I've been obsessing over concord grapes all fall. The last time I tasted some was in Seattle a few years ago. From the first taste, I was gobsmacked. It tasted the way grapes should be. And until I tried it, I thought concord jelly was just a made-up flavor because it tastes nothing like the... Continue Reading →
All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much
I didn't bake Paul cake last year and he's been harping how it's been 11 months since I promised to bake him a Boston cream pie. Oops. Busy year!I wanted to make it up to him and somehow redeem my laziness. Marriage does that to you. So instead of sticking with the Boston cream pie,... Continue Reading →
Yo quiero tacos
If someone wanted a tour of the San Fernando Valley -- an eating tour -- I could think of multiple places to take them. There are places to buy food, to eat food and get snacks. Yeah, I'm totally in with the 818 (area code).But when the Kogi BBQ Truck (which I've been virtually lusting... Continue Reading →
Psycho Donuts: Qu’est-ce que c’est?
I wanted to hate Psycho Donuts. And prior to the trip to the Bay Area earlier this month, I thought it paled in comparison to Voodoo Donuts in Portland. Voodoo Donuts with it banned-by-the-FDA Nyquil donut and some with explicit names. Psycho Donuts in San Jose seemed, well just, a tad mellow.San Jose in whole... Continue Reading →
A recap: how to gain 5 lbs over a long weekend
As with most vacations I plan, eating adventures is a large part of the draw. I break away from my regular routine, let go and enjoy myself. Well earlier this month, two and a half days was more than enough to fill that requirement. The days following the vacation, I broke down exactly what I... Continue Reading →
Five pounds in two and a half days
My labor day weekend was a pseudo-honeymoon. Honeymoon because we really didn't do anything special after our wedding. And pseudo because we really wanted to go someplace neither one of us has been before like Alaska or our dream destination, the Galapagos Islands. But funds and my lack of vacation time is a barrier to... Continue Reading →
No wire hangers!
My side of the closet. Notice hangers that are the same color as well as the old retro Mac.I'm very territorial about my hangers. I like all my clothes on hangers that are neither wire nor wood but instead plastic and of course, all the same color. I spent a pretty penny on my clothes... Continue Reading →
I go running when I have to: when the ice cream truck is doing sixty.
I've been researching ice cream that incorporates chunky piece of strawberry in the recipe. So when I saw a version by David Lebovitz's which includes sour cream, it piqued my interest. The recipe comes from Lebovitz's book "The Perfect Scoop" and includes recipes for basic vanilla ice cream to more unique flavors like olive oil.... Continue Reading →
If loving you is so wrong, why does it feel so right?
This article from Forbes, a very well known and respected news source, had one glaring error recently. It went on to describe a Japanese pop star as being addicted to drugs, and in the story one of those drugs was amphetamine crystals (crystal meth) locally known in Japan as shabu shabu.No correction has been issued... Continue Reading →
My Burning Kitchen... on the road 