In Time for Valentines - Rob Ryan

I just discovered Rob Ryan's Etsy Shop. Super cool amazing stuff, let me tell you. If you hurry, you may still be able to get one of these signed, limited edition laser cut valentines. It says: "I think that you are wonderful." Better hurry though! There are just 3 left (out of 250.)

If those are gone - this is also gorgeous, albeit a bit more pricey.

Then there's this lovely wall decal from Areaware, called "Caged Lovers".

Though it's not particularly Valentine-sey, I also love this one. It says "You can still do a lot with quite a small brain." Charming, no? It's over here.

Happy Valentines Day!

Pizzeria Mozza - Los Angeles

We all know Mario Batali doesn't like food bloggers, but I was still surprised when a hostess leaned over our table at Pizzeria Mozza in LA this past Saturday (as I photographed the place setting in front of me) and said, "I'm sorry, we don't allow photos of the interior of the restaurant or the food." When I expressed disbelief she continued, "To prevent unauthorized blogging."

I didn't fuss. I didn't want to embarrass my dining companions, and quite honestly I didn't really care, since I'd already taken several photos on a previous visit - but I did think it was pretty ballsy of them to tell me I couldn't photograph food I was about to pay for the privilege of eating.

You may have heard - Pizzeria Mozza is popular. It was mobbed from the moment it opened, and three years later it's still chaotically crowded. On my first visit in August of 08, we had a reservation for 1:30 pm, which they gave away when we were fifteen minutes late, even though we had called from the road. It worked out fine - maybe even for the best - since we snagged seats at the pizza bar. Two years later, we were lucky to get a 1:45 reservation, that I made by calling the same day cancellation/reservation line (the recording gives it to you when you call their main number.) When I tried earlier in the week, no dice. Even mid-afternoon, a little hoard was gathered in the doorway between the hostess stand and the bar, jockeying for position. It reminded me of the Cheesecake Factory, minus the giant plastic buzzers.

On that first visit with my friend Susan, we over-ordered like crazy and had a fabulous meal - starting with a cauliflower gratin (kind of an odd choice for August, now that I think about it, but still delicious) an avocado, tomato and bacon salad with bread crumbs, and two pizzas - one with clams, chilis and oregano, and the other topped with wads of fresh house-made sausage. Since we were at the pizza bar, we were able to choose based on what we saw (and smelled) coming out of the oven and what other people around us were eating, a big plus especially on a first visit. If you have a choice (and a small party) I highly recommend sitting there if you can swing it.

This time around, the food didn't seem to have quite the same zing - and I don't think it was just my rosy memories. It was still enjoyable - especially the meatballs, which I managed to take a fuzzy cell phone shot of despite the hostess hovering right behind me - and the crostini with white bean puree and saba, which turned out to be a surprise highlight. The sausage pizza was curiously under-seasoned. I remember that they sprinkled some kind of curry-like magic dust over it last time. That was missing. We also had the clam pizza again, which has been shrunken to a "pizzette" for the same price because of the high cost of clams. It was good, but I missed the chili flakes they had liberally sprinkled over it before. The crust of their pizzas is still flat out amazing - chewy and flavorful with a beautiful sheen and those crackly puffy edges. We also had a salad of romaine hearts, gorgonzola dressing and dates that was fine but nothing more than that, and another pizza - topped with rapini, fresh tomatoes and anchovies that was nice enough, and probably the healthiest dish of the bunch, but it made for some lousy leftovers cold - let me tell you.

Dessert brought us back to another high point. They do have some good choices. Last time we had the beautiful strawberry ice cream pie pictured in the collage above. This time we had to try the Butterscotch Budino, aka butterscotch pudding - possibly their most famous dish. It comes in a glass topped with caramel sauce and lightly sweetened whipped cream, with two little pine nut and rosemary cookies on the side. It was delicious (and the two boys I was with devoured it) but I was still partial to the caramel copetta - a sundae of the creamiest, richest, salted caramel ice cream imaginable, topped with a caramel sauce, salted spanish peanuts, and marshmallow cream. Yes, indeed.

A little bird told me they're opening in Newport Beach on PCH later this year (no opening date is targeted, but I'd bet on Summer) and they've opened a "Scuola di Pizza" teaching cooking classes in their LA location (though apparently not about pizza, strangely.) They're also doing Mozza2Go, in LA and the soon to be Orange County location - a boon for locals who don't want to wait 45 minutes to sit on bar stool. If they're lucky.

On my way to the bathroom, I noticed the recipe for the Butterscotch Budino was published in the New York Times a while back. I'm thinking it would make a great dinner party dessert. It can be made ahead, keeps a while, it's luscious but not outrageously heavy.... If and when I ever get around to throwing another dinner party, it will definitely be on my short list!

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 297-0101
the menu

Photo Credit: Since they wouldn't let me take my own photos (but apparently don't apply the same rules to others!) the Butterscotch Budino photo is courtesy of the lovely and talented Jess Lander.

Maison Bouche Chocolate - Oakland

Like all good chocolate snobs, I love my dark chocolate dearly, but what really turns my crank is a good milk chocolate bar, and Maison Bouche makes one of the best. It started when I found a few items from this small, Oakland chocolatier in my stocking on Christmas morning. No doubt thinking of my diet, our black Lab Lola thoughtfully relieved me of the Almond Praline bar James picked out (at Miette Patisserie at the Ferry Building in San Francisco) before we could even scoop the contents of the stockings off the coffee table - but she left me a package of salted caramels and a nifty little sampler pack of mini bars in all their different flavors. Impressed, I decided to go ahead and treat myself to a few more items from their website - including, of course, the almond praline bar I missed out the first time around, a milk chocolate one with caramelized crisp rice, and the milk chocolate "Fleur de Sel" since it's their most popular item (I'm always a sucker for that sort of thing.)

When I say I like a "good" milk chocolate bar - I'm actually talking about a dark one. Most milk chocolate you will find has a cacao content of around 35%, but the good ones are over 40%, and that makes all the difference. The flavor is rich and deep, with a buttery, caramelly smoothness. (Is that a word? If not it should be.) The Vosges Barcelona bar, and even Scharffenberger's milk chocolate bar are also good examples. (The Scharffenberger bar specifies 41% cacao content.)

The large size Noir Fleur d'Oranger bar, pictured above, became a gift for a new mom (hi Tracy!) but the smaller bars were all mine except for the few squares I shared with James. We made them last, and he agreed with me that this is indeed, the good stuff.

Maison Bouche's bars come in several different flavors (in five different categories!) - almost all are available in either dark or milk, and all are available in large or small sizes. The smalls are $6. and the large are $12. They're not cheap, but they won't break the bank, and if you savor them like we did - they'll last a good, long time.

My Best Shot of 2009

I really don't consider myself to be much of a photographer. I try, but I am seldom pleased with my food photos, and when they do turn out, I usually feel like I just got lucky. Wanting to improve my skills in that area was one of my big motivations for attending BlogHer Food 09 this past fall. What I actually learned at the conference, is that in order to take really excellent photos I would need to dedicate a lot more time and energy to the process. Sadly, I just don't have very much of either to spare right now - but I am consoling myself with the fact that my favorite photo of 2009 is one I took on that very same day with my iPhone.

I snapped this at the crack of dawn (literally), on Sam's Pre-BlogHer Food Urban Hike. I'm not generally a morning person, but I got myself out of bed at 5:30 AM for this jaunt and I was glad I did. Not only was it a great way to see the city, but you'll never see the sky this color at any other time of day!

Taken at the corner of Columbus and Broadway - the lights are books, and words are stamped into the sidewalk below, falling out of the books.

See more great photos here, in the "Your Best Shot of 09" Flickr pool.

The Del Marcos Hotel, King's Highway at the Ace Hotel and Shield's Date Garden - Palm Springs

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I travel out to the desert every so often for work. Last November, I had another chance to turn one of these trips into a short but sweet little getaway. I drove out the night before, and stayed at the Del Marcos Hotel on my own dime, to avoid the 5 AM wakeup call that would have been required otherwise.

The Del Marcos is an architectural landmark, the first project designed by well known local architect William Cody, built in 1947. It's very modern in its design and decor, and must have been really cutting age at that time. Arranged around a small swimming pool, it appears to have been originally designed as an apartment building. Overall the effect is charming and comfortable, and the staff are friendly. It's not as luxurious as some other places you might find, but it was perfect for my purposes. The rate was only $109. - and they have cheaper rooms, I splurged. This room had a full kitchen in addition to the area you see below, with a bar and outdoor patio. Free wifi and loaner bikes too.

The landscaping and decor is perfectly in tune with the climate and the architectural style of the hotel. The salt water pool (which I didn't photograph because I didn't want to invade the privacy of those around it!) was small but cozy and very warm. I planned to go in, but just didn't get around to it. For dinner I ordered takeout from Thai Smile, on Palm Canyon drive, and swung by the liquor store for a beer to go with (which made me feel like a bit of a derelict.) The panang curry and green papaya salad were just ok - next time I might try Peppers Thai instead.

After my work obligation was completed, I decided to take the long way back to Palm Springs from Indio, down Highway 111 (aka Palm Canyon Drive). It took a little longer than I'd anticipated (almost an hour) so I don't know if I'd do it again, but it was an interesting experience. It takes you from Indio all the way through all the desert cities, back to Palm Springs, and eventually to the 10 Freeway.

About five minutes in, I saw Shield's Date Garden coming up on the left. It's kind of hard to miss with the giant knight sign. I'd heard "date shakes" are a local specialty out there, and that Shield's is the place to get one, so I was already considering stopping when I saw this...

I didn't actually sit through the movie, but I hear it's quite a hoot. This place is straight out of the 1950s from top to bottom, including the movie from what I hear. They're planning a re-do, and I'd recommend getting there before then if you can, to enjoy the considerable retro charm. I headed straight for the soda fountain counter and ordered myself one of those shakes, and recommend you do the same. Sadly I couldn't drink much of it because some recent dental work has left one of my teeth ridiculously cold sensitive, but what I had sure was tasty! They make them with their "date crystals" which they also sell in their little retail shop. I picked up some dates and other treats to bring home. If you pick up their brochure - complete with recipes - you'll learn more about dates than you ever wanted to know. They sell about five different varieties, including the most desirable "Medjools" in various styles and sizes of containers. They've also developed a "blonde" and a "brunette" date that are only available there at the farm.

Further down the road, as I was turning off of South Palm Canyon Drive to go to Koffi, I spotted some hipsters sitting in the window of what looked like a sit-down coffee shop across the street. (Seriously - it was the hair and glasses that gave them away.) A closer look revealed it was the King's Highway restaurant at the Ace Hotel.

The Ace Hotels are a newish mini-chain of budget friendly hotels catering to the design-happy crowd with whimsical decor and amenities like vinyl record players and scooter rentals. So far they're located in Portland, Seattle, Palm Springs and NYC

The Ace is a re-do on an old Howard Johnson's motel, and when the coffee shop was renovated - they left the original layout and structure in place. They replaced the furniture with a mixture of modern and natural wood, and left the floor rough. I liked it.

I took a seat at a booth and ordered the Lobster BLT sandwich and iced tea. In my experience, lobster salad sandwiches usually sound better on a menu than they taste, but my optimism was rewarded this time.

The service was friendly and prompt, the menu was interesting and affordable (with lots of vegetarian options), and the sandwich was delicious and well prepared. After lunch I walked over to the lounge area and peeked at the pool. Both were pretty darned cool looking. Factor in the fact that Koffi is right across the street and there are a number of good thrift shops within spitting distance, and you've got yourself quite a combination in my book. If you like your hotels a little quieter, and want to be a little closer to downtown Palm Springs, the Del Marcos might be a better spot for you. Either way, I'm happy to report, it's hard to go wrong.


Shields Date Gardens
80225 Highway 111
Indio, CA 92247
(760) 347-7768

The Ace Hotel and Swim Club
701 E Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 325-9900
I recommend eating here even if you don't stay.

The Del Marcos Hotel
225 West Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(800) 676-1214

2009 - The Year that Was...

and I'd like add "with any luck will never be again" - but like last year, as I look at the photos I realize I don't have all that much to complain about. 2009 wasn't really so bad for us, as it turns out, but it was pretty rough on some friends and family members, and the worries have taken their toll. It was a tough year for many people I think - it feels like we're all hoping for something better from 2010.

I haven't been a very good food blogger this year, I'm afraid. We didn't do much eating out, and what we did do was a little more casual on the whole. Our only local fine dining experience - at El Bizcocho for June's Restaurant Week - was such a bust that I never even bothered to write about it, and I haven't yet made it to Kitchen 1540 or Addison - the top two places on my must-try list.

Instead, we were frequent customers at the bar at Farm House Cafe, and we've beat a well-worn path to the Tortilleria Salsa Market down the hill in El Cajon. Tender Greens in Point Loma is also a new favorite, though I don't get over there as often as I'd like. We also spent more than a few enjoyable nights at the Riviera in La Mesa and Starlite Lounge downtown - but that may have had as much to do with the company as the food (and Starlite's Velvet Diablo cocktails.)

In San Francisco, Pizzeria Delfina, Boulette's Larder and Hog Island Oyster Co. continued to impress me, and Coi Lounge blew me away with refined techniques, innovative flavor combinations, relatively affordable prices, and a comfortable atmosphere. I also experienced macarons at Paulette's and ice cream at Humphry Slocombe and donuts from Dynamo - all worth a trip if you happen to be in the area. Former food blogger Brett Emerson's Contigo in San Francisco was another highlight, with it's comfortable atmosphere and authentic, eclectic Spanish menu. It also gave me a great chance to catch up with a good friend I hadn't seen in almost ten years.

Our two trips to Vegas yielded great culinary experiences at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Lotus of Siam, not to mention Luv It Frozen Custard. I can't believe I still haven't written about L'Atelier - will remedy that soon!

In LA we had a chance to check out The Hungry Cat, sister restaurant to the one we enjoyed so much in Santa Barbara in 2007. We also got a kick out of LA Mill coffee, and experienced the chaos of San Gabriel Valley Dim Sum for the first time at Ocean Star.

One notable development this year was the improvement in both the number and quality of culinary events around town. The Cooks Confab events really hit their stride, with a marvelous seafood event at the Hotel Del this Spring, a beer event at Stingaree, and the Street Food extragavanza at the Mercato just a few weeks ago. Jeff Jackson's Celebrate the Craft at the Torrey Pines Lodge was amazing thanks to the talent and passion of local chefs, purveyors, wine makers, beer brewers, cheesemakers and breadbakers. San Diego's Urban Slow Food chapter also stepped it up a notch with monthly happy hours at local restaurants and fun events like the cheesemaking class taught by Alesmith's Peter Zien a few months ago at Fixtures. Beer Week was also a serious happening this year, with multiple tastings, parties and beer pairing dinners scheduled daily.

Trying to keep things positive, I'm capping off the year with a list of my ten best eating experiences of 2009, in no particular order...

I hope 2009 was kind to you, and 2010 is even better!

1. Properly experiencing the delicate floral heat of Szechuan food for the first time at Ba Ren during the Beer Week dinner.


2. Biting into the perfect Fudgsicle at the SF MOMA's rooftop garden cafe.


3. Lunch over a game of Scrabble on a rainy day at 8000 feet at the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp (while the smells of baking bread and carrot cake wafted through the room.)


4. Andrew Spurgin's perfect rendition of the Tijuana bacon wrapped hot dog at the Cooks Confab Street Food event.


5. The amazing meal (especially the scallops) Olivier prepared for us at James' 40th Birthday Party at Farm House Cafe.


6. Noshing on translucent Nova lox and real live New York bagels from Barney Greengrass on the patio in the sunshine at last year's New Year's Day brunch.


7. The insane abundance and chaos of Dim Sum brunch at Ocean Star in Monterey Park.


8. The spectacular and not-at-all overwhelming nine course tasting menu at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas (which I was lucky enough to experience twice.)


9. Eating the first vegetables harvested from our new garden, which has turned out to be one of my greatest joys in life.


10. The surprise of the "upside down tomato tart" at Coi Lounge in San Francisco, which Sam and I both thought sounded boring at first, but ended up being one of the most interesting dishes I've ever tried.

also rans: the Spring Vegetable Ragout topped with a Perfect Egg at the Publican in Chicago; Spiaggia's chicken under a brick , also in Chicago; the doughnut ice cream I made for the kids this summer; the "eggs and bacon," foie gras macarons, mini hostess cupcakes and other delights served up by Andrew Spurgin at the 20th Anniversary Party for Waters Catering; James' posole at the last Posole party - which I think may have been the best he's ever made; the Spring fava bean and pecorino crostini and Amarena hot fudge sundae at Pizzeria Delfina on California St. in San Francisco; the red velvet cupcakes, mussels, pizza and ice cream sandwiches I enjoyed with a gaggle of my very best girlfriends at Blind Lady Ale House on my birthday.

Things I Got and Gave.

Pictured above and listed below are a few of the things I got for the holidays, a few of the things I gave, a few I got for myself, and a few I really loved but never got around to getting!

What did you get?

Whatever it was, I hope your holiday season was lovely.

Happy New Year!


Weck Jars from Heath Ceramics

Graphic calendar from Flora Douville on Etsy

Killer thread necklaces from Maranon on Etsy

Peacock letterpress print from Sycamore Press on Etsy

Sushi cookies from Sprinkle Bakes on Etsy

Linen baby booties from Lotte Jansdotter

Spoon recipe cards and "anatomy of love" print from Rifle Paper Co.

Red espresso cup set and green and brown bowl from Heath Ceramics

I Know How to Cook and Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbooks

garden harvesting shears from The Felco Store

Amy Paul Print from Pigment in North Park (dark purple with gold ginkgo leaves)

not pictured:
A Molecular Gastronomy starter kit

Nature inspired tree ornaments from Land-Rich

A handmade apron from Amy Butler fabric

a wood box of chocolates from L.A. Burdick

{got - ornaments, burdick chocolates, apron, chez panisse veg book, heath bowl, molecular gastronomy set
gave - baby shoes, amy paul print, peacock print, heath cup set
gave myself ;) - felco shears, weck jars, calendar, i know how to cook book
just loved - sushi cookies, thread necklaces, rifle print and recipe cards}

The Fête for James' 40th at Farm House Cafe

It's been a busy month, as December always is - but I would really be remiss if I let any more time go by without telling you about the fabulous party Olivier and Rochelle helped me throw at their restaurant Farm House Cafe for James' 40th birthday earlier this month.

We took over the restaurant with 27 of our closest friends, and Olivier served an amazing five course meal that started with champagne and chicken liver mousse, and ended with house-made chocolates. (Diet?? What diet???) In between we enjoyed a salad of endive, Cabrales blue cheese and spiced pecans with pears and for the main course, a choice of seared scallops with ricotta gnocchi, porcini mushrooms, roasted cauliflower and beurre blanc sauce or sirloin steak with mashed potatoes, red wine reduction, caramelized onions and lobster butter. And yes, it was every bit as good as it sounds.

With the main course we poured a choice of a Vouvray (white) or Carver Sutro Petite Syrah (red) - which was very good and very popular. We went through seven bottles of the red. (It has been duly noted that you cannot order too much red wine or champagne for parties in December.) The wine pairings were suggested by Rochelle and Olivier's wine buyer who went above and beyond to obtain the Carver Sutro for us because he thought it would be the perfect thing - and he was absolutely right.

Because the birthday boy is a cheese fanatic, I requested a cheese course to be served family style after the entree. These were delightful choices - if only I could remember them all. With this we poured a Tokaji - an irresistible dessert wine from Hungary.

Olivier also did the cake - a by-request combination of lemon soaked genoise filled with lemon cream and whole blackberries - topped with a layer of passionfruit mousse and gelee. Each piece was served with a white chocolate decoration. There were almost 40 candles on the cake - they were supposed to be sparkling candles, but they were more like hissing and spitting candles. Not quite the effect we were going for, but amusing nonetheless.

For the party favors, I did up little parchment bags with labels that also served as place cards from Sycamore Street Press. I ordered match books from Dippylulu - made to look like Penguin classics, but with fart jokes on them (Van Winkle Ripped, Great Expellations, Fart of Darkness) we also had some of James' birthday dog tattoos (long story) and some phenomenal caramels from Bon Bon Bar. I also did an "ABCS of James" which I printed and folded up in the bags - and the M&Ms said James is 40 and Birthday Dog on them.

The flowers were from Green Florals in Hillcrest - they did a beautiful job at a very reasonable price. I asked for edibles and succulents with dark red accents, and that was exactly what I received. The table arrangements included kale and succulents with dark red dahlias and orchids, and I ordered one large arrangement for the bar that included a beautiful giant kale and artichoke. The shop is located on 4th just next to Arrivederci Pizzeria and is well worth a visit.

Last but not least, the meal concluded with Olivier's chocolates. I never cease to be amazed at how good these are - they rival the best anywhere. From top to bottom, the small pointed ones were salted caramels in dark chocolate - the triangular ones are mock Toblerone - with crunchy bits and toasted hazelnut, the large hexagonal ones were filled with marshmallow and crunchy nuts, and the white chocolates were filled with raspberry buttercream. A few of these were left over and we savored them for days. He changes these up frequently, and offers them on the dessert menu with a cup of coffee.

We've enjoyed several good meals at Farm House, but this one - no pun intended - really took the cake. I will always be grateful to Olivier and Rochelle for making this occasion so special. It was a wonderful experience and I can wholeheartedly recommend the restaurant as a fabulous place to throw an intimate dinner party.

More photos from the evening can be viewed here.

Farm House Cafe
2121 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 269-9662
open for dinner Tues-Sun, and Sunday brunch, which I wrote about here.

Food 4 Kids Prize Winners!

Congratulations to our winners in yesterday's raffle! Since only a few people were present to choose prizes, I am putting the remainder up for grabs here. If you received an email from me, or if your name is listed below, please leave a comment on this post to let me know what prize you would like. It's first come first served, so please check the previous comments to see what's been claimed before you choose! I will check in periodically to cross out claimed prizes to make it easier for you. (That's Heidi's adorable daughter Matilda drawing names for the prizes, above.)

When you claim your prize, I will provide you with the donor's email address to make arrangements for pick up and delivery. (I have a few of the prizes in my possession as well.) As you may well be able to guess, prizes that are crossed out are already taken.

I also want to thank a couple of special sponsors for our fundraiser - Urban Solace came through for us with a check for $300. based on sales of their popular macaroni and cheese and Duckaroni dishes and some food donations as well. Lori Lange (aka Recipe Girl) recruited huge food donations in her neighborhood, and we received word the other day that thanks to Amiko Gubbins' encouragement, Sysco is donating truckloads of food to fill the 1000 backpacks provided by Tony Hawk. We exceeded our goal of $5000 in funds raised by over $1000 due to the generosity of our donors! It has been a genuinely heartwarming experience to see what people can and will do when you give them the opportunity.

Overall the program was such a success that we plan to do it again, but at the Food Bank's suggestion, we're planning to move it to then end of the summer next year, so that the donations can be used to fund the program for the coming school year. There will be more exciting developments too - so we'll keep you posted! Meanwhile, our fundraising page will remain open through mid May, so feel free to keep on donating!

Experiences

Lunch and an afternoon tour of Balboa International Market or 99 Ranch Market – Donated by Caron Golden

A $50.00 gift certificate and a VIP tour of Catalina Offshore Products – donated by SD Citybeat Food Critic Candice Woo and Tommy Gomes of Catalina Offshore Products

A copy of Chez Panisse Vegetables and a tour of either the Saturday Little Italy Mercato, or Sunday Hillcrest Farmers Market. – Donated by Alice Robertson

Two tickets to any cheese class, including their cheese and beer tastings – Donated by Mary and George of Taste Cheese in Hillcrest - value of $90.

An afternoon in the kitchen with Chef Ron Oliver of the Marine Room donated by Ron Oliver and an autographed copy of his new cookbook with Bernard Guillas “Flying Pans, Two Chefs One World" donated by Donna Mc Laughlin of Slow Food Urban San Diego

Restaurants

$150. gift certificate redeemable at Gringos, the Tower 23 Hotel or Moondoggies – Donated by Diane Stopford

$100 gift certificate to Rimel’s restaurants, including Zenbu or Rimel’s Rotisserie in La Jolla - Donated by the Rimel family.

$100 gift certificate to Bite, Donated by Chris Walsh

$75 gift certificate for Urban Solace, Donated by co-founders Matt Gordon and Scott Watkins

$50 gift certificate to Third Corner Restaurant Donated by Rachel Going

$40 gift certificate to Blind Lady Ale House Donated by Rachel Going

$25 gift certificate to Leucadia Pizzeria Donated by Rachel Going

$25 gift certificate to the Ivy Hotel's Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar – Donated by Caron Golden

Foodstuffs

$30 gift certificate to Specialty Produce and an assortment of gourmet pantry goods including a jar of peppadew peppers, some Lemon Twist gourmet seasalt, a jar of Miel de Lavande (Pure Lavender Honey), some White Truffle Oil and Mexican Chocolate

$75.00 gift certificate to U.S. Wellness Meats (a grassfed meat company out of Missouri) donated by local pastry chef and blogger Rachel Going

A $75.00 package from the Mercato including a Mercato Market Bag, a Mercato calendar, $20 in Mercato Money and assorted local food items (jam, vinegar, avocado oil, etc). - Donated by Catt White, the Maestra of the Little Italy Mercato.

Treats

Custom decorated custom 9" cake or dozen cupcakes – Donated by Jenny of Foray into Food

Custom decorated 9 inch cake delivered anywhere in San Diego – Donated by local Pastry Chef Rachel Going

Books

A copy of Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home." Donated by Howie of FoodieView

An autographed copy of David Leite's new cookbook, "The New Portuguese Table."
Donated by Leanne of local blog Three Dog Kitchen

A copy of Heston Blumenthal's "Fat Duck Cookbook" Donated by Alice Robertson

The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession by Adam Leith Gollner from Becky Wheeler of the Fruit Maven

A set of of 3 cookbooks: “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day” by Zoe Francois, Ralph Brennan’s "New Orleans Seafood Cookbook,” and “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drummond. – Donated by Caron Golden

Services
Consultation with Urban Plantations, to transform your landscaping into an Edible Eden – donated by Angie Vorhies

A two hour interior design consultation and a copy of the classic Italian Cookbook The Silver Spoon – donated by Arclinea San Diego

A one hour photography session and photos on disk – Donated by Adriana Zuniga of Adriana Zuniga Photography

a handmade Swarovski Crystal necklace and earring set made by her mother, donated by Rachel Going

3 "Leash your Fitness" one hour workout classes with your dog, 3 half hour dog training sessions before the sessions, and one Presidential Night Stay plus bath at the Markim Pet Resort, donated by Angie Robert

Winners:
Rebecca Chappell
Nicole Hamaker
Mary Lou Battista
Cheryl Dine
Marcie Rothman
Laura Levy
Andy Anello
Valerie Clark
Candice Woo
Quinn Wilson
Jan Percival
Lisa Pearl
Becky Wheeler
Amiko Gubbins
Lucia Correa
Red Door Restaurant
Jon Bailey
Ellen Turnage
Dominick Fiume
Chimena Campbell
Peter Ryan

Happy 40th Birthday James!

Today is my darling husband James' 40th Birthday. It's a little strange to think we've been together for a quarter of that time, we met shortly after his 30th birthday, and just before mine. In some ways it seems like a good, long time, and in other ways it feels like a blip on the radar screen. I suspect that feeling will only increase as the years go by, which makes me a little melancholy in a way. It's a strange thing to know that the best years of your life are flying by - I guess all you can do is hold on to what you can, and enjoy them the best you know how.

Last night we had a 10 hour power outage due to the Great Storm of 2009, so we spent the last night of James' 40th year sitting in front of the fire with candles all over the house, drinking beer. Altogether, it wasn't a bad way to usher in a new age - but of course we have big plans for tonight too. Stay tuned for more on that coming soon!