tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800104530080527892024-02-19T23:34:36.501-08:00Lisa is BossyLisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-78927487410708158222011-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:002011-11-02T11:43:52.100-07:00On the half shellWe went on a little adventure up the coast this past weekend. It was my special someone's birthday and I planned a relaxing few days in Bodega Bay. But what made me pick Bodega Bay was actually an area about 20 miles south of it: Tomales Bay. If you like oysters and live in the Bay Area, you should know about Tomales Bay and specifically <a href="http://www.hogislandoysters.com/">Hog Island Oysters</a>. There is also <a href="http://tomalesbayoysters.com/">Tomales Bay Oyster Company</a> for those who want options! We LOVE oysters on the half shell. Actually prefer them over grilled/cooked oysters! So I made my reservations at Hog Island before I decided where we were going to stay in the area! Fortunately, there are many options right up the coast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Un-shucked Sweetwater Oysters from Hog Island Oyster Farm</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Perfect, and ready to down!</i></span></td></tr>
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Along with wine, avocados, Dungeness crab, artichokes, olallieberries, garlic, Thomas Keller and sourdough bread, oysters can also join this list of "California does it better". I love West Coast oysters and the ones from Tomales Bay are fantastic. I'd been waiting years to get to the Farm (and was excited to disguise it as a birthday stop for my man!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There is a lot of construction going on right now as they expand (notice far right)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you just want to eat Hog Island Oysters, you can go to the Ferry Building in San Francisco or the Oxbow Market in Napa. Sit at the bar, order them shucked with a glass of white wine and some crunchy French bread and you're good to go! But if you want a different, more hands-on and memorable experience - head across the Golden Gate bridge and up Highway 1 about 45 minutes north of the city and you'll be at the Hog Island Oyster Farm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>If you're shucking - buy your oysters here (for shucked, around the corner at The Boat Bar)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZKtUlYxa3NYKiUGap6GEo2LwBEGkgRVPFhMo4rtaU43Ozz1aSofX_9TWi_prnHZL5fWkyQimy1ivT2Any35rqb0LOZ8XWyhGxtIKw02tTL42KNb_8gp8Tf-mLpRTNvs4Oj6byt4VLgU/s1600/DSC_3022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZKtUlYxa3NYKiUGap6GEo2LwBEGkgRVPFhMo4rtaU43Ozz1aSofX_9TWi_prnHZL5fWkyQimy1ivT2Any35rqb0LOZ8XWyhGxtIKw02tTL42KNb_8gp8Tf-mLpRTNvs4Oj6byt4VLgU/s640/DSC_3022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Clams and oysters for sale today</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The oysters are about half as much if you shuck yourself!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's sort of shi-shi, rustic here. Where hipsters and yuppies can break bread (and oyster shells) while sitting astride picnic tables and chatting each other up. I might wager a guess that this is the only business in Marshall, CA that has a valet out front (for strictly practical reasons tho, not the glam factor). However, we rolled in on a Friday afternoon which is still rather light, and said hello to the valet after we parked our own car right in front. We checked with him upon leaving and he'd parked 8 cars, but was planning for 3-4 times that, come weekend... <br />
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Here's how picnicking at Hog Island works...<br />
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[Because I am a foodie and a thorough/organized perfectionist] I packed up half my kitchen and trekked it all to our picnic table. I had originally made a reservation (they book up THREE months in advance on weekends!) but since it was so light that Friday, we didn't really end up keeping it. We checked in at the bar, picked a picnic table and started setting up our food-stuffs. When I said rustic, I meant rustic. There is no indoor place to eat. You either buy <b>shucked</b> oysters and sit at a picnic table to eat them, or you buy <b>unshucked</b> oysters and sit at a picnic table to eat them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe_J9ujnIF-uW-Sl0EbkwOR9J-Z51p3S7jcA0899T7lKt-9_Zajo1rmEqncLhMU8Vh2BL0uyG4Hlls_h4LK9yEIoqqc1XlohYpp1NtkDxIwSZ5fLc2faCXaYcS468qiVzRMT_OgpJU8s/s1600/DSC_3021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe_J9ujnIF-uW-Sl0EbkwOR9J-Z51p3S7jcA0899T7lKt-9_Zajo1rmEqncLhMU8Vh2BL0uyG4Hlls_h4LK9yEIoqqc1XlohYpp1NtkDxIwSZ5fLc2faCXaYcS468qiVzRMT_OgpJU8s/s640/DSC_3021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>With all the gear you could possibly need...</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvKc_QWjRq58pK1q8sADlH-TFLf4MGRhZJSvc07B8J_KFci5YM-dwtf6NXoHtsB9j47wHgONPRLJyjhaFun8tSmcgr-4M1txhDFMjPc6Blcd3ZOISF11aRYHWNEm-j92Zt7oUwsfQUNE/s1600/DSC_3007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvKc_QWjRq58pK1q8sADlH-TFLf4MGRhZJSvc07B8J_KFci5YM-dwtf6NXoHtsB9j47wHgONPRLJyjhaFun8tSmcgr-4M1txhDFMjPc6Blcd3ZOISF11aRYHWNEm-j92Zt7oUwsfQUNE/s640/DSC_3007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">It got very easy very quickly!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>But we were there for the experience. We got a quick lesson in shucking, then opened a tab at the oyster bar and dug into some small Sweetwater oysters! Shucking was not difficult after the first 2-3 and the oysters were delicious. Smooth, plump and creamy... I made a shallot jalapeño mignonette which went over VERY well with the birthday boy. We managed to break into 36 oysters - I think we beat some personal records, but once you start you just don't want to stop!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Get in my tummy please!!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7FJhUvM3g_mTTveubAB_zotcskFDlMNbSnVnmAE2JTdlwywM_mJovLuNGMFqPZy_RLZ_vTu1dU8LBBFj6qvHc4Hmysz2LWiQBAm4NLl64j0EMUfoJHhsCO36gFtCu0fN5NnvIb7Wl1k/s1600/DSC_3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7FJhUvM3g_mTTveubAB_zotcskFDlMNbSnVnmAE2JTdlwywM_mJovLuNGMFqPZy_RLZ_vTu1dU8LBBFj6qvHc4Hmysz2LWiQBAm4NLl64j0EMUfoJHhsCO36gFtCu0fN5NnvIb7Wl1k/s640/DSC_3001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Brought other picnicky items and ended up making them into a fantastic grilled cheese sammie!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1kPW4j1q6H9sd2Nb_4BprPSM0yU5v9UMXiYX8RdvCixUGQD_IW_cbSMiJUHFv9TQDQGJrcteFcW8apTZY7WmJ_pNChI0HrbYXsH5UQq1-oYU73V5JRTBeUO73j9hbYkNGg7S2-U8mDQ/s1600/DSC_3015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1kPW4j1q6H9sd2Nb_4BprPSM0yU5v9UMXiYX8RdvCixUGQD_IW_cbSMiJUHFv9TQDQGJrcteFcW8apTZY7WmJ_pNChI0HrbYXsH5UQq1-oYU73V5JRTBeUO73j9hbYkNGg7S2-U8mDQ/s400/DSC_3015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Forgot to get an "after" shot: Gruyère & St. Andre cheeses, tomatoes and prosciutto! </span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>On this particular October Friday, the weather was PER-FECT. In typical California coastal weather fashion, Fall is beautiful and clear. The sun was warm while the air was cool. Music flitted past the tables. As we shucked and ate and BBQed, you can't help but befriend your neighboring picnickers. We didn't want to start our own BBQ but were able to toast a grilled cheese sammie on our friendly neighbors' after chatting for a while. It was all very pleasant and nice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Making friends, shucking oysters, enjoying the sun, pigging out...</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaUtXSjhdNuhckEK2xFMsWA_lR8qynFZY5cXxdQFveEdpZLd8Li_7h3duuer5C8tXVd30P2pW8wLvtB8Iquo8hDGSmAUMkMDKj7JY2qcVZQZ6SuBXcjXI9N5pZvknzV5DVtZb6y82kNA/s1600/DSC_3010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaUtXSjhdNuhckEK2xFMsWA_lR8qynFZY5cXxdQFveEdpZLd8Li_7h3duuer5C8tXVd30P2pW8wLvtB8Iquo8hDGSmAUMkMDKj7JY2qcVZQZ6SuBXcjXI9N5pZvknzV5DVtZb6y82kNA/s640/DSC_3010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A shucking master now?...</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoF_7ClMyRLHplYdj0Lifd7gH6lFeqYyHDuTQ1ShAWWY5Q1-BIdfE3cyGwr6iJFmJvmgfUlFi0SxxkaqO5o7raelpfTIR3-tX6vOsadJOo8XwTGIJdsHZMAIn19SGyJ3gVeWcK2IQ12A/s1600/DSC_3005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoF_7ClMyRLHplYdj0Lifd7gH6lFeqYyHDuTQ1ShAWWY5Q1-BIdfE3cyGwr6iJFmJvmgfUlFi0SxxkaqO5o7raelpfTIR3-tX6vOsadJOo8XwTGIJdsHZMAIn19SGyJ3gVeWcK2IQ12A/s640/DSC_3005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I came prepared (as I frequently do...)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So what do you need if you go on an oyster picnic? I highly recommend the following:<br />
<ul><li>shallot jalapeño mignonette (recipe below), lemons, hot sauce, horseradish</li>
<li>a chilled Riesling and (real!) wine glasses - don't forget your corkscrew</li>
<li>crusty bread (ciabatta, French or sourdough)</li>
<li>your favorite cheeses (I brought Gruyère and St. Andre triple creme)</li>
<li>meats (prosciutto, salami, deli meats)</li>
<li>veggies (tomatoes, carrot sticks) </li>
<li>fruit (melons, berries, apples)</li>
<li>cookies or brownies (I brought homemade crispy oatmeal chocolate chip) </li>
<li>since we ended up grilling our cheese sandwich, I also had tin foil, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper, olive oil</li>
<li>knives for spreading and cutting, small forks for the oysters, spoons for the sauces</li>
<li>tablecloth, napkins or paper towels </li>
<li>wet wipes and a plastic bag for transporting dirty items home</li>
</ul><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Shallot Jalapeño Mignonette:</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>1/3 cup champagne vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet cooking sake)<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar<br />
1 large shallot, finely diced<br />
1/2 - 1 teaspoons (per your taste) seeded Jalapeño pepper, minced</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Combine all together and serve with oysters. Will keep for a long time in the fridge (up to a month). </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>If you don't have the mirin, it's fine to opt out. </i></span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-15958983252241744372011-09-10T15:25:00.000-07:002011-09-12T23:20:08.743-07:00Perfectly salted<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Note: in response to the requests for my recipe...I'm really very sorry, but since this is a potential business venture for me, I won't be publicizing the recipe. However, if somehow/some way it is successful and grows - you could then order some! :)</i></span> <br />
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It's a slow afternoon. That doesn't happen too often as is perhaps illustrated by the amount of time that has passed since my last blog post. I know I've made these empty promises over the last year that I *will* get back to my blog and *will* try to post with more frequency. But I guess I'm not gonna say that anymore since clearly - I won't. But it doesn't mean I'm gone forever! It just means that life is so busy and full that you will have to be patient between postings!!<br />
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I'm really not cooking a whole lot of new stuff. And only baking for special occasions. But you know what I AM making a lot of? Like literally by the hundreds? Caramels...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWiphpkiQMLD92fReum59VAknodPZyiLNylN999SlF32tBALiFDTNLzVyOVY0imy5XpDVs4jjslMN8Vm-VLmrlMUWAHcFtMXQpmq1YO5yHlrev5WJY6R9WOAZel4KYuwOCe6R4zFbIfE/s1600/DSC_1989_r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWiphpkiQMLD92fReum59VAknodPZyiLNylN999SlF32tBALiFDTNLzVyOVY0imy5XpDVs4jjslMN8Vm-VLmrlMUWAHcFtMXQpmq1YO5yHlrev5WJY6R9WOAZel4KYuwOCe6R4zFbIfE/s640/DSC_1989_r.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">This might be the perfect little candy</span></i>...</td></tr>
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Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels to be exact. This is an old, old recipe that my aunties have been making for my entire life (and I suppose, longer). Originally there was no vanilla bean, no salt, and included walnuts. The aunties would make huge batches around the holidays and they were given out as gifts. And occasionally off-season, if you showed up at someone's house they'd bring a bag out of the freezer and you had to be PATIENT as the caramels warmed to room temperature...or just chip a tooth (they're just about worth the sacrifice.)<br />
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I don't precisely recall when I started playing with the recipe. It was probably a few years ago when I was making marshmallows and decided I wanted to attempt a "Scotch Kiss" à la See's Candy. The scotch kisses (caramel covered marshmallows) didn't work so well due to the caramel hardening too quickly, but one thing I did discover is that the family caramel recipe is incredible!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOzgkWWV6W0vHds8GeKRmwq55Yk2egqHIUHnHiwGX4VVyjBovusA7lb6J2J6C8nWVdAjxTcMMO2xOr7P0SbxpiyWzFBHnaRLTYdZM0_LTvVCcScGVrNr0De-zhfGa_mTHxYKGwwWOyTs/s1600/DSC_1957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOzgkWWV6W0vHds8GeKRmwq55Yk2egqHIUHnHiwGX4VVyjBovusA7lb6J2J6C8nWVdAjxTcMMO2xOr7P0SbxpiyWzFBHnaRLTYdZM0_LTvVCcScGVrNr0De-zhfGa_mTHxYKGwwWOyTs/s640/DSC_1957.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">For the <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/05/its-coming.html">Bake Sale</a> I made about 240 caramels - that is one HUGE batch</span></i></td></tr>
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I had a large batch of vanilla beans -- Costco had been selling them. And this was also about the time salted-fill-in-the-blank was becoming so popular on the dessert scene. It of course started with caramel (salted caramel ice cream practically went viral), but I was also seeing salt sprinkled on chocolate and various chocolate tarts and even over unsalted butter to serve with bread at restaurants. I personally love the flavor and crunch a sprinkling of salt adds to an item.<br />
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And there we have it. I took out the nuts (woulda been a lot going on in there), threw in some vanilla bean, sprinkled them with sea salt and watched them get devoured.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The cutting and wrapping really is the hardest part - takes FOREVER</span></i></td></tr>
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I've always said one of the reasons I love to cook and bake so much is to watch people enjoy the food I make. Maybe it's an ego-boost, so maybe it's semi-selfish of me. But who cares. Making people happy is making people happy! And I have not seen people get quite so happy about something I've turned out of my kitchen since the latest <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/05/macaron-passion.html">batch of macs</a>! People LOVE these caramels. How simple it is to toss a few in a baggie and deliver them to a friend over lunch, dinner, coffee and then watch them smile!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22BnuUCNTldAI4WKjdt88Pf5C60NEsYbYuIs80L28YrW5aAQxuWBAHJWYtG-Be1EjG-5W-exJZC2SXb3tKvbIuUq3h1b1ADGIgDnV9aN3eMQSjoCAVzmvNDrCb6xuTw7OBYFf2-iDq4s/s1600/DSC_1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22BnuUCNTldAI4WKjdt88Pf5C60NEsYbYuIs80L28YrW5aAQxuWBAHJWYtG-Be1EjG-5W-exJZC2SXb3tKvbIuUq3h1b1ADGIgDnV9aN3eMQSjoCAVzmvNDrCb6xuTw7OBYFf2-iDq4s/s640/DSC_1971.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Call me crazy and oddly frugal, but I cut my own wrappers out of wax paper too</span></i></td></tr>
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They're very tedious to make (all that cutting and wrapping) but they keep forever in the freezer! And they don't get crushed under the weight of a tissue (like macarons, I swear...) So I'm loving my salted caramels.<br />
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In fact, I'm loving them so much - and so is everyone else - that I'm thinking I might start selling them to friends locally. Just to test out the demand. So friends - stay tuned!! And watch Facebook! And if you're not on Facebook - then I guess you won't get any... but who's not on Facebook?!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawGfHX0xxPDEdeMhC3mGff1DA13Niof9h875G4taMhEbsbzHIxsewnmpPONuz0dtalL3pU5IKX_5OkQMSete31Y6EfiGJEZyJmWTs1JITTzeozYjQpX_NCg50fo2wIi7z23Ty_HN_TQI/s1600/DSC_1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawGfHX0xxPDEdeMhC3mGff1DA13Niof9h875G4taMhEbsbzHIxsewnmpPONuz0dtalL3pU5IKX_5OkQMSete31Y6EfiGJEZyJmWTs1JITTzeozYjQpX_NCg50fo2wIi7z23Ty_HN_TQI/s640/DSC_1997.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I don't always enjoy eating my creations, but these I will devour!!</i></span></td></tr>
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Depending on how this goes, maybe I'll expand and *gasp* <b>ship</b>. And try new flavors - chocolate has already been attempted and is... fabulous! But for now - the operation will remain small. Small is good. Small means I might actually still be able to blog once every few months... like I just did, here!!Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-43308553319321595742011-06-04T12:45:00.000-07:002011-06-06T16:10:06.585-07:00Trapped in paradiseI realize it's taken me like, two months to tell you about my entire Costa Rica trip, but a trip to the <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/05/hobnobbing.html">Monterey Peninsula</a> and a very worthy <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/05/its-coming.html">bake sale</a> took a handful of my blogging time away. I also realize you might not even really care about the remainder of it but I write this for myself just as much as I write it for all of you. And I guess I want to write a travel journal here! If you don't know what I'm referring to, please <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/04/hello-again.html">click</a> <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/04/green-mountain.html">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0Tpu4a9HaaIuOziUe270-6xKFxF6PG6yH3Nm-aTK-itBjqDkKZYtX8-dZaH6VZlL_uhbETIJd3WzvQFqoaXdIxpbfOXuYkTBgcjm9C2-BJksaB5iQHOKY1MBEnCErByGIsGNbs5ESww/s1600/DSC_1241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0Tpu4a9HaaIuOziUe270-6xKFxF6PG6yH3Nm-aTK-itBjqDkKZYtX8-dZaH6VZlL_uhbETIJd3WzvQFqoaXdIxpbfOXuYkTBgcjm9C2-BJksaB5iQHOKY1MBEnCErByGIsGNbs5ESww/s640/DSC_1241.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our third and final stop in Costa Rica: La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCN8jFwlnkCmop6Tg5Cl2TTFPtGz0R6bS9S0Mk4Hb5219T6UqH1Cyu0xqUIE-siDxnuE2rW-dwl4K9KBa119bNhEUMh8dXSDolQVlLinc8UY8uughsAKrSvmatrNR-BvEL6239oJZPyUo/s640/DSC_1254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCN8jFwlnkCmop6Tg5Cl2TTFPtGz0R6bS9S0Mk4Hb5219T6UqH1Cyu0xqUIE-siDxnuE2rW-dwl4K9KBa119bNhEUMh8dXSDolQVlLinc8UY8uughsAKrSvmatrNR-BvEL6239oJZPyUo/s640/DSC_1254.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Arenal Volcano loomed over us everywhere we went!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So... we left the rolling green hills and small quaint towns of Monteverde and headed down the mountain back to the heat and humidity. Our next and last stop in Costa Rica was the town of La Fortuna. However, La Fortuna is probably less well known by name than it is known for the active volcano whose shadow shades it: Arenal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrqyUEa-Lw175cQxoS_-gbU7xYDthhPAkVVEVDKlmdEL37j7oKa642tO5J5u7CyC6Mznjh2gC9Yg8lfSgShu3kITFY-WfuE1P_iiJvIUoLri6pMZtk8yj9WECSi_E1WV0T1ZXGnyYJgE/s1600/DSC_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrqyUEa-Lw175cQxoS_-gbU7xYDthhPAkVVEVDKlmdEL37j7oKa642tO5J5u7CyC6Mznjh2gC9Yg8lfSgShu3kITFY-WfuE1P_iiJvIUoLri6pMZtk8yj9WECSi_E1WV0T1ZXGnyYJgE/s640/DSC_1075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The drive out of the mountains towards the volcano in the distance</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCygDVwpFV7okrJhxjrgd7Lbi83w7JbcblzIsNUc2DHy0z9qdc7fUFFCq3Ziy55sD2N-FMf28C1VdtAipi9HhPgyqHCjPrFImYrrsltnEpPgh-nkzEytMOA8RSpqqrMmx_VcE4nWSZNA/s1600/DSC_1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCygDVwpFV7okrJhxjrgd7Lbi83w7JbcblzIsNUc2DHy0z9qdc7fUFFCq3Ziy55sD2N-FMf28C1VdtAipi9HhPgyqHCjPrFImYrrsltnEpPgh-nkzEytMOA8RSpqqrMmx_VcE4nWSZNA/s640/DSC_1080.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The "Jeep-Boat-Jeep" option from Monteverde to La Fortuna did not include a Jeep, but a van...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Arenal Volcano was thought to be extinct until it unexpectedly erupted in 1968 and killed over 70 people in the villages of Tabacón, San Luís and Pueblo Nuevo. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and while it should be viewed as a danger to the people living around it, it is also a fascinating draw to those who don't. After the eruption in 1968, tourists began flocking to the area in droves, to see the steam and rocks it spits and marvel at its magnificence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6txg55wbGM25fBFnr6krPfD_x12bAeGRZd1YJSZbu4kP3EMQMeWvnGWruJ-tBV3JN90A-4eDUdVLLoWrL4Z9TmyR0WTP1UgFSzT42CbRDTtY43_-TxJLFaLvj3wkbEU0cIAJ6vMCgVOE/s1600/DSC_1131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6txg55wbGM25fBFnr6krPfD_x12bAeGRZd1YJSZbu4kP3EMQMeWvnGWruJ-tBV3JN90A-4eDUdVLLoWrL4Z9TmyR0WTP1UgFSzT42CbRDTtY43_-TxJLFaLvj3wkbEU0cIAJ6vMCgVOE/s640/DSC_1131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The doggies in La Fortuna know how to handle the heat and humidity</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1gxyKnu1c8ixaaxCgiSvPEaMMpLtB3ck8rFN3Q4ejyrlDOAfoQBAEnUJ5UgP8WEvJXSSpm22UKjRTq67ybcBk5hptMu7O6vrLcNroAXa6yZEzsiCpVcGhuG3PF-KRUqxdA76SlcbeHY/s1600/DSC_1129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1gxyKnu1c8ixaaxCgiSvPEaMMpLtB3ck8rFN3Q4ejyrlDOAfoQBAEnUJ5UgP8WEvJXSSpm22UKjRTq67ybcBk5hptMu7O6vrLcNroAXa6yZEzsiCpVcGhuG3PF-KRUqxdA76SlcbeHY/s640/DSC_1129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The town of La Fortuna sort of reminded me of a small California Central Valley town</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of course the small local towns and villages had to accommodate the tourist demand, but as will frequently occur, it seemed to happen hastily if not even a bit crudely. La Fortuna shows signs of this for sure. It's not really an attractive town, however there is no shortage of restaurants, tours operators, taxis or souvenir shops. The area grew to accommodate the tourists as opposed to the tourists coming because it was such a lovely area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwRBu-Wy-WbEzL0KSasoUOZT6EN85gm3GRQCfJMIx46d9dA-5lYr7mv9qpWuRDyUP9WXr4qKNQ0t1dRpMCYkeERpBOegPv2fmFowkWy1iUFMumMVQDek2Vfh173nKgzs5zV8ygimMjWE/s1600/DSC_1118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwRBu-Wy-WbEzL0KSasoUOZT6EN85gm3GRQCfJMIx46d9dA-5lYr7mv9qpWuRDyUP9WXr4qKNQ0t1dRpMCYkeERpBOegPv2fmFowkWy1iUFMumMVQDek2Vfh173nKgzs5zV8ygimMjWE/s640/DSC_1118.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We got fresh squeezed fruit juice smoothies everywhere we went!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BlLRA9Cyw6YI0GlzDqdWzZ6la_ONiNbzX9xAwwj-12gQnokaFhz2i9yIMnZXrhyX_UHyp3QR2K1ka7D8Zdclwijo5oks4G2hHpWDkoGJDaJnnx0gkkopfrDZ2ku_d4ccfE8ApR16lZY/s1600/DSC_1219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BlLRA9Cyw6YI0GlzDqdWzZ6la_ONiNbzX9xAwwj-12gQnokaFhz2i9yIMnZXrhyX_UHyp3QR2K1ka7D8Zdclwijo5oks4G2hHpWDkoGJDaJnnx0gkkopfrDZ2ku_d4ccfE8ApR16lZY/s640/DSC_1219.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The fact that we could see the top of the volcano most of the time was apparently very rare</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>At the other end of the spectrum are the large and luxurious resorts and hot springs which have popped up along the roads leading away from town. They too, bank on the tourists and capitalize on the geothermal activity in the ground which produces naturally occurring hot springs. And the people, they do come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhOBwezAqYAZyFL_15K-xD7VCzxJw5z1sDhbGt6JdLNHc96k0zxWjhEZiit6cQEl8NYVqQvW5ha9PrXZeeT1p92MnZQ3h83qxlIUElDqA_U333V0claegfnkvNDoQXHnJMRIgLOlm-zI/s1600/DSC_1259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhOBwezAqYAZyFL_15K-xD7VCzxJw5z1sDhbGt6JdLNHc96k0zxWjhEZiit6cQEl8NYVqQvW5ha9PrXZeeT1p92MnZQ3h83qxlIUElDqA_U333V0claegfnkvNDoQXHnJMRIgLOlm-zI/s640/DSC_1259.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our pricey prison ;)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iB8fDP72hVfuU7ntq98dXyxdS0xg87Y2De7NCa-mjlIW1katlU_oWRWu8aDSY-pOWkZF9-qSAZoHQ1_QMM5tL5GQ7yN_LRWWpz9kmJ2G6VlcbX5nvL2CJFjncoQLiXKd3TZBEb8pBvo/s1600/DSC_1114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iB8fDP72hVfuU7ntq98dXyxdS0xg87Y2De7NCa-mjlIW1katlU_oWRWu8aDSY-pOWkZF9-qSAZoHQ1_QMM5tL5GQ7yN_LRWWpz9kmJ2G6VlcbX5nvL2CJFjncoQLiXKd3TZBEb8pBvo/s640/DSC_1114.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One cannot complain that Tabacón was not gorgeous</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We stayed at one of these places; perhaps the most famous, actually: <a href="http://tabacon.com/">Tabacón</a> (named for the village the volcano buried 40 years ago). I'd been told by 3 different friends that I <i>had</i> to stay here. And I don't exactly regret that we did, though I have some mixed feelings about this place. While it was gorgeous, had earned 5 stars and is considered one of the <a href="http://www.lhw.com/">Leading Hotels of the World</a>, I guess I am still too <strike>Chinese</strike> cheap for these accommodations. The room was affordable in my book at under $200/night, but NOTHING else was. No meal was less than $25 (even breakfast) and no drink was under $5 (even cans of soda). The spa treatments cost more than some of the nicest spas in San Francisco and to "escape" to town cost $24 for a round-trip taxi. Upon arrival we felt a bit "trapped". But I suppose there are worse places to be trapped...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwco1SsAAkYUVrV3YQw2mEfdubfcPmz_CgIiKHoTwOb9yHXRj3dnJ4VMDXdqU-xE3JXAsH24f58__QVhUHm36MOS_6hkqbB6Lwq072gprm0LL57gm40pSamdRIYno_a4TyR149cbS60w/s1600/DSC_1107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwco1SsAAkYUVrV3YQw2mEfdubfcPmz_CgIiKHoTwOb9yHXRj3dnJ4VMDXdqU-xE3JXAsH24f58__QVhUHm36MOS_6hkqbB6Lwq072gprm0LL57gm40pSamdRIYno_a4TyR149cbS60w/s640/DSC_1107.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Can this be my room at home, too?</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDkG-AwNm-omULrdf3w433-p5BicNqLa37p9ZRQhIP7YAh0rZjbrVopy5Wms8F-ByNfHd1SgwzXP-AoSFh87xISGLm4KlbRUdyhPjbThHDNy_uGhSJA70slNkIobCtGQfHiOtAUl6B4w/s1600/DSC_1271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDkG-AwNm-omULrdf3w433-p5BicNqLa37p9ZRQhIP7YAh0rZjbrVopy5Wms8F-ByNfHd1SgwzXP-AoSFh87xISGLm4KlbRUdyhPjbThHDNy_uGhSJA70slNkIobCtGQfHiOtAUl6B4w/s640/DSC_1271.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Some of the beautiful grounds at the hot springs</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tabacón is not only famous for being a luxury resort, it is famous for its prolific hot springs. Set about a 1/4 mile from the hotel is the famous Grand Spa which we joked was like a <a href="http://www.ragingwaters.com/">Raging Waters</a> for adults. I lost count of the (supposedly all natural) hot spring pools and waterfalls that meandered through the expansive property. They range in temperature from "holy-crap-I-think-I'm-sitting-in-lava" to "comfortable". And fortunately for me (I get hot when the sun is out on a 65 °F day) there were also a couple man-made cooling pools. I swear you could hear the steam sizzle off my skin as I'd drop into one of these...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkduJzhizAai1MkehScIgw0NFRn6P4n8IKodPSgt09bEht9cIK61Tsm9y1I9P8BTlSOtfZjZBSmkV8DIHd3HVIXH4KU78n-Nc_-Sf4hBsYWFCu1HFLa9LwiNdQ3hM9VkpIhlXCTzHZz5A/s1600/DSC_1260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkduJzhizAai1MkehScIgw0NFRn6P4n8IKodPSgt09bEht9cIK61Tsm9y1I9P8BTlSOtfZjZBSmkV8DIHd3HVIXH4KU78n-Nc_-Sf4hBsYWFCu1HFLa9LwiNdQ3hM9VkpIhlXCTzHZz5A/s640/DSC_1260.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Every pool you could see was open for lounging</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0d4twdo8AXjTp-8nNlXTdvIjffHRKrOD-_vVEezImSr5bJypnVuqMgdq3dydgXe6ekwaKz6YiKM7b-VhwOQHIJklafk_vrCGYHzxNAYQoRvXC6gFVV1m-ZrGdRDZEKeEQ0Q1tJ9UEA5A/s1600/DSC_1272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0d4twdo8AXjTp-8nNlXTdvIjffHRKrOD-_vVEezImSr5bJypnVuqMgdq3dydgXe6ekwaKz6YiKM7b-VhwOQHIJklafk_vrCGYHzxNAYQoRvXC6gFVV1m-ZrGdRDZEKeEQ0Q1tJ9UEA5A/s640/DSC_1272.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Sitting under the waterfalls was basically equivalent to getting a massage</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The one HUGE "cost savings" in staying at Tabacón is that unlimited access to the hot springs is included. This is a pretty big deal since folks NOT staying at the resort are required to pay $60/day to access the hot springs. And you can't pay hourly... Not like anyone would really stay all day - I think we'd had enough after an hour or two each day. But it still felt like a pretty good deal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUqA3U5KjATxJ8piBf8_1IpvckDWmsOgGpa6PESgv4z-Gz4FaLhDTv86Kqoa6prN0dtOxtuQ0eGY0i8L-7hHWx62G3odKDi3Q5M2rPce1xF2WrUbYonsOO7nvdwG4dg_O-hnoaJsJAyw/s1600/DSC_1124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUqA3U5KjATxJ8piBf8_1IpvckDWmsOgGpa6PESgv4z-Gz4FaLhDTv86Kqoa6prN0dtOxtuQ0eGY0i8L-7hHWx62G3odKDi3Q5M2rPce1xF2WrUbYonsOO7nvdwG4dg_O-hnoaJsJAyw/s640/DSC_1124.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Patacones are flattened and fried plantains</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqO-n9vm2kHPau4J1TXTd7oIF_Ssh0XgLLrCK1x3I6z3q34hO4Rg0OAXEybWkd2mls10C1pX9_7WT0krVLbWJGbHhXKSqG5r4YPCCzn0e4BS6ouBaUTxDnFLmjdpLGI85l1qR6SIaoms/s1600/DSC_1231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqO-n9vm2kHPau4J1TXTd7oIF_Ssh0XgLLrCK1x3I6z3q34hO4Rg0OAXEybWkd2mls10C1pX9_7WT0krVLbWJGbHhXKSqG5r4YPCCzn0e4BS6ouBaUTxDnFLmjdpLGI85l1qR6SIaoms/s640/DSC_1231.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We loved all these Central American Chinese sauces in the grocery store!!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We didn't do a whole lot else in La Fortuna, but that's partly because we'd already done a lot in Monteverde. All those "typical" Costa Rican adventures (ziplining and the canopy tours) are available out of La Fortuna too. So are white water rafting, waterfall repelling, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, etc. But being on the tail-end of our trip we were happy to relax and spend our energy seeking out food which was not casado...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUjUP5MogTQ01PsFiTbecuRQLHdAb3jr4tD4utqem-ZzfMg5E20nJLmtgGuZ-bH7klR0PxLxhvkjK2pGXzPaibQME7Gope-S3_p0J8aAo8Hx7fjozk5qPi7Z1Hf-IiMzdhrGt1VwqTI/s1600/DSC_1122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUjUP5MogTQ01PsFiTbecuRQLHdAb3jr4tD4utqem-ZzfMg5E20nJLmtgGuZ-bH7klR0PxLxhvkjK2pGXzPaibQME7Gope-S3_p0J8aAo8Hx7fjozk5qPi7Z1Hf-IiMzdhrGt1VwqTI/s640/DSC_1122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>La Choza de Laurel - our lunch stop in La Fortuna</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pfhC_j0M16zpQbOFAVl5-bpcXHWdmXsIuw9kfdB_P0lAdycuZQTaWdGBraQ6YaujeLvAvYhRK6RvB9kvt8HrF77s3avBOn8XF6sFABZZnAHdaY60zi10n_H5KsFXtDLR1eRrWBVscAs/s1600/DSC_1126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pfhC_j0M16zpQbOFAVl5-bpcXHWdmXsIuw9kfdB_P0lAdycuZQTaWdGBraQ6YaujeLvAvYhRK6RvB9kvt8HrF77s3avBOn8XF6sFABZZnAHdaY60zi10n_H5KsFXtDLR1eRrWBVscAs/s640/DSC_1126.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Beautiful presentation; food still tasted the same...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We did spend one day completely away from the resort. We headed into town before noon and had lunch at a huge outdoor restaurant called <span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><a href="http://www.lachozadelaurel.com/">La Choza de Laurel</a>. Food was very pretty to photograph and while it tasted good - it was nothing new. We were getting so jaded by this point! After lunch we took a cab to Arenal Waterfall where it cost us about $9 each to "hike" down to the waterfall. By "hike" I mean descend a series of very steep steps. Not so much, hiking but I was okay with this. Arrival to the waterfall was speedy and cool, relatively speaking, since we were covered by shade the entire time. The best part of this experience is that once you arrive at the waterfall, sweaty and sticky - you can jump in and swim in the water! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7xVBc_H_9sBJAC78stPn4WZRUzrDq5bnb1hC9IhYcTtzv-AVkyw8FIpNvSp0yArMCUNYfPOhFmDr6d1ZqgH8a9SMXr2Hc6P_-IEOmbhyphenhyphened-CeMrgnEvZ5QKXRsO9Ya0VRfnNSF3frz0/s1600/DSC_1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7xVBc_H_9sBJAC78stPn4WZRUzrDq5bnb1hC9IhYcTtzv-AVkyw8FIpNvSp0yArMCUNYfPOhFmDr6d1ZqgH8a9SMXr2Hc6P_-IEOmbhyphenhyphened-CeMrgnEvZ5QKXRsO9Ya0VRfnNSF3frz0/s640/DSC_1212.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Steps on the "hike" down to Arenal Waterfall</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwXLpUU0OOp6j2AeTIiIWZos-6wigko9BKLup94qCCyFwVKbUJjeTisec7xWlS-KZm0t6SQeHaMJIQForZX-EqW8Znjeu470TucmYMuYCPjly09B0Na-_KMUX413Rv7LQTo43QLdJb8Q/s1600/DSC_1144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwXLpUU0OOp6j2AeTIiIWZos-6wigko9BKLup94qCCyFwVKbUJjeTisec7xWlS-KZm0t6SQeHaMJIQForZX-EqW8Znjeu470TucmYMuYCPjly09B0Na-_KMUX413Rv7LQTo43QLdJb8Q/s640/DSC_1144.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You can see some people next to the falls for scale</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">As we waited at the Liberia airport to fly through Houston and back to San Francisco, we were dumbfounded at the number of Americans piled up waiting at each gate. I think Spanish speakers were in the minority here. It was just a little bit shocking to us. We'd observed this repeatedly over the course of the last 9 days, perhaps commencing with the fact that we'd found our way to a "foreign" country where we didn't even need to exchange money. But seeing all these Americans with iPods and laptops filling the small airport really drove it home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29cuKA-CcjniSaX29ZDB1ACcxxaFvBjJvDVH-ZXrLLCOaOFNJIszb3Q4e8_roJa-DYdLzPgns4J7LQy6OqqooFTVMQekywlzJxxdiRsI0R9UMIEd7MempizmRCEcIhrEE98mk8s94I5k/s1600/DSC_1233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29cuKA-CcjniSaX29ZDB1ACcxxaFvBjJvDVH-ZXrLLCOaOFNJIszb3Q4e8_roJa-DYdLzPgns4J7LQy6OqqooFTVMQekywlzJxxdiRsI0R9UMIEd7MempizmRCEcIhrEE98mk8s94I5k/s640/DSC_1233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Breakfast in the room one morning</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVudGeL_jd2RSe6ifXVkH8pCCEnM6U6nkarqKMUoLVADbFOKSQtdCyBzQIjbFmwVsKbU1P6HYm1itSafYam4GSbYSASUuojINr-8u5o5hLCvWBMf948zxyN-1MuRK9Hg9ubkHZ8zT1WY/s1600/DSC_1304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVudGeL_jd2RSe6ifXVkH8pCCEnM6U6nkarqKMUoLVADbFOKSQtdCyBzQIjbFmwVsKbU1P6HYm1itSafYam4GSbYSASUuojINr-8u5o5hLCvWBMf948zxyN-1MuRK9Hg9ubkHZ8zT1WY/s640/DSC_1304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our final view of Arenal Lake on the way to the airport</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Costa Rica was a beautiful getaway and a wonderfully relaxing place to vacation. There were fun activities and mini-adventures to be had. The people were kind and made us feel safe. </span><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">And with the same time zone as Arizona, there is basically no jet-lag! </span><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">But the food was disappointing and the authenticity questionable. It's sad to see what I'm certain is a beautiful culture and landscape transform itself to suit its tourists. And yet this happens repeatedly in the big cities of third world countries. We probably won't return, but this doesn't mean others shouldn't. Just go knowing what you're getting into. Take plenty of US dollars and remember you don't need electrical adapters. You'll feel right at home.</span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-3315308988125743042011-05-09T00:04:00.000-07:002011-05-10T15:20:31.705-07:00It's coming..."What's coming?" you ask?<br />
<br />
"The BIG ONE!!!" I say.<br />
<br />
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area your next comment will be "oh yah... 'The Big One'. We've been hearing about 'The Big One' ever since Loma Prieta..."<br />
<br />
But you are <b>incorrect,</b> since of course I'm not talking about an earthquake and instead am talking about San Francisco's <a href="http://bakesalesf.wordpress.com/">SECOND ANNUAL FOOD BLOGGERS BAKE SALE</a>!!! And it is truly going to be BIG!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bakesalesf.wordpress.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHdlCZz1ME9TxNbMjxvSFMacpH4MwU_lbmqyfc9EXB_scwIQSESDT8id6U1Hst2RODH0LKGQzOJRaxBWZMR5UWofeGXcni1J3x2TjV7MOH8G_fZU_3qB5kxXBZ67H1VzMfsam4j0sDEY/s640/SFbakesaleFlyer4.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>Gotcha, right?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9ba5ydMheU2DbwUr2m3ZonbGMG1PAfxeuSRkciIJbzq3tFb7SNw4f3Q3aN1hqRnYM6bWFJ3EVHOyzgdHH9olgl7iZxbqhgj_J5qi2oh0TRBc-k9P1d1P-Xe8_BS98ixn94DkbObIduA/s1600/03.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9ba5ydMheU2DbwUr2m3ZonbGMG1PAfxeuSRkciIJbzq3tFb7SNw4f3Q3aN1hqRnYM6bWFJ3EVHOyzgdHH9olgl7iZxbqhgj_J5qi2oh0TRBc-k9P1d1P-Xe8_BS98ixn94DkbObIduA/s1600/03.gif" /></a><br />
<br />
But yes, it's true. <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/04/food-bloggers-rock.html">Remember last year</a>? We're doing it again this year!<br />
<br />
This coming Saturday is the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale which is part of the <a href="http://gabs.strength.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GABS_homepage">Great American Bake Sale</a>. Gaby Dalkin of <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/">What's Gaby Cooking</a> came up with the wonderful idea to invite food bloggers from across the country to unite and support the cause by holding bake sales in their states. May 14th is that day! Check out her <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/2011-food-blogger-bake-sale/">list of food bloggers</a> hosting bake sales in various states across the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMva_Hi-1W4LEyA4j6rLVng2HdasgV8cu6wh60Ku3n5zVQy82Sf60sxbEGaNkZcFI3qo2xEOEosSc0ibv7YUx3qz7ewij-owbkIfyQy3C1JArg5Tg2Uv6MlHawRmfUDcWB75_po3HV48/s1600/DSC_1997small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMva_Hi-1W4LEyA4j6rLVng2HdasgV8cu6wh60Ku3n5zVQy82Sf60sxbEGaNkZcFI3qo2xEOEosSc0ibv7YUx3qz7ewij-owbkIfyQy3C1JArg5Tg2Uv6MlHawRmfUDcWB75_po3HV48/s640/DSC_1997small.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Vanilla bean salted caramels are already made and will be there for sale on Saturday!!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Money raised will go towards <a href="http://www.strength.org/">Share Our Strength</a>’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/2011/05/bake-sale-2011-this-saturday.html">Anita</a>, <a href="http://pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-almost-here.html">Shauna</a>, <a href="http://www.eatthelove.com/2011/05/san-francisco-food-blogger-bake-sale-this-saturday/">Irvin</a> and <a href="http://lavieenroute.com/2011/05/09/sf-food-bloggers-bake-sale-this-weekend/">Annelies</a> (and sorta, kinda, a little bit, moi) are generously hosting this year's sale during which we're hoping to DOUBLE our fundraising from last year, which was a whopping $1700!! Yes, *just* 1 day of selling baked goods in San Francisco raised $1700 for Share Our Strength!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bakesalesf.wordpress.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0qRFqD9l7XJLJGfKyouxA3lgRZi_vFFvmDnxTzTaTp3SLmM_Uu_3SjNwq6M0gR1VpsKHELv22kGHUpXoAThBeB0GseSYwRYd04VoR9UvwsvkEv3-SHsbbQr_pRukGWSRtMBKlVeDtHg/s320/sfbakesalebadge2.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Join Us!!!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We have TWO locations this year. At the last minute, I'm jumping in to manage the Kiehl's location and<b> will be there at Kiehl's on Fillmore all day</b>, Shauna and Annelies at 18 Reasons, and Anita and Irvin splitting time between both locations.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2009/04/velvet-rouge.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4-C-5G11itGvAZa57E1XBheXyY0Zd42vZpuTAnk-ZTZSwhcc7kTQSuFYiUDDSSJmZEhcgmj-cOhmTc4YEMLrlLIoSyMmYePRH5pXKffv54TKMoM3KzvBLqOv7LUMxVFRyvDRQ7LGJz-Q/s400/DSC_9100.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I'll have red velvet cupcakes for sale</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2009/12/my-christmas.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcM2GMsky2HkDRZxm9NmX6xPFEtDat46XDgKRZAkGbBtd-OhzatZfJ7GwJRRb0QGXbVwPNM3NnMMoB6OAiAfvZteyvgLxHzCyU6a8nPQcvBEpFwhNYyFf5M3avVdqAA061F_gCfB2cx4/s400/DSC_3804.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And will also be selling cream puffs filled with vanilla custard</i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2008/02/one-and-half-handed-cookies.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9Xx9NosMWkmLTmZRzgzf3X8ZtpX9KrWwsZo2Ez00O9YGh9ekQjAytxHEOZJ2rBqJR6cvCwtNEtykNoOTcnHOsAIoUAbAPSLh9hWoMu70-LXrgq8ZANiCHmS8WnsyWY89AxIrmEiUqCI/s400/DSC_0686.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And if there's extra time - the "famous" chocolate chip cookies!</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll be selling Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Vanilla Custard filled Cream Puffs and (time permitting) those "famous" Chocolate Chip Cookies. But don't forget - there will also be 20+ more bakers contributing to the 18 Reasons location and 10+ more bakers contributing to the Kiehl's location! Come early to get the best pickings!!<i> </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">The Deets:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<b style="color: purple;">Where:</b> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=18+Reasons,+593+Guerrero+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA+94110&aq=0&sll=37.09024,-95.712891&sspn=32.197599,80.419922&ie=UTF8&hq=18+Reasons,&hnear=593+Guerrero+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&ll=37.76281,-122.423723&spn=0.007837,0.019634&z=16&iwloc=A">18 Reasons, 593 Guerrero Street, San Francisco, CA 94110</a><br />
<b style="color: purple;">When: </b>Saturday May 14th, 2011 from <b>10am-6pm</b><br />
<b style="color: purple;">Who:</b> Shauna, Annelies and 20+ additional food bloggers/bakers! Anita and Irvin will split their time between here and:<br />
<br />
<b style="color: purple;">Where:</b> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kiehls,+2360+Fillmore+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA+94115-1813&aq=0&sll=37.763014,-122.423723&sspn=0.007837,0.019634&ie=UTF8&hq=Kiehls,&hnear=2360+Fillmore+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94115&ll=37.792999,-122.434237&spn=0.00741,0.019634&z=16&iwloc=A">Kiehls, 2360 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115-1813</a><br />
<b style="color: purple;">When:</b> Saturday May 14th, 2011 from <b>12pm-4pm</b><br />
<b style="color: purple;">Who: </b>I'll be here the entire time! And so will 10+ additional food bloggers/bakers. Anita and Irvin will also be spending some time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you can't make it out or live too far from San Francisco, you can always make a donation from right here:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://join.strength.org/site/TR/CEM/General?team_id=106166&pg=team&fr_id=1120" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrDH0c9O5sEuklOIPFEr5UMm7uqlEmNS2Txv1BTPYniRDvEhCSeFOaPGcXl4D5tyoIb_jBG4XrQB1d_PfLv5IxYBHNK6ZvPM-QRUpU2J7VwqbIZB-k3dAeOGVC1DLYYNH_1WCFwMGsf4/s1600/163350294.orig.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Click here to donate!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It's for a wonderful cause... but in reality - we'd prefer to meet you in person! Come on out - it's gonna be big!!</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-57902503901579945202011-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:002011-05-04T15:59:05.088-07:00HobnobbingI just returned from a gorgeous weekend on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Peninsula">Monterey Peninsula</a>. This weekend was something of a perfect storm for me. I'd planned months ago to run a portion of the Big Sur Marathon on Sunday (10.6 miles to be exact.) But as I poked around The Internets one night, I realized the <a href="http://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/">Pebble Beach Food & Wine</a> festival was <b>the same weekend</b>! Clearly, it was meant to be! It was as if someone had wrapped up a weekend, tied it with a bow and handed it to me. Eating and drinking, then running all in one of the most beautiful and charming areas of California!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrXthK-71HbG78dDAIkEd_kvbWcOPfKRAAQjWwmrtekBQsYIgyoKaw3kn0b3RCxI-9diFT-_SdhZXbzjmHNsx2SaMahr0mqOC0xQlLroNbqGmhObkpux_csI0MOcQL_MtBhk4u5i6d_c/s640/DSC_1823.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Goat Cheese tart from Kent Rathbun of Abacus in Dallas, TX</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwn9o4ckRx8OOIJySbdMW-WDXFH9CmWWRhUwXl_TyqjjZ76kUY06g8VqeD8xvkpTJDC2Hu0nDk-XfuKnUBQQ4V6J5a7WS_8BEjtZB_MqmVzUcvJDWX4RdTKlWKB_tVEKNbQ5RLTC-YB8/s1600/DSC_1817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwn9o4ckRx8OOIJySbdMW-WDXFH9CmWWRhUwXl_TyqjjZ76kUY06g8VqeD8xvkpTJDC2Hu0nDk-XfuKnUBQQ4V6J5a7WS_8BEjtZB_MqmVzUcvJDWX4RdTKlWKB_tVEKNbQ5RLTC-YB8/s640/DSC_1817.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The hustle and bustle under the tents at the Grand Tasting on Saturday</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'd been wanting to go to Pebble Beach Food and Wine for a couple years now. I remember seeing photos and reading statuses of my extremely lucky Facebook foodie friends last year and yearning for an opportunity to attend some time in the future. Not so much to wine and dine and <i>be</i> <i>fabulous, Dahling</i> - but more to rub elbows (and perhaps protruding bellies) with some of the <strike>country's</strike> *pause* the world(?)'s greatest chefs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyMSgKF_b0oY6jmJhMIVrHuj94DwTk165s5hBUnnmaFivK8xaRP6A0ETK8sw51ebw3ds-kdvwdvSb1PzzyFrLcAa_jgFO4H6PPu9MLr2nA-rm4TY9QaqPmgv9lIemHLMw5N4FQB0xrzM/s640/DSC_1828.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Andre Bienvenu</b>'s crew working the Joe's Stone Crab booth (Andre was just to my right and not in the shot)</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILw_3UanUbLgFPFNGymwIgUtfng_OkSXMYeCv86sJ5zGW5pYr2iJzpTei0jgWSymyzNH2F20KNBCKf5ZgehsMjUzgTbBcVdnrCttyDGXv6ixOSxFhczvn6Kn6Ov_qeyYIDReI7oXR67I/s640/DSC_1829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Joe's Stone Crab: Crab tamale and a butter rum shot -- yummy!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I pored over photos and blog posts dreaming of the spectacle it must have been...all these chefs in ONE PLACE? What if there was an earthquake and everyone fell into a crevasse? Could we as a world, risk placing all these amazing cooks in one place at one time? Who would continue to receive Michelin stars? Ok.... I over-dramatize a bit. But it was still an occurrence I dreamed of witnessing with my own eyes (not the earthquake/crevasse bit - but the PBFW bit...)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLPCQxd06S2rJhU69YRem6jmO04jypa9xGOETRPAFE5rYVhc2EFBhyphenhyphenTofpiPtAorpJqLU6dEtTs4hG325FZHml9i8hTMrQvDWkfqNdX9fUzfTsurBJBZ7ohpAcGkimU6IyuSuaXmBTtE/s1600/DSC_1845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLPCQxd06S2rJhU69YRem6jmO04jypa9xGOETRPAFE5rYVhc2EFBhyphenhyphenTofpiPtAorpJqLU6dEtTs4hG325FZHml9i8hTMrQvDWkfqNdX9fUzfTsurBJBZ7ohpAcGkimU6IyuSuaXmBTtE/s640/DSC_1845.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Baby Burgers on brioche - from <b>Justin Sledge</b> of Calistoga Ranch</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nYgfbUYJgLZ8rxIRRMGZ7f4YWmP0O1KkIZ-bsRGEb66t2CdDDh7smnqhh7DLiV95IGsE4nbAgdvJcDOC6Oq9s2ygLplMHHEVWC5hLHlJ6R0nQsLn2I0u0Q814wiQF5LvCmHJByqsOeQ/s1600/DSC_1858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nYgfbUYJgLZ8rxIRRMGZ7f4YWmP0O1KkIZ-bsRGEb66t2CdDDh7smnqhh7DLiV95IGsE4nbAgdvJcDOC6Oq9s2ygLplMHHEVWC5hLHlJ6R0nQsLn2I0u0Q814wiQF5LvCmHJByqsOeQ/s640/DSC_1858.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Tim Love</b> of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth, TX was serving more tamales (a popular item today!)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hmm... well.... sooo.... while the event was almost fabulous, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. I knew my mind likely embellished the fabulousness of that which could be Pebble Beach Food and Wine, but even taking that into consideration, I was *still* disappointed. I'm ridiculously thankful we were fortunate enough to receive comped tickets and didn't drop the $195 per person. I'll save my $195 for an experience in a restaurant, <i>thankyouverymuch</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Ej4G-cjogwFABUPHEkXaE1yIY9aaNRU8QN56AEYUiIs_718866yTaCxyveQUof27OOHPfIbeQ3f2vTS-MiTShZoyg9mfvcPs9S26rU44weuWnsf3GKM3B3tQAuPCjpGtADTLO56Xjg/s1600/DSC_1838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-Ej4G-cjogwFABUPHEkXaE1yIY9aaNRU8QN56AEYUiIs_718866yTaCxyveQUof27OOHPfIbeQ3f2vTS-MiTShZoyg9mfvcPs9S26rU44weuWnsf3GKM3B3tQAuPCjpGtADTLO56Xjg/s640/DSC_1838.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Mindy Segal</b> (far right) from Mindy's Hot Chocolate Restaurant in Chicago</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's not that the tents weren't beautiful or that the music wasn't fun and "club-like". It's not that we didn't taste little bits of heaven here and there. Nor was it that we couldn't have sampled 4-5 quadrillion wines. In fact, for what it was - the event was nice. There were lines, but they didn't take more than 10-15 minutes (and were made better if you had a sidekick to run and swoop up additional tidbits to bring back while you stood there and sipped wine). It wasn't uncomfortably crowded nor were folks too pretentious or ostentatious (I said "too"). Really I was most disappointed by... the chefs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zxzhWj7hoX4lpYGfCaNrvlIORhOopDb5S9DUviLaG0Nph3KKrfLvB2_1TiJqBE-nNM7FlSQ_79HXztzOJA-G2beoqNhxvRhCM_8FV_l_4ze34pmIIqHvCQ9obrobkXQ_ma86mrZrY8/s1600/DSC_1863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zxzhWj7hoX4lpYGfCaNrvlIORhOopDb5S9DUviLaG0Nph3KKrfLvB2_1TiJqBE-nNM7FlSQ_79HXztzOJA-G2beoqNhxvRhCM_8FV_l_4ze34pmIIqHvCQ9obrobkXQ_ma86mrZrY8/s640/DSC_1863.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Michael Ginor</b> who is the co-founder, co-owner, & President of Hudson Valley Foie Gras & New York State Foie Gras</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cf1XXPqin16sMn2dTm6WcHisKv_StXoJFv0G4zwtKB-BHcVDleDtMsOHLX9onoX2SVTjL91i3itRmPYCVPC0wwFI-VMGUM2ZaCdbLOaIkvTgDwfatFRjBPexayxRLojK_OEEmkpIsmM/s1600/DSC_1865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cf1XXPqin16sMn2dTm6WcHisKv_StXoJFv0G4zwtKB-BHcVDleDtMsOHLX9onoX2SVTjL91i3itRmPYCVPC0wwFI-VMGUM2ZaCdbLOaIkvTgDwfatFRjBPexayxRLojK_OEEmkpIsmM/s640/DSC_1865.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There was foie gras on this plate - I don't remember anything else because it doesn't matter... *drool*</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>OK, ok now let me fill in some blanks before I go off the deep end here. We went on Saturday (perhaps they all came out to play on Sunday?) and we only attended the Lexus Grand Tasting as opposed to any other events. I realize that the "schmancier" chefs perhaps were merely meandering with us Foodies under the tents that day. Meanwhile for an extra $100-1000 one could hobnob with them more intimately at a cooking demo, lunch or dinner party, golf tournament, etc. But the dreamlike delusions in my head saw me running from table to table, watching in awe as Daniel Boulud or Jacques Pépin or Christopher Kostow placed the finishing sprig of micro-green atop my pan-seared scallop with black truffles & butternut squash gratin, and gently handing it to me. My bad. This was not the case.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzE1FCFXAcaMJ37eRGSWbzUCyJpu5l8MAtUd7G4APHZGXEzG520OZdLzFEsK4B6aLXY7-lTooKewBe1GuMAN43Ujo-hv92xyBROJUQCtCdhdNCx9Yt8BXNVmnHgKbeUOXvRS-194hUZFc/s1600/DSC_1840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzE1FCFXAcaMJ37eRGSWbzUCyJpu5l8MAtUd7G4APHZGXEzG520OZdLzFEsK4B6aLXY7-lTooKewBe1GuMAN43Ujo-hv92xyBROJUQCtCdhdNCx9Yt8BXNVmnHgKbeUOXvRS-194hUZFc/s640/DSC_1840.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Jeremy Tummel</b> of Stillwater Bar & Grill in Pebble Beach - cute isn't he?</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt20o_6t024JnSFGFt0FpWKongVCyMXLadnxFcYmvSGQctOJlnZFBUY7I187jmUuY3_cesINRS705J3fNcV96_QigVJP4f1A7GosusWAqMhOKDBKlGwNmkdi5swggxc1ddhdMmjqwiYKk/s1600/DSC_1841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt20o_6t024JnSFGFt0FpWKongVCyMXLadnxFcYmvSGQctOJlnZFBUY7I187jmUuY3_cesINRS705J3fNcV96_QigVJP4f1A7GosusWAqMhOKDBKlGwNmkdi5swggxc1ddhdMmjqwiYKk/s640/DSC_1841.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>More...tamales. Crab too (not that they weren't good but why so many tamales?!)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not that there weren't some incredible chefs at which I could ogle and whose food I could sample. It just wasn't what I was expecting. Jacques (and Claudine) Pépin did a demo, but they were not serving food. Same goes for Michael Chiarello. Chefs like Charlie Trotter, Ming Tsai, Gary Danko and Tyler Florence were touted on the website, but I never once heard mention of them [at the Grand Tasting]. Again - maybe they were there on Sunday? Or just doing demos... Or maybe they were just <b>THERE</b> hanging out and for that reason, PBFW can put them on the "Chefs List"?<br />
<br />
The biggest "well known" chef serving food on Saturday was Tom Colicchio. And really the people lined up at his booth were there to take photos of/with him and not to sample any food. Wait, was he serving food? Or just carving a pig...?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-MEcf2dECpuXOcRRsus9ImFNvv9CLOwpJdUW4oD6n7RrKyoajeyCK_r1iaTOC9A7CQCP94f6LIdjo4Ic3b9m23pC8yFRrzNgH5JqCFSU77576-gJLRG3xvYAg3H6i_a0yLfCDT8mcCU/s640/DSC_1849.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I spy <b>Chris Cosentino</b> (of Incanto in San Francisco) hiding behind <b>Tom Colicchio</b>!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgZCmdQnXkO9nI2Yk__53fatb9DXWj68W6kwh1bgsBBI5BkTVT5THUyBq-2Cx4k2keIK4Nkx5deqvxolbcorb-uYCN6NqbpWaGipEuUbohQy6UPCDMsG8NvcEgJa4bJoNUcAqJD8O7x0/s640/DSC_1851.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What else would <b>Tom Colicchio</b> be doing other than carving a pig, right...??</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was also somewhat irritated and irked by the organization of the event. While the website told me to go to the Inn at Spanish Bay for the Grand Tasting - the Grand Tasting was actually at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center: one of the stops along 17-Mile Drive. We saw no signs along the route we traveled, to tell us this. And it took us another half hour to find the Equestrian Center after leaving the Inn at Spanish Bay... If we had paid $195 for a 3 hour event, only to arrive and be lost and confused for 45 minutes I would have been livid. As it was, I was pretty frustrated...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt7YEG5Cjc4QelWJUQr8PXEZTmsjuB5NxKA8aVMmDS54wBFn3UX6MKjvISknU17HEiqsKch4UVTF1wh7nqhJpRmG0udwP8cDP0gmBPnGJTPsOEAIUS_Bfalq7XtC6S3t59Kv1u1ApGwc/s1600/DSC_1820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt7YEG5Cjc4QelWJUQr8PXEZTmsjuB5NxKA8aVMmDS54wBFn3UX6MKjvISknU17HEiqsKch4UVTF1wh7nqhJpRmG0udwP8cDP0gmBPnGJTPsOEAIUS_Bfalq7XtC6S3t59Kv1u1ApGwc/s640/DSC_1820.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Kent Rathbun</b> of Abacus in Dallas, TX</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UAAlnHq67D86dEuDkUoKs9aKlNy9f3JORYnF2b3gnTX1gmCDmMs1eNAwG5Qnv1NvZzTfiIT44OhXDDr1dK9NiW2p5towMV_HyXlJPLM3JapcdB-ACeTWT9hYrMgn3Ild83VFFaxjokU/s1600/DSC_1822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UAAlnHq67D86dEuDkUoKs9aKlNy9f3JORYnF2b3gnTX1gmCDmMs1eNAwG5Qnv1NvZzTfiIT44OhXDDr1dK9NiW2p5towMV_HyXlJPLM3JapcdB-ACeTWT9hYrMgn3Ild83VFFaxjokU/s640/DSC_1822.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Kent Rathbun</b> was serving truffle eggs with sweet pork belly bacon on toast</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>However, most of the time I'm a glass-half-full kind of person. So I'm about done being overly critical of an event at which I really had a great time! Moving on...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0AwGQq7zOPpVdOTTMP8GC80vEKsAayeTEaTbpPoWMnyH8d0WGAEfLGqJoXmPGk85Zcf_zg64xP-ZH9rBuq0tSuArfYGr3mWM-cd3RJfxo5E4sPboHRTeztKCUqHYd-F6s5A3kpP4_i0/s1600/DSC_1874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0AwGQq7zOPpVdOTTMP8GC80vEKsAayeTEaTbpPoWMnyH8d0WGAEfLGqJoXmPGk85Zcf_zg64xP-ZH9rBuq0tSuArfYGr3mWM-cd3RJfxo5E4sPboHRTeztKCUqHYd-F6s5A3kpP4_i0/s640/DSC_1874.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We're in berry country down here. It's like HEAVEN! There was even a "berry station" along my run the next day!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlnPzENUCf04R2Q8lR_vqyNQfmgFARBzq0uJM-DJ8ZqX-4BD4ebPuLeN5fwHf4U4OCzyfE51_eHiEHM_6VUmSP_txlMcDkZ-yg0x2rSrol45QBBhgvIIh9rg7ABb7NW2H37numaMB3xg/s1600/DSC_1875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlnPzENUCf04R2Q8lR_vqyNQfmgFARBzq0uJM-DJ8ZqX-4BD4ebPuLeN5fwHf4U4OCzyfE51_eHiEHM_6VUmSP_txlMcDkZ-yg0x2rSrol45QBBhgvIIh9rg7ABb7NW2H37numaMB3xg/s640/DSC_1875.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ohhhhh..... the berries. They were PERFECT.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I knew one of my BBF's (Best Blogger Friend!), <a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/">Anita</a> would be there with her hubby, Mike and we'd planned to meet up with them. But we were extremely lucky to literally BUMP into them about 20 yards into the tents! Anita and I proceeded to run around like kids at Disneyland while our men patiently followed - making sure to fill up the wine glasses along the way. What great guys...<br />
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I think that wine actually came into play here, because once Anita and I got going, we started shoulder tapping chef after chef to ask for photos - and were successful!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtVfjYeezLwTP0v9D_3TPreSOQTAUf_O8itocEciJMyrlk-BpA9Sj3fcbFlAZHfiNEMX9So9on34CCmxjufogphSD-4U5nCQpvCWDlx8FKuTFsB6Hs5uN3Tjx40P3LoI8uZJQOGlTO88/s1600/DSC_1855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtVfjYeezLwTP0v9D_3TPreSOQTAUf_O8itocEciJMyrlk-BpA9Sj3fcbFlAZHfiNEMX9So9on34CCmxjufogphSD-4U5nCQpvCWDlx8FKuTFsB6Hs5uN3Tjx40P3LoI8uZJQOGlTO88/s640/DSC_1855.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The wine made us a little braver: Bossy Lisa and Dessert First Girl pose with <b>Daniel Boulud</b>!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuk1B_ASBqh4HnGnGVrNMu8REtHElWG2y94lfDqJ087GsAG9ecXhU2gHK_kvVD97wl7gvJpybLenKwWLSsA8EisGL7RaKB6bRJwQCka1Er0MYJ7G8_NPY9f1BI5ftrRUgiNtF3ItCI70/s1600/DSC_1866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuk1B_ASBqh4HnGnGVrNMu8REtHElWG2y94lfDqJ087GsAG9ecXhU2gHK_kvVD97wl7gvJpybLenKwWLSsA8EisGL7RaKB6bRJwQCka1Er0MYJ7G8_NPY9f1BI5ftrRUgiNtF3ItCI70/s640/DSC_1866.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Next, Anita and I <strike>assaulted</strike> shoulder-tapped <b>Michael Chiarello</b>! (Funny, this is my 2nd photo with him...in maybe 5 years)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the highlights of our traipsing that afternoon was stopping by Sherry Yard's booth. Ms. Yard is of course THE pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck. She's won a James Beard Award for Best Baking Cookbook and is responsible for some major dessert action at the Academy Awards (and the Grammys and the Emmys too...).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwBkyY91H-TFUqiYDOZ0NwfYsFb8vWN2BwJkI6_KUl-QKMUc3uAWbDTUQB7ZnFo38doMD9rR_xOjxULlf3S7Vs-kHaa8CSx_czd2RN6Z0U1FF4dDsg9e5BNspV5NVXkvFnIDWksRvVZ4/s1600/DSC_1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwBkyY91H-TFUqiYDOZ0NwfYsFb8vWN2BwJkI6_KUl-QKMUc3uAWbDTUQB7ZnFo38doMD9rR_xOjxULlf3S7Vs-kHaa8CSx_czd2RN6Z0U1FF4dDsg9e5BNspV5NVXkvFnIDWksRvVZ4/s640/DSC_1868.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The famous <b>Sherry Yard</b> (head of pastry for Wolfgang Puck) with <b>Yigit Pura</b> (the first Top Chef Just Desserts winner)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANbyI5e5DuKMtOWWR9YV2H8ZLQdToEPEydad_4kNjW6HdieATnqKTUebj2LG1N_u__W_DiEr_PnwRWaVY4xefqaYLLVsrARWI0M8X33IreoDl5SD7L8lGMSk3rerDcOBEsGcAKxegq9c/s1600/DSC_1833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANbyI5e5DuKMtOWWR9YV2H8ZLQdToEPEydad_4kNjW6HdieATnqKTUebj2LG1N_u__W_DiEr_PnwRWaVY4xefqaYLLVsrARWI0M8X33IreoDl5SD7L8lGMSk3rerDcOBEsGcAKxegq9c/s640/DSC_1833.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My hand model proves that <b>Sherry Yard</b> *did* have macarons - they were just gone by the time I got there!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3dLdivEXi6d9Xb3XLfsL5mLtJYsievIPHLZwiqM0lBFuurOYVd9std880jJw7EUShh4bv4J8Vrv1i7CruMmtbs6uRRW_iqLdCwR-MctJRCMPqJsC_wWp5H_XDtHTPBN_qLo_kCgnSzY/s1600/DSC_1836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3dLdivEXi6d9Xb3XLfsL5mLtJYsievIPHLZwiqM0lBFuurOYVd9std880jJw7EUShh4bv4J8Vrv1i7CruMmtbs6uRRW_iqLdCwR-MctJRCMPqJsC_wWp5H_XDtHTPBN_qLo_kCgnSzY/s640/DSC_1836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ms. Yard's fantastic spread - Fantastic!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not only is Sherry one AMAZING pastry-maker, she was totally fun and friendly and welcoming too. She never stopped smiling even as people elbowed their way towards her sugary spread. She happily answered questions and just seemed like such a NICE PERSON. She had the most colorful and creative booth - nothing minimalist or modern or sleek. It looked FUN. It was pink and bubbly - just like Sherry. On top of all of this, when Anita and I did our shoulder tapping here she not only welcomed a photo, she gave us cookies from her display (they were wrapping up and breaking down.) And the icing on the cookie? I mean cake?... when I mentioned to Sherry that Anita is basically The Sh%#, and dropped her blog name... Sherry had heard of it! Warm fuzzies for Anita the rest of the day (and probably week? month?)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoeKU2rHyjoLsRC1hsX1NGUG8eeV98O2NAHUVMLehcE5uswDK6Ktjy7v-DuiqrJHwQW-pDJVmdn6Q8hGA61bfChYTwTDSWTl-qU62ODQyqKLnFljuYyGxGCaKYqHtAdO7Os_YigeTAHo/s1600/DSC_1881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoeKU2rHyjoLsRC1hsX1NGUG8eeV98O2NAHUVMLehcE5uswDK6Ktjy7v-DuiqrJHwQW-pDJVmdn6Q8hGA61bfChYTwTDSWTl-qU62ODQyqKLnFljuYyGxGCaKYqHtAdO7Os_YigeTAHo/s640/DSC_1881.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We totally look like BFFs, right?? And she gave us those cookies as she took down her display!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anita joked to me that sometimes it's fun to pretend we're rich. She's right. As we both clutched our generously comped tickets (and giant colorful cookies on sticks) we did indeed feel lucky. I shouldn't complain at all about an event to which I was *given* a ticket (tho it was not given by PBFW so I really don't owe them anything...)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxmO7eYsV9lLFcFTcJ4SvnwBywIJ5oCXR8EQUGjf_SWSJt5dFe8MBWGTXqNF0xLILwaPBVuzgffD-wGOcyiGTpcI7l86Lx_jBcGgw4HxzfrLJRvTcPKs27oNAXv8Q9dUTlj14oB9fGLU/s1600/DSC_1862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxmO7eYsV9lLFcFTcJ4SvnwBywIJ5oCXR8EQUGjf_SWSJt5dFe8MBWGTXqNF0xLILwaPBVuzgffD-wGOcyiGTpcI7l86Lx_jBcGgw4HxzfrLJRvTcPKs27oNAXv8Q9dUTlj14oB9fGLU/s640/DSC_1862.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Food bloggers unite! <a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/">Anita</a>, Lisa, <a href="http://www.eatthelove.com/">Irvin</a> and <a href="http://www.thetomatotart.com/">Sabrina</a></i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi21Pe6Ib2PD_8w69xAfrQoWmyxzjUAz-Aiw9xeY9bq57ah0BybZ2egy1C55E3SWDXnPDQBDT_0wOiwtZzDCvnKBiOetDNFAAJqWf9Im7vSOJYopIhiUNHpgMNY4OBRaex8yZOND74DY/s1600/DSC_1886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi21Pe6Ib2PD_8w69xAfrQoWmyxzjUAz-Aiw9xeY9bq57ah0BybZ2egy1C55E3SWDXnPDQBDT_0wOiwtZzDCvnKBiOetDNFAAJqWf9Im7vSOJYopIhiUNHpgMNY4OBRaex8yZOND74DY/s640/DSC_1886.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We were like little girls in a candy store!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>At the end of the day we were stuffed silly, warmed by wine, excited at spotting a Baldwin brother and slightly high on capturing photos of ourselves with some notable <span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">culinarians. It was a success as far as the day went. And it's never a bad time when I'm with Anita! I'm glad we went and I'm happy for the experience. But I've taken note that until I no longer need to *pretend* I'm rich... I'll save this kind of money to sit, relax, and be served instead.</span></span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-12679874187276791622011-04-25T09:53:00.000-07:002013-12-12T13:10:28.525-08:00Colorful cookiesHope everyone had a wonderful Easter, yesterday. <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2009/04/devilishly-colorful.html">Remember these</a>? I made them again yesterday. SO pretty!!<br />
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I'm going to briefly veer away from my Costa Rica recap and head back to the reason I originally started this blog: to talk about food! Baking in particular! You all know <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/06/this-is-how-we-do-it.html">I love tea</a>. I. Love. Tea. I'm not talking about a good ole cup of Earl Grey, but <b>afternoon tea</b> and all the frilly girlie goodness that goes along with it: silver, china, tablecloths, cloth napkins, finger sandwiches, lemon curd, scones, sugar cubes, clotted cream, petit fours... Frequently you'll also find cookies served at the end of afternoon tea, along with the petit fours (or in lieu of). I'm hot and cold about cookies in general. I know that sounds crazy since I'm a baker. But bakers don't have to love everything they bake... I mean, I don't even love eating <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/05/macaron-passion.html">my own macarons</a>! (I know - I know... there's something wrong with me).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOZHyLI0vyg9_f1_WlbbTtDzQdTD_IlsxG5NQgFyX5sD3K6wcLsiYYL0i4ztmg9gqaUrPL0Kab7FAkuEhvuDPuZ_S2Oi1G43JoSCbSZ4XIXLvg5EcYStdG1ghSE9FBoCcnasu57MHVdo/s1600/DSC_1370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOZHyLI0vyg9_f1_WlbbTtDzQdTD_IlsxG5NQgFyX5sD3K6wcLsiYYL0i4ztmg9gqaUrPL0Kab7FAkuEhvuDPuZ_S2Oi1G43JoSCbSZ4XIXLvg5EcYStdG1ghSE9FBoCcnasu57MHVdo/s640/DSC_1370.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cranberry tea cookies with.... tea!</i></span></td></tr>
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However, these cranberry tea cookies are ridiculous. I can't stop eating them. In fact, I think I can't make them anymore because I will NOT STOP EATING them. To make matters worse, they're super easy to make. So combine easy-to-make with delicious and you're in a dangerous spot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZbZ_l6RWIWwUvq8TUYbZrZpHTN3w_PLT66Ezn9ClCejnf3Q_rksAaJkO_-vyNT8D_E1yy8RXG0MrjJOCFrIQQ8jGlXMmVz5mRlFMh9W_8ca-mAwVLBdKUjr4M6_y9I2C8bspGkBNZgw/s1600/DSC_1383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZbZ_l6RWIWwUvq8TUYbZrZpHTN3w_PLT66Ezn9ClCejnf3Q_rksAaJkO_-vyNT8D_E1yy8RXG0MrjJOCFrIQQ8jGlXMmVz5mRlFMh9W_8ca-mAwVLBdKUjr4M6_y9I2C8bspGkBNZgw/s640/DSC_1383.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's kinda crazy how good these cookies are - especially for how simple they are to make</i></span></td></tr>
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I'm not sure why I don't love cookies. I also don't love cake - but I guess that's another blog post... Cookies are boring to me, maybe. They're not always very pretty - even when they taste great. I think cookies are frequently done poorly too - especially homemade ones. OK, ok... I know - now I'm just getting snobby. But it seems people so often over-bake cookies that I just no longer trust I'm gonna get a tasty morsel when I'm offered one. Instead, by default - I <i>always</i> turn them down. *sigh*<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-AVSazXuemHjLW0LO6ZlGfdMvnSaPJXZQY1HXrJHKBKVj_dc2Ot8anmf68m-lvP6JlUstHxc4bVj2h6XVrDA_ajGHiFaX_r6E-paMOynOg497CffvWVWI5TRm3M4B6rIAWWpQqgc4UY/s1600/DSC_1412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-AVSazXuemHjLW0LO6ZlGfdMvnSaPJXZQY1HXrJHKBKVj_dc2Ot8anmf68m-lvP6JlUstHxc4bVj2h6XVrDA_ajGHiFaX_r6E-paMOynOg497CffvWVWI5TRm3M4B6rIAWWpQqgc4UY/s640/DSC_1412.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I ate all of these after I took this photo... seriously.</i></span></td></tr>
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OK, so less tooting of the horn and more discussion on the blog post topic, yes? The cranberry tea cookies. These are technically called Cranberry Noel Cookies and I believe the original recipe has coconut in it. Um, no thanks. With a name like cranberry NOEL cookies - these are really a Christmas cookie. But I love them. And I wanted some in April. So I'm calling them Cranberry Tea Cookies. Problem solved.<br />
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Of course you can eat these cookies with coffee instead of tea. Or a glass of milk. Or like I do, out of the cookie jar with no accompanying beverage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4fQu9Oeu05th6C_6KInY94N1uLC29JopWEYmLWhjXEk2ljh5J0vrtY0YvXv7DwmUWpLsUdqRmysE67eSF_NIQ3EV9Q0acqAkfnjHuYaTWVcFxQ4jIaqfRRfG744VgnBgHgE4G_df8fY/s1600/DSC_1327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4fQu9Oeu05th6C_6KInY94N1uLC29JopWEYmLWhjXEk2ljh5J0vrtY0YvXv7DwmUWpLsUdqRmysE67eSF_NIQ3EV9Q0acqAkfnjHuYaTWVcFxQ4jIaqfRRfG744VgnBgHgE4G_df8fY/s640/DSC_1327.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The original recipe doesn't call for this - but I thought it was a nice touch</span></i></td></tr>
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I decided to make a little change to the original recipe which was given to us by a family friend... I roll the edges of the cookies in sugar before baking. I originally did this because I thought I'd been a bit too generous with my cranberries and nuts in one batch and made the cookies not-sweet-enough. So I rolled them in granulated sugar. I loved how they turned out though; the sugar made them sparkle and the little crunch it added was very lovely. I continue to roll them in sugar whether I'm heavy handed with the accouterments, or not!<br />
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Want the recipe? I know you do...<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cranberry <strike>Noel</strike> Tea Cookies</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Makes 35-40 cookies</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2-4 oz sticks salted butter at room temperature (8 oz total)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 T milk or cream</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 t vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 t salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c chopped pecans</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3/4 c chopped dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/4 c extra sugar</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cream butter and sugar til fluffy. Add milk and vanilla - mix. Add flour and salt - mix well. It might seem crumbly at this point but if you keep blending it will come together eventually. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Add the cranberries and pecans. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MfAVlbh2aUqrqlr5APcpNzJok-WlLM38ZE0Mq2xtXHWpBLoPu_PvmyzoA5Ageaz62loobs4yXsY2CdO-yW8DL_Gc6-P9avtM-rLe6r1gVXKFji4fEn3OrNL7ydtIM7H-qizQ3C56Scs/s1600/DSC_1310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MfAVlbh2aUqrqlr5APcpNzJok-WlLM38ZE0Mq2xtXHWpBLoPu_PvmyzoA5Ageaz62loobs4yXsY2CdO-yW8DL_Gc6-P9avtM-rLe6r1gVXKFji4fEn3OrNL7ydtIM7H-qizQ3C56Scs/s640/DSC_1310.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Add cranberries and pecans...</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Roll into 2 logs about 8 x 1 1/2". Wrap and chill for 2 hours in the fridge. I've also put them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes and this works the same way. You just want it to be firm enough to cut without misshaping the round cookie. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZBLtFW7QcnMfyaOOWCEC_vBFopt0zFJnOo4ogX6dHkirEW1XWMEm8uv7LbTEQNS6CK6Pp-ZXxGfvLmL16V5cwuRik_PIAD4LrCjSSYMIFXbPtGsXU8V6hwvVWjV_8k58eb92n74yiwA/s1600/DSC_1313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZBLtFW7QcnMfyaOOWCEC_vBFopt0zFJnOo4ogX6dHkirEW1XWMEm8uv7LbTEQNS6CK6Pp-ZXxGfvLmL16V5cwuRik_PIAD4LrCjSSYMIFXbPtGsXU8V6hwvVWjV_8k58eb92n74yiwA/s640/DSC_1313.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Roll into logs</span></i><i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiAea5QZ-alQfaOZIH9j5qnkQrwvRa_oH9TSx3sdiN8c66vziWdN1V2BWCHiBGSVeG4zbd2qTEoxZviWSF3_wvNrpyjMnUYv34wbYfprkkJbuhU8pq-TTcNX0boOoMECtWHXOgjdkkhs/s1600/DSC_1315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiAea5QZ-alQfaOZIH9j5qnkQrwvRa_oH9TSx3sdiN8c66vziWdN1V2BWCHiBGSVeG4zbd2qTEoxZviWSF3_wvNrpyjMnUYv34wbYfprkkJbuhU8pq-TTcNX0boOoMECtWHXOgjdkkhs/s640/DSC_1315.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Wrap and chill for 2 hours</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Slice cookies about 1/4" thick. Roll edges of cookie in sugar (if you want. But I highly recommend!) </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJcmnyJOq9krlJNXx1xkljqjk9gqzIPczTShaurqmeTVFYYIC4jF0KCsiEWVtykFLBBBQ0aC_fhgw_AxOsj8wVm3u8KOqfJ7hoaQiA4irsCBHhxT6EEhHR3McpPRm5uvcOcls3wFN5fM/s1600/DSC_1321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJcmnyJOq9krlJNXx1xkljqjk9gqzIPczTShaurqmeTVFYYIC4jF0KCsiEWVtykFLBBBQ0aC_fhgw_AxOsj8wVm3u8KOqfJ7hoaQiA4irsCBHhxT6EEhHR3McpPRm5uvcOcls3wFN5fM/s320/DSC_1321.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBYg6eg3URaLdOP2GSUjLbJLgxb0ZFBAMoC2Akfqen1Yxd8bmYyWBAZBG0Z5WPtSjPRUQ77Gcm8mydAqIb5Fj4yNQ2wEr6YtaLv9h547GB-shHGYG_G7uO8BUbnisiyPVFa5rLPjEGIE/s1600/DSC_1324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBYg6eg3URaLdOP2GSUjLbJLgxb0ZFBAMoC2Akfqen1Yxd8bmYyWBAZBG0Z5WPtSjPRUQ77Gcm8mydAqIb5Fj4yNQ2wEr6YtaLv9h547GB-shHGYG_G7uO8BUbnisiyPVFa5rLPjEGIE/s320/DSC_1324.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Place on lightly greased cookie sheets, or Silpats. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. DON'T OVER-BAKE (well, unless you like hard hockey puck type cookies...)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSCWJcLNepiE398r2giFi8pHpmY8cTow-b3midaqSV6LWGfJmF5bkpTjkM2yj1vEyUL1YMvE7LA4wYuUTr_mSQuAohCBHtBNTGsY93qwrJEvF3OsoCo0qBthjICrjbdz8bDmbLyTgj3k/s1600/DSC_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSCWJcLNepiE398r2giFi8pHpmY8cTow-b3midaqSV6LWGfJmF5bkpTjkM2yj1vEyUL1YMvE7LA4wYuUTr_mSQuAohCBHtBNTGsY93qwrJEvF3OsoCo0qBthjICrjbdz8bDmbLyTgj3k/s640/DSC_1330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Place on cookie sheet</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Eat. Eat more. Eat a few more. Give some to friends - wait, just kidding.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa_J2CtLwR8ARlaE9BJZsxshtY0mcRBuXJ72HRa5UDMgu6tc26z59seOFamkuyfmYV71NRZu0CpqTxiJapvOFBRHiYRaFyVDM1AIq2p61Bo-MRYg18g1AElbjprMSC3nEsNc27kbsi4k/s1600/DSC_1407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa_J2CtLwR8ARlaE9BJZsxshtY0mcRBuXJ72HRa5UDMgu6tc26z59seOFamkuyfmYV71NRZu0CpqTxiJapvOFBRHiYRaFyVDM1AIq2p61Bo-MRYg18g1AElbjprMSC3nEsNc27kbsi4k/s640/DSC_1407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Eat...</span></i></td></tr>
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Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-25619367264505630992011-04-14T23:38:00.000-07:002011-04-15T00:09:30.706-07:00Green Mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Wow! I was a little overwhelmed at how many folks *DO* still seem to read my blog and even, gosh... missed me while I was gone! I knew this to be partially true from comments I've received from some friends over the past few months. But those are my personal FRIENDS! It's wonderful to see so many of you out there commenting to me in various places. Hopefully it'll keep me going!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Monteverde was just beautiful</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqtNH7e7t4tisnubYT1FaN4LwnrLaNCHK69kkKCAMtU7rIwxrGjbADbCvCJwmb0Qu932eNJpurDAm_aG4S6DFrfb-_wN2ViKFiE1wK9_Zcwe-aLjd9_Wrnt1Wb13eJV-X_nJhA1ojkl8/s1600/DSC_1074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqtNH7e7t4tisnubYT1FaN4LwnrLaNCHK69kkKCAMtU7rIwxrGjbADbCvCJwmb0Qu932eNJpurDAm_aG4S6DFrfb-_wN2ViKFiE1wK9_Zcwe-aLjd9_Wrnt1Wb13eJV-X_nJhA1ojkl8/s640/DSC_1074.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A little cheesy but a little cool too: the Tree House Restaurant</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2011/04/hello-again.html">Our Costa Rica trip</a> continued with 3 nights in Monteverde. Monteverde is about 100 miles from Tamarindo but takes upwards of 2.5 hours due to the BUMPY and ROCKY roads as you get into the mountains. I tend to get car (& sea / air / hand-filmed-home-video)-sick and was a bit concerned about the winding roads to get there, but when the roads are THAT rocky, one can't get to traveling any faster than maybe 25 mph on them. No speed = no carsick. Perfect!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd5lNPSSpVh-0eg5-v3bkFhsOE44Iq8DM47Os_ohXmiE9v_RF39-4jWxsTb8vAq56vPTV7MQaOAmuXVFx8xDVdtLUYlxVSqM-M21XHbKU2jnxjFaYKWlUBYOtH68JBYwTjsDoM9OY5sM/s1600/DSC_0754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd5lNPSSpVh-0eg5-v3bkFhsOE44Iq8DM47Os_ohXmiE9v_RF39-4jWxsTb8vAq56vPTV7MQaOAmuXVFx8xDVdtLUYlxVSqM-M21XHbKU2jnxjFaYKWlUBYOtH68JBYwTjsDoM9OY5sM/s640/DSC_0754.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our home for 3 nights: Arco Iris Lodge. VERY happy with this place.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In hindsight we would have rented a car while in Costa Rica - but the price (and an amazing amount of concern from friends) caused me to go the shuttle/private driver route instead. I actually think we still spent less on transportation than a rental would have been, however a rental would have provided us flexibility and of course a lot more freedom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-ANaJPCD6xG1vBWi6hjER4NN-WvZMYCWw_hOBb3VWmuHWOnzcXxAWdfk2qj34NzXIazfikRb0db2p6S6Q_azlRUcpnLCzRhIQjm9AbrJ1vSzOzSlAvHVqI8-DxN-JoVzJX2taX0lStc/s1600/DSC_1062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-ANaJPCD6xG1vBWi6hjER4NN-WvZMYCWw_hOBb3VWmuHWOnzcXxAWdfk2qj34NzXIazfikRb0db2p6S6Q_azlRUcpnLCzRhIQjm9AbrJ1vSzOzSlAvHVqI8-DxN-JoVzJX2taX0lStc/s640/DSC_1062.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>More casado... *yawn*</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8LuQYqqvtD_wKw921gofbBW45ZMOBJGKSG3GPcRbWV0iHIe4WMxX9vFEtdAiIjnJ8Kk5KaIgAtJHUHiaPXFjoMdhlBGnztfyhHWVj_gs_yh_V-BuTNVn3ycQoBWAoBj-m1B3itTx2QQ/s1600/DSC_1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8LuQYqqvtD_wKw921gofbBW45ZMOBJGKSG3GPcRbWV0iHIe4WMxX9vFEtdAiIjnJ8Kk5KaIgAtJHUHiaPXFjoMdhlBGnztfyhHWVj_gs_yh_V-BuTNVn3ycQoBWAoBj-m1B3itTx2QQ/s640/DSC_1072.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We loved the fresh fruit drinks all over CR - tho I was a bit skeptical of the BLUE cherry?</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Monteverde might have just been my favorite stop on our trip! But I think that may have had something to do with the weather. At 4600 feet in elevation, it was MUCH cooler here. And I am absolutely a cool-climate girl. It was beautiful and sunny during the day, with temperatures maybe into the 80's but at night it dropped as low as the high 50's. It was like San Francisco Bay Area weather! The one thing I didn't love was the wind. At night it was so loud I thought it might actually tear the roof of our hotel off! But I guess, it also made bundling up under the thick blankets seem more cozy and appropriate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGrLn52ZDI41T4icVd-233SxrabNmktu5yI60etIFkhqGeCWso_vLoGT6lo3KSBl4XPUPxI7GF7IYM5hYsINZUx6cvCz4X6Cev7nQ2pMB7cv-DsH0usnsAbrVeR7GjLbCsH2rfsS_HgI/s1600/DSC_0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGrLn52ZDI41T4icVd-233SxrabNmktu5yI60etIFkhqGeCWso_vLoGT6lo3KSBl4XPUPxI7GF7IYM5hYsINZUx6cvCz4X6Cev7nQ2pMB7cv-DsH0usnsAbrVeR7GjLbCsH2rfsS_HgI/s640/DSC_0821.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One of the lodge's doggies - they have a very rough life</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_9NXz83lvMyMEtqPPD3zRsDRkaOWf-mZ-FVP-o2VDO7XNB1PaXfQikoHcJf4_PKJmVQQHCQdv8jfi3_xoVhwC6iwxxxY9cHUkTrgWfoxnuAg7MHvUDoViLUySnsF_DGFKSR_q0HurAs/s1600/DSC_0758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_9NXz83lvMyMEtqPPD3zRsDRkaOWf-mZ-FVP-o2VDO7XNB1PaXfQikoHcJf4_PKJmVQQHCQdv8jfi3_xoVhwC6iwxxxY9cHUkTrgWfoxnuAg7MHvUDoViLUySnsF_DGFKSR_q0HurAs/s640/DSC_0758.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Breakfast buffet at the Arco Iris Lodge - $7/person</i><i> (yes that is passionfruit spread!!)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We stayed at the <a href="http://www.arcoirislodge.com/">Arco Iris Lodge in Monteverde</a>. Again, I found this place on TripAdvisor and for the millionth time since I began seriously traveling 10+ years ago, thanked my lucky stars for TripAdvisor. The lodge was no-nonsense, basic accommodations but clean and safe and affordable. And while it was right smack dab in the middle of town, it was up a long [steep] driveway which put us just far enough off the beaten path that we were not at all bothered by foot (or car) traffic. It was very quiet and relaxing. (OK, how *old* am I getting that I'm continually recommending places because they're "quiet"??!!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyipLh9eW0h7TLBqMncJcCqqeV2QQlR37FaufyMx_2cOxp9xcCzSU2mnK2OgYYeodNJfuvbovMSxj2TmLz3kVpH3ZCQEYoT8q247C6U4GzcI_SiZ2-y5_nQeMyADS8YU3HHa1Yb0xwXPw/s1600/DSC_1021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyipLh9eW0h7TLBqMncJcCqqeV2QQlR37FaufyMx_2cOxp9xcCzSU2mnK2OgYYeodNJfuvbovMSxj2TmLz3kVpH3ZCQEYoT8q247C6U4GzcI_SiZ2-y5_nQeMyADS8YU3HHa1Yb0xwXPw/s640/DSC_1021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We did a night walk tour one night, which I don't mention in this post - it was OK... mostly insects</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPruZdrbwbvkCK7zEv5LqYbMbc22e6uYgY1mTtuvZDjoPav1dEYZUOBtom8p9VR_OE1iSYtbrBsvwDx8mudtyxKNxWbIJygekcX4xQyGs3o7LTCtLe77vjvNea-_juaN2DGmIl466MD8/s1600/DSC_0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPruZdrbwbvkCK7zEv5LqYbMbc22e6uYgY1mTtuvZDjoPav1dEYZUOBtom8p9VR_OE1iSYtbrBsvwDx8mudtyxKNxWbIJygekcX4xQyGs3o7LTCtLe77vjvNea-_juaN2DGmIl466MD8/s640/DSC_0814.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The beautiful gardens at Selvatura Park</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We did what I'd say were our most interesting tours in Monteverde. What's the one thing everyone comes back from Costa Rica talking about? Well, okay maybe the mediocre food too, but: ziplining!! (aka: "canopy tour"). We spent the better part of a day touring <a href="http://www.selvatura.com/">Selvatura Park</a>. Selvatura seemed to have the most prominent reputation for ziplining and hanging bridges tours in the area, versus others like Sky Trek (where The Bachelor went) and Extremo. While Mr. Travel Companion felt they were a little anti-climactic, I had a great time zip-lining from tree to tree, HUNDREDS of feet in the air. I only wish I could have paused to take photos from up there! Our 13th, and final zip-line was done in pairs and because of that, was the fastest line (more weight = more inertia). 75% of that line was THROUGH a cloud. We couldn't see more than inches in front of our faces for the whiteness surrounding us. We got off at the end and my face was soaked from the condensation - but we were pretty thrilled!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YE-UP1Ku5d5ksuvHuJgKvt6Rq1X1RBmuQ8Vvu4qtzKVe8OVDsoxm3DfYswL3YL3_polwOZzvF60pQmcsmwCGn8K4s94QL_IzyBSnNPk_yWaYqQlMVNMGsOzP9zZ8cegweHx8aqMCuGo/s1600/DSC_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YE-UP1Ku5d5ksuvHuJgKvt6Rq1X1RBmuQ8Vvu4qtzKVe8OVDsoxm3DfYswL3YL3_polwOZzvF60pQmcsmwCGn8K4s94QL_IzyBSnNPk_yWaYqQlMVNMGsOzP9zZ8cegweHx8aqMCuGo/s640/DSC_0786.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I was already very high up where I took this picture!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP8Bb6DFvUAXhPUqyxhGgs06bhINbryaoCjwPv0PoetH4jRognPcpkFzP73hymabNGe4-w6CDFAef3qj_2OSHT-ln8E93Uv_Aup5bKnVrKsBDw5Tb9kjHKqbLStwnhhvFrTq9cyyI-v4/s1600/DSC06384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP8Bb6DFvUAXhPUqyxhGgs06bhINbryaoCjwPv0PoetH4jRognPcpkFzP73hymabNGe4-w6CDFAef3qj_2OSHT-ln8E93Uv_Aup5bKnVrKsBDw5Tb9kjHKqbLStwnhhvFrTq9cyyI-v4/s640/DSC06384.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My turn!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The hanging bridges walks were tame - you walk through the cloud forest at your own leisure, occasionally coming to a suspended bridge which crosses varying expanses at varying elevations. And yes, you are sometimes hundreds of feet in the air. So for folks who want to see the cloud forest from up above, but don't want the "thrill" of ziplining, the hanging bridges are a perfect solution.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_oM3yi5dmAsu6K-qnQOqw55FxT_R2wfBA1eHk6kHfkOy8zFzIP7QDAALp1Oe9OZUDoi-6LbiVC-rNfaR6gbMBxI7A800yUt8iXkwWn6k7QSj0rL3tHiuHiQpVRxoDTmE0WP1PF6GHh8/s1600/DSC_0784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_oM3yi5dmAsu6K-qnQOqw55FxT_R2wfBA1eHk6kHfkOy8zFzIP7QDAALp1Oe9OZUDoi-6LbiVC-rNfaR6gbMBxI7A800yUt8iXkwWn6k7QSj0rL3tHiuHiQpVRxoDTmE0WP1PF6GHh8/s640/DSC_0784.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Way high up above the tree-tops on a "hanging bridge"</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbGACbJDdYwtDE1-LTmkVRRC-9uLj3yaCCR6RRI5rvEd9JT91kzX7r_DEq6TztLMnDArr2OF3G7n5vjKV6-SwAAGmTlk5fFrQOdf3Jit4gHK-iAhBmv1ccU4bu97AjGQK5_00Fvml6Uw/s1600/DSC_0882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbGACbJDdYwtDE1-LTmkVRRC-9uLj3yaCCR6RRI5rvEd9JT91kzX7r_DEq6TztLMnDArr2OF3G7n5vjKV6-SwAAGmTlk5fFrQOdf3Jit4gHK-iAhBmv1ccU4bu97AjGQK5_00Fvml6Uw/s640/DSC_0882.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>HUGE hydrangeas on our coffee & sugar cane tour, the next day</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The other tour we did that I really enjoyed (and was surprised how much I enjoyed it) was the <a href="http://www.eltrapichetour.com/Trapiche/Tour_description.html">El Trapiche</a> Coffee and Sugar Cane tour. We were taken through a local farm and shown how coffee is grown, harvested, beans prepared and roasted. Simultaneously we saw sugar cane growing and went through the process of pressing it, cooking the juice and making candy! We got to make our own candy!! (Sort of like that maple sugar candy you can get in New England...if you know what I'm talking about.) At the end of the tour, with a giant bag of candy in our grip, we were invited to sit and sample the coffee along with a lemonade sugar cane drink and some snacks of picadillo arracacha. It was really a lovely experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8XsUJJ_5ZJeQmXSnrDEoG9bnKrkXBl7dCv855Y3sEnzUf3MB_XZDQtJ6mwWNzNqW_U3byMFQ-rq2GEqdvLEsaY7Tzda_ixqdJswFWvEEtkTqq3mvDEUTR9DJZBt5eHQYpPa197mwq9w/s1600/DSC_0876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8XsUJJ_5ZJeQmXSnrDEoG9bnKrkXBl7dCv855Y3sEnzUf3MB_XZDQtJ6mwWNzNqW_U3byMFQ-rq2GEqdvLEsaY7Tzda_ixqdJswFWvEEtkTqq3mvDEUTR9DJZBt5eHQYpPa197mwq9w/s640/DSC_0876.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Coffee beans in left hand, coffee bean skins in the right</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZPuVpjLkONI64Lgt40PGUpdWrRG_PHrHaIpzHmQHZvPDbMlM2u23TTce6QOvgSdGupCXCwBEirNnkoG697GqoncuNojmHibjvxTMalal8GCxQ1mKcCSLCnwXaPQ8gMCLKGxKyBV0510/s1600/DSC_0938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZPuVpjLkONI64Lgt40PGUpdWrRG_PHrHaIpzHmQHZvPDbMlM2u23TTce6QOvgSdGupCXCwBEirNnkoG697GqoncuNojmHibjvxTMalal8GCxQ1mKcCSLCnwXaPQ8gMCLKGxKyBV0510/s640/DSC_0938.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Snacks and coffee after our tour!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIzJF2AR774C5CxYGdno2jS9HFIpZqFXPFXRAuO2Dv_w0jfPaNBtBDoH7aYnvZVN6WBk4eW7_W34CxR0NG0WxtrqIGgh5Hlz81Esyf3jo_DAORrS_dUqKjPeGyBDL54k_4ReTBqgUbTg/s1600/DSC_0918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIzJF2AR774C5CxYGdno2jS9HFIpZqFXPFXRAuO2Dv_w0jfPaNBtBDoH7aYnvZVN6WBk4eW7_W34CxR0NG0WxtrqIGgh5Hlz81Esyf3jo_DAORrS_dUqKjPeGyBDL54k_4ReTBqgUbTg/s640/DSC_0918.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Stir rapidly to incorporate air (+ chocolate, coconut and peanuts) into the cooked sugar cane juice = candy!!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I really did enjoy Monteverde. It was a larger town than I was expecting, full of everything we needed: restaurants, souvenir shops, grocery stores, bakeries, umm - sushi place (we didn't go) and the sort of famous Monteverde ice cream shop. There is a Cheese Factory tour (basically a dairy tour) that I'd read about, but we were advised to skip it and just go to the ice cream shop in town. We complied. We weren't disappointed. Twice. Almost thrice. Mmmm, cereza...Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09008420015766819015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-92089509849643960352011-04-07T23:19:00.000-07:002011-04-10T10:46:57.451-07:00Hello againI've never been gone this long. I'm not even sure anyone's still out there waiting for me to return. But life has been good. So good in fact, that my blog has clearly moved to the end of my priority list. There are a few reasons for this... 1) I kinda did a big makeover of myself which includes running (a lot) and consuming A LOT FEWER baked goods. When you consume a lot less, you bake and cook a lot less. You also lose a lot of weight - so this is a good thing. 2) Most of my favorite things to bake and cook have already been blogged! You wouldn't want to see repeats, right? 3) Blogging used to fill a void in my life that I seem to no longer have. I won't go into detail on this, but it still comes into play here. 4) I've been busy living a fabulous life! Can't blame me for that one, right?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BCIBA1R51HcH26kA57YVLI1F-1MNhURep-xuFqrRCXyuhlOjBy_RrrnU1pIGcdE0HRhp3vwO_6FvKTHChQTgb3Da4ubD2R1VCL1AT8D8d5_RwVp5kj5Ate-QAVzXKBA1QE9S51uTwlI/s1600/DSC_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BCIBA1R51HcH26kA57YVLI1F-1MNhURep-xuFqrRCXyuhlOjBy_RrrnU1pIGcdE0HRhp3vwO_6FvKTHChQTgb3Da4ubD2R1VCL1AT8D8d5_RwVp5kj5Ate-QAVzXKBA1QE9S51uTwlI/s640/DSC_0504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mine's the beer, J/K!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So I haven't been baking a lot, or cooking a lot, or eating a ton... but I've still been traveling! And I've always said, my <b>blog</b> is my <b>blog</b> to <b>blog</b> about what I want to <b>blog</b> about. So if I go somewhere and want to tell you about it - I shall!<br />
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I recently returned from a 10 day trip to Costa Rica. No, not exactly the adventure travel I've gotten a little used to (Africa or China, anyone?) but still a great vacation. I always say there's a difference between "travel" and "vacation". Travel is hard work, but one can have the greatest experience of their life while learning so much about themselves and the lives of others. Vacation is relaxing, vegging and the dulling down of one's brain. We thought Costa Rica would be travel, but in fact, it turned out to be a vacation. I didn't complain too much.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3OdVbKzHssqOkJdhnifFzeebnKysn2mGHAlXBEZ7H8aKon-flW0RiuGvq3HrXzsoAvUkVhgCiNXs_mMZRVmOrSB7AHXnBJ0C2l_HMffILcW0eSVfQyNsxDzlevJlYU2lJ69LUFcIne0/s1600/DSC_0605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3OdVbKzHssqOkJdhnifFzeebnKysn2mGHAlXBEZ7H8aKon-flW0RiuGvq3HrXzsoAvUkVhgCiNXs_mMZRVmOrSB7AHXnBJ0C2l_HMffILcW0eSVfQyNsxDzlevJlYU2lJ69LUFcIne0/s640/DSC_0605.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Our view each morning from Villa Alegre's patio (breakfast)</i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDhFa_oDvtQZbCLnIR_Qzx7Ph-DQyzY7L88V7vuMwBvTSDnIdi4XMagBWJ_Y3Juu4If4fVez7OCl_QHkSRf-f-8X3u5Q7cQETYXXBaPX3c3cO6NJNVR_rEBpCDEn91GMfMYJh2nsshA0/s1600/DSC_0425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDhFa_oDvtQZbCLnIR_Qzx7Ph-DQyzY7L88V7vuMwBvTSDnIdi4XMagBWJ_Y3Juu4If4fVez7OCl_QHkSRf-f-8X3u5Q7cQETYXXBaPX3c3cO6NJNVR_rEBpCDEn91GMfMYJh2nsshA0/s640/DSC_0425.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Monkeys playing in the lobby of a local hotel!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I planned my own trip after doing a few zillion hours of online research. No all-inclusive resorts or package tours for me. I like learning about a place and then picking exactly which towns/hotels I want to stay in and for how long. It's just my <strike>controlling</strike> organized nature.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM060-XS8pPiE4n_3IUIHoyTG_-l0ctltoCYPsUN-A2b1xY5OL2WwK5RDPuYM7ymbCwLv3v7dpy2mzGZKtqZKbKgIdGSTZ4QtSuRcAUQ9bkkl8XHyMizotF3PM-1sXiwmyLS13-viEz48/s1600/CR_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM060-XS8pPiE4n_3IUIHoyTG_-l0ctltoCYPsUN-A2b1xY5OL2WwK5RDPuYM7ymbCwLv3v7dpy2mzGZKtqZKbKgIdGSTZ4QtSuRcAUQ9bkkl8XHyMizotF3PM-1sXiwmyLS13-viEz48/s640/CR_map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Playa Langosta -> Monteverde -> La Fortuna</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We spent 3 nights in 3 different towns all in the northwestern-ish part of CR. We started in Playa Langosta / Tamarindo, then headed east to the mountains (4600 ft in elevation) of Monteverde, finally ending in hot-humid, La Fortuna at the Arenal Volcano.<br />
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First and most importantly, in light of this blog... The Food. It is nothing to write home about (hmm and yet here I am). We kept discussing how even the most average meal in San Francisco is better than most of the food we ate in Costa Rica. We constantly claimed how spoiled we are living in the Bay Area, where the food and restaurants and chefs and ingredients are not only good, but <b><u>phenomenal</u></b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbF7gFPv-a2IUBkLCLQu0PoqSDSOL1sp1XoCKWzdhhOqgpYgUg7z_1OOiC4V1XP4Hpj8KdM4tQdnJO-ZsKVw-y98N1XbBDZ9N6hLsGL6TlsXoMLimPmikjVegGPr9tbN8BLqDf9hPi2EA/s1600/DSC_0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbF7gFPv-a2IUBkLCLQu0PoqSDSOL1sp1XoCKWzdhhOqgpYgUg7z_1OOiC4V1XP4Hpj8KdM4tQdnJO-ZsKVw-y98N1XbBDZ9N6hLsGL6TlsXoMLimPmikjVegGPr9tbN8BLqDf9hPi2EA/s640/DSC_0498.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A couple additional local faves: Imperial cerveza and sea bass ceviche</i><i> (and in all honesty - Lizano Salsa too)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We kept asking the locals for their favorite <b>local</b> food and KEPT getting the same answer: casado. Casado is the traditional national dish of CR. The plate consists of a meat (beef, fish, pork or chicken) beans, rice, fried plantains and sometimes a salad. It's certainly well-rounded. But it's EVERYWHERE. I mean it'd be like if a foreigner came to the U.S. and everyone they asked told them to get a steak and potatoes. Sure it's tasty the first few times but after that you just want some VARIETY. I hate being "that" traveler who orders pizza or a burger in a foreign country, but by the end of our trip I found myself doing just that. It was sad... I was ashamed of myself, but really I couldn't HANDLE it anymore!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cgMc5SH7YmrM9GLmM3C6oT4HDZjEX_-vcfDo-mri727V-xiN9roB4-7qEqz2KDhKMQstw9CBJPfvwQ4jXp0RuZv7AYhc1YU03VagCeee1psBCU3c3TEPIHhgZfFsMvRHlqh6M3XOuKg/s1600/DSC_0434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cgMc5SH7YmrM9GLmM3C6oT4HDZjEX_-vcfDo-mri727V-xiN9roB4-7qEqz2KDhKMQstw9CBJPfvwQ4jXp0RuZv7AYhc1YU03VagCeee1psBCU3c3TEPIHhgZfFsMvRHlqh6M3XOuKg/s640/DSC_0434.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My First Casado: mahi-mahi. Not bad...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>One thing I was quite happy with about our trip were our accommodations. Sure I did a lot of research, but the research paid off. We ranged from a private and personal bed & breakfast on the beach to a clean and basic lodge in the mountains to a 5-star tropical resort with hot springs. And on the whole, I was pleased with all of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IYoZsX-ChqTEOieLR0MG8vb0LCvfJe9VBmRx8kMGMTRb8WfbpLWAtMcw5MqZPG-IZwyjcsOEIOBdmAbxFHQm1FZjQGvL5movw_jT2eV-X-yn_109nye55C3Fda7A80J6K_UWfgDu48E/s1600/DSC_0670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IYoZsX-ChqTEOieLR0MG8vb0LCvfJe9VBmRx8kMGMTRb8WfbpLWAtMcw5MqZPG-IZwyjcsOEIOBdmAbxFHQm1FZjQGvL5movw_jT2eV-X-yn_109nye55C3Fda7A80J6K_UWfgDu48E/s640/DSC_0670.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Doggie waiting for his surfing master</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our first stop was Playa Langosta which is a very small [Pacific Ocean] beach village immediately south of the much more famous beach town of Tamarindo. It seemed like a good idea to stay close to a "big town" like Tamarindo which had restaurants and hotels and grocery stores and tour operators and <strike>a store that sold Apple products</strike> banks with ATMs and basically a large spot on the map. But I didn't exactly want to hear the boom of Aqua Disco as I tried to sleep each night. So I chose Playa Langosta which is a mere 3/4 of a mile south of Tamarindo. A $5 cab drive, 5 minute bike ride or 15 minute walk gets you between the two, yet puts it <i>just</i> far enough away to have peace and beauty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgLqjgXAOL7ttnTxLufT33wtPv4CdATOXUEo31CueMix6JRDfXdDuUXnkUl5EAOs7S6XEDywUBhBDnGPmzkuE5A3oX9G0RvVsO8jTcmRGyP524eWQ3lObKuKW51i3RsBaGfmktW-lga4/s1600/DSC_0622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgLqjgXAOL7ttnTxLufT33wtPv4CdATOXUEo31CueMix6JRDfXdDuUXnkUl5EAOs7S6XEDywUBhBDnGPmzkuE5A3oX9G0RvVsO8jTcmRGyP524eWQ3lObKuKW51i3RsBaGfmktW-lga4/s640/DSC_0622.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to Villa Alegre Bed & Breakfast</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve_RVAfFwzQLgASjMnP_LJLGsFNs3UMxOhGJOknwfBHQrOMPLqCQpuWZHVh11dQwZEOY58difMBLM_lWxNnCZRLCa-ms3Kl7valTqsGn0ZhxIMH4idpBlT_j7gqDC8r2WowBN0DpmGg8/s1600/DSC_0618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve_RVAfFwzQLgASjMnP_LJLGsFNs3UMxOhGJOknwfBHQrOMPLqCQpuWZHVh11dQwZEOY58difMBLM_lWxNnCZRLCa-ms3Kl7valTqsGn0ZhxIMH4idpBlT_j7gqDC8r2WowBN0DpmGg8/s640/DSC_0618.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Would you move back to L.A. if you had all this that gazed out onto the ocean? Me neither...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We stayed at <a href="http://www.villaalegrecostarica.com/">Villa Alegre Bed & Breakfast</a> after I read their wonderfully glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. They are not inexpensive (NOTHING is in Costa Rica) but it was an incredibly personal and convenient experience with Barry and Suzye as <i>such</i> friendly and welcoming hosts. I honestly felt like I was a guest at a friend's home (well... err... a friend who charges.) The Los Angeles transplants fed us grand breakfasts each morning, answered all of our questions, booked our tours, drove us to town, chatted about world travel and politics, lent us bikes, bodyboards and snorkeling gear and yet seemed to make themselves sparse when we were relaxing around the pool and common areas. We also got so lucky as to be the only guests 2 of our 3 nights there! It was like having this HUGE home to ourselves - very quiet, relaxing and peaceful. Just what we needed as our first stop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmZMIhyphenhyphen8Gk4Ox2gAH6LcxlYmFJXfQtlwtvC3aCFxwTeFnRVNWGwHAZtXRg765MhyLgHbSfAgJb9LOTRyWiiynoHP_2uKJ-AOsZjFFUTw0Bm__eGIaj3ZPMNUKVBTKLys7fm1IPZ3mc2Y/s1600/DSC_0519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmZMIhyphenhyphen8Gk4Ox2gAH6LcxlYmFJXfQtlwtvC3aCFxwTeFnRVNWGwHAZtXRg765MhyLgHbSfAgJb9LOTRyWiiynoHP_2uKJ-AOsZjFFUTw0Bm__eGIaj3ZPMNUKVBTKLys7fm1IPZ3mc2Y/s640/DSC_0519.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Typical Tamarindo</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGddMnIKFyuZwH5XFSj9wkklk2ZEqTARzcggGAJkrQAbnvxV2Z9JCmkDtUbCxxtXA71coVPqoP4DiBHisTsaAZPj9QIV3mqx1QfE4L_1dfKq9cCt9Bz3uyPh8mfHsNozVCqPoS45XUlk/s1600/DSC_0517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGddMnIKFyuZwH5XFSj9wkklk2ZEqTARzcggGAJkrQAbnvxV2Z9JCmkDtUbCxxtXA71coVPqoP4DiBHisTsaAZPj9QIV3mqx1QfE4L_1dfKq9cCt9Bz3uyPh8mfHsNozVCqPoS45XUlk/s640/DSC_0517.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We sat here and had drinks and snacks for an hour or five one afternoon</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have mixed reviews on Tamarindo itself. There was no shortage of restaurants and small shops and bars and.... Americans. It sorta kinda felt like Hawaii, minus the polish. But people were friendly and being there was easy. 2.5 days was just enough before we would have needed to start venturing outside the area to see additional beaches along the coast. And of course, as I mentioned before - the food was not excellent. Even venturing away from the casado and trying the local seafood. Dishes were over-salted or under-flavored or just not done well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrf-wOxs1-R0tGAJNs_rq0ZhOdWMyVMb_ctpMnDgHg3vAYs9QxQqgl58k_xCCIwi_a9y4mKldZ4PGUTJj92oOOYDmHif8tZWJ4HxrCtMqWFQ1c4XuQeJVaVYBOa4DERZoE-PeMiPI4rk/s1600/DSC_0661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrf-wOxs1-R0tGAJNs_rq0ZhOdWMyVMb_ctpMnDgHg3vAYs9QxQqgl58k_xCCIwi_a9y4mKldZ4PGUTJj92oOOYDmHif8tZWJ4HxrCtMqWFQ1c4XuQeJVaVYBOa4DERZoE-PeMiPI4rk/s640/DSC_0661.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Taco Tico - tho I don't think tacos are very Costa Rican...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This was the portion of the trip where we kinda just decompressed. We tried a lot of food, drank a lot of daiquiris, watched a lot of sunsets and put our bathing suits on each morning. We took <a href="http://www.iguanasurf.net/surfschool.html">surfing lessons</a>, but I think I'll need to try again when the ocean is not quite so "enthusiastic". As I was dragging my board back into the beach, the hard bodied surfers were running past me to head out - a true sign that perhaps it was not the BEST day for me to learn... <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn9lUML8afv4S5zl_BEaL36aoOlYAPdY-QRtyal25AKXqPQdtlxf1UCBXP_W5Oc-uy-0ghwmmRA_4gzpS0G-tiMzPM4xYbFA62UQ_ho1p4uao335LGYZ0xBRAcgT0xpdR2fvY8sXuhHA/s1600/DSC_0608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtn9lUML8afv4S5zl_BEaL36aoOlYAPdY-QRtyal25AKXqPQdtlxf1UCBXP_W5Oc-uy-0ghwmmRA_4gzpS0G-tiMzPM4xYbFA62UQ_ho1p4uao335LGYZ0xBRAcgT0xpdR2fvY8sXuhHA/s640/DSC_0608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>One of Barry's unbelievable breakfasts: chili egg pie. I meant to ask for the recipe!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'll wrap this up here while I still have some steam. A bit about our other stops in Monteverde and La Fortuna will be upcoming - I <strike>promise</strike> think. It's probably best that I leave myself with topics to continue talking about or I might not make my way back. But it's not that I don't love and appreciate you all! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tqZ_awNTaQWgAmM3pPezlFui1rHnk3hv5UEhL5EU3J4Nb5sVfkr0VEfkptJf92dVYA9Bv8p1wh8UifjEO1qGUHxRUz3QedfsH74kQ5-sPsC7Rfj2N77-09lh8NM7DpwYfZdFAKsVqEc/s1600/DSC_0534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tqZ_awNTaQWgAmM3pPezlFui1rHnk3hv5UEhL5EU3J4Nb5sVfkr0VEfkptJf92dVYA9Bv8p1wh8UifjEO1qGUHxRUz3QedfsH74kQ5-sPsC7Rfj2N77-09lh8NM7DpwYfZdFAKsVqEc/s640/DSC_0534.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Our first sunset in Costa Rica. It did NOT disappoint.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And yes, if you've read this far down into my post you may have caught on that I somewhat danced around the existence of a companion on my trip. I've found myself someone worthy of being a traveling partner. It's definitely a great thing. I think you'd all like him too, since he's more than a few times urged me to get back to my blog... it is kind of nice to be back.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-28611687060449671952010-11-17T15:38:00.000-08:002010-11-18T10:10:35.364-08:00Oh, AlineaI've been putting off a post about my trip to Chicago and it's not exactly 'cuz I'm lazy - but more because my trip to Chicago was such a Foodie Tour, that I don't even know how to begin sharing it! I'd want to share EVERYTHING and then this post would need a table of contents, a prologue, chapters and an appendix! However, <a href="http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2010/11/alinea-l2o-head-list-of-chicagos-michelin-honorees.html">certain news came out this week</a> which has helped me to narrow down which part of my Chicago trip I should share first. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/dining/17alinea.html">Anyone hear about </a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/dining/17alinea.html">this</a>? Or care? Cuz, hell, I do!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YlIuA2KT8_ztgGqy4vjbWIGx2ri92IcBTYCddgscPFgUo_cu24w3XCsx8fispqb27iP4juJxLE6DTqESLKkw-IDyvVINHBHgIGN8-vaoAmSQPCxYy2E6KFug6jfzBM3NqgUL0YpJUVQ/s1600/DSC_9721-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YlIuA2KT8_ztgGqy4vjbWIGx2ri92IcBTYCddgscPFgUo_cu24w3XCsx8fispqb27iP4juJxLE6DTqESLKkw-IDyvVINHBHgIGN8-vaoAmSQPCxYy2E6KFug6jfzBM3NqgUL0YpJUVQ/s576/DSC_9721-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761405429112610" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">"Cocktails<wbr>": Pisco sour, Juliet and Romeo rosewater and cucumber<br />and an 'Improved Manhattan'<wbr></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfgbE56J3Kz9aWPxU0tO7Eu7jkfKqoO-HJjJG-Hi-rAvJAH7RMeNBIENcfuR-uB1h39DZ55udTmx3dooRAEtqj1qGnbiDinqq6mBnRMSfiiKFwAZg5ZHPrGgO0ea7T6D3RnBPSG6ygg/s1600/DSC_9723-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXfgbE56J3Kz9aWPxU0tO7Eu7jkfKqoO-HJjJG-Hi-rAvJAH7RMeNBIENcfuR-uB1h39DZ55udTmx3dooRAEtqj1qGnbiDinqq6mBnRMSfiiKFwAZg5ZHPrGgO0ea7T6D3RnBPSG6ygg/s576/DSC_9723-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761420994361458" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Steelhead roe on top of frozen coconut mousse with pineapple powders.<br />This was just about our FAVORITE dish of the night!</span><br /></div><br />I heard rumblings about Alinea when they first opened back in 2005. And I've basically been wanting to go ever since! Molecular gastronomy was brand-spanking new (and if you live in San Francisco, you'd think it's still up and coming!) A few years ago, my <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2009/01/happy-birthday-to-steb.html">BFF</a> and I decided we'd go to Chicago together sorta specifically to dine at Alinea, but also 'cuz neither of us World Travelers could believe we'd never been. Well life sorta got in the way so our grand plans were pushed out. And we FINALLY made our way to the Windy City in September. The FIRST thing we did was make that Alinea reservation... <span style="font-style: italic;">then</span> plane, hotel...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZu2ZOhWNFFGjPAMhd9ND8GmGbWD6MTnoNH4Vbaru8DonjEoOPuNQeA2xcBuYZJngd1PuO8yaKLsdKrhLM6FRW-nS0OAuTxBz1qU4rBtXnfbCaksUrkHcbvak9w1HBz1hlVlKFTxc2oFM/s1600/DSC_9725-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZu2ZOhWNFFGjPAMhd9ND8GmGbWD6MTnoNH4Vbaru8DonjEoOPuNQeA2xcBuYZJngd1PuO8yaKLsdKrhLM6FRW-nS0OAuTxBz1qU4rBtXnfbCaksUrkHcbvak9w1HBz1hlVlKFTxc2oFM/s576/DSC_9725-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761429491775058" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yuba (tofu skin) wrapped in gulf prawn with miso mayonnaise.<br />Sugarcane with compressed shrimp broth, Thai chilis.</span><br /></div><div id="lhid_caption" class="gphoto-photocaption"><div style="" class="gphoto-photocaption"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><br /></span></div></div> <span class="lhcl_fakelink"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/s/v/68.16/img/transparent.gif" class="SPRITE_like lhcl_spriting_marginRight5" /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwKgD44cGRp4Tp5lerjgqE0fcLyZYdHB-MM7srPHCvZe-2DfV3J1RU1AFPteYsoH9r6s8jefXaplCVQENJwpbfj8klv4l83Q1LfMJpYUy7RSd4RPWxgw_iuh3h7mK49oCvsxdYvLZWEk/s1600/DSC_9727-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwKgD44cGRp4Tp5lerjgqE0fcLyZYdHB-MM7srPHCvZe-2DfV3J1RU1AFPteYsoH9r6s8jefXaplCVQENJwpbfj8klv4l83Q1LfMJpYUy7RSd4RPWxgw_iuh3h7mK49oCvsxdYvLZWEk/s576/DSC_9727-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761429181818850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Heirloom tomato salad with frozen powders:<br />Mozzarella<wbr>, pinenuts, bell pepper, Parmesan..<wbr>.</span><br /></div><br />Oh and in case anyone is wondering? [Chef] Grant Achatz rhymes with Ant Jackets.<br /><br />I wish I'd taken a photo of the front door and hallway into the restaurant. But I was trying to not be a huge touristy dork. *TRYING* is the key word here (since I soon became aforementioned huge touristy dork upon being seated at my table).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtSXm78qfCx4W5QMpawzj-xW49McGtE9FR11GziNx25naYbckOGB9UsG5NHVSguQKtrrFaLcjrzOU5_weFLCnfHi6XrHI1Nv2xFZT_WodtGdSf9v8DMCb9w8FQEMVE0C8qp6mEC3y8eg/s1600/DSC_9732-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtSXm78qfCx4W5QMpawzj-xW49McGtE9FR11GziNx25naYbckOGB9UsG5NHVSguQKtrrFaLcjrzOU5_weFLCnfHi6XrHI1Nv2xFZT_WodtGdSf9v8DMCb9w8FQEMVE0C8qp6mEC3y8eg/s400/DSC_9732-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761429870619522" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQ-p80H_4paCE_MEndQ7Ycqfk3EoTsrZsZSsV1UOdvXnUa0je_8TYb-6HSD2Ay0lAKGBxCYK4yRFwnpaSKvQMnZOZ1EzcdNq6mdje-AXVYQIcGBy7GUbK50PMsUqjkypXz5PfU1Tws-Q/s1600/DSC_9734-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQ-p80H_4paCE_MEndQ7Ycqfk3EoTsrZsZSsV1UOdvXnUa0je_8TYb-6HSD2Ay0lAKGBxCYK4yRFwnpaSKvQMnZOZ1EzcdNq6mdje-AXVYQIcGBy7GUbK50PMsUqjkypXz5PfU1Tws-Q/s400/DSC_9734-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761760747644034" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We are big dorks - and *SO SO SO* excited to be here!!</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH422GVy69_GLDwUMfGeiwPtuBShAnCwc8EEpsTcWMCrF4zs99iFcCEV1hsWoc8aRHXYIoQl2uLh_v4fGdr6xcj2UUf8EQIerKaVYMKN5PaRtKDIcL7QTuD_9LIn2ZK3OgWRZm4ozAPY/s1600/DSC_9737-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH422GVy69_GLDwUMfGeiwPtuBShAnCwc8EEpsTcWMCrF4zs99iFcCEV1hsWoc8aRHXYIoQl2uLh_v4fGdr6xcj2UUf8EQIerKaVYMKN5PaRtKDIcL7QTuD_9LIn2ZK3OgWRZm4ozAPY/s576/DSC_9737-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761768856526226" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Thai flavors distillati<wbr>on - palate cleanser.<br />Fish sauce, lemongrass and Thai chili</span></div><br />We kinda had no idea how to get into the restaurant once the cab dropped us off. There was no sign and no address. If I recall correctly, all that stood out was a small valet sandwich board - but I don't remember seeing a human out there. Fortunately Debbie and I are reasonably well educated and figured we'd try the unmarked door. It led to a dimly lit, long, entry hallway. But I had a feeling we were on the right path due to the very polished and contemporary feel that little hallway exhibited. We walked to the end and began to ponder what to do next - but before we could panic, a door to our left electronically whizzed open to produce a bustling foyer and smiling faces welcoming us to Alinea!<br /><br />Wow, it's almost like Disneyland! OK, kidding... kidding. Though, if you consider just how happy this meal made two grown-up girls, perhaps it IS like Disneyland...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGUoi2IGFuV98dMpag5QObPqM5M_lMth5EHgxeHbuO7KahQzS_thjQMQfyaYxyL2QoJ8wiNUFMQgebpLUoFUlEc4DuR3xgKCK2lmfWRmPSzrI5R7w3kfL-vy6Df7mUSbBTv-_0S9gu0U/s1600/DSC_9739-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGUoi2IGFuV98dMpag5QObPqM5M_lMth5EHgxeHbuO7KahQzS_thjQMQfyaYxyL2QoJ8wiNUFMQgebpLUoFUlEc4DuR3xgKCK2lmfWRmPSzrI5R7w3kfL-vy6Df7mUSbBTv-_0S9gu0U/s576/DSC_9739-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761769693221330" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Spring roll of Pork belly confit</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoJ3ncCjLI-mYN47beit197ZOLf8X2tOQ2xUftyLEbnhIl0-xESLH1X0AkgJ3oK3IvFivQ3tyr4D8vck8BQmkkyr1UeKkq0Y80SL5k20Xhf_7VrEVqGPcm8yzNuRtzFYrf_oLZOKhjis/s1600/DSC_9741-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoJ3ncCjLI-mYN47beit197ZOLf8X2tOQ2xUftyLEbnhIl0-xESLH1X0AkgJ3oK3IvFivQ3tyr4D8vck8BQmkkyr1UeKkq0Y80SL5k20Xhf_7VrEVqGPcm8yzNuRtzFYrf_oLZOKhjis/s576/DSC_9741-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761773491149890" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Add the other ingredient<wbr>s to the spring roll: salt, cucumber balls, garlic chips,<br />mango with curry, lime, daikon matchstick<wbr>s, red onions, "sriracha"<wbr>.<br />And basil seed vinaigrett<wbr>e.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJZbrJyZhDSguLKWkj7OjiozysjoXW_kzZY_I5HM9wWZskuswdYLJWIURHGshpTeHI1MKUL1p7WnQYQFHZErPswtyllX00YDysFjZGLwQh4I4luXS0srDQXNpMm_iSpApmN-l4oU5zjc/s1600/DSC_9743-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJZbrJyZhDSguLKWkj7OjiozysjoXW_kzZY_I5HM9wWZskuswdYLJWIURHGshpTeHI1MKUL1p7WnQYQFHZErPswtyllX00YDysFjZGLwQh4I4luXS0srDQXNpMm_iSpApmN-l4oU5zjc/s576/DSC_9743-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540761775993004450" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Wrap it all together and shove it in your mouth...<br />well, that's what we did at least</span><br /></div><br />We had a very early 5:45 reservation. But were extremely surprised to see that we were in no way the first diners that evening. In fact the other Super Foodies who were eating in our room were done as we got to about our halfway point! What time did they start? 4pm??<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjvN_XrBlDMvRtpqqzo3WDTa0twNk4gA4xIwC-kVLQROJPWCgcqyhxsMT2DkrSvPCvLm5JPlE7jJOBPQ0Nj_9nM3x6KKwtJlnE0GpeYf9PxMOcvzDYdzILdkizng2BOUFrVRbQZTUoE4/s1600/DSC_9746-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjvN_XrBlDMvRtpqqzo3WDTa0twNk4gA4xIwC-kVLQROJPWCgcqyhxsMT2DkrSvPCvLm5JPlE7jJOBPQ0Nj_9nM3x6KKwtJlnE0GpeYf9PxMOcvzDYdzILdkizng2BOUFrVRbQZTUoE4/s576/DSC_9746-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762087638859874" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Note this awesome serving dish.<br />It started like this - serving: King Crab mousse with plum jelly,<br />candied lemon, ginger pâte de fruit. Over buttermilk lilac sorbet.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP64zNugxI24AkATEfo_gTFnLaQwuwX79l6Ew18T0ERISTsQc8e5mYHJkR96pkf5EjDcixm4CJR-AVtuz8_HRMqzVaCS0qnzGdOS3GQrFnVJSAYH_7Fp-06cnNwpFtVMKzHf6mu-KyZgU/s1600/DSC_9748-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP64zNugxI24AkATEfo_gTFnLaQwuwX79l6Ew18T0ERISTsQc8e5mYHJkR96pkf5EjDcixm4CJR-AVtuz8_HRMqzVaCS0qnzGdOS3GQrFnVJSAYH_7Fp-06cnNwpFtVMKzHf6mu-KyZgU/s576/DSC_9748-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762091735202578" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Remove the top of the dish and we get another course:<br />More King Crab, flavors of plum, daikon, avocado, mustard seeds.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0vEEsSi-aes1gPd3cPh3sCrKPJhGvjN6zF_ZUKa5ZbNvJD-PDwTIpucAt8XYvp4L4mSnoO7R8AKf7TVc-LKYpwyt2C1yuno495tT2zWF0K13hX-4VMeI8bh3_HRT-HOE4uk3LVau8Hg/s1600/DSC_9752-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0vEEsSi-aes1gPd3cPh3sCrKPJhGvjN6zF_ZUKa5ZbNvJD-PDwTIpucAt8XYvp4L4mSnoO7R8AKf7TVc-LKYpwyt2C1yuno495tT2zWF0K13hX-4VMeI8bh3_HRT-HOE4uk3LVau8Hg/s576/DSC_9752-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762096795597586" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">The bottom level of the dish:<br />Fennel glissade (?). More King Crab and plum flavors.<br />Star anise "explosion<wbr>" and cippolini onion.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPzPU0AWj8j2XeuqQy7uUXL7uglehli9WFjWvyj3hpJM1TcRd8cq_tTStM3VISldEtnL9WXzZ9v3flBSXjANKasPFeOxK4BYs1ynjvUYEA7FqLQ8prg6yCUiZkxKaj3xCdCEd-OCNbbI/s1600/DSC_9754-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPzPU0AWj8j2XeuqQy7uUXL7uglehli9WFjWvyj3hpJM1TcRd8cq_tTStM3VISldEtnL9WXzZ9v3flBSXjANKasPFeOxK4BYs1ynjvUYEA7FqLQ8prg6yCUiZkxKaj3xCdCEd-OCNbbI/s400/DSC_9754-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762106924104354" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAF0PRhhqGb-2k_fl_hTFSmhlpIcCx0i6W1THAeT7vQL96ohWRKkdjC16z3mSTSUcO_GS9ZtWUBBVswkuarwZ5kKl2s1Mweso3FDyFUTcRDH6ZXu_zvujLtQkfQY1y7Sxqj3b8QNXKj0/s1600/DSC_9757-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAF0PRhhqGb-2k_fl_hTFSmhlpIcCx0i6W1THAeT7vQL96ohWRKkdjC16z3mSTSUcO_GS9ZtWUBBVswkuarwZ5kKl2s1Mweso3FDyFUTcRDH6ZXu_zvujLtQkfQY1y7Sxqj3b8QNXKj0/s400/DSC_9757-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540767465132276562" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">A course of Midwest memories:<br />Burning oak leaves. Tempura Pheasant breast with grapes and nuts.</span><br /></div><br />We were whisked upstairs to our waiting table immediately upon arrival. I always wonder what the planning must look like to make a restaurant run like this. How is the table ALWAYS ready when a meal can sometimes take 4 hours and when they'd NEVER rush a party to finish? And additionally - there were very few empty tables! Gosh I'm a nerd - why do I think about these things?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW307wafHixBhDsJNSiQBm5J-upQ6DcFSkBmEdacwlj9dSQkVbh5RD-b-Hzw2nr0POIxuK2pDL82lwke9I5gL-ba4aVLTIJR11unKULOP5GilvvRj5tU4XckqU-TM-eDqlMbMq9IyXImI/s1600/DSC_9760-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW307wafHixBhDsJNSiQBm5J-upQ6DcFSkBmEdacwlj9dSQkVbh5RD-b-Hzw2nr0POIxuK2pDL82lwke9I5gL-ba4aVLTIJR11unKULOP5GilvvRj5tU4XckqU-TM-eDqlMbMq9IyXImI/s576/DSC_9760-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762107066728322" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Lamb: Poached lamb loin. Calf's belly. Fried green onions.<br />Dehydrated shoulder with blackberri<wbr>es.</span><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TX7xDaPKgSDe-9fn10McaBhiUUVLvDyELl-0A8j4ptBGpLt7_tH-pkWVqrQSMe1PDj2CZybDK39S1pX7IZh4KeELRsJnOMz2C_jCh3M3Fp7rSGpoNus4g0W9k2z0HXmmiDZxl4l1Eos/s1600/DSC_9763-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TX7xDaPKgSDe-9fn10McaBhiUUVLvDyELl-0A8j4ptBGpLt7_tH-pkWVqrQSMe1PDj2CZybDK39S1pX7IZh4KeELRsJnOMz2C_jCh3M3Fp7rSGpoNus4g0W9k2z0HXmmiDZxl4l1Eos/s576/DSC_9763-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762394186511746" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Filet of Australian Wagyu Beef. Jasmine rice filled pepper. Fried banana.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_j4lPfybm3c6iyMgyB7lmhCyqXLKAktSiRml1yDCJwabadDYULgVHnMNXOYh8mY1FTFMo9N9yFO2FlOk-a5bYKilDOfADEIaOJgI2CjVgU4qdl9-8giTyKPHC_EMmT6Z3ITtn_rh110/s1600/DSC_9766-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_j4lPfybm3c6iyMgyB7lmhCyqXLKAktSiRml1yDCJwabadDYULgVHnMNXOYh8mY1FTFMo9N9yFO2FlOk-a5bYKilDOfADEIaOJgI2CjVgU4qdl9-8giTyKPHC_EMmT6Z3ITtn_rh110/s576/DSC_9766-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762398732571058" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Truffle explosion. Ravioli of truffle broth, topped with Romaine and Parmesan.</span><br /></div><br />The photos throughout this post should show you how well we ate and just how fantabulously creative all the food was. WE WERE IN AWE.<br /><br />Cocktails we could chew<br />Thai flavors we could drink<br />Powders that tasted like balsamic vinegar<br />Burning leaves used as a skewer<br />A pillow of vapor to scent our table<br />Dessert one sucked from a tube<br />We assembled one course with our hands...<br />...and ate another right off the table top<br /><br />It WAS like Disneyland! Could we have stayed all day long? Or maybe gotten a multi-day pass??<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzqiBrWnc_JLk_GO5_h66t7B2okHXfBmRm6CVMAPQpKbUjPqG_iHUg5YTGn451c7YyQ9ygtWExJV7h_rd74Ojk9NkhuMN7lsYIV5j-B7_FzAC-vt0LYwCJT-DkolPk7BNMoVWVJwELQ0/s1600/DSC_9768-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzqiBrWnc_JLk_GO5_h66t7B2okHXfBmRm6CVMAPQpKbUjPqG_iHUg5YTGn451c7YyQ9ygtWExJV7h_rd74Ojk9NkhuMN7lsYIV5j-B7_FzAC-vt0LYwCJT-DkolPk7BNMoVWVJwELQ0/s576/DSC_9768-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762402502044018" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div id="lhid_caption" class="gphoto-photocaption"><div style="" class="gphoto-photocaption"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dehydrated bacon wrapped in butterscot</span><wbr style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ch apple leather</span></span><br /><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"></span></div><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption"><br /></span></div></div> <span class="lhcl_fakelink"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/s/v/68.16/img/transparent.gif" class="SPRITE_like lhcl_spriting_marginRight5" /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSbvjg1H_v-sW8PbJozJ0kmFrvHdTO2FtbfBsbkJ3U0pqPNxyoV2aiUVRjPpbPxYlENTXfY7O5KAJrcDItW-Zyf_CKNbC52xetYjjZTVuyb_t-pjMktraU2HzxJphcjYTrkpSBUkuxsY/s1600/DSC_9773-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSbvjg1H_v-sW8PbJozJ0kmFrvHdTO2FtbfBsbkJ3U0pqPNxyoV2aiUVRjPpbPxYlENTXfY7O5KAJrcDItW-Zyf_CKNbC52xetYjjZTVuyb_t-pjMktraU2HzxJphcjYTrkpSBUkuxsY/s400/DSC_9773-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762407333719634" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVkjkcjveswvd70GKBKtJHp8E4yr-BoOabi_LMzAnxQn9NoKgQnl4IL_tNnt8AD2695NipvTs9A1uy6B-R8gBPKmHZw8rJPiA3hjqQkyD1f_2W74Hhy-0BMU2m1BHAEuS7jM6SP2YFFI/s1600/DSC_9778-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVkjkcjveswvd70GKBKtJHp8E4yr-BoOabi_LMzAnxQn9NoKgQnl4IL_tNnt8AD2695NipvTs9A1uy6B-R8gBPKmHZw8rJPiA3hjqQkyD1f_2W74Hhy-0BMU2m1BHAEuS7jM6SP2YFFI/s400/DSC_9778-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762410932155074" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Hybiscus vanilla creme fraiche, bubble gum with tapioca.<br />Raspberry puree with yogurt powder. And that's how you eat it!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCgfJYwP8XU0kHf7Nugj7XUiq_F3zMmcJYbAL7oM1Xbl8C7TBCOLAizbm2jmQsYLrjNMa4gsZ6P4zscfcePewmrqyBJa8Ep2nVUNh605lwej6lJ_l7yE3KI-D8Jf_GiKJcTVMN7YA140/s1600/DSC_9788-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCgfJYwP8XU0kHf7Nugj7XUiq_F3zMmcJYbAL7oM1Xbl8C7TBCOLAizbm2jmQsYLrjNMa4gsZ6P4zscfcePewmrqyBJa8Ep2nVUNh605lwej6lJ_l7yE3KI-D8Jf_GiKJcTVMN7YA140/s576/DSC_9788-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762803841310050" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Earl gray shortbread<wbr>, lemon curd bubbles, pinenuts, noodles of white chocolate.<br />Atop a pillow of "Early Grey vapor"!</span><br /></div><br />Deb and I have had the extreme luck, privilege and pleasure of dining at quite a long list of highly starred restaurants - Mr. Keller's included - and we both decided that Alinea. yes, Alinea. was the best meal either of us had ever eaten.<br /><br />BEST MEAL WE'D EVER EATEN.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_gpqKgaqNSrdSf9Tu4OV4GKIR8qVXwlTJHXgqtPEmIHSuiwAdbloWqNsT2fRJdD0fitwiaTNr_15xyZwaMWshlVASVk6dth4ueVcVa2nXTl-WUK-2sYrLHFSWmccX8MXnQS0bnXcJrM/s1600/DSC_9790-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_gpqKgaqNSrdSf9Tu4OV4GKIR8qVXwlTJHXgqtPEmIHSuiwAdbloWqNsT2fRJdD0fitwiaTNr_15xyZwaMWshlVASVk6dth4ueVcVa2nXTl-WUK-2sYrLHFSWmccX8MXnQS0bnXcJrM/s576/DSC_9790-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762805409434786" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Our final dessert started out like this...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQt-aXtpBgsARswtaWNEygXOkdbN3Y8I21c_cyT-2yVKo35ee7UK8u1tZnTqZEaNXsRg5LY04V-ims_gcC-k8jjWy4oJYVKEWwWx7ihC1Rw57Cf4xSBE1sCgW4ceb9zO6o6GzD37RhuA0/s1600/DSC_9797-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQt-aXtpBgsARswtaWNEygXOkdbN3Y8I21c_cyT-2yVKo35ee7UK8u1tZnTqZEaNXsRg5LY04V-ims_gcC-k8jjWy4oJYVKEWwWx7ihC1Rw57Cf4xSBE1sCgW4ceb9zO6o6GzD37RhuA0/s576/DSC_9797-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762809645127602" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Then the chef in charge that night (unfortuna<wbr>tely, not Achatz) came<br />and "decorated<wbr>" our table with our dessert. AMAZING!</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8HYxQExkGjGdHGDb1-UEKXhJUD_kosOl3Z2FXkkRkA9ap9ht5Ve_Ixr2ot7IYK9e7_KbZc0_MqFxb1lYTWWB4qIkmcSg7ZwLHOu0_xpxMdprZjkIZxgwz9bvGsLqMVASelN0wrLS-dM/s1600/DSC_9800-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8HYxQExkGjGdHGDb1-UEKXhJUD_kosOl3Z2FXkkRkA9ap9ht5Ve_Ixr2ot7IYK9e7_KbZc0_MqFxb1lYTWWB4qIkmcSg7ZwLHOu0_xpxMdprZjkIZxgwz9bvGsLqMVASelN0wrLS-dM/s576/DSC_9800-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540768423641395426" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;" class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Apricots poached in basil syrup, apricot puree, peanut nougat, chocolate peanut<br />powder, organic milk sweetened with honey, milk chocolate, frozen milk<br />chocolate mousse, freeze dried apricots, basil,<br />warm honey custard with brûléed brown sugar</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNBNpCAWASCrt_SQ3-p1x3YIyV-lF2lzbpAMLp1W-QwF0OSyp13B-NIjeFh5rp3bxlAPF8y9wG7jg1IHsJHxIMPMfMQ5f_tKrtPAHsuosDL0SxDw18ao-rWeb1wg-j7VKYU-Qbqx5nbw/s1600/DSC_9806-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNBNpCAWASCrt_SQ3-p1x3YIyV-lF2lzbpAMLp1W-QwF0OSyp13B-NIjeFh5rp3bxlAPF8y9wG7jg1IHsJHxIMPMfMQ5f_tKrtPAHsuosDL0SxDw18ao-rWeb1wg-j7VKYU-Qbqx5nbw/s576/DSC_9806-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762814414635346" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">We weren't sure where to start, we were just so mesmerized!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATcLzPZ5aaH30rwSP1t7lVFzom8AJ1ccmDcGOg2O115E71tlrWlcEhbp2E4pEzIdCX9e1us7oPgR3oiLOZq8dhAH6KmsrPuIdJWSajsn4LAvgpjWo_KUlBubtahvjyyJ1BAhVuviem7w/s1600/DSC_9809-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATcLzPZ5aaH30rwSP1t7lVFzom8AJ1ccmDcGOg2O115E71tlrWlcEhbp2E4pEzIdCX9e1us7oPgR3oiLOZq8dhAH6KmsrPuIdJWSajsn4LAvgpjWo_KUlBubtahvjyyJ1BAhVuviem7w/s576/DSC_9809-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540762821103956050" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">But somehow... we managed.</span><br /></div><br />If that doesn't deserve a few Michelin stars, I don't know what does...Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-14476108549775608942010-10-08T23:32:00.000-07:002010-10-09T23:44:06.828-07:00A PassionI can't even begin to explain where I've been the last month. So much is going on but so much of it is fantastic - that I'm almost not too apologetic. There are things going on at work and things going on personally and they're just keeping me busier than I've been in an extremely long time. Then in the midst of all of this craziness - my hard drive decided to die and I basically had to rebuild my entire computer. It was....fun... to say the least. But let's stop with the excuses and just get to what you REALLY want to read about:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprobd4EVxkWcE6HXGBQF7DYUx2mluctBhfJyqMEJPEZWdz6x6eYAYlSQJCQLFnzX4FhIo6ov9loQ92cgeI7UOTbaGFKK2clUgpRJwzfN81WiFYAqIW7VNY9wWGH6O7T7MPtb5B-fZp54/s1600/DSC_0062.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprobd4EVxkWcE6HXGBQF7DYUx2mluctBhfJyqMEJPEZWdz6x6eYAYlSQJCQLFnzX4FhIo6ov9loQ92cgeI7UOTbaGFKK2clUgpRJwzfN81WiFYAqIW7VNY9wWGH6O7T7MPtb5B-fZp54/s576/DSC_0062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525932642464019026" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tart and sweet and simply, perfect</span><br /></div><br />I was just a little bit obsessed with passionfruit this past summer. I think <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/05/macaron-passion.html">this</a><a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/05/macaron-passion.html"> post</a> still holds the highest number of hits on my entire blog. But even outside my blog I'd find myself ordering passionfruit cocktails and tarts and pâte de fruit... and loving them! Then <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/07/bloggers-in-boulder.html">I did this</a> and got to sample Jen's passionfruit ice cream à la David Lebovitz when we had dinner at her house. Uh oh - you mean this recipe is in my "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/1580088082">The Perfect Scoop</a>" book at home? We're about to be in trouble.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r0roALOVgGc-FoD-loLTIYiHf-CiPq4StkuY1EX8Slra-f8D-UBi9aIF-1W_52nJ0RIUs6SNSi_QXFpgLze6bkIyIc_-Ph9s0yYzP13fxPhVK2Jq6qv7OLLUETcwQWW3tV4erjrPSxA/s1600/DSC_0060.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r0roALOVgGc-FoD-loLTIYiHf-CiPq4StkuY1EX8Slra-f8D-UBi9aIF-1W_52nJ0RIUs6SNSi_QXFpgLze6bkIyIc_-Ph9s0yYzP13fxPhVK2Jq6qv7OLLUETcwQWW3tV4erjrPSxA/s576/DSC_0060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526291715678656834" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Passionfruit might just be my new obsession<br /></div><br />It didn't take long for me to start thinking about that ice cream once I got home. And I even had tubs of passionfruit puree in my freezer just *waiting*. But what I didn't have, yet really wanted was passionfruit SEEDS to add that tiny crunch to the ice cream. And those basically only come from real passionfruits (duh)! I looked but didn't very obviously find any fresh passionfruits at local grocery stores - even the Asian ones. It's possible I needed to go INTO San Francisco for this, but I never made the time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sb7vy6WhK8hk4EsVnWOgFJchTtvr9KVAvPR1HbEFdXauarIIj3vpcUc81jA2VLQ0B2VZqJa0VOT4il2vuhffolqe3DB3zPWFO_ctXWv6NI8LgHs47rTYrpuJEJ5x8WTBke7mnzeZAL0/s1600/DSC_9493.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sb7vy6WhK8hk4EsVnWOgFJchTtvr9KVAvPR1HbEFdXauarIIj3vpcUc81jA2VLQ0B2VZqJa0VOT4il2vuhffolqe3DB3zPWFO_ctXWv6NI8LgHs47rTYrpuJEJ5x8WTBke7mnzeZAL0/s400/DSC_9493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526190152728773858" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMHbrYvMKgbwM_V0eg8YCTu2NVEORXwPvQEs2yfzNFHqSaWprwmHxunA7e_jeNNc9lzy6VObzz0DqD567lyL7nYjtkmeriW-hvko6alk2ctfeRJCXMbuixEufObFByvE1W9YfvKouHts/s1600/DSC_9496.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMHbrYvMKgbwM_V0eg8YCTu2NVEORXwPvQEs2yfzNFHqSaWprwmHxunA7e_jeNNc9lzy6VObzz0DqD567lyL7nYjtkmeriW-hvko6alk2ctfeRJCXMbuixEufObFByvE1W9YfvKouHts/s400/DSC_9496.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526190161234589362" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">~I can find the Perfect Puree at Draegers in the Bay Area<br />~Combining the puree and cream<br /></div><br />Then I was reading my cousin <a href="http://www.thejohnsonsjournal.com/?p=1122">Courtney's blog</a>. She and her husband have been living in Melbourne, Australia for the better part of the last year. Well, in one of her entries she talked about a pavlova she made. And what did I spy on top of her pavlova? Passionfruit puree WITH SEEDS! (Please re-read the title of this blog post in case you're wondering why I'm getting so excited.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXVB32lGyd12KQeDgyP3JbFMiQtp21EF9JP0M6NrZpIAPzhPzGfDk1sHdrX6gM27HmtqsVUGw-oA69XBtqSW4s0CML4OgfaoJ_3SLhL2xcl6q109bdjuN6ZRa86yrYvVZ12usrmoY41o/s1600/DSC_9501.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXVB32lGyd12KQeDgyP3JbFMiQtp21EF9JP0M6NrZpIAPzhPzGfDk1sHdrX6gM27HmtqsVUGw-oA69XBtqSW4s0CML4OgfaoJ_3SLhL2xcl6q109bdjuN6ZRa86yrYvVZ12usrmoY41o/s576/DSC_9501.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526190173801151746" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tempering the egg yolks with the hot milk mixture - work fast!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouPLEvm2WG2fiKrT4XFdmv0DNHRpDC2U-JLPKNLV5eYOb-Sc6B2_UxqmLvRQ4LOaAK6QwlGnCQ4OHndap567MHVia72GcH_7EwKF5WZEhhDpTyMpr40OCTBdFo9pUm7FLIAcjB41I8BA/s1600/DSC_9508.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouPLEvm2WG2fiKrT4XFdmv0DNHRpDC2U-JLPKNLV5eYOb-Sc6B2_UxqmLvRQ4LOaAK6QwlGnCQ4OHndap567MHVia72GcH_7EwKF5WZEhhDpTyMpr40OCTBdFo9pUm7FLIAcjB41I8BA/s576/DSC_9508.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526190180928116162" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cook until you can draw a "line" on your spatula</span><br /></div><br />At this point I knew I'd be seeing Courtney for <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/08/pilgrimage.html">our other cousin's wedding</a> just a few weeks later and sweetly asked her if she could buy and bring me a can or two of this wondrous passionfruit puree! Of course she did - and I LOVE HER FOR IT!! *Thanks Snort!!*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvnCPsweOVw_wWacsd_LFjKKd3kM6dbz_WD-7ChOI7qfaP7Po98EXEIOrC7cr9d_xIDepPRwat62LX8R19IxWFFsrHNGxmTgL7uOqHekpO__PIobLzUfi548-qQVRZgWZkkIswnRCSjM/s1600/DSC_9491.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvnCPsweOVw_wWacsd_LFjKKd3kM6dbz_WD-7ChOI7qfaP7Po98EXEIOrC7cr9d_xIDepPRwat62LX8R19IxWFFsrHNGxmTgL7uOqHekpO__PIobLzUfi548-qQVRZgWZkkIswnRCSjM/s576/DSC_9491.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526190152242785522" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">If we had a Woolworths selling passionfruit pulp here in The States,<br />you can bet I'd be there buying it<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9SxBENCB17-2oCqhxoeZZC2AEMEOWtbCumpaGadHb7otyjyMoDU3JzemS8p19h9fVwcaznRwSBo2oO-uWiKvtJxdgHrX7sC0o5vGszTjF2UK5lXNN-suiFmKXqzWZ2p5mvWSnvP1hcM/s1600/DSC_9532.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9SxBENCB17-2oCqhxoeZZC2AEMEOWtbCumpaGadHb7otyjyMoDU3JzemS8p19h9fVwcaznRwSBo2oO-uWiKvtJxdgHrX7sC0o5vGszTjF2UK5lXNN-suiFmKXqzWZ2p5mvWSnvP1hcM/s576/DSC_9532.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526191408098698274" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">How beautiful is that passionfruit pulp?<br />Anyone going to Australia and wanna pick some up for me?...<br /></div><br />So I was ready! I finally had all my ingredients and I could make this fantastical passionfruit ice cream. Gosh - it takes a village doesn't it? <a href="http://userealbutter.com/">Jen</a>, <a href="http://www.thejohnsonsjournal.com/">Courtney</a> and I guess even <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">Mr. Lebovitz</a>!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-DXjGm0mKF3EupAcWMRoKJbd7LU8Dw0eMxLHQxcGKcN5jpxGl-tySXvheDPm-NCKc1hxIEKISKN8SWBWtffZPPWezBxZLsSG_O5T1AXkdOb_N5Ld0xIXDjxcg5k1QTPLj_k_jL-6b6o/s1600/DSC_9520.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-DXjGm0mKF3EupAcWMRoKJbd7LU8Dw0eMxLHQxcGKcN5jpxGl-tySXvheDPm-NCKc1hxIEKISKN8SWBWtffZPPWezBxZLsSG_O5T1AXkdOb_N5Ld0xIXDjxcg5k1QTPLj_k_jL-6b6o/s400/DSC_9520.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526191404618623650" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKEVPWZgMZR7l33-bIjRkak_OAh7cF-1YpHuVd3UxmTlPfoIfe0lq31aFhVyAgmQvP5biuC10gXvo10IruXGiM67RiZHGmqBaG-IOIZR2Yxi2_0yssyi3iiafSCL7PzGZA5_qiDvgIRM/s1600/DSC_9539.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKEVPWZgMZR7l33-bIjRkak_OAh7cF-1YpHuVd3UxmTlPfoIfe0lq31aFhVyAgmQvP5biuC10gXvo10IruXGiM67RiZHGmqBaG-IOIZR2Yxi2_0yssyi3iiafSCL7PzGZA5_qiDvgIRM/s400/DSC_9539.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526191413498656402" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">~The original recipe made *so* little I doubled it for you!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">~Of course after churning, the volume is greater due to all the air mixed in</span><br /></div><br />I made it more per Jen than Lebovitz, tho the differences were small. She omitted the orange oil/zest and I decided I wanted to as well. I'd also personally suggest a TAD more sugar, like probably a full half cup instead of 7 T. I do tend to like things a bit more sweet than tart though.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNY2tR-sExZ6XGdtUu1-MUcbBrRONrBcp2hXMMuKPCsNiniEJPH_X_ln0_bVJjLvUyPem0q1zd6FKGBnmKN2OOjpVs2pcbqzxENC-WrfiLbR7nxKb1JLKWEhQYQCcn_WOvGdk2ph4xQw/s1600/DSC_9541.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNY2tR-sExZ6XGdtUu1-MUcbBrRONrBcp2hXMMuKPCsNiniEJPH_X_ln0_bVJjLvUyPem0q1zd6FKGBnmKN2OOjpVs2pcbqzxENC-WrfiLbR7nxKb1JLKWEhQYQCcn_WOvGdk2ph4xQw/s576/DSC_9541.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526191417129393154" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Oh shucks I have to clean the rest of this out...<br /></div><br />This ice cream is phenomenal. And in all seriousness - it NEEDS the seeds. I don't know what I'll do when my small stash of Australian passionfruit puree is gone. But for now I'm portioning it out to each batch of ice cream in a manner where the LEAST amount possible goes in to still have a few bites of seeds in a serving. Did I hear someone say anal retentive?!?<br /><br />So make this ice cream. Seriously. No, seriously. It's incredible.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi237NU1ciKg05iMKgrbEnEoreoIW96kyEzOL2Yh1D8jdxynhbKKZh5w7k8WUM4QB_V7CyfQTpfsWgfCGjKlFG7KAheYq99Ft539fEloTnvdtuX5Tp_DRahMGha-daBnc98fmj1XBBzezI/s1600/DSC_0070.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi237NU1ciKg05iMKgrbEnEoreoIW96kyEzOL2Yh1D8jdxynhbKKZh5w7k8WUM4QB_V7CyfQTpfsWgfCGjKlFG7KAheYq99Ft539fEloTnvdtuX5Tp_DRahMGha-daBnc98fmj1XBBzezI/s576/DSC_0070.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526291720391514210" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sublime.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">I doubled the original recipe:<br /><br />1 cup fresh or frozen passion fruit pulp or concentrate (12-16 passion fruits – strain the pulp to separate from the seeds)<br />2 cups heavy cream<br />3/4 cup whole milk<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/4 t salt<br />5 large egg yolks<br />couple spoonfuls of passion fruit seeds (optional – but I’d highly recommend it)<br /><br />Combine the passion fruit pulp and 1 cup of cream in a large bowl. Warm the milk, sugar, salt and 1 cup of cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Be sure the sugar dissolves.<br /><br />Temper the egg yolks with the warmed liquid; whisking constantly to keep the yolks from cooking. Return the entire mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. When the mixture coats the back of a spoon or spatula, strain the custard through a sieve into the passion fruit and cream mixture.<br /><br />Stir until blended. You could cool it over an ice bath but not necessary. Chill the custard in the refrigerator (I try to chill it at least overnight) and then churn in your ice cream machine. Stir a few spoonfuls of passion fruit seeds (or seeds and pulp) into the ice cream just before it is done. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups). </span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-49242680540281911952010-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:002010-11-09T10:08:57.230-08:00A remodelEveryone loves seeing a fantastic remodel, right? Especially when it includes a kitchen! Well, I suppose I'm banking on this theory in writing this post... I personally LOVE seeing before/after kitchen remodel pictures so I thought you all might enjoy them as well!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOF5lDs7_okb0S88J2H-3FjZXNzsD4YKmoFxb9sfVvFkeMujsYDWS6fMyJFSlcVIwiXvvGpgG3Jb46LJbDWUIRX2xe1ik9fUtTdYuqIfUWLobkxelQ32xDptB4AjMVICRl0qQPqN93U6w/s1600/DSC_8976.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOF5lDs7_okb0S88J2H-3FjZXNzsD4YKmoFxb9sfVvFkeMujsYDWS6fMyJFSlcVIwiXvvGpgG3Jb46LJbDWUIRX2xe1ik9fUtTdYuqIfUWLobkxelQ32xDptB4AjMVICRl0qQPqN93U6w/s576/DSC_8976.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514065711847584082" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">This might get me to visit Tahoe more often...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvDKtt6ZPUCcBveBdmegGcen1-exzJ46XrD4V-wbcgTveFdpRg2wMiLyvpoZFzbipp0wm9aS0aPSVYHF88-ckl8T_1Jf_bikqEtDUx-khZ1jjgayK8Oo7ZM5XdZqupfC4YNH3kNMoMlA/s1600/DSC_3633.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvDKtt6ZPUCcBveBdmegGcen1-exzJ46XrD4V-wbcgTveFdpRg2wMiLyvpoZFzbipp0wm9aS0aPSVYHF88-ckl8T_1Jf_bikqEtDUx-khZ1jjgayK8Oo7ZM5XdZqupfC4YNH3kNMoMlA/s400/DSC_3633.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514066446050144546" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: was cozy, but not too polished<br />(note the location of the entry tile and bathroom door remains the same;<br />the Tiffany glass lamp was made for my parents by a friend & they still love it)<br /></div><br />I'm not sure who's been reading my blog this long, maybe 4 of you? (Mom, Dad, Tracey, Amy?) Well, you 4 might recall <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2008/08/lake-tahoe.html">this post</a> about our home in Tahoe. I love our Tahoe house and *wish* I went up more often. I think I need some friends who REALLY egg me to go or I just won't battle the weekend traffic, no matter how much I love it up there.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86j0nrFu3DHLY7WwGoFkumSV_ReswSvII1rVcRQAMBrLbv1HT8x2k6DL2U1by_Ka-8pGsyFhs89vQOgAhj_0ach3XtdGmugEhwKkiRAftv97vOwC5noU-EGrXPhq5CO-S10DYYTz7s_Q/s1600/P1000740.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86j0nrFu3DHLY7WwGoFkumSV_ReswSvII1rVcRQAMBrLbv1HT8x2k6DL2U1by_Ka-8pGsyFhs89vQOgAhj_0ach3XtdGmugEhwKkiRAftv97vOwC5noU-EGrXPhq5CO-S10DYYTz7s_Q/s400/P1000740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067106330933666" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: Mom demonstrates where she'd spend most of her time<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ0F3_QZOATLgh1gmKc9yYiZMHsel8ksr_4eF1OMHjN8YcJj7R6zSkNuJIMh1sMhLu55cKGT9l0CaKiPn30mkOydyLJw3vHAZCJxfaDYJDa5iy27rI0FmYFq3J0eyCWpR0VLMXNIVVp0/s1600/P1000811.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ0F3_QZOATLgh1gmKc9yYiZMHsel8ksr_4eF1OMHjN8YcJj7R6zSkNuJIMh1sMhLu55cKGT9l0CaKiPn30mkOydyLJw3vHAZCJxfaDYJDa5iy27rI0FmYFq3J0eyCWpR0VLMXNIVVp0/s400/P1000811.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067111204348482" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: LOVE that faux-wood Formica!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11tbzYFxagI_SD5E5WdW6Dhq8AgG5dh2o7j1F09xE5_eQAgMxDV3Z5d9ysz1u8l1Cxym6k0NIk8-VYDd6NONlGxE7wT8T3tcAzgGSwbHd3lSH5fU5CC2fPiWPSxs3-qYC7bOipZZiaGM/s1600/DSC_8981.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11tbzYFxagI_SD5E5WdW6Dhq8AgG5dh2o7j1F09xE5_eQAgMxDV3Z5d9ysz1u8l1Cxym6k0NIk8-VYDd6NONlGxE7wT8T3tcAzgGSwbHd3lSH5fU5CC2fPiWPSxs3-qYC7bOipZZiaGM/s576/DSC_8981.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514065718337080050" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">After: There is now room for 2 to work at that [granite] counter!</span><br /></div><br />My parents, however, spend A LOT of time at the Tahoe house in their retirement, and for this reason, my mom decided it was about time to junk the 31 year-old kitchen. You may recall from many of my posts that she really is the cook who taught me to cook. So for that reason, I can't believe she tolerated that dinky kitchen for all those weekends over the past 27 years we've owned the cabin. And not just dinky but: electric stove, original fridge and dishwasher, [super ugly] Formica counter-tops, atrocious linoleum, and even an old, squat faucet!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVETBxcLWHNpOQymiMs-ejq7s5JiEUe-rQ0xWVt8JcscRYCbpCpdsJ5CH2cUvZOzwC1Pn34J6HfZMXYBwccSm4wSjC9GU_5UnlPPJLqn88ZOr59Tk31iS5vjJrWRDWGP466y_z_dUCJuY/s1600/P1000738.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVETBxcLWHNpOQymiMs-ejq7s5JiEUe-rQ0xWVt8JcscRYCbpCpdsJ5CH2cUvZOzwC1Pn34J6HfZMXYBwccSm4wSjC9GU_5UnlPPJLqn88ZOr59Tk31iS5vjJrWRDWGP466y_z_dUCJuY/s400/P1000738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514066463604489618" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: Dad demos the "super cutting-edge in its day, I'm sure"<br />ice compartment in the old fridge<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFAjBIGPP4qMdxvKSa197S5hBNs8MhyjHNMXTYJlafuQectKpLbh86ymA_arU1gMlr2x7cJW6QNslcl1BukBkvS5w5zEQSDaZJEuXAF9DXvCnBghEcHWbl7WBU-ngBXFPGlOskCMS9Is/s1600/P1000813.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFAjBIGPP4qMdxvKSa197S5hBNs8MhyjHNMXTYJlafuQectKpLbh86ymA_arU1gMlr2x7cJW6QNslcl1BukBkvS5w5zEQSDaZJEuXAF9DXvCnBghEcHWbl7WBU-ngBXFPGlOskCMS9Is/s400/P1000813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067114718698610" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: Faux-wood trim on a fridge is ALWAYS a great idea<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSCAVnS64Jh-gnbkUcxewayHbHL0ATBpg4qyerwbZqTgonsysEq9q24dMPi94MT4PIVVBR3yPOU82CM3Aal1pVLuXmi2X730DvKaWKLm3wOvoAlWXXu7KOyBD3wRr-y1qvMQKsdM8l3o/s1600/DSC_8985.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSCAVnS64Jh-gnbkUcxewayHbHL0ATBpg4qyerwbZqTgonsysEq9q24dMPi94MT4PIVVBR3yPOU82CM3Aal1pVLuXmi2X730DvKaWKLm3wOvoAlWXXu7KOyBD3wRr-y1qvMQKsdM8l3o/s576/DSC_8985.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514065733802886706" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">After: The wall next to the fridge was moved forward just a few inches</span><br /></div><br />Yes, yes, it all worked and it's for this reason that it took 27 years to remodel. But we are a family that believes in just a bit more than "if it's not broke don't fix it". We value and greatly enjoy when things not only work but look nice and feel good while they're working. And of course, they also enlarged the kitchen a bit by removing a wall and extending a counter. Suddenly you can comfortably fit 3 people in the kitchen when it was previously PACKED with just 2!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzcPOEkfUaItlToVIUVmnbzUic_OWBZet79hK40wnPEpZfiI3AH_oyfzvawkGrHHvezJuv8Mz-PcA_xMiS9ge5UMnIfXSoTjwE1J_hR1HLPRa055VP_4CUzoHGEfevljlcTRI257mDZ4/s1600/P1000815.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzcPOEkfUaItlToVIUVmnbzUic_OWBZet79hK40wnPEpZfiI3AH_oyfzvawkGrHHvezJuv8Mz-PcA_xMiS9ge5UMnIfXSoTjwE1J_hR1HLPRa055VP_4CUzoHGEfevljlcTRI257mDZ4/s400/P1000815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067119751578162" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Before: When we bought the house, that microwave<br />was a small overhead oven<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHzzeJ8E7XjBwdLv_K_xi5VnkvvW8nFEBJXcoZbOoCqJlgKa-5KIzVoxD3CXcCo2Kt27bqYqzfHbhbEgzPTNBCML2JaPQg4ksrbW6VTwiE7Y-v-r7D21L8fwIfkxLpHIn8yjxKu6lFKY/s1600/DSC_8987.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHzzeJ8E7XjBwdLv_K_xi5VnkvvW8nFEBJXcoZbOoCqJlgKa-5KIzVoxD3CXcCo2Kt27bqYqzfHbhbEgzPTNBCML2JaPQg4ksrbW6VTwiE7Y-v-r7D21L8fwIfkxLpHIn8yjxKu6lFKY/s576/DSC_8987.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514065735790993730" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">After: My mom is 4'11"... we'll someday need to<br />resell to another tiny Asian woman<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1d72ayHPhaiI72twiPUqsBHxp7Y7ecToCJri1aDT2E9sVcD3DUmo4XXMwY51zUt6imKz8M04Hk5kTa1gMEzJCB7j4eRuY5HFRFK_JNyKJAFWS0wIOW4FSmHnvhNC6JEywCJHsHLR0QOU/s1600/P1000816.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1d72ayHPhaiI72twiPUqsBHxp7Y7ecToCJri1aDT2E9sVcD3DUmo4XXMwY51zUt6imKz8M04Hk5kTa1gMEzJCB7j4eRuY5HFRFK_JNyKJAFWS0wIOW4FSmHnvhNC6JEywCJHsHLR0QOU/s400/P1000816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067124225962370" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Before: The... idda know, actually? Bar? Nook? Desk? Sideboard?</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQ0uslcf3jKhMk0mQkTBqpszASRFBizSw2kn72EFFTjviP7UvYsyAQJxbjW395NxPcV7FSIyPfNp9F0jtLUTS9VbtjE8l7PSedCc9b4YPTlW-rxsB2C1ZVR_qVa40lilVkvOYOgKP39c/s1600/DSC_8980.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQ0uslcf3jKhMk0mQkTBqpszASRFBizSw2kn72EFFTjviP7UvYsyAQJxbjW395NxPcV7FSIyPfNp9F0jtLUTS9VbtjE8l7PSedCc9b4YPTlW-rxsB2C1ZVR_qVa40lilVkvOYOgKP39c/s576/DSC_8980.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514065716101515122" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">After: Much better. Let's call it a desk.<br /></div><br />They essentially remodeled the entire downstairs of the cabin which includes a bathroom, entry and living-room. The best part is of course that kitchen - especially when I sit and think about the relevance to my blog. But the bathroom is worth showing a bit as well. I wish I had a better before picture, but I just don't. It's only superficial changes anyway.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7VGjemmHdGYOfJLfnys19tAhduhfs87gERvujaoWFJDdSKSDL9RXvcRY4T7XUUYedA6L3JilmkN8eUtO0da18mW4pJTUmJksxuIpHu7rXPEn9je_kDV367rgPwDduLrBpXYekbpEvvc/s1600/DSC_3697.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7VGjemmHdGYOfJLfnys19tAhduhfs87gERvujaoWFJDdSKSDL9RXvcRY4T7XUUYedA6L3JilmkN8eUtO0da18mW4pJTUmJksxuIpHu7rXPEn9je_kDV367rgPwDduLrBpXYekbpEvvc/s400/DSC_3697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514067910599330930" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Before: Baby Lucca and her audience - but behind her, the real </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">reason for the photo: Old flooring, cabinetry, doors...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGXYXJxpTwSyUeRZFH-mtv4fm-4RnJ4O6KqZgJW4YC6CKcAne3KtvCgy2v9SiBGCKXhz_FHxs9Dc76ZQkbVvh9cpwuOOTj8sfcz_3IW28mpGLzGX19HPmvdN2zUM1gij45X6w9Gu9210/s1600/DSC_3641.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGXYXJxpTwSyUeRZFH-mtv4fm-4RnJ4O6KqZgJW4YC6CKcAne3KtvCgy2v9SiBGCKXhz_FHxs9Dc76ZQkbVvh9cpwuOOTj8sfcz_3IW28mpGLzGX19HPmvdN2zUM1gij45X6w9Gu9210/s576/DSC_3641.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514066458963357122" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Before: Okay really I just wanted to put this picture in<br />'cuz she was SO DANG CUTE at 10 weeks old!!!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbqIXKh4UuibpKFKQQI4QwrMZQXEehsrqIJpfSdKV_8dDtJ6gFQQgUtR4yoFRUKimc0QU0KsgLKcqOlyNZnEnE-JPvHpTONhtzM6B-JlxZFGpXwuMKcwErT8ag7TefSWcL25j5efqXIE/s1600/DSC_8991.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbqIXKh4UuibpKFKQQI4QwrMZQXEehsrqIJpfSdKV_8dDtJ6gFQQgUtR4yoFRUKimc0QU0KsgLKcqOlyNZnEnE-JPvHpTONhtzM6B-JlxZFGpXwuMKcwErT8ag7TefSWcL25j5efqXIE/s400/DSC_8991.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514066442331963026" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0LEY_q1lXJYzzq718XctYaR2gWuTzTOWLcFVGMlB7a1P7y79t8odKS2xWNTMSOs-rXDog6CwVZXh8xpJ7CrcRyjfJHiNCW6dLRGOxFHFqP4F7zhj3TcNGMY_sJHEAwEuugbn19CzXxA/s1600/DSC_8990.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0LEY_q1lXJYzzq718XctYaR2gWuTzTOWLcFVGMlB7a1P7y79t8odKS2xWNTMSOs-rXDog6CwVZXh8xpJ7CrcRyjfJHiNCW6dLRGOxFHFqP4F7zhj3TcNGMY_sJHEAwEuugbn19CzXxA/s400/DSC_8990.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514066429865669250" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">After: Sorry I don't have a "before" to compare with the picture on the right</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIHc8brVL2z_S3d4On32mmyv8Vu1_uvSVkwHTCAUJYLGtIR1ZOTOCTrls01dJwqRA3Wu3cSadGfQr3L7EhbCh69LbSWTS95AbpcvDooXAPkWqjxiK3Mr38DwpTorQ202Xvgqsa8LHofo/s1600/DSC_8995.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIHc8brVL2z_S3d4On32mmyv8Vu1_uvSVkwHTCAUJYLGtIR1ZOTOCTrls01dJwqRA3Wu3cSadGfQr3L7EhbCh69LbSWTS95AbpcvDooXAPkWqjxiK3Mr38DwpTorQ202Xvgqsa8LHofo/s576/DSC_8995.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514076746599283186" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I suppose in a way, Lucca is a before & after as well, so here she is 2 years after those pix...</span><br /></div><br />The remodel was finished in June but I was the last in my family to see it completed, even behind my brother. I finally got up to Tahoe last weekend on a fun little trip with my parents, auntie and uncle. And yes - we three women *did* test the capacity of that kitchen. 3 of us cooking at once. Well, the kitchen passed. With flying colors.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-83817700004881965872010-08-30T23:14:00.000-07:002010-09-02T11:01:35.171-07:00Thanks for breakfastI love breakfast foods. There's something so incredibly comforting about breakfast foods. Although I suppose I love MORE the homemade pancakes, waffles, Dutch babies, croissants, bagels, French Toast, scones, blueberry muffins, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, crepes, hot cereal and Danishes we'd get on weekend mornings growing up, as opposed to the cold cereal we'd get on weekdays. My mom has a very simple French Toast she's done for as long as I can remember. Just white bread plunged in beaten egg, lightly fried in butter and eaten with lemon juice and powdered sugar. Yum.<br /><br />Well this isn't that recipe...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUQ8fOsD4CdxCCSMzfdijeu2JX0qsCS51gCLytxeEhU21uJx0pfQaEoz9E-X88CE0WybsV96Zg5WxkERfGaMT5FqsfnDiWZay6JvB7jeGhaFKm9Fjz2hbHHRGDDPdvU7fJd7ny_xRjEI/s1600/DSC_8867R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUQ8fOsD4CdxCCSMzfdijeu2JX0qsCS51gCLytxeEhU21uJx0pfQaEoz9E-X88CE0WybsV96Zg5WxkERfGaMT5FqsfnDiWZay6JvB7jeGhaFKm9Fjz2hbHHRGDDPdvU7fJd7ny_xRjEI/s576/DSC_8867R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511463173418149394" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Mom and I do "Girls' Weekends". <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2008/04/me-mom-mendocino.html">If you've been reading for a while, I think you know this</a>. The first of these was while I was in college and reasonable driving distance to Santa Barbara. We fell in love with the <a href="http://www.bathstreetinn.com/">Bath Street Inn</a> and even returned there a year or two later. The folks at Bath Street are/were FANTASTIC cooks (it was quite a few years ago - but I must assume they still are!) This is partly why we returned. Santa Barbara's not too shabby either... The inn is an old Victorian with all the charm one expects from a B&B. I love all those little nooks you can find to hide out in and read a book. And best of all - it's about a mile walk to the gorgeous downtown shops and restaurants one imagines when they think of Santa Barbara.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihntQaZv44967ky-cSDlYVc_ht9BWWoMGVw04XtfOwQBMNcC_bLy_swWsl8vBJae-92YqFNvjAmxvfNmjWeGtftmeOekpEmTlrVdOcBSV_pZbvZlrpz1DHU-0UPAVizx1HOEihGFEswI0/s1600/DSC_8831.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihntQaZv44967ky-cSDlYVc_ht9BWWoMGVw04XtfOwQBMNcC_bLy_swWsl8vBJae-92YqFNvjAmxvfNmjWeGtftmeOekpEmTlrVdOcBSV_pZbvZlrpz1DHU-0UPAVizx1HOEihGFEswI0/s400/DSC_8831.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511462856988146690" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WR_vTk_o5iHTyPc_RPCiXbyJfOQW3Pwy1NKYUB8bXPg8HquaRzJptl5P9fKT3yh4WC4WNFnLkHgl_VtRdL47LghAkWayw3l9Inm9fG1Vsu9a_r5bS3J3_pbBt0F2byKxiEpWluOa5X4/s1600/DSC_8842.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WR_vTk_o5iHTyPc_RPCiXbyJfOQW3Pwy1NKYUB8bXPg8HquaRzJptl5P9fKT3yh4WC4WNFnLkHgl_VtRdL47LghAkWayw3l9Inm9fG1Vsu9a_r5bS3J3_pbBt0F2byKxiEpWluOa5X4/s400/DSC_8842.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511462872497958866" border="0" /></a><br />Crumbled butter, sugar and nuts ~~ Drizzled with [real] maple syrup<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_34VOC3CTR4e9WxAAf7zzi3xxG9jqrVfuJKMoA0ekEPbHUQYJKGq1quuTmavQu1-ZpCZ-_VB7CcCRbIZu6iFJR-uGR47MrRzdPgiU7ZPjpOoM55MZFKLkHyi_1cMQVObuP8e8X5Gfik/s1600/DSC_8838.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_34VOC3CTR4e9WxAAf7zzi3xxG9jqrVfuJKMoA0ekEPbHUQYJKGq1quuTmavQu1-ZpCZ-_VB7CcCRbIZu6iFJR-uGR47MrRzdPgiU7ZPjpOoM55MZFKLkHyi_1cMQVObuP8e8X5Gfik/s576/DSC_8838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511462867351777698" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I like my bread slices a tad wider so I cut on a bit of a diagonal</span><br /></div><br />Of course there are breakfasts. Unbelievable breakfasts! We'd wake up each morning wondering what we were going to get that day and LOVED the anticipation of knowing it'd be mouthwatering. Two recipes we happily trotted away with were for their scones and their Baked French Toast. I love when B&Bs not only prepare scrumptious food, but have recipes printed up and ready to share with their guests when asked. Fabulous of you Bath Street!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIKWv7IfCs14bEP7rl2FRt3QfSgQsZ7tnP_7xWH0d-Uep4gB9Gxvzp_KWz-32rrGdHYDsBLqt9rQbqKhcBIjSu4XQGlCCMMMsk8XxBdsD0sUHrVQ2c40THF7wzF-PKe3BcOCZNYSjcW8/s1600/DSC_8850.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIKWv7IfCs14bEP7rl2FRt3QfSgQsZ7tnP_7xWH0d-Uep4gB9Gxvzp_KWz-32rrGdHYDsBLqt9rQbqKhcBIjSu4XQGlCCMMMsk8XxBdsD0sUHrVQ2c40THF7wzF-PKe3BcOCZNYSjcW8/s576/DSC_8850.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511462879552427714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As it sits overnight a lot of that egg will be absorbed into the bread</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwf3W1XdpLS6ZNGTHgR0F-HN1VjlS2mDIYzVgXQ5eSo9lCsWE1pw17bnLF8kcmmU2jNcMc0BBJHGlHkDkjRMHLRWQBvEpiSreknPfaXv6lG0gtqU3OoG7IxaSpW2-L78tvsCo2PBXirA/s1600/DSC_8859.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwf3W1XdpLS6ZNGTHgR0F-HN1VjlS2mDIYzVgXQ5eSo9lCsWE1pw17bnLF8kcmmU2jNcMc0BBJHGlHkDkjRMHLRWQBvEpiSreknPfaXv6lG0gtqU3OoG7IxaSpW2-L78tvsCo2PBXirA/s576/DSC_8859.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511462883780003970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the morning - they're like sponges!</span><br /></div><br />I don't very often make the Baked French Toast. Not 'cuz it's not ridiculously heavenly, but because it contains scary amounts of sugar, eggs, butter and carbs. However, this past weekend the gloves came off. I ran 10 miles on Saturday. Now that's no feat compared to my marathon-training buds running 16+. But it's still a friggin' lot. I decided Sunday morning I could consume a <strike>bit</strike> lot of sugar, eggs, butter and carbs.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHVHSm2-rJPPrABVHXTrfo6OORTvrhQzvF9IWTQlibrIAESl_OPC_WtoMHVDFtsajB8OyeNu9HddF1WqlgrJMRFwMEGzozpvErulG68LAG5Jk4WZTVZHQMwfz74rb3TeRlA9Ap7GUYPw/s1600/DSC_8865.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHVHSm2-rJPPrABVHXTrfo6OORTvrhQzvF9IWTQlibrIAESl_OPC_WtoMHVDFtsajB8OyeNu9HddF1WqlgrJMRFwMEGzozpvErulG68LAG5Jk4WZTVZHQMwfz74rb3TeRlA9Ap7GUYPw/s576/DSC_8865.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511463168957896530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Coming out of the oven all bubbly and delicious smelling!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINWHou5IL15IDeYLo0nNXx6yWLyT9zHqFe3GMf8JbYNZs0VyuQmpKmQvaSlz2ABOqv6JvzPED7tktyjHD3IFukx6-WGrcaC0tGyGlaiCdspR2O5F5HmhuF__iLgvoA74M1hlU3XMjm80/s1600/DSC_8880.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINWHou5IL15IDeYLo0nNXx6yWLyT9zHqFe3GMf8JbYNZs0VyuQmpKmQvaSlz2ABOqv6JvzPED7tktyjHD3IFukx6-WGrcaC0tGyGlaiCdspR2O5F5HmhuF__iLgvoA74M1hlU3XMjm80/s576/DSC_8880.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511463181016390770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Is that a cinnamon bun or a piece of baked French toast?</span><br /></div><br />Ohhhh... breakfast comfort food. Why is there so often so much *bad stuff* in comfort food? Seriously - is the word "salad" in anyone's definition of comfort food? Not unless you're a huge, weird freak! So needless to say, the Baked French Toast was a hit this weekend. I think it comforted all who partook. And even drove some to seconds. Thank you Bath Street Inn!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS7ssyvpV05jP-D3Tputk1poI3l3snj5fEv6BW83HHedtLlXEjPjHdDQevlIlSxkSBQ0YR9fNzwneEo_yH_G4FlMpkDwUMQX5x91DMVo9QL26IjRPVkWhoXWcZAg9aeZmGTDk8gDU9Yw/s1600/DSC_8893.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS7ssyvpV05jP-D3Tputk1poI3l3snj5fEv6BW83HHedtLlXEjPjHdDQevlIlSxkSBQ0YR9fNzwneEo_yH_G4FlMpkDwUMQX5x91DMVo9QL26IjRPVkWhoXWcZAg9aeZmGTDk8gDU9Yw/s576/DSC_8893.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511463183415629186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It really didn't take long...</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bath Street Inn's Baked French Toast c. 1998</span><br /><br />6-8 tablespoons butter (salted/unsalted - not a big diff)<br />3/4 cup brown sugar<br />1/2 cup ground nuts<br />1/2 cup maple syrup<br />3/4 loaf of French bread cut into 1-1/2" slices<br />8 eggs<br />1 cup milk<br /><br />*Note: the overall recipe came from Bath Street, but I have reduced the amounts of butter, sugar and maple syrup<br /><br />Cut the first 3 ingredients together until crumbly. Sprinkle over a 9x13 dish. Drizzle with maple syrup. Place the bread over the syrup. Beat eggs with the milk and pour over. Press the bread down to help absorb the egg. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake covered for 35-50 minutes in a 325° oven until it's bubbling. Serve upside down.</span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-88190431137217013822010-08-20T16:53:00.001-07:002010-08-24T21:46:49.814-07:00The PilgrimageI know, I know, I know... it's been a LONG time. I've actually never let this much time lapse on my blog. Even when things were really rough, or I was out of the country, or it was the holidays, or I was housetraining a puppy. I know. I really can't believe it myself. AND - I have NO good excuses. I know.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUpc5ekr5RnltKmtRndC2kEwQWk4czXwzKexaVBM9plPj-OhQ3IhfP42TDhm2kKZhZT6B_T3ZJvg44oVbxRI_70rog13nhf_oILSdmGJWRcHFlpDDfT-vAgRL_cxibwvT0NL9KqlfW84/s1600/DSC_8112small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUpc5ekr5RnltKmtRndC2kEwQWk4czXwzKexaVBM9plPj-OhQ3IhfP42TDhm2kKZhZT6B_T3ZJvg44oVbxRI_70rog13nhf_oILSdmGJWRcHFlpDDfT-vAgRL_cxibwvT0NL9KqlfW84/s576/DSC_8112small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507690603979523522" border="0" /></a><br />Someone told me Snoqualmie Falls is the #1 destination<br />for tourists in Washington state!<br /><br /></div>Yes, I've been busy. I flew 12 times from March-July. And being single now, I'm honestly not cooking or baking that much. Cooking/Baking for one = more food than necessary = weight gain. I have the pounds to prove it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc-NIDgcZxIUDBJc6t_OCy4_VIsWPisDeRi7neFTHEsAta39k3fbukCxlRDzkHbrfMUWR9AZlYVpCd1fT6Ik5FjTbsKwcOVkla_wfLAJINBJd9DKrxDoyf2_bZieQw0sh14C0rJNuhvk/s1600/19.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 18px; height: 18px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc-NIDgcZxIUDBJc6t_OCy4_VIsWPisDeRi7neFTHEsAta39k3fbukCxlRDzkHbrfMUWR9AZlYVpCd1fT6Ik5FjTbsKwcOVkla_wfLAJINBJd9DKrxDoyf2_bZieQw0sh14C0rJNuhvk/s200/19.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507647764883998306" border="0" /></a> Instead, I've been running. A good trade-off, yes? I'm training for the <a href="http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_events-en_US/?tags=nike_womens_marathon_2010">Nike Women's [Half] Marathon</a> in San Francisco in October. (instead of a medal, we get Tiffany necklaces - YES!!). But I don't think you want to read a blog post about my running.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_Go9elQmFj4TXsdlhZ_7p4l-iLnDbbBWkRfC9eD33feZdzENmgqbzAnYyaU_69JHgwxFadvdJ5OGmlxf_7TAxmpqlCWaf9rJxOCsibDrlxFumpg3Bg4kFUVHaEsRXYW2RHPICCiVk7g/s1600/DSC_8450BW.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_Go9elQmFj4TXsdlhZ_7p4l-iLnDbbBWkRfC9eD33feZdzENmgqbzAnYyaU_69JHgwxFadvdJ5OGmlxf_7TAxmpqlCWaf9rJxOCsibDrlxFumpg3Bg4kFUVHaEsRXYW2RHPICCiVk7g/s576/DSC_8450BW.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507687609737796050" border="0" /></a><br />That would mean this place is NOT the #1 WA tourist destination!<br /></div><br />SOoooo what to blog about? Well I *have* been traveling. So this blog entry is going to be about my latest trip, to Seattle. It was actually more to Bellevue, but I flew into SEA so I'm calling this my Seattle entry (you know it's not like you say "I'm going to Anaheim for the weekend!", you'd exclaim that you're going to LA... At least I would.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeHT2TVbreGIgU2IWk66EbIStcUL3uFdr0-yn1OkyQhK5d-6-h4HeBEyiEI-e1iOkpQNcTqxf-3RouN6a-e9hw8Vr5xUQLbkTDyUBntTRlDI3hfEx6nc0WtfoNSeUO4kdrKwaSGApI_I/s1600/DSC_8562.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeHT2TVbreGIgU2IWk66EbIStcUL3uFdr0-yn1OkyQhK5d-6-h4HeBEyiEI-e1iOkpQNcTqxf-3RouN6a-e9hw8Vr5xUQLbkTDyUBntTRlDI3hfEx6nc0WtfoNSeUO4kdrKwaSGApI_I/s576/DSC_8562.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507689111835599122" border="0" /></a><br />The happy new Mr. & Mrs.!!<br /></div><br />I was in Seat...err... Bellevue a few weeks ago for my little baby cousin's wedding. You really start to feel old when a kid whose diapers you changed gets married. But that's a separate story.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tNkvaZ0JyzRzyGGiZoYaDb7f99Ig1eUcGnGwjux2EdyRvmIXZZgErdfsnDEr-gBe2Bp2C7-uTLlYMhn2VELRUqjYG-wj-jfzgR1ZaKuly0KrPMtKj49JshQdTQbF3N9uIAwW5nY_rb8/s1600/DSC_8618.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tNkvaZ0JyzRzyGGiZoYaDb7f99Ig1eUcGnGwjux2EdyRvmIXZZgErdfsnDEr-gBe2Bp2C7-uTLlYMhn2VELRUqjYG-wj-jfzgR1ZaKuly0KrPMtKj49JshQdTQbF3N9uIAwW5nY_rb8/s576/DSC_8618.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507690612294148770" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Breathtaking</span>...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhu7GbUqdRIayHM5HZ5H89MX6avr2ZYr-mphrjasQ9c4xHiWKwnE6kaFFjLIwbnIucuHXEtH93dO2XIuiOSGcz9u_VHre6JmbcT42gLbULVyHTiyu4NqHi1zZ2eBAMho7Ex9IEvFn5g8I/s1600/DSC_8564R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhu7GbUqdRIayHM5HZ5H89MX6avr2ZYr-mphrjasQ9c4xHiWKwnE6kaFFjLIwbnIucuHXEtH93dO2XIuiOSGcz9u_VHre6JmbcT42gLbULVyHTiyu4NqHi1zZ2eBAMho7Ex9IEvFn5g8I/s576/DSC_8564R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507693404916434450" border="0" /></a><br />I could probably do that for hours, literally<br /></div><br />Scottie married <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/06/this-is-how-we-do-it.html">Michelle</a> in a GORGEOUS ceremony and reception at the Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club. It was gorgeous. Gorgeous. Greens as far as one could see and a backdrop of Mount Si looming in the distance. I was there for the rehearsal which was full of harsh lighting and gawd-awful shadows. But Mother Nature was oh-so-kind to them on their wedding day and threw up her natural light diffuser: overcast, but no rain. Gorgeous.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-179ikhy1Lh_gWC_Zbsy4kUaXj4zEVfeqQlePYm0I-EFj4iTo2peTA8Ud2huSxEuTU8iKVIya9iH63cUCfMiMu2AdU20F8kGLGG-ZKfja4TdiFz3ot5zVQwUSnmBoMmeoktD19zv60g/s1600/DSC_8764.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-179ikhy1Lh_gWC_Zbsy4kUaXj4zEVfeqQlePYm0I-EFj4iTo2peTA8Ud2huSxEuTU8iKVIya9iH63cUCfMiMu2AdU20F8kGLGG-ZKfja4TdiFz3ot5zVQwUSnmBoMmeoktD19zv60g/s576/DSC_8764.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507692471855364306" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Congratulations to Scott & Michelle!<br /></div><br />I stayed in Bellevue and took a couple trips to Seattle but way MORE trips out to the Snoqualmie area. It's seriously a beautiful place, this "Seattle". I've been a few times in my life but appreciate it more as I get older. The hills are green, the weather is kind (if you love overcast like I!), the people are intelligent and the views are just lovely wherever you are.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggetJ5yU8eXj0zqrw3tRF2QZolFgbqGXaD6HIxSX_n-BHJknC0XBCG_hrqN9oq9N4zfRAqMsSvgENGBj_ndt4bJyDtahV374hiE31bwXLwVU6b-6Gq0XK6f22YJHKr54d-dOFcTAEZIhY/s1600/DSC_8470.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggetJ5yU8eXj0zqrw3tRF2QZolFgbqGXaD6HIxSX_n-BHJknC0XBCG_hrqN9oq9N4zfRAqMsSvgENGBj_ndt4bJyDtahV374hiE31bwXLwVU6b-6Gq0XK6f22YJHKr54d-dOFcTAEZIhY/s576/DSC_8470.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507687619036013042" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Forget about Starbucks... Cooks come to Pike Place<br />Market to visit the very first Sur la Table!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTuEB5sCAG-ShM3BLo0U7yO1-N5nf4EXoZJnqYWzunrOaY7UFFuP288z7pJ3e_B5b_8hmx9pwjJ_heq7lrJ3k2B1comRu22QGJCkpBIcMRRkUwphQIvIRDl2n5KGk1uCK5j6KptGSAyo/s1600/DSC_8440.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTuEB5sCAG-ShM3BLo0U7yO1-N5nf4EXoZJnqYWzunrOaY7UFFuP288z7pJ3e_B5b_8hmx9pwjJ_heq7lrJ3k2B1comRu22QGJCkpBIcMRRkUwphQIvIRDl2n5KGk1uCK5j6KptGSAyo/s576/DSC_8440.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507687602927706482" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLjk7fAdx960sFWwTUonehcPB7y8H5Yhl6gbsCKB1lphyphenhyphenPCswtZorLrFo7XBEWa8yk8oIM4N8_TZlJmWsblZpNWjZfSYz9HPNVpKhB8OTHTTwydqUoxBlk9nCFdNrTnEaAsN2b19E898/s1600/DSC_8476.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLjk7fAdx960sFWwTUonehcPB7y8H5Yhl6gbsCKB1lphyphenhyphenPCswtZorLrFo7XBEWa8yk8oIM4N8_TZlJmWsblZpNWjZfSYz9HPNVpKhB8OTHTTwydqUoxBlk9nCFdNrTnEaAsN2b19E898/s576/DSC_8476.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507688287326028914" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Farmer's Market even in the cold and dreariness</span><br /><br /></div>Since I'm fundamentally a "food blogger" I will next talk about food. Because really - that's all you want to hear about, yes? Let's talk about foods one will travel long distances for. Like the Cuban Roast sandwich at <a href="http://www.paseoseattle.com/">Paseo</a> in Fremont. Rarely have I seen a restaurant with close to 1000 yelp reviews *still* averaging 4.5 stars. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/paseo-seattle">Paseo does</a>. This particular sandwich also won Esquire Magazine's "<a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/sandwiches">Best Cuban Sandwich in the US</a>" award in 2008. And let's not forget that Scott & Michelle have been telling me to go there since perhaps the night I met Michelle. "Hi, I'm Michelle! So you're a big food person too? Ok, well I grew up in Seattle and you HAVE to try this sandwich..." (kidding). I knew it would be a stop on my next visit. And fortunately, a lot of my family shared my passion.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xGOWo4t968TCMoA5hYTIar4i0TOFHJ7SZLv_X8AWqggFVlRE5lgDOWv8cM3mBtgxKo0_j1ExryYjpJ9T-iaxVQYGKLPKU11GfMFpBjFZ4M4eyRKmR56sdtfEV5w-isNZCDJq2Knfapo/s1600/DSC_8434.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xGOWo4t968TCMoA5hYTIar4i0TOFHJ7SZLv_X8AWqggFVlRE5lgDOWv8cM3mBtgxKo0_j1ExryYjpJ9T-iaxVQYGKLPKU11GfMFpBjFZ4M4eyRKmR56sdtfEV5w-isNZCDJq2Knfapo/s400/DSC_8434.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507687579382904610" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJgn08LVSvqHTYJyHpXDYGcX293yQAL6tky0VL6hmOOK03kU06KAYlQWVlWdU4mAlSkqpgydSdgrhLQnupl0oVFWb-aeiVC-e5YjxsPcnfchP7GuJ-rW2o3xLqZUVzYOlFb-uB_Np_9M/s1600/DSC_8420.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJgn08LVSvqHTYJyHpXDYGcX293yQAL6tky0VL6hmOOK03kU06KAYlQWVlWdU4mAlSkqpgydSdgrhLQnupl0oVFWb-aeiVC-e5YjxsPcnfchP7GuJ-rW2o3xLqZUVzYOlFb-uB_Np_9M/s400/DSC_8420.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507687587791255538" border="0" /></a><br />My cousin Ron is such a REBEL! ~~ The line at [the first] SB at 10am<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97FjW0d32lp8dlPzaQ2Oc5tw56YGbblMpmBBzKLIeRP2qMbTFH2vKYwEst-4OPWXmWLNzjeDt7dDXXGvuWPgYBWsFVsAoHaNydSZBG0CaNuPpSto7ADP2fimT86CdH0SJU7vmIBKxpRQ/s1600/DSC_8433R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97FjW0d32lp8dlPzaQ2Oc5tw56YGbblMpmBBzKLIeRP2qMbTFH2vKYwEst-4OPWXmWLNzjeDt7dDXXGvuWPgYBWsFVsAoHaNydSZBG0CaNuPpSto7ADP2fimT86CdH0SJU7vmIBKxpRQ/s400/DSC_8433R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507698329314049074" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">The first Starbucks has a completely different logo that<br />just didn't translate well worldwide for perhaps a few reasons...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx-3uNj65o87pRM4ETYRZ92D8BtzrSdE-jpLs0GwE-tmvzQRdGevc90lgN6Ui8VcsfVHq6U1iKCyLZOCGJI1_QdR9gBVhBqBiPgFqpXgTjnexhj6FGojasnYqGOBJ9fxRu0OyDbjWKCg/s1600/DSC_8427.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcx-3uNj65o87pRM4ETYRZ92D8BtzrSdE-jpLs0GwE-tmvzQRdGevc90lgN6Ui8VcsfVHq6U1iKCyLZOCGJI1_QdR9gBVhBqBiPgFqpXgTjnexhj6FGojasnYqGOBJ9fxRu0OyDbjWKCg/s576/DSC_8427.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507693398380585986" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Schwag, schwag, schwag...</span><br /></div><br />Our pilgrimage began late on a cold, Saturday morning. Did I care that this was wedding day? Nope. The #2 with a side of corn was calling and nothing was stopping me. I'd spent the morning at Pike Place Market (yes it is PIKE Place. Pike does not own this market, therefore there is no apostrophe-ess). I revisited the obligatory First-Starbucks and First-Sur la Table. I gazed at all the lovely produce and flowers, but eh - we grow this stuff and more in California. So really, I was there in person but not so much in spirit; I was waiting to get to Paseo.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DSOp7dZIGaIVCkPY_RUvzLqNvGvLjxrVS55JRa3LWdWLwrIlRIRlpPz4utUjKX3a2ceGjltEEyqaE4ApLmqI6wbEJtHmsjhKSqrv3F5uNn4lL6-BFgbuWf0QBumLM0pTZUXWJ0GoqHU/s1600/DSC_8477.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DSOp7dZIGaIVCkPY_RUvzLqNvGvLjxrVS55JRa3LWdWLwrIlRIRlpPz4utUjKX3a2ceGjltEEyqaE4ApLmqI6wbEJtHmsjhKSqrv3F5uNn4lL6-BFgbuWf0QBumLM0pTZUXWJ0GoqHU/s576/DSC_8477.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507699093164113490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">In the seconds following, my auntie booked it around the </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">corner with my cousin's takeout (while he took our picture in line)</span><br />....Just Kidding<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5DubFzkdwpGdrMIO8xO-GRbJU-E0cFbcSL8r326OFOsuD_qUJPGECXMAn8HePUyiI78ugpux9Z4B5idpxfwzqiN6sQZAIHriElglltgM66IuLVM7LpWfdsGxMwUnA-1rrFwZb3zmaSs/s1600/DSC_8479.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5DubFzkdwpGdrMIO8xO-GRbJU-E0cFbcSL8r326OFOsuD_qUJPGECXMAn8HePUyiI78ugpux9Z4B5idpxfwzqiN6sQZAIHriElglltgM66IuLVM7LpWfdsGxMwUnA-1rrFwZb3zmaSs/s576/DSC_8479.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507699082718493698" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Just in case newbs aren't aware of THE sandwich...<br />It apparently</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is "as seen on TV"</span><br /></div><br />Some of my family arrived at Paseo early, around 11:30 and didn't have to wait very long at all. My group dawdled a bit so we didn't arrive until noon but the wait was <strike>long</strike> worth it. We were patient. We didn't complain. We waited our turn. We knew what we wanted when we got to the counter. We paid cash. We chuckled at the plastic Chinese dishes. We got it To-Go. We knew our group of ~10 wasn't going to fit in the minuscule restaurant so we planned a meeting spot at Woodland Park to eat. Would it have been rude to wolf my sandwich down in the passenger seat of the car as my cousin drove to the park? I decided yes and managed to control myself.<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIBAPq1aw8bXnu-t12B0vb9QowBdOUQeJUX1goV6xbks4NQTCMI6P7VLpKyOf4lwvoq1Tz8qOYaTcCuNlc7YxlgYaQ6AoevWm21qcvyc9fkDrQ1-vIoy2RckRkB5IfkZ3N8v-EonPP8I/s1600/DSC_8480.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIBAPq1aw8bXnu-t12B0vb9QowBdOUQeJUX1goV6xbks4NQTCMI6P7VLpKyOf4lwvoq1Tz8qOYaTcCuNlc7YxlgYaQ6AoevWm21qcvyc9fkDrQ1-vIoy2RckRkB5IfkZ3N8v-EonPP8I/s576/DSC_8480.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507688298253972050" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">No sign. No identification. Just a line.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxURglokPc882_CgNdKN6LBo87X7PyitNeYe9c3KzinTefQSn1DXdBhXzMRESDkXu8J23pXQjhKFtnGq3ON1BzzGYP65bTKOOUMFJfqLDzUE2p6hx164oysrCjMpH7bOQ_bWX7uX3ExI/s1600/DSC_8487.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxURglokPc882_CgNdKN6LBo87X7PyitNeYe9c3KzinTefQSn1DXdBhXzMRESDkXu8J23pXQjhKFtnGq3ON1BzzGYP65bTKOOUMFJfqLDzUE2p6hx164oysrCjMpH7bOQ_bWX7uX3ExI/s400/DSC_8487.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507688308679365138" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My Chinese family was tickled over these plastic "Chinese" dishes</span><br /></div><br />Upon arriving at the park, I barely remember greeting another cousin who had flown in from Melbourne, Australia (I hadn't seen her in about 8 months). I just wanted to get to the table to eat my sandwich (kidding, Court!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM7KXk0HzM7-XHp06DmX-kBpMwdKKyUqDraopRrxwml_jPMUUZuaX7CS9j8DGMsiVUP87dpq0W8BYQUAjG3kY6htIaMMSVoda5ZcSdnDDWj4Xv8HZvWs7xTq8LUKYPwgopr79Qxoavzg/s1600/DSC_8489.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM7KXk0HzM7-XHp06DmX-kBpMwdKKyUqDraopRrxwml_jPMUUZuaX7CS9j8DGMsiVUP87dpq0W8BYQUAjG3kY6htIaMMSVoda5ZcSdnDDWj4Xv8HZvWs7xTq8LUKYPwgopr79Qxoavzg/s576/DSC_8489.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507688317601480338" border="0" /></a><br />♪ And the angels did sing... ♫</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7D2Xt072U0091UsjKJZHw1YQxlY-TqvrecnUMIljnxSs38W5kS7xxK7Y4UNm0-a6bmlQBLf_uv-pWJZWNL26Ch_zrhh9yU1AWsQW8uNBPPghK1KGnC-RaPWKYfa9YeE8TFJUPfmUd3GE/s1600/DSC_8490.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7D2Xt072U0091UsjKJZHw1YQxlY-TqvrecnUMIljnxSs38W5kS7xxK7Y4UNm0-a6bmlQBLf_uv-pWJZWNL26Ch_zrhh9yU1AWsQW8uNBPPghK1KGnC-RaPWKYfa9YeE8TFJUPfmUd3GE/s400/DSC_8490.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507688332950737426" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bucket List item #6,251,527 - Check.</span><br /></div><br />So there, upon a small rustic picnic table on the north end of Woodland Park in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, I opened my Paseo Cuban Roast Sandwich and spent a few moments in messy, saucy heaven. It's not so often a food really lives up to its hype. But seriously - this did. Even in its To-Go version. The generous portion of pork was tender and saucy and slightly sweet. The grilled onions soft and flavorful but not mushy. The BREAD. Ohhh.... the bread. Crunchy but not where it tears up the roof of your mouth. Light on the inside. Delicious. The corn was good - but not obligatory. I think it was roasted with garlic butter (probably better hot). I ate the entire thing. I probably could have downed a second sandwich, but I *did* have a wedding that night (and a dress to put on). Thank you Paseo for fulfilling my life...<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">**Please note: The previous 4 paragraphs are a bit of a dramatization. But just a bit.**</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6x6S-m52PBho9Zhyphenhyphen3aof4HKSQsD-x31rJVdRdX6Isvye8QWDeCj4JmeTU_JFzSFoe1tlGLUC1Z7fLLEFDvEHWb0z2bAwfPKx3CKVJUNHClGMAI3QGjDCMTTe119zbI02rf_egayx8H0/s1600/DSC_8500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6x6S-m52PBho9Zhyphenhyphen3aof4HKSQsD-x31rJVdRdX6Isvye8QWDeCj4JmeTU_JFzSFoe1tlGLUC1Z7fLLEFDvEHWb0z2bAwfPKx3CKVJUNHClGMAI3QGjDCMTTe119zbI02rf_egayx8H0/s576/DSC_8500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507689101742516706" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Next, my ginormous family besieged Cafe Besalu in the Ballard</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWbOD62lAI6JCxZk1ZoCE6K-vksWhVqnAWmp5EK3J5dA5ZM6qNqT81xBqrTnGkSQAwEWqq57OMdEd9XIJ7MZIsgll2gpXSMx1roErUjDSzfUn4Yf-vu_mOIKS5-Vl6larTzZ-8U-xAgQ/s1600/DSC_8502.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWbOD62lAI6JCxZk1ZoCE6K-vksWhVqnAWmp5EK3J5dA5ZM6qNqT81xBqrTnGkSQAwEWqq57OMdEd9XIJ7MZIsgll2gpXSMx1roErUjDSzfUn4Yf-vu_mOIKS5-Vl6larTzZ-8U-xAgQ/s576/DSC_8502.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507689084140843058" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ginger scone, pain au chocolat and pear tarte: wonderful!</span><br /></div><br />There's another Paseo location in the Ballard neighborhood that has less of a wait and more parking, but I'm one of those purist folks. So if it's possible, I always prefer the original. Another cousin ate her Roast Cuban in the Ballard though, and deemed it fantastic - so it's really your call. We all met up with this cousin and her friends after our picnic in the park, to try <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/honore-artisan-bakery-seattle-2">Honore Artisan Bakery</a>'s French macarons. But were so saddened to find they were ON VACATION!!! There were literally 14 of us standing in front of this tiny bakery on a quiet street, wondering what to do next. It would need to include food, 'cuz that's the kind of family we are.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zO-ZEwrKMqczG8RcToqTwgGcT7e4M33IkRVzZ9eMkLrkeEttRGpCgjTfqStff3l-RQEjsu1rRX-FuSf5efwM61Z0vRiXMhDuwLJlJ1-YR8Rn-qp4K9Hsj14TkGiozwuVrzw5IToi3bU/s1600/DSC_8504.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zO-ZEwrKMqczG8RcToqTwgGcT7e4M33IkRVzZ9eMkLrkeEttRGpCgjTfqStff3l-RQEjsu1rRX-FuSf5efwM61Z0vRiXMhDuwLJlJ1-YR8Rn-qp4K9Hsj14TkGiozwuVrzw5IToi3bU/s576/DSC_8504.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507689090672951282" border="0" /></a><br />We were literally sitting on top of each other. I ♥ my family!<br /></div><br />So my cousin's friends (who live in Ballard) led our expedition to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-besalu-seattle">Cafe Besalu</a> for French pastries. Pear tartes, nectarine danishes, ginger scones, pain au chocolat, apricot brioche with frangipane. No macs, but not too shabby. Cafe Besalu was not a large place and somehow the 14 of us managed to squeeze into the front window area. Good thing we're a close family. The pastries were legit. No joke. And we had a blast. It's hard not to have a blast with my family. I'm not sure you need to pilgrimage to Cafe Besalu like I'd recommend for Paseo, but if you're in the neighborhood - it's worth a stop for pâtisserie et café.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9WwCqXjtGj4wT8Kcxdsn1c3ehbiBpYSW1sRumlWCSov5WPKWjx8pfWT1dMgNDx__VswsHY0nsUoZLsu1rJb2marqS18_-sb9zS4e5Wm3R-VNRO9SMmrK_1470Lqwqgn_fJuHFHytze4/s1600/DSC_8789.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9WwCqXjtGj4wT8Kcxdsn1c3ehbiBpYSW1sRumlWCSov5WPKWjx8pfWT1dMgNDx__VswsHY0nsUoZLsu1rJb2marqS18_-sb9zS4e5Wm3R-VNRO9SMmrK_1470Lqwqgn_fJuHFHytze4/s576/DSC_8789.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507690600573293250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gazing upon Seattle from across Puget Sound</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlvr-qg-cKlrloqUNinby1DYrfBIcs8S5ouEYIZ9mwAvHYngQIf7SgvKR3t8IzFF_cZE_cg3znOzcSDFqTHU9-cZzJsv-NJ8TrunOoTwm2IOiu_JONZYv9qazuiE7QDt4xM3nSLGpHnw/s1600/DSC_8773Rsmall.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlvr-qg-cKlrloqUNinby1DYrfBIcs8S5ouEYIZ9mwAvHYngQIf7SgvKR3t8IzFF_cZE_cg3znOzcSDFqTHU9-cZzJsv-NJ8TrunOoTwm2IOiu_JONZYv9qazuiE7QDt4xM3nSLGpHnw/s576/DSC_8773Rsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507712295909153794" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I happened to visit the falls on two different days:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">a sunny, and an overcast...</span><br /></div></div><br />This visit to Seattle was lovely. Truly lovely. I suppose it depends on your own personal aesthetic but I might <span style="font-weight: bold;">almost</span> venture to say that the Seattle area could be more lovely than the SF Bay Area. ALMOST.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB3qFlk9jadFtz5oUPTaZbrUhLR1PtAdSh-UqJUoT9SXesG_pycbKLflPZfhM0TAd0xmAohbXkI0sQeqvRwOXM1v37Vo4U52Zb1qp1O2uBx3CodaSFaYBVImLMhndFJCKaNaDxXZnd8w/s1600/DSC_8603.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB3qFlk9jadFtz5oUPTaZbrUhLR1PtAdSh-UqJUoT9SXesG_pycbKLflPZfhM0TAd0xmAohbXkI0sQeqvRwOXM1v37Vo4U52Zb1qp1O2uBx3CodaSFaYBVImLMhndFJCKaNaDxXZnd8w/s576/DSC_8603.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507689122677131298" border="0" /></a><br />All the women in my family who traveled up for the wedding<br /></div><br />In total there were 40-some California relatives who traveled to Seattle for some fantastic sightseeing, food and family. We came, we saw, we loved, we laughed, we cried. And we ate Paseo's sandwiches. I really can't wait to go back and am glad I have my cousins there as such a great excuse to visit <strike>Paseo</strike>.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-81139041918334548412010-07-16T11:43:00.000-07:002010-07-16T11:43:28.923-07:00'Cots and crunchI had some friends over for dinner the other night. And while the reason I invited them over was to thank them for continually and repeatedly taking care of Lucca for me while I'm out of town, they showed up on my doorstep with a bucket full of apricots. Freshly picked THAT day. In fact they ran a little late arriving 'cuz they were out picking apricots. How wonderful does that sound?? I mean first off - how dare they show up with "gifts" but could I turn them away? OF COURSE NOT!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1D-AtaPXrjGNGjI-Max3rMqcGqNARDudm1HHDj31iC9Ku8oN2q4_bcYLOJVdSOorzyypRfPUMQh7M_1hvlEg6fjlpt1JibRYGKmeVADD_6UuFlW9bAOPe49m8U5iZYUtoOU8JB3pKmM/s1600/DSC_7794.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1D-AtaPXrjGNGjI-Max3rMqcGqNARDudm1HHDj31iC9Ku8oN2q4_bcYLOJVdSOorzyypRfPUMQh7M_1hvlEg6fjlpt1JibRYGKmeVADD_6UuFlW9bAOPe49m8U5iZYUtoOU8JB3pKmM/s576/DSC_7794.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494351321173624930" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The cream is there to dress it up, but really, it needed no dressing</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEttqvDyhl0ppMFLzhTbP_bPirDLF5pecofT-e4ctaTyM1RRk8URJDBupEt9G96YTfrePqJZ-vv5Z2Zq32SRvJmNFaDct4ToKNhHzjn9TpXldgNtkWpRmFUOC9JnyO8L9lxcmRJFAJUUw/s1600/DSC_7766.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEttqvDyhl0ppMFLzhTbP_bPirDLF5pecofT-e4ctaTyM1RRk8URJDBupEt9G96YTfrePqJZ-vv5Z2Zq32SRvJmNFaDct4ToKNhHzjn9TpXldgNtkWpRmFUOC9JnyO8L9lxcmRJFAJUUw/s576/DSC_7766.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494351306445396018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gorgeous. Simple, rustic and gorgeous.</span><br /></div><br />The apricots were small, but perfect. I'm not a huge fan of fresh apricots but I seriously love them cooked into <strike>things</strike> desserts. And these apricots were so fresh and perfect that even this "non-apricot-lover" enjoyed a few uncooked ones!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdnjHcebG1giaHZf6-a7PyHBWSAqNlbzllCou_MwT-AUeEUu6Yc3MBiJW-LiARQV_mL8zsERd4QxwwYsNkw5w7cEo4FIlVUALQLwJKbU884QuI2BmfootEMMYnwEDSzJiZ70Jqq2anEU/s1600/DSC_7730.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdnjHcebG1giaHZf6-a7PyHBWSAqNlbzllCou_MwT-AUeEUu6Yc3MBiJW-LiARQV_mL8zsERd4QxwwYsNkw5w7cEo4FIlVUALQLwJKbU884QuI2BmfootEMMYnwEDSzJiZ70Jqq2anEU/s576/DSC_7730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350425531050146" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fresh picked the day before</span><br /></div><br />I knew I needed to make them into something quickly since there was no way I was going to let them get past their prime when they were a gift and started off so beautiful the day I received them. So I got down to it the very next day. But what to make them into??<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FxqMX4bjcIRGizNK56NV0BvFM5lDE6_pvrhrSfA3hgcIWC1I_F9NFgECGCax0KhSD6tVOmgiaV8sJpWk_41mM_LynHEtzUkifx-tGoQmyd10i6MCWJEyJaDp9cYpH-1qkRYzfjlnfbY/s1600/DSC_7733.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FxqMX4bjcIRGizNK56NV0BvFM5lDE6_pvrhrSfA3hgcIWC1I_F9NFgECGCax0KhSD6tVOmgiaV8sJpWk_41mM_LynHEtzUkifx-tGoQmyd10i6MCWJEyJaDp9cYpH-1qkRYzfjlnfbY/s400/DSC_7733.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350430857750178" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yup, throw an egg yolk into your crust</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTMWZ-y-kz_gip-32PnDPsh4XCfq25zYARe8KRXx74cUqcy2DBXQwGiH_Rebp-IbdUzteF_xB03Orc9_6Lk1ZlZJPDrpstnCTgLdt9cUGko3oB8t2ZIV3D3DVmZYilb8Eztn6f1FVpn8/s1600/DSC_7734.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTMWZ-y-kz_gip-32PnDPsh4XCfq25zYARe8KRXx74cUqcy2DBXQwGiH_Rebp-IbdUzteF_xB03Orc9_6Lk1ZlZJPDrpstnCTgLdt9cUGko3oB8t2ZIV3D3DVmZYilb8Eztn6f1FVpn8/s400/DSC_7734.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350436032818002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yup, throw some cornmeal in there too...</span><br /><br /></div>It's summer. I'm currently training for a half marathon (note the Team in Training badge to the right). I will likely be donning a bathing suit in the near future. Therefore, I didn't want to make anything too heavy and sweet like an apricot pie. I also didn't have any social functions at which I could "get rid of this" dessert, so I wanted to keep it small and simple.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRqvGuXoBkaUxsPtw1hTD2wEEdx5kSIx1Nr9ne0dI85aAi-WsSz3hf7d5Sw9HS6ebRGOg_EjsPtbbjzpqQ-HTPUXToPQ15YiaRpQdhDC27XVZwLdndznDZS_i76wYNUQp5MFg7Ox3rFQ/s1600/DSC_7738.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRqvGuXoBkaUxsPtw1hTD2wEEdx5kSIx1Nr9ne0dI85aAi-WsSz3hf7d5Sw9HS6ebRGOg_EjsPtbbjzpqQ-HTPUXToPQ15YiaRpQdhDC27XVZwLdndznDZS_i76wYNUQp5MFg7Ox3rFQ/s400/DSC_7738.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350447290515074" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3uiUxRVZRhAYTKY6Gyk_NbjMUksnfXzb7RPyWhW5-qubsHx1ZUPOZPlDcVS_JESPtR1VPiOSvD_vDF0TPf8zMgwpO4TkjcKgzDVZO9NArJeoG6oQbjyAERVcsLGKdNiOHIG1IxM5mwA/s1600/DSC_7743.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3uiUxRVZRhAYTKY6Gyk_NbjMUksnfXzb7RPyWhW5-qubsHx1ZUPOZPlDcVS_JESPtR1VPiOSvD_vDF0TPf8zMgwpO4TkjcKgzDVZO9NArJeoG6oQbjyAERVcsLGKdNiOHIG1IxM5mwA/s400/DSC_7743.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350451399874146" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's quite a crumbly crust, but it DOES come together</span><br /></div><br />I was thinking a lot about apricot tarts but didn't want the typical apricot and almond tart with the almond filling. I was craving just fruit and crust. I finally put a whole bunch of epicurious recipes together and made up my own: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Honey Vanilla Poached Apricot Cornmeal Galette</span>. Yes, when you put 3 different recipes together you get a mouthful of a title. And no, you do not poach the baked apricot galette in honey and vanilla...<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzEncoSXwxmOUbjFIuj6HEC5VYtiaOFtW0n8ciXl14DPL87WrTVzo07dAJ-XoysRU5Xe4y76wSDYYeDviA4A1cmFvB8Vtd7t3Jzj7fJPBeOhSYQWCi9C5zASYv_7Gq6kQeVJnj4Zag3Y/s1600/DSC_7757.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzEncoSXwxmOUbjFIuj6HEC5VYtiaOFtW0n8ciXl14DPL87WrTVzo07dAJ-XoysRU5Xe4y76wSDYYeDviA4A1cmFvB8Vtd7t3Jzj7fJPBeOhSYQWCi9C5zASYv_7Gq6kQeVJnj4Zag3Y/s576/DSC_7757.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350959302281506" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I just rolled it out on the Silpat, assembled, then baked. Très facile.</span><br /></div><br />I've been reading about cornmeal pie crusts a lot and they intrigued me. I ♥ cornmeal. I ♥ the crunchiness cornmeal adds to muffins and breads. I ♥ it! So I wanted to make a cornmeal crust. But I didn't want a double crust since I was trying to keep this a little light. So I used <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apricot-Tart-with-Cornmeal-Crust-104527">this crust recipe</a>, but halved it and left some of the sugar out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-k72g9UofDCoHC3e2XZ3UKU0bN1uXwp9KvK_l4opy2LxjtQOF_Sgr0i7xf8dnhiHANS-fmM4tPJehYLNciM4weJCbq5_1iBPhtRGV0XVBGyHvX-5a2fqJ1bYQLBx0GJPKh1navNeyBE/s1600/DSC_7744.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-k72g9UofDCoHC3e2XZ3UKU0bN1uXwp9KvK_l4opy2LxjtQOF_Sgr0i7xf8dnhiHANS-fmM4tPJehYLNciM4weJCbq5_1iBPhtRGV0XVBGyHvX-5a2fqJ1bYQLBx0GJPKh1navNeyBE/s576/DSC_7744.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350950096080178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Beautiful color on those 'cots</span><br /><br /></div>I also didn't want to fuss around with a pie plate or baking dish and figuring out if I had enough filling and what not. So I decided to make a galette. Making a pie into a galette suddenly allows you to call it "rustic" and "earthy". I liked the freedom a galette gave me. Just make it as big as I had filling for. So I kinda studied <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apricot-Galette-101795">this recipe</a> a little, but didn't use any of the elements from it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HhM0XKJqIjDfTcN3HeNijP356fNIes5zPGapZpSy5L8BNSjwRk3xslPCECj5ZtMW2sdYnvWFWKpR8vrYjyPZVS8hKxW_BEjJ7zuqBnvOJKGT3ncUeCsiNPBZNyrKzL23UkARulwPtoo/s1600/DSC_7758.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HhM0XKJqIjDfTcN3HeNijP356fNIes5zPGapZpSy5L8BNSjwRk3xslPCECj5ZtMW2sdYnvWFWKpR8vrYjyPZVS8hKxW_BEjJ7zuqBnvOJKGT3ncUeCsiNPBZNyrKzL23UkARulwPtoo/s576/DSC_7758.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350964604848914" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I cheated with peach preserves *ssshhhh*</span><br /></div><br />For my apricot filling I again didn't want a super thick and sweet pie-filling type apricot mixture, so gently poaching them sounded like a much better idea to me. I found <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Honey-Vanilla-Poached-Apricots-12387">this recipe</a> and like it a lot, though next time I might throw a cinnamon stick in as well?...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ob47OaFIZMm4K4qPy3iERMTohiqYgVmz1qJF1PJbkUh4ij6FQaQ56nCm4_AgOrUeE9r6aGIZJz4qrKMd48vYM2ez_w0VyPysoluIN8TQZTu40FvovfxIlco-JIT76o3lsVmXxwHEx4Q/s1600/DSC_7754.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ob47OaFIZMm4K4qPy3iERMTohiqYgVmz1qJF1PJbkUh4ij6FQaQ56nCm4_AgOrUeE9r6aGIZJz4qrKMd48vYM2ez_w0VyPysoluIN8TQZTu40FvovfxIlco-JIT76o3lsVmXxwHEx4Q/s576/DSC_7754.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350957107868258" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's okay that I drank that syrup afterward, right?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I KID!!!</span><br /></div><br />And here's how I put them all together: made up the cornmeal crust and let it sit in the fridge. While it sat, I poached the apricots (though I'd probably suggest a full pound instead of 3/4). While the poached apricots drained, I rolled my crust dough on a Silpat, to a 9-10" circle and spread 1/3-1/2 cup of peach preserves over it (I didn't have apricot in the fridge - peach worked just fine). Next was the layer of poached apricots. Yum. And finally, I didn't like how those poached apricots looked, so I cut up some fresh apricots and arranged them on the top. Folded the edges of the crust over, sprinkled with "big sugar". And voilà!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8m8652a-xSjgYsOOnlAKgoTe4m_0mzeNuvRAMJNaJ98x4viOp1V6v_2GdMFS7LowulphAtGUqVU1dga3GFxCh2_im8vFae1S2hGL0ntKz9u7pICNEB-6EA80WGtwTVfNpe32MojYP5o/s1600/DSC_7761.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8m8652a-xSjgYsOOnlAKgoTe4m_0mzeNuvRAMJNaJ98x4viOp1V6v_2GdMFS7LowulphAtGUqVU1dga3GFxCh2_im8vFae1S2hGL0ntKz9u7pICNEB-6EA80WGtwTVfNpe32MojYP5o/s576/DSC_7761.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494350966898015698" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Definitely needed those "prettily" arranged apricots on top</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbfyw24pqppHGr_Nb-Nmv3oSIfQr0PFbwAAguOIeNxfR7B2sXiFYnIFBK2SdBeRB2FmBUtkliN3c2ws4Iy4OQXecmnKJNcUyqY7qYE10Oopm-4MzaeD2437O4QAOMljS4_aGL_xkPy18/s1600/DSC_7764.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbfyw24pqppHGr_Nb-Nmv3oSIfQr0PFbwAAguOIeNxfR7B2sXiFYnIFBK2SdBeRB2FmBUtkliN3c2ws4Iy4OQXecmnKJNcUyqY7qYE10Oopm-4MzaeD2437O4QAOMljS4_aGL_xkPy18/s576/DSC_7764.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494351301972258402" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ready for baking!</span><br /></div><br />I baked around 400° for half an hour and it came out GORGEOUS (I mean, if I do say so...) It was just as I wanted it. Not too heavy. Not too much "pie filling". Not too sweet. Mostly just fruit and crust. And oh, that WONDERFUL cornmeal crunch... I immediately fell in love with it. Immediately. I could have made cookies out of just that crust (ok you might want to add an additional egg or egg yolk in if you do that - too crumbly otherwise!) Yes, I dolloped some whipped cream on for my photo shoot - but it really didn't need it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoKhXaG1VJHY820cYFNkYlHwxrK5iVOg48JgNUJSMDmvqJXiVrqtpHp5cPqlcjpWr2ZWyTHYMvsSDUPU9vkJXN__pqPFnBT-Y4obwZzhNMGxIxvayKdUQFCsF7G-9cfzd8F9_YMV4crE/s1600/DSC_7783.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoKhXaG1VJHY820cYFNkYlHwxrK5iVOg48JgNUJSMDmvqJXiVrqtpHp5cPqlcjpWr2ZWyTHYMvsSDUPU9vkJXN__pqPFnBT-Y4obwZzhNMGxIxvayKdUQFCsF7G-9cfzd8F9_YMV4crE/s576/DSC_7783.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494351311387269714" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">When something is so colorful and delicious looking, it's hard to get a bad photo</span><br /></div><br />Let's not forget to mention that I did <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> eat this in its entirety for Monday night's dinner. I fed some to a friend and sent a huge chunk home with her. Whew! Crisis averted!<br /><br />But highly recommend. Highly. And what I'd recommend even more? Getting some fantastic friends who not only take care of your dog, but bring you fresh apricots when you're in the middle of thanking THEM. Priceless.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-39064196628120734262010-07-13T11:43:00.000-07:002010-07-14T22:05:48.113-07:00DelightfulIt's not very often I prepare things that come out of boxes or containers and feed them to people. For instance, one of the most beloved cakes we make in our family calls for a box cake mix to start (horrors!) Yet I'm on a mission to find a "from scratch" recipe that will taste the same (or better)! I know - there's nothing really WRONG with it, but somehow it just seems healthier to NOT dump something out of a box, manipulate it a bit and serve...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwzMy9aOsWZ052kx-QKxCSrnK6hWIA2ufIHL8qldflyZWdBRWEJTWSVbNzC5KmP48qIhWCvoog4QOLeFCgntXcQ7JW0Ba_0iIcwfl7JjatKyQACcRQC7V_KmBrm7_lejzJ7jt9uR3-oc/s1600/DSC_7720R2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwzMy9aOsWZ052kx-QKxCSrnK6hWIA2ufIHL8qldflyZWdBRWEJTWSVbNzC5KmP48qIhWCvoog4QOLeFCgntXcQ7JW0Ba_0iIcwfl7JjatKyQACcRQC7V_KmBrm7_lejzJ7jt9uR3-oc/s576/DSC_7720R2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493986003015613714" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Such a corny name, but what would you call it?</span><br /></div><br />Another favorite recipe also calls for "boxes" and "containers". Four Layer Delight. The original recipe includes instant chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. Yes, it could be worse - and I could instead make my own chocolate pudding and sweetened whip cream. But the way we've made it for years is with Jello pudding and Cool Whip. So why make it more complicated? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwZGVvVQ2hP6KrliUIO4p-7yU_5rhA21oHSvoBG8J4rf4HIyhJ9suHX11XlQQYP3_aOqoPtBzQqHXh6WEtVNjj1u3Fppy-Vj-c-SQ8IqNcdqajRXkC6AzarVo0UIt2xPHzr3L5EZK8rI/s1600/04.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 18px; height: 18px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwZGVvVQ2hP6KrliUIO4p-7yU_5rhA21oHSvoBG8J4rf4HIyhJ9suHX11XlQQYP3_aOqoPtBzQqHXh6WEtVNjj1u3Fppy-Vj-c-SQ8IqNcdqajRXkC6AzarVo0UIt2xPHzr3L5EZK8rI/s200/04.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493281406332146130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5akD0DYPDH6W7TxxiRQflbhbNYn85lNGd4hb1pw9pbpxzPmb1eAoTRmhHJJaWSb-OTMpYshmAyuB9fw4-uyXEFs-Cc038alo192W6YgKwtSwWtm6BC_dE_RZb6eTueQ2j4cIac_zrgw/s1600/DSC_7698.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5akD0DYPDH6W7TxxiRQflbhbNYn85lNGd4hb1pw9pbpxzPmb1eAoTRmhHJJaWSb-OTMpYshmAyuB9fw4-uyXEFs-Cc038alo192W6YgKwtSwWtm6BC_dE_RZb6eTueQ2j4cIac_zrgw/s576/DSC_7698.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493985974559400434" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The crust alone would be a yummy cookie!!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0VJkns1T-jSYacpl4wV7XoSWZmbp-I-OAwa5eT0UmTKeAG_uAjXbMSUgR5_iSmFhpOMoYbxl-a3CJJH4_5cbFLYVe0qtQXSdkJFlidB8W4ZsQhpCvGKO4r-fWY4XxnnWn_azh4pkvZo/s1600/DSC_7702.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0VJkns1T-jSYacpl4wV7XoSWZmbp-I-OAwa5eT0UmTKeAG_uAjXbMSUgR5_iSmFhpOMoYbxl-a3CJJH4_5cbFLYVe0qtQXSdkJFlidB8W4ZsQhpCvGKO4r-fWY4XxnnWn_azh4pkvZo/s576/DSC_7702.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493985980391311154" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mmmm... cream cheese and powdered sugar</span><br /><br /></div>Four Layer Delight is a dessert my mom has been making for just about as long as I can remember. And until this weekend, I thought it was something we only ate in our family. Then I <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=four+layer+delight">Googled it</a>. Here I thought no one would know what I was talking about if I said "four layer delight" but apparently it's not as original as I thought.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1tJtLDrB_YqmDcLQ5UxtY9ZnjUwzz-b7o50a5iSPBeAGAG8LiiXGeI9k-gHLzm6et095UijdZhM-RfryWZ-FvBwWvSBCwf0ZL6eZgogKt5pB7OQf77pvQD3yRAmrUM9de3YabCBUBDQ/s1600/DSC_7703.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1tJtLDrB_YqmDcLQ5UxtY9ZnjUwzz-b7o50a5iSPBeAGAG8LiiXGeI9k-gHLzm6et095UijdZhM-RfryWZ-FvBwWvSBCwf0ZL6eZgogKt5pB7OQf77pvQD3yRAmrUM9de3YabCBUBDQ/s576/DSC_7703.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493985988875887170" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes you could make a complicated homemade chocolate<br />pudding - but this is instant</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzv0FYrGL9VgqjDCXVt-wOXLd_uBIiNYlaZmtFbwGozY41qkRu-_utm3vL7SYdpRLAqN6vjpHKHRPFa-XF8KgVjpTfaZP64wqrn93XXITTiW4COTVMlZ6wcbrKeNs1iJpwIj05XAZAew/s1600/03.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 18px; height: 18px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzv0FYrGL9VgqjDCXVt-wOXLd_uBIiNYlaZmtFbwGozY41qkRu-_utm3vL7SYdpRLAqN6vjpHKHRPFa-XF8KgVjpTfaZP64wqrn93XXITTiW4COTVMlZ6wcbrKeNs1iJpwIj05XAZAew/s200/03.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493992711073184706" border="0" /></a></div><br />It's such a perfect summer dessert 'cuz it's fast and easy, it's cool, and it can be made way in advance. The way we make it (which I think happens to be the most common, though I did see a butterscotch version) is:<br /><br />Layer 1..... Pecan shortbread crust<br />Layer 2..... Sweetened cream cheese<br />Layer 3..... Chocolate pudding<br />Layer 4..... Cool Whip sprinkled with nuts<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGglwjM4kYhixA0xINGv1f8qZnJ1tG6fOo6IIMbh_uPAmEcimK3QzrV7GcDGdy4rMpZiniNpAAaDLiVx3CXobBUSUmknXnB7LK-cRQxabvK0tWhNSzwfi_Yb1vsBh7Hzh2SuIO4Dvo2w/s1600/DSC_7710.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGglwjM4kYhixA0xINGv1f8qZnJ1tG6fOo6IIMbh_uPAmEcimK3QzrV7GcDGdy4rMpZiniNpAAaDLiVx3CXobBUSUmknXnB7LK-cRQxabvK0tWhNSzwfi_Yb1vsBh7Hzh2SuIO4Dvo2w/s576/DSC_7710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493985994302287570" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Aw Nuts!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tECciHDDYWdM9oIy8hCXhbP2sf8f5MoNZvZSdOgifMLzxOfEaAzW-LfynSmNttP4JEKnOZmHEP31xhYJzUp4JXlnDMiV3_RiMt6E9USUWGhj9weAGOGBYTwbmMIqNsuSx_El4Q-ynW4/s1600/DSC_7724R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tECciHDDYWdM9oIy8hCXhbP2sf8f5MoNZvZSdOgifMLzxOfEaAzW-LfynSmNttP4JEKnOZmHEP31xhYJzUp4JXlnDMiV3_RiMt6E9USUWGhj9weAGOGBYTwbmMIqNsuSx_El4Q-ynW4/s576/DSC_7724R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493988015643296738" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It was difficult to pause and take this picture - yes I was eating it</span><br /></div><br />Ok maybe you call that five layers? Do the nuts count?<br />Heck though, I'm not counting. It's too refreshingly yummy delicious!!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Four Layer Delight:</span><br /><br />1 1/4 c flour<br />3 T powdered sugar<br />1 cup ground nuts<br />1 cube salted butter, melted<br />1-8oz cream cheese (low-fat ok)<br />1 cup powdered sugar<br />1-8oz container Cool Whip (light or fat free ok)<br />2 small (3.9 oz) boxes instant chocolate pudding<br />2 cups milk (skim ok)<br /><br />Mix the 3 T of powdered sugar, flour and nuts in a 9x13 pan. Add melted butter. Mix & press into the pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees - until brown. Let cool completely. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup Cool Whip and spread over the cooled crust. Combine chocolate pudding with milk, beat until thick and spread over. Top with remaining Cool Whip and ground nuts. Let sit in the fridge for at least a couple hours.</span>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-68960160840031590702010-07-02T15:30:00.000-07:002010-07-04T00:20:36.983-07:00Bloggers in BoulderIf you spend much time hanging around the food blogosphere you're probably already aware of the <a href="http://jenyu.net/foodandlight/">Food and Light Photography Workshop</a> that Jen from <a href="http://userealbutter.com/">Use Real Butter</a> coordinated, executed and instructed in Boulder, CO early this week. She invited fellow über bloggers, Diane & Todd from <a href="http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/">White On Rice Couple</a> and Helen from <a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/">Tartelette</a> to assist and teach alongside her. Combine this with the fact that my dad's best friend, Nick lives in Boulder and I really couldn't turn the opportunity down!<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarzT_yswAeWcMSHU5fsyOiszO8fvcTAayYBO95OJ5u5VH4ie7QUvQazBOlxbsutwmnxCHchdlwPLyKuEMPQPRICfLhZk_QgAWW6JpldjaXrux_2BcZ63jHjfQgRn_oamH9Px5yPyGFbo/s1600/collageR.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarzT_yswAeWcMSHU5fsyOiszO8fvcTAayYBO95OJ5u5VH4ie7QUvQazBOlxbsutwmnxCHchdlwPLyKuEMPQPRICfLhZk_QgAWW6JpldjaXrux_2BcZ63jHjfQgRn_oamH9Px5yPyGFbo/s576/collageR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489551557122079298" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A few of my shots from the workshop</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6jo8xY7HDSSAGyy-10TXg_LggaaC5zWwdQ7EIGrZoh43yCj0ZUHd7yQRjphTmH_5DkGCnsd1gYI186iYZxsDQZwhVgdk8Pv9wWxioqzwzXpOyln7j2ZmVVwnMfeBco8fFrrgDnQY5Wk/s1600/DSC_7183.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6jo8xY7HDSSAGyy-10TXg_LggaaC5zWwdQ7EIGrZoh43yCj0ZUHd7yQRjphTmH_5DkGCnsd1gYI186iYZxsDQZwhVgdk8Pv9wWxioqzwzXpOyln7j2ZmVVwnMfeBco8fFrrgDnQY5Wk/s576/DSC_7183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489541306183108978" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />In order to be a kick ass food blogger, you must own and love at least one dog...it's a rule.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(this one happens to be Jen's Kaweah)</span><br /></div><br />I'm not entirely sure how to boil an incredibly full 4 days down to 1 blog post, but I'm going to try. Let's preface this all by saying that the days I spent in Boulder were absolutely incredible. It truly resembled a summer vacation the likes of those we had in elementary school where we would forget all responsibilities and just PLAY. I talked my parents into coming along to Boulder and <a href="http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/">Anita</a> accompanied me as well. We all stayed at Nick's Boulder Foothills home; played with his doggies, laughed with his friends and ate his wonderful food. I've visited Boulder many times in my childhood, mostly due to <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/09/carol.html">Nick and Carol</a>, but coming as an adult is a totally new experience and I'm already looking forward to coming back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M7WBXd_vBHy5B43hGGuATQlvCuAZMj3_bWtkFFNTn8-H1xcU-pNAGjse4CnVKbhVBe3VKIb2geh3NIZMPxqeWmVdkdzokJ1G69fty4m2lCKGpioU0wk1lqq4t9YF5kWoa8GV9Entvms/s1600/DSC_7193.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M7WBXd_vBHy5B43hGGuATQlvCuAZMj3_bWtkFFNTn8-H1xcU-pNAGjse4CnVKbhVBe3VKIb2geh3NIZMPxqeWmVdkdzokJ1G69fty4m2lCKGpioU0wk1lqq4t9YF5kWoa8GV9Entvms/s400/DSC_7193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489555711937127826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6k2g103PuPy-t4LhQfLl8aRLu45loLK2XMIR2wr6CBfer46h47B8ZdKkU9QiS3ckIhSnPL2Ls8AZlIe8PLoH5kdkcKQkgHl7g6QE33gWproVqo9hcTVJyATODhS2QH2KyiMXSP-R3h8/s1600/DSC_7195.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6k2g103PuPy-t4LhQfLl8aRLu45loLK2XMIR2wr6CBfer46h47B8ZdKkU9QiS3ckIhSnPL2Ls8AZlIe8PLoH5kdkcKQkgHl7g6QE33gWproVqo9hcTVJyATODhS2QH2KyiMXSP-R3h8/s400/DSC_7195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489541340286892082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Todd popped the champagne ~~ We all toasted to Anita's recent marriage!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaGw7W0XllgK1DrFT9U8dCHHIvncidGqO5G_SgQMUgGwElfU557-zbIoFRNBN4qw_bAg44UeNtF4SNF3mZFcDDyXwVMaNfolCnhBOOguelu0Q8TJdE8P-nAGa5qijwyR0PlAb8w6QMvg/s1600/DSC_7187.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaGw7W0XllgK1DrFT9U8dCHHIvncidGqO5G_SgQMUgGwElfU557-zbIoFRNBN4qw_bAg44UeNtF4SNF3mZFcDDyXwVMaNfolCnhBOOguelu0Q8TJdE8P-nAGa5qijwyR0PlAb8w6QMvg/s576/DSC_7187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489541327360964274" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">No one was surprised that Jen's table looked PERFECT</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUlKcmDd7prLoj5An0GbLfmE2nZsIKczzmhqQyjiCNish8MaC8GO6g3UuSQNWpVr6sKZxcxfoRBwLR8yTZygRbL_VtOJmHCPAlXmYZGDXBzQy6LEPwiKlc41L7zNKLAK4OxFO21qZVMU/s1600/DSC_7191.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUlKcmDd7prLoj5An0GbLfmE2nZsIKczzmhqQyjiCNish8MaC8GO6g3UuSQNWpVr6sKZxcxfoRBwLR8yTZygRbL_VtOJmHCPAlXmYZGDXBzQy6LEPwiKlc41L7zNKLAK4OxFO21qZVMU/s576/DSC_7191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489541346606179714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.andreasrecipes.com/">Andrea</a>, <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/">Susan</a> and Helen ready for bubbly on the deck</span><br /></div><br />But then of course there was the workshop. Oh, the workshop. Other than 1 Nikon course I took a few years ago (long before I knew anything about photography and therefore the content flew right over my head) and some HS classes which were more about developing than photography, I've hardly taken a photography class. And now I'm afraid that I will never again take another photography course strictly because this one was SO INCREDIBLE. Now, part of the reason this course was so awesome is because it was so perfectly designed and catered to <span style="font-style: italic;">food photographers</span> and really, that's what I tend to be. A sports or nature photographer wouldn't have gotten quite as much out of it; but that's why it was called the <span style="font-weight: bold;">FOOD</span> and Light workshop.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzYdMYBYLiZ5Wri6z1O3mCDZg8MMW8Ct9IOAlJmr9z2gzXdhHFcfnSx6-o39zVt_gTo-lKqIZjmOphgxQ1Exberrj3eYP_m9_zbu6-MkKOnFQXfYzGSnKKkpd1ldKzlk5IcRxK2HOaNQ/s1600/DSC_7184.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzYdMYBYLiZ5Wri6z1O3mCDZg8MMW8Ct9IOAlJmr9z2gzXdhHFcfnSx6-o39zVt_gTo-lKqIZjmOphgxQ1Exberrj3eYP_m9_zbu6-MkKOnFQXfYzGSnKKkpd1ldKzlk5IcRxK2HOaNQ/s400/DSC_7184.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489560560280608786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaTeKKqd8qSVxVt8urc4zn5ivK-2tCTVuTGewI2e80Wwwc-3Ux6nFbSBjHeugTlHpqImPv47jjYL84Z_hWg3Eo6T_VhnQbXFwuJc6pzB4DYBmEsew4Z9h7BPkuj2uHHa6P7faVqAX74/s1600/DSC_7219.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaTeKKqd8qSVxVt8urc4zn5ivK-2tCTVuTGewI2e80Wwwc-3Ux6nFbSBjHeugTlHpqImPv47jjYL84Z_hWg3Eo6T_VhnQbXFwuJc6pzB4DYBmEsew4Z9h7BPkuj2uHHa6P7faVqAX74/s400/DSC_7219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489542095392840034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roasted beets with goat cheese & hazelnuts and marinated flank steak (with chimichurri)!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUb7JupWkJ8cTe6YtckJXsndBULw1zK3ajhz3SlYVQZOKDV34uQqr-66F0aK1nxHFJREKzXnLc2FX5YNz5oWpeRdcQ7fp-eOG5m17ecv-xOZa_x4VkJAIUXtWf-CcCrOyoAKnq2mjKWE/s1600/FromHelen2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUb7JupWkJ8cTe6YtckJXsndBULw1zK3ajhz3SlYVQZOKDV34uQqr-66F0aK1nxHFJREKzXnLc2FX5YNz5oWpeRdcQ7fp-eOG5m17ecv-xOZa_x4VkJAIUXtWf-CcCrOyoAKnq2mjKWE/s576/FromHelen2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489556644439704338" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />I ♥ Jen!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/">Helen</a></span><br /></div><br />Now, for some shout outs. I must begin with our UHMAYZING instructors. First, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jen Yu</span>. In some circles, all you do is mention her name and people light up. If it's not clear from reading her blog, it's ABSOLUTELY clear when you meet her in person: Jen is a FREAKING gem. She's sweet and generous and super sharp and thorough and honest. I had such high expectations for this workshop and she managed to exceed them! It was very clear that since the workshop was in UseRealButterLand, Jen was the one who hustled to make it happen and make it happen WELL. From the CRAZY packed swag bags we got full of goodies from <a href="http://www.izze.com/">Izze</a>, <a href="http://www.chefscatalog.com/">Chef's Catalog</a>, <a href="http://stonyfield.com/">Stonyfield</a>, <a href="http://savoryspiceshop.com/">Savory Spice Shop</a>, <a href="http://www.earthy.com/">Earthy Delights</a>, <a href="http://newwestknifeworks.com/">New West KnifeWorks</a>, <a href="http://www.nationsphotolab.com/">Nations Photo Lab</a> and more, to the free endless coffee she arranged for us at <a href="http://www.atlaspurveyors.com/">Atlas Purveyors</a>, to the prizes she organized to give out for best photos, to the lists of restaurants and accommodations she gave us, to the questionnaire she sent us in order to plan the teachings. *whew* I'm tired just listing it!!! She DID IT!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81WOUcE0j7acQC_-0iGQtZOXIVqZfdHjhskCBQX0WhHJBMXWYOAnVPIcZiYFKGXKyqAUQ8I7OEF9dDf_zb5YESX-qJJmVelAmdUApuNk1AK5XcU1Ric97Ydlf_l04IijewLSW7I7914A/s1600/DSC_7376.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81WOUcE0j7acQC_-0iGQtZOXIVqZfdHjhskCBQX0WhHJBMXWYOAnVPIcZiYFKGXKyqAUQ8I7OEF9dDf_zb5YESX-qJJmVelAmdUApuNk1AK5XcU1Ric97Ydlf_l04IijewLSW7I7914A/s400/DSC_7376.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489542116307365634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBill52pxAwP7nakjCXtVWNGl5iV92zcILFPWAVSygUKJ3fw8BjHG0fOGat80qp-LFZ-czTTQmOuqNOLeEqbQHHgZ-Q_I6KqmsiQoHqkzwbAzgCOaA8TzHayEINSBV0WB9TZk-Kxp6Bg/s1600/DSC_7482.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBill52pxAwP7nakjCXtVWNGl5iV92zcILFPWAVSygUKJ3fw8BjHG0fOGat80qp-LFZ-czTTQmOuqNOLeEqbQHHgZ-Q_I6KqmsiQoHqkzwbAzgCOaA8TzHayEINSBV0WB9TZk-Kxp6Bg/s400/DSC_7482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489543710835271138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Helen shows us how she can make Frito-Lay bean dip look fancy - brilliant woman!</span><br /></div><br />As if the above weren't enough, Jen also pulled some additional fantastic people/fantastic photographers/fantastic bloggers to host the workshop with her. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Helen Dujardin</span>. Most know her as Tartelette. I know her as the woman who single-handedly seduced the entire food blogging world into LOVING and obsessing over the French macaron. I absolutely <strike>blame</strike> credit her. Helen also uses her magic pastry hands on a camera and tripod to capture the beauty of her product. Her style is flawless and her photos are magnificent. It's no wonder she has so successfully slid from the world of pastry into the world of food styling and photography. She's just one talented woman. We were incredibly lucky to have Helen and her fantastic eye along for the ride as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hdX6AuTzvXP373bN7onarAStGrSmwCz3boIAQdJcghLcXZCvOARzaxQTEaLcR19ca7TKdxVo0J4AWlpnb4TZrMbYEjh2f03LBbzsDE1xYtQeE0Ra1pszxlJDtM338JRjvmIvPjgsyTQ/s1600/DSC_7189.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hdX6AuTzvXP373bN7onarAStGrSmwCz3boIAQdJcghLcXZCvOARzaxQTEaLcR19ca7TKdxVo0J4AWlpnb4TZrMbYEjh2f03LBbzsDE1xYtQeE0Ra1pszxlJDtM338JRjvmIvPjgsyTQ/s576/DSC_7189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489555692597758498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">White on Rice Couple - they came up with that, not I</span><br /></div><br />And finally a couple I've met briefly before (through Jen, of course) but was excited to get to know better. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Diane Cu and Todd Porter</span>. White On Rice Couple. Yes, I do tend to be a bit partial to the very trendy "white guy/Asian girl" couple. I am, after all a product of such a pairing. But these two are not only fun and hilarious but SHARP. They know their trade and they execute on it well. I think I learned more technical knowledge and "tricks" from Todd and Diane than anyone else. Did you know you can program the function button on the front of your Nikon to spot meter?? THANK YOU TODD! Their style is different from Helen's is different from Jen's, but none is "better" and all had something genius to teach.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwdN65lfVSi-wjWTqxPcIE44D3_UqOAUkhJigpdhyphenhyphen5RHWnhZksR9m-4o6LJJsoecUSlnjFlRqqttTaR-GoXeatkyXO7d-VQg7JQ5q_V1dCV5F0vhqqMuCSj0zGnP6LKth0cW7vuBB7EQ/s1600/DSC_7237.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwdN65lfVSi-wjWTqxPcIE44D3_UqOAUkhJigpdhyphenhyphen5RHWnhZksR9m-4o6LJJsoecUSlnjFlRqqttTaR-GoXeatkyXO7d-VQg7JQ5q_V1dCV5F0vhqqMuCSj0zGnP6LKth0cW7vuBB7EQ/s400/DSC_7237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489561304091469842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtzIuPxKnc-dDQTRQoLuITEqCec3KT7ChGUqrPn13Nst6vt5KaE7Ah69wwNQkRuM5StFRY3Sn-DpVwXXfEOw0XW-0JNgeKZGJ3Hn3OphzIhniZbZUEQgpb7AlyYuZd8Gqa1p5d31WsF4/s1600/DSC_7188.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtzIuPxKnc-dDQTRQoLuITEqCec3KT7ChGUqrPn13Nst6vt5KaE7Ah69wwNQkRuM5StFRY3Sn-DpVwXXfEOw0XW-0JNgeKZGJ3Hn3OphzIhniZbZUEQgpb7AlyYuZd8Gqa1p5d31WsF4/s400/DSC_7188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489561288163735458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jen's peach blueberry crisp with homemade ice cream ~~ </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Layer Cake Shiraz they thought was rather apropos, yes?</span><br /></div><br />The workshop "started" for a few of us on Sunday night with an incredibly generous invitation to Jen & Jeremy's Elev. 8233 foot, mountain home. Oh the perks of having friends who are AWESOME. She fed us and wined us and we laughed and squealed over Kaweah and we ate and took pictures and we laughed some more. I left said 8233 ft. feeling like I might burst...full of food and jokes and excitement at the upcoming days.<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEOIctFdhtd5AnP6RWSUKCdzSosxqxu9XlMi-hhg7eu5ehlfBMEwHeRSIMHrWcs2JKwzU_s0x2rGw49ZZY44nbMKY16UfIgQhbQ_ehDNEzIer1M64ESzGbtWFwiZaMTwJBGAR3xbmhFo/s1600/DSC_7247.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEOIctFdhtd5AnP6RWSUKCdzSosxqxu9XlMi-hhg7eu5ehlfBMEwHeRSIMHrWcs2JKwzU_s0x2rGw49ZZY44nbMKY16UfIgQhbQ_ehDNEzIer1M64ESzGbtWFwiZaMTwJBGAR3xbmhFo/s576/DSC_7247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489542108857168498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Let's get down to it...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IC0uD314-LTkMTmdG3K-qunTHn68DvXWB5wvrb1gbRAcstVCxYjQ-Jf9SeCIu4j-IchO_31UUrQvXp2UXX7857f8gIwOZjQrIrxHN6uVLi3Ley5NT4fZy5J4vMoWP9ORpuBtS4BPfCo/s1600/DSC_7443.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IC0uD314-LTkMTmdG3K-qunTHn68DvXWB5wvrb1gbRAcstVCxYjQ-Jf9SeCIu4j-IchO_31UUrQvXp2UXX7857f8gIwOZjQrIrxHN6uVLi3Ley5NT4fZy5J4vMoWP9ORpuBtS4BPfCo/s400/DSC_7443.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489543691440765250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz_7nDBk-Tt8M1WgV2jw1CS7yqdElwf4WEhbFnNBzQI5DlmTEPo3FLGSSTF35jYrtOZud-IACBKl3fjGq8r0Oa8EYVZ_GFgyTMAn8GcJDuvKu-cXn4oUdVidw3ymRKCnynZsVbRYWBEA/s1600/DSC_7449.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz_7nDBk-Tt8M1WgV2jw1CS7yqdElwf4WEhbFnNBzQI5DlmTEPo3FLGSSTF35jYrtOZud-IACBKl3fjGq8r0Oa8EYVZ_GFgyTMAn8GcJDuvKu-cXn4oUdVidw3ymRKCnynZsVbRYWBEA/s400/DSC_7449.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489564934016513314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I would give to have light like this to shoot in all the time! *swoon*</span><br /></div><br />The workshop started down in Boulder on Monday morning. The greatest part of the workshop was the amount of hands-on time we got to shoot. Yes there was some lecturing. But 4 lectures/demos over 2 days time with the rest of the time reserved for casual discussion and shooting was just perfect. The instructors would cruise around offering advice or making themselves available to answer questions.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABiF2WCh-sjljHRzKGaGq4UXS6HR4qKIBAClEpLI7lC-TI_-U9TuNGvKF4V-DuFADHsQpKYdnK7MD90Osf20MtLzk7a-tPKJ9GuiwHvzePjmm9-NY2GbbrRVddhoStxc9RNLjBM0aXG4/s1600/DSC_7441.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABiF2WCh-sjljHRzKGaGq4UXS6HR4qKIBAClEpLI7lC-TI_-U9TuNGvKF4V-DuFADHsQpKYdnK7MD90Osf20MtLzk7a-tPKJ9GuiwHvzePjmm9-NY2GbbrRVddhoStxc9RNLjBM0aXG4/s576/DSC_7441.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489542123607836850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rembrandt Yard Art Gallery, Third Floor event space</span><br /></div><br />We had mounds of fresh veggies and fruits from the Farmer's Market, spices from Savory Spice Shop and baked goods generously donated by <a href="http://sugar-bakeshop.com/">Sugar Bakeshop</a> in Denver. The food table was flanked by the "styling" table; full of dishes and glassware and knives and napkins and tablecloths. We were let loose to "go forth and style" and then shoot what we'd styled, and that's when we could apply what we'd learned in our lectures.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMftf0rU85HHjUafjnejhQ7uGMBvRrboYoqphO_qZxu0SthWdw8_IJ_EhTchL-3DXNzvh0AANnSz8uHQzRNEpD-kVkhyphenhyphenanxxgWgOVNVSFUN_I7qR2NHvla-CGcx_b81WRFZ67SYwu9RvA/s1600/DSC_7325R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMftf0rU85HHjUafjnejhQ7uGMBvRrboYoqphO_qZxu0SthWdw8_IJ_EhTchL-3DXNzvh0AANnSz8uHQzRNEpD-kVkhyphenhyphenanxxgWgOVNVSFUN_I7qR2NHvla-CGcx_b81WRFZ67SYwu9RvA/s576/DSC_7325R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489573420086542466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One of my shots from the first session</span><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/">The photos</a> speak for themselves. There was a lot of talent in that room. You might notice that there are sometimes multiple photos of the same "styled" item. That's because after someone would style a food, they'd often move on and leave it to go shoot something else. Meanwhile, another student could come along and shoot their own version. It worked.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTKV9vWe0mB44JreHjxHB9J-xlNKQ8nGuCpiGkPYeb8qsDYbjnd0QLPBViHjKLKG7L3ytYJtWQaBtxQRp3qb6LV2HAH7zDroMlVpzfBoadMyXlEBJjs-sMHevU2C_1HTxdEtstxiqB98/s1600/DSC_7418.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTKV9vWe0mB44JreHjxHB9J-xlNKQ8nGuCpiGkPYeb8qsDYbjnd0QLPBViHjKLKG7L3ytYJtWQaBtxQRp3qb6LV2HAH7zDroMlVpzfBoadMyXlEBJjs-sMHevU2C_1HTxdEtstxiqB98/s400/DSC_7418.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489586408692771618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc8Iz_DBxRzYdXpTXBVWnzyXHr3VsgUhAfhEdQWfj4jd6dyTY7im_Rf-G7tpd5H-qOBibN1VO2tzRaUSzlxfd5m5qqM2iwPSPxOXXt2EuObi_bV1DKrpIIdvm7AN1ga90SnM_E_sftI4/s1600/DSC_7447.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc8Iz_DBxRzYdXpTXBVWnzyXHr3VsgUhAfhEdQWfj4jd6dyTY7im_Rf-G7tpd5H-qOBibN1VO2tzRaUSzlxfd5m5qqM2iwPSPxOXXt2EuObi_bV1DKrpIIdvm7AN1ga90SnM_E_sftI4/s400/DSC_7447.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489543698540533826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One of my last shots on Tuesday ~~ <a href="http://taylortakesataste.com/">Taylor</a> chats with Anita while Susan shoots</span><br /></div><br />We were asked to shoot after each lecture, so 2 sessions on Monday and 2 on Tuesday, and after some brief post-processing, upload a few of our favorite shots to the flickr page (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/tags/lisaisbossy/">mine are tagged with my name</a>). We got a lunch assignment to shoot our lunch and upload that as well. Anita and I spent the first 5 minutes after being served our lunches at <a href="http://www.thekitchencafe.com/menus.shtml">The Kitchen</a>, putting some of our new skills to use. The funniest part is that there were other Workshop Goers dining at The Kitchen, but we weren't sitting with them. So an average Monday luncher was very likely wondering why so many people around the restaurant were shooting their lunches!<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA5QcXqUBtHVmuFSM9e48AEDJRNMeSl9Xj-ymlMR_-7xIxjLHjUUKi9VTHDn1YKdMTLmswPwte0RKydztZpX3SuFefeW0CDW92yxWTaYZQSbWNAWEZ6kHWh_kIPUwlMv00qRsRfNfMrE/s1600/DSC_7277R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA5QcXqUBtHVmuFSM9e48AEDJRNMeSl9Xj-ymlMR_-7xIxjLHjUUKi9VTHDn1YKdMTLmswPwte0RKydztZpX3SuFefeW0CDW92yxWTaYZQSbWNAWEZ6kHWh_kIPUwlMv00qRsRfNfMrE/s576/DSC_7277R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489573415527552786" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I like this one - Spilled Lavender</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Side note: Tuesday, Anita and I had the pleasure of sampling Boulder's best sashimi at </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://sushitora.net/index.htm">Sushi Tora</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, with </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/">Elana</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and her adorable and very talented son, Ethan. We then stopped by the highly popular kitchen and home store, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.peppercorn.com/">Peppercorn</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> so Elana could pick up one of Anita's books. We were all floored and tickled to see both </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Almond-Flour-Cookbook/dp/158761345X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278121849&sr=1-1">Elana's book</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Cookies-Virtually-Imaginable/dp/1594742839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278121794&sr=8-1">Anita's</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> displayed together (it's as if they knew!) on a table in the baking section!! Man, I am so not worthy of this company!</span><br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAJnrc_Gt7-biSP43AYIawnDb9ffz3iWCLsURWcZcNwEnEBozxW29YZmrgV6JFysl3nC-Veu1cboMYJNAOYIEMqELnSOVbzYYKWQ3ncpJ7vV8OhjiZV5Gtz9cul10xhleHVXp9562ex4/s1600/DSC_7453.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAJnrc_Gt7-biSP43AYIawnDb9ffz3iWCLsURWcZcNwEnEBozxW29YZmrgV6JFysl3nC-Veu1cboMYJNAOYIEMqELnSOVbzYYKWQ3ncpJ7vV8OhjiZV5Gtz9cul10xhleHVXp9562ex4/s576/DSC_7453.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489564928830422418" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Showing the setup of one of my shots</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAki1zkG0HOXLgBk370UoGVks1RDstrSDwc6cMLt0zkKyNoFCBa09BBNRxFtSBkpekHBhw5-5Tu2-8gjLXLaeR5qhCytLLnSLV4W8buaCLPOBTGfKApNnBI5qGjhtPQraNj-Sust6-Eg/s1600/FromHelen.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAki1zkG0HOXLgBk370UoGVks1RDstrSDwc6cMLt0zkKyNoFCBa09BBNRxFtSBkpekHBhw5-5Tu2-8gjLXLaeR5qhCytLLnSLV4W8buaCLPOBTGfKApNnBI5qGjhtPQraNj-Sust6-Eg/s576/FromHelen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489586997786200370" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Then me taking the picture</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/">Helen</a></span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLHrPsWSJOw2QU4s2FG60eVE27Wly_PR9ljBF5zKJ5rH1HGFrVYHyiIc1bMaVRPfubizwoyWc2wr2yQdEq-tMRG5k3LD4hRwlY7JueOtxmlh_PcejVMrHN1vwGQYZD-tny2IOkWvU6e0/s1600/DSC_7439.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLHrPsWSJOw2QU4s2FG60eVE27Wly_PR9ljBF5zKJ5rH1HGFrVYHyiIc1bMaVRPfubizwoyWc2wr2yQdEq-tMRG5k3LD4hRwlY7JueOtxmlh_PcejVMrHN1vwGQYZD-tny2IOkWvU6e0/s576/DSC_7439.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489565859939343890" border="0" /></a><br />And finally the end result...<br /></div><br />By the end of the 2nd day it was time for awards. The class voted on their favorites and the instructors voted on their favorites. I was so thrilled to hear that I actually WON one of the prizes!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr_LK_39hCdIVOAJ6ZjwrnV5QZjnfIanfVysU8oHmjcPIi4wajlQcfh0FFydGT5hMucqViMq_VGdGfjApcKinppS354LH0-2CrQIt9JPmv0n9ezDHuOF3_oEpI-9iJ126_P-On_JzpdM/s1600/DSC_7448.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr_LK_39hCdIVOAJ6ZjwrnV5QZjnfIanfVysU8oHmjcPIi4wajlQcfh0FFydGT5hMucqViMq_VGdGfjApcKinppS354LH0-2CrQIt9JPmv0n9ezDHuOF3_oEpI-9iJ126_P-On_JzpdM/s576/DSC_7448.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489564937749528530" border="0" /></a><br />(Silly) instructors reviewing the photos<br /></div><br />Most Original (instructors vote): Me!!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4746050048/">Most Original</a> (group vote): <a href="http://spoonwithme.wordpress.com/">Jenny</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4744928282/">Best Overall</a> (instructors vote): <a href="http://www.christophercina.com/">Christopher</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4746595374/">Best Overall</a> (group vote): <a href="http://www.phoo-d.com/">Annie</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4746164802/">Most Improved</a> (instructors vote): Ethan<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4743338581/">Most Improved</a> (group vote): Shanon (I picked my fave of hers)<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4745705318/">Best Styling</a> (instructors vote): <a href="http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/">Marla</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4745944377/">Best Styling</a> (group vote): <a href="http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/">Anita</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodandlight/4744359181/">Best Lunch</a> (instructors vote AND group vote!): <a href="http://taylortakesataste.com/">Taylor</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXkpuPKMBbqTlJTClYlCJl6QsuSDf-XRP0b7JAPWSs-HdVcxOuLw-tibxYgafBHSe9B6_B-kBBdEhvXWJJfBFdUr6KWiVd_DBIrCf2GiZhMC28n4HyCkm_2j05DmkkYSnPJwOUDO9g-A/s1600/DSC_7260R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXkpuPKMBbqTlJTClYlCJl6QsuSDf-XRP0b7JAPWSs-HdVcxOuLw-tibxYgafBHSe9B6_B-kBBdEhvXWJJfBFdUr6KWiVd_DBIrCf2GiZhMC28n4HyCkm_2j05DmkkYSnPJwOUDO9g-A/s576/DSC_7260R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489481535407519842" border="0" /></a><br />My award winning Most Original photograph I called "Here, Bunny Bunny"!<br /></div><br />The prizes were *generous* too. I chose a $100 gift certificate to <a href="http://www.chefscatalog.com/">Chef's catalog</a>. WOW!! But there were prizes from the <a href="http://www.culinaryschoolrockies.com/">Culinary School of the Rockies</a>, <a href="http://newwestknifeworks.com/">New West KnifeWorks</a>, and the <a href="http://savoryspiceshop.com/">Savory Spice Shop</a> in Boulder. Jen REALLY worked her magic!<br /><br />After breaking down the tables and chairs, and turning the <a href="http://www.rembrandtyard.com/events.html">event space</a> back into... an event space, a handful of us walked down to <a href="http://www.thekitchencafe.com/winelounge.shtml">The Kitchen Upstairs</a> for a <strike>few</strike> drink<strike>s</strike>. What a wonderful group of people. I think we were sorta half wanting to practice our new photography skills and half just wanting to kick it and relax and enjoy each others company.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCHI_lPHkJ5oWC3YQIwMp793dNrS7RaRbGX8i23KIEVrywfgAOyhAI9U2heYPBiPo4SDSUsjSxKDcSrZgLJaKNeEkhYU5z48b2747OOrNYg7O1tsamy5d0xRYOdL0jcxqEB_j5d5r91s/s1600/DSC_7485.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCHI_lPHkJ5oWC3YQIwMp793dNrS7RaRbGX8i23KIEVrywfgAOyhAI9U2heYPBiPo4SDSUsjSxKDcSrZgLJaKNeEkhYU5z48b2747OOrNYg7O1tsamy5d0xRYOdL0jcxqEB_j5d5r91s/s400/DSC_7485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489551277859332962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha7RsTiVp40oq0PkKS3fRuuoA0ZvKrURNqvr6pXJ3pu3cqxPUhzputEJaSCM_E2Ji46qvbiIhLfg5-5U5twGNhLIhXbikV5I5RMtDsOcIwWEwuNT3pdH2JeSknICdcRf70IIfgPPTBrI/s1600/DSC_7492.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha7RsTiVp40oq0PkKS3fRuuoA0ZvKrURNqvr6pXJ3pu3cqxPUhzputEJaSCM_E2Ji46qvbiIhLfg5-5U5twGNhLIhXbikV5I5RMtDsOcIwWEwuNT3pdH2JeSknICdcRf70IIfgPPTBrI/s400/DSC_7492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489543713286469314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Kitchen Upstairs ~~ My yummy drink!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQUDqIkhkrGhHflXGLcdV3syHBHEx2K0E0EX_Jat1AWuiP6o3nhuhciJF740-pwaqkdHqLAfh0hz1Z_ZUpFy4og7uXs2K04H7s4cBE-Yt_kg4a7CEDlrfNBgXu72e8-h7D7DEHEzHmOQ/s1600/DSC_7498.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQUDqIkhkrGhHflXGLcdV3syHBHEx2K0E0EX_Jat1AWuiP6o3nhuhciJF740-pwaqkdHqLAfh0hz1Z_ZUpFy4og7uXs2K04H7s4cBE-Yt_kg4a7CEDlrfNBgXu72e8-h7D7DEHEzHmOQ/s576/DSC_7498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489551264135833410" border="0" /></a><br />I could have eaten all of this chicken pate (and more)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIFi7D9AwVhIKF7SEwTtGpReg_IYydYpfewtRTYw9xRlWENrQ1jHmN-dYBNcQ03I8nAvuAT0ku43tiH2i9B5pclV1jBHJCQFxrfrT3rMxblAFDd0Xw0dyiai_OSibWR5U4a-aehotceQ/s1600/DSC_7501.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIFi7D9AwVhIKF7SEwTtGpReg_IYydYpfewtRTYw9xRlWENrQ1jHmN-dYBNcQ03I8nAvuAT0ku43tiH2i9B5pclV1jBHJCQFxrfrT3rMxblAFDd0Xw0dyiai_OSibWR5U4a-aehotceQ/s400/DSC_7501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489572193022734994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBas7fhPdMWU_qE_B_6X6DLuo6yHkmDuJb0LapAq5lv0blqShXVRjb0Q9FsCtqJdC-_4PN0c9Q9wY5dpeAV4gk98O4KxQ57i4P03XowDqVW7jAlihba_SBkUibPPH76QNN3ZSzYcDCfy0/s1600/DSC_7486.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBas7fhPdMWU_qE_B_6X6DLuo6yHkmDuJb0LapAq5lv0blqShXVRjb0Q9FsCtqJdC-_4PN0c9Q9wY5dpeAV4gk98O4KxQ57i4P03XowDqVW7jAlihba_SBkUibPPH76QNN3ZSzYcDCfy0/s400/DSC_7486.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roasted beets with feta ~~ Loved everything about The Kitchen</span><br /></div><br />It was a perfect few days and I left Boulder wanting to return. You know that's the sign of a sensational vacation.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF-16hW5lMinF-TKE-kXK7_xbXkSjjZoCnbQhvVGoTqsYeG9aUi0xU-zlh7ox0TXGZZ-yaQB_JzlL_xMZu2Q8_pe1xDpdW6aJhzax_7DDXmHu0Jx-SdZjx_izNsB627wrzXNmDlcOA1I/s1600/DSC_7481.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF-16hW5lMinF-TKE-kXK7_xbXkSjjZoCnbQhvVGoTqsYeG9aUi0xU-zlh7ox0TXGZZ-yaQB_JzlL_xMZu2Q8_pe1xDpdW6aJhzax_7DDXmHu0Jx-SdZjx_izNsB627wrzXNmDlcOA1I/s576/DSC_7481.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489543706459166802" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">What a great group - can we do this again?!</span><br /></div><br />A final huge thanks:<br />Jen (<a href="http://userealbutter.com/2010/07/01/food-and-light-2010/">post here</a>)<br />Helene (<a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/2010/07/food-light-photography-workshop-recap.html">post here</a>)<br />Diane & Todd (<a href="http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/advertorial/boulder-colorado-the-kitchen/">post here</a>)<br />and of course to my marvelous travel companion, Anita (<a href="http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/dessert_first/2010/07/food-and-light.html">post here</a>).Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-81223253345976587522010-06-26T22:59:00.000-07:002010-07-05T17:41:42.182-07:00Pink meringueMeringue. I love meringue. I mean come on... <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/05/macaron-passion.html">we've established this</a>, right? One of the first things I baked with a vengeance back in early high school was lemon meringue pie. And I made TONS. What? You didn't like lemon meringue pie? Too bad - I was gonna make you one if you came to our house back then. I loved and <span style="font-weight: bold;">still</span> love meringue.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qt3gtVnAPMiAq-YUCc3KzEoLjvoql-rtB7Hl0Aj9wR_2C0Mm1rM4i2egqqv-4NNTYx8lttFSMKgsXD2FQGN-AE53dxa6YgXzFGwKEzUtFwYMGMeLkawiKRpa4r4Q-NfQKJggPutDKwY/s1600/DSC_6784R600.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qt3gtVnAPMiAq-YUCc3KzEoLjvoql-rtB7Hl0Aj9wR_2C0Mm1rM4i2egqqv-4NNTYx8lttFSMKgsXD2FQGN-AE53dxa6YgXzFGwKEzUtFwYMGMeLkawiKRpa4r4Q-NfQKJggPutDKwY/s576/DSC_6784R600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488405373363099010" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />So it perhaps isn't too surprising to hear that as I flipped through my [February?] issue of Martha Stewart Living, and thumbed past <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pink-meringue-cupcakes-with-raspberry-curd">this</a>; my thumb basically screeched to a stop in its tracks. The first chance I had, I made it. And yes - it was February and I bought raspberries. Lots of raspberries. I think I spent $10 or more on 2 small boxes of raspberries. But anything for a fantastic new meringue dessert!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAieGE9LZlOhQqVuIN9SI-Q488xxhREV_gTObgccIKl1BsezxSleaxe8XNP_A4lFuFvj753N80DlQUeF7CS4l6etsw_7vb1fgec0onMc3b-YTD2Ousbhn8SBKzbTTKG5cHObYGoVZAg4Y/s1600/DSC_3945R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAieGE9LZlOhQqVuIN9SI-Q488xxhREV_gTObgccIKl1BsezxSleaxe8XNP_A4lFuFvj753N80DlQUeF7CS4l6etsw_7vb1fgec0onMc3b-YTD2Ousbhn8SBKzbTTKG5cHObYGoVZAg4Y/s400/DSC_3945R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488405390735057442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjhT2BikBxJ20UuCoth0oHsAH7vEF_wVQfDhGB2YtOtVJk2wjusyPszYhyphenhyphen_hrsMO487duWzEasJIijSLAprP_JpAB01SsaCmFJQYOZl3xhndRsHsTZQmmvpr5FcBBgNyrgCwKDeRLHW4/s1600/DSC_3948R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjhT2BikBxJ20UuCoth0oHsAH7vEF_wVQfDhGB2YtOtVJk2wjusyPszYhyphenhyphen_hrsMO487duWzEasJIijSLAprP_JpAB01SsaCmFJQYOZl3xhndRsHsTZQmmvpr5FcBBgNyrgCwKDeRLHW4/s400/DSC_3948R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488405379269812306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tinting the egg whites - I like a bit more red than the recipe calls for</span><br /></div><br />It's rather time consuming yet not overly difficult. But the time consuming factor was not great enough for me to only make it once. In fact, I've made these a couple times since February. Most recently of course, at the <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-how-we-do-it.html">bridal shower</a>. Each time to RAVE, RAVE reviews. I mean people almost die when they take their first bite. The combination of flavors is UHMAZING.<br /><br />This is how it goes...<br /><ul><li>A "cupcake" made completely of sweet, soft meringue (yes it's solid meringue)<br /></li><li>Spoonfuls of raspberry curd in and around the cupcake</li><li>A dollop of sweetened and whipped creme fraiche</li><li>Sprinkle with a few fresh raspberries</li></ul><br />Each element can be made on its own: the meringue, the raspberry curd and one time I even made my own creme fraiche! It's so easy as long as you know you need it at least a couple days in advance!<br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjwl2D-tIZXo531AJOU-1nKyXzO6kerDLApM4gLJFxzOmorMOu6zHnOoxmNhh_kzc2CpVb6o7LRr7W1bhA3x1HldYfyWFyZhxL8b8ESB3twuaBV4vmfG0i50hSgZY7JmUvi0QM8gRCAg/s1600/DSC_4015R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjwl2D-tIZXo531AJOU-1nKyXzO6kerDLApM4gLJFxzOmorMOu6zHnOoxmNhh_kzc2CpVb6o7LRr7W1bhA3x1HldYfyWFyZhxL8b8ESB3twuaBV4vmfG0i50hSgZY7JmUvi0QM8gRCAg/s400/DSC_4015R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488421338589790194" border="0" /></a><br />Make your own, or... you can just buy some?<br /></div><br />Ok and secretly - if you don't have time to make the meringue cupcakes... AT LEAST make the raspberry curd. After tasting it, I thought I'd died and floated up into the cumuli. I could drink that stuff. Or spread it on... anything.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHZUxnrymZHHMie9pZe4pI_FPBwH3vE6CBp3denBDu0ym8wI3-bSbOp2-XDx3zwKuKw7aSjFKLCDnWvUU4RYHjhXgKXod92PUocJ9PtARo8y1y9zOWLUAwk0WgopSzGzcP3DMswqE_l4/s1600/DSC_3933R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHZUxnrymZHHMie9pZe4pI_FPBwH3vE6CBp3denBDu0ym8wI3-bSbOp2-XDx3zwKuKw7aSjFKLCDnWvUU4RYHjhXgKXod92PUocJ9PtARo8y1y9zOWLUAwk0WgopSzGzcP3DMswqE_l4/s400/DSC_3933R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488421321310883602" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIhdzkiA1tkcmDXwSJOGV4OMoibKOa8kJ9zP4v4b0OIZ0wQ8_zpAQW5gst88j_gBAbHhgdPadY331PDAAkK8D_9RtW4yvIaiuhEl0uuIUEdB99BZmHtBoTY65NFkUJvwqODu_cVKekFY/s1600/DSC_3967R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIhdzkiA1tkcmDXwSJOGV4OMoibKOa8kJ9zP4v4b0OIZ0wQ8_zpAQW5gst88j_gBAbHhgdPadY331PDAAkK8D_9RtW4yvIaiuhEl0uuIUEdB99BZmHtBoTY65NFkUJvwqODu_cVKekFY/s400/DSC_3967R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488405396328494786" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">At the *very* least - make the raspberry curd<br /></div><br /></div>Additionally, you learn something new every day: did you know creme fraiche whipped up to stiff peaks like whipping cream? Ok well maybe YOU did, but I didn't. Impressive stuff.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWgdzBiUFF6Guyta6s9SP8SSpuRyjxWfgSV5lmP1yz4_Vt0p3MuT_UpWh4aVpHE24TJJ_7LDTjD_9CpbQsLdpBi2eFq942BCKAliR1ST3k7we4-1oVPbpHmOUpCMYinLNzmLk_AQShc/s1600/DSC_3987_small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvWgdzBiUFF6Guyta6s9SP8SSpuRyjxWfgSV5lmP1yz4_Vt0p3MuT_UpWh4aVpHE24TJJ_7LDTjD_9CpbQsLdpBi2eFq942BCKAliR1ST3k7we4-1oVPbpHmOUpCMYinLNzmLk_AQShc/s576/DSC_3987_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488425331185878098" border="0" /></a><br />My "February batch"<br /></div><br />The only aspect of the recipe I might change (though I have not tested this yet) is spraying the cupcake wrappers with non-stick spray. If the non-stick spray pools in any way in the bottom of the wrapper it puts a hole in the bottom of the cupcake and makes it extremely fragile. The next time I make these I'm not going to spray them and see if I can still get them out of the wrappers without breaking. It's also important to note that a regular ole serrated knife will not cut these babies in half without causing it to crumble in your hands. No joke - you <span style="font-weight: bold;">MUST</span> use a pumpkin carving knife. Like this one:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVxGVMi1ihwvkYpAKPD3OPvaRwpubCe5_eAYGgzngbH0eD_CeD9cfHDpXugKXDAahJC9wHRrEg04Q_lY_NRtNKwvy0lZOdA-VcPvc73qFcZvMyXUKzY9ST70GkF5CKbycirQhOl14WuE/s1600/DSC_3971R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVxGVMi1ihwvkYpAKPD3OPvaRwpubCe5_eAYGgzngbH0eD_CeD9cfHDpXugKXDAahJC9wHRrEg04Q_lY_NRtNKwvy0lZOdA-VcPvc73qFcZvMyXUKzY9ST70GkF5CKbycirQhOl14WuE/s400/DSC_3971R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488405405334840354" border="0" /></a><br />You MUST use a pumpkin carving knife to cut the cupcakes<br /></div><br />Perhaps a fingernail file would work if you don't just <span style="font-style: italic;">happen</span> to have one of these in your drawer in the middle of February or May, like I did.<br /><br />Since mixing the meringue takes at least half an hour (LISTEN to the recipe where it says to add the sugar 1-2 T at a time and then beat for a minute - if you don't, the sugar will not dissolve and it will never be meringue) and baking these takes about 4 hours and you can't really fit more than 12 in the oven at once (unless your oven is AWESOME and HUGE) and many will break and crack as you peel the wrapper off and cut them in half... I would strongly recommend you NOT make 45 like I did for the shower. You can do the math - but it took me ALL day...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUxFpcH9vPHr6Y2r0mKebVCJnYxEHHtGQbZzRwj5756J_5kziwkMntA2E06y0tKRlGsfazk9FdfTpJl_ifBY_7iZq8ASlg2jL5J4J65sRyYYLu4cEtf1vKuZ3pKI-jQVpjbQKk7r4uSk/s1600/DSC_3943R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUxFpcH9vPHr6Y2r0mKebVCJnYxEHHtGQbZzRwj5756J_5kziwkMntA2E06y0tKRlGsfazk9FdfTpJl_ifBY_7iZq8ASlg2jL5J4J65sRyYYLu4cEtf1vKuZ3pKI-jQVpjbQKk7r4uSk/s576/DSC_3943R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488421326394805362" border="0" /></a><br />Mix each 1-2 T of sugar into the meringue and wait 1 minute before adding the next<br />Learn from my mistake and DO NOT rush this :)<br /></div><br />Plating is also somewhat tedious since they should be assembled just before serving and plating each takes a bit of hand flourish. BUT: it is all worth it when your guest's jaw falls onto the placemat.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMJppdZfs6YzdDSEaI4ogTir44wbEpjuEeka8kg4u_j3ULxLViRhItq4Cuy8LNWcdYFRfHeuqQY82Le0Ij-WqSgzdfwhUyLeMfUwUnT_0SvjSjYTbYljdGheWdlzCtOufeaowpCxAdY/s1600/DSC_6787.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMJppdZfs6YzdDSEaI4ogTir44wbEpjuEeka8kg4u_j3ULxLViRhItq4Cuy8LNWcdYFRfHeuqQY82Le0Ij-WqSgzdfwhUyLeMfUwUnT_0SvjSjYTbYljdGheWdlzCtOufeaowpCxAdY/s576/DSC_6787.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486133580515487122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">If this isn't girlie and perfect for a shower, what is?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJZFMEiTVT5-lxpQuO8VznY2dAgN28ljo92zFTPXPkRC21IF9WQpu6Kp0Nm6IVlykXwTpGTGCyYyBJj79hjkTZHfyqXlmSO1OnEG6BtcvyP1ga-PQTOKz1Ap9NKoZ8fp5yvvStqBa_o0/s1600/DSC_4286R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJZFMEiTVT5-lxpQuO8VznY2dAgN28ljo92zFTPXPkRC21IF9WQpu6Kp0Nm6IVlykXwTpGTGCyYyBJj79hjkTZHfyqXlmSO1OnEG6BtcvyP1ga-PQTOKz1Ap9NKoZ8fp5yvvStqBa_o0/s576/DSC_4286R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488421989926215810" border="0" /></a><br />It's kind of a hot mess when you dig in (well not literally "hot")<br />but it's so incredibly worth it<br /></div><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Meringue Freak like I? Got a day (or at least quite a few hours)? MAKE THESE. Oh God, make these. You will thank me later. But until then, you're welcome.</span></div></div>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-72213243423771107962010-06-23T07:44:00.000-07:002011-04-25T13:26:39.805-07:00This is how we do it"This is how my family does it". I say this a lot. I'm very proud of my family and I'm very much <span style="font-style: italic;">like </span>my family (go figure). People often ask me where I get my interest in <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/03/repeat-performance.html">baking</a> and <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/05/gnocchi-dokey-artichokey.html">cooking</a> and <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2008/08/shower-for-debbie.html">planning events</a> and <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-ny-more.html">photography</a> and why I'm such <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/06/zhongguo-jiaozi-he-guotie.html">a perfectionist</a>. Well simply - I get it from my family. Last month, my cousin Robin threw a bridal shower for my other cousin's fiancée. Michelle will be joining our family in July when she marries Robin's sister's son, Scott (we are a complicated bunch). Well this was a shower like none other. It was FABULOUS. It felt like we were afternoon tea-ing in a fancy restaurant.<br />
<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KsyELw8ERS3V0lvbtBfWqPCbPA-gxEHV9baZ-kw3NzfNuUnXXLeLazY9ehXqrnyd8yE_ew0g_YvhM96pFBxC42Vfhf5dJUnQTwGiYEKkmZx2HMONLwyJ0lF9zH22_RNPzKsouCQnP40/s1600/DSC_6677.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484683760068438866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KsyELw8ERS3V0lvbtBfWqPCbPA-gxEHV9baZ-kw3NzfNuUnXXLeLazY9ehXqrnyd8yE_ew0g_YvhM96pFBxC42Vfhf5dJUnQTwGiYEKkmZx2HMONLwyJ0lF9zH22_RNPzKsouCQnP40/s400/DSC_6677.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 266px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rPg4TkzAd9UnlKbUv9RsoROS-c7X2Y-UcwTQkJd2O2tp51fxcVKLuI_F9x0qOVG0f-LhH7Sz0Em3Z_0buEP3TLdUXqGZXtv-iPc0gQRP4r5J8F0OunHs9xptWY8bY77pnGvOvkCRASM/s1600/DSC_6686.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486132012711348354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rPg4TkzAd9UnlKbUv9RsoROS-c7X2Y-UcwTQkJd2O2tp51fxcVKLuI_F9x0qOVG0f-LhH7Sz0Em3Z_0buEP3TLdUXqGZXtv-iPc0gQRP4r5J8F0OunHs9xptWY8bY77pnGvOvkCRASM/s400/DSC_6686.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
This is how my family throws a tea party</div></div><br />
<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexaFBrmBf9A9VtWo8l-qSFua9WFLwDItbIAIdCrBHC_1jiQ_olpuXkivpT7Xa_L6pme8Ppf09XY3OxRW2T-WWcDIWrJ5dqp8YPb7PggwZ-igeXmcS3xR9KsVTY0q3l9PMNhSQL3kH2g4/s1600/DSC_6799.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486126884906705234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexaFBrmBf9A9VtWo8l-qSFua9WFLwDItbIAIdCrBHC_1jiQ_olpuXkivpT7Xa_L6pme8Ppf09XY3OxRW2T-WWcDIWrJ5dqp8YPb7PggwZ-igeXmcS3xR9KsVTY0q3l9PMNhSQL3kH2g4/s576/DSC_6799.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
Michelle and my cousin, Scott<br />
Flanked by her parents, sister and brother-in-law</div><br />
When Robin started planning this shower, she KNEW she wanted to do it "Tea Party" style. Add in there that Auntie Betty and I have been talking for MONTHS about throwing a tea party for our family and it really couldn't have been a better situation.<br />
<br />
I get <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/10/baby-tea.html">my love of afternoon tea</a> from my family too. Namely these two cousins:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsUvteWrfDjzcMqaGqjqzWB0tIVRKlWpg8I7iLn7s304o8ke3ljpS5gEu4Tbe1ocRB8AZIzX1eB0tSXUbgFPHMe6_aAp-XO1SEh8XYxNLvvwHQN8UfYFcukP0GuGHOSHBVUbyA20A8J8/s1600/DSC_6651.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484681898476426098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsUvteWrfDjzcMqaGqjqzWB0tIVRKlWpg8I7iLn7s304o8ke3ljpS5gEu4Tbe1ocRB8AZIzX1eB0tSXUbgFPHMe6_aAp-XO1SEh8XYxNLvvwHQN8UfYFcukP0GuGHOSHBVUbyA20A8J8/s576/DSC_6651.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bride's future mother-in-law, Lorie and her sister, the hostess, Robin</span> </div><br />
I played but a small part in the hostess duties. I was in charge of dessert. However I don't take this responsibility lightly. I made <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pink-meringue-cupcakes-with-raspberry-curd">Martha's meringue cupcakes with raspberry curd</a>. They are SO fabulous I can't even begin to explain... But I'll save talking about those for <a href="http://www.lisaisbossy.com/2010/06/pink-meringue.html">a future post</a>. Seriously you CAN'T wait for it... so I'll try to hurry.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMJppdZfs6YzdDSEaI4ogTir44wbEpjuEeka8kg4u_j3ULxLViRhItq4Cuy8LNWcdYFRfHeuqQY82Le0Ij-WqSgzdfwhUyLeMfUwUnT_0SvjSjYTbYljdGheWdlzCtOufeaowpCxAdY/s1600/DSC_6787.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486133580515487122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMJppdZfs6YzdDSEaI4ogTir44wbEpjuEeka8kg4u_j3ULxLViRhItq4Cuy8LNWcdYFRfHeuqQY82Le0Ij-WqSgzdfwhUyLeMfUwUnT_0SvjSjYTbYljdGheWdlzCtOufeaowpCxAdY/s576/DSC_6787.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A sneak peek at the dessert I served - coming soon in a future blog post!</span><br />
<br />
</div>The shower was at my auntie's home in Half Moon Bay. Remember <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/06/happy-birthday.html">this</a>? I told you I spend a lot of time out there! We got very lucky with the weather though. HMB is typically *very* overcast and cool. But shower weekend the weather was PERFECT (which meant it was like 90 in the rest of the Bay Area).<br />
<br />
If there's ever a great reason to have nice china and silver, it's if you entertain a lot... or throw a lot of tea parties! And you'll never believe how many teapots we owned collectively. I think there were 13 fancy teapots there that day!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAolsGrzeR2Rc9cbiqzYOEOEMUIjZKTncvmun2pViW4sRIP0STHYR3sRVWNJVYvQAO1xMucrhLw0vhvKFBT4zVqzGFUyh6crVbN0m1YjxSuDUthu6lFGdqtWZPyCnBsHNhlkjWb8RqsY/s1600/DSC_6698.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486129873427540610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAolsGrzeR2Rc9cbiqzYOEOEMUIjZKTncvmun2pViW4sRIP0STHYR3sRVWNJVYvQAO1xMucrhLw0vhvKFBT4zVqzGFUyh6crVbN0m1YjxSuDUthu6lFGdqtWZPyCnBsHNhlkjWb8RqsY/s576/DSC_6698.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I think 3 people in my family collectively own this many teapots<br />
We might obsess a little</span></div><br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Our menu for the tea:</u><br />
<ul><li>Mixed baby greens, blueberries, pears and glazed walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette</li>
<li>Chocolate covered strawberries</li>
<li>Mixed fresh fruit</li>
<li>Assortment of four tea breads: date nut, banana nut, carrot and lemon served with lemon curd, jam and butter</li>
<li>Various tea sandwiches: egg salad, cucumber and butter, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and roast beef with horseradish</li>
<li>Chicken salad filled puffs</li>
<li>And a selection of Bigelow Teas: English Breakfast, Constant Comment and Herbal</li>
</ul><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBo5TxONElz4XnuGXZkGDHBM1GuvdvFlCYT7Ai8Bps4o0c3jd1aISDXuBXid-scS9yYtzQ4a3AiCoy18j1IHVizJmsQjLCa3_Tc_m9ZVNiX8wcS3WN0gLY80pJexB7eW1xX8SSU5UUaY/s1600/DSC_6635.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486126866849696802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBo5TxONElz4XnuGXZkGDHBM1GuvdvFlCYT7Ai8Bps4o0c3jd1aISDXuBXid-scS9yYtzQ4a3AiCoy18j1IHVizJmsQjLCa3_Tc_m9ZVNiX8wcS3WN0gLY80pJexB7eW1xX8SSU5UUaY/s576/DSC_6635.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/teasandwichrecipes.html" style="font-style: italic;">These cucumber sandwiches</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> were the most amazing and flavorful I've ever had</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme MORE!!</span></div><br />
Let's not forget that there was a bellini bar on the patio. With no, not purchased flavorings - but homemade: strawberry, peach and blueberry! And finally - favors of white and dark chocolate covered pretzels... YES also handmade!! OK, not the pretzels, but Robin dipped and sprinkled them!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpDP6GQncU-xTWv3FbpxJNbTvHFLys6T2OOx6TCstwM5hu_8AmNq8maGcP99XieuDSuSAtBlrTtz2W-_U6Ambu-3LKxckokHTglGGPereen2L_R1-kNFRRxlT3gFGJIhuP35CC4N1E4o/s1600/DSC_6646.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486126874637648610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpDP6GQncU-xTWv3FbpxJNbTvHFLys6T2OOx6TCstwM5hu_8AmNq8maGcP99XieuDSuSAtBlrTtz2W-_U6Ambu-3LKxckokHTglGGPereen2L_R1-kNFRRxlT3gFGJIhuP35CC4N1E4o/s576/DSC_6646.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The bellini bar on the deck: strawberry, peach or blueberry purees </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">mixed with prosecco or ginger ale</span></div><br />
Actually, I don't think I need to tell you that EVERYTHING was homemade. Auntie Betty's task was to make a couple breads and she made FOUR. Not to mention she was still sewing cushions for her patio furniture (so that they would match the bride's colors) the DAY before the shower. She made the lemon curd and strawberry jam and the clotted cream - but um, it didn't really "work" so we skipped it and hoped no one noticed. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoItJM3oUWohNS5Znv55jAFAtpDZgJX1Ni981DbEiSMcoh4nHxP8WfW-5aZtiWbpSZh-Q2VYWDjpy59yifAtVYWC337qvNefyroJ21o6buZE8ker50pcLmTy7JK3FK8iWPaSMSXq5SJpw/s1600/04.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486134348373325106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoItJM3oUWohNS5Znv55jAFAtpDZgJX1Ni981DbEiSMcoh4nHxP8WfW-5aZtiWbpSZh-Q2VYWDjpy59yifAtVYWC337qvNefyroJ21o6buZE8ker50pcLmTy7JK3FK8iWPaSMSXq5SJpw/s200/04.gif" style="cursor: pointer; height: 18px; width: 18px;" /></a><br />
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<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt_ezg9be1NRZtgJ-8kzzroabzMO1QSvpfPMtYwUZkc-QlX56XO0Pg0jRc-D0HB04ahf2oo5urs64KP6wCzbcEP_EWIj4NEa7HkiUigQgtJr-JMBmpFIyopNsJcHAdGnefI41YZTFRtQ/s1600/DSC_6659.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486126890302925794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt_ezg9be1NRZtgJ-8kzzroabzMO1QSvpfPMtYwUZkc-QlX56XO0Pg0jRc-D0HB04ahf2oo5urs64KP6wCzbcEP_EWIj4NEa7HkiUigQgtJr-JMBmpFIyopNsJcHAdGnefI41YZTFRtQ/s400/DSC_6659.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 267px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe6dIZG4G3ukVgl1R8MCtBEwK_ZXOnNWx6s0uAki0T6pHu39u5oNFlMnIbQiP6ayFF3dpXNPt_-rHa2nn8jDvAGJW1BoPwsMvLPASVw55qMIXAwz3bL0pv9dn2tpzP0smEFLp0qkpO1A/s1600/DSC_6725.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486129854910972386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe6dIZG4G3ukVgl1R8MCtBEwK_ZXOnNWx6s0uAki0T6pHu39u5oNFlMnIbQiP6ayFF3dpXNPt_-rHa2nn8jDvAGJW1BoPwsMvLPASVw55qMIXAwz3bL0pv9dn2tpzP0smEFLp0qkpO1A/s400/DSC_6725.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Chocolate covered pretzel favors ~~ Homemade tea breads in various flavors</div><br />
Robin did most of the planning and cooking and preparations for the shower - and she did it FLAWLESSLY. The table settings, almost all the food, the planning, the setup, the cleanup, the sewing her own tablecloths so that they too would match Michelle's wedding colors. And let's not forget to mention: the shower ended up being a much larger event than we originally thought it'd be. We had around 35 guests which meant 5 tables in Auntie's dining room and living room. Robin adjusted as the numbers grew and shrank a few times over. And the craziest part? She did all this with not one hair out of place. I would have been sweating and frantic and frazzled and yelling at everyone (a wonderful picture to paint, yes?)<br />
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<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWk-uZIbbiAzrV-ehHDRZULSa8W3WSwuXo6a6U5kdDUCJEO391iwLHFhaLWsSb0KO4XeO1VpVcnC3KOKG7b_hdPxSiErOSSHjhkbUaNdHNgz_WhjzItXO9a_TpKOIdQKAEsBy3Q2QHfEs/s1600/DSC_6707.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486129846398485218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWk-uZIbbiAzrV-ehHDRZULSa8W3WSwuXo6a6U5kdDUCJEO391iwLHFhaLWsSb0KO4XeO1VpVcnC3KOKG7b_hdPxSiErOSSHjhkbUaNdHNgz_WhjzItXO9a_TpKOIdQKAEsBy3Q2QHfEs/s576/DSC_6707.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
Auntie Betty's living room and dining room transformed into a gorgeous tea room</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5s3yIdjsFSUqbEMghJ4YBujSlhwoyi3h8IDD8N8UwymyfeKAC2sCt835xhNJuKE4roEr_0iLzlHeM-kQBA2SviU2tKCobLxVWbWTPC5cfRAeHKHfTQ4q5pS7tDyzh3M_ofbv05X2W4Y/s1600/DSC_6667.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486126902193988722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5s3yIdjsFSUqbEMghJ4YBujSlhwoyi3h8IDD8N8UwymyfeKAC2sCt835xhNJuKE4roEr_0iLzlHeM-kQBA2SviU2tKCobLxVWbWTPC5cfRAeHKHfTQ4q5pS7tDyzh3M_ofbv05X2W4Y/s400/DSC_6667.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 267px; width: 400px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gals who won the games got their prizes in these fancy little gift "cups"</span>.<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Which, by the way PERFECTLY matched the invitations. Robin's touch again!</span></div><br />
We mingled outside sipping bellinis, then dined on afternoon tea and stuffed ourselves silly full of chicken salad puffs and lemon pound cake. We played a few obligatory games and then watched Michelle open her plenitude of gifts while I quietly escaped to the garage to assemble my desserts (assembly takes a lot of counter space and diligence). Good thing I brought my own 6 foot table. Ha!!<br />
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The day was perfect. The shower was exquisite. Seriously.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV9oXJuzuso5I2vQ4OqGSSnH6zp9Smu9MSy5qANj7cVB97DZmcsmfKv3n9AG00FC7fkhxPXG23x2tZ6Ycm-iRd69GcfhJAGXwzSNTJR_f9eWWYIaO-dmGUr64KOY-t4hfvhiICyFGxAk/s1600/DSC_6794.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486129863149614114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV9oXJuzuso5I2vQ4OqGSSnH6zp9Smu9MSy5qANj7cVB97DZmcsmfKv3n9AG00FC7fkhxPXG23x2tZ6Ycm-iRd69GcfhJAGXwzSNTJR_f9eWWYIaO-dmGUr64KOY-t4hfvhiICyFGxAk/s576/DSC_6794.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Michelle with her hostesses: Auntie Betty, Bossy Lisa and Robin</span></div><br />
I joked with my family that I think the few of us together could rule the world. Or at least event-plan the heck out of it!!Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-66574826040241556902010-06-07T23:10:00.000-07:002010-06-08T14:59:39.291-07:00Happy BirthdayAm I allowed to talk about my birthday on my blog? Isn't that almost like fishing for birthday wishes? Well like I've said many times before... this is my blog so I get to write about whatever I wish! And today - I'm going to talk about my birthday! OK not really specifically my birthday, but one of the things I did for my birthday! Brunch at Navio at the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo-NWArIAixaJ-_NEZODJcXtd4l1BgPzufzn1VG_vtBuQF1bYVNZrgHZHLDi_NHSC1Pc4UKWqrVpgiVdFe-t8kFZvJ8fX4Zv4hFiG9x5sYvhXOdLSj833SZvhVK5vluc95o8tPw6hPPY/s1600/DSC_6875.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwo-NWArIAixaJ-_NEZODJcXtd4l1BgPzufzn1VG_vtBuQF1bYVNZrgHZHLDi_NHSC1Pc4UKWqrVpgiVdFe-t8kFZvJ8fX4Zv4hFiG9x5sYvhXOdLSj833SZvhVK5vluc95o8tPw6hPPY/s576/DSC_6875.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500331574062258" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Navio gave me a little gift of chocolates!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGxh4Kt-PBdv_7eAToL8Y9jQIvr62KuKWEs1o_6Bukl5Do2m5iZv__1jks4EYWRbFem7rbINUPlHJzBBiKSjZnssIQoqrvaQpe-SBHMMByGwAXaNLUwLupWTAW61hIZjGbaBQx2qkriM/s1600/DSC_6857.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGxh4Kt-PBdv_7eAToL8Y9jQIvr62KuKWEs1o_6Bukl5Do2m5iZv__1jks4EYWRbFem7rbINUPlHJzBBiKSjZnssIQoqrvaQpe-SBHMMByGwAXaNLUwLupWTAW61hIZjGbaBQx2qkriM/s576/DSC_6857.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500941374618274" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My appetizer plate - ♥ all the seafood!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPh6oryFSLS5ohydleYSoKGUkiYnTdgLgmedxViraPVLsdjGijFO8fzkAhhZhKKeEJ7_UVcCE07pg1CRahJAJmGOLPxQP5Mrs5jahtR-vdnLBgLHe1JpWW5-ymL49iWm5iaqxZd_d_b0/s1600/DSC_6837.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPh6oryFSLS5ohydleYSoKGUkiYnTdgLgmedxViraPVLsdjGijFO8fzkAhhZhKKeEJ7_UVcCE07pg1CRahJAJmGOLPxQP5Mrs5jahtR-vdnLBgLHe1JpWW5-ymL49iWm5iaqxZd_d_b0/s576/DSC_6837.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500358874409602" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Not 1, not 2, but 3 types of caviar!!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Trout roe, Paddlefish caviar and Whitefish caviar</span>...<br /></div><br />My Auntie Betty and Uncle Bruce started me down the road to Foodie-ville when I was but a wee baby of 20 years old. They took me to a "fancy shmancy" dinner at Charles Nob Hill which at the time prided itself on claiming Ron Siegel - the first American chef to win on the Japanese Iron Chef. Needless to say, I was hooked. We have since made our way down the very extensive <a href="http://www.michelinguide.com/us/sf_stars_2010.html">San Francisco Michelin Star</a> list as it has grown and changed over the years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KmqnthVWpC27RM4OkeuicejyYj-rgUAlnQZipc8WNSLEd3lhgBnW6PBa9qih5v-MR1rTgZTRQQV3VQWz2NIdyckqqDDUW8WsqRheRv3lLKVcu8OU1N7Nd3FVbgqPAyGrVsllPH6NTL0/s1600/DSC_6860.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KmqnthVWpC27RM4OkeuicejyYj-rgUAlnQZipc8WNSLEd3lhgBnW6PBa9qih5v-MR1rTgZTRQQV3VQWz2NIdyckqqDDUW8WsqRheRv3lLKVcu8OU1N7Nd3FVbgqPAyGrVsllPH6NTL0/s576/DSC_6860.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480507876182171138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My "entree" plate. I was already stuffed by this point!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Duck breast, fruit, prime rib and even dim sum</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkexJrHDCtU303bdB4xB1XjfE_lJ0K8GqpLQhmO_CTGIpsqMFlb5ily2n2DCDIiVKflCyNnSVJn0P84XaCH8-BxfN0rt-qG8gX2hha3iDUjUxEqWaPkgRVMXMFZlJoIrSaYEzX4BZ13Lk/s1600/DSC_6858.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkexJrHDCtU303bdB4xB1XjfE_lJ0K8GqpLQhmO_CTGIpsqMFlb5ily2n2DCDIiVKflCyNnSVJn0P84XaCH8-BxfN0rt-qG8gX2hha3iDUjUxEqWaPkgRVMXMFZlJoIrSaYEzX4BZ13Lk/s576/DSC_6858.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480510225910307714" border="0" /></a><br />Various ways to eat your caviar - here's my way:<br />blinis topped with crème fraiche, caviar and chives<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HalfMoonBay/Dining/Navio/Default.htm">Navio</a> at the <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HalfMoonBay/Default.htm">Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay</a> isn't on the list, but that didn't stop me. I'd been hearing about the brunches at Navio for years now. And we all know that dining at just about any Ritz is <span style="font-weight: bold;">always </span>a sublime experience.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg791-kjhv1btYy5NtkN04ImkLJxMywzx_HkhxIo7dFQNInjIXWmnfNHHheZeYUrueewEAnQTHONNOCyxIb5K8IJ7TGA48_Q-T1nSyjvPGMwq7Cb7RwpsNX3VkpQeNEh_NcFs9dYvezic0/s1600/DSC_6882.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg791-kjhv1btYy5NtkN04ImkLJxMywzx_HkhxIo7dFQNInjIXWmnfNHHheZeYUrueewEAnQTHONNOCyxIb5K8IJ7TGA48_Q-T1nSyjvPGMwq7Cb7RwpsNX3VkpQeNEh_NcFs9dYvezic0/s400/DSC_6882.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500950985942146" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwBQfSoWstVhmjlxXHcclF4QEtYSiqOFOcVTxEp4Dp7jZzIiWcSJZuaXDGU0GC559GW80ECC5-waLBSBb23KMYRrR1en2vX1yTRkzOCCxJVoUmFfsOXLVl8A-c-ob9pk16V8DrfKTXak/s1600/DSC_6840.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwBQfSoWstVhmjlxXHcclF4QEtYSiqOFOcVTxEp4Dp7jZzIiWcSJZuaXDGU0GC559GW80ECC5-waLBSBb23KMYRrR1en2vX1yTRkzOCCxJVoUmFfsOXLVl8A-c-ob9pk16V8DrfKTXak/s400/DSC_6840.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500932476006402" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Walking lunch off ~~~ Gorgeous sushi!</span><br /></div><br />My auntie and uncle live in Half Moon Bay, so I'm out there fairly frequently and *LOVE* visiting the Ritz. Not to mention the hotel boasts my very favorite New England shingle-style architecture. It sits up on a small bluff over the ocean. And let's not forget - it's frequently cool and overcast, which to me - adds to the charm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy42A-H6UUM_Qz_-RI3A7m6jkcDcJsOEU4Vhkzbu-Vrzaz8WrjzR_V9sFMFSj_Q-NrSaY-5ggmhPlWzDOY5Us5PJZYzT2cF1dlF7seDujiSIqa9ciyZc4TmvanWN_hyphenhyphenL_5hzYloAaDyqk/s1600/DSC_6828.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy42A-H6UUM_Qz_-RI3A7m6jkcDcJsOEU4Vhkzbu-Vrzaz8WrjzR_V9sFMFSj_Q-NrSaY-5ggmhPlWzDOY5Us5PJZYzT2cF1dlF7seDujiSIqa9ciyZc4TmvanWN_hyphenhyphenL_5hzYloAaDyqk/s576/DSC_6828.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480510229372209906" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">SO many little desserts!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF-rwHSceslyDS0uUGm0wXwPJxWm3HC1Q6eN6jN5u8LY8A8TMbRggz37SbT8PnMZv4VzPOJ8lJNp_llOo6dy1HNixnqYX6iHQTDVkjE8u7a4GXzXMkcmc1-Hie4nV7YHzocHguMZkO-A/s1600/DSC_6863.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF-rwHSceslyDS0uUGm0wXwPJxWm3HC1Q6eN6jN5u8LY8A8TMbRggz37SbT8PnMZv4VzPOJ8lJNp_llOo6dy1HNixnqYX6iHQTDVkjE8u7a4GXzXMkcmc1-Hie4nV7YHzocHguMZkO-A/s576/DSC_6863.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500943944186034" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My dessert plate: pana cotta, tropical tapioca, mango pavlova,<br />tiramisu, chocolates and macs!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHksDcORCKEui0uP81MywTEEN7NyAMGewCa2CmuizTJKEt8HuokLAnKGIS7DPPso-4xFx3fvJoUIUwRy99ibXmme8-MuqfqajWfKRtZct9qIG395mbRSoarRD9F5wrAw6YPf5pFazSpy4/s1600/DSC_6869.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHksDcORCKEui0uP81MywTEEN7NyAMGewCa2CmuizTJKEt8HuokLAnKGIS7DPPso-4xFx3fvJoUIUwRy99ibXmme8-MuqfqajWfKRtZct9qIG395mbRSoarRD9F5wrAw6YPf5pFazSpy4/s400/DSC_6869.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480508941910083538" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I was already stuffed and Auntie brought me</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">this freshly<br />made crepe with apricots and cream</span><br /></div><br />I decided I'd treat myself to Navio's famous brunch for my birthday this year. And lucky me, Auntie and Uncle are always willing to partake! We had high expectations of course, but the Ritz somehow managed to surpass even our expectations! I guess I wasn't prepared for even a buffet to be so amazing and top notch.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugRds47E9CycRaB8PEcktrtG-70-oY-JZIuyMvVQrTEq5L1N9_0h_aPf-aDO91PzwKifJO7gk5Iavhwdg9Lyh5ht4bGNbjmIF1AGYZTyyAjA_q4Brez26A5VcW39tkk7blxHMEtQKT7Q/s1600/DSC_6838.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugRds47E9CycRaB8PEcktrtG-70-oY-JZIuyMvVQrTEq5L1N9_0h_aPf-aDO91PzwKifJO7gk5Iavhwdg9Lyh5ht4bGNbjmIF1AGYZTyyAjA_q4Brez26A5VcW39tkk7blxHMEtQKT7Q/s576/DSC_6838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500371223119490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Beautiful breads and pastries!!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs16ZYpqK9ROgryNGtsPBYT2pp5Rs9vMioONHfZ5nvxipdENJxKi6RUPKBttLpWfJyZpv_zNnaTDbRJCDtfU9psRaXEiKHPrhZta7ZEy46C1kFxPz5n1WHEhdkXtZak0N1kdgpVjCyTk/s1600/DSC_6833.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs16ZYpqK9ROgryNGtsPBYT2pp5Rs9vMioONHfZ5nvxipdENJxKi6RUPKBttLpWfJyZpv_zNnaTDbRJCDtfU9psRaXEiKHPrhZta7ZEy46C1kFxPz5n1WHEhdkXtZak0N1kdgpVjCyTk/s576/DSC_6833.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500351925390226" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Carving it up! I ♥ <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/03/mmm-cow.html">prime rib</a>.</span><br /></div><br />From the sushi, freshly shucked oysters and three kinds of caviar...<br />...to the table filled with imported cheeses and shelves of breads and pastries...<br />...and the dim sum, ceviche, crab salad and ahi tuna salad...<br />...plus roasted lamb, prime rib and roast duck breast...<br />...and that's just on TOP of the regular breakfast foods...<br />...not to forget the desserts... OH THE DESSERTS...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4lThDdFkd0nDFFycX7CuRR1S4u_bgVUMA9pCGCPG8p2MiqRoKyEIr_Cf9k3izsLXV0IG-JeSw-X8EVk_RCoKb0LdutHQXKPhy6O61UdlcbSg3uDfqDQblUTB6lilbHk7GZhvlr4mRdU/s1600/DSC_6827.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4lThDdFkd0nDFFycX7CuRR1S4u_bgVUMA9pCGCPG8p2MiqRoKyEIr_Cf9k3izsLXV0IG-JeSw-X8EVk_RCoKb0LdutHQXKPhy6O61UdlcbSg3uDfqDQblUTB6lilbHk7GZhvlr4mRdU/s576/DSC_6827.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480500349722751010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Macarons! The cookie was great. The flavor could have been better...</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(but I'm so critical of macarons)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM4V9Ok7bWkyaqmuTkp3mCkSbRxqj-lEvoXjQUWnM_agDQT4gu0tY-MPWKhwtrUogx3tt1BBe5TIa4cGKUexy_kDGfnpNE2tMnEM9pLJqqXSLS2gzTtBDETOFKMgT2wt4xaOObX3JEgo/s1600/DSC_6868.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM4V9Ok7bWkyaqmuTkp3mCkSbRxqj-lEvoXjQUWnM_agDQT4gu0tY-MPWKhwtrUogx3tt1BBe5TIa4cGKUexy_kDGfnpNE2tMnEM9pLJqqXSLS2gzTtBDETOFKMgT2wt4xaOObX3JEgo/s400/DSC_6868.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480508932134714946" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This chocolate was filled with peanut butter and jelly!</span><br /><br /></div>It was a fabulous birthday brunch, only made better by fabulous birthday brunch companions.<br /><br />And then after stuffing oneself silly, you can stroll the STUNNING grounds. Nap by a firepit. Smell the sea air and gaze over the golf course grounds. Or even walk the coastal trail which runs along the ocean.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qXCxN-rRUlnR2pEn3MaJiqJatxuAHKeFxIr90KNOVUXDGmdKU1j50FafoBaNc8DSza4Mtm3lD780wkpF2WS9LXI5uZHUdwHuspGEaA2wuTgC39kcZTQuNNEha67CC2EmSI8RCu1vn7A/s1600/DSC_6878.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qXCxN-rRUlnR2pEn3MaJiqJatxuAHKeFxIr90KNOVUXDGmdKU1j50FafoBaNc8DSza4Mtm3lD780wkpF2WS9LXI5uZHUdwHuspGEaA2wuTgC39kcZTQuNNEha67CC2EmSI8RCu1vn7A/s576/DSC_6878.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480508946579161954" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It was a foggy day - as it usually is in Half Moon Bay</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF47I0iCgyrWkq8WU8zbogBq4Tat6VaeFO6M47-udID_CxGvd8DFI5vH3M9fwa2vMOEtB0UjMNe1z-3Ckw42Weu_skoQRzKG5iDwNtZHxP1tLstDy3tLQ2jyrJJ1EMX2UAUYcqmWvNg0/s1600/DSC_6885.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixF47I0iCgyrWkq8WU8zbogBq4Tat6VaeFO6M47-udID_CxGvd8DFI5vH3M9fwa2vMOEtB0UjMNe1z-3Ckw42Weu_skoQRzKG5iDwNtZHxP1tLstDy3tLQ2jyrJJ1EMX2UAUYcqmWvNg0/s576/DSC_6885.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480522162354289746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">These two are like second parents to me</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fB2U2sJELpxBvL5gFl-i6Fw0GNOey34FaJ1uEBpkHUTmcp-fLA0NS2PeB58U4Ap0JoQIynsfvYPRpfZwv3RGUX6rk8P8pepb1WGTsu-Rr20a3NhWZYuHJQhMpskmbmFD_VTKSNVjInU/s1600/DSC_6879.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fB2U2sJELpxBvL5gFl-i6Fw0GNOey34FaJ1uEBpkHUTmcp-fLA0NS2PeB58U4Ap0JoQIynsfvYPRpfZwv3RGUX6rk8P8pepb1WGTsu-Rr20a3NhWZYuHJQhMpskmbmFD_VTKSNVjInU/s576/DSC_6879.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480508955971046722" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I love it here</span><br /></div><br />This brunch was yesterday. My birthday was today. And it was all fabulous. I love my friends and my family - everyone made me feel so loved. And this being a *<a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/02/not-sure-how-to-say-this.html">tough</a>* year - it was all I could have asked for and more.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-23425951724017400632010-05-13T22:40:00.000-07:002010-05-14T17:08:35.143-07:00Frozen salty caramelMy mom has been telling me for YEARS how adding a bit of salt to MOST things (desserts and breads included) vastly increases the flavor. And as usual...she's right. I'll look at notes I've written to myself on various recipes. "This one has great flavor"; "this one has perfect texture but is a bit bland". And sure enough, when I compare the recipes, it's salt (and not vanilla which most people assume it needs) that has an increased amount. I can't tell you the number of times Mom has bitten into a piece of bread and said "oooh this needs more salt". And just the other morning, told me my Dutch Baby pancakes needed a bit more salt. I <span style="font-style: italic;">KNEW </span>they needed something! Thanks Mom...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkjJHsIvktl62dud1ymvIpaSnI9z9typumCceWnzROGu0g9SeGrFsc6jcoEi0AdYOM686aHw83vm-c-mibVQp4BYAYzcRexUXRWUq5se_VS6xO3SJ7sz1GjV9eUhgAsuTXRSzDAACSuw/s1600/DSC_6444R2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkjJHsIvktl62dud1ymvIpaSnI9z9typumCceWnzROGu0g9SeGrFsc6jcoEi0AdYOM686aHw83vm-c-mibVQp4BYAYzcRexUXRWUq5se_VS6xO3SJ7sz1GjV9eUhgAsuTXRSzDAACSuw/s576/DSC_6444R2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471281753644551170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">If you are to ever take my word on something which is TO DIE FOR - this is it</span><br /></div><br />Now we all know that while this isn't great for our blood pressure, it's FABULOUS for our tastebuds! Over the last few years SALT has really become trendy! All of a sudden salt is sprinkled on top of butter at high end restaurants, scattered across chocolates at the truffle counter and I'm being asked at my cousin's fancy Easter brunch whether I want gray salt or kosher with my meal! Salt has gone viral! Why else do you think bacon is showing up in desserts? It's not for the meat flavor... it's for the SALT!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hdXaehJLF4ajPITFD0rhNW4-Ki7rxWZ3t4OkiMNEJmSvlieRy3wNrGOpFIUJDO-c0u-iTmhBDawziAQWp45lXdSUmHltg_fTyE0j4yQxn-s97uZLHhyO3D2vaVxsinVRxwwMGtzkkv8/s1600/DSC_6319R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hdXaehJLF4ajPITFD0rhNW4-Ki7rxWZ3t4OkiMNEJmSvlieRy3wNrGOpFIUJDO-c0u-iTmhBDawziAQWp45lXdSUmHltg_fTyE0j4yQxn-s97uZLHhyO3D2vaVxsinVRxwwMGtzkkv8/s400/DSC_6319R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471237938895692002" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Now THAT is a beautiful caramel</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5SA-h4CkSqIgilRDKuBVj8ZWDzLxlzYz6xQdtbj58lHHalyT_KLw2O584pPhn25L77UWr4N0rpoSjzas36G4r6e2cRHOiS6OyTeOUxehwcxXz_jK_xwsWdbbn2IMAC3JDEeAqKrckzI/s1600/DSC_6321R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5SA-h4CkSqIgilRDKuBVj8ZWDzLxlzYz6xQdtbj58lHHalyT_KLw2O584pPhn25L77UWr4N0rpoSjzas36G4r6e2cRHOiS6OyTeOUxehwcxXz_jK_xwsWdbbn2IMAC3JDEeAqKrckzI/s400/DSC_6321R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471237941438305426" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It seizes when you add the cream, but as you heat it and stir it it melts back</span><br /></div><br />My family has a caramel recipe that is just ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean tremendously delicious in every sense of the definition. But there's no salt in the recipe. I've recently started making them and sprinkling the tops with Kosher salt as I wrap them. And now, if something that was previously ridiculous could be even more so?...it is!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQTtX216Swjw8ZNZXW7izOd3w6v1LHtHADRefKBpLxNAkGnVrnjJHAnDI5iK1j-mJ_hbVc3oECbjRITGkdnPq04SPvRlVHnWKd6FyCbJeS6DQA3JtUjNkkB3PTb5dDZLX8-GFLUnaQSs/s1600/DSC_6322R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQTtX216Swjw8ZNZXW7izOd3w6v1LHtHADRefKBpLxNAkGnVrnjJHAnDI5iK1j-mJ_hbVc3oECbjRITGkdnPq04SPvRlVHnWKd6FyCbJeS6DQA3JtUjNkkB3PTb5dDZLX8-GFLUnaQSs/s576/DSC_6322R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471237950736547042" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sugar, butter, cream, milk, salt? Yes please.</span><br /></div><br />Salted Caramel is definitely the newest trendy flavor in the dessert world. EVERYTHING is salted caramel these days. Caramel without salt? Does anyone even WANT that?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGJyxwzQwVg8pAS6fIenyRNqH_bFaefOpmT-yKhGJL3s2bVXL-JEV6vXCic6zpvC1WVktqAEUDFTOWxD2zKIzG3dSEO7HrqgN2a-vXUIA0yDDh8to2iSod_x4BiDFP9tnyBEmgPbmoMg/s1600/DSC_6326R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGJyxwzQwVg8pAS6fIenyRNqH_bFaefOpmT-yKhGJL3s2bVXL-JEV6vXCic6zpvC1WVktqAEUDFTOWxD2zKIzG3dSEO7HrqgN2a-vXUIA0yDDh8to2iSod_x4BiDFP9tnyBEmgPbmoMg/s576/DSC_6326R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471237952387436754" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pour through a sieve into a waiting bowl of chilled milk</span><br /></div><br />Everyone in the Bay Area talks about the salted caramel ice cream from <a href="http://biritecreamery.com/">Bi-Rite</a>. Believe it or not, I've never been. But I'd heard about it enough to decide that I was going to just make my own. I mean, I make ice cream. I make salted caramel. It couldn't be too hard to make salted caramel ice cream...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGDCRhTWoVJtOwWcRc9ctTYyTtQDFNesK_1OWmu28gZNzDWBSk0so_obGW8WOglbgMeUYM3PJn5fug2rhtCjy-5ZGStgYao8k7pBaLdpeb3UU1mZ1c0Rg39hI3nFhl-i6pnmFLDfzVjY/s1600/DSC_6331R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGDCRhTWoVJtOwWcRc9ctTYyTtQDFNesK_1OWmu28gZNzDWBSk0so_obGW8WOglbgMeUYM3PJn5fug2rhtCjy-5ZGStgYao8k7pBaLdpeb3UU1mZ1c0Rg39hI3nFhl-i6pnmFLDfzVjY/s400/DSC_6331R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471237963958932850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nothing some stirring won't immediately fix</span><br /></div><br />I have <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">Mr. Lebovitz</a>'s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Scoop-Sorbets-Granitas-Accompaniments/dp/158008219X">ice cream book</a>. I scanned it and found nothing. So I did a web search. And guess what came back? <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/04/salted_butter_c.html">Mr. Lebovitz</a>. Again. He must be the master!<br /><br />I have to be honest here... I actually made 2 batches of this ice cream. I don't know what I was thinking when I made my first batch. I've worked with cooked sugar MANY times before. I know how quickly it can burn. And yet... I still burned it. And not only that - continued on adding the milk and cream and what-not without even realizing I'd burned it. Until I sampled the finished custard. <span style="font-weight: bold;">#^@%$!@$^&*</span> Suddenly new names were rushing through my head: "Burnt caramel ice cream", "Burnt sugar ice cream". I even let the custard sit in my fridge for a couple days thinking I might actually churn it. But then I let it go and I waved to it as it went down my garbage disposal... *sigh*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CGsmlqYtYPA8cbtw0Oufa_8F4DXgXLLAZTflMjI8aGAg76B1YoOKW2BtCnK1rFFngtiSkClTNxduuhMelXptePKjl6fCZk0_hDIHV7gVA15_FfCPl514_e-XGQ0lJBmywfSD_IeFKpc/s1600/DSC_6338R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CGsmlqYtYPA8cbtw0Oufa_8F4DXgXLLAZTflMjI8aGAg76B1YoOKW2BtCnK1rFFngtiSkClTNxduuhMelXptePKjl6fCZk0_hDIHV7gVA15_FfCPl514_e-XGQ0lJBmywfSD_IeFKpc/s400/DSC_6338R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471238666448570914" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I ♥ my ice cream attachment!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6XNCuoXsy9F-v5JlwwA1gI3HzLFivfcNznAnFIQE3RTqenzLGd8m-hUAx_64lORFCR9ttQIrxgScQmyKqcmnZnEEFSpu8BicxrnU9qOlxkc_HGYJFqPfy6V-wyKF4UYSvMvJRftK4Ew/s1600/DSC_6345R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6XNCuoXsy9F-v5JlwwA1gI3HzLFivfcNznAnFIQE3RTqenzLGd8m-hUAx_64lORFCR9ttQIrxgScQmyKqcmnZnEEFSpu8BicxrnU9qOlxkc_HGYJFqPfy6V-wyKF4UYSvMvJRftK4Ew/s400/DSC_6345R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471238672460042018" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Churn baby, churn!</span><br /></div><br />The second, SUCCESSFUL time, I made sure to take the sugar off the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very low</span> heat before it had even all melted. WAAAAY better. And not just better. UNBELIEVABLE. I couldn't be-LIEVE how good it tasted. It was so good, it was devastating. I kid you not.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3p6xYbkX7gGsrR0rcliw33oQu-591_qXgPH4cchm3zFgWHm5Fv60lg6qOpVIlhsxml72eGufqv8PENTTy9PIwr9QwV0r0KmbzOccIlNS0D_95AhZ085BE9OR-FSPkbflRbnVZtLufns/s1600/DSC_6351R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3p6xYbkX7gGsrR0rcliw33oQu-591_qXgPH4cchm3zFgWHm5Fv60lg6qOpVIlhsxml72eGufqv8PENTTy9PIwr9QwV0r0KmbzOccIlNS0D_95AhZ085BE9OR-FSPkbflRbnVZtLufns/s576/DSC_6351R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471238674463391106" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It didn't stick around very long</span><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXQw7kAd39veH_MjvUpdOdmoyh-w6SaXlaHB3idwVU8t2cWT1FlE-kABlldB3vXN3lifhy1YhhomACwtwxGOt8s5i08qNiDuAChv9SLBFluZgaHsOaE9EuaGgWAHOSpYvkGJzIxozFxI/s1600/DSC_6456R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXQw7kAd39veH_MjvUpdOdmoyh-w6SaXlaHB3idwVU8t2cWT1FlE-kABlldB3vXN3lifhy1YhhomACwtwxGOt8s5i08qNiDuAChv9SLBFluZgaHsOaE9EuaGgWAHOSpYvkGJzIxozFxI/s576/DSC_6456R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471238683750595234" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Want some? SORRY! All mine!</span><br /></div><br />In the interest of time, I didn't put in the caramel praline, but I certainly will in a future making! The one thing I couldn't figure out - and perhaps someone out there can give me a hint? I could never get the ice cream to freeze very hard. I took the temperature of my freezer and it was a cool 0°. The ice cream froze but it was almost a soft serve by the time it was in the bowl ready to eat. Didn't affect the flavor tho. Mmmmmmm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7nqlhaxdJROThvlFghN_4_j_hP2VAG1l47cPhfbLd1G9D-mqIpo_BUTCkZvUUHYsiicBs7Q-HscFiX0ICFXW4t9Kof5FM25_B8BA1_Ozw9406q4vjlQkHtbLbEfKVem3X_Ym2Idx69g/s1600/DSC_6442R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7nqlhaxdJROThvlFghN_4_j_hP2VAG1l47cPhfbLd1G9D-mqIpo_BUTCkZvUUHYsiicBs7Q-HscFiX0ICFXW4t9Kof5FM25_B8BA1_Ozw9406q4vjlQkHtbLbEfKVem3X_Ym2Idx69g/s576/DSC_6442R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471242835520555426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> A recent tweet?: "</span><span>making salted butter caramel ice cream. And dying. And going to heaven.</span><br /><span>Cuz I just sampled a little of the custard before putting it into the machine...</span>"<br /></div><br />I guess it's possible I'll never actually visit Bi-Rite now. Why would I need to when I can make this magnificence at home?Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-81000964365172634332010-05-09T20:28:00.000-07:002010-05-09T23:53:29.150-07:00Mama's mama's day<a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-mom.html">My mom</a>. She's happiest in her kitchen. But after that she's happiest in her yard. Yes, I inherited my mom's crafting and cooking and baking and sewing (and bossiness). But what I didn't inherit was her gardening. My mom loves, loves, loves to putter around her one third of an acre and landscapes the entire plot herself. HERSELF. She loves it. She's truly in heaven when she's in her yard. Vegetables and fruits and flowers and shrubs and trees and grasses and ground-cover and hanging plants. They're all out there. And on Mother's Day all she wants to do is be out there with them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CPlWRlK-nHYBUWyunijxTBlXEN-0ddHxnI270uIOHCcLQG6WVZfcD_w_gQOOQJk4LNE5772phHM-r_vZnL6-NZhK63HIjrHNf0Uk9V7QWphFxW9v-O3uPB8AAkPwF0sc4tCRgPmADjg/s1600/mothersdayR.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CPlWRlK-nHYBUWyunijxTBlXEN-0ddHxnI270uIOHCcLQG6WVZfcD_w_gQOOQJk4LNE5772phHM-r_vZnL6-NZhK63HIjrHNf0Uk9V7QWphFxW9v-O3uPB8AAkPwF0sc4tCRgPmADjg/s576/mothersdayR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469487986215333778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mom and I both ADORE her gorgeous peonies.<br />She grows TONS of these and they bloom every May.</span><br /></div><br />So today... Mom gardened. She also got Dutch Baby pancakes for breakfast (made by moi) and went shopping and to Starbuck's with me. And got dinner made for her (for the most part; she CAN'T stay out of her own kitchen!) And got her kitchen tidied by Dad and my brother, collectively... with some grumbling from the brother. Hrmph.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG34LOyh0sd9oZFNTv-cqRDFTRo7gTqEQL3GB47lV-4VjLQHKSAVUcNU5ZkeI0984ccB0SJ4tR87x2SxebLinkldxRuYWSfff1aPQ0CmqrS8LswUTeE1aDrhVHXynGewso6KqgbBx6w4/s1600/DSC_6363R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUG34LOyh0sd9oZFNTv-cqRDFTRo7gTqEQL3GB47lV-4VjLQHKSAVUcNU5ZkeI0984ccB0SJ4tR87x2SxebLinkldxRuYWSfff1aPQ0CmqrS8LswUTeE1aDrhVHXynGewso6KqgbBx6w4/s576/DSC_6363R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469487946176182162" border="0" /></a><br />This is just about my favorite color rose<br /></div><br />I followed her around her yard today shooting my favorite flowers. There are so many more, but I didn't want to write a long post. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QBkwy16UntjDqtOLxu3Vm_MoPYcs5lGRxIl5PCNG5wOdWchJtBUbqevDgVVD0RDHm_G3pYBblRuNUc-WYKD4IXqOPwlVxV5xR4U_er6U85ZN5f_L98Q8wdaorOn0DFdtd57A9AjZ5RE/s1600/DSC_6364R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QBkwy16UntjDqtOLxu3Vm_MoPYcs5lGRxIl5PCNG5wOdWchJtBUbqevDgVVD0RDHm_G3pYBblRuNUc-WYKD4IXqOPwlVxV5xR4U_er6U85ZN5f_L98Q8wdaorOn0DFdtd57A9AjZ5RE/s576/DSC_6364R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469487958525044866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The snapdragons are magnificent right now</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHUbL66r1HBai3Xbi9WyYbKiWJFnLT5YwDMm8ZUUTcoqKCRvFMXEl1gUEMxej7oyHl1jr0ssZ8VM4R7J5wBdhXN1eM44egd1zvmCTPBYe75plZ6Qoh5Ua_jb0MVhjOE0XJV68dzsHaAk/s1600/DSC_6382R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHUbL66r1HBai3Xbi9WyYbKiWJFnLT5YwDMm8ZUUTcoqKCRvFMXEl1gUEMxej7oyHl1jr0ssZ8VM4R7J5wBdhXN1eM44egd1zvmCTPBYe75plZ6Qoh5Ua_jb0MVhjOE0XJV68dzsHaAk/s576/DSC_6382R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469487964148721362" border="0" /></a><br />Cheesy with the droplets, but it was legit - it rained this morning<br /></div><br />Lucca helped too. Until she no longer helped. And got a time out. Naughty grandpuppy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBaflUbZaW6JYJlOobkc-kU_2XoOSXtIluwyl52L3-bHIGr1bg_vszZ_KsrmyeUVvuM1fW0eYDafe_OWi4I1UICTGDljrz1ACUmz7mnKUg9sCth5W6W5Xnkln8ifBsaNnwPgAuCH4NCE/s1600/DSC_6385R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBaflUbZaW6JYJlOobkc-kU_2XoOSXtIluwyl52L3-bHIGr1bg_vszZ_KsrmyeUVvuM1fW0eYDafe_OWi4I1UICTGDljrz1ACUmz7mnKUg9sCth5W6W5Xnkln8ifBsaNnwPgAuCH4NCE/s576/DSC_6385R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469487977064744530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Naughty doggie...</span><br /></div><br />Happy Mother's Day to you and your mother and any other mother you know or used to know. Moms are the best.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-12149884610458655262010-05-07T23:47:00.000-07:002010-05-07T22:54:44.342-07:00Three little milksCinco de Mayo was a few days ago. I don't particularly make a point to celebrate every little holiday that comes around, especially if times are busy (when are they not?) But Wednesday night, I found myself with no plans and at the last minute decided to get together with my friends John, Janelle, their dog Abby and their foster dog, Bo. I brought over Mexican takeout, a tres leches cake, margarita mix and Miss Lucca.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelTMkwm19muEbmyeo57kHs7KuM6faJh0MWViqPnoMoN9x5PtisIeqWu6xpCEUNwPdJwH8XUzTiKSJhFbuWHte-rO3QgvBlzuJQ9V-iUFQ0mmQZ0ri7mzyQwuxl3LhXZUF-D9De5GOFxE/s1600/DSC_6309R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelTMkwm19muEbmyeo57kHs7KuM6faJh0MWViqPnoMoN9x5PtisIeqWu6xpCEUNwPdJwH8XUzTiKSJhFbuWHte-rO3QgvBlzuJQ9V-iUFQ0mmQZ0ri7mzyQwuxl3LhXZUF-D9De5GOFxE/s576/DSC_6309R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468752544343481314" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tres Leches = Three Milks</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />(evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream or half & half)</span><br /></div><br />Ok, let's not lie: the main reason we decided to get together was to let Bo roughhouse with Lucca since they'll basically play together nonstop for as long as they are within reach of each other. Have you heard that phrase "a tired dog is a happy dog"?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUJUWK99FlD-KsrT5vL_dcaWnqUqM96Z_yuTzmMnVZ7LQ_fmqh2EBM9-8PCxEc3q75H58nT4X2nIY4QhSivL6fe2fdforSmKCsdPC0g5lF90mbSDfrfabfj3Z-D2RHP7ysMM6DehT4MM/s1600/DSC_6332R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUJUWK99FlD-KsrT5vL_dcaWnqUqM96Z_yuTzmMnVZ7LQ_fmqh2EBM9-8PCxEc3q75H58nT4X2nIY4QhSivL6fe2fdforSmKCsdPC0g5lF90mbSDfrfabfj3Z-D2RHP7ysMM6DehT4MM/s576/DSC_6332R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468751716754579154" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"What world?"</span><br /></div><br />YES.<br /><br />But the whole Cinco de Mayo "party" was fun too.<br /><br />I have an incredibly difficult time showing up places without baked goods. Potlucks, dinner parties, friends' houses, my office, picnics, bike rides, birthdays, kid parties, dog parties, my parents' house, housewarming fêtes, holiday get-togethers, BBQs, meeting friends for lunch, baby showers, bridal showers, kickball games thrown by friends at a park close to my house. You get the idea.<br /><br />"Cinco de Mayo Hangout with John, Janelle, Abby and Bo" was no exception. I'd thrown some Mexican dessert ideas around all afternoon. I wasn't overly excited about <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2008/11/everyone-wants-little-russian-in-them.html">Mexican Wedding Cookies</a> since I make them all the time. And flan should really sit overnight in the fridge before serving. So I suddenly remembered an "award winning" tres leches cake my old VP made for this baking contest we had at work (which I actually WON with <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2008/11/give-thanks.html">this pie</a>!!) Everyone loved her tres leches and fortunately for me she still had the recipe on her blog at work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n0So2lCscj8y-gpWnaaDNgJozIxF4JjSuwRNuFYuE0SEnqvro3H9VHoSDbYPvUzjdmwTjlEDQjMon0s75OrT4PHwQ_3Tk9z9JCz4dN8y2goE6SAsnCzkO-_pYK9dKP9aM_HGWUHYLkQ/s1600/DSC_6262.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n0So2lCscj8y-gpWnaaDNgJozIxF4JjSuwRNuFYuE0SEnqvro3H9VHoSDbYPvUzjdmwTjlEDQjMon0s75OrT4PHwQ_3Tk9z9JCz4dN8y2goE6SAsnCzkO-_pYK9dKP9aM_HGWUHYLkQ/s400/DSC_6262.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468747510743747266" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">First things first - go out and buy a nesting set of mixing bowls</span><br /></div><br />Well as I always do - I reworked the recipe. I'm not entirely sure why I always do this. Maybe so that I feel like the recipe is my own? Or to challenge myself to find a "better" way to do something? So I really didn't do <span style="font-weight: bold;">her</span> recipe. Actually, I did something similar to <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pastel-de-Tres-Leches-100831">this</a> and roughly used my veep's ingredient measurements.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c2QoyjfYevFoZz5Nf_V9Rn6GQQMynqii7F6F_q9LaJyJRhhCup6dIcavLYw4OYBlv1sjC88qealPaBjo7BItNy1VbTHeAb5HKbGOiF-EcOfU8j1Hwh-azwpexpZ0aNd9eAJubvg77J4/s1600/DSC_6264.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c2QoyjfYevFoZz5Nf_V9Rn6GQQMynqii7F6F_q9LaJyJRhhCup6dIcavLYw4OYBlv1sjC88qealPaBjo7BItNy1VbTHeAb5HKbGOiF-EcOfU8j1Hwh-azwpexpZ0aNd9eAJubvg77J4/s576/DSC_6264.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468747514393118050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I put a couple teaspoons of cinnamon in with the dry ingredients</span><br /><br /></div>The cake is made like a sponge cake. Whip egg whites to pretty stiff, beat yolks and sugar til they're ribbony, then fold it all together with some flour. It's important that the cake be light and spongy since this is what keeps the cake from becoming too soggy and drenched with the milk. If it were too dense, it'd fall apart after a night of soaking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MncMkwg4xkSd7wPjn1f-qvrZ3aMoCD6Sj2YmOAGIb7iPnShbOp0OWXq5CSSedtvit2DWMNFq2teqPG9KakbtoNDYZua8YB1g7VgOEA4D1SBXchsF245WwFY9tZ-jYHhC0XA5LK7LQEQ/s1600/DSC_6277R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MncMkwg4xkSd7wPjn1f-qvrZ3aMoCD6Sj2YmOAGIb7iPnShbOp0OWXq5CSSedtvit2DWMNFq2teqPG9KakbtoNDYZua8YB1g7VgOEA4D1SBXchsF245WwFY9tZ-jYHhC0XA5LK7LQEQ/s576/DSC_6277R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468747518934453010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There is a rumor that Nestle helped the tres leche cake popularity along during WWII</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I wonder how that got started</span>?<br /></div><br />After the cake bakes you soak it or drench it in a mixture of three different types of milk. OBVIOUSLY where the name "tres leches" or "three milks" comes from. Evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream or half and half.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1spnKUFrUeGhDw24mpV3nyD_iwJHiXkzLVJ6a_nXq4los2h1Mz5iL_YpVsVKjGi8325sKhtnnWEsViKW6RVYz1WpIKj_ZOww66lsebHzeYXrXjfnU_M6VTMhlA5A9vIP01AQJoGrrnC0/s1600/DSC_6290.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1spnKUFrUeGhDw24mpV3nyD_iwJHiXkzLVJ6a_nXq4los2h1Mz5iL_YpVsVKjGi8325sKhtnnWEsViKW6RVYz1WpIKj_ZOww66lsebHzeYXrXjfnU_M6VTMhlA5A9vIP01AQJoGrrnC0/s576/DSC_6290.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468747537007748498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I became stupid for an hour or so and never thought to make a half recipe for 3 people</span>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So I made "2 cakes" instead and took one to work the next day</span><br /></div><br />There seem to be a couple of different methods to soaking the cake in the milk mixture:<br />1) pour the tres leches over the cake while it's still in the cake pan, let it soak and cover it with the meringue topping<br />2) put the cake on a platter and spoon the tres leches over the cake until it is "milk-logged", then cover with the meringue topping<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqhRtAUUFMq3bu4WNWSDFS0PFGGzIs38CyAyUhES9CYXb3ykGkgY1_0oYS36qPVeMFzpRmpVhWxmW0-ovzhXmL2c7NK0Y-MfKW-gLoVWpNvhbMIJBDUYRlEJbUC_xFjd22WSpBg-p8kg/s1600/DSC_6294R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqhRtAUUFMq3bu4WNWSDFS0PFGGzIs38CyAyUhES9CYXb3ykGkgY1_0oYS36qPVeMFzpRmpVhWxmW0-ovzhXmL2c7NK0Y-MfKW-gLoVWpNvhbMIJBDUYRlEJbUC_xFjd22WSpBg-p8kg/s576/DSC_6294R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468751695600117010" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*poke*poke*poke*</span><br /></div><br />I did #2. Initially, I was a little disappointed. As I was assembling the cake, the milk started to pool up around the cake on the platter after it was "full". And as we ate it, it was mostly just the bottom of the cake that was still moist and wet. The top half of the cake had "drained" if you know what I mean.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymdC9pPrWiEXVC9BZATdLaZSaqDz70rSeTGF_tbgtXkds0B_EGafRe82RfrDOxdXBjPG0uyEICNcrHX5bggrv7BDT5ImzKSjv0ZncYPembweabQYKGX4uXKII8YThqV82_s7QyWdmZ7I/s1600/DSC_6298R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymdC9pPrWiEXVC9BZATdLaZSaqDz70rSeTGF_tbgtXkds0B_EGafRe82RfrDOxdXBjPG0uyEICNcrHX5bggrv7BDT5ImzKSjv0ZncYPembweabQYKGX4uXKII8YThqV82_s7QyWdmZ7I/s576/DSC_6298R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468751707307804994" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This part was fun! Whee!!</span><br /></div><br />However, by the next day it seemed to be about perfect. Not too soggy and not too dry. And I guess, if I'd done #1 and let the cake sit in the milk for too long (like overnight or a day) it'd get soggy and fall apart - so really, it's a balance. In the end I think I did prefer how I made it - sort of "half soaked". Then, if desired, one can just spoon some of the extra milk on it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I just wrote about 3 paragraphs on how to pour milk onto a cake.</span> I hope someone gets something out of that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T0LYyY5dFtuFXK0GoS79ispK6StPOHQ6xcNf6bkupcoDz-2zw82QHC6Kz0VbF6jfBKHGb4EsxMcilWcyogO2NAMX96dRMOrj7vhnikrlzqs0dzriq_6IMot9MEWyQGoRMCp3dMCGRz8/s1600/DSC_6285.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T0LYyY5dFtuFXK0GoS79ispK6StPOHQ6xcNf6bkupcoDz-2zw82QHC6Kz0VbF6jfBKHGb4EsxMcilWcyogO2NAMX96dRMOrj7vhnikrlzqs0dzriq_6IMot9MEWyQGoRMCp3dMCGRz8/s576/DSC_6285.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468747528268911810" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The cooked meringue topping.<br />I was so tempted to Photoshop a cat's face on there...</span><br /></div><br />I've read of a couple different toppings for tres leches cake. Sweetened whipping cream, or an Italian meringue. Wait, did I just write Italian meringue?... to top a Mexican tres leches cake? But yes, I did, since when one cooks a sugar syrup then pours it into egg whites and beats it to a frenzy --> I (and most bakers) would call this "Italian Meringue" (vs. French which is baked if not left raw and Swiss which is cooked).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsv_Vbk8-HHDkf2FR5gpqiSGTeBsX3ROOk5ThMuMjlBaLbfB8sQYvqHjyt3rLHeAXHR-pyBy7BoUbyE71hjRqY68qM7D9gfx2oVSmhyphenhyphenX8Rfdd6C2EMBam_8441ES1FAcGsI9tdGeKZbs/s1600/DSC_6304.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsv_Vbk8-HHDkf2FR5gpqiSGTeBsX3ROOk5ThMuMjlBaLbfB8sQYvqHjyt3rLHeAXHR-pyBy7BoUbyE71hjRqY68qM7D9gfx2oVSmhyphenhyphenX8Rfdd6C2EMBam_8441ES1FAcGsI9tdGeKZbs/s576/DSC_6304.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468751712756860994" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Definitely serve this on a plate with sides!</span><br /></div><br />This recipe had me making the meringue topping. It's a nice and airy "frosting" that isn't overly sweet nor overly fatty. 'Twas yummy! It's a cake that could be described as refreshing. I really liked the addition of the cinnamon to the cake. I had a coworker ask if it was wheat flour. Ha, I wish!Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-2055540831711082362010-05-02T18:23:00.000-07:002011-09-29T12:25:12.452-07:00Macaron PassionIt's been quite a while since I posted an entry that one might find in a "Food Blog" around here. It's not that I haven't been baking. I have. Though not as much as I used to. Nor am I cooking all that much - but I guess such is life. It'll all get figured out in time...<br />
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<div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG40ntmnF9gKkDHvWQNRawDXvF5vNvo6YufbTrxvsx4FtUsByPNJ_LkZElUm9EXTPyFcoZIE0FOAIj9W74dV1-C7Ii78RdbYtBatOBHsUULx-XGslMeu_Hc3ainVcU-wOV9pLsRhnBsQw/s1600/DSC_6148R2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="425" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466479273995130562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG40ntmnF9gKkDHvWQNRawDXvF5vNvo6YufbTrxvsx4FtUsByPNJ_LkZElUm9EXTPyFcoZIE0FOAIj9W74dV1-C7Ii78RdbYtBatOBHsUULx-XGslMeu_Hc3ainVcU-wOV9pLsRhnBsQw/s640/DSC_6148R2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
This cookie jar didn't stay full for very long</div><br />
I've been making a lot of macarons lately. Something I hadn't really done much of since the <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2008/04/je-suis-sans-aucun-doute-obsde.html">craziness that was 2 years ago</a>... But as your average foodie knows, they've become something of a mainstream delicacy. I predicted this would happen, 2 years ago when I swear <a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/">Helen</a> single-handedly seduced the entire food-blogging world into making French macarons out of their home kitchens. And look what's happened - they have totally become the "new cupcake". The only problem is that they are nowhere near as simple to make as cupcakes!<br />
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After making probably 50-100 batches of macarons over the last couple years I think I've <span style="font-style: italic;">ACTUALLY </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">FINALLY </span>gotten to the point where I can produce a pretty consistent product. It used to be so hit or miss. One batch would be gorgeous while the next would be a disaster. And I had no idea what I'd done. Or if perhaps I'd done nothing wrong and it was...the oven... or, the weather... or, the egg whites... It was infuriating!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJL9qqmKBTh6lJmD0x7LCopMwuRhA170zOo1EBCcNTPEFdkYuWDvryJyDIb2IVYKXJW9s-pS3W6GuSVCBTfEtl88ycF70SD9gpdlZgL5qm_Jw1S4xD2Kh7CR-8dRzPa24WMy5vc4fJzg/s1600/DSC_6139R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466479294290300418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJL9qqmKBTh6lJmD0x7LCopMwuRhA170zOo1EBCcNTPEFdkYuWDvryJyDIb2IVYKXJW9s-pS3W6GuSVCBTfEtl88ycF70SD9gpdlZgL5qm_Jw1S4xD2Kh7CR-8dRzPa24WMy5vc4fJzg/s576/DSC_6139R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><br />
I've said it before and I'll say it again - macarons are just about the most difficult item I've ever turned out of my kitchen. It's one of those things that's all about feel and experience, so teaching oneself to make them can be a very frustrating process. It'd be a whole lot better if one could be shown. But I didn't have a teacher. So I taught myself from books and websites. That's probably why it took me a gazillion tries to really GET IT.<br />
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My very favorite flavor of macarons is pistachio. I grind up pistachios and use half pistachio powder with the ground almonds in the cookie and then I make a simple pistachio buttercream for filling. <span style="font-weight: bold;">HOWEVER</span>. I think I have a new favorite after this weekend. <span style="color: #993399; font-weight: bold;"> Passionfruit</span>. Oh lordy!! Passionfruit macarons. I think I've died and gone to the tropics (or wherever passionfruits come from...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1b5dHRK4aybQbX2-S7XQW9JPTBAGiIDfl3v-Ha5rz4PtBeSNfz0GrxCR2O5wIwFFE1cqAVXh7PFCFkA1odIRigJX-ky72vKKscuDaXWaxWmM67Wn7iDc-BRzvHIKCB0hvwh_4eRWO9E/s1600/DSC_6162R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466951540974695954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1b5dHRK4aybQbX2-S7XQW9JPTBAGiIDfl3v-Ha5rz4PtBeSNfz0GrxCR2O5wIwFFE1cqAVXh7PFCFkA1odIRigJX-ky72vKKscuDaXWaxWmM67Wn7iDc-BRzvHIKCB0hvwh_4eRWO9E/s576/DSC_6162R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
I have to just mention here that I would not have been making passionfruit French macarons this weekend had I not tasted <a href="http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/">Anita</a>'s friend, Ray's passionfruit macarons at our <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/04/food-bloggers-rock.html">bake sale</a> a couple weeks ago. Ray brought some passionfruit macarons that day and as soon as I tasted that buttercream (the flavor is all in the filling - the cookie is just 'yer average unflavored mac) I HAD to make my own! Fortunately for me/us, Ray is a sharing type of guy and told Anita the ratio of buttercream to passionfruit puree he used in his filling: roughly 1.25 to 1! Hot diggity dog! I got my grubby paws on some (excruciatingly expensive) <a href="http://www.perfectpuree.com/">passionfruit puree</a>, whipped up some swiss buttercream and... was in heaven.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ke-2pUAa7jJOmdFo4gvPT4HJUMVCOpvmWx9lcc1jrqYUJjKjCi1REkbcztzbVqrE_5O2SAgzN35NIyMrSL8yhECgQl3dJW7ETAqY3UWyyDBSJucJiLs4SJeY3YSo-yMVnbhSmUZI9uw/s1600/DSC_6150R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466529512105678178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ke-2pUAa7jJOmdFo4gvPT4HJUMVCOpvmWx9lcc1jrqYUJjKjCi1REkbcztzbVqrE_5O2SAgzN35NIyMrSL8yhECgQl3dJW7ETAqY3UWyyDBSJucJiLs4SJeY3YSo-yMVnbhSmUZI9uw/s576/DSC_6150R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><br />
I don't think I've ever actually put my macaron recipe on the blog before and that's mostly because I didn't feel "solid" enough about it to share it. But I'll share this one since it's the one I use most of the time and it's quite SOLID by this point.<br />
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Now keep in mind that I really wouldn't suggest that anyone who has never made macarons attempt to do so from this recipe alone. I'd try asking someone you know to show you. Or watching some videos online or something. Or be prepared for a lot of trial and error. It's just sadly not so simple that you can follow a recipe and get it... <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Makes about 35 macs:</span><br />
100-110 grams egg whites (left uncovered at room temperature for at least a day)<br />
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
200 grams powdered sugar<br />
110 grams ground almonds<br />
25 grams granulated sugar<br />
1/8 teaspoon powdered food coloring (for a pastel color, more for a stronger color)<br />
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Sieve the ground almonds once or twice to make sure there are no big pieces (always measure after sieving, obviously!) Add the powdered sugar.<br />
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Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Add the sugar as you continue beating to soft peaks. Add the food coloring and beat the whites to STIFF peaks (but not dry!!)<br />
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<i>I was recently asked why I use aged egg whites and if fresh would be okay: allowing the egg whites to age is actually allowing moisture to evaporate from them (this is why you leave them uncovered). The less moisture in the egg whites - the more stable they will whip up. If you are uncomfortable letting them sit at room temp (or want immediate gratification) I've done <a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/">Helen's</a> suggestion of zapping fresh/cold egg whites in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds - just until you start to see strings of white - and this seems okay as well. </i> <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2Gz_szITFkgE3Stl3Wzxmk2d4AxfsSvfNx89YXuD1KP9FlcVQPSM78gGYnN4NwXOzJQrnyllnkzrrS7Emn2QnGuMTOhJRDvniTUAntg2ToJ0mDNM_8tBZvlWG5a_vtSqUATUT4cnbIg/s1600/DSC_5722.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466529325924272850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2Gz_szITFkgE3Stl3Wzxmk2d4AxfsSvfNx89YXuD1KP9FlcVQPSM78gGYnN4NwXOzJQrnyllnkzrrS7Emn2QnGuMTOhJRDvniTUAntg2ToJ0mDNM_8tBZvlWG5a_vtSqUATUT4cnbIg/s576/DSC_5722.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">Adding the food coloring to the whites</div><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">**ALERT: THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL EITHER SUCCEED OR FAIL AT MAKING FRENCH MACARONS**</span><br />
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Add the whites to the almond/powdered sugar mixture and FOLD gently but sufficiently until the batter flows SLOWLY. You don't want it to be runny, nor do you want it to hold its shape. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">incredibly </span>particular. If you don't fold the batter enough you will get meringue cookies. If you fold it too much your macarons will not develop the "foot" they require to truly be called a macaron; or worse they will crack and break and essentially FLOP. Sometimes this can be a matter of 1-2 strokes difference!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkG7NjxaTFBtAtbORHG0vJJxLgHzp3eBimZLLplIgGMHVDPrMTrseO5SJ2ieR3QCr04V4VinaheeYmhxCPV9qyzdWUucoFTS0R5aBPPA6QN9ijPfDmLUHBJ-pRv6Nnqk6svlOL1LODWc/s1600/DSC_6221R.jpg" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467662295362470626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkG7NjxaTFBtAtbORHG0vJJxLgHzp3eBimZLLplIgGMHVDPrMTrseO5SJ2ieR3QCr04V4VinaheeYmhxCPV9qyzdWUucoFTS0R5aBPPA6QN9ijPfDmLUHBJ-pRv6Nnqk6svlOL1LODWc/s400/DSC_6221R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 266px; width: 400px;" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Start yer folding!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnEgqJBGuesktKJWGaGagruXp82AB1M192Yin2Fo-w7HShDbMHIPEhzdwhm-dv7haQjJk9MaUR8LpeJU41wUkXMNUEro8U-ATPgCmosXleaOhO8vcE-5Z5EMzAPWQrr8vC1rUVgBZJTM/s1600/DSC_6222R.jpg" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467662297483030978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnEgqJBGuesktKJWGaGagruXp82AB1M192Yin2Fo-w7HShDbMHIPEhzdwhm-dv7haQjJk9MaUR8LpeJU41wUkXMNUEro8U-ATPgCmosXleaOhO8vcE-5Z5EMzAPWQrr8vC1rUVgBZJTM/s400/DSC_6222R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 266px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Results of the "macaronage"</span></div><br />
Many people trace 1" circles on the back of parchment paper to get consistent sized cookies. I don't do this anymore and have found myself counting to 4 as I pipe to get consistent cookies. Ha! Mostly I'm too lazy to draw the circles. It's enough hassle to cut pieces of parchment to the right size! You can also use a Silpat, but be sure the cookies are totally cooled before attempting to peel them off a Silpat. I've had the tops come off in my hand and the bottoms stay glued to the Silpat... :-|<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNt3ZYYCFvk-_yrNbu-pqqwqSr_K0X7hdSHke2rt2LwxJmt_7WIgLSPa59GB5rflnCNS9uilrOi8mvPvExwvnd82ER432FlrDSnBPTgLipcKfDv1YJPWWdQEWdSOWDjFY2JpCph86x54/s1600/DSC_6248R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467664935747780898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNt3ZYYCFvk-_yrNbu-pqqwqSr_K0X7hdSHke2rt2LwxJmt_7WIgLSPa59GB5rflnCNS9uilrOi8mvPvExwvnd82ER432FlrDSnBPTgLipcKfDv1YJPWWdQEWdSOWDjFY2JpCph86x54/s400/DSC_6248R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 266px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwf-fPFS9dX1mNZAUeYur9K3Rvz0-a12xKTG1vMXbgPHntz78M6YtAdsnndla8ScLo5EFMow37ZGnzs0z17l97-8_y7VVWjEMf8xGsZWF8KszqFMNpygqFk78o9nIMr6SNjgrVNiKU38/s1600/DSC_5730.jpg" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466529332666501826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwf-fPFS9dX1mNZAUeYur9K3Rvz0-a12xKTG1vMXbgPHntz78M6YtAdsnndla8ScLo5EFMow37ZGnzs0z17l97-8_y7VVWjEMf8xGsZWF8KszqFMNpygqFk78o9nIMr6SNjgrVNiKU38/s400/DSC_5730.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Never bake without *bling* ~~ </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Piped macaron rounds drying</span></div><br />
Pipe rounds of cookie batter onto your parchment/Silpat at least 2-3" apart. If your batter is a tad bit under-worked, you might get a little tip that doesn't spread into each cookie. Just press it down with a slightly damp finger. Now let the cookies hang out in a dry environment (humidity? rainy day? I'm not sure what to tell you...) for at least 45-60 minutes. I've always erred on the side of 60 minutes, but I know others who pop them in the oven after 30. To each their own. However long it takes for your macs to develop a reasonably thick "skin" on top.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXUaud6udmPX7ciIf7ugir9MY2UCjLHSBCMr2Ql32kLPZujREWg-ddpIh6EAze8uwaviqBaH940ABy9NHDB5V0O8b6FxnfXfZTPgoooe6QiuJra-AOAbAHC-o2PMFqefIIGCvijes0jA/s1600/DSC_5738.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466529342436564098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXUaud6udmPX7ciIf7ugir9MY2UCjLHSBCMr2Ql32kLPZujREWg-ddpIh6EAze8uwaviqBaH940ABy9NHDB5V0O8b6FxnfXfZTPgoooe6QiuJra-AOAbAHC-o2PMFqefIIGCvijes0jA/s576/DSC_5738.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A macaron is not a macaron without the "foot" at the bottom</span></div><br />
I'm still toying with my temperature... I used to bake them for about 11 minutes at 315°, but I recently tried 305° for 12 minutes and liked it better (yes - they ARE that temperamental). But of course it really depends on your oven. I've never done the "wedge a wooden spoon in the door" move that <a href="http://www.pierreherme.com/">Mr. Hermé</a> recommends...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66Pj0g2387Yc-F0XkeWlruwCaFzHo6DByuvA6OJFKDUQpk5GjSg8DfInLcg6_JWMTOSiMJdZ5fBzVXaIaYcSrtoAhraWdwEbUdrPBRFWGFV3NuFR-X3ri9vyKDX15U3gGyzJ2yvH7700/s1600/DSC_5744.jpg" style="font-style: italic;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466529347733836274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66Pj0g2387Yc-F0XkeWlruwCaFzHo6DByuvA6OJFKDUQpk5GjSg8DfInLcg6_JWMTOSiMJdZ5fBzVXaIaYcSrtoAhraWdwEbUdrPBRFWGFV3NuFR-X3ri9vyKDX15U3gGyzJ2yvH7700/s576/DSC_5744.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">I match up cookies so that the tops and bottoms are the same size</span></div><br />
After you take them out, let them cool COMPLETELY. Don't attempt to peel them off the parchment paper/Silpat before they cool or they will become 2 pieces of cookie, instead of 1. Pipe your buttercream of choice onto 1 cookie and smoosh with the other. I like to let them rest in the fridge overnight, before reintroducing them to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes and gobbling them down.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayZoIFfIHG3Tft4RBX77n5rsknsSTFAgEPXeosNMQivDL_pYeB1oiwZ1iba_UoLZK8FKwVtOgMsgwzGJF7FQBi2vz8Tkxk2TmCHEbdGRGlhHl17YYyG412eYMjiWBd2rGEJqt2d7FgFI/s1600/DSC_6134R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466479275995326226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayZoIFfIHG3Tft4RBX77n5rsknsSTFAgEPXeosNMQivDL_pYeB1oiwZ1iba_UoLZK8FKwVtOgMsgwzGJF7FQBi2vz8Tkxk2TmCHEbdGRGlhHl17YYyG412eYMjiWBd2rGEJqt2d7FgFI/s576/DSC_6134R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's important to "smoosh" the 2 sides together before any </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">filling hardens (like a chocolate ganache)</span></div><br />
These particular macs I filled with the passionfruit swiss meringue buttercream which was devastatingly delectable. I made a ginormous amount of the buttercream so I have no idea how much one would need for this recipe. But what I can tell you is that if you mix 1 part passionfruit puree with 1.25 parts buttercream - you too can die and go to heaven!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYy5ftEmrKN3hA-Dd_sUuKcnvejDFsz_c_UdnW_YIhSN3QzA_KGldiQZ1UkRcF3t64xlrHUuK4hHkBX_zolE4MpKB8Mz5vgjQDu8BOgwzgM7dfyycohGp7m61XHzsF53buo4Q909Snrs/s1600/DSC_6137R.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466479280837620450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYy5ftEmrKN3hA-Dd_sUuKcnvejDFsz_c_UdnW_YIhSN3QzA_KGldiQZ1UkRcF3t64xlrHUuK4hHkBX_zolE4MpKB8Mz5vgjQDu8BOgwzgM7dfyycohGp7m61XHzsF53buo4Q909Snrs/s576/DSC_6137R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">I have never found myself sneaking into my fridge for macarons like I've been doing with these passionfruit ones. It's something about the tanginess that gives it such a mouthful of flavor. Unbelievable...</div></div>Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-10011109493159426892010-04-22T18:09:00.000-07:002010-07-20T23:37:57.917-07:00I ♥ NY moreI promised - and I will keep my promise (especially since I already had a bunch of this written when I decided to split up my posts) to continue with my <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-ny.html">New York <strike>eatings</strike> wanderings</a> in this second blog post. As you know, a certain fantastical bake sale has popped up in between these postings, but I'm back to finish this up!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9389g0Uic-1Sqg7cL-PERwc1ZgxADwu70gGbediOe6ObDhcAyX8BQOQkVfGOr6jUzhL9_qxmW4U4YnJaqSAZTZnJ1mpcZMd6KEbYyLp5h1yonx1lKIkRC0uptqOL0uMz_en2mikBjQc/s1600/DSC_4617R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9389g0Uic-1Sqg7cL-PERwc1ZgxADwu70gGbediOe6ObDhcAyX8BQOQkVfGOr6jUzhL9_qxmW4U4YnJaqSAZTZnJ1mpcZMd6KEbYyLp5h1yonx1lKIkRC0uptqOL0uMz_en2mikBjQc/s576/DSC_4617R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463622439572861986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We could see the Statue of Liberty from our hotel room window</span><br /></div><br />When I visit New York, it seems it's all about revisiting a few key places I truly love while trying to squish in some new places I've never been. This trip was no different. I saw the areas with which I'm most familiar: Midtown and 5th Ave, Theatre District, Upper East Side, East Village, Soho, Greenwich Village and Chinatown...but I also visited some to which I'd never been. Chelsea, Meatpacking District, Hell's Kitchen, Flatiron and of course - Brooklyn.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotMccXDBBuV_R3HpXEMPQPCVQETO63hs6h-m7A8Bv9a-ZlH6JaPEgOyQkztgM731TYP9vowraJGJYucf6HLLoMw1PVhTFS02gUg8jmVnqmWfwjjFdFU-5gp43OERIpCkbWSw-f3Nyl68/s1600/DSC_4556R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotMccXDBBuV_R3HpXEMPQPCVQETO63hs6h-m7A8Bv9a-ZlH6JaPEgOyQkztgM731TYP9vowraJGJYucf6HLLoMw1PVhTFS02gUg8jmVnqmWfwjjFdFU-5gp43OERIpCkbWSw-f3Nyl68/s400/DSC_4556R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463625806255159986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRjm3ppW8i36mrWf3rIRDUKCerRO4wMDr3QoXrZxELQ118xHHwHlwgA8Dyh7cNqz_QjzTr7rHYydvckRBV59fh1F6tbaZ09PA1Vn2wI5XfAt3ocPPe_rOI4dLlTkUAVm7c8EKVnNlXjM/s1600/DSC_4625R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRjm3ppW8i36mrWf3rIRDUKCerRO4wMDr3QoXrZxELQ118xHHwHlwgA8Dyh7cNqz_QjzTr7rHYydvckRBV59fh1F6tbaZ09PA1Vn2wI5XfAt3ocPPe_rOI4dLlTkUAVm7c8EKVnNlXjM/s400/DSC_4625R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463625817062159890" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Left: the <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/">High Line</a> from inside <a href="http://www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city/">The Standard Hotel</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Right: The Standard Hotel from outside on the High Line</span><br /></div><br />One of the Top 5 things I did on my trip was to subway my way to Brooklyn for some pizza and ice cream and then walk back to the city over the Brooklyn Bridge. Not only was the day perfect for this (and for some photos) in that it was cool and overcast, but it wasn't very crowded either. I must thank my friend, Maria profusely for this spectacular suggestion!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapK9y0MSezO4GTZDj2DRAMW0YWuh35gW4F_GrIgJA0rVozZKWEvW_9srUpl2-OpdyhXsES0bTHPX3y5lDYMD3nybsoycTPSNn0qXLoCJYvHsxwTunlzFkca39NqB5svGSfy7g7fogbJk/s1600/DSC_4682R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapK9y0MSezO4GTZDj2DRAMW0YWuh35gW4F_GrIgJA0rVozZKWEvW_9srUpl2-OpdyhXsES0bTHPX3y5lDYMD3nybsoycTPSNn0qXLoCJYvHsxwTunlzFkca39NqB5svGSfy7g7fogbJk/s576/DSC_4682R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463620636451354210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">As I walked the Brooklyn streets I glanced over my shoulder and saw this. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Magnificent! Empire State Building framed by a tower of the Brooklyn Bridge!</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">There are a few destinations just over the bridge that are absolute "Must Do's" if you visit Brooklyn.</span><br />1) <a href="http://www.grimaldis.com/2/Index.htm">Grimaldi's Pizzeria</a><br />2) Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory<br />3) <a href="http://www.almondinebakery.com/">Almondine Bakery</a> (but only if you're a bakery addict/macaron stalker like I)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB7Ol0nXuEkuN_ynSfNXEaGVRCLMs6_aMs5q6zfLOZupHt72elm8hVfpzjVyUiwjSgIf6rqI-WqAWSm_Hc8OFEhIXCs9ZEvudxQ-GL82OLYtPYrqNeO3UFOPEWnmJOvYwetqdd9RrYlc/s1600/DSC_4680R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB7Ol0nXuEkuN_ynSfNXEaGVRCLMs6_aMs5q6zfLOZupHt72elm8hVfpzjVyUiwjSgIf6rqI-WqAWSm_Hc8OFEhIXCs9ZEvudxQ-GL82OLYtPYrqNeO3UFOPEWnmJOvYwetqdd9RrYlc/s576/DSC_4680R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463620630497622226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Almondine Bakery was so charming from the outside</span><br /></div><br />I was IN.CRED.IB.LY lucky that the line for Grimaldi's at 2pm on a Wednesday in March was no more than about 15 minutes. I hear the lines are easily an hour long during the lunch hour on a weekend. But one thing I <span style="font-style: italic;">did </span>have enough time to notice while I waited in line (by myself)?: the sign that said "No Slices". Uh oh.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kwZUUmQFYxVDzfqQRCXYOmfrRsOPF-mEijhee68jDNaAw-LFA22EQEJslJZBKwvlUUZTEz8_UOmUYK6abjfZ8m9_PE0r603svqR5juWwbxzv0GK9f0O6f-TVIg4Flm0xHYIlkvT9XKw/s1600/DSC_4656R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kwZUUmQFYxVDzfqQRCXYOmfrRsOPF-mEijhee68jDNaAw-LFA22EQEJslJZBKwvlUUZTEz8_UOmUYK6abjfZ8m9_PE0r603svqR5juWwbxzv0GK9f0O6f-TVIg4Flm0xHYIlkvT9XKw/s576/DSC_4656R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463615494514565410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory in the little "house" on the far left, Beekman Tower in the Financial District across the river (with the red scaffolding), one of the bridge's towers at the top and Grimaldi's (green awning)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGt9jPmRZOEVW8qyo6iOAvmhea_GDisi8MNLVAyJdDOPt7-C_Jsa2GuF5BU_VghhooKeHVW_Fo_fSp_dON-0PhB0gxuJucL02-JEsijGlTUzJodhMjkvdEYnCxjD4CRX9x7crKk6PIep0/s1600/DSC_4670R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGt9jPmRZOEVW8qyo6iOAvmhea_GDisi8MNLVAyJdDOPt7-C_Jsa2GuF5BU_VghhooKeHVW_Fo_fSp_dON-0PhB0gxuJucL02-JEsijGlTUzJodhMjkvdEYnCxjD4CRX9x7crKk6PIep0/s576/DSC_4670R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463616063995471650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Lower Manhattan and a New York Water Taxi</span><br /></div><br />So maybe a half hour later I found myself staring at a 16" pepperoni pizza which (as per their menu) feeds 1-2 people. That's gotta be some BIG person who can eat a 16" pizza. I ate 2 slices. But oh was it worth it to have to carry leftover pizza in my bag the rest of the afternoon! What fantastic pizza! Thin crust, not overly sauced but perfectly simple while still being generous - it's actually hard to explain. You'll just have to go wait in line to find out yourself.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wKqxCUO2UdWeu6Yp6Yv3T7fKyi6n7IVkh0KumkkjCkaG3KB-R9T3dOHwya2vAuAQ0fTMaddLYvng4peDIz5cxbdf0glsrcX0p212BZYH59oGKpExemZ86fD0QgUECWGx6dZRled-RVk/s1600/DSC_4668R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wKqxCUO2UdWeu6Yp6Yv3T7fKyi6n7IVkh0KumkkjCkaG3KB-R9T3dOHwya2vAuAQ0fTMaddLYvng4peDIz5cxbdf0glsrcX0p212BZYH59oGKpExemZ86fD0QgUECWGx6dZRled-RVk/s576/DSC_4668R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463616068070974290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The nice waiter </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">made </span><span style="font-style: italic;">me let him take a picture of me (little dim in there - hence, the blur)</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh368TizQOuzk4pXAq2tKx0c5YoE7Va3p8IQL8le9F_g-dsb3k5336oT4FxfxwZYLR4PkEoT9-vGhmP3jU91l0G5Yr88hxUd-IwGPQwNGZjELYOkZwNCDy1Zj2tvJNmzLr6hKks4e0bo3U/s1600/DSC_4667R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh368TizQOuzk4pXAq2tKx0c5YoE7Va3p8IQL8le9F_g-dsb3k5336oT4FxfxwZYLR4PkEoT9-vGhmP3jU91l0G5Yr88hxUd-IwGPQwNGZjELYOkZwNCDy1Zj2tvJNmzLr6hKks4e0bo3U/s576/DSC_4667R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463620617419573378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is what was placed in front of me *gulp*</span><br /></div><br />And even though I'd just stared at an entire pizza, I couldn't leave Brooklyn without a stop at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. It's not really a "factory" so much as a "cute little house" that sits RIGHT on the dock and looks out over lower Manhattan.<br /><br />Pizza? Check. Ice Cream? Check. Stop into Almondine Bakery, wait in a silly long line, get 2 macarons, carry them gingerly in my purse all afternoon, lose them somewhere in or around my hotel room before I sampled them? Check... Oops.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wiV2eGk53179w6WzMQOiIbjD9MYxgB-KC24yVNydqmxKB0dRVJ_7i5q1gDzgXgRoeLiebRJ7q9SFOa_vQfhCfp8EUuASif2VaP6WJEqt7WF9LALIanIhhvuR5imgxHkfWvWA8sMcLZw/s1600/DSC_4675R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wiV2eGk53179w6WzMQOiIbjD9MYxgB-KC24yVNydqmxKB0dRVJ_7i5q1gDzgXgRoeLiebRJ7q9SFOa_vQfhCfp8EUuASif2VaP6WJEqt7WF9LALIanIhhvuR5imgxHkfWvWA8sMcLZw/s576/DSC_4675R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463616075453222322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">What a spot for an ice cream place!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx37_V7eT8aCjeaiqVaJgrQzVtGSem25kpBV5l0rle5vhrgYx7TRUsvVzpidgoLnQbUv0xlQnlNmiqI9bkjMPAdYAjlNAlN2zcL6L6VeNVtZ1NrlnKttfXvvXzYmORCg9_KdnEysDmtMg/s1600/DSC_4673R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx37_V7eT8aCjeaiqVaJgrQzVtGSem25kpBV5l0rle5vhrgYx7TRUsvVzpidgoLnQbUv0xlQnlNmiqI9bkjMPAdYAjlNAlN2zcL6L6VeNVtZ1NrlnKttfXvvXzYmORCg9_KdnEysDmtMg/s576/DSC_4673R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463620623295532178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I think I got Butter Pecan</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAG4Z3QsIQBS7OhSUerOXoqk5xOvM1BUY2uXn0R93kbutC2LZw9iy-nWbju0yk2cSbon39sqEhqNvhBauvMmd_QpJ8o2StdguJqLpKM-3jr5-nsX_tLWqBGGE6FulzytJutAu6xy49ahk/s1600/DSC_4679R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAG4Z3QsIQBS7OhSUerOXoqk5xOvM1BUY2uXn0R93kbutC2LZw9iy-nWbju0yk2cSbon39sqEhqNvhBauvMmd_QpJ8o2StdguJqLpKM-3jr5-nsX_tLWqBGGE6FulzytJutAu6xy49ahk/s576/DSC_4679R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463622410434948018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Almondine macarons! I bought two, couldn't eat them, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">gingerly carried them all afternoon and lost them</span> :-|<br /></div><br />When my good friend, <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/10/baby-tea.html">Ali</a> was living in NYC (the main reason I would visit all those times) one of her very favorite little spots was <a href="http://www.chaanteahouse.com/">Cha-An Japanese Tea House</a>. Think British afternoon tea, but... Japanese. So the decor is Asian, the teas are green and the teacakes and cookies are black sesame, mochi and red bean. Well not solely. I got black tea and there was blueberry pound cake and chocolate chip scones and mini bagels with raspberry butter. But it's such a wonderful little twist <a href="http://lisa-is-bossy.blogspot.com/2009/08/tea-and-crumpets.html">on something like this</a>. I spent a couple hours here one afternoon with a friend and it was truly enjoyable.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKFG7cxfQrZ8_A-nBqXpb4ImIA2a8RT5hToOwxLt9b6ah2KyXKIfTfPmXQ7l8zdS0lF1ZUjb83ArwsKpCCszMjasGRVzZUKDJqvsmGNXwewxySpgY0A-h96zm8Xq0eICNYnoAc8PxmGE/s1600/DSC_4721R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKFG7cxfQrZ8_A-nBqXpb4ImIA2a8RT5hToOwxLt9b6ah2KyXKIfTfPmXQ7l8zdS0lF1ZUjb83ArwsKpCCszMjasGRVzZUKDJqvsmGNXwewxySpgY0A-h96zm8Xq0eICNYnoAc8PxmGE/s576/DSC_4721R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463622433383402578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Cookies, scones, poundcake that came as part of the afternoon tea at Cha-An</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HOsBGZFY3M1F4k7Vyn5sn-ANpe-StJsznM5TPlOlJTI8dEBgGcE5jGRxfvLTdB5kr57KwdrY4nUMBh6QZA9SYiKPGuv5BfXGWiat_GSU_-PITtb4teYhp-cW__3WNfdIQoRtztfCLq0/s1600/DSC_4719RR.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HOsBGZFY3M1F4k7Vyn5sn-ANpe-StJsznM5TPlOlJTI8dEBgGcE5jGRxfvLTdB5kr57KwdrY4nUMBh6QZA9SYiKPGuv5BfXGWiat_GSU_-PITtb4teYhp-cW__3WNfdIQoRtztfCLq0/s576/DSC_4719RR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463622424151947458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Chocolate filled mochi and black sesame crème brûlée</span><br /></div><br />Another important foodie stop: Chelsea Market. Not only are the Food Network studios on the upper floors of the Chelsea Market, but the entire downstairs is an "urban food court" filled with bakeries, food shops and restaurants. I think practically everything relates to food. I peeked into <a href="http://elenis.com/">Eleni's</a> Cookies - a bakery I've heard about <span style="font-style: italic;">many </span>times. Her cookies are famous for being impeccably decorated. I snuck into the <a href="http://www.fatwitch.com/">Fat Witch Bakery</a>, which made Oprah's "My Favorite Things" List, but wasn't so impressed with their Caramel Witch.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7dSGZFIdPpO02H4QtrjxN9ouJI5ESYn0nAqGjndbhsL8vgrExUJX77Pn65XWEdtiyhlu3LDWtKtW95qQ1H0Krl7LKqfejKKj6RtJifoj2e1Vs9-wsxHktbrBFeciHqKZ-yKhO0sUZ44/s1600/DSC_4641R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7dSGZFIdPpO02H4QtrjxN9ouJI5ESYn0nAqGjndbhsL8vgrExUJX77Pn65XWEdtiyhlu3LDWtKtW95qQ1H0Krl7LKqfejKKj6RtJifoj2e1Vs9-wsxHktbrBFeciHqKZ-yKhO0sUZ44/s400/DSC_4641R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463615485959982738" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuE6CruQ8sK4s2l102I5qIAP63lgw4A9VKMXauAy0I5b2STQ1H3kE55LwxwhTcb9B_Z1Xlc_1GHK6V4rbyNfgJKTmZ3mYmECCV1xR3nyQPuTlik2eIF5Gjv_N-4HI7vkunyQN1QNDrK8/s1600/DSC_4598R.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuE6CruQ8sK4s2l102I5qIAP63lgw4A9VKMXauAy0I5b2STQ1H3kE55LwxwhTcb9B_Z1Xlc_1GHK6V4rbyNfgJKTmZ3mYmECCV1xR3nyQPuTlik2eIF5Gjv_N-4HI7vkunyQN1QNDrK8/s400/DSC_4598R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463615473328923698" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ahhh... Chelsea Market</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JQ_Bz2Jc1rB8Yp2qgGV9ryq-r54bmymBoSeQV_7SZ_fMEq3ZrS3njz_kNcA0IQ9qFknDk_F7FIqp5gTD0r1iYTE5gzne7Q8Molsf2y8FHA6V4iRXCtpSQlIJ6IwsetxmOv5siFZcSLM/s1600/DSC_4602R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JQ_Bz2Jc1rB8Yp2qgGV9ryq-r54bmymBoSeQV_7SZ_fMEq3ZrS3njz_kNcA0IQ9qFknDk_F7FIqp5gTD0r1iYTE5gzne7Q8Molsf2y8FHA6V4iRXCtpSQlIJ6IwsetxmOv5siFZcSLM/s576/DSC_4602R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463616050777409714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Various shops and restaurants inside Chelsea Market</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO4eWnKIpMwE_mGFBhrNyNvGUCBab6lSfrSAYAD5R1hS8-oQQGBNbzkG5pW3-OJmP3j9AIEdKxGOURROq5os5jvB7bSHMuFxBdQeaUQ00rdHUoRGBZO05gw-7DJ4Nsudy2gkK_k2TwXU/s1600/DSC_4599R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO4eWnKIpMwE_mGFBhrNyNvGUCBab6lSfrSAYAD5R1hS8-oQQGBNbzkG5pW3-OJmP3j9AIEdKxGOURROq5os5jvB7bSHMuFxBdQeaUQ00rdHUoRGBZO05gw-7DJ4Nsudy2gkK_k2TwXU/s576/DSC_4599R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463615484770075266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Eleni's Cookies was SO CUTE!</span><br /></div><br />One shop I <span style="font-style: italic;">was </span>impressed with though? <a href="http://www.lobsterplace.com/">The Lobster Place</a>. Sadly, their lobster rolls were a great disappointment, but their fresh seafood was <span style="font-weight: bold;">to die for</span>! It was so good I went back a second time! (Well, I was staying a block away...) You can pick your own oysters and they'll shuck them for you on the spot. Or buy a plate of sashimi as they cut the pieces from the fish. Those lobster rolls were such a disappointment being that I was so close to New England. I grew up eating lobster rolls in New Hampshire and can honestly say that <a href="http://www.oplobster.com/">Old Port Lobster Shack</a> in California has a much better product (in flavor) than The Lobster Place!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGxfKJz6N1AWXQgoADHLaJ358GrilHqCMT_dpZBrc278WYw7FcU6HRgSQ438-usiouUAFEpZzYcv3uf26RKivKXy-I0jNwL3vZusVsdosi5NRsWRbmReRLpsdI9JdbjucesfWTGwuwK8/s1600/DSC_4604R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGxfKJz6N1AWXQgoADHLaJ358GrilHqCMT_dpZBrc278WYw7FcU6HRgSQ438-usiouUAFEpZzYcv3uf26RKivKXy-I0jNwL3vZusVsdosi5NRsWRbmReRLpsdI9JdbjucesfWTGwuwK8/s576/DSC_4604R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463620616526276178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Lobstahs!!!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OiueGmB7reU3THsng9Co0EXTiWTAebyNtkce9gjslwR69qAf6eaxKUhFA87cLaKq2s25VJYB-ppjp81eupcnkBRcsOVejja4Z9AyAFUlPO_kuz4L0TlU0L5yIQWk6fxzwFc7A4-nLyA/s1600/DSC_4647R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OiueGmB7reU3THsng9Co0EXTiWTAebyNtkce9gjslwR69qAf6eaxKUhFA87cLaKq2s25VJYB-ppjp81eupcnkBRcsOVejja4Z9AyAFUlPO_kuz4L0TlU0L5yIQWk6fxzwFc7A4-nLyA/s576/DSC_4647R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463616059288590498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">They were literally cutting the sashimi right off the fish *DROOL*</span><br /></div><br />My final very important NYC food stop was at <a href="http://shakeshack.com/">Shake Shack</a> in Madison Square Park. Both my friend, Yvonne and I had been told by more than 1 person to not miss Shake Shack. The burgers, the frozen custards, the fries, <span style="font-weight: bold;">the line</span>.... But actually - I can't believe I complained about the line taking 10 minutes to order when apparently on a regular ole day it can take upwards of an hour! An HOUR! For a burger and fries! Hhmmm but actually - these burgers and fries really were absolutely legendary. I can't explain it. They were delicious. Yvonne really loved them because they apparently tasted identical to the burgers at her dad's hamburger shop when she was growing up. I wish you could have seen her face when she took her first bite: Bliss!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvQaTfnkVCDb7yDjTlUEAXkQ4NfjsOdZZf8FbsaBrM2HFIEy8QBSDgZOGfT5RMtpLxPqbMcowKFarrYyd7PuzbQex73X72HILrvxBybogOEk_SKkHLyFvvkmAihomBszj9kIKeKhy69w/s1600/DSC_4736R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvQaTfnkVCDb7yDjTlUEAXkQ4NfjsOdZZf8FbsaBrM2HFIEy8QBSDgZOGfT5RMtpLxPqbMcowKFarrYyd7PuzbQex73X72HILrvxBybogOEk_SKkHLyFvvkmAihomBszj9kIKeKhy69w/s576/DSC_4736R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463623463800507170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">That was ONE TASTY BURGER</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzWkvTkMrtzz6Ic3K7-JIUdrOtXZWEaZAXLgCJOTE3PAEAFmk2lu-9jrhek7mKqhZzqVZC2dy8IdtPV1mUsCOSjE1CZU310_mN5SrIZLXyIvsYr5t4Nceatbas_GatP1eG-gnXZQPT-g/s1600/DSC_4738R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzWkvTkMrtzz6Ic3K7-JIUdrOtXZWEaZAXLgCJOTE3PAEAFmk2lu-9jrhek7mKqhZzqVZC2dy8IdtPV1mUsCOSjE1CZU310_mN5SrIZLXyIvsYr5t4Nceatbas_GatP1eG-gnXZQPT-g/s576/DSC_4738R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463624156625173250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Shake Shack had just closed its windows as we finished up our burgers</span><br /></div><br />Yes, you stand in line. Yes you sit outside (and in our case - sit under heat lamps on a very cool March night). Yes you can't always find a table. But damn - those were some good burgers.<br /><br />The very last thing I did in New York City on this trip was lunching at <a href="http://www.gramercytavern.com/">Gramercy Tavern</a>. Oh, how I wish there was a Gramercy Tavern in my little pocket of the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a brilliant little restaurant where one can dress to the nines and dine on the Tasting Menu, yet the next guy can come in jeans, sip a beer and munch on a sandwich. It's so versatile and unpretentious yet sublime and creative. Even the decor is shabby chic/rustic floral. ♥ ♥ ♥<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3ouTZf6dURPFs3wQmS3YrpjyNhWspZD4M9lo2uEj79_gqIB79UL2iN6xjRsOoDB_Uado0MNQAvtF6J17vctnp-_ywNATKIZI9Bzm7GExBfeKJB8QIS8dFhL45_tWyumTaO4M84apthU/s1600/DSC_4837R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3ouTZf6dURPFs3wQmS3YrpjyNhWspZD4M9lo2uEj79_gqIB79UL2iN6xjRsOoDB_Uado0MNQAvtF6J17vctnp-_ywNATKIZI9Bzm7GExBfeKJB8QIS8dFhL45_tWyumTaO4M84apthU/s576/DSC_4837R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463623488332063346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Gramercy Tavern's Smoked Trout with Cippollini Purée<br />and Pickled Onion Vinaigrette</span>; UNBELIEVABLE!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHm55_4Z-adaNDBWzMFDIAFFph4LeYESWFa95l417wDlJF8e2t_2EqlAGwsNYMNJvui9Wiqd-MD-bKOji5LZGE-u9hO0uqKTP__WuMJWUQCAsYR74RbFzlfuqFEqKziUAxMJ5TSkx0eTc/s1600/DSC_4852R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHm55_4Z-adaNDBWzMFDIAFFph4LeYESWFa95l417wDlJF8e2t_2EqlAGwsNYMNJvui9Wiqd-MD-bKOji5LZGE-u9hO0uqKTP__WuMJWUQCAsYR74RbFzlfuqFEqKziUAxMJ5TSkx0eTc/s576/DSC_4852R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463623475926599394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Loved, loved, loved the "shabby chic-ness" of Gramercy Tavern</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30kmehb9xuaIVHBRrnymC5MEzzsTwSmWu6oTUqmZaei4QHp94j0U0DrLtNU5WOgKXf90jxDEJHFTcLfarOX12WB5uuxpxd-_ufkLX9MUL6bRhEDV4K6Ib1QdH1f-3_btFB22fmGHN-1k/s1600/DSC_4846R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30kmehb9xuaIVHBRrnymC5MEzzsTwSmWu6oTUqmZaei4QHp94j0U0DrLtNU5WOgKXf90jxDEJHFTcLfarOX12WB5uuxpxd-_ufkLX9MUL6bRhEDV4K6Ib1QdH1f-3_btFB22fmGHN-1k/s576/DSC_4846R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463623467951259874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg-T2CPzKccFCxnCboO__QLW21RjaFfViM1DkMESXqi9UZr_RzVDSKIL-EkWY2jV5bnRjA5yiB9FPQPBgOYF7G-USGCr1yFnM3OOx70MB8lLr2vZ9O4mtsjT3JUZ8F_mGTvNDQszKPNY/s1600/DSC_4853R.jpg"></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Little cookies on our mignardise plate: baby chocolate tarts, pecan</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">toffee </span><span style="font-style: italic;">covered truffles and caramel macarons</span><br /></div><br />And believe it or not - the best macaron I actually ate in all of New York City was the little baby mac left for my friend Daphnie and I on our mignardises plate. Gramercy Tavern was just phenomenal!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4ocysm9fw3wBGj5r6Th4QpsmOvgb3g55YZRwkLtLe0dPJDxp8xRKqZ1vb9VUrzNj8yUBFXp_qMf-lI-NOJrMDY3vhLkQOE8ZQBperJBwuYHuJfuXwxWtNlgpWn2X4C-2I3eFuSokJ5c/s1600/DSC_4686R.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4ocysm9fw3wBGj5r6Th4QpsmOvgb3g55YZRwkLtLe0dPJDxp8xRKqZ1vb9VUrzNj8yUBFXp_qMf-lI-NOJrMDY3vhLkQOE8ZQBperJBwuYHuJfuXwxWtNlgpWn2X4C-2I3eFuSokJ5c/s576/DSC_4686R.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463622413737931394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The photos I took on the Brooklyn Bridge were some of my favorites</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzibGtUDiKU5RSOn5lXBmIrVOYiplJVd1-FXVCdWCxyFFp3TsE7lD_VKHKb39rkNRl6A79lPTbRiTEs-V9LfXv_lC_Zzpw8kmawRfUpenZHbzNbVui5TOy4MEE2Ir19-Jv2J4ZBeuxGPw/s1600/01after.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzibGtUDiKU5RSOn5lXBmIrVOYiplJVd1-FXVCdWCxyFFp3TsE7lD_VKHKb39rkNRl6A79lPTbRiTEs-V9LfXv_lC_Zzpw8kmawRfUpenZHbzNbVui5TOy4MEE2Ir19-Jv2J4ZBeuxGPw/s576/01after.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463615466990581922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Goodbye New York. I ♥ you.</span><br /></div><br />As I wrap up this second New York City post I kind of can't believe how much food I saw over the course of 4 days. Not like you're surprised at my priorities. New York is a beautiful city from the outside looking in and from the inside looking out. And even moreso, it's a wonderful city for foodies and chefs and food lovers and cooks and food bloggers and hungry people and people who breathe oxygen... So if any of you, my friends, has a trip to New York planned, don't even joke around by asking me if I wanna tag along. I probably will.Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-880010453008052789.post-63716297842074133292010-04-18T11:17:00.000-07:002011-04-29T17:15:46.062-07:00Food Bloggers RockI decided not to set my alarm this morning since I've been up baking until 3am and 2am the last couple nights. I guess it went to show me how much sleep I needed since my eyes opened to see 11:02am on my clock and a hungry doggie staring me in the face. All this baking was of course in preparation for the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale to raise money (no, not for Food Bloggers, like one guy asked) but for the charity <a href="http://strength.org/">Share Our Strength</a> which fights to end childhood hunger (which would be quite different than ending "food bloggers' hunger"..)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekgZrp0cRQKYolANwrsyWccIO5C2MAr2Sa4vIlpB6tcSd5aQJCjS5G3g6jAtywch3P2pSZLofCEJnANHSYwSMXE5OXzh9tugLSy9Sli2tEzeBY_b5FTbChs9Yb09STEzOnRYdkCOiCzQ/s1600/DSC_5799R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461560401323324674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekgZrp0cRQKYolANwrsyWccIO5C2MAr2Sa4vIlpB6tcSd5aQJCjS5G3g6jAtywch3P2pSZLofCEJnANHSYwSMXE5OXzh9tugLSy9Sli2tEzeBY_b5FTbChs9Yb09STEzOnRYdkCOiCzQ/s576/DSC_5799R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Three different macaron flavors and three different macaron<br />
</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">fillings = not a lot of sleep over the last few nights</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcsvF7NtJOiIneNR5TBE94hbWwJgV_vBJg8M3-6xgpMjtDScsDH2BKWuixySzV4PaionaEtRizZkmmEnbwy47AT_k87royYBRJ7FIh5lBt-6atHXk8ff544wXx4pVBHg2Sx5GI8ySVWQ/s1600/DSC_5787R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461562243925879586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcsvF7NtJOiIneNR5TBE94hbWwJgV_vBJg8M3-6xgpMjtDScsDH2BKWuixySzV4PaionaEtRizZkmmEnbwy47AT_k87royYBRJ7FIh5lBt-6atHXk8ff544wXx4pVBHg2Sx5GI8ySVWQ/s576/DSC_5787R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">She planned this ONE MONTH before her wedding! ONE MONTH!</span></div><br />
What a day it was! It was quite possibly as close to <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #ff6666;">Perfect</span> </span>as it could have been!<br />
<ul><li>GORGEOUS weather (and after a gloomy rainy weekend, prior too)</li>
<li>Lots of passersby walking dogs and babies and grandparents</li>
<li>A fabulous group of not only talented but helpful, giving, funny, sweet and heck, good-lookin' bloggers who contributed and worked and donated baked goods!</li>
<li>A wonderfully organized leader in <a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/">Anita</a> who rallied us just ONE MONTH before her own WEDDING. Folks, - ONE MONTH!!</li>
<li>A SUPER accommodating and generous hostess in Celia at <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAgQFDAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.omnivorebooks.com%2F&ei=IE_LS8PYIJCosgOu3_T3Ag&usg=AFQjCNF1IFJbnL73migKLd3-JcoSA1nMgg&sig2=S0-XJeKXdEN6C-hHIjcttw">Omnivore Books</a></li>
<li>Unbelievably chic packaged goodies - we looked SO professional!</li>
<li>Ending on the high note of hearing Baking Goddess <a href="http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/">Rose Levy Beranbaum</a> speak at Omnivore about her newest book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roses-Heavenly-Cakes-Rose-Beranbaum/dp/0471781738">Rose's Heavenly Cakes</a><br />
</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1nYvflaZlpy1ekrEGBH9UPi_XKSxHkRgWm-KHytmW-P59SPxqahSmOaYuClhKuS3XiXhAy5egw6xyh1s7ZC6SoYKOyZ7D5gWsCweRzsrA7pmR5-LdWRhNG_WjsLo3VbOMbXD19rxgLM/s1600/DSC_5792R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461560405783237762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1nYvflaZlpy1ekrEGBH9UPi_XKSxHkRgWm-KHytmW-P59SPxqahSmOaYuClhKuS3XiXhAy5egw6xyh1s7ZC6SoYKOyZ7D5gWsCweRzsrA7pmR5-LdWRhNG_WjsLo3VbOMbXD19rxgLM/s576/DSC_5792R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Baby Gingersnaps and Lemon Madeleines</span> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9jNT8CVgNrdGHSCbQCXeUN-L3_gWExhYxusk4fg_68RSOQb7Sf3pxcgLGT3A4VDjBVqLwpvQi2ND7O3SplLYF8IawLuEn7ThA20zJ1mOfUjyJd7gtbz27ULazV5tWKwq2EvVPXlVxI4/s1600/DSC_5801R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461560417553948498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9jNT8CVgNrdGHSCbQCXeUN-L3_gWExhYxusk4fg_68RSOQb7Sf3pxcgLGT3A4VDjBVqLwpvQi2ND7O3SplLYF8IawLuEn7ThA20zJ1mOfUjyJd7gtbz27ULazV5tWKwq2EvVPXlVxI4/s576/DSC_5801R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">UNBELIEVABLE how fast that cake sold!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbxg-PZ2rcmZQpYPOZPlIEoU3VQ8G4MICbOEPYNijfRtHRtczCAgm6dOKz-ecV35XIPr76yGpV7xQ67UQj-Z5TjrLRWuHMv5Qm95Jr3-6YuJm4WPKsblf8QL45FS5ipylFyLJhpmxEYc/s1600/DSC_5804R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461562246375774754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbxg-PZ2rcmZQpYPOZPlIEoU3VQ8G4MICbOEPYNijfRtHRtczCAgm6dOKz-ecV35XIPr76yGpV7xQ67UQj-Z5TjrLRWuHMv5Qm95Jr3-6YuJm4WPKsblf8QL45FS5ipylFyLJhpmxEYc/s576/DSC_5804R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Spicy and Salty Caramel Corn - I ♥ this packaging</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2zjbqnxjnV5itvDkKR7t-ZBsWAavybr0AtUBVcjGYocgBa2WhG2zZZ54Wj06F1pD8TnAF0aNkrkoXz1rRacCQApfyC35q3vsDjujb6pmO6tjtodc7Uzcoa4dbeeRx7LJaUCbd3xyRtA/s1600/DSC_5802R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461560426893288610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2zjbqnxjnV5itvDkKR7t-ZBsWAavybr0AtUBVcjGYocgBa2WhG2zZZ54Wj06F1pD8TnAF0aNkrkoXz1rRacCQApfyC35q3vsDjujb6pmO6tjtodc7Uzcoa4dbeeRx7LJaUCbd3xyRtA/s576/DSC_5802R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Ridiculous amounts of precision in those fruit tarts</span></div><br />
I am SO proud and SO excited to report that San Francisco's food bloggers raised <span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE-THOUSAND-SIX-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY DOLLARS</span> for Share Our Strength yesterday! $1650!!! *pausing for all the applause* *bowing* *patting Anita on the back* That there is one of the highest totals we've heard of being raised throughout the entire nation! Gaby, who came up with the phenomenal idea for food bloggers to host bake sales on 4/17, <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/bake-sale/">hosted her bake sales in LA</a> and they came in at a whopping $2300!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3GjSWKjqZV1NsGyfLfyxpz6_XAvqB8R9o8vPiZT-x41LG2kLK7IrjhQfiue8JoqWLLQKTPv8YHOs4Xo5jnKtMxwPKoWG64dS9jFHqVmXZ4J49j15fHElvitBnTyRQrUXBVC1uW30DY0/s1600/DSC_5794R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461564965824433282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3GjSWKjqZV1NsGyfLfyxpz6_XAvqB8R9o8vPiZT-x41LG2kLK7IrjhQfiue8JoqWLLQKTPv8YHOs4Xo5jnKtMxwPKoWG64dS9jFHqVmXZ4J49j15fHElvitBnTyRQrUXBVC1uW30DY0/s576/DSC_5794R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Mike, the Money Man - look they're waving money at him even as he stands there!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOqlONn2OORDCI1hD4z4zerGgv5BGmjR44HF1j8xUYCDozePGI_FetMK2LiXihkMiwkHoLYsccuCIuRv0rdRq-WCW3Gt-7vwdlXNFBo24FRQ6eOQiJuYI0u7x3g8Sg4NoQDfUyIYGuKI/s1600/DSC_5800R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461560411965524818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOqlONn2OORDCI1hD4z4zerGgv5BGmjR44HF1j8xUYCDozePGI_FetMK2LiXihkMiwkHoLYsccuCIuRv0rdRq-WCW3Gt-7vwdlXNFBo24FRQ6eOQiJuYI0u7x3g8Sg4NoQDfUyIYGuKI/s576/DSC_5800R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">GORGEOUS breads by <a href="http://penniwisner.com/">Penni Wisner</a></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLkI0qMaTzv43QPVrivda8hqGfXbOpCVIvIOJ5O5E19KkuOy82UjPeqmD9EGkVpKOzeNdu0Cqk-B9DHzCZXpXpKAiXlM4LO1YRsZFOnB_2A7v4kjOD0cp9GO_xJ5l1OGuYdCzYrPFJuM/s1600/DSC_5806R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461562257664564338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLkI0qMaTzv43QPVrivda8hqGfXbOpCVIvIOJ5O5E19KkuOy82UjPeqmD9EGkVpKOzeNdu0Cqk-B9DHzCZXpXpKAiXlM4LO1YRsZFOnB_2A7v4kjOD0cp9GO_xJ5l1OGuYdCzYrPFJuM/s576/DSC_5806R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Storefront on far left: <a href="http://www.omnivorebooks.com/">Omnivore</a>; Storefront on right: <a href="http://www.noevalleypet.com/">Noe Valley Pet Co. </a></span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Owned by two fantastic women - we're so thankful for them!</span></div><br />
I feel like I'm still coming down off the high that was yesterday. Making some truly wonderful new friends. Chatting with baking fanatics from the hobbyists to the professionals. Seeing Rose Levy Beranbaum in the flesh! Even right down to visiting with all the friends who came out to support our bake sale and chat with me!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FTYB5jLSTCYArT6H1ON5e0eevW1tFIlcbkHA7PEZ2ZLkdinMV-qgoIIP6tMnc13s-6Yt8J3vzfeB4QZ1zo2FthIvTM42sMy1H7xljrvXPGRqIXttdzc7xAz_KjY0vEws0tx8ynUpkds/s1600/DSC_5820R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461562262044658962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FTYB5jLSTCYArT6H1ON5e0eevW1tFIlcbkHA7PEZ2ZLkdinMV-qgoIIP6tMnc13s-6Yt8J3vzfeB4QZ1zo2FthIvTM42sMy1H7xljrvXPGRqIXttdzc7xAz_KjY0vEws0tx8ynUpkds/s576/DSC_5820R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">The PLACE to be on Saturday was that corner right there</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjVFKXQGKgmbfdwGRLh3GeJ9oDYpoaZOv-qZ9LSXRb4bi4FwWG2M1lXM5O-AiGczyyNSmrNe9ucXq2ewBbYoNLO8TPPeQ4tIZDaqdZa_46TWY0kMdeD9HoYq0QywP008nyPFYycLhH2I/s1600/DSC_5828R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461562265313001810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjVFKXQGKgmbfdwGRLh3GeJ9oDYpoaZOv-qZ9LSXRb4bi4FwWG2M1lXM5O-AiGczyyNSmrNe9ucXq2ewBbYoNLO8TPPeQ4tIZDaqdZa_46TWY0kMdeD9HoYq0QywP008nyPFYycLhH2I/s576/DSC_5828R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Rose Levy Beranbaum speaks while Celia (owner of Omnivore) looks on</span></div><br />
Some of the wonderful bloggers who contributed (and with whom I actually found the time to chat):<br />
<ul><li>Shauna at <a href="http://pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com/">Piece of Cake</a> (not only is she incredibly friendly - she has one beautiful little girl!)</li>
<li>Daphne at <a href="http://cookingsf.typepad.com/">Cooking San Francisco</a> (made a very generous donation in the end and "adios-ed" a bunch of our leftover goodies)</li>
<li>Allison at <a href="http://bakeyourheartout.wordpress.com/">Bake Your Heart Out</a> (turns out we're neighbors!)</li>
<li>Irvin at <a href="http://eatthelove.blogspot.com/">Eat the Love</a> (heard about the bake sale the morning of and still managed to bake!)</li>
<li>Pat at <a href="http://ringalings.blogspot.com/">Ringalings</a> (also known for her <a href="http://www.theipiestore.com/">ipies</a> which currently sell at the Palo Alto Farmers Market)</li>
<li>Faith at <a href="http://clickblogappetit.blogspot.com/">Blog Appetit</a> (a friendly, happy face I got to chat "cakes" with most of the afternoon)</li>
<li>Katie at <a href="http://idhavebakedacake.blogspot.com/">I'd Have Baked a Cake</a> (hilarious. HILARIOUS. And worked so hard all day long!)</li>
</ul>There were something like 19 other contributing bakers/bloggers that I either did not meet, or do not have a blog - but HUGE shouts out to all of you as well!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf8yJwSHIVY6KqUclFcBb40D6fi1H7V76OK4RyEZhDvQaEmS32DH1eDN37F7iqUEWkhilEYBZBhnVu1TcUGw3XPHMIa6v5P3r2aRl1_EwMeSPM8aO_yrV67MXss-McZvt4EMgXw3B-Nk/s1600/DSC_5829R.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461567469120089618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZf8yJwSHIVY6KqUclFcBb40D6fi1H7V76OK4RyEZhDvQaEmS32DH1eDN37F7iqUEWkhilEYBZBhnVu1TcUGw3XPHMIa6v5P3r2aRl1_EwMeSPM8aO_yrV67MXss-McZvt4EMgXw3B-Nk/s576/DSC_5829R.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">By 4pm we'd transitioned from 5 tables down to 2! GREAT selling!</span></div><br />
I ♥ this blogging community! We rock!!Lisa is Bossyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06814387998271781790noreply@blogger.com9