Farm to Fork

An evening in Albany

Have you been to the Hotsy Totsy?

Do you drink?

Shot and a beer? Or something more clever in cocktail form?

Do you like local memorabilia?

Are you intrigued yet?

The HTC has been a staple of the easy bay since 1934.

Currently owned by Jessica Maria and Michael Valladares (since 2008) it’s a lovely combination of dive bar and craft cocktail establishment. More info on the owners here.

We have had consistently good cocktails each visit.

This visit we enjoyed a “Warm Hug” made with Merlet VSOP cognac, pumpkin butter and black walnut. A lovely dessert drink.

The “Femme Fetale” with Magnus whisky, sour cherry liqueur, LoFi dry vermouth and saffron bitters.

All in all a lovely start to the evening which ended with dinner at Zaytoon on Solano Avenue which had their bar program crafted by Jessica Maria as well.

We ate small plates-style and enjoyed several plates. Handsome was not wowed by the hummus but the rest of the Mazza plate ($12) was balanced, thoughtful and well-crafted.

The wine list is compact but selves into broad regions. We enjoyed both Greek and Lebanese wine with our meal (glass avg $12.50)

The Warak Inab (Lebanese name for the more familiar Turkish dolma) was soft, and fragrant with herbs that made it a lovely contrast to the baba ghanouj and tabbouli $8)

I look forward to trying more on our next visit.

Women in food

A few months ago, a lovely friend and I were talking about restaurants and women and as a result I decided to start a list of local places that were owned or run by women.

Since then, the list has grown with a little help from my friends and we’ve used it as a basis for where we have been eating this year.

Of course, as always, there have been exceptions but in general we are eating what women cook or from restaurants owned by women or we are cooking it ourselves.

Over the next few posts, I’ll try to catch you up where we’ve been so far.

Anyone who would like the list or wants to contribute to it, please send me a PM here or on IG with an email so I can share it out to you.

The first foray was to Buttercup Diner with dad. Yup. Betcha thought I was gonna say something else. But we eat like the rest of the world and after a Dad Dr. appointment there is not much better for him than a slice of something Debbie made. Read on for more:

Buttercup is local, family owned and yes, at least one of them is a woman. Its owners Debbie and David (and their kids) have owned the chain for over 28 years and it has 5 locations around the East Bay.

Debbie’s desserts are all her own recipes and, well, my dad loves her bread pudding. Her seasonal pumpkin is great when it is the right time of year and most days you’ll see my honey and I racing for bites of her chocolate cream.

Every location is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no breaks in between . (And that is a feat in itself.) The food is consistent, homey and the atmosphere’s are all comfortable.

Well worth it and did I mention it is locally owned? 😉

Monet in SF: Some musings

This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the exhibition of “Monet: The Late Years” at the deYoung.

The exhibition was touching for me in many ways:

I am always inspired by individuals who found or continued to innovate in the second half of natural life.

I have a particular soft spot for impressionism.

I adore the way that Monet moved art forward and created much of what becamse 20th century artistic standards.

I appreciate how he found so much to talk about by diving deep into one subject and looking at it from different perspectives and at different times.

He was a successful artist in his life, but still pushed the envelope and was not able to sell his new style of works.

And also because he painted his entire life, even after some devastating losses and when he was in his 70s with worsening eyesight due to cataracts, eventually ending up legally blind in one eye and with 10% visibility the other, he still painted amazing art like this weeping willow. (Which is one of a series he did at the end of World War I.)

Wow.

Jardinere – A piece of SF leaves

Monday night was my last trip to Jardinere. It will close its doors for good this weekend.

Jardinere holds more memories for me that I realized when we went in earlier this month. My family and I have gone there for special occasions, for a before theater drink or meal, or just as a place to nibble and pass the time in quiet. I’ve had more than one interesting conversation there; more that one delicious dish, and, oddly enough, received the best hair compliment of my life (so far) there.

When you walk into Jardinere, you are treated to a quiet and calm oasis. A warm, rich interior with a horseshoe bar and a beautiful ceiling that illuminates small sparkles and the afternoon light turns to dusk. The second floor visible about the bar, you can see table tops nudged against the balcony railing that has dimly lit wine coolers built in at every railing post. Does it sound elegant? It is. Opulent? Not really, it fits in. It doesn’t stand out and scream but instead invites you forward into a space that is never boisterous. The soft walls and warm colors absorb sound, the soft carpet on the staircase muffles the traffic to and fro while the sturdy brick walls make you feel nestled into a safe space you can sit and relax.

It’s a destination that is going out in the same style it came in. With grace, delicious food and just a touch of whimsy.

These are a few of my favorite things (wk16)

I didn’t do so well keeping up with the weekly summary posts. So I’ve missed a few (seven) weeks. I realized it was because I was following someone else’s formula, so I’m making up my own, and I expect it will change a bit over time.

But for this week, here are my current favorite things:

(Note: some links below are affiliates; I only share what I use and personally recommend.)

What I’m cherishing right now are some freesias that Handsome brought me home earlier this week and inspired Wednesday’s post on freesias.

What I’m dealing with this week: both the shocking loss of part of Notre Dame where we visited last year and some personal stuff that has me reeling. Not a great week but I’ve kept my head upright and fastened down the hatches and we will keep moving on. Right? The alternative is Stuck and I refuse.

What I’m cooking right now: For the past few weeks, as I’ve previously mentioned, I have been experimenting with yogurt cultures to make homemade yogurt and then straining it to be thick Greek-style. I’ve started with Clover Organic whole milk each time and played around with using a few tablespoons of Straus Organic yogurt to create new culture, commercial culture and now, these Greek Heirloom Thermophilic Yogurt Starter Culture (affiliate link) cool-looking heirloom yogurt cultures.

What I’m listening to now. Some of my best moments come from music. And I’m often making Spotify playlists these days to try and keep track of themes and moods. This week, I’m listening to the new album by Clare Bowen. I first heard her music courtesy of the show Nashville, and I just love her caring attitude and lovely voice.

What I’m reading now. The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye. Love the series, still trying to come to grips with the new writing style. But, honestly, Lizbeth is the bomb.

Quote that sums up the now.

I know it’s supposed to be quote, not a meme, but I. JUST. COULDN’T. RESIST. that nose!

Oh my, bacon, what a wonderful gift

Bacon. Yum. And good on a day that was less than good.

Today was not a good day. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good. By the middle of the afternoon, I knew I needed something if I was going to salvage my mood. So I turned to food and the kitchen because that always helps and it less destructive that other habits can be.

I have a few Achilles heels in terms of food. Things that I can’t really live without but have to eat less than a moderate amount. Bacon is one of those. Pepperoni pizza another, and yes, there are others, but we will not tempt my brain with thoughts of baked goods and such right now.

Instead, let’s focus on the bacon.

Bacon has many forms in different countries. Here in the US, it is usually pork belly, well streaked with fat and available in packages (or at your butchers) in packages where it is thinly sliced or offered as a slab.

Sometimes, it is smoked, other times its cured. It can be flavored with hickory or, my personal favorite, maple for a touch of sweet. And I think it’s A Very Good Thing. photo apr 18, 4 49 59 pm

So tonight, that’s what I put on the menu, I crisped it up and put it on homemade spelt whey bread, added homemade mayo and some avocado (thanks dear friend, for that suggestion!) and a nice half-sour pickle on the side.

Bacon is a better thing when you trust the source. I like how several farms have removed nitrates but my favorite continues to be those farms that are Certified Humane. One of my favorites currently is Belcampo located at the base of Mount Shasta. You can find out more of them by clicking on the link. They are committed to treating the pigs well, and they are humane-certified, which I think makes for tastier, healthier meat products.

My plate is now clean, the sandwich a success and it helped my mood with a nice dose of pleasure.

That’s A Very Good Thing too.

I love freesias for many reasons

Freesias are my favorite flower. It’s a sense memory that brings me joy.

I love freesias for many reasons.

yellow petaled flower — Photo by Kali Neri on Unsplash

First and foremost, they are a sense memory for me of my childhood. Much like violets (but that’s another post.)

Secondly, they have a robust and unforgettable aroma that I know with just my sense of smell, and I have yet to find any manufactured fragrance that smells even a bit close.

Thirdly, freesias are a true spring flower. Once spring is gone, they are not available until the next year. (Or if they are, they are without the intense aroma that makes them unique.)

And, sadly, I am horrible at making them grow.

I have planted bulbs for them just about every year, and every year, I get a few paltry, weak-looking leaves and no stems. No buds. No flowers.

I know it’s not watering because I get the daffodils and irises and tulips in the same bed. It’s something else.

So, I have serious freesia envy whenever I see them in someone else’s garden. I will go OUT OF MY WAY to smell a freesia (which sometimes makes Handsome uncomfy since it means sneaking into someone’s yard!!)

Here’s a link if you want to try growing them yourself!

So, because mine droop, I have become a cut flower freesia junkie. All spring, I look every place I see a flower vendor for freesias. I smell them, and if I get that hit of memory, of care, I buy the freesias.

But the story doesn’t end there, because once you buy freesias, you have to take care of them every day or they will die prematurely. And they aren’t usually cheap.

So, here’s a few steps to help you figure out how to take care of your cut freesias, wherever you find them:

Align your freesias, so the blooms are all where you want them in a bunch.
Cut the freesia stems on the diagonal so that the stems don’t sit at the bottom of the vase.
Make sure nothing but stem will be under the water line
Fill the vase a little more than halfway with room temperature water
Put in your freesias
Change the water and recut the stems every day or every other for longest life.
Remove each spent (dead) flower when you change water to extend life.

P.S. I don’t use floral preservative, ever.

I’d love to hear your stories about freesia or flower memories in comments!

Spring has Sprung

Spring Equinox has meaning for me as an acknowledgement of the passage of Winter. I love the ritual of it but it doesn’t always coincide with the weather.

Sometimes, especially lately, Spring seems to come out meekly with a whimper and lasts for a whisper of time until Summer appears.

Sometimes, we have a torrential Winter and Spring announces itself boldly with daffodils and poppies and Robins chattering.

And sometimes, it’s like today. It’s my least favorite day of the year, when we “spring forward” with Daylight Savings. We had rain all morning with a downpour including hail around noon. But then the air cleared and the Sun came out and I just knew it was Spring.

The air feels different in the Spring. People stop hibernating (even if it’s just to pull weeds) and visit with the neighbors. Everything feels ready to play again after such a hard winter.

These are a few of my favorite things (wk9)

This week has been the first ~~warm and~~ sunny days we’ve had in a while. The break is needed as this “El Nino” year is somewhat crazy. I honestly don’t care if it is climate change or something else. It’s definitely different.

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I added this week:

A recommendation from my Peanut is an app called “Workout for Women” I’ve used it for most of this week and the workouts are free (with some non-invasive ads), it connected to Apple Health automatically, and is very easy to use. There are not always step-by-step instructions but it is straightforward enough that the exercises are easy to follow.

What I am listening to:

The Spotify playlist for Umbrella Academy. A crazy mix of music from the 60s to the 80s, and quite a fun selection of Electro.

What I am reading:

All My Love, Detrick by Roberta Kagan – a book written about the world and how it affects two families of different religions during the Holocaust.

What I’m working on:

Perfecting homemade yogurt in the new gas oven. Something I’ve wanted to do since started planning the remodel. I have made it two times so far and am quite happy with the results, even a bit more so when I drain it into Greek style. Thick, creamy and luscious, and I’m using the extra whey to acidify the garden for some camellias and hydrangeas. This is apparently a hotly debated technique, so we shall see if it helps or hinders. I am using the hydrangeas as the test bed as they actually change color when the soil is acidic.

I hope to be able to write a post about all this after just a couple more attempts.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” — who knows

These are a few of my favorite things (wk8)

So I am now officially back in news avoidance mode. The only way to make that work means avoid the phone, live tv and do something else. So it’s been work, bake, work, cook, and work clean this week. Not a bad thing at all at all.

Here are a few of my favorites:

What I am avoiding this week:

is what is called Adulting. Have you heard of it? I personally think it’s a great phrase. Being a grown up has never been of interest to me. Being an adult has been necessary. Being able to “verb”alize it so that it becomes a function rather that a way of being. I’m sold. So I avoided bill paying, grocery shopping, errands and all that this week. It’s been nice. Too nice. I might actually feel like I have a moment for myself.

What I am watching:

Live TV is under self-ban, so we are back on Netflix and watched the inaugural episode of The Umbrella Academy. I like the irreverent comic and this has a FABULOUS cast and the first show had me smiling and laughing out loud. No. Really. I did.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” – Benjamin Franklin