Mashed Potatoes and Merlot

New Blog!

2010-09-28T10:40:00.001-07:00

Friends.

Mashed Potatoes and Merlot has officially moved. Welcome to Kristin Eats!

www.kristineats.com

Enjoy!

Dinner for friends who are not Schmucks.

2010-08-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

I made dinner for my friends.

Sometimes I spend too much money on frivolous things like cropped white skinny jeans and Anthropologie cardigans. Those sometimes are more frequent when my husband is out of town. Retail therapy -- ever heard of it? It works wonders on a lonely wife. When it's just me and I realize I spent my weekly cash flow on things to adorn myself with instead of things to stuff my belly with, I am ok with it until I remember how awesome my friends are to me in my lonely state - taking me to dinner, allowing me to be a temporary "squatter" in their home, inviting me to family-only functions even though I'm technically not a member of their family, and supplying a shoulder to cry on when I'm in my most vulnerable and bummed out state - I decide the economical and nice thing to do for them to say 'thank you' is to make them dinner.

And so I did. I made dinner for my friends. These friends are not schmucks.

Avocado, tomato, and scallion spread (not to be confused with guacamole) on toasty fresh country bread, sprinkled with a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Leftover Costco jalapeno artichoke dip. (what? that's not gourmet? sure it is!)

Roasted corn with fresh herb butter, served alongside grilled chicken breast with chipotle peach sauce.

Mixed greens with candied walnuts and goat cheese. (a staple in my house)

And the best course? Fresh peach and blueberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. Recipe by none other than the Barefoot Contessa herself.

Be my friend. I'll make you dinner. Or just click on the links and make yourself these fantabulous dishes before summer's end rears its ugly little head.

P.S. For those wondering how and why Sensei let me eat this meal that included both bread AND dessert (and the inevitable 1/3 bottle of wine...) this meal happened before he entered the picture. All dinners will be significantly more boring from here on out. I promise.

Deliciousness Early in the Morning

2010-07-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

You already know how Bread & Cie makes the world's most fabulous cappuccino, but have I told you about their granola? It's divine! Honestly. I think whoever invented it was inspired by none other than the Holy Spirit. Now I know you're thinking "Kristin, you are supposed to be on some extremely healthy shed-a few-pounds eating plan - granola isn't exactly health food." I KNOW, I KNOW, but you see, my coach is very kind and allows me to have a special Bread & Cie granola and yogurt breakfast once a week. And let me tell you, I can't wait for this week's!

I am not sure what all they put in here, but I know it includes cranberries, oats, almonds, and a handful of corn pops - what a treat! Get it in the fruit and yogurt parfait, and there's a little protein to start your morning off on the right foot.

If you are feeling more along the 1000 calorie breakfast lines, may I suggest the chocolate croissant with a cappuccino? One sugar in the raw, one Splenda. You'll be in Heaven. For the next few months, my Heaven looks an awful lot like the photograph above. Yum.

extreme times call for extreme measures...

2010-07-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to write about this. I actually prefer not talking about it at all. To anyone. Except for my sweet husband who, since Sunday, has asked to be called "Sensei." Yes. "Sensei." Like that episode of The Office where Dwight and Michael get in a karate fight. Why would a husband as awesome and handsome as mine want to be called "Sensei" you ask? Well, it has to do with drastic changes to one of my favorite things in life - food and what I'm eating.

For years now I have "tried" to lose weight. I avoid talking about this because a) it makes me embarrassed because I feel like I should be grown woman enough to not have to be insecure about my body, b) it seems like the only thing women talk about is their weight and I want to think I'm better than that even though I'm not, and c) admitting I am trying to lose weight means I have to tell everyone if I fail. Or, even if I don't tell everyone, it will be painfully obvious when they see me. As I believe I've mentioned before, I fear failure. It's a deep wound. I've been working on it, and it's expensive (side note: an MFT friend of mine told me that all research points to getting more out of therapy the more you pay for it), but I'm grateful for the growth I'm experiencing, as each day brings new freedom and grace. So I avoid talking about it, and really, often avoid actually trying hard because - hello - I am Kristin, I love food.

Back to my "Sensei." As I was saying, for years I have tried to lose weight with no success. I actually have put on 10 pounds since I started the "Kristin, get it together and seriously re-evaluate your life or you'll be busting out of your pants in a matter of months" lifestyle change. Clearly I'm having a hard time making things happen on my own. Glenn has offered to be my Coach several times (most likely because he's so sick of hearing me gripe about it and is also, as most men are, convinced he knows the best way to do everything. the problem is, with Glenn, he's usually right, which has the potential to be even more irritating... I digress.) Every time he offers to coach me, I say no. Not just no, but NO! AbsoLUTELY not! I have had no interest in being hounded by my spouse about what and where I'm eating, or being told that I need to run faster and try harder by the father of my future children.

Last week I hit a low point. Maybe it was never wanting this photograph to become a reality, as flattering as it is. I agreed to let "The Glenn Murdock Experience" try to morph my body into all it was created to be. The following is a timeline of the events of the past week, including a handful of text messages between G and myself. This is for real, people. Every text was sent out of pure desperation. Judge if you must.

Saturday night: Slight meltdown in the car driving home from Arizona with Glenn. He takes advantage of me in my weakened, vulnerable state and somehow manages to convince me to let him be my weight loss coach. He asks me to call him "Sensei." I say no.

Sunday: Day one. I'm feeling hungry, and all I can think about is how delicious a cappuccino and Bread & Cie ANYTHING would taste. All this protein is going to my head. I have dinner plans to meet up with fun out of town friends Sean & Erin and Matt & Kate so Coach lets me have a glass of wine and more carbs than he ever normally would.

Monday: All I want is a muffin or bready treat of some sort. I don't give in. Around 2pm, my work neighbors invite me over for some food they are making. I am starving, even though I've eaten about 4 meals already at this point in the day. Their "food" winds up being apple-peach cobbler with ice cream. I have a small portion. It tastes amazing. I go home and make myself a healthy dinner, then desperation hits so I start to text "Sensei."

K: "I want dessert, what can I have?"

G: "Where are you"

K: "Home."

G:"With who?" (yikes! paranoid much?!)

K: "Caitlin, Kim, and Sheri."

G: "Have an apple. (I can just picture your reaction to that.)"

K: "It was an eye roll."

G: "Are you asking Let You Have Anything You Want Glenn or Coach Glenn?"

K: "Coach, but be nice."

I have one Oreo and a few almonds, as well as the apple.

Tuesday: Massive cravings for all things I'm not supposed to eat. Random sampling of text messages I sent throughout the day.

"Ok first off I just had to turn down Bronx Pizza, and second I am wondering when I will stop wanting to eat good tasting food."

"When I lose weight will we change the food plan so I can eat like a normal person again?" which received a response of YES and I followed up with: "I'm about to lose 25 pounds in a week so I can make that a reality."

"Mariann has chocolates she wants to share with me"

G: "The world is against you!"

And my personal favorite, which made sense in the conversation but looks totally alcoholic out of context: "Umm, ok... so I had a glass of wine but no food."

Wednesday: Feeling like a normal human being, a member of this fine species, a citizen of the world's best country, I resist the Nordstrom Cafe carrot cake and drink a LOT of water. I still can't wait for the day that sugar is part of my diet again, but for now, I think I might be able to do this.

Until the next text-message breakdown, that is.

What We Ate - Hawaiian Style

2010-07-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Twitter, or are friends with me in any capacity (which I'm pretty sure almost everyone who reads this blog is... hello friends!) you know that I recently returned from a trip to Kauai with my three younger sisters.

Was it everything we hoped it would be and more? Yes. Was it a trip we'll talk about for the rest of our lives? Yes. Did we sing along to Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey at the top of our lungs? Obviously. As fun as all of those things are, however, that is not what this blog is about. It's about all the FOOD we consumed while living the island life. And, let me tell you, we consumed a lot of it.

*Side note* I recently decided to learn Photoshop so I can be the best bliggity blogger ever... but those skills have not transferred from brain to hand yet, so we're keeping it real with pictures straight out of the camera...for now!*End of side note*

We start the trip off with a drive to LAX at 4:00am, and a breakfast at Denny's when we got up there. I don't remember the last time I ate at Denny's. I am pretty sure it was sometime in undergrad when my roommate and I decided it would be a good idea to get Moons Over My Hammy and a large order of fries at 1am. It was not. This experience was much better. Did you know they have a $4 breakfast!! Hello awesome!

First day at the beach - we must celebrate with virgin Pina Coladas!

We hit up Puka Dog - the best hot dog on Kauai. Seriously this place is awesome. We wound up going there twice this trip. They throw a polish sausage or veggie dog in a sweet Hawaiian roll and have about 20 different sauces you can add to your dog, including coconut and starfruit. Yum.

Who needs dinner when you can have dessert? Knowing we couldn't afford a full-fledged meal at the Hyatt (must. stay. there.) we decided to do dessert. It was so good! I barely snapped this picture before Katherine devoured the entire plate.

Starbucks right across from our resort made for some awesome mid-afternoon pick me ups.

We decided to be cheesy tourists and attend the "free mai tai" hour our resort offered. At first we made fun of ourselves and then decided we kind of liked it. They danced the hula! And there were mai tais!

Massive chocolate chip pancakes. MASSIVE.

I think we had Hula Pie 3 times. It's basically mud pie, but with a name like Hula how can you say no?

This has nothing to do with food but is a fun shot of all four of us. L to R: Corrie (2nd born), Me (firstborn - if that wasn't clear from my personality), Katherine (baby), Kimberly (3rd born). The attire and dirty faces can be explained by what we were doing: ATV-ing for Katherine's 18th birthday!

Last day on the island was celebrated with a big outdoor breakfast and cappucino-staches.

We went all out for Katherine's birthday dinner and ate a multi-course meal at the Beach House. Perfect views and awesome food. And a reason to dress up, which we love.

Home at last. Landed at 10:45pm, got to our car around 11:30pm, hit up In-N-Out on the drive home (once we safely made it into the suburbia that is Orange County) around 1:15am. Why is In-N-Out the best thing ever?

I think I love Arizona after all...

2010-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

May and June included several trips to Arizona to see the hubs. July will include 3 more trips there. And I'm pretty excited. Besides the slow drivers (yes, Arizonans do drive just as slow when in their home state as they do when on the California freeways!), overly short shorts, making me fat, oh, and this weird belly-dancer store at the mall Glenn's store is in... I like what Arizona is all about.

Things are a little slower paced in Arizona. People eat dinner late at night (to beat the heat) in Arizona. I get to lounge by the pool from 8am-9am in Arizona. Glenn has cable in Arizona, which means I get to watch all things Kardashian in Arizona. Most items are a little bit cheaper in Arizona. John McCain is the Senator in Arizona. And, most importantly, they make a mean cappuccino in Arizona.

Introducing #3 to Cucina Urbana

2010-06-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

As you well know from this post, my new favorite food hang out is Cucina Urbana, where I hug Gabriel hello (best. server. ever.) and then have fun eating delicious foods or introducing people I love to the delicious foods. When my sisters came to town (because we went on a sisters trip to Hawaii! 3 years in the making! It actually happened! More on that later!) and Kimberly (#3) and I realized we needed to find something to occupy our Saturday evening, I instantly knew we would be going to that sweet spot on 5th and Laurel.

Our courses, in order of appearance:

Perfect summer chardonnay. Medium bodied with just enough crispness to make you go "oh yea, it is summer!" and smile as you see 150 Critical Mass bicyclists (most of them wearing little to no clothing) riding by, despite how disturbing this sight may be.

The nightly Bruschetta platter. Here we have house-cured duck prosciutto with lingonberry preserves and goat cheese, roasted tomato and home-made ricotta with basil and balsamic reduction, and French brie with house-cured coppa (I think... could be mistake on the meat) and arugula.

The burger. She prepares for her first bite.

She digs in.

She realizes it's delicious and makes this "mmm, that's good" face.

She can't stop smiling.

Moral of the story: eat at Cucina Urbana! I do have a friend who happens to also be a fabulous photographer with a big curly blonde afro who didn't love it as much as I do... he says my taste is too sophisticated for him... but I'm telling you it's DE-LISH.

BLT's

2010-06-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Being on my own for a little while, I've had to figure out things that are fairly simple to cook, and also cost-effective. There's nothing worse than whipping up a huge meal, slaving for hours over it, and realizing you have to then eat it and clean up the whole mess all by yourself. Enter the BLT. My Mom used to make us BLT's every once in a while, and I always loved them. Crunchy bacon, toast, fresh lettuce, and a little bit of tomato? It's even almost healthy!

Start with bacon. Good bacon. I use Boar's Head but other great brands are Farmer John and Niman Ranch. VERY IMPORTANT: do not heat up the pan before putting the bacon on it!! Lay the bacon down on a COLD pan or griddle, and then turn the heat on. This will allow the bacon to stay as close to its original form as possible, and not crinkle up into little rounds that do not work well for sandwich-making.

See how straight these bacon strips are? That's what you want.

While the bacon is cooking, place 2 piece of your favorite bread into the toaster. We want a nice crunch, but not so much that grandma loses her dentures when taking a bite.

Mayonaise is a standard on BLT's. I happen to hate plain mayo, so I chose a thin spread of ranch dressing instead. You are welcome to use any type of sauce, or omit the sauce if you are a sauce-o-phobe like my husband.

Next up, tomatoes. I like to use yellow or heirloom tomatoes to give it a little more flavor, but any good fresh tomato will do. Sprinkle it lightly with sea or kosher salt.

By now you should have been able to flip the bacon (I recommend cooking it for approximately 3 minutes on the first side, and then about 2 minute on the second. I like my bacon very crunchy because I don't like actually feeling like I'm gnawing on fat.)

Add a thin slice of crisp lettuce (I use Romaine) to the sandwich, layer on the bacon, and voila! Dinner (for one) is served.

My Friend Who...

2010-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have friend at work. Her name is Erin. She's a fairly new friend but we've hit it off pretty well. Our boss calls us the dynamic duo, which I pretended to think was lame but actually think is pretty cool. Erin took this picture. It's awful. But she took it, and posts are always more fun with pictures, so I'm posting it.

My friend Erin loves food. She loves food almost as much as I do. She also loves ME, so, really, this friendship offers me only good things. Does that make me selfish? Maybe. We live in a selfish society. I can blame society for my issues like all of Reality TV does, right? The one sad part of my being friends with Erin is that she is only working with us temporarily... and that temporary is coming to an end very soon. Like any sane and encouraging friend/co-worker would do, I have convinced Erin that we need to eat lunch out every day until she leaves. Who am I kidding, it didn't take very much convincing. Unless you consider my convincing the scale to not go up every day... but that's when we start pointing the finger at Arizona.

So my food and Kristin-loving friend Erin and I have been eating lunch together for the past few weeks and it's been fun. With a capital F. Fun. I typically allow myself one or two lunches out every week. Eating lunch out every day has its challenges. Where to go every day, for example. Should we do an old stand-by like Nordstrom Cafe (which I introduced Erin to, thankyouverymuch) or Urbane down the street? Do we try something new like Z Pizza or Noodles & Company? Do we eat on campus? No, we don't eat on campus. Who wants to eat on campus when the world of San Diego lunch places is at your finger tips? I digress.

Anyway, I think I'm digressing even more than originally intended because now I'm forgetting why I'm even writing this post... except to say that food is awesome, friends are awesome, and friends who love food are hands down the best kind to have around. Wouldn't you agree, Erin?

Look What I Found

2010-05-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

So when your husband leaves town, and leaves you in charge of the home and all things home-related, here is what happens.

I was calmly walking to the laundry room (by which I mean junk-filled garage, naturally) to be responsible and do the laundry (typically the husband's responsibility, duh) and found this horrifying creature. DEAD. Bugs crawling out of its eyes.

Naturally, I had to take a picture and then avoid its general vicinity for several hours until I got over it and just ignored the thing while I finished what I started - the white load. The creepiest part of this whole situation wasn't just that I found it, but that the next day, it was gone. Kind of makes me sick to my stomach, actually. Gross. Sorry.

Arizona Makes You Fat

2010-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Arizona's been getting a lot of flack lately, and I'm jumping right on that bandwagon and telling them they are the reason for my jiggly middle. Consider this my very own public service announcement and warning against Arizona.

I'm a fairly health conscious California girl. I eat vegetables. I run. I partake in the group torture called CrossFit. Then my husband up and moved to Arizona.

Ok I guess I'm being a little dramatic. He didn't exactly up and move to Arizona. He has been working really hard so that I can continue pursuing my dreams which, believe it or not, probably won't wind up making me any money... I digress. Anyway, he was offered a great *temporary* opportunity in Arizona and I was completely supportive but like pretending to throw him under the bus because, well, that's what I do. All this to say, Arizona is going to be getting a lot of the Murdock dollars because this wife enjoys actually spending time with her husband.

As I was saying, here in California I am pretty healthy. I enjoy being active and treat myself to frozen yogurt instead of brownie sundaes on most weekends. In Arizona, even in May, it's too flipping hot to do anything but find the closest Anthropologie, watch TV on the couch in an air conditioned apartment, and go out to dinner after dark. Just walking through the Costco parking lot I broke a sweat! I tried to be healthy last weekend when I visited the hubs and his new digs, but look what happened. I consider myself a victim here, and refuse any personal responsibilities you may think I have.

Friday night: I fly in. I get picked up in a gas-guzzling Dodge that kind of looks like a superhero car and has awesome air conditioning. We get lost. For 2 hours. [This explains the next day's Costco trip to get a GPS.] We are so hungry we could eat anything. But you know when you're THAT hungry, everything and nothing sound good? We drive around for at least 30 minutes looking at place after place, strip mall after strip mall. We settle on Texas Roadhouse. ?!?!?!?. I order a beer. ??!?!?!?!?!. We consume at least 3 times more calories than normal Californians should consume.

Saturday: I put on my running clothes, figuring I will at least get a power walk in. I drop G off at work. I attempt to find the Costco that was down the street. It takes 25 minutes. I break a sweat walking into Costco. "Did you know wine is less expensive in Arizona? I love Arizona!" I find the GPS, a bottle of Conundrum, a Pinot Grigio, string cheese, a massive pink towel for the pool, and granola. I break a sweat walking out of Costco. I still haven't eaten breakfast.

Insert another story here -- Glenn offered to get me breakfast near his work, but I decided I needed to be healthy after Friday's Texas sweet roll and rib attack. I stopped by a Starbucks to get a low-fat breakfast sandwich with egg whites only and they were out. Convinced I would find another healthy option between where I was and home, I kept driving. There were NO options that were not fast food. My choices at this point are to starve and then be in a food mood, or to choose between Burger King, Wendy's and Chick-fil-A. Back to the timeline.

I choose Chick-fil-A. I order a biscuit with egg and cheese. I plan to only eat half of the biscuit and get my protein fix in a non-fried form to at least be *moderately* nutritious. I take my order back to the apartment to eat in the air conditioning. They gave me a CHICKEN biscuit with egg and cheese! I ate almost all of it. Sabotage. Arizona hates me.

5 Half Marathons in 1 Year!

2010-04-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to get into the Nike Women's Marathon for the last 4 years. A weekend in San Francisco. A chocolate mile. Pedicure and manicure stations. Firefighters in tuxedos handing you a Tiffany necklace as you cross the finish line. Could running long distance get any sweeter? So many people want to run this race that they have a 'random drawing' to determine who gets in. I have never been picked, and have been disappointed every year, but have stayed hopeful for the next year.

THIS IS MY YEAR!

Seven friends and I put together a group, registered for the race together, and found out this morning that our group was selected!! I have been freaking out all day because I'm so excited that this 'bucket list' (I hate that phrase - is there a better one that means the same thing??) race is actually going to happen for me before 2010 is over.

Interestingly enough, 2010 is also the year I decided I would run the Triple Crown - three Half Marathons in San Diego County ran within the same calendar year. If all goes as planned, I will run FIVE half marathons this year. I can't think of a better 'last race' for this season than the Nike Women's Half Marathon.

Did I mention I was excited????!!!!!

Stuff I Like - round two, I think.

2010-04-06T10:18:00.001-07:00

With spring rolling in (April showers! Bring us more!) and the scent of fresh lilac and stinky mulch wafting through the air every morning as I walk from the parking structure to my office, I am reminded of just how lucky I am to live in this beautiful city. This morning started out like any regular morning - I worked out, I rushed home and managed to actually leave on time, I got on the freeway and realized there was no traffic, so I decided to make a pit stop at Coffee Bean for some iced tea. Iced tea lovers, I am telling you, once you ditch Starbucks for Coffee Bean, you'll never be satisfied by those green tea lemonades again. Coffee Bean offers different flavors of iced tea EVERY DAY! Back to my morning... being the sweet little assistant that I am, I called my boss to see if she wanted me to pick her up a Tuesday morning treat, too. She did, so I did. Large iced tea and iced mocha in hand, I drove to work, walked past aforementioned flowers and stinky mulch into my building, and gently rested the top of the drinks on my chest so I could unlock the door without spilling everything. That's when it happened. A massive drop of iced mocha planted itself on the top of my crisp white top. No amount of dabbing could get it out, so I promptly buttoned my cardigan and am pretending I was supposed to wear it this way.

In honor of my ruined top, here is today's Stuff I Like, which I think I'm going to make a regular part of my blog just because it's fun.

1. The Coffee Bean. Seriously people, how did I live without it? I told Glenn that if the Starbucks on Linda Vista and Napa were a Coffee Bean, I would use all of my spending money ($20 a week!) there every week and would not regret it one bit. It's relatively inexpensive, has amazing iced teas, small little crushed-ice cube things, and purple straws!!!!

2. Cardigans that fit, even when buttoned. Today's fiasco is proof of the importance of this, but honestly - when you have a cardigan that looks good both buttoned and unbuttoned, you should never let it go. That is why I wear mine almost daily. Thank you, Gap.

3. Easter baskets! Glenn put together the cutest Easter basket for me - it included a book I am so excited to read, a mini muffin tin, and some 'lounge shorts' as he calls them. So sweet, and useful!

4. Bronson Pate. He's one of the nicest guys around, has crazy hair, and has helped me in unfathomable ways over the past year as I've slowly been creating a new blog and brand that I can't wait to unveil! Plus, he's a great photographer and I refer all of my friends to him because, come on, he's pretty much the best.

Menu Planning

2010-03-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight our dear friends Chris and Kelly Reynolds are coming over for dinner. We have had many lovely dinners with the Reynolds fam, like when we experimented with Thomas Keller, or when we had an 8 course Valentine's Day.

Tonight's meal is a little different. Nothing super experimental, although there are a few new items that will be first attempts. Tonight, you see, we say farewell to these dear friends. I wish we were just saying "Bon Voyage" and could welcome them back in a few weeks, but no, that is not the case. Tonight we say goodbye to living within 15 minutes of each other, to watching embarrassing TV shows together every week, to singing (screaming) along to old-school mix tapes while stuck in traffic... to a great couple that was willing to try all sorts of new things with us -- from stinky cheese and mussels to Kelly letting me run alongside her for her first half marathon.

To Chris and Kelly: We will miss you dearly, but boy are we gonna have fun tonight! And with that, I present this evening's menu. Double click to make it big enough to actually read.

Finally Becoming a 'Regular'

2010-03-22T15:53:00.001-07:00

*image courtesy of www.sdurbankitchen.net*

I, like most of us, have always wanted to be a 'regular' at a restaurant I love. When Glenn, Matt and I would go to C-Level for what we dubbed "Month-End Dinner" -- I thought that would be our place. Didn't happen. I think it's too big, so even though some of the servers recognize us, there are far too many sections to be seated in and far too many servers to get to know one or two of them well.

Enter my new favorite 'casual but still delicious' eating establishment in San Diego -- Cucina Urbana. I had kind of been sick of the San Diego food scene, with the exception of Market, and frustrated that the one place I loved would cost me $300 every time I ate there. THEN I read something about Cucina Urbana, saw that reservations were hard to come by (always a good sign), checked out the menu online (everything is under $20! what! i must go!) and turned 28. The turning 28 piece is relevant because Matt and Jessica took me out to dinner for my birthday, and let me pick anywhere I wanted to go... naturally, I had to pick this hot new place I was dying to try.

It was a week before we wanted to go, and the only reservation they had available for the date was 9:45pm. I made it. For some reason I decided to check OpenTable the day of our reservation, and someone must have had a last minute cancellation because a 5:45 slot had opened up! I promptly switched times, and boy am I glad I did, because Cucina Urbana is a place you want to be able to spend hours.

In the *heart* of Banker's Hill -- aka right between Little Italy and Balboa Park -- Cucina Urbana is fresh and modern, but also cute and cozy. They have a bar and common tables for those who weren't lucky enough to secure a reservation, as well as tables along the walls and throughout the restaurant. The space is filled with decorative pillows, low-hung chandelier-like lights, and vintage magazine and poster prints. Jessica, who has the most discriminating atmosphere taste of all of us, instantly fell in love.

We took our seats and our waiter, Gabriel, introduced himself to us. He described his favorite dishes in each section of the menu, explained that sharing everything is his favorite way to go (sharing food! my love language!), and recommended a wine in the under $30 range he said would be excellent for what we wanted. ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME?!?!?!?! It was my turn to fall in love. Not with Gabe, as we now know him, although he is our favorite server and we have since requested him and learned more about his life and loves, but with the place as a whole.

In true birthday fashion, we ordered half the menu. I have my food soul mate, Matt Hughes, to thank for this. "Why wouldn't we get 5 appetizers, 4 entrees, a bottle of wine, and dessert?" My sentiments exactly. It's not gluttony, it's enjoying life and the abundance God has blessed us with.

The stars of the evening were the gnudi (not quite as good as Spotted Pig's, but still delicious and better than this attempt), the goat cheese and apricot spread (which, unfortunately, they have removed to make room for new spring flavors), the fried squash blossoms, the pork chop, the black cod, and the ravioli. Yes, we did order more than what I just listed out.

Since this fabulous birthday treat of an evening, I have had the pleasure of returning to Cucina Urbana 3 more times. Every time has been equally exciting, and every time I have tried something new. The burger is out of this world -- in a category of its own as far as I'm concerned. The dessert menu is boring, or so you would think by reading the descriptions, but I tell you it rivals Extraordinary Desserts as most delicious sweets in San Diego. The service is always excellent, especially when you have the pleasure of sitting in Gabe's section. And the ravioli, perfect pillows of pasta that pair excellently with pinot noir. Tried to include more P's in that sentence but I didn't want to push it.

Cucina Urbana

505 Laurel Street

San Diego, CA 92101

www.sdurbankitchen.com

Vocalize Your Dreams

2010-03-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about the future, about my dreams, about what in the world my goals are a lot lately. I know my over-arching goal in life is, and has always been, to have a positive influence on people, helping to mold and develop them into the best leaders they can be, and thus help them grow closer to Christ. As for a goal for what I want to "be" or "do" or what not -- I am 28 and still uncertain.

Earlier this week I was reading Jasmine Star's blog (a photographer in Orange County), and was challenged by her three-step approach to moving forward in this area. Here is what she said, with my commentary beneath each step.

1. Set your goal

This seems simple enough, but the more I think about it, the more confused I get. What in the world is my goal? Is my goal to make a living writing about and experiencing foods around the world? Is my goal to work my way up in College Student Affairs and help students grow? Is my goal to be a stay-at-home whatever? Is my goal to be a leadership consultant to small businesses, churches, and other organizations? Setting a goal is a much more difficult task than simply reaching into the hat and picking one.

2. Vocalize your dreams to your trusted allies.

This completely makes sense, and yet is utterly horrifying at the same time. I like that she says to share your dreams with "trusted allies" and not just "vocalize your dreams." There is such vulnerability in saying your dreams out loud, even to people who are close friends. I know when I started this blog, and as I continue to dream about its growth, nervousness creeps over me when I think about telling people what my hopes and aspirations for it are. I mean, what if it doesn't happen? What if they think my ideas and dreams are lame? What if I fail?

This last question is one that haunts me in almost every area of my life. What if I fail?

Failure. Nobody likes it, nobody wants it, and yet we are trapped in mediocre lifestyles because we are so afraid this thing, failure, will take over. Another thing Jasmine Star said in her post was that it was better to fail at something you love than to succeed at something you hate. Ick. The thought of this gets to me on a deep level and totally challenges the things I am doing and ways I am living every day.

3. Create an action plan to make things happen.

This, step 3, seems like the fun part. And the easy part. Once I figure out my goal and vocalize my dream, what is left to lose? All I can do is win, and creating an action plan almost always ends in some sort of win, even if it's just the fact that I MADE the action plan! Of course, this step doesn't come until you've gone through the harder stuff, and of course there is still the chance your dreams will be crushed and you will fail... but I have have have to trust that, even if I fail, I will be the happiest in the long run if I pursue what I love.

I will keep you posted on the further development of these thoughts, as well as some of my dreams (is the entire world wide web a trusted ally? probably not...) as I slowly narrow them down and give them each their own name. Until then, here is a fun picture from a photo shoot I did several months ago for my *new* blog ... courtesy of the fabulous Bronson Pate!

Streeeesssss.

2010-02-22T15:17:00.001-08:00

Here's the deal. I'm applying for grad school. I am horrified at the thought of submitting this application, but it's due by Monday of next week.

I'm going to Indigo Grill tonight and am hoping that will relieve some of the anxiety I have in relation to the above. Or, in therapy we do this exercise where you think of a place that has no negative strings attached in any way, and just envision yourself there. Maybe in 5 minutes I can transport myself back here.

Featured on Fine Times!

2010-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I was asked to be a guest writer on the ever-awesome Fine Times! They asked me to write about some great 'pairings' and you can read it HERE!

While you're there, check out the other fun stuff these great guys put together on their blog, and leave them some love!

Wish List

2010-02-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last night I picked up two bottles of the 2007 Tandem Pinot Noir. I say I 'picked them up' because that is precisely what I did. I received an e-mail from my favorite San Diego sommelier about a great deal on this wine, and as you all know my weakness for a good Pinot Noir, I had to jump at the opportunity. So, as I was thinking about what a beautiful spring evening would look like with me and a few friends sipping glass-fuls of the light red substance, I also envisioned what I would be wearing.

Here is a silly little 'clipping' of what is currently on my 'clothing' wish list, and what I think would pair perfectly with a warm April evening in San Diego. Yes I did just skip right over March. Who needs it? Spring Break is the only good thing it brings.

This list consists of things I have wanted forever (the diamonds) and things I am thinking about spending my birthday money on (the converse). The diamonds are Elsa Peretti, in her most recent Diamonds by the Yard collection which she has decided to market to the poor girls who want to look rich, and now offers in silver instead of only platinum, thus decreasing the cost by a good $1100+ per necklace. What I really want to do is wear 3 of these necklaces, all at slightly different lengths. Two of the 'single' diamonds, and one of the 'by the yard' that has 5 or 6 small diamonds along the chain.

Next up we have Joe's boyfriend fit jean shorts. I have always loved jean shorts (just not on men) and am excited they are coming back!! I have also always loved anything with the word 'boyfriend' in it. I'm not sure why, it just seems comfortable and fun.

Has anyone tried these converse? They are "low" and have a thinner sole than the normal converse, thus making them more 'streamlined' (their word, not mine) and, I am thinking these would look great with jeans, shorts, or casual skirts and dresses. What say you? This is probably the most 'realistic' purchase on this list, as I can actually afford them with above mentioned birthday money.

Gap grey cardigan. Hello. I bought this cardigan in navy blue and wear it EVERY day. It's a problem. I absolutely need it in more colors, and grey is the perfect 'go with anything' spring choice! Plus, my sister works for Gap so she alerts me to any special 'family and friends' days... this is definitely on the list of must haves for my next shopping splurge.

Navy striped flowy tee from, where else, Anthropologie. I need to stop stepping into the store, or going to their online store, because every time I do I leave with a list of $2000 worth of items I could convince myself I need RIGHT. NOW. I love the stripes and where the seam changes in the middle. Flirty, fresh, fun. Just like bubble gum!

Michael Kors gold watch. Need I say more? I love gold. And I need a watch. There, I said more.

An Evening with Thomas Keller

2010-02-02T14:17:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, for my birthday, Blair bought me The French Laundry cookbook. I was enthralled and longed for the day I would be crazy enough to make something out of it. This year, for Christmas, Glenn bought me the Bouchon cookbook. Same super-chef, a little more do-able. I was so inspired by reading all of Thomas Keller's secrets to making simple food taste the best it possibly can I decided to host a small dinner party where everything we ate would be from the Bouchon cookbook.

The day started with garlic infused olive oil, which I would use for the mussels later in the meal. You cook the garlic in olive oil over extremely low heat, until the garlic is so soft it will spread with a butter knife, and the olive oil is perfectly garlicky.

At this point I had also made a brine for the chickens I would be roasting. Typically when I have brined meats I have done a very simple mix of salt, water, and a few seasonings. This brine was much more complex and included a lot of garlic, onion and spices, which I brought to a boil and then allowed to cool to room temperature. Of course I didn't realize it needed to cool to room temperature until I was already behind, so I surrounded the pot of warm liquid with ice (in the sink) and that helped cool it off nicely. I placed the chickens in the brine, and let it all hang out in the refrigerator for about 5 hours.

While the garlic and chicken in brine were resting, I prepared the almond cake (topped with strawberry compote, which I also prepared at this time). Once the cake was finished baking, I immediately placed sliced toasted almonds on top of it so they would stick. As the cake cooled, I dusted it (quite heavily) with powdered sugar and let it and the compote hang out until it was time for dessert.

Our 1st course was a lovely hericot verts salad with fresh tomato and a perfectly boiled egg. We all devoured our salads so quickly I was not able to snap a photograph!

We moved from salad course into a first course of mussels with saffron and white wine - a classic Bistro dish. This was my friend Kelly's first time eating mussels. I had her help me pull off the beards and she was really going for it, until she realized the mussels were still alive at that point, and she screamed and threw the mussel she was holding back in the sink. All mussels died peacefully in a perfect steam of butter, white wine, and fresh herbs, and Kelly was able to eat them with plenty of crusty bread.

I firmly believe the key to this chicken being so flavorful is all in the preparation. The chickens were removed from the brine and then I trussed them. I have been intimidated by trussing, as well as anything else involving tying or cutting up a whole bird/animal, so I just had to convince myself this was something I was capable of and would learn to do well. Thomas Keller explains trussing quite well, and after only 2 failed attempts, here are my trussed chickens.

Pretty good for my first trussing! The only seasoning the chickens require is a liberal sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. They are placed on the stove (in an oven-proof pan) over high heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil, then immediately placed into a 450 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. All Keller tells you to do once the chickens are finished cooking is baste them with the pan juices once or twice and then sprinkle with fresh thyme. Here is a great picture of half of one of the chickens once it had been plated a top a medley of sauteed mushrooms.

This picture is super blurry, sorry about that, but you can see a few more details of the chicken. I also topped it with a bit of fresh flat leaf parsley, on Keller's recommendation.

After all of these courses (and of course a couple of glasses of unoaked chardonnay to accompany this lovely meal!) we sat back and prepared for a little slice of Bouchon heaven - almond cake with strawberry compote, topped with sweetened, whipped, creme fraiche. I don't think any words are necessary once you see this picture, but I will tell you it was absolutely the most fantastic ending to my Very Thomas Keller evening.

Wait, I have a blog? And other recent discoveries...

2010-01-21T15:44:00.001-08:00

Remembering chilly and rainy months of November and December - filled with holidays and excessive amounts of food, are a great reason to welcome myself back to the blogosphere. The truth is, I would love it if I could put all of my creative energy into blogging, but until I have the luxury of being a stay at home wife, that's probably not going to happen. One of the primary reasons I am not currently the picturesque 1953 wife in an apron with nothing better to do than run to the butcher and pour my husband scotch on the rocks when he comes home after a long day of work (side note - I am not, in any way, mocking this lifestyle... as previously stated... it is my heart's truest desire! bring on the whiskey!) is money. Since we were slightly lower on cash this year than previous holiday seasons, I decided to give "experiences" as my Christmas presents. My favorite such experi-gift was for my mother-in-law and her mother - Granny!

What could be a better gift for two lovely ladies than an afternoon of high tea prepared by their favorite* daughter/grand-daugher in law? *The term favorite is one I have given myself. I am choosing to ignore the fact that I a) stole away their beloved youngest boy Glenn and b) have yet to produce any type of offspring for them to play with. I don't even have a cat. And yet I am sure I am still their favorite, and will continue to live life as if I am. Because I'm usually right... right?

Kristin's Holiday High Tea Menu:

Julia Child's quiche lorraine (added a bit of my own touch to this by including red pepper flakes and not boiling the bacon but just pan-frying it)

cucumber sandwiches with salted sweet cream butter

shrimp curry sandwiches (from the Williams Sonoma Entertaining cookbook)

currant scones (also from Williams Sonoma Entertaining cookbook)

whipped cream (didn't have the time to go out and find the real 'clotted' stuff)

fresh strawberries and pineapple

Godiva white chocolate peppermint bark

pomegranate spritzer, which I made by putting a splash of pomegranate juice in each glass of Perrier sparkling water (served in chilled champagne glasses)

Japanese Cherry green tea

PG Tips English Breakfast tea

A few notes on the menu items before I wrap up here; the quiche was quite possibly the best quiche I have ever made. Julia has you cut up a tablespoon of butter and sprinkle the top of the quiche with it before baking, which added even more of that luxurious creamy flavor. I made the pie crust, then put the bacon and cheese at the bottom, and covered it with the egg mixture.

The scones turned out perfectly crumbly - something that comes only from touching and mixing the dough as little as possible before putting it in the oven. If there is one thing I can say about scones: DO NOT OVER-MIX! The less you touch the dough, the better. You want the ingredients barely combined.

We laughed and ate and then ate and laughed some more, a perfect (and inexpensive!) way to show two special women how much you appreciate them. To top it all off, now that we are only a week away from my birthday, these lovely in-laws of mine have invited me to experience high tea at a cute English tea shoppe in town. Yippee!

Feasting

2009-12-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

A sampling of the menus I have been privileged to enjoy over the past couple of weeks:

Post-run breakfast:

Mexican hot chocolate

Crispy rosemary potatoes with scrambled eggs, jalapeno slices, and chives

Blackberry pancakes

Christmas Themed Dinner Party

crostini with smoked, aged, Norwegian goat cheese

mixed greens tossed with pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, pistachios, and walnuts

rack of lamb with roasted garlic and red wine reduction

cedar plank grilled salmon

mashed yukon potatoes with broccoli and cauliflower

fresh sauteed asparagus

pumpkin mousse pie

*this dinner was accompanied by 2 delightful wine pairings*

"The" After-Party (exclusive event at our home- that's all I can say)

aged white cheddar (served with apple slices and crackers)

Quailhurst Vineyard 2003 Nassau Valley Estate Pinot Noir - one of the best bottles of wine I've had this year

Tree Lighting Ceremony

Bronx Pizza - Margherita and pepperoni with green bell pepper

Mixed greens with roasted chicken and balsamic vinaigrette

Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay

Happy weekend, friends!

Reading

2009-12-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

The past month has flittered by without me so much as realizing it was gone. Here we are, in early December, with Bing Crosby ringing holiday cheer out of my computer speakers.

Although I have not had the opportunity to do a ton of cooking this month, I have been doing a lot of eating AND a lot of reading. The eating part is significantly less unique than the reading part, which is something I rarely have the time to do. It started on my Hawaiian vacation with two of the world's greatest and most precious (to me) people, Julie and Ryan. Being the perfect vacation, and the perfect vacationing couples, each of us had a handful of books we were excited to read on the beach and by the pool. As previously stated, I am usually not a big reader, so I limited my books to two. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffner and Annie Barrows. I thoroughly enjoyed each of these books, surprising myself with the speed at which I finished them. Each book was made even more enjoyable with the addition of a strawberry mint spritzer - fresh strawberry puree, fresh mint leaves, sparkling water, and a hint of some other flavoring I could not distinguish.

Where eating is concerned, my meals have ranged from fresh caught local Hawaiian fish, seared perfectly just for me and served either in corn tortillas or on a bed of sauteed vegetables to whole Maryland crabs that poked through my skin as I tried to crack them open, spurring on tears and me questioning whether or not I really wanted to work that hard for my food. (I did.) It also included a nice, heavy, home-made Italian meal made by me and my Mom, who is not Italian at all but we still had fun going through her old cookbooks and coming up with the most fattening post-Thanksgiving menu we could. For the curious, it involved prosciutto, fontina, lots of butter and cream, and fresh sage leaves.

In a nutshell, I think that sums up my November. Now to come up with some great recipes for the annual Christmas Chill.

Harvest Party

2009-11-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

In honor of the turning of the leaves (yes, even here in San Diego our leaves turn!) Glenn and I threw a Harvest Party a few weeks ago. I made two soups: Cheddar Corn Chowder and the Ultimate Beef Stew. I call it the "ultimate" beef stew because that is what the actual title was, thank you Tyler Florence for your cute smile and naming everything "ultimate". And it was delicious, so that helps. Mary made a stew that might have been the hit of the evening - Mulligatawny - Indian curry soup with chicken.

I had corn chowder coming out of my ears for the next week and eventually had to throw out a few bowlfuls, burned the blueberry muffins (both times), and Glenn mixed The Perfect Storm all evening - a cocktail a good friend of ours created for a recent Finer Things Club meeting. The best part of the night, however, was getting together with friends and sharing a simple, comforting bowl of soup, a glass of oaky chardonnay, and many laughs. I have missed these moments - long time friends coming together, new connections being made between friends of friends, and laughter echoing throughout our patio and home. This is the reason I cook, the reason I love to entertain, and what I was created for.

** I made this silly flyer and e-mailed it to everyone to save paper and money - made on a Mac. :)**

Kristin Loves...

2009-10-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

1. Groupon

My best friend Julie told me about Groupon, before it was available in San Diego. She found all sorts of fun places to go to in Boston and explained how these "group coupons" work. Groupon is fairly new to San Diego, but so far I have purchased a handful of lovely options for 50% off or more! Today's deal, which has been my favorite so far, is for afternoon tea at Tea Upon Chatsworth, which is one of my favorite San Diego tea shops. I bought one, and am thinking about buying another. Who doesn't love high tea?

2. Bangs and fall pins

Although bangs tend to make me look like a 5 year old, I don't really mind. Ever since Stuff White People Like mocked girls with bangs, I have decided it was just the thing for me. Seriously, though, how fun are they? And fall pins with feathers in them make bangs even more exciting.

3. Vacation. Need I say more?

Heaven

2009-10-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

For the last month, all I have craved is a Bread and Cie croissant and a cappucino, made fresh just for me. I imagined myself sitting, ever so cooly, in the cute Hillcrest cafe reading an awesome magazine or of-the-moment book. I would, of course, be wearing something just trendy enough and every gay man that walked by would compliment the way I chose to spend my Saturday afternoon.

The reality of Saturday's to-do lists often interfere with my imaginary afternoon snacks, as the laundry, grocery store, and dirty dishes pile up in front of me. Not this Saturday, though. I found an excuse to run an errand in Hillcrest, and spent an hour with these three good friends. My own little piece of heaven.

Out Sick

2009-10-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been out sick for what seems like eternity, but in reality has only been a week. Finally back among the land of the living, I am prepared to share with you what I have been eating in my illness:

matzo ball soup

mish mash soup

chicken noodle soup

scrambled eggs with toast

Yes, folks, it really has been an exciting week. More fun stories soon!

~Kristin

Gourmet Closes it's Doors

2009-10-05T11:09:00.001-07:00

I am honestly in shock. I can only imagine how the staff of Gourmet feels. They are closing their doors. Cleaning out their desks. Done for good.

Thank you, Gourmet, and their awesome Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichl for helping encourage my deep love for food and wine, as well as helping me create some of the most fun meals I have had.

No Winner...

2009-09-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, unfortunately there was no winner in my contest so I guess I'll just keep the $5 and buy myself an iced tea later today. Here were the CORRECT answers:

1. Pineapple (duh - if you had guessed that one wrong, we would need to have some words)

2. Shrimp Tempura roll (sushi is an acceptable answer I guess.)

3. Carne Asada (Kimberly, I am particularly disappointed in you for not knowing this. You need to move back because apparently you have forgotten everything.)

4. Pad Thai

Things I Ate - Weekend Edition

2009-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is a list, in picture form, of things I ate this weekend. See if you can guess what they are.

I will mail a $5 bill to the first person that guesses all of them correctly. Yay, prizes!

My Mom's Blog

2009-09-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

My Mom saw Julie & Julia this past weekend and decided to do her own version of Julie Powell's blog, but with Ina Garten cookbooks! Of course everyone will be in love with everything she makes, because, come on, every recipe Ina has ever created is scrumptious.

Here is the fun thing about my Mom's blog: my Mom is HILARIOUS. Seriously, she's so funny. If you have ever met her, you will understand just how funny she is without even meaning to be funny. Her blog is totally her, too. Another fun thing about my Mom: she writes in a similar style to mine. (Meaning, she writes in the best style ever.)

Check out her blog sometime if you care to, you may get some ideas for yummy Ina recipes!!

http://www.tiredcook.blogspot.com (I helped her come up with that name - heck yes.)

Restaurant Week Re-Cap

2009-09-21T15:06:00.001-07:00

I will try to keep this post short because, sadly, I have no pictures from last week's edible adventures.

Tuesday night we hit up Kemo Sabe - in addition to some great faves being on the menu, they also were running a $10 bottle of wine special. HELLO. We took the bro and sis in law and feasted our hearts out. One bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, one bottle of Malbec. Three courses each. Yumm.

We took it easy the rest of the week and saved ourselves for Friday night's feast at Suite & Tender. It was super fun trying out a new restaurant, and this place is the hippest of the hip. I will briefly describe the foods we ate and what I thought of them, and then give you my top 3 moments of the night.

Kristin Ate:

Maple Glazed Bacon (shared with Caitlin)

Alaskan King Crab and Veal Tenderloin (side note -when I ordered this, the waiter told me the veal was served medium rare and asked if that was ok. I said "Yes, I love raw baby cow." His response: "Excellent!")

Tropical Baked Alaska

Favorite part was the entree - the veal was very tender and quite flavorful, served with a roasted brussel sprout slaw. The crab was soaking in butter which made it equally delicious.

Other items on the menu that our friends sampled were pork belly served with seared scallops, braised short rib with lobster claw, heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, and the Suite and Tender cheesecake, which was nothing like cheesecake at all but more of a cheesecake flavored ice cream whip thing covered in milk chocolate and drizzled with passion fruit coulis. Excellent!

I think what I enjoyed the most about Suite & Tender was that it was something different, that I had the opportunity to try pork belly which I have never had before, and that it was somewhere totally not "me" as far as personality, yet I didn't feel uncomfortable or like I didn't belong. Now on to my favorite moments of the night.

1. The table-side cocktails. So fun. The waiter came out pushing a metal cart with every ingredient to each of our cocktails and mixed them right there for us.

2. The guy/girl bathroom. Sounds shady, but it was fun. The bathroom walls are made of millions of flat white pebbles, each of them shipped over from a beach in China where the architect was on vacation and decided he needed to have them for these bathroom walls. There is an attendant, so no one can behave badly, and the bathroom stall doors are floor to ceiling.

3. The steak knife selection. After the appetizers were cleared, the waiter came around with a lovely platter of steak knives for us to choose from. I chose the Global (clearly) but there were so many cool ones on there and I just loved the idea of choosing your own knife.

4. The Executive Chef delivered some of our meals. Love.

All in all, another great Restaurant Week.

See you in January,

Kristin

Kristin Loves...

2009-09-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

My friend Julie and I were chatting last night about how EVERYONE seems to be copying Jasmine Star's "Kisses and Disses." It's just too great and fun to not copy, though! So anyway, since I am Miss Positivity, I don't have any "disses" today, but I do want to share a couple of things I'm loving at the moment.

1. Cutter's Point Vache Mocha. Talk to me, College Area peeps. This place is the bomb-dizzle-dom. Free wi-fi, a plethora of plugs for your laptop, and home of the Vache Mocha, aka Liquid Crack. One sip and you're gone forever. It tastes like a grown up version of chocolate milk, just creamier.

2. My new work computer. From Dell desktop with way too many cords and viruses to this beauty. I'm pretty sure my boss is bribing me to stay forever, and I'm also pretty sure these bribes are working.

3. Real conversations. This one may be a little deep for a Friday morning, but I am sharing it nonetheless. Being real is vulnerable, scary, and sometimes embarrassing, yet when we are honest and truthful and REAL with each other we see growth and positive change. I have been honored this week to share in real conversation with a few great friends, and am reminded each time of the love, grace, commitment, and freedom God offers us. It also reminds me of a favorite quote from Clueless "Cause I'm keepin' it real, just keepin' it real."

Happy weekending!

~Kristin

My Attempt at Gnudi

2009-09-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I tried to replicate the gnudi they serve at The Spotted Pig. My friend Mary sent me a recipe and it seemed simple enough, so I thought I would try it out. For the visual learners, here are the gnudi at the Spotted Pig.

And here are my gnudi.

Mine were good - particularly the fried sage leaves (yum - who knew butter and sage could taste so good together?) and I would recommend making them on a cool fall evening, but they lacked the plump texture of the Pig's, as well as the more dramatic flavor.

I will keep searching and trying out gnudi recipes that taste at least a little like the Pig's, until I move to New York and can dine in Greenwich Village every week. So send over your recipes, and I'll post something when we try them out.

~Kristin

San Diego Restaurant Week

2009-09-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked for this, so here it is. The "official" Kristin Murdock San Diego Restaurant Week 2009 Recommended Restaurant List. Wow that was a long title.

In the $20 category... my only recommendation is Athens Market. The other places, I feel, I wouldn't even spend $20 eating there on a regular night, so why spend that much during Restaurant Week which is supposed to be a "deal" of sorts? Anyway, if you choose to be a cheapskate and only do the $20 Restaurant Week restaurants, go to Athens Market and at least order the flaming cheese because it's most delightful.

The $30 gives us a few more options:

1. Currant Brasserie - A place I have yet to try but have been wanting to for over a year. It is located in the Sophia Hotel (cute) and has a very fun vintage style to it. I also like that you can watch the chef(s) preparing each meal from outside of the restaurant. It reminds me of Greenwich Village for some reason.

2. Kemo Sabe - a nice place to add to your "staples" as almost all Cohn restaurants are at least moderately trustworthy. Also a great place to use those Cohn gift cards you've been holding onto since last Christmas. They have better offerings this year on their RW menu than the other Cohn restaurants. Glenn and I are going to be taking his brother and sister-in-law out to Kemo Sabe on Tuesday night, so if you're there too, be sure to say hello.

3. Peohe's - yes it's boring, yes it's visited primarily by retired individuals, but come on - they have decent seafood, beautiful views, and it makes me feel like I'm in Hawaii every time I eat there. Worth $30 in my book.

4. Truluck's - this is a chain, which is a point against it, but I had never heard of it until it came to San Diego so I think it's still worth checking out. Their crab is the best I've ever tasted, and that includes one that I picked out while it was still alive on the wharf in San Francisco. If you make it to Truluck's, you must have two items:
1. crab
2. the chocolate bag

3. Suite and Tender - another place I have not yet been, but I'm going on Friday! James Beard award winning chef, deep, cushy leather seats, and a ridiculously trendy hotel are all reasons I am excited to try what San Diego magazine's critics dubbed the "best new restaurant" of 2008. Did I really just say that?

Now for the "glory" restaurants. The ones where you're really getting your money's worth. Those blessed $40 three course meals.
1. A. R. Valentien - fresh, seasonal ingredients, feel snooty because you are eating at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, which, yes, is where Justin Timberlake stayed last time he was in town.

2. Bertrand at Mr A's - although it's certainly not the best food in San Diego, it's a fun place and a legend. I love eating here because of the view, the service, and the fact that this has been "the" restaurant you never thought you could eat at ever since I was a little girl. Be warned, you will spend more than $40 on your meal, as they have easy ways to make it more extravagant and you'll feel the need to buy at least one glass of wine.

3. My new favorite place - Market Restaurant and Bar. Yumm. See here if you need more details than the fact that this is now my favorite place.

Restaurant Week is a great way to experience fun places around San Diego you normally would not have the opportunity to eat at, or at least not for under $100 a person. Happy feasting, and I look forward to seeing you all around town next week!

~Kristin

Summer Wrap-Up - Photo Style

2009-09-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

It seems I have no choice but to do an end of summer wrap-up post, including highlights from the summer and photo after photo. These posts generally wind up being the most popular, although I am not sure why. So here's what I did this summer, or at least a few of the things.

First, as seen above, we experienced the Prado's new spring/summer menu which included Milk & Cookies. I would recommend having this dessert, even though it may seem kind of boring. The "milk" was a vanilla bean pot de creme and quite lovely when each cookie was dipped in it. I enjoyed my dinner, and dessert, with a glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which I generally am opposed to ordering at a restaurant because it's so "known" and simple, but no one can deny it being a light and lovely summer wine. If you haven't tried it, head to Costco and buy yourself a bottle for only $14.

This summer I also attempted my first Beef Wellington. I didn't follow a recipe, and am not even sure what the traditional Beef Wellington consists of, other than I do believe there is some sort of offal in it, which I clearly omitted. I stuffed mine with sauteed mushrooms, herbs, and small filet mignons. Were I to make these again, I would add a flavorful sauce of sorts, and barely sear the outside of the filets before wrapping them in pastry dough.

A new BBQ place is in town(Frankie the Bull's on West Morena), and it's right down the street from USD (yay!). Andy, Blair and I set out to try it for lunch one day. The beef brisket was very flavorful, and the macaroni and cheese is tasty and made with real cheddar, the way mac and cheese should be. Sadly, so far I have not enjoyed anything else on the menu. It seems like, if you're looking for good BBQ in San Diego, Phil's is still the place to go.

We traveled to Seattle at the end of July for our good friend's Deanna and Caleb's wedding. We visited fun coffee shops, I bought shoes and pajama's at the flagship Nordstrom (a Kalleberg girl's mecca), and tried Theo chocolates - recommended by Caitlin and very delicious indeed. Yes that is Sheri's diet coke in the background.

The 5 of us (including Deanna) have been "the girls" since early high school. We had so much fun reconnecting, laughing, and sitting around the hotel bar sipping wine.

From Seattle I headed an hour (by plane) south and caught up with Liz and Doug in Napa. I already blogged quite a bit about CADE in Napa, so I got the general idea of our trip (awesome, wine and food filled... can't wait to do it again). Our Napa experience began with a picnic sitting in a vineyard - goat cheese, fresh baguette, and local artisan salami.

From Napa I had the joy of flying all the way across the country to see my best friend Julie, who I dearly miss, and who also has a baby growing inside of her. Look at that cute belly!

Along with a fun day in the city, I also had the opportunity to try a lobster roll for the first time. Julie and I decided we could make a better one. I think I would create a fresh herb filled lemon vinaigrette and toss the lobster in it, instead of mayonnaise. Maybe next time I'm at Point Loma Seafoods I'll pick up a couple of lobsters and attempt these at home.

On my last day in town, Julie and I welcomed Brian home from camp with a lovely grilled steak and garlic sandwich.

The summer ended, as it does every year, with Glenn's birthday. Swanky hotel, biking and cupcakes in Coronado, and a surprise trip to Disneyland. What a summer!

No Title Necessary

2009-09-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

I might have just eaten the best meal of my life. I'm not entirely sure, as I do love a good New York restaurant and have had excellent experiences there, but for San Diego dining, every bite I had tonight was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. "Best" meal is hard to define and very subjective, I know... I would, and probably always will, name the best meal of my life as dinner at the Napa Rose the night Glenn asked me to marry him. However, judging purely on ingredient and flavor, I have probably had a better meal. "Best" is all about the whole experience. And tonight was the "best" meal I've had in a while.

If you are wondering where to experience this deliciousness, please visit Market (former chef of Arterra, ummm... clearly it's awesome) in Del Mar and try everything on the menu. Started with cocktails, ended with a cappuccino. Details about the meal may emerge in future posts, but I had to share this nugget with you before I officially blogged about it.

And now for something completely different... my blog is boring. Not the actual verbiage (I hope) but the blog and design itself. I am working on it, so keep your judgements contained for the time being. My goal for a new site was mid-August. That obviously happened (not), so now the new goal is October. I probably won't actually listen to them, but suggestions are accepted, just leave them in the comments section.

Love and filled bellies to all,

Kristin

In The Zone

2009-08-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is what you eat 2 days before you meet with the CrossFit nutrition specialist.

Why? Because it's the best bagel in town. Why? Because you know that even though the nutrition plan you are committing to is so good for your body and will help you meet your goals faster, you will miss some of those guilty pleasure foods. Why? Because even though this new way of eating is not "low carb" - you're about 98.7% sure it does not include freshly baked salt bagels with mounds of chive cream cheese.

Oh, sweet carbo-loading, how I will miss you. I will not, however, miss the late 20's weight that seems so attached to me it refuses to leave. Excessive amounts of lettuce, here I come!

Wine Plus Me Equals Awesomeness

2009-08-04T16:35:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to vacation all over the country (thanks for the time off, boss!) and see friends I haven't seen in a looong time. One portion of my trip was spending 2.5 days in Napa Valley with the Blocksma family sipping our way from vineyard to vineyard, pretending to know what we were talking about as we breathed in young cabernet sauvignon and unoaked chardonnay.

We started Tuesday (well, Doug started at this point.. Liz and I had already been for a nice long walk, figured out our breakfast stop, and read half the New Testament) with an 11am appointment at CADE Winery. It took a bit to get up the hill, but once we finally found it and stepped onto the grounds, we realized the windy drive was worth it.

Stunning, isn't it? And that was taken on my iphone. The property was absolutely the most beautiful I have ever seen. We walked up, were ignored a little bit while the more snooty falooty individuals sipped their sauvignon blanc (excellent) and the blonde employee whose father happened to have been the poject manager on this property's construction, and who also happened to be wearing the orange Tory Burch flats I have been scrimping and saving for, explained to them exactly what they were tasting. She came over to us several minutes later, poured us a decent sampling of said sauvignon blanc (yep, still excellent) and answered any questions we had about the winery and property.

CADE is an extremely 'green' winery and is on track to be LEED certified, which I could care less about. It does mean, however, that if you have an electric car and can somehow make it all the way up the hill to CADE on just your power, you will have a place to plug in and sample $60-$200 bottles of wine while your vehicle charges. It also means that if you are trying to convince everyone around you that you are, as my mother would say "trying to go green", buying wine from them will probably work in your favor.

Let me cut to the chase. I loved CADE and would go back on my next trip to Napa without a doubt. The things I loved about it, however, had nothing to do with the 93 points Robert Parker gave them recently, or the fact that they have solar panels on their roof. I loved the view, the sauvignon blanc, and the fact that they have a chef who creates food and wine pairing menus 3-4 times a week (next trip! with jessica!). I also loved that everyone visiting at the same time we were there gave off an aura of wine knowledge that was mostly made up. Oh wine snobs, what would the world be like without you?

I Love Anonymous

2009-08-04T16:33:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure who posted the fun anonymous comment on my last post, but whoever you are, I love you. You're funny so we are probably either related or friends, in which case - let's hang out.

More to come soon!

KM

A Letter

2009-07-22T20:36:00.001-07:00

Dear Internet,

As a food blogger, I have a certain "food lifestyle" I am supposed to live up to. When people come over to my house, I cook great things. When friends talk about the hip new restaurants around San Diego or the rest of the world, I have generally heard of these places and share in their excitement. When Ruth Reichl tweets about dining at Lupa, I get excited because I ate there on my most recent trip to New York. Considering all of these things, oh Internet, can you please explain to me why I had an ant on a log (singular), half a cup of 60 calorie chicken noodle soup, and a glass of Chardonnay for dinner tonight?

Eagerly awaiting your response,

Kristin

Bronx Pizza, Revisited

2009-07-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about a life devoted to food and drink is introducing, and being introduced to, new delicious places. A few weeks ago I found out my friends Mary and Caitlin, both fellow eaters and lovers of all things lactose, had yet to experience Bronx Pizza. My newfound obsession with Bronx Pizza, documented in this post, instilled in me the need to introduce these ladies to the worthy of burning the roof of your mouth flavors I love so much.

What better time to welcome a New York pizza joint than immediately following exercise? The three of us ran and walked through Balboa Park and decided a perfect ending to the evening was a slice of Bronx. Or, to be more accurate, 9 slices of Bronx. Here is the pie we ordered.

Half pesto and roasted bell pepper, half pepperoni and green bell pepper. After 8-10 visits, I am almost positive pepperoni and green bell pepper is my favorite topping combination. The vegetable to cheese to pork "meat" ratio is excellent. The only way to make the pepperoni green bell pepper pizza better is with a light sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

I am happy to say both Mary and Caitlin loved their Bronx Pizza experience. Just look at this smiling face! Now we need to plan another running date so we can justify a 2nd round of gluttony.

Bronx Pizza
www.bronxpizza.com
111 Washington Street, San Diego, 92103

Mango Sticky Rice

2009-07-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

I had heard of the fabulousness of Mango Sticky Rice for several months now, but unfortunately do not spend enough time at Thai restaurants to have experienced it until TODAY!

Caitlin and I met for a workday lunch in Kearny Mesa at a restaurant called Thai House Cuisine. In my opinion, when it comes to Mexican, Asian, and African foods - the less original the name, the more authentic and delicious the food. Thai House Cuisine did not disappoint. I had a hard time finding it knowing only the address, so I had to call Caitlin to ask her what the building looked like. "The outside looks kind of like a castle, and it's right next to the Coral Rock Store" was her response. This made me giggle. I have no idea why the outside of the building looks like a castle, but it does. Once you get inside, however, the room is buzzing with people and no one looked like they were pursuing a career at Medieval Times, so don't let the castle scare you off.

Caitlin ordered the Crispy Bowl - a bowl made of noodles and then fried and filled with delicious fresh vegetables, shrimp, and chicken. I ordered the Drunken Fish, which I had read was excellent, and it was. Two fresh fish fillets, breaded and fried, swimming in sweet and tangy Thai sauce. Both entrees were quite tasty and fresh, and also well under $10 which was nice for our mid-day meal.

I mentioned to Caitlin that I had never tried mango sticky rice but had heard good things, so she was a true friend and ordered us a portion to share. I am not sure what the mango sticky rice is like at other restaurants, but it was most fantastic at Thai House Cuisine. It was exactly what I expected, yet surprising at the same time. Sweet, extremely sticky rice that appeared to have been cooked in coconut milk, topped with a perfectly ripe mango. So simple, so delicious, so sticky.

Thanks to Caitlin for a fun lunch date, and to Thai House Cuisine for some seriously yummy Thai food. I will return to the castle in the near future.

Looking Forward

2009-07-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know every post is supposed to have pictures. Pictures are fun, pictures make people want to read what you wrote about them, pictures are full of life and color, bla bla bla. I don't have any pictures but I still want to write, so I'll just try to keep this post short and give you a preview of the week ahead.

Sesame encrusted grilled ahi

Granny smith apples with peanut butter and sharp white cheddar (a favorite snack)

Mixed grill - fresh sausages, rack of lamb, marinated chicken breast, pork tenderloin

Hazelnut semifreddo

Seared tuna tacos

Orechiette with fresh mozzarella (my pre-10 mile carbo load, if you will)

See you on the other side of the weekend!

Weekending in Los Angeles

2009-06-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

As my previous post indicated, my youngest sister Katherine is in town. The day before her birthday we drove to Beverly Hills for the ultimate 17th birthday weekend. Our trip started with a long drive from USD to the heart of Beverly Hills, with only one pit stop along the way somewhere off the 405 I hope to never visit again.

We checked in (relived to be out of the car and away from Los Angeles traffic for the time being) and hopped right into the pool. A martini, a Shirley Temple and an ice water sipped poolside, we realized this weekend was going to be one of the best of the summer.

Our first evening in Los Angeles we decided to walk down the street to Sprinkles, then wandered around Rodeo Drive and the surrounding streets. After trying several cupcake shops around the country, I think Sprinkles is still my favorite. There is a different taste to a Sprinkles cupcake. Maybe it's the "all natural" ingredients they use, or the fact that it was the first famous cupcake I tasted. Every time I have one, no matter what flavor, I simply love it. Friday night's flavor was milk chocolate, but of course on Sunday I picked up a lemon and chocolate coconut to bring home and share with Glenn. Yum.

Friday evening we decided to head to another famous LA establishment - Pink's Hot Dog Stand. Waiting in line for an hour was part of the experience, and we were only happy to do it. Left to right we had the guacamole dog (Katherine), the Rosie (me), and the 10 inch stretch chili cheese dog (Corrie).

Saturday we woke up moderately early to spend Katherine's birthday at Disneyland! Of course we had to stop by her favorite place - Starbucks - before we went into the park. Seeing as we were celebrating, chocolate croissants and cheese danishes were definitely the way to go.

Once inside the park, we rode our favorite rides, enjoyed a fabulous lunch (see below for pictures!) and ended the day with the new fireworks show. A perfect birthday, if I do say so myself.

Filet Mignon with a tempura onion ring and polenta, served in a simple red wine reduction sauce.

Grilled monk fish in lobster sherry bisque.

Roast chicken with vegetables and truffle macaroni and cheese.

On our last morning in LA we had the driver at the hotel drop us off at a local breakfast spot - Panini Cafe. Corrie and I shared a veggie omelet, Katherine had a breakfast panini with egg and brie and sipped on a latte. A perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

She's On Her Way

2009-06-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

My crazy little sister (well, they're all crazy, but she's the littlest) Katherine is coming to visit! She flies in tonight and the first thing she requested was... JV's. Here are the other foods we have planned for the next few days:

1. Sprinkles Cupcakes
2. Pink's Hot Dogs
3. Breaking in the new BBQ at my in-law's
4. Late night California Burritos in our 'hood
5. In N Out
6. Fair food (which includes a cinnamon roll, hot dog on a stick, and those delicious freshly fried chips!)

Fly safe, Katherine, can't wait to see you!

A Story About Saturday Night

2009-06-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by our good friends Kim and James Buckley, Glenn and I have tried to take turns planning fun things to do together for the past few months. When it's my turn itusually looks something like this:

K's brain: It's Saturday, I have the day off and am feeling super successful because I went on a long run. I'm going to plan something elaborately extraordinary for Glenn and I to do tonight!

G's brain: Wow, I'm sure glad tomorrow is Sunday. It was fun to see Kristin when she stopped by after her run (side note - this post-run Chick-fil-A stop is almost weekly), and I'm excited for whatever she's planning tonight. I hope she realizes how little money is in our bank account and just how tired I am from working x amount of hours this week.

K's brain: Yes, Glenn will definitely be ok with us going to this swanky new restaurant and then driving to Los Angeles for cupcakes. It's going to be so fun!

You get the idea. He slaves away all week so we can live this awesome life; I plan elaborate date nights and vacations for us. Needless to say, occasionally my "brilliant" ideas need some taming before they actually happen, especially on Saturday nights.

One particular Saturday night, however, I was determined to plan something we were both equally thrilled with, and something that would not cost half my paycheck. I was also wanting to experience a restaurant I either had not been to, or had only been to once, for blog research, of course. (A business expense! I could write it off!) And so, I decided we would make the trek up to a small town north of us called Encinitas.

For dinner, I made a reservation at Vigilucci's Trattoria Italiana. I did a tiny bit of research on the Vigilucci family, as I noticed they have several restaurants around town. The Trattoria was the first place they opened, and has won several awards for outstanding cuisine and a great wine list. I should interject here and say that I was never a huge Italian food fan until I spent a semester in Lugano, which is part of Ticino, the Italian section of Switzerland. My roommate was a sweet girl from Milano who had a way of saying Dolce Gabbana that would put Giada's "mozzarella" to shame. She, along with the rest of my friends there, introduced me to the lovely food and wines of Northern Italy, which has since become one of my favorite regions.

Vigilucci's Trattoria Italiana put me right back into the streets of Milan where I sipped an aperitif and snacked on house cured meats, fresh foccacia, and grilled vegetables. We sat outside on the patio (is there any other way to sit when San Diego is your home?) where twinkling white lights surrounded us, local surfers drove by, and our waiter entertained us with stories of all the foods and wines he loved.

Finally, a picture. This was our appetizer - the 'sampler' platter, for lack of a less American phrase. Everything on the plate was delicious, but my favorites were the mozzarella di bufala, the salami, and the olives. For dinner, I had the veal cutlets with a light mushroom and caper sauce, served alongside linguini. I honestly don't remember what Glenn ordered, but I do know it was delicious, just maybe not as delicious as mine. We shared a lovely bottle of crisp Italian white wine our waiter recommended, and at the end of the night the server handed Glenn the bill and me a long-stemmed rose! If that isn't the perfect end to a Saturday night, I don't know what is. Oh, maybe this... my plate at the end of the night.

A Trip to Costco

2009-06-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

This has been either my entire breakfast or a large portion of my breakfast for 3 of the past 5 days. A box of raspberries. Why? A trip to Costco.

I LOVE Costco. I have loved it since it was The Price Club and I would go there with my Mom and look at the Cabbage Patch Kids that were stacked from the floor to the ceiling. They have high quality products in huge volume for way less than you could get at any grocery or specialty store. The problem: there are only 3 of us living under one roof. Three people would not consume 8 boxes of raspberries in a week's time under normal circumstances. So I have to eat raspberries almost daily. I have not grown tired of them just yet, but I also probably won't buy another 8 boxes next time I go. Even though they are a mere $6.99.

"I have heard him compare his store to a price club, and the books in it to olive oil." - Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail

The Regulars

2009-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have been eating out a lot lately. A lot. I can blame it on Jessica's visit, I can blame it on the gift cards we have purchased and received lately, I can blame it on not having time to go to the grocery store after work... but really, who am I kidding, I love to eat out and so it doesn't exactly take twisting my arm to get me to go.

One thing I have not been doing is eating at new places. We have been spending a good deal of time at the old stand-by's which has given me the opportunity to try new things. Today's post is dedicated to a few 'fall-back' restaurants and new things I've tried there. See, you can teach an old cat new tricks. Or is that dog? I don't know, that's why I write about food.

First up: C Level. You can all join in unison and roll your eyes at me. I KNOW I always go to C Level. It's totally my old stand by. I know the menu inside and out. I know the wine flights inside and out. The wine flights and menu both taste better when sitting on the heated patio on a day other than Friday or Saturday, as this is one place whose quality suffers when super busy. You're sick of hearing about how I'll never get over them getting over the lobster artichoke fondue (cue horrible yet somehow uber popular Expose song from the early 90's), how the seared ahi sandwich and lobster mac and cheese are my favorite items on the menu, and exactly why the regular burger was significantly better than the Kobe burger is. Relax, friends, I know I've said it all before... that is why I bring you: A NEW MENU ITEM!!!!!!!

This is not just any new menu item, it's my new favorite menu item and the dish I have ordered the last three times I have visited C Level. Everything Crusted Ahi is it's name, and Deborah (we're on a first name basis despite the fact that I've only met her half a time. I will introduce myself to her one of these evenings) pairs it with black rice, a lovely pineapple salsa, and a little bit of wasabi. Light, flavorful, and very fresh - this ahi dish is perfect with the eclectic or fruity white flight.

Next on the list, Hash House A Go Go. Hash House, which has become a Matt Hughes staple, is my favorite place to go when celebrating at breakfast time. Whether it's post-race, pre-workday, or the start of a great birthday - Hash House is a fun place to start your morning. My most recent trip was to celebrate my sister Corrie's (picture above) birthday! She turned 24 (which means I am getting old) and we figured, why not ring in this year with enormous amounts of Benedict?

The Eggs Benedict (in this case, Roasted Chicken Benedict) was a new dish for me, as we generally do a hash and a pancake. Glenn, of course, had to get his favorite Snickers pancake in addition to the 3.5 pounds of mashed potato-biscuit-egg-chicken-hollandaise goodness that was on my plate. This may have been the best thing I've ever ordered at Hash House. I thought they had it made with the hashes, but no, the Benedict was out of this world. More food than any man (or horse) should consume in two days, but the thing is, it actually tastes really good, too.

My final restaurant is one I do not have any pictures from, mostly because everything is too good to stop and take pictures of. It is also not a place I have blogged about in the past, but if you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I have been there four (FOUR!) times in the last two weeks. Bronx Pizza. This might be the best pizza I've ever eaten in my life. Actually, I take that back. The best pizza I've ever eaten in my life was in the real New York at a place I am sure I will never find again. It was 2:30 in the morning and we had spent the last several hours in deep conversation at a bar/club we were told was just a fun place to hang out but actually turned out to be a gay bar (yikes is all I have to say about that one...). Seeing as there has never been a time where I haven't been hungry at 2:30am, we all decided to stop in for a slice of pizza on our way home. It was so good.

Bronx is almost as good as that. Post gay-bar when you were expecting fun pub good. In the last 2 weeks I have had: pesto, pepperoni and mushroom, bell pepper and pepperoni, spinach and mushroom, and plain cheese. Pesto and bell pepper with pepperoni are my favorites, and if you can muster up 2 or 3 of your friends to go with you, order a whole pie as they make those super fresh just for you. One thing to remember: bring cash! Bronx Pizza does NOT take cards of any kind, so save up those dollar bills.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-05-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

As the weather has been getting closer to what summer in San Diego looks like, we decided to have an inaugural BBQ (which, apparently, in the South is called a 'grill out' as BBQ only involves things that actually have BBQ sauce on them) on our patio. Every good BBQ needs at least one 'stand out' item, and my guess was the Kirkland kielbasa and turkey dogs weren't going to rule supreme in that arena, so I had better come up with a clever side dish or dessert.

In comes the huge ice cream maker a friend's Mom gave to me last year. "Why don't I make ice cream?" I asked Glenn. "Of course! Yes!" he cheered enthusiastically. And so it was decided. I would make ice cream for the BBQ and everyone would love it.

We came to the conclusion that strawberry ice cream would be the best route, as it was fresh and summery and strawberries are already available all over town. I purchased a few pounds of fresh red berries, half the dairy section of my local Vons, and a lot of ice. Making ice cream is much simpler than I rememberd, all you really have to do is get the ingredients together, warm them up, and then throw them into the ice cream maker, ensuring ice is covering all parts of the maker for the next 20-40 minutes.

A photo documentary of the steps:

5 cups of pureed strawberries and more lactose than the average cow can produe in her lifetime later, it was time to pour my strawberry cream deliciousness into the ice cream maker. I monitored it fairly closely, adding ice as necessary, and covering each layer of ice with a nice heap of rock salt. Flavorful, fresh, and ready to welcome in summer - our strawberry ice cream was a hit!

Zocalo Grill

2009-05-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

When you live in San Diego, Mexican food is as local as you're going to get. Why was it so hard, then, to figure out a place to go to dinner for our friend's birthday? We wanted Mexican, or something with Latin influence, but something unique and maybe a little more classy. Decent atmosphere, good food, fun drinks. I did some research and came up with this list:

Miguel's (our old stand-by)
Ortega's (my boss, who is a picky eater, loves it here!)
Zocalo (owned by the Brigantine, Latin flair, in Old Town)
Kemo Sabe (in no way Mexican, but Glenn wanted to add it to the list)

I texted (oh, I know I'm cool with my texty texting) this list to my good friend Julie so the decision making could begin. Julie is a/Ryan's - whose birthday we were celebrating (picture below) - wife and better half b/a friend of mine since the early years of 1998 when I wore Levi's and a blue hoodie every day, and c/a very talented photographer and the owner of Journey of the Lens. Check out her site, you will not be disappointed. Back to food... the decision was made to hit up Zocalo in Old Town. They had eaten there before, but it had been a while, and we had never been so that was a fun new twist on the evening. Here is Ryan, excited about Zocalo.

Ever since the whole Casa de Pico/Bazaar del Mundo/Old Town dramz a few years ago, I have tried to find other parts of town that had good Mexican food, and as a rule boycott any new Mexican restaurants in the Old Town area. La Pinata and Old Town Mexican Cafe are still ok, but that's about it. Seeing as Zocalo is owned by the Brigantine family of restaurants and has been there for longer than the debacle, I thought it was acceptable to show my face in this tourist trap of a neighborhood.

Zocalo has a great spot - right on a corner in the middle of San Diego Avenue. The Spanish style building fits in with the area nicely, and we really enjoyed sitting on the patio. Atmosphere: check. To start, our server brought us a plate of thinly sliced bread and chimichurri to dip it in. This went over very well, and for a group trying to fit into their swimsuits from last summer, it sure beat the caloric overdose that is unlimited chips and salsa. We also ordered the "queso fundido" which, essentially, is baked cheese with some onions and peppers, and our share of sangria, fruity drinks, and mojito's. Fun beverages: check!

The menu at Zocalo is unique and kind of exciting! Fresh seafood, slowly braised meats, and a good assortment of Mexican and Latin inspired dishes - so far this place seemed like a winner. I ordered the New World Sampler which included smaller portions of carnitas, barbacoa, and "lamb lollipops" which reminded me SO MUCH of the line in Two Weeks Notice where Sandra Bullock says "I've never warmed up to the idea of a flesh popsicle" that I had to order it. The lamb, which I am usually not a huge fan of, was quite tender and had a slight "grilled" flavor to it that added a little kick. The carnitas, flavored ever so lightly with a sweet honey-based sauce, was excellent, and the barbacoa tasted exactly like what it was - a flavorful piece of slowly braised beef short-rib. The trio of meats were accompanied by corn tortillas, which I did not realize were there until about 3/4 of the way finished with my meal, and three lovely salsas. Zocalo calls the salsa's "nuevo latin" - I am not sure what that means but here is what I think they were: one was the chimichurri, one was a spicy red salsa that tasted almost like the hot sauce at Taco Bell, and one was large chunks of a fruity substance that was delicious with all of the meats.

Julie had the seared yellowfin, served with snap peas and green chili rice/risotto. The yellowfin was good, but I think ahi has more flavor than yellowfin - are they the same thing? Either way, it didn't do too much for me. Glenn ordered the skirt steak accompanied by sweet potato fries. I thought this dish was unique, it reminded me of the flank steak at Indigo Grill; served with chimichurri and a sweet quesadilla instead of the sweet potato fries. The steak itself was tender and flavorful, Glenn ate every last bite, and Julie and I were sure to help him with the fries. Ryan ordered the carne asada nachos - a very Ryan meal so it was fitting that he ordered it for his birthday celebration. They looked excellent and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy every birthday bite! Good food: check!

Look how satisfied and happy we were! Also note, I do not have any pictures of food. It could have been the sangria, or maybe I just forgot I was a food blogger for a night.

My only complaint about Zocalo: the service was not fantastic. Our waiter seemed distracted and not interested in his job or us. His distraction, however, did not deter us from having a great night and therefore I would still give Zocalo a high mark. Eat there and be merry!

Zocalo
2444 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, 92110
(619) 298-9840

Recession- Proof Dining

2009-05-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

I read something in Gourmet a few months ago about well-known and pricey Manhattan restaurants lowering their tasting menu price as the economy continues to spiral downward, but had yet to experience this "bail out plan" for food for myself. Friday night marked my first (and hopefully not last) welcoming of the 'lower prices thanks to this deathly economy' menu into my life.

logo courtesy of http://www.lavacheandco.com

A friend, a sister, and a food blogger journeyed to the hippest of hip areas in Hillcrest - Robinson and 4th - for what we thought would be a light bistro meal at La Vache. Upon arriving, we noticed a special menu advertised on the tables - the "Bail Out" Menu. Having limited funds and unlimited appetites, we promptly decided it would be necessary to order more than originally intended. We started, as most great evenings do, with a bottle of the house Cabernet Sauvignon. A French Cabernet, this wine had more depth and less "oomph" than it's Napa Valley cousin, all for the lovely price of $13! You would think it would be awful, but truly, it was not.

One of my favorite things about La Vache, Bail Out menu or not, is their fresh, crusty bread and herb butter. The bread is always brought out at the perfect temperature, the butter spreads easily but also melts onto the bread, flavoring it with fresh herbs and a slight sweetness in every bite. La Vache, in addition to Bread and Cie, is proof that man can live on bread (and wine) alone. Another favorite thing: you can draw on the tablecloth.

Next up we figured out our entrees. We ordered a cheese pizza (thin, crispy, covered in a simple tomato sauce and a few handfuls of cheese), the beef bourguignon, and the pasta al pistou. Also on the bail out menu is a smaller version of La Vache's cassoulet, which I highly recommend. The bail out versions do not come in their own cast iron pots, but they are $5 less per dish, so take your pick. The evening's favorite had to be the pasta al pistou - a simple, creamy pesto sauce with perfectly cooked pasta. There was also more than enough food for the 3 of us, so we each had the opportunity to take home the extras and eat them the next day! Luckily, pasta, stew, and pizza all taste good the 2nd time around, as opposed to the halibut I once tried to reheat in the microwave at work.

I think I like the regular menu a little more than the bail out menu at La Vache, but my favorite things about the restaurant are available for significantly lower cost; the bread and butter, fun French wine, and a great atmosphere where you can draw on the tables. If nothing else, this menu allows me (and hopefully you!) to experience La Vache more regularly. That, in my book, is certainly bail out worthy!

La Vache
420 Robinson Ave, San Diego, 92103
(619) 295-0214

http://www.lavacheandco.com

A Cure for Whatever Flu You May Have

2009-04-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Never would I ever claim to be a health professional, although I do technically work in the mental health field, but I WILL claim to have a cure for *almost* anything you are suffering from.

This, my friends, is a big bowl of D.Z. Akin's Mish Mash soup. Almost as good as their rugelach, this soup is the perfect cure for a bad mood, a bad case of the coughs, or a minor fever. The illness I was suffering from the night I enjoyed my bowl of Mish Mash was extreme hunger, clinically known as the "foodius moodius."

D.Z. Akin's Mish Mash soup contains (1) matzo ball, (many) fresh noodles, (4) carrots, (1) Jewish meat ravioli that I forgot the name of, and (1) big heaping ladle full of home made chicken stock. Rain or shine, this soup continues to impress. Especially those of us in food moods.

Side Note

2009-04-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just noticed I posted on weight loss and a low fat omelette, then my next post was about donuts. That is awesome.

Peterson's Donut Corner

2009-04-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

I would not consider myself a donut fanatic. Glenn is a donut fanatic - his family has grown up eating donuts on special occasions, mourned the loss of Christy's Donuts on University Avenue and La Mesa Blvd., and his entire countenance changes when the words 'maple' and 'bar' are combined. What I would consider myself, however, is a Peterson's Donut Corner fanatic. I love that place. Like really, I love it. Have thought about marrying it, yes, if you were wondering.

Peterson's Donut Corner is located in the slightly thugged-out community of old school Escondido. It's on the wrong side of the freeway, but beyond a shadow of a doubt worth risking your safety for. I had the privilege of introducing 3 of my fun friends to Peterson's last night. When you go to Peterson's, if you are not with someone who has been there and will show you the ropes, here is what you should do to ensure the best possible experience:

1. Go at night. It's not that dangerous, and you need more spice in your life anyway.

2. Walk along the side of the building before getting in line. This is what I call "the tour" - you look through the glass walls into every ounce of Peterson's world and get the chance to oogle each donut individually before you make your final decision.

3. Ask what the freshest donuts are. At night the fresh ones are usually of the cake variety. Order one of the fresh donuts. Your mind will be blown at just how delicious a donut can be.

4. Soak it up. Enjoy your Peterson's donut (and milk, if you so desire) and realize this is something you will only get to do every once in a while.

Peterson's Donut Corner

903 S. Escondido Blvd.

Escondido, CA 92025
760) 745- 7774

Avoidance, Truth, and Measuring Tape

2009-04-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

This week was filled to the brim with fun activities, reasons to go out to eat, and delicious wines sampled by the glass with friends from all over. It was also filled with me avoiding the gym and my running shoes. I try to tell myself I am avoiding running because my shoes are hurting and I need new ones yet can't seem to find what seems the entire paycheck it takes to get them... but that's not really true. I have been avoiding running and the gym because I'm laaazzzzyyyy.

Here is what happens when you are lazy (and when you have wine multiple nights a week for the antioxidants and healthy heart benefits...): you gain *almost* 2 pounds. "That's not much." you may be saying to yourself. "Your sodium levels are probably off, or maybe you just really need to go to the bathroom." No friends, no. I gained 2 pounds of pinot noir, decadent chocolate cake, pizza, and olive oil. Seeing as I do not want to continue in this pattern (up 20 pounds by Memorial Day? why not?) I decided to make a plan for the week. Note all of the crossed out areas - those are things I intended on eating and then realized how many calories were in each and decided I had better stay away. The antipasto platter and goat cheese stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto and grilled will have to wait, depressingly enough.

Enough about the foods I'm not going to be eating. I found something this morning that was delicious AND healthy AND beautiful! I scarfed this omelette and am now the proud parent of a lean, protein-rich breakfast that actually has flavor. I call it the "Get Skinny" omelette and it is sure to impress even those who aren't looking to still fit into their pants next month.

'Get Skinny' Omelette

1 egg
2 egg whites
1 t freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 asparagus spears - diced
salt
freshly ground pepper
no calorie cooking spray

Let me just interject here for a minute and say that cooking spray has never been my preferred way of doing things, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and honestly, I couldn't tell the difference in this dish. I cooked the asparagus for a few minutes and then poured the egg white mixture over it and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. When it was finished, I folded the entire thing in half and sprinkled the top with the Parmesan cheese and a little more pepper. It was super tasty! I had a slice of dry whole wheat toast alongside my omelette, and used the omelette to give the toast more flavor. Totally satisfying and delicious - plus I don't feel the way you feel when full from pancakes and eggs benedict at Hash House: like you just ate half a buffalo.

Here's to a healthy week! I'm off to buy those running shoes...

New York, Part Two

2009-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

After the wedding festivities were over, it was time to head into the city and get our eat on. As one last hurrah, the Boston University crowd decided to celebrate with brunch. Derek graciously drove Glenn and I from Armonk to our hotel (and drove THROUGH Times Square - an impressive fete for even an experienced New York driver) so we could drop off our bags. After checking in, the three of us hopped on the subway and headed to what became our most frequented area this trip - Greenwich Village.

The 10 of us celebrated our last meal together at Blue Ribbon Bakery. I ordered the 'Blue Benedict' which consisted of two perfectly poached eggs, serrano ham (siginficantly better than regular ham, which, as discussed here, I hate), Jarlsberg, and tomato on toasted fresh challah bread. Originally the thought of a benedict on challah turned me off, but I trusted the chef and wound up really enjoying the uniqueness of this dish. The most notable thing about Blue Ribbon: not only is the basket of fresh bread they bring out when you sit down delicious, it is all baked right beneath your feet. If you are seated on the main level be sure to walk downstairs and check out the beautiful brick bakery where the bread you just enjoyed was prepared only a few hours prior.

After brunching, we decided to spend some time walking through the Village to find the famous Magnolia Bakery. Not being from parts of the country where waiting hours in line for cupcakes is part of everyday life, many of the BU crowd were suspicious of the line out the door. I don't know if I would say the cupcakes were worth the wait, but the experience certainly was. I loved thinking that this was one of the first places where the cupcake trend started, that it was somewhat of an institution in Manhattan. The Carrie Bradshaw in me squealed with excitement, then sent my sister a text message telling her where I was. I loved it.

A couple of cupcakes and silly stories later, it was time for Glenn and I to head back to our hotel and prepare for the rest of our Sunday. Hard to believe so much still lay ahead, but our limited time in New York made it hard to have any down time. We got to the hotel, relaxed and watched an episode of Celebrity Apprentice (WHY?), then cleaned up for Mary Poppins. The (only) great part about staying in the Times Square area was the location. Any other time I've gone to a show, I have had to think about how long it would take to get to Midtown, let alone try to figure out how long it would take me to leave once the show was over. Not so when you are on 44th and the show is on 42nd! We had a nice leisurely stroll down to the theater and then hiked our way to the (lower) balcony. We both really enjoyed the show, and our seats were phenomenal for the price we paid. This picture is super dark, but imagine us dressed in uber chic New York black loving every minute of our lives.

Next on the agenda: dinner with my good friend Hanson at The Spotted Pig. I CAN NOT describe how excited I was to go to The Spotted Pig. I was ready to order as much as humanly possible, but only wound up needing a glass of wine and the gnudi, along with three bites of Glenn's burger. I know these are talked about on every food blog known to man, but truly, the gnudi were extraordinary. I was skeptical of a place so widely discussed in the food world, and could not imagine it would live up to the hype. IT TOTALLY DID. I know that most of the time I walk around as if I had been smacked with the positivity stick, but truly, I worked hard to figure out where we should spend every meal and every penny and The Spotted Pig was everything I expected it to be, if not better. You should go.

One would think after this many activities in a day we would be through and ready to get some rest. Not so. This is New York! We only had 2 days! Drinks at the Gansevoort after dinner? Yes please. A very fun friend of mine with very good taste stayed at the Gansevoort on her last visit to New York and recommended going to the Rooftop Bar on a non-Saturday night to see the sights. The views from the top are beautiful and reason enough to spend $13 on a glass of the house wine (or gin, straight up, if your name is Glenn Murdock) but I was disappointed in a couple of things. First, the stemware was plastic. I don't care how many intoxicated individuals you deal with on a given weekend, if you want to get away with adding yourself to the top evening spots in Manhattan, you need real glass. Second, the cocktail waitresses were dressed like they were serving drinks at the Palms in Las Vegas, not a 4 star hotel that goes for well over $500 a night. All in all, I would still recommend the Gansevoort as a place to get drinks, because the view is gorgeous and, scantily clad or not, the staff are all lovely, friendly, and helpful.

I leave you with our final image of the night - Times Square at 2am on a Sunday in the off-season. See that guy in the background? He was the only other person around! What a unique experience, to see a place rarely occupied by less than 1000 frantic visitors completely empty.

New York part two: it's a wrap.

Chains and Night-of Blogging

2009-03-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

I am doing something new tonight - writing about a dinner that happened mere moments ago. I still have the taste of dessert and wine in my mouth, but I feel compelled to share my experience with the world now as opposed to in a few weeks when I've had time to sit on it and contemplate the descriptions. I also have no pictures from tonight's dining experience. Not a one. Here's to expanding my dining vocabulary!

Knowing that Glenn would be at work until the wee hours of the morning, I planned an evening with Blair. We did not have any set plans, anything was up for grabs. A handful of things were mentioned including walking up the La Mesa stairs (my suggestion which she quickly shot down) and watching the Grunion run, but once we found out Jean would be joining us, we knew our options would need to be narrowed down to food. For those who need a reminder, Jean is Blair's mother and my dining soul-mate. Years before I had ever met her, Blair told me I needed to hang out with her Mom. I obviously thought this was kind of strange... until I actually met Jean. It was true, our passions for all things fine align quite nicely, and she has generously allowed me to experience more of the San Diego food and wine scene than I ever could have hoped for. All this to say, tonight would be a night of food, and those crazy Grunion would have to wait a few weeks.

Our original plan was to hit the Prado - an old Cohn stand-by that we had not visited in some time. As the evening progressed and time crept up on us, the decision was made to go to a restaurant closer to the La Jolla area. Trulucks, a Texas-based seafood chain, was decided upon and I anxiously paroozed the menu online while waiting for dinnertime to come around.

When we arrived at Trulucks and were greeted with pure friendliness, I noticed a classy and old school "vibe", if you will. It seems as though many restaurants are trying to be hip and trendy, yet there is often something missing. Trulucks boasts Southern hospitality along with beautiful red leather clam-shell booths and a live pianist. The menu was easy to read, and the wine list seemed fun with a decent variety that offered tastes, glasses, or bottles of the wine of your choice. I had the pleasure of narrowing down our choice to a white, and Jean selected a lovely bottle of 2006 Bouchaine chardonnay. We actually wound up getting two bottles of the Bouchaine over the course of the evening. Yes it was that good.

Dining with Jean and Blair is unlike any other dining experience, and it's exactly how I think eating out should go. Variety is the name of the game, so multiple appetizers and entrees must be ordered no matter how many individuals are eating. Tonight we started with the crabcake, the deep fried calamari, and the warm goat cheese. The crowd favorite was the crabcake, which our lovely waitress informed us included 93% crab and only 7% bread/seasoning (aka filler). This was one of the best crab cakes I have had, and I am looking forward to making it with the fresh lump crab meat I buy at Costco on my next visit. The calamari was just ok, the highlight for me were the two sauces it was served with - a light cocktail sauce that almost seemed to be more marinara-esque and a spicy mayo that was perfect with the crisp pieces of squid. If you order the calamari, be warned - those large round breaded pieces are not actually fish - they are fried lemon. Can be quite shocking when one is expecting mild and chewy and gets tart and stringy. The warm goat cheese was just that - served with chopped olives and a handful of flavored pecan chunks. My weakness for goat cheese tempted me to choose this as my favorite appetizer, but I know the crab cake was actually better.

We are now two glasses of wine in and ready to order entrees. For the entrees we relied solely on our waitress' recommendation. Blair had the Redfish Pontchartraine served with rice and a handful of grilled shrimp surrounding the plate. The fish itself was tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and extremely flavorful. This dish was very southern and almost seemed like it should have been served alongside a spicy sausage jambalaya or cheesy grits. Next on the list was Jean who selected the Blackened New Zealand King Salmon served with fried green tomatoes. This salmon was, as promised, unlike any salmon I have ever tasted. It had a hint of smokiness and was extraordinarily thick and tender. Highly recommended! My dish was a Miso Glazed Organic Totem Black Cod. I am not sure I have ever ordered cod, but I am glad I branched out and did something different. The fish itself was quite mild, yet very tender and absorbed the Asian inspired flavors the rest of the plate brought in.

In addition to our entrees, we also ordered a one pound Dutch Harbor Red King Crab leg. I now understand why Truluck's is famous for their crab. This crab leg was tender, sweet, and did not need to be dipped in butter. No matter how full I was, I kept going back for more crab leg, digging my tiny seafood fork into the moist meat, wishing the taste would never leave my tongue. On my next trip to Truluck's, I must order the crab again. Maybe a pound all for me!

A couple more glasses of wine and way too many stories later, it was time for dessert. If you have been around Blair in the past two weeks, you have heard about the Bag of Chocolate she had on her last visit to Truluck's. A decadent chocolate 'bag' filled with pound cake, fresh berries, and a thick whipped cream (and I am convinced mascarpone, too) filling smothered in fresh fudge sauce and broken open for the table to enjoy - this is how dessert is supposed to happen. The bag of chocolate lived up to its hype, and I would certainly order it again, hopefully with more room in my tummy to enjoy all of those flavors melding.

Overall, I give Truluck's a 'definitely visit here again' score of 3.5 out of 5 stars, especially considering it is a chain! It seems to fit the La Jolla/Sorrento Valley after work crowd perfectly and I hope to experience the fresh seafood and fun beverage pairings many more times.

Truluck's La Jolla . 8990 University Center Lane . San Diego . 858-453-2583 .

Emergency Row Seats and Armonk

2009-03-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

When Glenn's college roommate asked him to be the best man in his March 2009 wedding in New York, Glenn was excited and honored. Knowing I had already taken significantly more unpaid vacation days than one should take in a year - but also knowing that I would willingly take more if a great trip were involved - Glenn said "let's spend a few days in the city after the wedding!" Brilliant man.

I flew to New York with my dear friend Jacob Paul Willis, who was shooting the wedding. We had checked in online the day before our flight so we were able to change our seats to the emergency exit row. Some airlines charge you for changes like this but my good friend Delta will give you double the leg room for free, if you ask early enough. I wish I had taken a picture of my legs stretched out and how awesome the emergency exit row was. I have never flown first or business class, but imagine it feels like the emergency row, only better. I streched my legs all the way out. Like, until they could reach no more.

An all fruit smoothie, biscoff cookies, 4.5 hours in flight and 3 hours at the rental car place later, I drove myself from JFK to Armonk, NY. (Pause for Applause.) Driving in Boston is worse than driving in New York, but driving in New York is pretty scary. Glenn was already at the rehearsal, but I knew I needed some sustinence and a shower for friendliness to be an option. What you see on the left was my sustinence. Real live New York pizza from a cute little Armonk hot spot called Amore. Delish. Well fed and therefore ready to be socially acceptable, I sped off to the rehearsal and (what else?) rehearsal dinner.

This photo is the best representation I have of the rehearsal dinner. My phone/camera idea wasn't working out that well. Here you see John and D-Rock, other college roommates/good friends of Glenn's. We spent the evening at a Thai restaurant near the wedding site, and enjoyed lots of yummy fried thai empanada type things, as well as curry and all things peanut sauce.

Wedding Day! What better way to say goodbye to Mike's bachelorhood than with pizza? Based on my great experience with Amore Pizza the night before, we visited again for lunch. I had a chopped salad with walnuts, goat cheese, chicken and apples. The salad was ok, but I don't think I would ask them to chop it again. It kind of feels like eating herbs instead of lettuce, which grossed me out. The boys shared a large pizza with mushrooms and pepperoni.

I did not have any wine, but for some reason Glenn thought it would be a great idea to take my picture by this magnum. Do I really love wine that much? More on that later.

New York, part one, is a wrap.

Running Headaches, Peanut Butter and Krakatoa

2009-03-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

(photos courtesy of the lovely iPhone - hence their darkness)

Saturday morning I ran really far. Like farther than most humans should ever run. The run itself was great, but I don't think I drank enough water and I also didn't chew on enough of my Clif blocks (I refuse to goo - ick) so what happened after my run was kind of inevitable. I crashed.

For those of you that know the inner workings of Kristin, you know that once the Kristin brain starts convincing itself there is an ish, it's impossible to revert back to health. Paranoia and anxiety take over, I am convinced I am going to vomit for days and days, and Glenn is forced to dance the 'slap her back into reality/show her sympathy cause she doesn't feel good' marimba. Oh it's cute. After a 30 minute nap and some gatorade I was able to swallow a few Ritz, including one with more peanut butter on it than I've ever seen. Are you ready for this? It totally helped! I wasn't even sick! I just needed some food and water! NO WAY.

While I was laying on the couch convincing myself I would be horribly ill, Glenn also had to call my lovely sister Corrie and tell her I would not be making it to the lunch date we had planned in my current state. Being the supportive and understanding sister she is, Corrie was cool with this and told me to just call her when I feel better. Around 2:30pm I am feeling better and Glenn was at work, so I called Corrie and we decided to grab a light/very late lunch and run errands together. I drive to Golden Hill, talk to Corrie about her New York trip since I'm going this weekend, and we walk down the street to Krakatoa.

This place is so fun! It is the ultimate hippie hang out and they have a great variety of sandwiches and salads to choose from, as well as many unique coffees and teas. I opted for the blood orange iced tea and a turkey sandwich with sharp cheddar and dijon. Krakatoa serves their home made potato salad with all sandwiches, and I thought I could really taste each ingredient. Maybe it was just that I hadn't eaten all day. They use red potatoes instead of white and have a light dill and black pepper taste. Mmm.

My favorite thing about Krakatoa was the patio - it had an old school Hawaii vibe and reminds me of something that should be in the Coco Palms when they finally rebuild it. The turkey sandwich was excellent, as well - fresh turkey, super sharp cheddar, heated roll, and of course excellent potato salad.

Next time you are in Golden Hill (ok, next time you want to go to a new restaurant - who hangs out in Golden Hill?) check out my new friends at Krakatoa! If you're lucky you will even be offered a hand painted cigarette box by one of the locals!

Krakatoa: 1128 25th Street. San Diego. CA. 92101. 619.230.0272

The Many Uses for Pasta

2009-03-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Today's post will highlight two pasta experiences I have had of late, both unique, both delicious.

The first 'new' pasta experience I had was several weeks ago when we were hanging out at the Cheesecake Factory late at night with a group of friends. Someone decided to order fried macaroni and cheese, so of course when it came the rest of us wanted to try it. Originally thinking this would be disgusting and I would promptly spit it out of my mouth, I started with a very small bite. The night ended with 3 more orders of fried mac and cheese being devoured at our table. My goal now is to make my own fried mac and cheese, blog to come immediately following the attempt.

The second 'new' pasta experience happened because my friend Blair and I had lunch together at a place called Divine Pastabilities here in San Diego. I had heard of this place, but never thought of going there. I was missing out. The hot item is a "torpasta" which is, as the picture (courtesy of torpasta.com) shows, a roll of fresh bread hollowed out and stuffed with pasta. This sounds particularly heavy, but tastes splendid. They cook their pasta perfectly, their sauces are fresh, fragrant and tasty, and there's something magical about eating pasta without a fork or knife.

Enjoy! I'm off to listen to my latest obsession - The Jonas Brothers. Wrong on so many levels, I know.

Weekenders, Or What I Haven't Been Cooking Lately

2009-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

This weekend, like many of the past days of my life (cue Soap Opera music) was filled to the brim with things to do. Run over 11 miles? Done. (Had to take the opportunity to brag about the power of my legs... pardon my ego.) Haircut? Why of course. Co-host an awesome party? Check. Drive to LA for the brother in law's housewarming and bratwurst? Ok this list is getting ridiculous, it's time to start talking in sentences. At any rate, the weekend was busy, and another reminder of how necessary boundaries are in my life.

I talk about boundaries and saying 'no' a lot. The idea of 'no' actually being a 'yes' to the bigger things in your life is powerful to me. Limiting the things we commit and agree to, taking time to be who we are and become who we want to be, not letting others' disappointment or pressure change our mind or decision making process - these are all such freeing concepts. And isn't that what it's all about in the end? Freedom? It's what our country was built on, what all great relationships consist of, how individuals become who they were created to be, and the most amazing thing God has to offer us. Despite this I continue to say 'yes' to everyone and everything and 'no' to growth within myself. We're getting a little deep for a food blog, I know. Take a sip of wine and continue with me...

All of the things I did this weekend were good things. Some of them were things that were saying yes to the deeper commitments and freedoms I want. Some were not. I got home last night, exhausted and sore, and realized that I had not made a real dinner at home in over 2 weeks. I had not planned a menu and been excited about the courses and the blending of flavors I was creating, I hadn't taken a Saturday to go to my favorite grocery stores, make my sister the killer brownies I've been wanting to send her, and then have a few friends over to share in their lives and cook for them, since Valentine's Day!

It's March, which will mark the official start of Spring here in San Diego. I have a big trip coming up next week that I'm super excited about. I have a big race at the end of the month that I want to do well at. I have vegetables getting soggy in my refrigerator because I haven't been home long enough to create something out of them. This month I will dream up new menus. This month I will run faster. This month I will say no even more than I have been. This month is going to be awesome. I may unintentionally hurt a few feelings, but I'm welcoming the freedom and fun March will bring.

Addiction, Snacks, and Carbo-Loading

2009-02-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

I work in an office that sees a lot of addicts. Usually their issue is with alcohol, occasionally with drugs. My addiction is different from theirs. It is an addiction to Ritz crackers.

Crisp, buttery, and all around delicious, the Ritz cracker is perfection in a carbohydrate. Yesterday, in preparation for The Oscar's and Hugh Jackman winning my heart yet again, I was making chocolate covered strawberries. When I had finished dipping all the strawberries, along with a few apple slices that I just stuck in my mouth covered in warm chocolate, there was a good deal of chocolate left over.

My first 'experiment' was with the baked Kettle chips I had just purchased at Trader Joe's - mmm. A few friends of mine would randomly make chocolate covered potato chips in college, so I decided to give it a whirl. Glenn approved, and this low fat salty/sweet treat is waiting for me in the refrigerator as a Welcome Home! snack.

A full cookie sheet's worth of chips and there was still chocolate left, my brain began to spin. "Ritz, Ritz, Ritz, Ritz" hummed this little mind of mine, to the tune of "Jingle Bells" (my brain is obviously stuck in December) so I ran to the cupboard and whipped out the first halfway eaten sleeve of crackers I saw. Smooth, milky chocolate, perfectly crisp and fresh Ritz crackers, it was a masterpiece. Almost as good as Penelope Cruz's dress.

I wonder if Penelope eats Ritz? I wonder if she eats at all? I bet if she ate Ritz, she would thank them in her Oscar speech.

On to other snacks and carbo-loading. This past weekend the future Hughes Family, Ciervo Family, Reynolds family, and us (the Murdock's!) got together in Idyllwild for a mini retreat. Everyone brought snacks. Everyone ate snacks. All of the snacks, with the exception of string cheese, were starch-filled. I did not run a marathon today, and thus, eating this many carbs did nothing good for me. I am beginning to wish what Lindsey Lohan says about Calteen bars in Mean Girls was true.

And that, my friends, is my weekend in a nut shell. Or a cracker box, whichever you prefer.

My Mom Rocks!

2009-02-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Please check two posts down - that awesome Country Cooking of France cookbook with the steep price tag? My super-de-duper Mom got it for me for my birthday!
THANK YOU MOM, I love you!

*More birthday and January adventure details to come.*

Luxury

2009-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I bought this cup of English Breakfast tea at the coffee house on campus. I decided on tea over the Mexican Mocha for two reasons: tea is generally less expensive, and tea has significantly less calories than the chocolate whole milk whipped cream cinnamon fantastic-ness mentioned above.

$2.79 is how much I paid for this cup of tea. (Insert Seth Myers voice): Really?

Oh yes, really. I could have purchased an entire box of loose leaf tea, a pair of new running socks, a pint of cottage cheese, a gallon of milk at Trader Joe's - SO many other things that would have been more worthy of my close to $3 than a few dried leaves soaking in hot water.

Moral of this story: always get the Mexican Mocha.

Provence Meets Dark Nails

2009-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I have had a fondness for the country cooking of France for some time now - it all just seems so tasty and fresh and perfectly French without being stuffy. Plus, all those natural ingredients and herbs - wholesome olive oil, freshly chopped parsley, local cheeses - how could you go wrong?

When we were in Julian earlier this year I found an awesome cookbook that could double as a coffee table book featuring beautiful images of freshly prepared meals accompanied by stories of the origins of the featured dish and, of course, a price tag of $60. Being the thoughtful husband that he is, Glenn had the idea to take a picture of/with the book since I couldn't actually purchase it. I think this book goes particularly well with black nail polish, don't you? I know, I'm so fall 2006...

Back to French cooking - one of my favorite things to do is get ideas from cookbooks and create my own variations of them, or combine recipes from a handful of different chefs to create a unique menu. On weeknights it can be hard to find time to pluck a chicken and braise short ribs, so I try to get creative. Enter the meal pictured below.

French Bistro steaks inspired by Ina's recipe in her latest cookbook, spinach salad with goat cheese and cranberries inspired by your local Chili's and any other C list restaurant that tries to be gourmet but fails miserably, and a slice of fresh baguette served with Manchego and St Andre, inspired by the Trader Joe's cheese selection and my love for all things fattening.

Not bad for a Tuesday night, is it? Speaking of, why does Taylor Swift always sing about Tuesdays and kissing in the rain?

New Year, New Me

2008-12-31T16:46:00.001-08:00

Technically it's not the New Year yet, but I am counting this as a HUGE accomplishment and a change in the essence of who I am. To be honest, I have to credit my college roomie and bestie (not beastie - bestie) Julie for this drastic change.

Several weeks ago I was complaining to Julie about my incompetence when it comes to bread making. I have tried 3 different times and each time my bread comes out stiff and really dense. I think the primary reason is my house is so cold the dough refuses to rise, but it's just so frustrating when all I want to do is make my own bread and I simply CAN NOT DO IT. Ugh.

A few people had mentioned the "no rise" bread as an option when I received my Dutch Oven but, being stubborn, I did not think too much of these recipes. Fast forward to my conversation with Julie - she mentions the "no-rise" bread and I asked her if it was really worth it and if it would really work - she promised yes.

Pictured below is what I pulled out of the oven an hour ago. It is so good! You should try the recipe today!!

Left Behind

2008-12-29T14:12:00.001-08:00

Are you excited because the title of this post is making you think it will be on my own personal eschatology? Or how Kirk Cameron films are always the best? Or how you, too, had a childhood crush on Austin O'Brien? No, my friends (little Maverick shout out there), I am sorry to disappoint but this post is actually dedicated to the left side of my behind, which is killing me due to the excessively long run I did Saturday - more on that later. Oh, and the fact that it's kind of an "update" which I'm getting really good at - I think I'll only blog once a month from now on since these update blogs are so successful.

This month started out like any other December - with a visit from my seeester Kimberly (who can be stalked on facebook if you are interested) and her bf Erik-with-a-k. When they came, we did lots of fun things. I made dinner at home one night - tomato soup with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan crostini, french bistro steaks with blue cheese crumbles, green beans and asparagus - blanched? why of course! - and roasted golden potatoes. YUM.
Here is the table, I welcome you to my dining room.

We also spent lots of time with #2 in the Kalleberg ladies line up - Corrie! We went to RA! Sushi and ordered half the menu...

Paid our holiday visit to Disneyland where we used the lovely blue lighting in Space Mountain for fabulous photographs. While at Disneyland we dined at our 2nd favorite lunch spot - Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel where I think everyone should eat every time they are at Disneyland. Lunch is better than dinner, and you can't go wrong with one of the hot sandwiches (including the burger) or the cobb salad. If you don't think it's going to be worth the price and aren't feeling like leaving the park - take a chance and do it anyway. I guarantee the first bite of unlimited hot out of the oven bread will make the 1/4 mile walk worth your while.

The week of Christmas I had NINE DAYS IN A ROW off! Paid! Only had to use two vacation days! Welcome to the amazingness that is my job! We went to Idyllwild for the Murdock family vacation (the extended Murdock's, not just Glenn and I - we do plenty of other annual vacations on our own...) and spent time with the nieces and crazy uncles/brothers/girlfriends/wives/moms/fun. I modified Ina Garten's Chicken Chili and it was a success! I used ground turkey instead of chicken, added a lot of extra cayanne pepper (ai yai yai!) and also snuck in two cans of kidney beans, much to Glenn's dismay. Nothing seems to pair with chili like cornbread so I did the Ina jalapeno cheddar cornbread that I've only made twice now but, like most of her recipes, has been breathtakingly scrumptious both times. Wish you were in my family? I know, it's awesome.

The Christmas Chill, two favorite friends getting engaged, fun gifts from Anthropologie (hello, aprons) and A NEW SANTOKU KNIFE, a long run and a life saved by my running buddies (not kidding - read about it here) later, it's almost January and Glenn and I are discussing 2009 goals.

On the agenda for this week: use the knife as much as possible, read a few more chapters of the book pictured below, and enjoy the last days of what has been a glorious year.

One Crazy Night

2008-11-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is a story about walking, eating raw things, car crashes, and murder. Children, be ware.

Once upon a time in a beautiful city called San Diego, there was a fun-loving couple who enjoyed food. For this couple, eating dinner at restaurants was a fun and special treat, as they were trying to stick to a not so fun-loving budget. On top of food and eating out, this couple enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and experiencing new foods with said groups of people.

One sunny Sunday afternoon, after the Chargers had been stomped on once again, the fun-loving couple decided it was a good night for sushi. Wanting to spend time with people they loved, they thought it would be a great idea to invite the husband's parents to come along. Slightly nervous at the thought of sushi, but eager to spend time out on the town with their youngest child and favorite daughter in law, the parents said "YES! We would love to!"

Now the fun-loving young wife had heard of a great new cupcake shop in the downtown area and was eager to try it out. It was decided that the two couples would drive downtown together, stop by the cupcake shop to pick up dessert to go, and then get sushi at a lovely, inexpensive spot in Hillcrest called Sushi Deli.

As they drove downtown, getting closer and closer to the cupcake shop, the anticipation was rising. Too excited to contain herself, the fun-loving young wife hopped out of the car while the rest of the crew found parking. She ran up to the cupcake shop, threw open the door, breathed in the sweet smells of chocolate and vanilla, and noticed there were no cupcakes sitting out. The friendly shop owner informed the fun-loving young wife that they had just ran out and were closing up for the day. NOOOOO! The fun-loving young wife's heart broke just a tiny bit, but it was ok because at least she had sushi to look forward to.

On they drove until they reached Sushi Deli. The group decided to park about a block away, as there were plenty of spots there and not many right in front of the restaurant. They then proceeded to the front door and put their name on the list, anxious to eat as they were all very hungry. 20 minutes passed and nothing... they noticed there were a lot of people standing around who had been there even longer than they had. Inquiring as to how long each different group had been waiting to be seated, they learned the wait was going to be an hour. Too hungry to be able to wrap their minds around standing on the streets of Hillcrest for an hour, the fun-loving young couple and their fun-loving parents/in-laws thought it best to walk down the street to find a new place to eat.

Down, down, down they went - and nothing was found other than a super cute Italian place that was significantly out of their price range but should still be visited at some point. So back up, up, up the hill the two couples walked, passing by Sushi Deli on the way only to notice the wait had now been increased by 10 minutes, so they were no closer to being seated than they had originally been. Down, down, down the other side of the street the two couples walked. They passed a moderately priced Chinese restaurant but decided that was not the way to go tonight. They walked back toward Sushi Deli, passing Jack In The Box and debating Jumbo Jack's and Ultimate Cheeseburgers for dinner as that was sounding mighty fine at this point in the evening. When they reached Sushi Deli for the third time, their name was next on the list.

"It's a miracle!" the two fun-loving couples exclaimed. Truth be told, it was no miracle, they had simply been walking for an hour instead of waiting in line for an hour. Excited at the realization that they would be eating sushi after all, the couples ordered a handful of rolls, a noodle dish, miso soup, and plum wine. And by 'the couples' I mean the fun-loving young wife. The rest just looked on and trusted her judgement. Good call since she was very hungry and not to be messed with.

Dinner was delicious and oh so fun. A new experience for the in laws/parents and a great time for the fun-loving young couple. Arm in arm and laughing, the foursome left Sushi Deli and noticed a policeman circling their car. Being extremely strong and manly, the two husbands ran ahead to see what the problem was. "Your car was hit by a drunk driver." stated the police-man. "He was driving erratically, ran the red light, smacked into your car, and kept driving. Some good citizens noticed what was going on and followed him back to his residence, calling the police on their drive. We now have this man in custody, and it looks like the only damage done was to the back left side of the car."

Crazy! The car was hit, the sushi was still settling, the policeman had victoriously captured an evil law breaker, and they hadn't even decided on dessert yet. Energized from the adrenaline rush, the two couples decided they needed to go somewhere fun and new for dessert, too. "Extraordinary Desserts it is!" they laughed as they hopped into the slightly bent up but still working car and headed a few blocks away.

Tea, coffee, chocolate deliciousness and a berry crostada topped with meringue were all these four needed to end the night right. Oh, and a story about the crazy guy that killed a man a couple of years ago at Extraordinary Desserts.

I told you there was murder in this story.

Jamming and Christmas Gifts

2008-11-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last year Glenn and I decided to make cranberry apple preserves to give to friends and family for Christmas. We spent a day learning how to safely can and seal said preserves, tied festive bows around them, and everyone was happy. This year I wanted home made strawberry jam, as there is nothing better than freshly baked bread smothered in jam that tastes only of strawberries and sugar and was made by someone you love.

Like most adventures, the strawberry jam making day began at Costco where we saw HUGE containers full of fresh strawberries and decided we simply must have them. After sitting around for a day or two, it was time to wash and remove the stems. Sounds thrilling, I know. The exciting part came when I almost sliced my finger off trying to remove a rotten part of one of the berries. Cuh-razy.

Once the stems are removed, we had to smash the berries, one layer at a time. Off to the pot they went, an incredible amount of sugar and a little bit of pectin was added, and we waited for the fruit to boil!

Here I am checking the levels on the jars, and ladling fruit from the pot into the hot jars. Yes I am still in my running clothes from about 5 hours earlier. Yum.

Twist the cap on, and you're done!! Merry Christmas, bloggies!

Day Tripping - A Post For Jessica Holt

2008-11-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

Fall in San Diego is one of the best times of year. I suppose fall everywhere is nice, but here it is especially nice because we don't have the horrors of below freezing (or anywhere near freezing) winters looming. We light fires in our fireplaces, make chicken pot pie and soup in bread bowls (more on that later), and take day trips to exotic, cooler climates like Julian.

4 hours of sleep, too much caffeine, a rainy day, and a craving for apple pie were reason enough to travel to Julian with Glenn and Matt and Jessica this weekend. It may sound odd to drive through windy mountain roads for over an hour with the primary goal being apple pie, but the pie in Julian is SO good. Especially from Mom's. Mmmm, I can smell it now.

Glenn was eager to sit in the back and watch a holiday movie. His choice - The Santa Clause. I was planning on sitting back there with him, but got queasy before we turned onto Montezuma so obviously that didn't happen.

Matt drove as he has a far more comfortable car, and I don't think he trusts us SoCal crazies when it comes to driving in the rain. (wait, you're NOT supposed to slam on the breaks when it's pouring? I don't understand...)

I was just excited to no longer be at a club and ready for apple pie on a rainy day. For those wondering where Jessica was, she was asleep in the way back, but not for long.

The temperature was dropping rapidly. From 56 to 48 to 42 to... 37!!! So cold! Julian, why are you freezing? Matt, why didn't you wear real shoes? Kristin, where did you get those super cute mittens? Why Vienna, of course, thank you for asking.

Since Jessica loves cats (???? totally made this up) she made us stop by the store Cats Cats Cats! which was, yes, just as terrific as it sounds. We also found a very cute home store where they had lovely smelling things, fantastic cookbooks, cute kitchen gadgets, and a crazy lady who ran the store in tights and uggs.

Our visit was perfectly timed, as the Craft Fair was happening in Julian's town hall. Glenn found this lovely magic scarf, which, believe it or not, you can wear as a scarf, headdress, tube top, or dress!

We waited in line at Mom's for a while (totally worth it, and not as long of a line as Sprinkles, FYI) and watched the employees refill the flour and sugar bins as they prepared for the following day's pies. When in Julian, Mom's is the only place to go. Many bakeries boast Julian Apple Pie, but Mom's is simply the best. Do any other stores have mile long lines every day? I didn't think so.

One tea, two coffees, a slice of apple crumb a la mode, a slice of strawberry rhubarb a la mode, and an apple dumpling.

Jessica could barely stand how delicious it was.

Mmm, strawberry rhubarb.

Jessica ate it all! At least she was kind enough to give us a few bites...

All in all, a very productive day in Julian, and it really inspired us and put us all in the autumn/holiday spirit. A much needed break after a stressful election!

Over It. And Yet I Press On.

2008-10-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just because it's almost 10:30 and I am exhausted. Or because I have a new job and even though I really like it, new jobs are kind of draining. Or because my clothes still are not fitting the way they should considering the calorie watching I have done over the past 2+ months. Or the fact that my cute new haircut does NOT allow me to put my hair up at the end of the day and I don't know what to do with this new hair in my face self. But I am O.V.E.R. blogging right now.

In order to keep myself in tune with the (person) that cares about my blog and excitedly waits for updates, as well as to not turn into a big ole grump, I am going to create a list of things, food and non food, that I am NOT over. Please keep in mind that blogging will not be on this list.

Things Kristin is Not Over:

1. High School Musical
Can it be any more fun? I have watched 1 and 2 at least five times each, and can't wait to see 3 for the 2nd time sometime soon. Thank you to my sixteen year old sister for introducing me to the world of Gabriella, Troy, and inspiring dance numbers.

2. Bauman Lunch
Even though I left my last job, I miss the crazy boys I worked with and the weekly lunches we had. I got to join them today and I hope I can again next week!

3. Running
Though you may think I am based on the fact that I haven't ran in almost 2 weeks, and the thin layer of cellulite that lines my outer thighs (I'm not ashamed) - I am, in fact, still a runner. I can, in fact, kick your butt. I will, in fact, hurt after this Saturday's 8 miles. And I do, in fact, have the most awesome pair of 2130's ever invented. They have pink on them. Go me.

4. The iphone
Which I now own! Boo-ya! If you are wondering why I haven't added the "facebook application for iphone" to let the world know of my updated power status, it is because my iphone is not alive yet. Soon!

5. God's power to change lives
Ok that one is kind of deep for a food blog, I know. But seriously, I am in awe of God's provision, care, power, and grace. I am honored to be used as an agent of change and grateful to those who have helped change me.

6. The Finer Things Club
It's my turn to host again! This Saturday I will be challenging myself with an autumn themed Finer Things. More to come on that!

What I'm Eating Right Now

2008-10-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

NOTHING.
And I'm really hungry.

Shrimp and How to Keep a Man Happy

2008-09-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Remember when I won the awesome grilling cookbook from the Food Network? I have slowly been testing the recipes and there is one I have already made twice. It's that good.

Recipe courtesy of the Food Network Kitchen's Get Grilling
New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
8T unsalted butter (my 2nd round I only used 5 and it still tasted good!)
12 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves (Kelly - do not smoke these!)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound large shrimp, shell on and deveined (make sure they are raw)
1t Worcestershire sauce
1T kosher salt
1T sweet paprika
1/2t cayenne pepper (more if you like to keep it real spicy)
2T dry sherry
3 lemons, cut into wedges

And the most important ingredient - a loaf of crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 350. Yes, although this is a grilling cookbook, you are using the oven and the stove and never come close to the grill, unless your grill is your stove.
Heat the butter, olive oil, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, until the butter melts and the herbs are fragrant - about 5 mins. At this point you should realize just how amazing this meal/appetizer will be - 12 cloves of garlic and a stick of butter?? How can you go wrong, really.

Toss the shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika, and cayenne together in a bowl. Add to the skillet along with sherry and transfer to the oven. Bake until the shrimp turn pink and curl, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with lemon wedges and lots of bread for sopping up the sauce.

I made this as one of the appetizers for Glenn's finer things, and I kid you not, I ran upstairs to get a spoon of some sort, and by the time I was back the entire thing was gone! Your guests will love it as an appetizer, or you can make it for 2 or 3 and serve it with a side salad for a (kind of) light meal. Just keep the sopping up of sauce to a minimum if you are counting calories, and you're set!

Now on to the 'how to keep a man happy' part of the post. It was Glenn's birthday a few weeks ago and I threw him a birthday party. I had every intention of making two birthday cakes, one in the shape of a castle and one a multiple layered confection dream.

Sometimes intentions are not that realistic. Especially when you have a friend staying with you and you all decide to go to lunch together, and then you realize you haven't even bought any of the food you are preparing for 20 people in 2 hours. Woops.

So what's a girl to do when her husband needs an awesome birthday cake and she has no time to make said cake? A good cook never tells her secrets. Just look at that happy face, whatever I did, it obviously worked.

Fried Green Tomatoes and Other Southern Specials

2008-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

In summer wrap-up post I mentioned our trip to Atlanta, a place I had not been before. The purpose/excuse for going on the trip was a "work-thing" Glenn had to attend for Chick-fil-A. Seeing as a favorite friend of ours lives in Atlanta and her boyfriend also happens to be Glenn's boss, we figured this would be a good excuse for all of us to go!

Glenn was scheduled to land about 2 hours before me, but the plan was for him to just wait at the airport and then the two of us would take a cab to the Dwarf House, where Matt and Jessica would be waiting (did I mention that Jessica did not know we were coming? She likes surprises, or so we decided). The two hour difference turned into 5 because United is just that good at delaying flights. When I finally hopped off the plane I was ready to eat a horse, and really ready to be out of the airport.

We headed to The Original Dwarf House at about 2 a.m. and it was quite the experience. They served things I didn't think existed. It was everything you hear about a down home Southern place. Picture this: chicken nuggets, smothered in gravy, topped with cheese. For real. My arteries cried out in agony but I had to have at least two bites. Come on, I was in the South!

One of my few culinary demands for while we were in Atlanta was to try fried green tomatoes. Ever since I saw the movie I felt like they would be good. I also felt like they should not have let Chris O'Donnell die. Don't you think they could have lived happily ever after and still come up with some good drama to keep us watching for an hour?

We tried fried green tomatoes at two different locations. The ones pictured above were my favorites. They had (what else?) goat cheese!! and caramelized, spiced pecans on top. I think I might try to re-create the recipe at home with the heirlooms I saw at Vons last week. Be watching for that post...

Other Southern specialties included - fried chicken with grits (which I never thought I liked, but I tried some of Jessica's and it was delicious!), a loaded baked potato with LOTS of BBQ pork and American cheese (the only negative) and this fantastic shrimp/gumbo/grits thing that had the perfect blend of spice and fat.

All in all, a successful first trip to Atlanta, I would say.

What I'm Eating Right Now

2008-09-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Reduced fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich and a passion iced tea with no sweetener in my amazing new tumbler.

It's Friday!

Summer Magic

2008-09-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen that movie? Summer Magic? A Disney and Kalleberg classic. Come to think of it, I might watch it after I finish this post. Call me if you want to come over. I have popcorn.

To all my foodie friends, forgive this post for being not entirely (or really at all) about food. This is more of a post about "why I was lame and didn't blog all summer" as well as a "look at these silly photos of my friends" type of thing.

The summer started the last weekend of May with Blake and Jenna's wedding. Lovely day, fun taco bar, lego cake toppers, and my super stud of a man wearing a kilt. Here are Kim, Sheri and I at the reception.

The day ended in an even more amusing way: me drinking a cosmo alone at the bar of California Pizza Kitchen while one friend with the initials AC raced down the freeway to meet me. 18 olives, a couple martinis, and a huge bucket of buttered popcorn later - we were enjoying all the raunch that was Sex and The City - The Movie. (Don't worry, Mom, I closed my eyes and/or squealed "gross!" at the nasty parts.) All in all, a good start to the warmest season.

Next came a hoard of visitors - the first of which was my middlest sister Kimberly. She went to China so I drove her to LAX and, clearly, we had to stop by Sprinkles.

In the middle of all of the summer madness, Glenn and I became aunt and uncle for the 2nd time! This time to twins! This is Maddie the day she was born. She is still in the hospital but we know she will get to go home soon.

During Kimberly's visit I managed to win tickets to Sea World! Our former stomping ground, it was fun to visit and test out the new night-time shows.

Our 2nd set of visitors came in for the 1st week of July and spent the 4th with us. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at C Level, waved hello to friends on their way to Island Prime (lucky ducks!) and then watched what is now my favorite 4th of July fireworks show in a city other than DC.

A couple of days after this came my first panic attack. Soooooo fun. You should all have one. Nope, not really. Awful. The wost experience in life ever. Couldn't stand up straight without feeling like I was going to puke/fall over for 4 days. Genuinely thought I was going to die. Not ok. Has made for some funny jokes, but that's about the extent of its blessing. Unfortunately there are no panic pictures. Ask Glenn if you want him to describe the events of the evening to you.

Next came Sheri's shower which I was honored to throw! I am co-matron of honor for my best friend since childhood Sheri's wedding and was really so excited to throw her a party and try to demonstrate all she means to me. Here are a couple detail shots.

In the middle of all of this, or maybe before, my favorite friend in high school, Adam Day Desjardins, and his lovely wife Danielle moved to Michigan. We sent them off in style by eating at Fuddruckers. Mmm.

With everyone out of the house and Glenn slaving away as the new General Manager (woo-hoo!) it was time for me to go on vacation! My 2nd year crashing the Dentt family party at Lake Powell and this time was even more fun than last year. The only thing missing was Glenn, but his absence made for some great times with Julie - we even jumped off a cliff! This is the landscape shot I am most proud of from my time there. I'm no photographer, but I like the way this one turned out.

Next item on the agenda: another vacation without Glenn. I'm spoiled, I know. I took Amtrak up to Santa Barbara to visit these kooks! We swam, ate, walked around the block, hit the town, gabbed until the wee hours, and discussed the benefits of buying cereal at Vons when it's on sale. Who knew it got so low? Roger isn't in the picture because he was busy tearing a tree down with his bare hands or something equally intimidating. Thank you, Sandra, for always being a good friend.

Now that this post has turned into a senior year yearbook shout out page...

Another wedding! This was a stellar party thrown by Matt and Jenny where we ate and drank the MOST terrific food and mixed drinks - honestly phenomenal. The craziest part about this day: I got off the train in Irvine from Santa Barbara, where Glenn and Jason were supposed to be waiting for me. 2 hours later we finally found each other, all of us famished. We scarfed some burgers at Red Robin, then ran into Barnes and Noble where they changed into suits and I did my hair, make up, brushed my teeth, put my contacts in, and squeezed myself into a strapless dress and heels. Cute. No really, I was. It's amazing what a little mascara can do to a girl that never wears make up.

The night of Matt and Jenny's wedding I started feeling a little tickle in my throat. Thinking it had to be the night air/cigar smoke/4th cocktail, I ignored it. And then I got a 102 fever two days later (wouldn't have known I had a fever if my parents weren't visiting at the time which gave my Mom the opportunity to buy me an Elmo thermometer while Dad picked up a burger for me from In N Out) and the WORST cold/flu I have ever had.

Did I mention I had a non-refundable flight to Georgia the next day? I brought the black plague to the South and really liked it (Atlanta, not the plague). We surprised Jess, even though Twitter and Glenn almost ruined it (grrr), got to meet some lovely new people, and ate wonderful food all over town. I can't wait to go back when I'm not sick. Here is a favorite picture of mine from the trip - Glenn and Jessica at the World of Coke sampling the nastiest soda ever. I think it was like sparkling asparagus or something horrid like that.

Well, I think this post was long enough to make up for my 2 month absence. Hope your summer was as splenderrific as mine!

MIA

2008-09-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have been out of commission for over a month, but that stops tonight.
Get ready for some serious summer updates!
In the meantime - here are two fun pictures from this weekend's events: Sheri's bachelorette party!
~MP&M

The Refrigerator

2008-07-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've seen a few blogs out there about the contents of one's refrigerator, most of them amusing, so I thought I would step up to the challenge and open the Internet to the world that is the Murdock fridge.

Today, July 26th 2008, my refrigerator looks like this:

I think it would be simplest to start from the top and work our way down. On the top shelf we have beef stock from I honestly am not sure when. The last time I remember using beef stock was when the Prue's came to visit last fall, but I am confident I threw the remains of that one out, so maybe this is what is left over from my last beef bourguignon or something.

To the right of the beef stock you will see a chilled Gatorade Frost. The best flavors of Gatorade are the Frost flavors. This is waiting for me to drink on that day when I had a long hot run and really need it. Could have used it today but I forgot it was in there. Maybe I'll move it to the front.

Next we have unsalted butter (a baking must!), the remains of the gallon of milk from when I was out of town, the new half gallon I bought for Glenn to use this week, golden potatoes that I will use tonight when roasting vegetables and garlic, asparagus, fresh mozzarella that we ate last night with our steak salads, cottage cheese, and blue cheese crumbles that will go on top of the garlic heads I am roasting this evening.

On to the 2nd row. In the back is creme fraiche which has a really long shelf life, I was surprised. Below the creme fraiche is feta that should have been thrown out in January. I'll get right on that. Then there is Bavarian Beer Cheese, raspberry jam, turkey dogs (way less calories and I swear they taste the same), and one alternative bagel. It's like the Nada Surf of bagels. Get it... Nada Surf, alternative... never mind.

I'm not really sure what's in the Ziploc next to the eggs, but I do know that the eggs came from Costco which is the best place to buy eggs because they are SO cheap and still quite delicious.

The bottom shelf I blame on Glenn. This is where he likes to keep beverages, but our fridge really isn't big enough for a cooling zone, so it just turns into a mess. As opposed to the rest of the fridge which is clearly oh so organized. A couple of Corona's, cranberry juice, some sort of salsa, baking soda, and the wine that is chilling for this evening. In the clear drawer is Vons peppered turkey freshly sliced for me yesterday (yum) and then in the drawers beneath there are some other vegetables and lettuces which will be used within the next two days as well.

There you have it! Do you feel like you have had a more intimate look into my life? I was tempted to organize everything (which I do every time I do a major grocery shopping trip) and then take pictures, but this feels more raw. If you decide to blog about your fridge, make sure you send me a link or post one in the comments!

Oh, and just for kicks - here is the side door. Have fun with that one.

** Added later:** I just remembered what the Ziploc next to the eggs contains: beef jerky that the aforementioned Prue's sent me from Middleville, Michigan. There is a place called Juke's that does home made jerky and it's so flipping good.

JV's - Where Everybody Knows Your Name

2008-07-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Or my Dad's name, at least. Remember this post where I mentioned JV's and also mentioned that it's basically unheard of (in my family at least) to go to or from the airport without stopping at this lovely establishment? One thing I failed to mention in that post was how everyone at JV's knows my Dad. He went there A LOT. I say went, not goes, because my parents (and 2 sisters) moved from the lovely San Diego to Laurel, Maryland a year ago. A YEAR AGO. And the JV's guys still know his name.

When my sister Kimberly was in town recently we decided to stop by JV's to get food, and of course to be able to gloat to my Dad that we were eating awesomely genuine Mexican food and he was stuck on the East Coast.

I ordered a favorite of mine - the taco salad with carne asada. Please note there are actually more chips than lettuce in this salad. Kimberly had rolled tacos, and Glenn ordered (what else) a California burrito. I also forgot to mention that one of the items in the salsa bar is unlimited hot carrots. Only a few Mexican shops offer unlimited hot carrots nowadays. Another reason to eat at JV's.

Tell me you're not jealous of that burrito. Freshly grilled carne asada, home made guacamole and tortillas, hot out of the grease french fries. Welcome to San Diego.

Finer Things Club - Round Three

2008-06-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

It was a hot, some might even say steamy, spring evening and my legs stuck to the leather seats as we stepped out of the car and headed up the stairs to Robert's apartment. (No, I didn't get a new car, we carpooled and someone else drove. I can only dream of a vehicle made post Millennium.) I knew this was going to be a special night. Robert was hosting the Finer Things Club and he is totally Alton Brown about cooking, entertaining, wine knowledge, and, well, Alton Brown.

On to the good stuff. As we opened the screen door and made the slight left into the kitchen/dining area a beautiful platter of pizzette (thin Italian pizzas sans sauce) sat on the table ready to be sampled. Of the pizzette my favorite was the sun dried tomato, goat cheese, and artichoke. If I'm honest, anything with goat cheese is usually my favorite.

What impressed me most about Robert's meal was the time he took in preparing each dish. For the main course we each had a half of a Cornish game hen, which he soaked in a brine (I told you he liked Alton Brown) and then cut in half himself. The game hens were roasted and brushed every 10 minutes or so with a delicious plum glaze that added the perfect amount of sweetness to the hen's skin. Robert served the hens alongside linguine and a spinach and pear salad.

The combination of flavors really was delightful. With dinner we had the lovely Cardwell Hill 2005 Estate Pinot Noir which worked well with the plum glaze on the hens and kept us sipping through dessert. If you are just getting into wine and aren't really keen on deep reds yet, I would highly recommend this wine. It's reasonably priced, has a wonderful flavor and is easy to drink.

Finally came dessert. I am afraid to say I don't really have any pictures of dessert because the minute it was set before us we all dug in. Can you blame me - it was Bailey's pot de creme and a flourless chocolate cake. What I do have is a picture of Robert and Mary eating this divine creation.

Robert wined and dined us and at the end of the evening it was clear: this was another Finer Things success.

I Did It!

2008-06-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

I used my Le Creuset. It was the first time, and I braised short ribs. Also my first time attempting the short ribs.

It wasn't as good as I had hoped, but my girls group, who willingly joined me for dinner (and life stories..) ate it up and told me it was delicious.

I tried not to apologize for what I thought were the imperfections of my dish. As humans, and particularly women, we tend to apologize for things far too often. No one will really notice if the crostini are a little too crisp as long as you don't say anything. Your husband doesn't really care that you gained 10 pounds but if you keep mentioning it every time you are together, he will start to look at you differently. Note to self.

Along with my braised short ribs (I used a recipe of Ina Garten's called "Scott's Short Ribs") I served goat cheese mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. For dessert, a thin slice of pound cake topped with mounds of fresh strawberries and a drizzle of warm nutella.

Welcome to summer!

I'm A Winner!

2008-05-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

My favorite food blogger, Adam Roberts of The Amateur Gourmet, recently started a fun online show for the Food Network called "The FN Dish". From mildly to highly amusing, The FN Dish speaks (and sings) to foodies around the world about all sorts of topics, most of them Food Network or Food Network star related. Note for Andy - one episode includes an interview with Anthony Bourdain. Check it out. Now.

Now that I've plugged an already popular site, it's time for the real excitement. I WON an awesome cookbook (well, I think it's awesome, I haven't received it yet so I'm not sure) from the Food Network's FN Dish by writing song lyrics about grilling. Can you believe it?? My lyrics were selected from thousands (or a couple dozen) of entries. Seriously, I am totally impressed and still in awe of my mad writing skiiilzz.

Here, for your reading pleasure, are the winning lyrics:

"Light and healthy, fresh and fun
How do I know when this fish is done?
Gently lift with a spatula, hoping not to spill...
Half my dinner is still on the grill!"

I Dip, You Dip, We All Dip for French Onions

2008-05-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

This post is not for the faint of stomach. The images that are about to be seen are considered by many to be graphic, grotesque, and all around un-appetizing. Consider yourself warned.

As I was flipping through one of Ina's cookbooks (we are on a first name basis even though she has no idea who I am. I am convinced we would be intimate friends and she would invite me over, along with the gay table-scape guy and the creepy plant lady, were we to ever meet) when I stumbled upon a recipe for home made French onion dip.

"Voila! I must make it!" And off I ran to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients.

Onions
Paprika
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream

The onions are to be sliced into thin half moons, a task my Global's and I rejoiced in. *Side note - my friend Matt recently purchased a few members of the Global family - congratulations are in order!* Once the onions are sliced, it's time for heat.

Sprinkle them with a little salt, pepper, and paprika and let them cook down. This takes a while. I finished Barefoot Contessa Parties and moved on to one of my Williams Sonoma Entertaining books. Then I made myself some iced tea, chatted with my sister on the phone, watched a movie, you get the idea.

The scent that begins to waft through your home at this point will be very distracting. I don't like onions raw, but there is something about a huge pan of cooking onions that smells like delicious. Do not take the onions off the heat until they hit this point:

Sorry, that's the gross picture. It tastes good, I promise!

Allow these caramelized onions to cool, then mix them into sour cream, season to taste, and enjoy! There would have been pictures of the finished product, but I was throwing a BBQ that night so it was all gone before I had a chance to whip out the camera. Oops!

France, Cast Iron, and Short Ribs

2008-05-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have a Le Creuset! A beautiful piece of red enameled cast iron, ready to prepare 6 3/4 quarts worth of deliciousness, used for generations of French cooking is now all mine!

The week before Easter I flew to Vegas for a conference, and then from there headed to Maryland to spend time with the fam. Great times were had by all, including an experience with Ethiopian food, which is generally one of my favorite foods, that I don't wish to repeat. I woke up at 4 a.m. on Easter Sunday to catch a flight home, and after stopping for burritos at JV's (this is, quite simply, what you have to do when you've just landed in San Diego) was excited to be back at my house.

I started to walk to our room to unpack myself when I saw it. There, basking in its French glory was the most beautiful Orange box I have ever laid eyes on. It was an Easter miracle!

Now, over one month since I received this lovely and thoughtful gift, and I have yet to use it. Determined to make something luscious and tender, for the inaugural use I am leaning toward short ribs. I have a few recipes, and looked up quite a few more on foodnetwork.com but I want to be sure I have the best recipe out there. Any suggestions? If short ribs aren't your thing, what have you made in your Le Creuset that is worthy of a crown? Do share!

Iced Tea, Addiction and Real Friends

2008-04-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Although I would never call myself a health nut, I try to be nutritious and stay away from the addictive and/or strange substances that inhabit so much of the edible side of American culture. Corn syrup of various kinds, imitation sugar, olean (which is far too similar to my middle name), red dye no. 5 - you get the point. Yet every time I hear an advertisement or see a menu with "fresh brewed iced tea" listed, I can't help myself!

I know the physical effect caffeine has on my body. Ask anyone who has worked or lived with me and you will hear horror stories. I don't know what it is that draws me in. Despite all of the emotional ups and downs, the frequent trips to the restroom and the inevitable nausea that ensues, I still drink it!

This week I sunk to a new low. I did not realize that I had stooped to this level until my co-worker and friend Bronson (who was also generous enough to take these desperate photographs) said to me "Kristin, you have hit an all time low."

Pathetic. I don't mean to be an all about me pity party here, but really - McDonald's on the way to work for an iced tea? Images from those shows where they crane-lift people out of their bedrooms because they can't move and all you see on the floor is cans of diet coke are dancing through my little head.

And so, with one swift comment, Bronson proved his true friendship to me and I will never drive through McDonald's before 8 a.m. again.

Finer Things Club - Round Two

2008-04-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Inspired by The Office, my friend Robert put together our own version of The Finer Things Club. Much like its television counterpart, our Finer Things Club is very exclusive and only has 7 members. Each month one of the members hosts a minimum of a 3 course meal, along with a wine pairing and educational/enlightening experience. This is also a wonderful opportunity to dig into the back of your closet and indulge your inner preppy.

This month Mary was our host. Eager to break in her cool Asian cooking accessories and brand new Wusthof knife, Mary wowed us all with the flavorful courses she prepared. For starters we had pan fried pork potstickers, steamed vegetable and tofu stuffed into wontons, and a lovely cup of fresh brewed tea.

Our main course included salmon that was cooked so perfectly, I honestly don't know how she did it. The salmon was served alongside rice with green onion and cilantro, as well as a cucumber green onion salsa. Healthy, check. Yummy, check.

At this point in the meal we take a break and get to our theatrical reading! This was so much fun. Honestly, how often do you get to read an act of Shakespeare together and all take on different roles? If you thought it was fun in 11th grade Honors English, just wait until you try it with your twenty-something friends.

At the end of the reading (Mary chose a dramatic act from Othello) came dessert. I must say that up until this point we were all impressed with Mary's ventures, but this is when she really blew us away.

Check out that tart. Perfectly flaky crust, delicious filling, fresh fruit in all shapes and sizes, none of that gross pectin jelly stuff so often accompanying a fruit pie or tart. It was pure, refreshing, and oh so tasty.

Mary has promised us the recipes, so if you would like me to share one with you just give a holler.

Diseased

2008-04-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was listening to Jeff and Jer on my way to work the other day (I know, I'm an old lady), and they mentioned something called "Amazing Disease." Sufferers of Amazing Disease fail to see that the things they are describing as 'Amazing' are in fact, not. "That is an amazing handbag. Those pancakes were simply amazing. I went to the most amazing little shop the other day. Your car is amazing!" They claim amazing things are supposed to be somewhat rare, so the word should not be used as often as it is.

The epidemic hits me most when I'm in the food sphere of my life. The problem is, I can't really figure out a way to stop! What if I really DO think that all of these fresh herbs are amazing? Or that Ina Garten's peach and blueberry crumbles taste more amazing than all the other summer fruit crisps combined? What about how Trader Joe's is amazing, as I can fill up my entire cart with produce, wine, and kosher meat and NEVER hit $100.

Maybe the world really is filled with amazing things! Or I'm just easily amazed...

Blanca in Solana Beach

2008-04-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I had gone out to a fun dinner. A while, of course, meaning about a week. I admit I'm quite spoiled in that I have a handful of friends who love to experience new places or take me to places I have yet to experience, and a husband who willingly eats his way through any city we visit.

"I'm taking you to Blanca" typed the keyboard on the other end of my g-chat conversation. I had heard a great deal about Blanca, mostly from Blair (pictured below) and Jean (Blair's mom, my food soul mate) and was anxious to try it out.

We were seated in the middle of the restaurant which provides great eavesdropping opportunities for those so inclined. My heart was pitter pattering as the waiter approached our table with menus and wine list in hand. "What should I order? Is this a one or two glasses of wine kind of night? Is the chef's tasting menu worth trying? Do they have something with goat cheese?" The excitement and anticipation of the evening floated through my head with great expectation.

And then he spoke.

Condescending rudeness dripped off of every word that left the waiter's mouth. He explained to us that he was an expert, and that this restaurant was of the highest caliber so all of the prices were an amazing value. Typing it out doesn't make it seem quite as dramatic, but believe me when I say this waiter was condescending and we all felt snubbed (even Glenn, who never feels that way!) After our initial shock at the behavior of this man, we decided we would not let him ruin our fun, so we continued paroozing the menu. (side note: after we ordered, and he realized we were not just ordering a side of fries to share, his attitude had a sudden change. hmm.) I decided on a glass of the pouilly fuisse to start and would then work my way into a cabernet or merlot. Excellent choice, according to Mr. Expert and my taste buds!

For starters we had:
1. Truffled french fries - perfectly crisp and sprinkled with fresh herbs
2. Boneless baby back ribs - not my favorite but very tender and soaked in a molasses BBQ sauce. Matt seemed to love these.
3. Dungeness crab cakes - three baby crab cakes with three different salads and aioli's - tempted me to go to Costco and buy the fresh lump crab meat to make my own.
4. Seafood sausage corn dogs - they make their own seafood sausage and then do a corn dog breading and fry them up. These things were out of this world. Served with green tomato ketchup (a little more tart than regular ketchup) and a violet mustard which was very fun.

All of the starters were tasty and unique. So far Blanca's food was delicious!

For the main entree I ordered a blackened Louisiana redfish. I had never had redfish before, but I enjoyed it. It reminded me a little bit of snapper. My redfish was accompanied by garlic and parsley risotto and butter poached crawfish. I won the entree lottery.

Glenn ordered his classic braised shortrib, although this time it was braised in merlot, adding some extra depth to the meal. The shortrib was served with a Bermuda onion marmalade which I had some questions about. I've been to Bermuda. It's a strip of land in the middle of the ocean with 4 resorts and a bunch of shacks, where do they grow onions?

Blair had the roasted free range chicken (the only way to charge more than $20 for chicken is to call it free range) and macaroni and cheese, which she kindly shared with the table. I enjoyed the macaroni, but I still think C Level's lobster mac n cheese is the best I've tried.

Matt branched out (ha!) with the filet mignon topped with foie gras. When it came he asked us what foie gras was, and we made him taste it before we told him. That was kind of fun. I couldn't figure out if he was going to turn green in the face or not, but he seemed to really enjoy it and ate the whole thing!

Now came the really fun part - dessert! We ordered the dessert sampler, which was miniature portions of four of their most popular desserts, as well as a chocolate mousse cake.

I apologize I did not write down the exact desserts or what was in them (it was the end of glass number two..), but I can tell you the chocolate cake was my personal favorite as it was served with an almond bark. I believe there was a meyer lemon cheesecake which was fresh and flavorful, along with a home made cappuccino gelato or mousse that had the perfect amount of coffee flavor in it.

All in all, Blanca was a great place and I'm glad I finally got to try it out. Blair and I have discussed this multiple times and figured out that the best way to do Blanca would be to sit in the bar and order multiple appetizers, desserts, and drinks. Although their food was very good, the outstanding portions of the menu lie in the before and after meal options.

The Beast that is Ham

2008-04-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

"Kristin doesn't like ham." I overhear Glenn telling his parents (to me they are the in-laws, not near as scary as the in-law reputation would say they should be... maybe I should tell them to work on that). "She'll be happy to bring another meat option." They discuss for a few moments and come to the conclusion that there will be plenty of other foods for me to choose from come Easter.

Their conclusion is correct.

Ham is around me all the time; at the grocery store, in line at the deli counter, in the creepy guy's sandwich who sat next to me that time I rode the trolley home from work. It's mainly during holidays that my aversion to ham is truly realized, however. There is something about when that whole leg is brought out and the family gathers around that is worse than all the other hamstances combined. Despite my open hatred, I still can't seem to put my finger on what I don't like about it.

In my attempt to be more adventurous, try new and unique things and re-try things I didn't like in the first place, I challenge myself to come up with three valid reasons why ham should be avoided at all costs.

1. The animal it comes from is kind of gross.
Look at that pig. He's no Wilbur. Would you eat him? He doesn't even look like he would taste good. He spends his days rolling around in the mud and grunting. I might as well eat a football player.

2. To make it taste good, all sorts of flavors are smothered on it and inserted into it.
Take the world's most famous ham (no, not Mia, and besides, that's Hamm) for instance - honeybaked. Should it really need to be baked in honey to make me want to eat it? The best roast chicken has nothing more than salt and pepper on the outside!

3. It was the inspiration for spam.
Unless you were born in Honolulu, that stuff should never enter your mouth. Need I say more?

I'm not trying to be a ham-disser, I am genuinely interested in people who love ham and what it is they love about it. So tell me, hammies, what DO you love about it? See if you can win me over... I'm willing to try.

Buried in Cream

2008-04-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Carrie and I were going to breakfast (or as they say in New York - we were brunching) and happened upon the ever amazing Park Street Eatery. I had been there once before and had ordered the porridge, as I was attempting to be low calorie. Needless to say, the porridge contains about as much butter as Paula Dean's biscuits, so that didn't help at all.

THIS time, however, I knew better. You see, the egg breakfasts at Park Street Eatery are served with their home made mashed potatoes! Creamy yet chunky, fresh ground pepper in every bite, those things are phenomenal.

I thought I had died and gone to breakfast heaven and then I realized there was more: my Mexican Hot Chocolate arrived. I don't even know how to describe this thing, but it certainly was not a beverage. It was dessert. I barely made it through the whipped cream.

Here I goooo...

2008-04-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to do this for a long time, I actually even started a food blog last year but then totally flaked after 2 posts. But here we are, it's April 1st 2008, and I'm going at it again. I'm giving myself a 30 day trial period, and at the end of the month I can decide to commit or not. I feel a little bit like I'm on Splash Mountain waiting for the big drop, but I think that's ok.

Read on - I hope you enjoy my introduction to the world that is online.

Mashed Potatoes and Merlot

New Blog!

Dinner for friends who are not Schmucks.

Deliciousness Early in the Morning

extreme times call for extreme measures...

What We Ate - Hawaiian Style

I think I love Arizona after all...

Introducing #3 to Cucina Urbana

BLT's

My Friend Who...

Look What I Found

Arizona Makes You Fat

5 Half Marathons in 1 Year!

Stuff I Like - round two, I think.

Menu Planning

Finally Becoming a 'Regular'

Vocalize Your Dreams

Streeeesssss.

Featured on Fine Times!

Wish List

An Evening with Thomas Keller

Wait, I have a blog? And other recent discoveries...

Feasting

Reading

Harvest Party

Kristin Loves...

Heaven

Out Sick

Gourmet Closes it's Doors

No Winner...

Things I Ate - Weekend Edition

My Mom's Blog

Restaurant Week Re-Cap

Kristin Loves...

My Attempt at Gnudi

San Diego Restaurant Week

Summer Wrap-Up - Photo Style

No Title Necessary

In The Zone

Wine Plus Me Equals Awesomeness

I Love Anonymous

A Letter

Bronx Pizza, Revisited

Mango Sticky Rice

Looking Forward

Weekending in Los Angeles

She's On Her Way

A Story About Saturday Night

A Trip to Costco

The Regulars

Strawberry Ice Cream

Zocalo Grill

Recession- Proof Dining

A Cure for Whatever Flu You May Have

*Side Note*

Peterson's Donut Corner

Avoidance, Truth, and Measuring Tape

New York, Part Two

Chains and Night-of Blogging

Emergency Row Seats and Armonk

Running Headaches, Peanut Butter and Krakatoa

The Many Uses for Pasta

Weekenders, Or What I Haven't Been Cooking Lately

Addiction, Snacks, and Carbo-Loading

My Mom Rocks!

Luxury

Provence Meets Dark Nails

New Year, New Me

Left Behind

One Crazy Night

Jamming and Christmas Gifts

Day Tripping - A Post For Jessica Holt

Over It. And Yet I Press On.

What I'm Eating Right Now

Shrimp and How to Keep a Man Happy

Fried Green Tomatoes and Other Southern Specials

What I'm Eating Right Now

Summer Magic

MIA

The Refrigerator

Side Note