I lived in this village in Mali, West Africa nearly twenty years ago. I was a Peace Corps volunteer, and that experience forever changed the way in which I view my life and the world. I think about my Malian friends often, and especially at Thanksgiving. I am so incredibly grateful for all they taught me about finding joy and laughter throughout every day.

I thought I’d share with you all a little food diary from my visit to Mali this past summer.

This breakfast porridge is called ‘moni.’ It’s made with millet flour that’s rolled into little tiny balls. It has some tang to it from the millet and because we were guests, a little sugar was added (which makes it much better!)

All cooking starts with water, pulled by hand from a well.

For those with enough means, they will take their grain to the village mill.

And those who don’t, pound it the traditional way: by hand with a mortar and pestle. That pestle, by the way, weighs about 20 lbs (9 kilos) and takes hundreds of strokes to grind the grain.

Once it’s ground, the next step is winnowing and sifting the grain.

You may know of the legendary Baobab tree. It’s leaves are the primary ingredient for the traditional sauce.

The other principal ingredients in the sauce are okra and tomatoes — and a Maggi cube (eg bouillon cube).

After cooking the bajeezus out of the millet, you get a texture something akin to hyper-stiff polenta and it’s called ‘toh’ — pronounced like your big Toe. If the name isn’t unappetizing enough, the sauce seals the deal. To eat toh, you take a handful — with the right hand only, please — dip it in the slimey okra/baobab leaf sauce and pop it in your mouth. Mm-mm-good.

The soft food allows everyone from infant to elderly (the toothless ends of the life spectrum) to eat the same meal. It’s all very practical.

During the dry season, gardens yield other delicacies, like sweet potatoes.

For villages flanking the banks of the Niger river, fish is part of the diet. I was fortunate to live in one of these villages, though I must say I did not count myself so fortunate when the fish ended up cooked in the toh sauce.

This gorgeous fruit is called ‘tabacoumba’. I have absolutely no idea if there’s an English name for it. Anyone?

And these are beautiful, ripe melons plucked fresh from the vines. Sadly for you, in my bliss among the mango trees, I failed to capture the absolute rapture of biting into the best mangoes on the face of the planet (mental note to self duly registered).

No afternoon is complete without a round of tea– 3 cups, to be exact. The first is very strong and bitter….and gradually getting lighter and sweeter with the subsequent rounds. Sharing tea is a matter of heartfelt hospitality, and that is an area in which Malians excel.

My time living in Mali left me forever cognizant of the opportunities I have been given in my life, particularly education. If you’ve noticed that my posts have been a little less frequent of late, it is because I launched a non-profit this year called Mali Kalanso.

We’re building a school so the children in these photos can have the opportunity to get an education, break the cycle of poverty and create their own destiny. I’d like to invite you to join us in making a difference.

To contribute and help spread the word, visit MaliKalanso.org. Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve been horribly remiss in not sharing my adoration of (er, obsession with) Local: Mission Eatery and Knead Patisserie. It’s a little gem in the heart of the Mission bustle on 24th St near Folsom in SF. Yaron Milgom is the brainchild of the venture and the über-talented husband and wife team of Jake and Shauna Des Voignes make the perfect flavor team: Jake on savory and Shauna on sweet.

Both are classically trained, so everything’s prepared with the utmost attention to detail and technique.

And their dedication to providing ‘local, humane and housemade’ eats is genuine. On their one day ‘off’ each week, Jake and Shauna head to their family farm in Lodi where they tend to an enormous garden that supplies produce for the restaurant.

Knead Patisserie is tucked away in the back of the space — except when the cart is wheeled out front weekdays for early morning commuters to get their breakfast pastry fix.

In addition to her signature fleur de sel chocolate cookies, Shauna creates all kinds of temptations like chocolate pot de crême smores filling that comes in individual little jars alongside homemade graham crackers. Then there are the pommes d’amour tarts (puff pastry, pastry cream and caramel), almond twists, fruit preserves and all kinds of new surprises all the time.

And there are the lemony madeleines!

The menu changes with market availability and as of a couple months ago, dinner’s now a regular affair. So now you can grab brunch, lunch and dinner.

And for those who have a cookbook obsession but don’t have the space to store or inclination to purchase an entire library, can check out a broad collection by joining the cookbook lending library.

This roasted potato sandwich with garlic ricotta, pickled shallots and dandelion greens is the first thing I ever tasted at Local: Mission Eatery. It was to-die-for!

And the cream of corn soup seasoned with taragon and filled with hunks of dungeness crab is obsession-worthy (I order it any time I see it on the menu).

I love pickles but am particular (there’s something new!) These farm-fresh, quick pickles were exceptional: crisp and the flavors shone through. The fennel was particularly memorable.

I’ve craved this masterpiece often: toasted Knead brioche topped with a slow-poached egg, creamed corn, tarragon and topped with thinly sliced, just-picked summer squash. Heaven!

Sons & Daughters opened in June 2010 and with it came a dose of NY style and creativity. The black awning caught my eye as I buzzed by one day and the inventive menu posted on the website enticed me to take a chance on a place with virtually no press. I am oh-so-glad I did! You’ll see why….

The space used to house the former Cafe Mozart for 30+ years on Bush St. @ Powell. The interior was transformed by one chef’s mom, Debbie McNamara, into a sophisticated but unpretentious space. The lounge area is chic and cozy — a nice place to relax with a glass of wine while waiting for a table.

This little amuse of compressed melon, avocado cream and pink peppercorn definitely announced I was in for a treat from the two young chefs, Matt & Teague. They met in culinary school and between the two, have cooked in a variety of kitchens around the globe. The melding of refined technique and diverse cuisines shines through.

Bonus points for the butter presentation and Maldon salt sprinkle.

This foie torchon, accompanied by a peach gelée, was melt in your mouth, velvety, divine.

My Japanese foodie friend, visiting from Tokyo, was effusive about the lobster carpaccio–and that’s saying something. It was dusted with toasted and dehydrated lobster roe & dill, drizzled with lemon juice & lobster butter, and garnished with sturgeon caviar.

‘Herb salad’ does not do this creation justice. The salad portion is a tumble of freshness: shaved fennel, radish, dill, chervil, chives, edible flowers dressed in champagne vinaigrette. The rest is a totally unexpected play on curds and whey, with fresh curds and quinoa hidden at the bottom under a whey froth dotted with Eucalyptus oil.

Between courses, the change of flatware is ported in vintage cigar boxes — entirely suited to the sophisticated surroundings that include original signed prints by Swiss photographer Hans Gissinger, taken for La Conversation – a stunning cookbook by French chef Marc Meneau.

Have you had lamb loin cooked sous vide in hay? Neither had I! I highly recommend it- particularly with veggies tossed in a feta chimichurri!

The chefs switched up everything between visits. This time, the beautiful scallops were served with Maitake mushrooms and veal tea, and garnished with purslane, nasturtium and smoked sea salt.

I think this dish may just be the ultimate in comfort food: risotto, marscapone, shaved black truffles and a soft egg. And this is just the right amount.

If you don’t like to think about where your meat comes from, the squab dish is not for the feint of heart. For fans of squab, the confit leg in particular, is swoon-worthy. The super smooth beet puree and huckleberries were great companions.

A lil’ intermezzo of plum slivers….

And a nice version of a latent discovery for me this year (at Frances): date cake! This one w/ crême anglaise, whipped sweet cream and ripe, juicy blackberries.

(The dark chocolate truffle cake with mint ice cream was devoured as soon as it hit the table).

Alas, the mignardise….bruléed pineapple bites. A nice little bit of punctuation to an elegant and satisfying meal.

There’s a groovy wine cellar downstairs and while they’re still working out the deets, it’ll likely be a fixed chef tasting menu.

I still can’t figure how they’re able to serve such gorgeously crafted food for such affordable prices. But I’m not going to question it. I’ll just keep enjoying. Upstairs or down, I suggest you book your table now while you still can!

I couldn’t agree more with the web address imperative: eatatboon.com
The new little gem of a bistro in Guerneville, CA on the Russian River, boon eat + drink is enough motivation for me to hit the Armstrong Redwoods trails more often

— especially, now that I know there’s a place serving great grub and a nice glass of (local) wine at the end of the day!

Like its sister property the boon hotel + spa (just around the corner), the decor is simple, clean & modern.

Our server was sweet, friendly, eager to please and absolutely adorable — no photo available.

I do, however, have photos of the fab food we ate, including this creamy burrata with beet pesto and lightly salted, grilled bread.

The flash fried polenta sticks w/ marinara were super crispy, light and buttery.

The chilled cucumber buttermilk soup was just perfect for a balmy evening.

I love all things salad in summertime. This one has all of the essential elements: garden-fresh, tender greens + creamy Pt. Reyes blue + sweet cherries + toasted pumpkin seeds and a slightly tangy tarragon vinaigrette.

If you haven’t tried a braised pork belly that’s been flash fried as the finishing touch, I suggest you do so post-haste! (Yes, even YOU, my Jewish + Muslim + Vegetarian friends who make the exception for bacon).

Good ol’ Humphrey Slocombe ice cream is one of the few imports to the restaurant (all the way from SF). It tops not only these warm fresh fruit cobblers, it adorns the already anointed ‘signature’ fudge brownie with sea salt with their McEvoy olive oil ice cream.

If you’re in the area, follow the imperative to eat + drink at boon! And if you aren’t nearby, I suggest you consider a road trip.