annibirthday surprises

I'm not very good at keeping secrets.   But for the last month or so, I have had to keep mum to my Mom, someone I talk with nearly every day. 

You see, my sister and I decided to throw our parents a little party.  They have been married 35 years, which it certainly reason enough to celebrate, but they also had milestone birthdays this summer.  So we combined it all in one big surprise "annibirthday" party.

It wasn't easy, seeing as how I live in SF, my sister lives in Spokane, and the party was to be at our parents' house near Portland.  Many text messages, phone calls, shared spreadsheets and Pinterest pins helped us to organize.  Our Mom commented several times, to both of us, "It's so nice you girls are talking so often lately!"  We were sure she knew something was up.  Moms always know everything. 

But somehow, we pulled it off.

We needed a reason for our parents to be in town that weekend (after all, they are retired and like to go traveling about!), so my sister asked to come stay for the weekend, "Sam has a golf tournament in Portland," she claimed.

They had no idea my sweetie and I would be there as well. We secretly flew into Portland, carrying cakes, cookies, and sheet pans in our luggage.  Mallory and Sam picked us up at the airport with their minivan packed with party supplies (and of course, golf clubs!) as they came into town.

We had a spreadsheet dictating our tasks and their intended timing that proved to be amazingly accurate.   Taking over our friend's kitchen, we tackled the prep list.  After working into the wee hours, Mallory and Sam slipped off to our parents' house at the time they would typically arrive, had they left Spokane after work.  Tim and I stayed at our friend's house to maintain the secret.

The morning of the party, Mallory gets Mom out of the house and crossed her fingers Dad would leave as planned, just behind them.  Unfortunately, the delivery of chairs and tables arrive while Dad is still at the house, but the quick-thinking driver claims he has the wrong house.  Dad thinks nothing of it.  He later told us he saw a party down the road and he assumed that is where the furniture was meant to go.  (Whew!)

While Mallory is off entertaining our Mom and Dad is showing his MG at a car show,  we swoop in to start cleaning, placing furniture, decorating, and finishing the food.  Thanks to a team of helpers, we finish well ahead of schedule and had time to play some games and visit with guests as they begin to arrive.   

There were two very special guests that were able to come: my uncle, who sees my Dad (his brother) approximately every 5 years and made the trip from Georgia, and my Mom's childhood best friend who traveled over 4 hours on the same day as her grandson's wedding to attend the party for a short time.

Once my uncle arrived to the house, he and Sam head to the car show.  John surprised my Dad near his car, sneakily asking him from behind how much he wants for it.  The two of them "decide" to leave the car show and drive up the hill in the MG,  Sam following in the minivan.

Mallory calls me and pretends that I am Dad telling her not to stop by the car show because he is planning to leave early (sneaky!).  Mom and Mallory head up the hill just in front of John and Dad.

They saw the cars parked in the field and the people in their backyard, but they still didn't think this could possibly be a party for them.  All pulling into the garage at the same time, my Mom sees John in the passenger seat of the MG.  A bit confused, definitely surprised,  and already tearing up, she then sees me come greet them in the garage,  "YOU are here, too?!"

Friends, family, celebration, games and food: It was such a great party that was truly a surprise to our parents.

Now we have 35 years before we do it again!

*all photos by the talented Tim Guffin. 
** I will share recipes from the party in my next post.

vegetarian tacos

Summer is in full swing in San Francisco.  The drizzle has started, the days-long fog, the bracing wind; it has arrived and is here to stay for awhile.  Luckily, before too awful long, we will have our coveted Indian Summer, warm and sunny September and October days.  But until then, we San Franciscans act like it is winter.  We go to the museums and cafes dressed in our chunky sweaters and scarves.   The parks are quiet, but for the few dedicated souls determined to barbeque in the fog.  We gather together for warming drinks and comforting foods. 

While comfort foods can often be centered around meat (things like pot roast, meatloaf, casseroles),  sometimes it is nice to have a meatless meal.  One particularly cold and foggy evening, I decided to take something simultaneously comforting (roasted veggies) and summery (tacos) in one meal and combine them in a deliciously vegetarian meal.  It is a perfect way to celebrate the San Francisco summer.

Vegetarian Tacos

(makes about 8 tacos)

1/2 yellow onion, julienned 

1/2 T butter

1 chayote squash, diced

1 yellow neck squash, diced 

1 can black beans

1 can chipotle in adobo

1 lime

2 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked and cut off of the ear (or about 1 cup frozen)

1 T olive oil

1 red bell pepper 

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. cotija cheese, crumbled

8 tortillas

Caramelize the onions in a saute pan with the butter.  Cook on low heat, stirring often until onions are evenly brown and soft. Season with a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, toss together the diced squashes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and roast in a 400F oven until soft and lightly browned on the edges, about 7-10 minutes.

Rinse the beans and add to a small saucepan along with your corn, 2 T adobo sauce from the chipotle can, juice of the lime, and salt, to taste.  Add the caramelized onions to this mixture when they are complete. 

Char the red pepper in the oven (400F) or using the open flame of your stove until the entire skin is black.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  This will steam the pepper a bit and allow the skin to come off easily.  Remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper.

Toss pepper with the roasted squash mixture. 

Assemble your tacos:  Heat the tortillas in a saute pan or on a griddle on a medium flame, flipping the tortillas to evenly heat each side.  Fill tortillas with the squash mixture and bean mixture.  Top with cilantro, cotija and sliced avocado.  Add a squeeze of lime if you like.  

Tricks and Tips: 

If you would like the beans a bit spicier, dice up a bit of the chipotle peppers and add them to the mixture.

To easily shuck corn, roast it on your BBQ or open flame of your stove until the husk is black.  This steams the corn and allows the husk and silk to come off easily.

When taking the skin off of the charred bell pepper, try to avoid running under water.  This will rinse away a lot of those great flavors you worked hard to create.  Instead, try using a paper towel to rub the skin away. 

breakfast salad

When I go out for a weekend breakfast, it is often late enough in the day that the clever term combining breakfast and lunch is clearly applying to the meal I am about to have.  And, because I am a hungry one, I've often had a "pre-breakfast" of granola to get me through the wait to be seated at the popular breakfast spot.  Because of the time of day and fact it's often my second meal,  I have been known to order lunch-type foods at brunch.  A soup and a salad, sometimes.  Other times, a salad to accompany my omelet or scramble.  But I have yet to see a breakfast salad on a menu.  I don't know why;  they are pretty perfect as a brunch item, if you ask me.  Assuming, of course, I am not seeking a brunch to recover from "Saturday night carousing."  For that, cheesy eggs and greasy potatoes are perfect.

This past weekend, I was preparing to make a little at-home brunch and found myself standing at the open refrigerator, pondering what to make.  We were craving something filling but somewhat light (since we were headed out for a long run shortly) and definitely savory.  We would have our sweet Dutch pancake with roasted fruit tomorrow, we determined.

Taking stock of the inventory, I found some fresh arugula, some smoked salmon scraps, boiled purple potatoes and a couple eggs (among a few other items).  I briefly contemplated throwing together an omelet with these ingredients, but suddenly realized I wanted nothing less than a salad for breakfast.  I hadn't really had a "breakfast salad" before, but I like some greens with my eggs, so I started to throw some things together.  It wasn't so different from a dinner salad, except that I served it with rosemary roasted potatoes and topped it with a poached egg. Come to think of it, that would be a delicious dinner salad as well. 

It hit the spot perfectly; I am definitely going to eat breakfast salads for brunch a lot more from now on.  And you know, it fueled that run pretty well too.

Breakfast Salad:

A mix of arugula, parsley leaves, and watercress dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper

Radishes, sliced thinly

Cherry tomatoes, roasted with olive oil and salt (400F oven, about 10 minutes)

Smoked salmon pieces

Potatoes, previously boiled then roasted with chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and a pat of butter (400F oven, 15-20 minutes)

Avocado, sliced

Eggs, poached

Drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper

Tricks and Tips:

This recipe is simply a guide, throw together whatever you have available. Use leftover bread for big toasty croutons.  Top with shredded parmesan or dollops of goat cheese.  Sprinkle on some nuts or berries, or herbs from your garden.  Roasted beets would be delicious too.  Throw in some bacon.  Have fun with it, whatever you do.

I generally use about 1 large handful of greens (mixed greens, arugula, kale) for each serving of salad.

Everyone has their own method for poaching an egg, here is mine:
In a shallow pan (saute or shallow sauce pan) add about 3 inches of water.  To the water add about 2 T vinegar and a large pinch of salt (any variety will do, but I am partial to apple cider vinegar).  Let the water come to just barely simmer.  You will see little tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, but none in the middle.  This is perfect.  Crack your egg and lower it as close to the water as possible before slowing dropping the white and yolk into the water.  Do not touch the egg.  If the water is not quite deep enough, gently spoon water over the top of the egg.  When the whites are just set and the yolk is still very soft, gently lift the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to your dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper for best flavor.

refrigerator clean-out

I've never been a fan of leftovers.  So much so that I once had an agreement with a friend that lived down the street:  I would leave my leftovers from the night before at his doorstep as I passed by on my commute most mornings.  In return, he would come over at least once a week for dinner for which he bought the ingredients (and brought the wine - it's important to mention that!).  This agreement worked out pretty well for awhile.  But then I moved.  Sorry, leftover buddy!

 

In the time since,  I have become pretty proficient at cooking for just one or two people, buying and cooking just enough for the one meal.  I have rare need for a leftover buddy down the street, nowadays.

However, every now and again I have some leftovers, bits and pieces from meals the week before.  This week I found myself with some stewed tomatoes, cooked cannellini beans, a few meatballs.  Combine that with the random vegetable assortment from the days-ago trip to the grocery and a glass of wine from that bottle opened 2 days ago, and I have an easy Sunday night dinner.  And I was able to clean out the refrigerator in the meantime (I do love duel-purposed activities!).

Sunday dinners don't need to be fancy; they are a sort of cozy segue into the week ahead.  The more home-style, the better, in my opinion.  Luckily, casseroles, quick sautes, and other foods that are best eaten in a bowl are easily made from leftovers.  And the refrigerator is empty and ready for Monday's inspiration.

Tricks and Tips: 

Consider this a bit of a mystery basket challenge.  See what inventive things you can create with your leftovers.

Don't just re-heat leftovers; try to incorporate them into a completely new meal.  Leftover take-out Indian food?  Saute some vegetables and combine with the flavorful sauces.

If you have veggies on their last days, add them to an omelet or risotto. 

Be creative in your flavor combinations.  You may think "this" doesn't go with "that," but give it a try.  You may surprise yourself and create your new favorite meal!

mountain streams

Three weekends in a row have been spent in the mountains, a place my heart feels most at home.  Chirping birds and cool morning air greets us when we wake.  The smell of pine trees and dirt accompany us on our bike rides and trail runs or even on our trips to the market.  The local barista asks what we are up to with our day and is truly interested (and not at all surprised by our ambitious response).  The stars come out at dusk and sparkle in the black night sky all night long.  The next day, it all repeats.

I know that you are aware of how I feel about city life, with its traffic and lack of trees;   so it probably comes as no surprise to you that the mountains are so special to me.

How did I fall so deeply in love with the mountains?  I wasn't raised in them, per se, but they were always there (5 are visible from my parents' house, when they are "out," anyway).  In fact, my hometown was named for one of those nearby mountains, visible from nearly everywhere in town. 

My family tends to be more water-people, than mountain, though.  Each Wednesday, my parents raced their sailboat on the Columbia River, while my sister and I cheered from our grandparents' river-front deck.  We ventured across the bar and into Canada on "The Pixie" (a small wooden yacht/ fishing vessel my grandpa helped build) and learned to row a small aluminum dingy while out fishing and watching for bears in the sloughs.  Summers were spent picnicking on Sand Island and being pulled around the river in inner-tubes.  Being on the water was a way of life for us.

 

But really, mountains and rivers are not very different at all, especially when you consider the mountain rivers, streams, and lakes available to play among.   They both provide that sense of happiness and freedom, sweet aromas and sounds of nature, and a chance to truly play. 

However, my outdoor activities have evolved from inner-tubing to hiking, sailing to kayaking, fishing to, well, fishing (but now it is with a fly rod in a mountain stream as opposed to a trolling the river in an aluminum boat!)

With any luck, I will be back in the mountains again this weekend. 

wedding mexication

My sweetie and I recently returned from celebrating two friends as they joined their lives (for better or for worse!) among the jungles and white sand beaches of Tulum, Mexico.  More than a wedding, more than a vacation,  it became known as the "Wedding Mexication."

A beautiful bride, handsome groom, heartfelt speeches and palpable love, it was surely a special wedding.  But add to it barefoot guests, mariachi serenading, bottomless margaritas, and flan as the wedding cake, it had a uniquely Mexican touch.

While the weekend was primarily about our friends, we extended the "weekend" to Tuesday, allowing a fair amount of time to create our own version of Mexication.  Beach vacations aren't typical for us, but we quickly found we could be tempted to change our ways!

We lounged on the beach with books and layers of sunscreen, far longer than I imagined two active people could.  The lounging was often interrupted by the draw of the turquoise surf to cool down and attempt body surfing (his skills FAR exceed mine!).  Renting bicycles, we were able to find our way to the Mayan ruins of Tulum and stumble upon public playas along the road.  But what we did best as vacationers, was find delectable food and drink.

It was pretty hard to go wrong, though.  Fresh pressed juices, hours-old seafood, and refreshing ceviche were all ubiquitous.  Even though we were indulging in vacation foods, most meals still felt light and relatively healthy.  The casual open-air dining added extra ambiance to the meals and made it feel truly vacation-y; it isn't often that we are able to dine comfortably out-of-doors in SF (especially after the sun has gone down!).  The tropical cocktails didn't hurt, either!

Our favorites:
Mateo's - "World Famous" fish tacos with freshly made tortillas.  A welcome lunch, alongside a cold Mexican beer, for hot and hungry bicyclists. 
Casa Banana - Here, we enjoyed fish and shrimp skewers in a break between rainstorms.
La Luna y Estrella - Ocean views and an over-hanging jungle canopy accompanied our delicious breakfast of huevos rancheros.
El Tabano - Upscale Mexican cuisine - we enjoyed tamarind meatballs and mole shrimp while watching the cooks in the open kitchen. 
Casa Violeta - Beach-side dining with seafood pizza and inspired ceviche. 
La Zebra - Order the 'Lina's feast' for a taco bar that gets an personal and delicious upgrade.
Hartwood - Fresh fish and meats prepared in the wood-fired oven alongside creative cocktails.   Their octopus and ribs were some of the best I've had.

my Dutch baby

There is something really special about a leisurely weekend breakfast.   

Waking without an alarm, bare feet padding around the apartment, starting the day without a rush to find the keys and head out the door:  These are all a lovely start to a weekend morning.  But what really makes it exceptional is breakfast.

'They' say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I certainly agree; I don't think I have missed one yet!  Even though I often turn to granola, I do like to crack open some eggs and whip up something a little extra-ordinary on the slower weekends.

While growing up, French Toast was a common occurrence at our weekend breakfast table (rotating among cinnamon coffee cake, waffles, and summertime strawberry shortcake).  I have always really loved French Toast - custardy on the inside, crisp and golden brown on the outside, and just barely sweet (to allow for plenty of maple syrup!).

Since my belly no longer tolerates toast, I had been searching for something that fills that craving and nostalgia without causing pain later in the day.   One sunny weekend, complete with jazz music in the background, I decided to make a Dutch Baby Pancake for breakfast.  Making some substitutions to appease my tummy, I discovered the 'French Toast' I was missing.

The oat flour creates a dense and custardy, not-too-sweet pancake with a wholesome, nutty flavor.  All this while still obtaining that desirable golden brown crispness on the outside (and especially the edges - oh, those edges!).   It's just what your weekend has been missing. 

Modified Dutch Baby Pancake

4 egg whites

2 whole eggs

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

the zest of 1/2 orange

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, for the pan

Preheat your oven to 425'F.

  

Place a cast iron skillet (12" or so) in the oven to pre-heat as well. 

To the jar of a blender, add all of the ingredients, starting with the liquid items at the bottom (this helps it to blend more efficiently).  

Pulse just enough to blend. 

Place your butter in the cast iron skillet (careful!  that handle is hot! don't forget your hot pad or side towel!).  

When the butter is melted, pour your batter into the pan.  

Top with fruit or other deliciousness. 

Sometimes a sprinkle of brown sugar is a nice addition to the top. 

Cook for about 20 minutes until puffy and set in the middle. 

Serve immediately. 

Tricks and Tips:

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, any oven-proof saute pan will do.  

Of course, you can use all purpose flour in place of the oat flour, and dairy milk in place of the almond, if those are more your style.   You'll get a bit of a fluffier, lighter pancake this way, but either way, it's delicious, I promise.

I like the simplicity of the blender on a weekend morning, but whisking the ingredients together in a bowl will work just as well.

If using wheat flour, be careful to only blend or whisk until JUST combined.  Over-mixing can create a tough pancake. 

I lightened up the cholesterol load in the pancake by splitting the eggs into whole and whites.  I don't recommend going to all whites (it needs a little of the fat and emulsification you can only get from the egg yolks).  However, if you want to use whole eggs, use 4 total for the recipe.

Add ANYTHING you like to the pancake.  Previously, I have enjoyed various fruits, nuts, pieces of bacon, even some shredded veggies or cheese (a great option if a savory breakfast speaks to you louder than sweet).