Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, fellow shoppers are going gaga over flavored coffee, holiday candies, pumpkin whatnots, egg nog… and lady fingers! Lady fingers are found at any Italian grocery store year-round (I recommend Filippi’s Pizza Grotto for those here in San Diego), but they’re only seen at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts,... Continue Reading →
Ode to James Bond: Steak Smothered and Shot Twice
When I think about James Bond, his eating habits never comes to mind. Instead, I think of international espionage, double agent seductresses and deus ex machina gadgets to get you out of any certain-death conundrum. But little did I know that in the Bond books written by Ian Fleming starting in 1953, food played a part... Continue Reading →
Home Renovation: A Gray and White Kitchen
Despite the stress of the water damage delay into getting our new home , the kitchen remains one of my favorite places. The kitchen we had in the old place was small, narrow and had old appliances that echoed back to the early 1980s. We eventually replaced the refrigerator and microwave and in my opinion,... Continue Reading →
Won Ton Mistakes and Dipping Sauces that Forgives All
It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a cooking mishap that infuriates me. What did I do wrong? Is this even edible? And most importantly, is this blog worthy? The first two questions are ones I can answer myself; the answer to the third is "of course!" My mistake is one that I hope no... Continue Reading →
Home Renovation Food and Wiener Burgers
Unexpected weekend activities can lead to the most unusual places to eat, like our weekly pilgrimage to Home Depot and in one special trip, Dog House Diner. My first exposure to Dog House Diner was earlier this year with Erin Jackson, hamburger reviewer extraordinaire for Serious Eats. Erin and I had made previous visits to... Continue Reading →
Home Renovation: Mental Fatigue and a Bathroom Update
A recent post on Apartment Therapy touched upon moving into a new house that I related to. Between navigating the stressful mortgage process, renovations and finally moving in, most new home owners experience mental exhaustion. (On top of this, we had to deal with the water damage in the kitchen.) This is exactly how we’ve... Continue Reading →
Halloween Costumes: Food Couture
Halloween has slowly moved from being solely a kid’s dress-up holiday to one where grownups actively participate. It’s especially evident when perusing any of the popup Spirit of Halloween stores; the adult costume area usually beats the childrens' costumes two to one. If my analytics are correct, a popular costume this year will be Louise... Continue Reading →
Eating My Way Through the Farmers Market: Bok Choy
San Diego has a new farmers market that's been making big news. San Diego Public Market — which started a Kickstarter Project in August to renovate an old warehouse — met its goal within a few days and was funded 158% with over 1,210 backers by the time pledge drive expired. That's a whopping record that has... Continue Reading →
Food Trucks In (Or Coming To) San Diego: Dos Equis & Nutella
Keep your eye out for the Dos Equis and Nutella food trucks, both making stops here along their U.S. tour. Dos Equis — in conjunction with MIHO Gastrotruck — is offering free food (!) throughout San Diego County to promote their Most Interesting Academy. The truck is serving up wild hare paella, prawn samosas and octopus tostada.... Continue Reading →
Exploring Kearny Mesa: Balboa International Market
There has been so many things exciting about moving into a new neighborhood. There are the finding new ways to work (my commute has been reduced to 4 miles each way!), discovering new walking routes to get my exercise in and discovering new eateries to check out. While I’m not entirely unfamiliar with my new... Continue Reading →
My Burning Kitchen... on the road 