what are these??

Wandered around the ferry building today and saw these. They felt like a tougher, rougher lemon and smelled citrus-y. No idea what it is or who was using it but thought it was super interesting. The shape, the smell, everything about them was a mid day surprise that attracted a good amount of attention in the outdoor market.

art of painting a wall

Anyone that saw my last bedroom in NYC, which was a deep apple red, knows how much this article would have been appreciated before I decided on that after a labor day weekend in FI...and thought because it was 3 small walls, it would be a simple project. Wrong.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/garden/16prag.html?ref=garden

Bye Bye Belen

Goodbye my friend! I'll miss you!

what are my archives exactly

I may be alone in this admission but I often screen grab rooms, home designs, displays, fabrics-anything that I feel is beautiful and inspires me. This is my version of "virtual photography". I was most definately inspired by the auctions, antique shops and flea markets I spent time in as a kid. I find having a library or collection only helps and strengthens me as a strategist. It helps me come to insights and look at complex advertising problems in new ways.

The thing that has frustrated me the most in the past few months is the fact that my stuff is in storage, and that includes many books, pictures, magazines and anything I've made a point of to save. One day it may be fun to get an old library card catalogue to organize all that....OK back to reality. For now, I am going to try and upload my pics on this site and hopefully that will suffice.

from the archives.

Finally went through all my images and screen grabs on my computer, forgot I fell for this photographer back in October. In fact, I would expect many random posts soon because I am finally starting to open up everything that has been gathering in various folders. Virtual room cleaning.

SF Ferry Building

My new obsession here in SF is the Ferry Building. I spend a lot of time there because I take the ferry back and forth, but I do believe I would probably be there regardless. They have amazing food shops, and yummy restaurants. I hate to say this, but it kicks Chelsea Markets ASS.

I have my own little games I play when I am there, like trying all the different types of coffee on Mondays before class ( loving Blue Bottle obviously, and like Cowgirl Creamery but Frog Hill Farm needs improvement). I also recently went to dinner at Hog Island Oyster Co. That was AMAZING but it does close at 8PM and I have heard there usually is quite the line, I happened to get lucky on a rainy Thursday night and didn't have to wait.

This leads me to the picture above. Saturdays at the Ferry building is Farmer's Market time...and it is amazing. I can't even describe all the amazing foods, the freshness and the joy I get just from walking around there. Either way, my favorite breakfast experience was from a Saturday vendor called Primavera. They make this INSANE breakfast called Chilaquiles ( the photo). It is all sorts of spicy yummy breakfasty goodness with eggs, beans, fried tortillas and avocado. Go, go now....it's worth every unsexy moment of stuffing your face with this breakfast. Oh and be prepared to be full almost all day!

Hanukkah Latkes

Hi! It's been a long time since I have updated this, but I have had a ton going on. I am now writing everyone from San Francisco!! I came out here to do a post grad certification program in advertising and am living with some fabulous roommates in Tiburon. They let me use their amazing kitchen to play and cook when I am home from school, and they reap the benefits of having an in-house, part time chef.

Oh yah, and maybe I forgot to mention I am living with my dad and step mom, ha ha. Either way, it's working out really well for now and is a good temporary living situation.

Anyway, last night was the 4th night of Hanukkah and since I was home sick, and my dad had just gotten back from a business trip, my step mom, Renee, and I made a traditional chicken dinner, and added latkes for a festive twist. They were SO yummy. I added the simple and delicious recipe below. ( Full Disclosure, since I was mega high on cough syrup my contribution was cutting the potatos and onion and putting them in the machine to grate, the hard stuff I left for the sober chef of the night).

Easy Yummy Latkes
3-4 potatos
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons flour
2 eggs- beaten
1/4th teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1/3 cup of canola oil

Grate potatos and onion. Mix in flour, salt, pepper and beaten eggs.

Heat oil over medium/medium high heat. Drop in spoon fulls of potato mixture and flatten out with a spatula. Cook through, drain on paper towels. Keep in a warm oven if needed.

Light the candles and enjoy!

Grate the potatos and the onion, add

Cilantro Lime BBQ Corn

It's been a super long time-sorry! As I previously mentioned, I am currently a cook without a kitchen, meaning my time cooking has been reduced to practically nothing. I also don't have anyone to cook for right now, but that's a whole other, boring ( OK well not at all boring but so not the point of this blog) story.

Either way, I hauled my little tushy to CT this weekend for some much needed family and BBQ time. I was so lucky my amazing cousins invited me over to hang for the night, and Sherri let me cook with her in her kitchen. I would have been almost perfect had the BBQ not run out of gas, but in the end, the lower temperature worked so well for the veggies. They were perfectly cooked, without being mushy, crisp and warm, not hot.

I can't lie, we did get the veggie kabobs from the supermarket. Jason marinated them in Italian Balsamic dressing ( good call) and then grilled them on tin foil to keep them from getting messed up. What I really wanted to tell you all about was the recipe that Sherri and I created for the corn.

This ended up being an awesome way to add flavor to the corn and make it a little different.

4 ears of corn, shucked
1/4 bunch of cilanto, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 1-2 limes ( depending on how much you get, we went slightly overboard with 2 limes so i'd maybe try 1 and 1/2)
salt/pepper

Mix the marinade together and pour over corn in a plastic bag. Let sit and marinate for about 10-15 minutes ( veggies don't need a long time to be infused with flavor). Grill on low, about 200-250 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or so with the grill top closed. You can see from the picture, they didn't burn, and ended up being perfectly done and such a nice change from typical butter and salt.

Coldest Winter since 1950 Chili

So if anyone has read this blog over the past year, in times when I cared, and times when I obviously got too busy to care, you know I have been searching for myself. I have been trying to get to know myself and create a life I want, that lives up to my expectations.

That disclaimer being said, I am trying to make the hard decision whether or not to finally leave NYC. At this point, I have spent the last 11 months developing skills to enhance my resume, while developing my soul to enhance myself. I have been offered the opportunity to be able to go anywhere I want, start over, try again. I would get a few months of financial security to get started. This leads to me think about what I truly want. What do I honestly know now, after 11 months of temporary living? It's also freezing out so I have much more time to think about what is not going on in my life.

While I debate these questions frequently, I also found time to fall back in love with cooking....not that we ever broke up. I am living in a studio apartment that is slightly more functional than an efficiency. My oven and counter area is beyond what one would consider small. Either way, I do have the ability to make one pot meals, and a warm, hearty chili is what I crave. At this point, I have to give credit where credit is due. I normally turn to Rachel Ray for great tips and techniques for making food cook faster but I tend to do my own thing in terms of recipes, measurements, etc. I am also a chili novice. So I tip my hat, try this recipe. It is just amazing, and even more delicious the day after. The only change I would make is that I prefer cheddar not smoked Gouda, but to each his/her own cheese choice is fully appropriate.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/uptown-down-home-chili-recipe/index.html