: SF

I love mornings. I love the promise of mornings: it's early enough to get all sorts of things accomplished and any thing is possible. But it's also early enough to savor and enjoy the art of doing nothing, which, I admit, is not a luxury I get often (you and me both, I'm sure). Yesterday I slept in until about 9 am and it occurred to me that I had the whole morning to myself with nothing to do. Yeeeees.

My friend, Eli, recently told me that Arizmendi makes an apple-sage sourdough on saturdays that "gives meaning to bread". Now that is a statement. Arizmendi, my second favorite bakery in the city sliding in just after Tartine, is a sister co-operative bakery to the famous Cheeseboard Cooperative in Berkeley. In addition to breads and bakery goodies, each of these places have a vegetarian pizza that changes daily (and I have been known to sometimes plan meals around their pizza calendar). I tossed a book in my bag and grabbed my trusty Tea Tiger full of Cream Tea and headed out into the February gray with a sourdough goal in mind.

Apple-Sage Sourdough: Tiny diced apple bits are folded into a soured dough and speckled with flecks of fresh sage.
It's not really a savory bread, but it isn't exactly a sweet one either. The apples and sage provide a nice balanced flavor, which starts to grow on you with each bite. I bought a loaf for Eli as a surprise she is sure to love...

I should probably admit to you that I arrived at the bakery around 10 am and it took a-l-l of my will power to not order the pizza of the day for breakfast--spinach, red onions, feta cheese, lemon and thyme oil, parsley and parmesan cheese. This got MUCH easier to do once I caught a glimpse of the scone selection and saw that they had my favorite scone.It's made with cornmeal for a fantastic texture with just enough butter to create a delicate crumb. Then they fold in some dried tart cherries and generously sprinkle sugar on the top to create a thick sugar crust. It is the perfect scone. Really. Perfect.

SF Gate published a recipe from the Cheeseboard Collective back in May 2006. I tried it hoping for the magic of cornmeal cherry scones to fill my kitchen, but instead it was a total disaster. The butter ratio was so high that the oven just melted the heaps of scone batter into buttery pools of goo. It could have been due to the fact that I didn't use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, but I think it was likely due to the fact that I used soymilk with some vinegar instead of true buttermilk. Maybe I will try again.

Or maybe I will just hop back on the train and head back to Arizmendi...Maybe on a Friday when they make a Fig-Fennel Sourdough.

Sprinkles Cupcakes. and more cupcakes.

If you look at my datebook for December 14, all that is written for that date is "get a Sprinkles cupcake". On that day, the famous Sprinkles truck was going to drive up from Los Angeles and park itself a block away from my work. I vowed to eat one, so I put it in writing as a little contract of sorts. You see, these things are important to me. Who cares about my 3 pm meeting or a 10 am conference call?!

And have one, I did.
You might know that I am obsessed with red velvet cupcakes and am continuously on a search for the most delicious one. The red velvet cupcake from Sprinkles was better than That Takes the Cake. The cake was so dense and moist and flavorful and the icing was delightful. The cupcakes were so popular that by noon, the truck had sold out of its stock and had to send another truck up from its Palo Alto location to replenish the cupcakes and feed the anxious line squiggling around Justin Herman Plaza. Thankfully, Sprinkles will be opening up a location in SF later this year. Thank you for that--I can't wait!

My office recently ordered some cupcakes from Kingdom Cake, which has an astounding menu that includes creative flavors like White Russian, Vanilla Chai Tea, and Eggnog. You can even get Pancakes n' Bacon or a savory Butternut Squash cupcake with Sage frosting and a Pineapple Custard filling. Squeal! Unfortunately, we only ordered Mimosa and Basil Lemon Blueberry (which were absolutely amazing), so I need to go back and try the red velvet. Maybe I will order the $9 King Size one. Mission Minis just opened up in SF and they are next on my list. And, sadly, I still haven't tried the famous red velvets from Auntie Em's of Los Angeles, which I admit I never knew about until seeing it on Throwdown with Bobby Flay despite the bakery being really close to my old college campus in Eagle Rock. If you aren't in LA, the red velvet guru, Terry Wahl, has graciously shared her coveted recipe with the red velvet freaks like me.

Of course, as much as I love red velvets, I would gladly trade even the world's best red velvet cupcake for a plain old fashioned vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting from Magnolia's.Because nobody does cupcakes better than Magnolia's. Nobody. Good thing a Los Angeles location will be opening up shortly.

Cupcakes = Love.

Product Review: So Delicious Coconut Milk products

Dairy and I have had a long standing love-hate relationship that has been on and off for about the last 5 or 6 years. I’m not really bothered by yogurt or ice cream or cheese (and boy do I love all those things), but milk and cream in its pure form consistently make my tummy unhappy (to put it politely). Like some bad news ex-boyfriend, I had a hard time cutting the chord completely due to two items: cereal and coffee. Now, I am not the type to drink milk by the glass, but it turns out I have been pretty hard wired from decades of nice white creamy milk in my cereal. So began the hunt for a good quality milk substitute to use with cereal and coffee. While brands of milk taste fairly homogenous across the board, I’ve found that the taste of soymilk varies greatly depending on the brand and type (sweetened, flavored or unsweetened). For a comparable milk substitute, I stick to unsweetened soymilk, and I am happy to report that I stopped purchasing cow’s milk altogether about 4 years ago.

Nowadays, the door on my refrigerator could stand in for a Silk commercial with neatly lined rows of plain soymilk (for cereal), vanilla soymilk (for baking), chocolate soymilk (for dessert), and eggnog soymilk (for holidays). As soymilk became a household staple (among many other soy-based products I consume), I realize just how much of my money goes to the ever-booming soy industry.

The problem with soymilk is that it lacks the creaminess and white appearance of moo milk (and if you don’t realize how important color associations are in food, try out some green ketchup). Also, many people have soy allergies or don't want to consume too much soy, so it's great to have another alternative.

That’s why I was really excited to try out the newest coconut milk product line from the exceptionally generous people at Turtle Mountain. Chances are, you’ve probably come across their Soy Delicious or Purely Decadent products by way of soymilk-based vegan ice cream.

Coconut Milk Creamer—Original, French Vanilla and Hazelnut
Price: $2.00 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 1 quart
Notes: I tried them all. I loved them all. The original is the most versatile; the flavored creamers are a bit intense, which is good if you love the flavor of vanilla or hazelnut. I had long ago abandoned coffee-mate creamer due to its hydrogenated ingredients, so I am especially happy to have found a fantastic alternative. Also, I don't know how it's possible, but this creamer is fat free. YES! It is my favorite product of the whole line, and I will continue to purchase it.

Coconut Milk Beverage: Unsweetened
Price: $3.49 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: Half Gallon
Notes: It is a pretty good milk susbtitute--very white in color and creamy with only a faint whisper of coconut in the background, but I still didn't really like it in my cereal. However, it is very versatile for cooking and baking: I used it as I would milk to make oatmeal, corn chowder, and even to make a roux for japanese croquettes (korokke).

Cultured Coconut Milk: Passionate Mango
Price: $1.50 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 6 oz.
Notes: I didn't care for this flavor, but I imagine it could add a nice tart touch to a mango smoothie, perhaps with a splash of lime juice. However, the 6 grams of fat (all 6 of which are saturated due to the coconut milk) is a bit prohibitive for a yogurt.


Soy Delicious Yogurt: Blueberry
Price: $1.49 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 6 oz.
Notes: The blueberry flavor was dissapointingly artificial in this yogurt. I think soy yogurt products still have a ways to go to really provide the creamy texture of milk-based yogurt.


Coconut Milk Fudge Bar Minis
Price: $3.49 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 6 bars
Notes: These little fudge bars are a perfect little snack when you just want a little sweet something. Unfortunately, I detected a hint of freezer burn so it was difficult to focus on the chocolate flavor. Next time, I would like to try the vanilla ice cream bars covered in chocolate and covered with almonds.

Coconut Milk-based Ice Cream: Mocha Almond Fudge
Price: $5.29 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 1 pint
Notes: I was really pleased with this ice cream. The hint of coconut made it literally tasted like almond joy ice cream. It seemed a little on the lighter side and not quite as rich and creamy as I was hoping for, but the flavor is excellent. I wish I had also purchased the cookie dough flavor.

Soy-based Ice Cream: Chocolate Peanut Butter
Price: $4.99 (on sale at Whole Foods)
Size: 1 quart
Notes: This is a soymilk-based ice cream. I didn't really like this ice cream because the chocolate didn't taste like chocolate and the peanut butter tasted artificial. However, at 4.5 grams of fat per serving, I'd be willing to try another flavor in the future.

Overall, I think Turtle Mountain is doing excellent work in providing dairy-free products. Keep up the good work!

Justin's Nut Butters

The kind and generous people at Justins Nut Butter (JNB) sent me some samples of their all-natural nut butters. I was so excited to receive them in the mail! Way back in 2007—when I was working for Galaxy Granola at the SF Green Festival—a girl was handing out samples of Justin’s Natural Maple Almond Butter. Problem is, I was working and pouring samples of granola like a mad woman and could never get to the girl to get my hands on a sample. Fortunately, a friend snagged one and shared a small taste and I instantly fell in love with its unique flavor and rustic texture. And then I never saw it again until it arrived in my mailbox years later despite many unsuccessful grocery store searches. And, after indulging in a packet (or two) all to myself, it is here to stay and I have since found an ample supply at Whole Foods.
Honey Peanut Butter Ingredients: Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Honey Powder (sugar, honey), Organic Fruit Palm Oil, Sea Salt.
Maple Almond Butter Ingredients: Dry Roasted Almonds, Maple sugar, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Sea Salt.

It’s been over 7 years since I completely abandoned the American classic peanut butters like Jif and Skippy because they are made with hydrogenated oils, so now I am always on the lookout for companies that produce affordable all-natural nut butters made without hydrogenated oils. For the past few years, my main almond butter staple has been Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter because it has but just one ingredient: almonds. Once I made the switch, I have never been tempted to go back because those peanut butters don’t even taste like peanuts to me anymore—just preservatives and sugar--now that I am accustomed to the flavor of the nut in its natural form. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that these nut butters had any added sugar, but they avoid using refined sugars and they do offer classic flavors which only contain the dry roasted nuts and organic palm fruit oil. Moreover, I am particularly impressed by JNB’s green-conscious business practices to search out natural and organic ingredients that are grown locally and sustainably harvested and then contribute back to the community through donations and volunteer efforts to a local outreach organization. As movies like Food, Inc. come out, I think we are slowly starting to think about our food in a new way—not just where it comes from, how it is made and manufactured and ultimately transported to you, but also the way in which the profits made from the food we produce can be put back into the community in ways that lead to lasting sustainability, development and improvement. Food has always been—in my opinion—the most effective way to bring people together.

JNB’s come in various flavors from Classic and Honey versions of Peanut and Almond Butter as well as Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Maple Almond Butter—but I have only tried the Honey Peanut Butter and Maple Almond Butter. The Maple Almond flavor is my favorite because it has a unique taste with a subtle maple undertone, a bit gritty in texture and just a faint hint of sweetness. I have to say that the best part of their marketing strategy is C-O-N-V-E-N-I-E-N-C-E! The nut butters come in meticulously-sealed little 1.15-ounce single serving packs that do not require refrigeration and can be easily transported anywhere. They also make smaller 0.6-ounce 100-calorie packs! Since my favorite snack while at the office is a banana with some almond butter, I used to put a few spoonfuls in a little container and cart it to the office, stick it in the refrigerator for later and then wash the container out in the evening when I got home and repeat the process the next day. Now, I can just take a pack with me with less hassle and fuss!

Now, my favorite use for nut butter is as a base for a superhero breakfast. But I also take these handy little packets to the movie theaters, on hikes, and even when on a long run for some quick protein fuel. And if you pack lunches for your kids, throw one in there—we all know kids love individual servings!

Thank you, JNB!

That Takes The Cake: Cupcakes in SF

My mother is Catholic, so we have always celebrated Easter. And when it came time for The Easter Basket, she was always a big fan of that colored, shredded cellophane--gool ol' easter grass that you could buy at K-Mart for 99 cents a bag. (Nowadays, its more earth-friendly and green to use shredded recycled paper as easter grass) Besides the purple or blue or green or pink colored grass, the basket was always filled with the usual suspects: marshmallow peeps, M&M's, Whopper Robin Eggs, chocolate-shaped bunnies (I never understood the allure of those), jelly beans and whatever egg-shaped candy had been on clearance sale.

Now, please don't judge me, but I believe I was about eleven or twelve years old when I announced that I no longer wanted a basket full of cheap candy and started asking for pricey fruit baskets from Harry & David. I think I had first come across some fruit shipped from Harry & David from a gift basket one of my parents had received and I remember thinking "this is the best pear I have ever tasted!" In fact, I became so enamoured with these fruit baskets that I promised myself that, when I got married, I would register for or request the Fruit of the Month Club where a box of seasonal fruit would be delivered monthly to my home for an entire year! I still feel starry-eyed about such a thing and I hope I do get it someday, even if it requires ordering it for myself!

My Saturday was filled with errands. Not necessarily in preparation for Easter Brunch, but more because being a working girl doesn't leave much time for anything else so all errands get pushed to the weekend. I purchased some fancy Saucony running shoes from this awesome Noe Valley store called See Jane Run (and one of these nifty gadgets for rolling over tight calf muscles). I was long overdue for proper new shoes. In fact, the girl helping me with my fitting was unmistakably angry at me for even showing her my 6-year-old New Balance shoes. I got a good scolding, nodded my head, swiped my credit card and promised I would never insult her by doing such a horrific thing again. I then went to Trader Joe's to get groceries for the week so I can take yummy lunches with me to 1) motivate me to get through the day and 2) help me avoid eating out for lunch.

And then I treated myself to a red velvet cupcake (aka Gentlemen Prefer Reds) from That Takes The Cake in the Marina.I am a big fan of red velvet cupcakes-and might even go so far as saying I am a red velvet cupcake conoisseur (so far, no cake has outshined the red velvet cake this woman made on special order for my brother's wedding). But, this one, at $2.95 a piece, was absolutely delicious. The cake was incredibly moist (the tricky part with this kind of cake) with a buttery, deep red crumb that sticks to your fingertips. The cream cheese frosting was amazing--not too sweet and very smooth and creamy. They also sold a tiny mini version for $1.50 that constitutes about half of one bite, which, to be honest, would just make me plain mad. I want to savor multiple bites--lots of delicious cupcake bites in rapid succession. Oh, and if you aren't familiar with this cake flavor, the secret is in the cocoa powder...

All in all, it was a lovely Saturday to welcome the arrival of Spring (which, incidentally, is also asparagus and artichoke season!!!).

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Flying Apron Bakery: Seattle, Washington

Baked goods put a smile on my face. Who doesn't love a good bakery?! When I visit a new city, I like to explore the different levels of bakeries (and restaurants) and always pay attention to recommendations from locals. Always. Always.

There are famous places like Mike's Pastry in Boston where millions of people (including President Bill Clinton) clamor for their traditional italian cannoli's. My friend, Laura, used to live right across the street from Mike's and said that the constant flow of people coming and going was mind boggling. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of the goodies and thought that the popularity was probably continued by their name and reputation. But I was quite impressed with their immaculate and creative selection of Marzipan. Yes, that is a homemade chunk of marzipan shaped and decorated like a hot dog.
And then there are little hole-in-the-wall places like Magnolia Bakery in New York City that start out perfecting one simple item like a cupcake in a way that is pure, mystifying magic and then can barely keep up with the demand of people lining up around the corner and down the street. In fact, Magnolia's is so completely amazing that I will have to save its review for a separate post (but suffice it to say that I am in awe of these little cupcake gems).

During my recent Seattle visit, my friend Alex took us to this vegan bakery in Fremont in Seattle for a little breakfast goodie buffet.
It's a vegan "sustainable bakery" that uses local ingredients, wholesome organic and unrefined ingredients and all of the ingredients are gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free and mostly soy-free. Instead, they use all sorts of creative ingredients like garbanzo bean flour, brown rice syrup, palm oil, molasses, arrowroot powder and evaporated powdered cane juice.

Luckily, I was there with friends so we got an assortment of goodies because it really was impossible to narrow down the selection. We got an assortment of scones, maple bars, cookies and other indescribably yummy things!
I liked the bakery for its originality and plethora of interesting flavor and texture combinations, but all told, I wouldn't return because I have had better vegan pastry such as the People's Donuts, the vegan apricot almond cookie at Arizmendi Bakery and, of course, the all time best vegan pumpkin scone I have had in my entire life at Mana Foods in Paia, Maui. 

Hemp Protein Shake

I somehow acquired this Vanilla Spice Hemp Protein mix at San Francisco's Green Festival--where I also tried all sorts of hemp products like hemp seed brownies, hemp butter and, yes, hemp milk! I wasn't really a fan of the hemp milk, but I am a dedicated fan of shelled hemp seeds and I add those to cereal, oatmeal, and breads (or anything else that you want to lend a nutty flavor to while adding protein)...

This shake mix contains 12g of dietary fiber, 13g of protein and a very high amount of magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium! I whizzed mine up with some frozen bananas (for a creamy texture) and vanilla soy milk and topped it off with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar...

Note: I have to admit that it did have a bit of a gritty texture...

From one tea freak to another: LUPICIA

47. Forty-seven. That's how many different flavors of tea I have--in an ever growing, ever evolving beloved collection. teas for different moods. teas for different ailments. teas for different times of the day...

My latest tea obssession is a company called Lupicia...and they make this Muscat black tea is by far one of the best teas I have EVER had...most. perfect. flavor. now that is my cup of tea. ha!

Another favorite (and less expensive) tea company is Adagio. In the first few weeks of meeting my significant other, I had been pretty stressed out with law school finals around the corner...One day I opened my mail to find this pretty green box with an Adagio tea sampler pack of 4 different kinds of teas with a note that said "Here is some tea for relaxation--good luck with finals!" Um, *Swoon!* I have been pretty hooked on their Decaf Blueberry tea...But my favorite thing from Adagio is the sheer genius that is the ingenuiTEA steep pot, which, incidentally I call the tea pee-er, if you will because you steep your loose leaf tea and then place it right ontop of your mug and...well you get the picture... The secret is to buy the sampler pack which comes with a cute little tea pee-er (endless entertainment) and 4 teas for only $19.

What is your favorite tea company and/or flavor?

Sundried Blueberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookie

No argument has ever continued once the debaters are given a good dose of cookies and milk. My motto: "Let's have some cookies and milk (soymilk now...) and then let's talk". Next time you find yourself arguing over who was supposed to do the laundry or why he or she was an hour late, give it a try and I am sure you will find yourself giggling with milk mustaches. And no one can be mad at a cute face with a milk mustache. Nope.

I have a weakness for cookies. Don't we all??? Behold: The best commercial/retail cookie out on the market: Sun-dried blueberry and white chocolate chip!
Tom, how do you do it? It is sheer perfection...per-FECTION. No trans fat. No hydrogenated oils. Pure and simple magic. And equally important--I am so glad that you take the initiative and time to tell the world right on the face of your product:

"Be Kind to Animals...Be Kind to Your Community...and Be Kind to Women--Never, ever underestimate the power of a woman. I learned to bake from my mom and grandma, and the women I work with are invaluable. Give all women the respect they deserve and have so rightfully earned...and Be Kind to Yourself..."

Um, Tom, thank you. Let's be friends. I will eat your cookies and let's be friends.

I am also quite enamored with Espresso Chip and the White Chocolate Pistachio one...oh, and the peanut butter cookie in which an entire Reese's peanut butter cup is pressed into the cookie...There are really only a handful of places to get these orgasms fresh (chew on that) aside from ordering them online...and, if you are lucky enough to live in San Francisco, I will tell you a little unpublished, unknown secret....Come a little closer (we cannot tell the whole world or I fear Tom will run out of cookie dough and I won't have any on those tired days when I realllllllly need it...): If you go to the little shop set up in the Food Emporium in the Westfield Center on Market Street, you can buy a dozen lumps of the cookie dough of your choice for only $7.00 (which is much cheaper than the usual $1.75 per cookie price) and you can just as easily bake them yourself at home and--somehow (I don't know how) but somehow they come out perfect every time...and you can never underestimate the power of warm cookies.

Never, people, never.

Theo Chocolates, Seattle

Okay. Hold up the Cacao Train...because a stop in Seattle is warranted. Behold the latest organic-fair trade-sustainable chocolate trend for the cacao purists: Theo...brought to my attention by my lovely Seattle native friend, Alex (no amount of thank you's would suffice for all the varieties, shapes and forms of joy that Alex brings)...and, if you can believe it, Theo is so good and so trendy that it even has its own blog, theonista.

I should probably preface this entry (read: rant) with the fact that I am an avid fan of cacao....such a fan, in fact, that--at any given moment--I could host a cacao tasting of anywhere from 6-8 different cacao courses, if you will, with cacao amounts that vary anywhere from 60% to 99% pure cacao... Dark chocolate might even be the currency in the State of Morgan's Menu.

Anyway, I was first spoiled by a truffle sampler of some of the best truffles I have *ever* had in my life. And if you ever get to visit Theo at 3400 Phinney Avenue, I highly recommend inquiring about the Jasmine tea trufffle. or perhaps the scotch whiskey. or lavender (which will make you think you've literally been chewing on a lavender twig). or salty caramel. or peanut butter and jelly. The truffle flavors are unique, sometimes seasonal and in limited supply so you never know what flavors will be available--but i am certain that you will not be disappointed with the bursting flavor that can only be described as perfection...

Perhaps you have seen their 3400 Phinney line of chocolate bars at Whole Foods (or all the other smart hip-and-with-it places that carry Theo)...if you have, grab one immediately! They make a Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate that will confuse your tastebuds like the twisted streets of Prague...But my favorite is one called "Bread and Chocolate" which doesn't sound like much but, in reality, it was a smooth bar of dark chocolate augmented by little, delicious, buttery french baguette crumbs complemented by the perfect amount of salt...ohhhhhh, it is so delicious! And, for my vegan friends out there, they also make a Fig, Fennel and Almond dark chocolate that is really, really good--the fennel seeds bring such a unique flavor to the chocolate that you wonder why this combo isn't more widely available or known...instead, its a delicious secret...

And if you aren't already sold by now, Theo also produces a full line of vegan chocolate bars that use imported cacao beans from different parts of the world and it uses organic beet sugar grown in Sweden!!! I felt ever so fortunate to try:

Theo Ghana Dark Chocolate Bar (84% cacao)
"The Fair Trade Certified™ cacao used in this single-origin dark chocolate bar is from the fertile growing region surrounding Kumasi, Ghana. The perfectly fermented and dried beans yield slightly floral notes over golden and round chocolate flavors." I thought the flavor of this bar was mellow and delicate, with a very subtle but real sweetness...

Theo Venezuela Limited Edition Dark Chocolate Bar (91% cacao)
"This special bar is available for a limited time only and it will change the way you think about dark chocolate! It features the delicate flavors of a blend of cacao from Barinas, Merida and Tachiras, the remote western regions of Venezuela, and offers 91% cacao content without any of the bitterness typically associated with such a high percentage dark chocolate." For me, this bar had personality: a sassy girl with a touch so soft that you forgive her for being slightly bitter...

And though, ultimately, it didn't come down to a Ro-Sham-Bo contest, my friend James kept the Madagascar bar while I gratefully absconded with the Ghana-Panama-Ecuador blend, which is sitting patiently on my desk because we all know I have consumed more than my fair share of chocolate in the past couple of days...

Oh, Theo, I love you.

Vegan Donuts

The Bay Area is *such* a trendy spot. One trend that has really grown rapidly is local organic products--supporting local organic farmers and sustainable living. The smaller the "carbon footprint" the better. (See highlights on the Bay Area's hot spots for organic and sustainable living)

Today I discovered the best vegan donuts I have ever had: Peoples Donuts, which are locally made in Berkeley, organic and vegan! Now, I am not vegan (but I do use many vegan products and recipes), and my honest opinion is that these little suckers were so tasty that I am ashamed to admit I shoveled two of them into my mouth and had to restrain myself from gobbling a third one. De-LISH!

So, whats in these little gems?!

INGREDIENTS:

* organic Unbleached Pastry Flour
* organic Soya flour
* water
* organic canola oil
* organic palm oil
* salt
* baking powder
* baking soda

YUM.