Visiting the Pacific Northwest

Earlier this year, I was in need of a mini-break and decided to take a road trip up to Portland and Seattle to meet up with some friends. I had never been further north of Clear Lake at the South of the Mendocino National Forest, and thought it might be fun to see what is actually Northern California (even though we in the Bay Area say we live in Norcal), and bits of Oregon and Washington. Leaving after work, it was quite a drive to get to Medford. On a side note. Never ever ever stop and eat at the Burger King in Weed's California. Just don't do it... unless you like jerky-like chicken strips.

Manresa

A few months ago I finally had a chance to dine at the world-famous, two Michelin starred restaurant, Manresa. To say I was excited was a bit of an understatement. From having friends who have worked with David Kinch, following his famous food-blogger girlfriend, and hearing rave reviews about how their produce is hand-picked fresh every morning from a farm nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains, it was quite a build-up of expectations. With stellar service from a friend's sister who coincidentally is a server there, the meal did not disappoint.

Baking for birthdays

It has been a slow lurch trying to get my baking groove back. With travels, work, and the summer heat, it's difficult to get back into a non-air-conditioned kitchen. But what am I complaining about, at least I have one to bake in!

Pierre Herme's Lemon Macarons

Pierre Herme's lemon macaron recipe does not fall short of perfect. The recipe involves making your standard macaron cookie, and also the most luscious lemon curd filling. The tartness of the lemon perfectly balances the sweetness of the cookie. Usually I can't eat more than one macaron, but these... maybe two... or three.

Airbrushing

To be frank, I don't have a lot of experience airbrushing cakes. When in school we dabbled a bit with it, primarily to paint these scary marzipan and chocolate clowns. Part of me wishes that we spent more time learning about the technique.

Lucky me, for Christmas I got this amaaaaaazing airbrush kit from my brother. It's the same brands they use on top cooking shows and on Food Network. 

Macaron

Food trending, seems to follow the same path as style trending. Things that I've seen popular in Europe, have made their way to NYC, and now to the West Coast. As I've mentioned before, French macarons ARE the new cupcake. I'm starting to see the cookies reminiscent of tiny burgers in a lot of bakeries. Sadly, most are not up to par with Parisian powerhouses such as Lauduree and Pierre Herme. I've come across some that are grainy, uneven, inconsistent, or some that don't even look appetizing.

Eating through the Big Apple: Last meal

My trip to NYC was pretty much a food fest of collecting Michelin stars. It was only fitting that I saved my last lunch for Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin. Le Bernardin is one of the few New York restaurants to receive three Michelin stars. It is primarily a seafood restaurant, so vegetarians beware!

Eating through the Big Apple: Still eating...

You'd think that by now I would have gone into cardiac arrest, had my stomach pumped, or suffered from foodie exhaustion, but fear not! This connoisseur of cuisine, duchess of delicacies was not thwarted. Sadly, I can't say the same for my friend, who at this point was thoroughly traumatized, or at least her stomach was. We decided to take a bit of a food break and peruse the Brooklyn Flea. No worries, I did find a hotdog to nosh on.

Eating through the Big Apple: Day 4.. I think?

By my fourth day in NYC, I think it started becoming a gastronomical blur. Or maybe a gastro-intestinal nightmare? In any case, there were more tasty bites to be bitten. One thing I do enjoy about NYC is that it's a walking city. You have to be insane to own a car, well-off to take taxis everywhere, or part of the upper class 1% if you have your own driver.

Eating through the Big Apple: Day 3

So technically, I've long forgotten how many days it took me to eat however many animals as I was gallivanting through NYC. I do recall one day walking through Brooklyn and thinking, "Wow! There are actually seasons here!" We are quite spoiled with our weather here in California, but sometimes I think it would be nice to actually see the leaves change.