The Pilgrimage

I 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.

Someone told me Snoqualmie Falls is the #1 destination
for tourists in Washington state!

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. Instead, I've been running. A good trade-off, yes? I'm training for the Nike Women's [Half] Marathon 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.

That would mean this place is NOT the #1 WA tourist destination!

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.)

The happy new Mr. & Mrs.!!

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.

Breathtaking...

I could probably do that for hours, literally

Scottie married Michelle 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.

Congratulations to Scott & Michelle!

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.

Forget about Starbucks... Cooks come to Pike Place
Market to visit the very first Sur la Table!

Farmer's Market even in the cold and dreariness

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 Paseo in Fremont. Rarely have I seen a restaurant with close to 1000 yelp reviews *still* averaging 4.5 stars. Paseo does. This particular sandwich also won Esquire Magazine's "Best Cuban Sandwich in the US" 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.

My cousin Ron is such a REBEL! ~~ The line at [the first] SB at 10am

The first Starbucks has a completely different logo that
just didn't translate well worldwide for perhaps a few reasons...

Schwag, schwag, schwag...

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.

In the seconds following, my auntie booked it around the
corner with my cousin's takeout (while he took our picture in line)
....Just Kidding

Just in case newbs aren't aware of THE sandwich...
It apparently is "as seen on TV"

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 long 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.

No sign. No identification. Just a line.

My Chinese family was tickled over these plastic "Chinese" dishes

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!)

♪ And the angels did sing... ♫

Bucket List item #6,251,527 - Check.

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...
**Please note: The previous 4 paragraphs are a bit of a dramatization. But just a bit.**

Next, my ginormous family besieged Cafe Besalu in the Ballard

Ginger scone, pain au chocolat and pear tarte: wonderful!

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 Honore Artisan Bakery'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.

We were literally sitting on top of each other. I ♥ my family!

So my cousin's friends (who live in Ballard) led our expedition to Cafe Besalu 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.

Gazing upon Seattle from across Puget Sound

I happened to visit the falls on two different days:
a sunny, and an overcast...

This visit to Seattle was lovely. Truly lovely. I suppose it depends on your own personal aesthetic but I might almost venture to say that the Seattle area could be more lovely than the SF Bay Area. ALMOST.

All the women in my family who traveled up for the wedding

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 Paseo.

This 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 like my family (go figure). People often ask me where I get my interest in baking and cooking and planning events and photography and why I'm such a perfectionist. 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.

This is how my family throws a tea party

Michelle and my cousin, Scott
Flanked by her parents, sister and brother-in-law

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.

I get my love of afternoon tea from my family too. Namely these two cousins:

Bride's future mother-in-law, Lorie and her sister, the hostess, Robin

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 Martha's meringue cupcakes with raspberry curd. They are SO fabulous I can't even begin to explain... But I'll save talking about those for a future post. Seriously you CAN'T wait for it... so I'll try to hurry.

A sneak peek at the dessert I served - coming soon in a future blog post!

The shower was at my auntie's home in Half Moon Bay. Remember this? 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).

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!

I think 3 people in my family collectively own this many teapots
We might obsess a little

Our menu for the tea:

• Mixed baby greens, blueberries, pears and glazed walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette
• Chocolate covered strawberries
• Mixed fresh fruit
• Assortment of four tea breads: date nut, banana nut, carrot and lemon served with lemon curd, jam and butter
• Various tea sandwiches: egg salad, cucumber and butter, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and roast beef with horseradish
• Chicken salad filled puffs
• And a selection of Bigelow Teas: English Breakfast, Constant Comment and Herbal

These cucumber sandwiches were the most amazing and flavorful I've ever had
Gimme MORE!!

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!

The bellini bar on the deck: strawberry, peach or blueberry purees
mixed with prosecco or ginger ale

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.

Chocolate covered pretzel favors ~~ Homemade tea breads in various flavors

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?)

Auntie Betty's living room and dining room transformed into a gorgeous tea room

Gals who won the games got their prizes in these fancy little gift "cups".
Which, by the way PERFECTLY matched the invitations. Robin's touch again!

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!!

The day was perfect. The shower was exquisite. Seriously.

Michelle with her hostesses: Auntie Betty, Bossy Lisa and Robin

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!!

Happy Birthday

Am 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.

Navio gave me a little gift of chocolates!

My appetizer plate - ♥ all the seafood!

Not 1, not 2, but 3 types of caviar!!
Trout roe, Paddlefish caviar and Whitefish caviar...

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 San Francisco Michelin Star list as it has grown and changed over the years.

My "entree" plate. I was already stuffed by this point!
Duck breast, fruit, prime rib and even dim sum


Various ways to eat your caviar - here's my way:
blinis topped with crème fraiche, caviar and chives

Navio at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay 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 always a sublime experience.

Walking lunch off ~~~ Gorgeous sushi!

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.

SO many little desserts!

My dessert plate: pana cotta, tropical tapioca, mango pavlova,
tiramisu, chocolates and macs!

I was already stuffed and Auntie brought me this freshly
made crepe with apricots and cream

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.

Beautiful breads and pastries!!

Carving it up! I ♥ prime rib.

From the sushi, freshly shucked oysters and three kinds of caviar...
...to the table filled with imported cheeses and shelves of breads and pastries...
...and the dim sum, ceviche, crab salad and ahi tuna salad...
...plus roasted lamb, prime rib and roast duck breast...
...and that's just on TOP of the regular breakfast foods...
...not to forget the desserts... OH THE DESSERTS...

Macarons! The cookie was great. The flavor could have been better...
(but I'm so critical of macarons)


This chocolate was filled with peanut butter and jelly!

It was a fabulous birthday brunch, only made better by fabulous birthday brunch companions.

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.

It was a foggy day - as it usually is in Half Moon Bay

These two are like second parents to me

I love it here

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 *tough* year - it was all I could have asked for and more.