I have a charming new neighbor named Frances. Most of us in San Francisco know about Frances, the sweet new restaurant of chef/owner Melissa Perello that opened a couple months ago to a massively warm welcome. I met Melissa a few years ago on a photo shoot at the tail end of her tenure as […]
If there’s one thing I’ve found in my travels, every culture has its own unique love affair with sugar. Unlike the Western butter+sugar+flour formula, India expresses its affection with jaggery, nuts, seeds and milk. In Maharashtrian cooking, jaggery is used in just about everything, savory or sweet. And once again, a sucker for packaging, I […]
I was away when Sandbox Bakery opened for business in Bernal Heights. I finally made it over this week to check out the goods and was compelled to interrupt my India missives to report so you can enjoy the treats at Sandbox sooner than later. Mutsumi Takehara is the pastry-chef owner and she has made […]
I woke up this morning with a wicked hankering for a good cup of chai. Of all the chai walla’s I visited in India, this cat had it down! He was theatre to watch. I figured since I’m reliving the fantasy, I might as well share. …crushing fresh ginger with the all-purpose kitchen gadget: pliers. […]
I love, love, LOVE street food and had such a great time tasting my way around the scene in India. It’s one of my favorite parts of exploring new places. Thankfully, my stomach has the strength and stamina to handle my sense of adventure. I was intrigued by the crowd at this vendor in the […]
I’ve been meandering through the markets of Maharashtra, India, and as my first dispatch from the subcontinent, I thought I’d start with my (ongoing) obsession with pomegranates. Here, the pomegranate walla carts are spectacular displays. I was in awe of the perfect clusters, so I asked one especially nice chap for a demo. And there […]
I’ve been fantasizing about this wonderful West Village, NYC restaurant I discovered last summer called Bobo. The name is short for ‘Bourgeois Bohemian’– a term that definitely describes the aesthetic of the space. There’s lots of exposed brick, long curtains, antique chandeliers, books, candles and knickknacks tucked around the room. And the outdoor patio stole […]
When I’m in NY, I make sure to hit Local in Soho (on Sullivan between Houston & Prince). It’s just a couple doors down from my sis’s place, so it’s not hard to do. The owners, Craig and Elizabeth, have lived in the hood for a long while and have seen the myriad changes over […]
I just learned that the lovely Restaurant Eloise in Sebastopol closed on Nov 29. I only had the pleasure of dining there once for a family celebration. We were all smitten with every aspect — it was so elegant and yet down to earth. I regret not posting this delicious memory sooner. Here’s my ode […]
Last week, work took me to the Encore resort in Las Vegas for the ‘Top Turkey’ showdown: a cooking competition taped in front of a live audience for the Regis and Kelly show airing the day after Thanksgiving. The challenge for the competitors was to create two dishes using Thanksgiving leftovers. The kicker was a […]