Buzz buzz, plus some

So, this may seem totally random, but I took a beekeeping class last Saturday -- and it was awesome! It all started a couple of months ago when I went on a Groupon spree and bought a few different classes to try out (pottery, sewing, etc.). After purchasing one of the classes, a recommendation came up for this beekeeping class. It wasn't very expensive and I figured, why not? In one of the silly life coincidences, I'd just watched Queen of the Sun and The Vanishing of the Bees, which had piqued my interest. Furthermore, my mom had visited shortly prior to that and talked about some grants she'd heard about for new beekeepers, so beekeeping was kind of just on my radar at that point. And then, voila! This class shows up. Almost like fate, one might say.

The class was organized by Round Rock Honey, who work with beekeepers all over to put together these classes. This particular class was held in Redwood City by Golden Harvest Bees, run by Janet and Richard Baxter. They run the apiary in their backyard suburban home, and Richard also has hives throughout the Bay Area. They sell honey, beeswax candles, and soap that Janet makes (if you're in the area, check them out -- they're both super-nice and their products are great -- and no, they didn't pay me to say that).

After 10 days in New England

I drank seven of these...

Dunkin Donuts medium French Vanilla iced coffee with cream. My life's blood. (Especially when served with a Boston Kreme doughnut on the side...)

I ate three of these...

The Clam Shack's lobster roll, served with sweet potato fries, for $6.95. It literally does not get any better than this.

 And I made this cake from scratch, thanks to Martha Stewart...

Vanilla cake with creamy vanilla frosting, to celebrate grandpa's 85th birthday.

It was good to be home.

An Evening at Baker and Banker

I’m not sure why it took me so long to churn this post out (its already two weeks overdue). I’m sure there’s an excuse of how busy I am, I’m still not over this cold, blah blah blah. Regardless, here (finally) is the recount of dinner at Baker and Banker (http://www.bakerandbanker.com).

And what a dinner it was! I forget where I first heard about Baker and Banker – Tasting Table? Food and Wine? The SF Inside Scoop? All plausible possibilities. Anyway, the restaurant had been hanging out on my “places to go” list for months when the opportunity to eat there finally presented itself a couple weekends ago. Some friends and I – the roommate among them – were going shopping to the city, and naturally, dinner plans fell to me. I actually tried to get a table at a couple other places first, and then when one at Baker and Banker was available, I snatched it up – and I’m so glad I did!

Writer's block, a bit

As the title implies, I'm a bit stumped these days when it comes to blog topics. It is my own damn fault -- I haven't been spending nearly enough time in the kitchen lately, or thinking about food, or eating delicious food...basically, I just haven't given my hobbies a top priority lately. There are many reasons why (are you ready for this list of excuses?): I traveled a lot of the last month, the holidays were a completely hectic time, I've been watching my spending, and most of all, my heart just hasn't been in it, as cheesy as that sounds.

These are, of course, completely empty excuses. I have been spending a lot less on groceries lately, but given time and effort, I could still cook up a storm. Instead I've just been taking the easy way out -- pasta and sauce, pre-mixed salad from the farmers' market, leftovers...You get the gist. Well, enough is enough. I am still completely devoted to cooking my way through Barefoot in Paris -- a little hiatus was all I needed. Actually, I never shared these pictures:

Beef bourguignon from that cookbook (you can find the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html). I thought it needed a little something, but the roommate went mad for it, so what can I say? So, I'll be sure to keep you all updated on that front. The awesome new chef's knives that I got for Christmas are sure to help, too (thanks mom!). Seriously though, they're awesome. Here's hoping I can keep all my fingers.

Progress! Yes!

 

Continued progress when it comes to checking off my recipe list! Last night I used this recipe (http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Melon-Carpaccio-Mario-Batali -- also from The Chew, coincidentally...maybe even the same episode, I can't remember). As per usual, I took this as more of a source of inspiration than a set-in-stone recipe. As my dad always says, "A recipe is just a guide." 

 

I love the combo of melon with prosciutto, and that appealed to me more than the salami that Batali calls for did. Then, when I was at grocery store, I was on kind of a tight budget, so I opted for ham (thinking that I could use some when I make quiche later in the week as well) instead of prosciutto. The ham was okay, but next time I'll be sure to splurge on the good stuff -- prosciutto being, after all, the king of meats.

 

So, I ended up using not quite half the cantaloupe that I picked up at the farmers' market Sunday (I was purposely scaling back on the recipe because I knew I didn't need eight servings, yet at the same time wanted to make a meal -- not just a side -- from this), sliced thin, and three slices of "carver" deli ham. I opted to use both the juice and zest of half a lime, just to further enhance the limey goodness, and topped everything off with a drizzle of olive oil, some cracked black pepper, some parm, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Batali's recipe didn't call for salt -- I think because the salami would have more than enough -- but since I was using a different meat, I added some -- for the better, it turned out.

 

Also, I omitted the greens the Batali calls for. Why cover up delicious meats and melon with yucky green stuff? (Mostly joking). I just figured that I had enough going on already without adding another element.

The result? A hearty salad that was the perfect size for two (I also had a baked potato to help round out dinner). There was such a cacophony of flavors! Most worked, although I didn't feel like something was slightly off. The melon was delicious (it helped that it was perfectly ripe and fresh from the farmers' market last Sunday). The issue might have simply been ham versus prosciutto versus salami. I might try the recipe again sometime with these other meats.

 

On an entirely separate topic -- I am on the look out for some locally roasted coffee beans. If anyone has any suggestions, tweet me @Allie3601. Thanks!

 

A Wordless Wednesday Post

The fruits of my labor (haha, get it?) and my farmers' market haul.

Another winey weekend

Last Saturday some friends and I took a day trip up to Napa Valley for some fine wine and fine food. It was a great day -- the weather was gorgeous -- about 90 degrees, which is usually a little too warm for me, but it was dry, with a slight breeze, making it pretty ideal. We hit a total of three wineries. I'd hoped to fit in one more, but three ended up being pretty good -- we all got to enjoy the wine without anyone over doing it.

My roommate planned the trip -- she belongs to a local wine club and had several tasting passes (re: the tastings were free!). Our first stop was Sterling Vineyards (http://www.sterlingvineyards.com). This place was unique -- rather than just walking up to the bar ad selecting some wines to taste, the tasting was integrated with a tour of the facilities. We began with a very scenic tram ride up the mountain to the winery and the tasting room. Once we got off the tram, we were greeted with our first wine to try -- and so it went. There was a self-guided tour with various stopping points to taste the wine. I particularly enjoyed the Chardonnay here -- usually a wine that's a bit too sweet for me, but theirs just tasted like fruit and butter. Yum. The Merlot also had a nice woody hint to it. As someone who very decisively prefers white wine, that's saying something.

Provenance Vineyards (http://www.provenancevineyards.com) were next. I don't remember much about the wine here -- it just wasn't that special, I guess -- but the venue was gorgeous -- like an old barn. It was very idyllic.

Our last winery was the day was Beaulieu Vineyard (http://www.bvwines.com). The tasting room is kind of hidden and was surprisingly busy when we got there fifteen minutes before they closed. Here was the only place I actually purchased any wine to take home -- one bottle, a Muscat, that has a strong apricot taste. Its very light and refreshing. As I mentioned, I'm a big fan of white wine -- its mostly a temperature thing (I like my drinks nice and cold and light, rather than rich and heavy like a red). Most of the wine tastings focused on reds -- Cab especially -- which I understand, as these tend to be the most popular wines, but I was a little disappointed.

After the tastings, we headed to downtown Napa. I should mention, one of the favorite things about the trip was seeing all these famous restaurants that I've heard so much about. "Oh look, there's NapaStyle and Bottega! We're in Yountville -- the French Laundry is here!" and so on. It was very exciting. Anyway, we explored Napa a little (and I had the most fabulous Nutella latte -- seriously one of the best coffees of my life) before heading to Grace's Table for dinner. It had been my task to pick a dinner spot and this was my choice -- and it ended up being a great one! We ate a ton of fresh, seasonal food in a fun yet elegant atmosphere and didn't completely break the bank. Service was a little slow, that was minor enough. Everything we ate was just delicious.

Oh oh oh! And later today, the brother and I are heading up to Mill Valley for the afternoon. We're going to have lunch at Toast (where I've already been once with the roommate, on the Fourth of July when we went to Muir Woods) -- super yummy, not too expensive, and a great atmosphere -- plus they have beignets, awesome pancakes, and a wide variety of Benedicts, which are Alex's favorite. They even have a pulled pork version. After lunch, we might poke around town for a little while and check out some antique shops -- Alex will tolerate this as long as they have records to browse through -- before heading over to Tyler Florence's shop -- something to check off the wish list! Yay! And then we're heading home and watching all six Star Wars movies. True story.

 

 

The short list: Foods it will be easiest to eat locally in the Berkshires during the dormant season.

1. Milk and eggs (and other dairy products, like butter, yogurt, and cheese). Dairy farms are fairly abundant here, and I can find these products easily at Taft Farms, Guido’s, the Co-op and others. I am especially interested in finding raw milk (shh!), which is slightly more challenging, but in the meantime, local pasteurized milk will do.

2. Meat. I already don’t eat a lot of meat. Chicken is the most common form found in my fridge, and I know of several places where I can find local chicken, including those listed above. The Meat Market in Great Barrington is another sure thing, for all kinds of local meat products – even containers of local lard!

3. Root veggies and greenhouse produce. Again, places like Guido’s and the Co-op label what’s local – often naming the specific farm it came from – so while these items are in season, that’s a no brainer.

4. Flour and most other baking supplies. For the sake of this (and because I strongly believe in its superior quality), I’m going to call King Arthur Flour, based out of Vermont, local. Honey and maple syrup (and all manner of other maple products) should also be fairly simple. I also know a local woman you puts together her own spices and spice mixes. Local chocolate and coffee beans are also available.

Ok, so what does that leave me without?

Seafood: Obviously, because I don’t live in a coastal town, seafood is not particularly abundant. It would probably be possible to find some from the other side of the state; I’ll have to look into that (Mazzeo’s does have a meat and seafood counter at Guido’s, I’ll have to check it out more carefully). Meanwhile, I don’t buy a ton of seafood – mostly shrimp, occasionally a salmon fillet or some sort of white fish. When I do, I’ll be on the lookout for wild caught instead of farm raised – and continue to base decisions of the Monterey bay Aquarium’s safe seafood list.

Cereal – and other whole grains, including pasta, and dry beans: Again, I’ll just have to try to get the best versions of these foods that I can find.

Condiments, olive oils, and other convenience items: It may be possible to find some of these items locally – pickles, for example, should be fairly straight forward. I just haven’t looked that closely yet. Otherwise, see above for my planned strategy.

And most obviously, fruits and veggies not currently in season: This will be the hardest. In the dead of winter, what is more appealing that the bright red strawberries imported from Mexico or wherever it is they come from? What I’ll have to remember is that while these items look good, their taste rarely lives up to the hype. I’m sure I’ll break down and by bananas, apples, grapes, etc. throughout the winter. I’ll try to limit it, and focus on what produce I can get locally. I’ll also consider Berkshire Organics as a good source for these items – while it may not be local, at least I’ll know its fair trade, organic, and/or sustainable.

So, what am I forgetting?