Bakery Days

June 2010 . Farmer's Market Produce

My love for farmers’ markets knows no bounds. Anyone who knows me, knows that food has a special place in my heart. Fortunately, I live in a great city that offers a wealth of food outlets–restaurants, shops, markets, festivals, and organizations.  » Read the rest of this entry «

June 2010 . Tartine Cookbook

Another day. Another month. Another year. It’s been full of unexpected surprises and changes. I recently received this lovely cookbook from a very dear friend of mine. The companion piece to the wonderfully delicious bakery, Tartine Bakery, located on the corner of 18th and Guerrero Street in the Mission, each recipe contains beautiful drool-worthy photos, stories and recipes. » Read the rest of this entry «

June 2010 . Zucchini

This weekend at the farmer’s market, I spied with my two little eyes, zucchini. With spring fruits here and the summer season just around the corner, I’ve got tons of sweets lined up to bake. Tarts and muffins and frozen treats galore! Today’s recipe is another experience in one-handed cookery—the thumb is still temporarily out of order, and like all things that life brings, I use them to make sweets.

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June 2010 . Onion

Today’s meal is filed under: duh

THUMB DOWN! I know better than to let my mind wander when cooking. Unfortunately, tonight I received a painful (and ugly) lesson in chopping when my thoughts trailed. So while I bandaged my thumb, I debated on scrapping my meal and ordering take-out, but then realized that this is a good chance to chronicle my adventures in one-handed cooking. Fortunately I’d planned to whip-up a very easy dinner… » Read the rest of this entry «

March 2008 . Koln Chocolate Factory

I love chocolate. It’s sensual. It’s comforting. It’s happiness–packaged into itty-bitty mouth-watering pieces. Chocolate is a cherished sweet that I can never get tired of. Growing up, my family never had a lot of candy in the home and when I managed to get my little fingers wrapped around a piece of melted goodness, my parents–and grandparents–would always lecture  me, telling me that my teeth would fall out if I ate too many. Welp, fast forward to today, and I’ve still got my full set of teeth, so that little scare tactic didn’t work much… I still love chocolate, probably more so today than when I was a child. During a recent trip to Europe, my eyes (and taste buds) discovered chocolate unlike any before. It was magnificent. It also happened to be the trip that provided me with a new found respect for the unknown labors in the cacao fields. During my trip, I read Carol Off’s Bitter Chocolate and discovered a lot about the history of cacao beans, the people who work the farms, and the business of profiting off the people and these little beans. What I wasn’t prepared for was what I would learn about myself and how my views of chocolate would change. » Read the rest of this entry «