artsy fartsy

The thing I love about graffiti - and of course, I mean good graffiti (a qualifier with specific intellectual and visual characteristics I don't feel like getting into now) - is the way it makes you feel when you find it: like you're suddenly "in" on an inside joke, connected to the city. Graffiti makes the urban space less anonymous and impersonal; it has the power to pull you into its conversation, to make you take a stand. It can also be very beautiful.

Found on Valencia Street - the graffiti is all wallpapered, so it's not even permanent. Isn't that neat?

Let's see. What have we been up to? Eating, as usual.

Alison turned the big 2-4 last week, so to celebrate, we had brunch at Foreign Cinema on one of the most gorgeous San Francisco days I've seen in months. Sunny but not too hot, it was the perfect opportunity to sit on the back patio and enjoy some amazing food. The chef at FC is well-known for his eggs - he has a cookbook called City Egg, Country Egg that is going on my Christmas list - and 4/6 of us ordered the exact same dish: poached eggs drizzled with a balsamic reduction, served with prosciutto, sauteed greens, and garlic potatoes.


The photo didn't do it justice. Needless to say, 4/6 of us ordered correctly.

The birthday brunch idea was really perfect: not too crazy, not too expensive, and considering that Alison was burned out from her weekend prior in Vegas, not too alcoholic.

Happy Birthday Alfie!!!

Tim's parents were in town, so we went out for dinner at Beretta and brunch (again!) the next day at B Star*, which is a Burmese-inspired restaurant that serves delicious and unique food. They're the sister-restaurant to Burma Superstar, which is famous for its fermented tea leaf salad... tastier than it sounds.

Lauren and Angela at Beretta:

And Tim at B Star*:

Last week, I also started taking a 7-week intro to acrylic painting class, which I'm very excited about. The class is offered through the City College of San Francisco, and of the twelve or so people taking the class, I'd say 8 are chic girls under 30. Quelle surprise! I'm hoping to end the course with something I can hang on my barren walls... Our first class was dedicated to black and white, learning about the properties of the medium and how to blend and shade. We watched a demo, then got to try our hand at a still life of our own. Mine didn't turn out too badly!


At the very least, it feels good to relieve stress and make something pretty. Maybe I'll go into graffiti next :)

... or maybe not.


Reading: Jonathan Franzen, Freedom (IT'S AMAZING!!)
Listening: www.hypem.com/kcp

the Month of the Potluck

Lately, my friends have embraced the idea of potluck dinners with such zeal, I can't remember a weekend in the past month that I haven't been to one. And let me tell you - I love potlucks now more than ever! They're perfect for the "emerging adulthood" phase of our lives: we want to have dinner with a big group of our friends, but don't want to deal with the hassle and expense of eating out as a big group (and god forbid getting a reservation for 10 in this city without a month's notice!). Potlucks allow people who like to cook to bring along something yummy, and for people who don't like to cook to bring along wine. Everyone spends about $10-15 dollars, eats well, drinks well, and leaves happy. It's a win-win.

The recipes have been mostly hit, with one miss. Let's start with the miss.

To celebrate Melissa Bishop's 23rd birthday, she threw a potluck. This is ironic, considering she doesn't know how to cook at all (someday I'll recount her spaghetti pie disaster), but she does know how to provide alcohol for everyone else. Anyway, I was craving chocolate, and figured a chocolate birthday-ish cake would probably work out well. I turned to Smitten Kitchen's Everyday Chocolate Cake, and put Becca and Bria to work while they were visiting me in the city to help me make it.

It was supposed to come out looking like this:


But really, it was a crumbly mess. Like this:


And this is how I felt about it:


People told me it was delicious, and I agree - the taste was totally there, but the texture! What a mess. I think there was a problem with the kind of cocoa powder I used.

Moving along, though, there were definitely some wins. I brought along the New York Time's recipe for Butterscotch Peaches to Kate Kosco's Clambake party, which were a hugely delicious success when served with ice cream. Kate never ceases to amaze me - she rented tables and chairs to seat 12 people in her apartment, fed us all an amazing seafood dinner, and brought together a great group of girls that I really enjoyed hanging out with! Thanks Kate!!

Our dinner:


And Becca and Maggie helping set up the spread:



Last weekend, Bria hosted a dinner party at her parents' house in Portola Valley, which has the most beautiful view of the foothills you could ever imagine. Her parents were out of town, and she slaved all day over a hot grill making chicken kebabs, tabbouleh, and other yummies. Becca brought homemade pita and hummus, Alison brought cheese and crackers, and I made a brown butter raspberry tart from Bon Appetit that got rave reviews. If nothing else, this crust is to die for!




And finally, last night, Tim and I went back to Smitten Kitchen for something to bring to our friend Beto and Tish's for a dinner at their awesome apartment in the Mission. With a go-big-or-go-home mentality, we decided to swing for the fences and make a cherry pie with almond streusel topping. Dare I say, it was one of the best desserts I've ever made.


We couldn't eat a bite.

Reading: Freedom, Jonathan Franzen
Listening: www.hypem.com/kcp

loving spoonfuls

Well friends, it's official: I'm lactose-intolerant. I spent a couple weeks using soy milk on my cereal then switched back to regular milk, and my stomach was not at all pleased with the cow juice. So this post is dedicated to my favorite food in the whole world: ice cream.

I scream! You scream! People around the world cream for ice cream!

Case in point: Tim mentioned the other day that he had Berthillon for the first time, even though he spent 6 months studying abroad in Paris! Berthillon is a must, if just for the experience of waiting in a long, long line, spending exorbitant euros, and receiving tiny scoops of flavor-bomb ice cream in return. They're famous for their salted caramel flavor, which is so unusual.


Next, let's pay tribute to my favorite ice cream in the whole wide world: Graeter's. Specifically, bourbon ball ice cream, best enjoyed during Derby season. The best part about Graeter's is their chocolate chunks: they're always gigantic, perfectly semisweet, and melt-in-your-mouth. They're most famous for their black raspberry chip - I found a pint of it in Colorado. Go West, my friend! Keep it coming!!


And now to San Francisco. People in SF certainly have a lot to say on the subject of artisinal ice cream, and everyone has a favorite: Mitchell's, Ici, Swenson's, Loving Cup... we could hardly want for frozen temptations. My soft spot, though, is for Bi-Rite's Rincanelas flavor, which is a divine cinnamon-snickerdoodle concoction - totally worth the trek to the Mission, and the inevitable 20 minute wait.



Hungry yet? Me too. Good thing they invented lactaid pills :)

Reading: The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall
Listening: Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance, Miike Snow Remix

from basque to brogues

The New York Times published a really interesting article I'd highly recommend - called "The Allure of Messy Lives," which basically explains why we enjoy watching Mad Men. The thesis, which I find rather compelling, is that we've become so focused on being healthy and leading balanced lives, it's refreshing to watch people drink hard alcohol at work, smoke cigars, eat butter, and be sexually promiscuous. Their self-destructive habits become our escape. Read it here: http://nyti.ms/9ABr26

Let's see. Busy weekend! Bria and Becca came up to the city on Friday evening, and I put them to work baking a chocolate cake to take to a Saturday potluck before going to Iluna Basque, which is a Basque tapas restaurant owned by one of the contestants on Top Chef Las Vegas.


He's a cutie, hm?


Too bad the service was HORRENDOUS. The food was pretty good, but I'm glad we didn't pay full price (got the Groupon - $30 for $60 of food and drinks). The menu features a lot of seafood - paella, squid ink calamari, spicy shrimp, etc. The sangria was a star, as were the bacon-wrapped plums. Yummmm...

Saturday, did a little morning shopping before heading to my first day as a gallery volunteer for the Intersection for the Arts. I didn't realize gallery sitting would be so... quiet. The exhibit that is going on right now is super cool, and shows art from the Artists in Residence Program at Recology, the San Francisco dump.


Basically, artists who are admitted into the program are given a $2000/month stipend, free on-site studio space, and 24-hour access to the dump, which they get to dig through to find things that inspire them. The program has been going on for 20 years, and it's produced some incredible pieces.

Like this life-size model of a hummer made out of styrofoam:

Collages:
And found photography:

Volunteering seemed like a great idea, but I'm just not sure if they really need me. And if I'm not spending my time productively, what's the point of sitting for six hours on a Saturday??

Saturday night, went to Melissa's for her potluck birthday dinner and brought the Everyday Chocolate Cake from Smitten Kitchen. While it was tasty, it was SO crumbly! Something was off, not sure exactly what... Next time I'd just make my awesome triple-chocolate brownies. Anyway, had such a blast with the ex-Stanford/Gap crowd. I'm not ready for this weekend to end!

Well folks, it's bedtime. Rounding out the weekend:
- Seeing Ali and Roberto of Bachelorette fame on the sidewalk on the corner of Union and Fillmore. (They're more attractive in person!) I was able to contain myself enough to not ask them to take a picture with me, but didn't quite have the willpower to avoid taking a sketchy photo from 10 feet away after passing by them. See evidence below:

I think she picked the right guy. They seemed really happy - we'll see how long this lasts!!


- Four hours of retail therapy with Alison today. A very successful shopping trip... perhaps too successful?

- A great chat with Sara the night before her first day of medical school. What an accomplishment! I wish I could take some credit, but lord knows she worked her butt off to get to this point. Let's wish her luck finding the perfect outfit :)

LAST but not least... think I could rock these oxfords? Or are they too cool for me?



Reading: The Lonely Polygamist
Listening: www.hypem.com/#/kcp

summer updates

I know! I know! It's been forever. But you know what? I've got my head back in the game. Now that Round Robin is over and that Rachel has totally inspired me with her amazing blog (Vive La Goos!), that I need to get back into the habit of posting. Even if only to share recipe successes (and failures) with the world :)

Let's start with one success I'm particularly proud of: a roast chicken. Who knew it was so easy? Thomas Keller, of French Laundry fame, gave me this recipe which turned out beautifully. If the smoke detector hadn't gone off thirty times during the process, it would have been perfect!



Ingredients:

• One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

• Unsalted butter
• Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Simple-Roast-Chicken-231348#ixzz0vHvCY3pu

Other highlights of the past few weeks:

- The wedding of one of Tim's coworker friends from Bain at the Thomas Fogerty Winery. I can't imagine a more beautiful setting, overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains. (image courtesy of google)


- Seeing Parker play a show at the Brainwash Cafe in SOMA. Hanging out with Jane and Parker in the city was somewhat of a time/space warp, but needless to say it was super fun getting to catch up.

- My birthday. Ahh, my birthday! So special, so much fun. I was really surprised how many people actually *remembered* my birthday, no less sending me emails and tokens of affection :) A few of my friends and I went to Beretta for dinner, followed by drinks at the Latin American Club and dancing the night away at the Makeout Room. Natalie even made the trek from Sonoma to say hello - even though she was recording with Ben Folds the next day!! Photos to come.


Okay, ONE more recipe winner, since I'm making up for lost time. This one's really delicious, and pretty darn easy:

Mascarpone-Filled Cake with Sherried Berries

Drool away, my friends!


Finally, books. I've read some fantastic books lately. Favorites listed below:
- The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
- The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz-Zafon
- The World According to Garp, John Irving

And now, I'm reading The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall... on my Kindle!! It's hilarious, and I absolutely LOVE reading it on the Kindle. The only downside is that I can't share it with anyone...

Stomach growling. Too many food photos. Updates soon!

oy vay

What would Tim Gunn do? He would be bold! He would totally cut 5 inches off his hair (if he had 5 inches to spare). And in the spirit of Project Runway, I took a photo of Heidi Klum to a shishi hair salon and let the scissors fly.

And?

I LOVE it! I actually had to go back once and get more layers put in, but now, I couldn't be more thrilled with the haircut. When I let it dry naturally, I have BIG, BOUNCY curls - and when I blowdry it straight, I have more voluminous hair than I ever thought I could have. Tim (boyfriend, not Tim Gunn) loves it too.

I start interviewing for my final placement this week - AACK! - but looking at my interview list, I feel pretty great about my prospects. All I have to do is make it through these next few weeks, and then I'll be done with the program! Hard to believe.

I don't have too much time to blog - want to get to bed early tonight - but thought I'd post some photos of fun adventures in the city.

From Sara's visit to SF, when we waited in line for an hour and a half for an Ike's Sandwich (worth the wait - at least Sara and I had PLENTY to talk about!). Sara ate the "MILF" (chicken, ranch, frank's red hot sauce, and jalapeno poppers) and I had the "Sometimes I'm a Vegetarian" (veggies, dirty sauce, yum). They were way too big for us to finish and very, very decadent, but the whole thing was an experience. Also notice our sleeveless shirts!

Sara chowing down:

My sandwich:

The line AFTER we got our food:

And Tim and I have been having our own culinary adventures (of course). We tried oysters at a seafood restaurant called Bar Crudo (and survived!), and spent Sunday afternoon tasting wines at the SF Vintner's Wine Market. Lovely weekend - and check out the hair, of course. I'll post better pictures of the cut when I take them.




Reading: The Help, Kathryn Stockett. Thanks Mom!
Listening: Thinking Allowed, BBC Podcast - highly recommended

WWTGD? (what would tim gunn do?)

Emily reminded me that it had been "ages" since I posted. Absolutely true, Emily - thanks for the reminder. I needed the little prod back in the blog direction, and I have so much to update I don't know where to begin! Let's start with today, and maybe work backwards.

I'm on week 3 of my final RMP rotation. It's hard to believe. I feel like this process has been such a long time coming - I remember when I found out that I got the internship (junior spring) and I felt like I was set for life. I crossed my fingers and hoped/prayed/believed that the internship would lead to a job. I started interviewing for the program that summer - continued interviewing through November, got into the program, then waited another 9 months to START.

And now here I am? Already sprinting towards the finish line? Like I said, hard to believe.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm pretty excited about the idea of being in one department, one function, one team for more than 10 weeks. But I'm honestly so befuddled about what I want/what I think is going to happen that sometimes I wish I could just push the fast forward button and skip all the drama. Interviews start in a couple weeks. Thank God I'm guaranteed to graduate with a job, or I'd be pretty damn nervous.

Let's see, other news. Just got back from a trip to HAWAII this week! Tim and I made spontaneous vacation plans 2 weeks ago, and had a total blast. There aren't any good stories, honestly - we relaxed, scuba dived, snorkeled, relaxed, beached, hiked, relaxed... I guess the only funny part was how the hotel couldn't seem to get our names right. The names listed in the room were Tim Wood and Kelly Peterson. In our interactions with the concierge, we got every possible combination - Miss Peterson, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Wood, Mr. Wood, Mr. Peterson (?!?). Pretty funny, actually.

The hotel was stunningly beautiful. If we had been paying for our rooms, they probably would have cost around $550 a night - luckily, Tim had 4 free nights in any Hyatt in the world, so we skirted that :) We were by far and away the youngest people staying there on our own. The valets thought it was hilarious that we rented bikes for the weekend as our main mode of transportation. They weren't exactly used to guests traveling on a budget.


And the pool was the size of a miniature lake. Stunning.



Tim took all the pictures and I promise to hold a gun to his head until he uploads them on the internet. When he does, I then promise to share them with you.

I haven't been cooking much these last couple weeks - trying to clean out the pantry to go on vacation, and now trying to survive on what scraps I have left until I go grocery shopping. The one recipe I stumbled on that I absolutely LOVED was from the New York Times food blog: Eggplant, Tomato, and Chickpea Casserole. Vegetarian, delicious.


Currently reading The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver. It's quite good but slow going. I'm finding a lot of my free time going to the Round Robin, which is also almost over. I'm debating about whether or not I want to continue with this class, or maybe take a *real* writing class? Ahh, the possibilities.

I'm also thinking about cutting my hair like Heidi Klum. Much shorter. Thoughts?