Thursday, March 6, 2014

smitten



so many things to love about this city...


SF skyline



tucked away in a narrow alley


cooking challenge for the birds

It was time to cook a turkey... or start small(er) with a heritage turkey breast. I salt cured over in the fridge for a full 24 hours and instead of regular salt I opted for lemon salt, chopped preserved lemons, (pictured below, cut in half or quartered and packed into a jar with salt while squishing them a bit to release their juice to immerse the lemon pieces and left to sit) and cedar greenery that was pulsed in a coffee grinder. All of these fragrant ingredients perfumed the room and eased the stress level that often comes with cooking a bird. After patting the turkey after the salt brine did started it's job of keeping the outside of the turkey moist I added more cedar (like rosemary) and nestled the meat atop a pile of organic carrots, onions, and tender young potatoes to roast away. I sipped on a green juice before starting the dough for biscuits. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

afternoon baking

Sometimes I get carried away and want to bring along a little extra to a dinner and end up making a few doughs in one afternoon and then we're all enjoying pie, biscuits, and a tart. I love this buttermilk biscuit recipe from Smitten Kitchen and this tart recipe

maple bacon magic at the market

I always feel great stocking up on organic produce at while supporting the local organic farmers at the market. There's always a fair amount of delicious food cooking along the edge of the market with smells wafting through the air and this time I couldn't pass up the maple bacon breakfast sausage egg sandwich at 4505 Meats. Just typing maple bacon has me salivating a little. 

sunshine, happiness, and succulents...

at my little oasis in the city, Flora Grubb 

cannoli as late night, last minute dinner in SF


Icelandic poppies





crab for dinner


Cracking Dungeness crab for dinner and watching the sunset. This was picked up at a local store, but the plan is to head out to the water with crab nets in tow and catch our own next time.