Tourshi

Adventure Time in Waipi'o Valley

2012-03-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Oh that's just me...being happy...driving toward adventure...because...

My new camera came!! It took a month and a half of eBay and mailing complications to receive it here in Hawaii, but the Rebel T1i arrived. It's lightweight and takes beautiful shots. I love it dearly.

It was our day off of the farm yesterday. We were able to borrow a car and drive to Waipi'o Valley for a small hike and some gorgeous scenery. Waipi'o Valley is a sacred place, filled with memories of the natives who have built homes and temples here for over fifty generations. It was a place for kings to come and congregate and was always lush with vegetation, regardless of other traces of famine on the island. Like clockwork, white people came in with plantation plans and hurt the population with disease. The valley recovered over many years before a tidal wave hit in 1946 and destroyed the area. Hippies and people who want to live a secluded life started moving back to the area in the 60's, and there are several residences there now. Taro grows well here and people ride their horses along the beach and into the valley where waterfalls flow when rain has come.

It's just a 1 mile hike down, but with w 25% grade. Today, my legs are burning with every step, but it was worth it.

I love this creepy tree.

Keepin' it Clever

2012-02-18T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today I got a little bored and made oatmeal/chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookies, you know, just 'cause. While they were baking to a crisp, golden brown, I thought about some of the things I'd like to accomplish in the next few years. I thought and thought, and came to the realization that I don't want to accomplish anything (yet)- I want to learn everything.

I loved being a student. I mean, I slacked off and hated homework and missed classes too, but I loved everything about school. I still do! I like to have teachers that turn into mentors. I like to have assignments that challenge me. I like to sit in the classroom and have somebody guide me through a lesson. It really is a wonderful process to me. I'd love to go back to school one day, but for now, I'm enrolled in the school of life, and learning the hard way is the only way.

Well, not that hard.

Fortunately for me, I am able to study my interests on our own Earth's soil and can bring it to the kitchen with me. Growing the food, cooking the food, and eating the food is the non stop-lesson plan of my life.

How do you find ways to continue your learning process? Yes, we all go through life's lessons by making mistakes and not making them again, but what is it that you consciously do to make sure you are exercising your brain?

Something I always cherish is having a mentor. Is it your yoga instructor? Your boss? Your father? Your cat?? (You never know).

Another thing I deem important is to have a book sitting at your bedside table. Even if you don't have a good novel at the moment, keep something there that you can always pick up and put down at any time.

Last, have a passion. This is the most difficult thing for those who have not discovered what interests them the most, and there are a lot of you out there. All I can say is: don't stop searching. And if you can't figure it out, get yourself on the road. Hopefully in style like this little lady:

And now, a song I love:

Reaching Enlightenment- White Girl Problems Style

2012-02-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

I was given a book recently about the power of being being mindful and living a mindful life. These kinds of books can easily be mistaken for self-help books, but I assure you, that is not what I am after. I opened the book and browsed through the chapters, I flipped through the pages and gave myself a good grasp on what I am about to commit to. Why do I want to read this book?

I've always wanted to be able to clear my head. It is horrible when you lie awake at night and think about all the things you have to do the next day. I can feel my body tense up when my mind races like this. And this doesn't just happen when I'm about to go to sleep. I have a mind that wanders while other people are talking to me. I have a mind that doesnt leave me alone! I think about all the things I want to accomplish: Will I publish a book one day? Will I travel to Thailand this year? Will I eat that brownie on my desk? Am I fat today? Ugh...I should stop here.

So I decide I will leave it to the Buddhist way! Meditate! Clear my thoughts and focus on my breath. Yes. This is the answer. Ooooo and I'll do yoga everyday too! Ahh I can feel myself becoming weightless already.

Um...no. This doesn't happen. I will do yoga for two days, then stop for a week, then feel bad about not doing it. This cycle has been going on for years. Clearing your mind takes LOTS of practice. Focusing on your breath is HARD. I'm still working on it...

Anyway, back to the book. I picked this one up because I thought it would help me out a little. I started out with the introduction, the long introduction (don't you hate that? I mean, I want to just get to it). This introduction is entirely based on how many copies of the book the author has sold, therefore it must work. I skipped most of the introduction. Okay, Chapter 1. Now the author is telling me I am a sufferer and my mind is a disease because it controls me. Thinking is a disease! Wait, what? I am a lover of philosophy and art and writing and Nietzsche and...this can't be what this book is about. Oh, but it is.

So here I am, complaining about it on my blog. That's fine, right? I don't want to feel bad for my crazy head and I don't want to think my thoughts are a disease. As annoying as they are, they are mine and I kind of like them. They make me feel insane, but I don't know how I would feel if I didn't have them.

So there, Book. That's how I feel about it. Now...I really need to go to some yoga.

Poetry Pile Up!! This was so fun...

2012-02-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Isn't it nice that we can all write together?

This is Poetry Pile Up: a compilation of the words you have given me under the theme, inspiration. I must admit, I am nobody at poetry. I don't read it and I don't write it. But hey! I'm letting my fingers go on this keyboard, and you are leading the way:

I have this magical belief we are all stars.

And all of us stars go on for infinity

Into the space we call the effulgent dream.

In our dream we dare to be fearless, selfless and full of laughter.

We carry forgiveness, acceptance, and equality.

We have the courage to shine

And the passion to persevere.

But every star has a soul, and every soul needs adventure.

Our wanderlust for the journey lies so deep

We are lulled into complacency.

Us stars endeavor to see what is out there.

We want to create love

Be serendipitous

And bask in discovery.

Our truth is too immense to ignore

That we are inquisitive beings.

Our hope is strong enough to overcome all obstacles:

We will shine bright.

In this dream we vitalize each other

Into splendid beacons of light

That wander into the forever playground

That we call the dream.

This poem was written by you:

@YMandCharlie, @dani_moraes, @brittanymspinks, @TheBirchSwinger, @MeganDMullins, @CreatingAwkward, @Liviaafra, @just1moregirl, @Jennception, @darzan, @lunaticimy, @chlichtl, @@VickyGaliardi, @patricia92, @Mianmath83, @y0ungalaska, @madisonannallen, @dhina_arg, @j_schools, @lauraashley73, @Thingsmelsays_, @I_DrDrey, @MusicLady47, @gleewarner23, @CarmenMartinJ, @DanaSharipova, @AliceBanks_, @SolSdnStmyr, @taylor_beckett, @erincmac, @vallencastillos, @effayareayaych, @beanhive, @Rachellock13, @TheMorrigan, @elpocoloko, @indazone23, @Nbtwndreamz

photos: www.flickriver.com
thatbohemiamgirl.tumblr.com

The WWOOF Experience

2012-02-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know about WWOOFing, just as many of you out there do not. So I am here to tell you about it because I think it is a hell of an adventure.

WWOOF stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms: http://www.wwoofusa.org/

If you have any interest in farming, learning to grow food, caring for livestock, making cheese, pickling, and all things farm-ish, go WWOOFing.

It's easy:

1) Pick a country. You can WWOOF in a huge handful of countries around the world.

2) Go to the WWOOFing website of that country and join the site. It's about 10-30 bucks a year to join and you then have access to all the farms registered in that country with the WWOOF organization.

3) Contact the farms you like and wait back fro a reply. When you make a good connection with a farm and have a good feeling about it, make your travel arrangements to get there.

Once you are there, you should have your accommodation and meals taken care of. You put in a certain amount of work a week as exchange for these things and you also receive an incredible, hands-on education on the farm of your choice.

If you don't want to have your own full blown farm in the future, no big deal. Lots of farms only take WWOOFers for a week. Others, 6 months. You find one that is right for you. I think everyone should have a backyard garden of some sort. Even if it's just an herb garden in your window. WWOOF for a week and you will gain a vast amount of knowledge about how to care for it. And most of it is quite simple, but we just don't know how. We are brought up in a society where our fruits and vegetables are perfectly uniform in color and shape right there on the shelf for you. Ever notice the thunder and rain sounds coming from the sprinklers at Safeway when they want to spray the veggies? WEIRD.

Get out there and touch some soil. Turn some compost. Pick a tomato from the vine.

I am currently on a farm in Hawaii for 3 months. This is an incredible place to WWOOF because we harvest almost everyday because of the practically perfect weather conditions.

I also get the chance to work in the kitchen: I made roasted tomatillo salsa, beet jam, dilly pickles, and sauerkraut today.

It is also just a cheap way to travel. I mean, don't decide to WWOOF just because you want a free place to stay. You have to put some love into it. Nothing grows well if there is no love. But when you're bouncing a from place to place, drifting around the world, WWOOF for a little bit and save some money and learn a little bit about our Earth. You won't regret it. Oh, and you will meet some AMAZING people.

Farm Life in Hawaii

2012-02-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Hawaii about ten days ago, and it feels like I've been here for months. It's February and warm. Warm breezes, warm ocean, warm sunlight everyday. There are little lizards pitter-pattering outside my door and orchestras of tropical birds singing outside my window.

My husband and I made plans to come out here about five months ago to gain some farm experience. We arranged to do work/trade at Hawaii Island Retreat: a boutique hotel with about 50 acres of farmland and orchards. They are off the grid, organic, solar/wind energized, and simply beautiful.

My day starts around 7:30 in the garden until 12:30. I weed, plant, harvest, water...just about everything you can do in the garden. There is never no task at hand. I also use my skills in the kitchen. Today I made cranberry and herb goat cheese, beet sorbet, arugula pesto, and fried green tomatoes.

I feel useful here. I also feel incredibly energized. I eat very local and very organic. I'm drinking fresh goat's milk instead of pasteurized cow's milk from the grocery store. I am doing yoga in the morning and at night. I am drinking apple cider vinegar (about 4oz per day) to cleanse. Less coffee and alcohol, more water. I can honestly say that I won't live like this forever. I love beer and wine, I love cheese, and I love bread. A lot. But for now, this is awesome. Time and place for everything, right?

Here are some photos I took today of the beuatiful things growing:

Retro Vegas

2012-01-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

I've been in Las Vegas for the past few days. I wanted to try to avoid getting too crazy this time out to Sin City, so I brought my camera along and went on a few walks to see if I could grab some good shots. My husband and I went on a photo taking tour of the older Vegas- the run down, kind of dirty, retro side. Empty pools circled by rusty fences, abandoned motels and shady sidewalks made for some interesting photos. Take a look:

I'd be very happy to not go back to this place for several years. It is absolutely exhausting to be around so little trees and fresh water. Tap water smells of sulfur and people smell of ashtrays. But...it has a hell of a history and it doesn't seem to stop growing as a city. It's a fascinating place really.

My Top Ten Songs That Make The Heart Swing

2012-01-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

I was looking for inspiration for a website my talented friend created, www.youmeandcharlie.com, and turned to my playlists for help. (If you haven't been to this site yet, do so NOW!!)

Then it hit me- no need to look for inspiration, pay tribute to the thing that gives it to you time after time: the playlists themselves. The list of artists that wrote that songs you can't get sick of. The songs that sing to you and to you only (or so it seems). Pay tribute to the songs that have stopped your world from turning and gave you scenes, ideas, thoughts, stories and poems.

These are the songs that shake my world.

1) Sandman, The Brakeman and Me- Monsters Of Folk (I can't deny you the recommendation of their song Temazcal as well).

2) He Doesn't Know Why- Fleet Foxes (See White Winter Hymnal as well. And I must say, there has never been a band in my mind since Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young that's been able to harmonize as beautifully as the Fleet Foxes).

3) That's The Way- Led Zeppelin

4) The Mountain- Steve Earle

5) Dumb- Nirvana

6) This Must Be The Place- Talking Heads

7) Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.- Ryan Adams (Also good- Come Pick Me Up)

8) Up All Night- Counting Crows

9) Ohio- Neil Young

10) Haiti- Arcade Fire (And, JMJ, all their other songs too).

I've told you mine. Now tell me yours.

Crazy People, Strange Times: Haight Street Love

2012-01-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

San Francisco is a beautiful place to live. People say "excuse me" when they want to get by and "hello" for no reason. It is filled with farmer's markets, city/community gardens, and gorgeous scenery of the bay and the rolling hills of Marin. When I lived in the city, I chose the Haight/Ashbury neighborhood as my home. Because of this colorful and history-rich street, the neighborhood is filled with characters- musicians, travelers, tourists, hippies, circus performers, yogis, and more.

There is quite a mix in this neighborhood. You have a lot of people who have been living there for decades- the true descendants of the sixties, the real flower children. Then there are a lot of homeless youth who have come here with the hopes of finding a haven for outcasts. Unfortunately it is mostly tourists wandering the streets looking for the old Grateful Dead house or locals eating at the Whole Foods on the corner.

www.jugtownpirates.com

But all hope is not lost for this historic place. Ameoba Music has an incredible location that used to be a bowling alley on the tip of the Haight. There is still the oldest free health clinic in California up and running. There are street fairs and festivals every year. Musicians play on the street everyday. It’s a magical place to reside for the curious, the adventurous and the peculiar.

My time in the Haight had come to a friendly end almost a year ago. I now choose to keep my roots from being permanently planted and follow the farm across the globe. My days of paying rent with the money earned from my burlesque shows and busking for a decent bottle of wine are over. I can say, though, that my memories are always there- in the walls, on the rooftops, on the stoops, on the sidewalks of the infamous Haight-Ashbury.

I Love a Good Oyster

2012-01-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

There is a really great place called Point Reyes. We Bays in the Area know all about it. Oysters and cheese are abundant, the bay and green pastures are all around you, and there isn't anything to do but enjoy them all.

The Cowgirl Creamery "Cantina" is here where you can eat lunch, buy a bunch of cheeses, or get a sampler bag for a very decent price. After roaming these parts, we headed to Tomales Bay Oyster Company. It sits right on the bay where you get to buy your oysters by the size, sit at a picnic table, and shuck the bad boys yourself.

They fish the bags right out for you.

Make sure to BYOB and BYOC (condiments).

Our cheese sampler from Cowgirl...more than enough for two people.

Make sure you know what you're doing. This is actually quite dangerous.

We walked around town and found this cute market with peace flags hanging from the ceiling and gorgeous fruit everywhere.

We were craving a beer after our oysters. We found this great old bar with a wood stove in the middle of it and a stage for music, pool table, and lots of regulars. It was perfect.

Live in the Bay? Going to visit soon? Go to Point Reyes and eat a good oyster. It's easy to get to, easy to do on a budget, and it's incredibly beautiful.

http://tomalesbayoysters.com/

http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Reyes

Match Maker Match Maker Make Me A Match

2012-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

There are things that should never be separated, or the should at least be experienced together once in one’s life. Coffee and cigarettes immediately comes to mind, along with candles and bathtubs, vodka and caviar, and turquoise and silver.

I’ve had a few moments in my life when I’ve discovered such a wonderful match, I become content emotionally and intellectually and sometimes spiritually. In college I found if I read Charles Bukowski and listened to Tom Waits at the same time, I would fall in love with both of them. My post-college-who-am-I days were filled with walks in the redwoods of Northern California while listening to the Fleet Foxes. All my worries drained in those woods. Last year I witnessed my toddler nieces listening to “1234” by Feist and was giddy with happiness at the sight of their dances all over the living room.

I think when we find things that do well together, we feel a great deal of satisfaction because this can only mean we are all here for a reason. Peanut butter was meant to meet jelly, you are meant to meet your soul mate, and I am meant to wear Frye boots.

Tell me your favorite match made on Earth.

Field Trip

2012-01-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

We went to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park today with our little nieces and my sister. It was sunny and a good 65 degrees- a perfect January day in the city.

I couldn't help but go crazy with the camera. The scenery was gorgeous and the photo ops were abundant.

Taxidermy at its best.

Cutest kids in town.

A Little More Spain

2012-01-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm wrapping up my trip from Spain with a (couple) bottles of wine in an airport hotel in London. Our flights had so many delays due to the intense winds that I'm now waiting for tomorrow so I can hop on a flight to get back to San Fran. I'm missing my dog and my husband and am looking forward to a serious detox session.

But since I'm here and have nothing to do but watch cheesy British imitations of gossip girl and drink cheap wine, I'll post a little blog too.

I was a little embarrassed when I realized most of my pictures from this trip are of food, but I also managed to take some shots of other things.

Exploring the outdoor markets

Chestnuts being roasted on the streets...can't get away from the food shots!!

The incredible library in Madrid.

An incredible cathedral touching the Madrid sky.

Checking out Gaudi.

Being sassy.

And more Gaudi. Hope you enjoyed. We sure did.

xoxo

Addicted to Spanish Foods

2012-01-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

The spontaneous trip I took to Spain this Winter has inspired my palate in so many ways. I feel like I'm appreciating the use of saffron and seafood and anchovies and olives and paprika and peppers like never before. The tapas bars were the most fun because that is my favorite way to eat- small bites of several things.

Some places you could reach over and grab whatever you liked...kind of like a sushi boat.

Olives and sardines are super popular.

Padron peppers are also very popular and are my absolute favorite.

Here are roasted red peppers and anchovies on Catalan bread, which is toast rubbed with fresh tomato and unfiltered olive oil.

This is simply a bowl of mussels that are sitting in a thick sauce with garlic, tumeric and paprika.

There were lots of specialty shops that sold tapas and cheeses and sliced cured meats.

FOIE HEAVEN

Iberican ham was everywhere and absolutely delicious. I don't think I can have it any other way after this trip.

And of course, paella.

We ate a lot of foie gras and pates in Spain, none as expensive as they are in the States.

This was my favorite tapas bar in Barcelona- Divinus. An absolute must and great prices.

They had the best tapas we have had on the trip, including this manchego marinating in olive oil in its own wheel. Love it.

Meat on a stick?

Yes please.

This is hangover cure magic- fresh juices of all kinds.

The markets blew my mind, this one in particular: La Boqueria. People were selling fruits, spices, seafood, eggs, meats- all in their own stands in a concentrated warehouse like atmosphere.

From this trip I will absolutely be incorporating more Spainish style into the food I cook. I am addicted.

Mason Jar Love

2011-12-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

The Mason Jar: I don't know exactly what it is that draws me to them. I chose it as the logo for Tourshi, I serve food in mason jars at catering events, I use them for storage of all sorts, I even think water tastes its best out of a mason jar.

A friend of mine custom brews beer for events- Stone Cold Fox Brewery. He made a wonderful brown ale and put them all in little mason jars.

I found these at the Alameda Antique Fair:

The Tourshi logo:

And of course, making tourshi:

The new Tacolicious in San Francisco made their entire ceiling out of mason jars:

And I love making "lanterns" out of them:

The list is endless with what you can do with mason jars. They are such a timeless American staple to our kitchens.

Housesitting the Gear House

2011-08-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

For the next two weeks I'll be housesitting the Gear House. This is the home of a very talented couple who creates art installations, does architectural work, aerial silks, and many other things that blow my mind. They are currently at Burning Man to show their latest work, and I can't help but show you the things they have lying around the house.

Welcome!

This is the view of their industrial looking house.

And now the robots:

Trapeze!

The Heron.

You can climb up into this guy and pedal as you would with a bicycle, and the wings will flap!

This is the inside of the house where their own architectural designs and artwork are displayed.

Their front door is my favorite part of the house.

And, of course, the chicken coop.

Check out their websites to read more about what they do. It's incredibly inspiring and impressive!

http://www.SpitfireForge.com
http://www.theHeronProject.blogspot.com
http://www.SpitfireAerialEquipment.com

The Funky and Beautiful Style of Taos, New Mexico

2011-07-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've always adored the style of New Mexico. The adobe architecture, the turquoise and brick red colors, the religious themed art- all of it is unique. Taos has it's own, though, I must say. It has all what you would expect from a New Mexican town, but it's got a renegade twist on the no-permits-necessary land and homes. Take a look...

This is the view of Taos and it's lovely mountains.

A white adobe home.

A cute Earthship.

A lot of people sell eggs outside their homes. Having your own chicken coop is popular in Taos.

There are loads of ranches all over Taos.

I love the adobe and turquoise together.

And of course...hanging chili peppers!

A lot of people put their own art in their front yard- Taos is filled with artists from all over the world.

There are plenty of trees and water on this side of the gorge, and it's beautiful!

This is my current home, The Castle...

With a pyramid in the backyard!

It's got a great kitchen...

with an adobe fireplace...

and an awesome kitchen table.

This is the view from my room. Those are grapes growing up the balcony!

Tiger and Bear love the new pad.

And check out our ceiling- all reclaimed wood.

A Natural Way of Living

2011-06-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

I decided when I made my move to Taos that I would also make a huge effort to use much more natural products. They are better for your body, internally and externally, last longer than most factory made products, thus being more affordable and sustainable.

Before I left on this trip, my cat got ill from her flea medication. I had no idea what chemicals were in the medicine that made her sick, and that made me super uncomfortable. Cutting up garlic and mixing it into your pet's food will keep fleas away. Garlic is also good for a bug bite on human skin. Just rob a clove on your bite and it will draw out the toxins and bring down swelling.

Extra virgin olive oil as a leave-in conditioner (if you don't have oily hair) will make your hair shine and bring down frizz. Using extra virgin is important because it has the least amount of acidity in it. It also makes a great skin conditioner.

Coconut oil is fantastic for your skin. It makes it radiate and has little to no scent to it. If you have very dry areas, sesame oil is better and has healing qualities for skin disorders, like psoriasis.

Another important change is I've made is to buy LOCAL. I find this even more important than buying organic. It costs loads of money for a farm to be certified organic, even if they grow their foods without pesticides and as organically as possible. Buying local means you are reducing your carbon footprint immensely and chances are your food is organic when you buy locally. We purchase our eggs from Lady Di Farms down the street from us. We can buy chicken eggs, duck eggs, chicks, and chicken feed from her. We don't refrigerate them either because they were never chilled to begin with. When I haven't used them quickly enough, I hard boil the remaining eggs and put them in salads or eat them for breakfast.

We also purchase goats milk from our neighbor. It's much easier on the digestion system and is superior than cow's milk in nutrition.

Vinegar is an excellent cleaning product for your home. See below for before and after pictures of a window I cleaned using vinegar instead of Windex. I got a 1 gallon jug for $2.00. You can also use basic vinegar for cutting grease on your oven, disinfecting, blocking mold, re freshening your air, and, of course, pickling. (Make some Tourshi!) You can also put a few drops of essential oil (lavender or eucalyptus) with some water in a spray bottle and use to dust your home- it's a little nicer smelling and it will keep mosquitoes away.

These changes are simple. I plan to use them throughout my life and expand on the uses of natural products. My favorite reference is A Slice of Organic Life. It's an easy guide with tons of photos and is absolutely inspiring. It will tell you in plain English how to keep chickens, make your own goats cheese and butter, make body scrub, make your own barbecue, how to use reclaimed wood..………get inspired!

On The Road Again

2011-06-04T00:16:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly deciding the drastically change my life. From writing to culinary school, from line cooking to burlesque dancing, from catering to...

Some say I'm crazy. Some don't like my itchy feet. I happen to enjoy it very much. I feel that change is simply a need to learn something new and expose myself to unfamiliar environments. When I hit a plateau, I get restless, and with my love for the open road, it's nice to know that anything can happen.

I decided to find a sub-letter for my apartment, put my catering business in the hands of my talented brother, and take off to Taos, New Mexico- a spiritual, quiet, beautiful desertland filled with people like myself, in search of something simpler than what life has handed to me thus far.

I'm headed to an off-the-grid community called Earthship Biotecture. This community builds sustainable homes, called Earthships, that are made out of recycled materials such as bottles, cans and used tires. There is solar electricity, the water comes from the rain, and the food is mostly grown. It's beautifully simple.

www.earthship.org

Just one of the many Earthships sitting on the desert.

When pulling into the community, one might think they have entered some sort of Burner-esque, post-apocalyptic, alien spaceship waste land. There are arid miles of desert into mountain ahead of you with little Earthships popping out of the ground. It's strange but, aren't you curious?

I certainly am, and I can't wait to learn how to build one.

So here I am, on the road again, off to New Mexico. Stay in touch with Tourshi, as I will keep you well updated with what's to come in this unconventional yet clever lifestyle I am about to embark upon.

A Green Chile Weekend at Heath

2011-05-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Green Chile Kitchen, the New Mexican restaurant Amy and I both work in, catered a customer appreciation weekend at Heath Ceramics. We both didn't know much about Heath, other than we serve our food in their ceramic bowls and plates. Our time spent at Heath completely changed our views.

Heath was founded by Edith Heath in 1948 and then bought in 2003 by a couple who brought the company into a new phase of expansion, while keeping the American craft in its original design and handcrafted technique. Their ceramics are used at Chez Panisse and The Slanted Door, shown in the MOMA and LACMA, and now has a shop in the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

www.heathceramics.com

Amy and I had a blast at their factory store in Saulsalito!

The had succulents all over the factory- here they were selling some in handcrafted glass cases.

This is the Chez Panisse collection.

We serve our coffee in these mugs, and our customers are constantly complimenting them.

Today they showed everyone how to design and glaze tiles.

I loved their break room! All their tables and counter spaces were designed by the staff.

Green Chile Kitchen served green chile-blue corn muffins...

our fire roasted red salsa, tomatillo avocado salsa, habanero and pico de gallo...

along with posole and green chile tomatillo gazpacho.

The Black Walnut Dilemma

2011-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

My friend, Amy, is from Missouri where her mom works for a black walnut company. Her company is in need of recipes that use black walnuts and black walnut oil. I assumed black walnuts were not much different than regular walnuts and it shouldn't be too difficult to write a few recipes for her. She sent a bag of the walnuts and a bottle of the walnut oil to me a few weeks later. When I opened the bag of walnuts and tried one, I had to spit it out. It was so bitter, I thought they were rancid. I was wrong- black walnuts are bitter as hell.

As for the recipe writing, I started out with the oil to have an easy start. I wanted to make a good dressing with it to go with a walnut friendly salad. My brother, the master vinaigrette maker he is, whipped up a black walnut oil dressing that was a perfect balance of salty and sweet. It balanced out the bitterness so well, that a nice aroma of walnut came through the whole salad.

1/3 cup black walnut oil

2 Tb Canola oil

2 Tb Apple vinegar ( you can also use champagne or red wine vinegar)

juice from half a lemon

1 tsp Honey

1 tsp Whole grain mustard

salt and pepper

He used an immersion blender to make the emulsion easy.

I paired this dressing with a salad of blanched broccoli, avocado, red onion, and radish.

YUM!

Wine Tasting in Sonoma

2011-03-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

I recently went to Sonoma with some friends to go wine tasting on Dry Creek Road. The experience was fantastic, as we saw some really great places that not only make incredible wines, but many practice biodynamic and organic farming practices. My favorite was Quivira, which was named after one of the Seven Cities of Gold Coronado searched for. They had beautiful raised beds across the front of the winery with the most adorable chickens running around.

Cauliflower

This was our favorite chicken

Their wines were incredible. They also sold a variety of fig and apricot preserves.

Right outside they had the beautiful mustards growing high up the vines.

Some of the wineries had the most beautiful landscaping, especially with all the cherry blossoms blooming!

Here we are at Truett-Hurst, where we loved the Zinfandels!

I loved this experience and can't wait to do it again! Next we are going to take the road to Guerneville and stop and all the incredible wineries along the way- it's fascinating and so educational. Not to mention one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Making Tourshi

2011-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Tourshi is just an Armenian pickled vegetable recipe which I'm sure varies from family to family, but when I recently looked up my grandmother's recipe, I have to admit, I was greatly disappointed. It consisted of distilled vinegar, water and salt. I decided to update that recipe today when I made several jars of Tourshi. I want them to be gifts for clients after events or gigs I cater for them. I also want to sell some of them for the upcoming art show my friends Jess and Claire are having Sunday at Cresta's: 2211 Polk Street, San Francisco at 4pm. I will be catering the event:

Filo cups of ricotta and feta, spinach, sliced heirloom tomato.
Tuna tartar, sesame, nori, chili flake, jalapeno, cucumber, pickled jalapeno.
Braised short ribs in crispy cheese cups, herb salad, Manchego slice.
White chocolate lavender meringue cookies.

First I lined up all my new beautiful mason jars. By the way, there is something about a mason jar that makes EVERYTHING taste good and cold and crisp. Hence, the logo of Tourshi.

Next I filled them with all my lovely, colored vegetables:

Then I added my pickling liquid, which I added mustard seeds, sugar and cloves to:

Come to Cresta's on Sunday and show your support for my friends and their art, as well as Tourshi! Here are a few pictures of their art, which is only a peak at the talents these two women have (these pictures does no do their art justice!!):

Creating Sustainability

2011-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of ways to be more sustainable with Tourshi Catering. Our little rooftop garden isn't enough to provide me with what I constantly need with the events I cater, although we have been giving that garden a lot of love. First we painted the planter box.

Our plants had done so well, we ate most of them and replaced them with all herbs. We put a good amount of burlap around the box to protect them from the San Francisco winds.

We also started a compost bin which we lined with cardboard and netted to protect from birds:

Anyway, back to the efforts of Tourshi. To be more sustainable, I want to grow my own vegetables year round. This is impossible in our apartment in the city, so where?

My parents have a place in Sonoma that has tough soil, hot and dry weather and contains Boron in the water, but I think we can make something happen. We are going to put raised beds on a piece of the land up there, bring in our own soil and compost, and carefully choose vegetables that can handle the Boron.

Something like this:

We begin by germinating our own seeds & moving them to compostable, small pots:

We are in the works of getting some more land at our friend's home in Sebastapol, which will allow us to grow things that do better in richer, moister environments. The hope is to one day be able to provide ourselves with enough earth that we can grow all of our own vegies, forage our fungi, and even care for our own chickens. I see good things on the horizon...

Lunch at the Bluxome Street Winery

2011-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long I've been stalling to put up a new blog post, but I'm finally going to give you another one. I'm taking you into the last event I did at an urban winery that will soon be opening in the SOMA district of San Francisco. With the help of my mom, we were able to make a warehouse space cozy with a beautiful table setting.

Before

After

The guests were pouring chardonnay, pinot and syrahs, and I was serving beef tartar and Iberico ham with Manchego as the appetizer.

Toasted biroche, carmelized shallots, Manchego cheese, Iberico ham.

Butter tuille, beef tartar, caper, arugula.

The first course was wild mushroom risotto, mascarpone quenelle, toasted walnuts with brown butter and sage, and white truffle oil drizzle.

Toasted walnuts, brown butter, sage, ad thyme.

The risotto.

The next course was beef short ribs that were braised for several hours in red wine, stone ground grits with parmesian, braised winter greens, shaved horseradish, and pancetta.

Aaron, my brother, did the dessert. It was absolutely amazing. He made mascarpone cheesecake with graham cracker crumble and poached quince in little preserve jars.

It was a perfect meal for a winter afternoon in San Francisco.

My Semi-Green Thumb

2010-11-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

My apartment mates and I have been procrastinating on putting together our rooftop garden for months now. We have had no excuse: the hardware store next door to us sells us everything we need and Toby's step dad built us a bed to plant everything in. I mean, he drove down from Mendocino with tools and wood and built us this bed! So today, we finally bought all of our compost, potting soil and plants and go to it.

Mendocino Marvin and daughter Kayla

(Toby's awesome step dad)

Toby picking out the plants

Swiss Chard, Chive, Parsley, Cilantro, Peppers, Basil, Lettuces, Sorrel, & Leek

This is the amazingly crafted bed Marvin built for our plants

Toby and Amy here mixing the compost and potting soil

Planting the lettuces

All in place

We even started a little succulent garden in a dresser drawer we found on the street

Our crazy little family has a garden now

Searching for Furniture but Finding Vittles

2010-11-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

When I walked out my door this morning, I had the intention of driving around the Sunset with my boyfriend to try and find a much needed free dresser on the sidewalk somewhere and to get some lunch. We didn't find a single piece of furniture all day long, but we did find a delicious Korean BBQ spot that I need to share with everyone, as well as several other San Fran spots I adore.

I ordered the Spicy Combination Soup, which explains nothing and I was excited to receive the unexpected. I was quickly brought several small dishes of bean sprouts, kimchi, spicy tofu, seaweed, fried fish, and brown rice that I could add to my soup at my own liking. I love this- the choices and separation of small foods that you get to add to a boiling pot of soup. And it was literally BOILING when I got it. The soup itself already had my favorite things in it: soft tofu, shrimp, and an egg that was cracked raw into the soup and cooked more and more and more as I ate it.

After a little bit of driving around and some minor heartburn, we decided the Mission was where the furniture would be at. We drove around looking at all the places we wished we lived by Dolores Park, down Toby's favorite 24th Street, and right past a little sign that said "Humphry's Slocombe". I've never been and had to go.

I've heard too many times that the Secret Breakfast was the best, so I got a scoop of that and the Honey Thyme. I also tasted the Boccalone Prosciutto ice cream, which tasted like sweet cream with a background flavor of umami, but I ain't eating more than a bite of that stuff. The Secret Breakfast was, to my surprise, FULL of bourbon. I had no idea it was going to be that strong. So I let Toby eat that scoop while I devoured the Honey Thyme. I couldn't get too much thyme flavor, but the honey was sooooo good.

This was when rush hour started. I immediately wanted to be home instead of driving around the busy Mission District, so we drove up 18th toward our home and came to a halting stop at Tartine. ( We didn't get far.) I remembered that around 5pm was when their bread was just popping out of the oven, so I made Toby go in with me. We strolled in and looked at all the wonderful pastries...

and then found out they didn't bake their bread on Mondays. And we should call in our orders because they are just too popular these days. Which is true...so no bread today.

On the way back to the car, we passed BiRite and I bugged Toby to pop in with me. I wanted to try and get some ideas for the lamb loin I was about to make that evening. I had been struggling all day with what I could do with a lamb loin...and I just decided to let Toby take the wheel. He had no idea what he was doing, but I got excited over the vegetables he didn't know the names of.

We bought our vegies and I promised Toby we would go home now. BUT to my surprise...there was a little free food stand from BiRite to preview their Thanksgiving food right in front of our car. Their turkey was nicely cooked, the cranberry sauce with hints of mint, and the stuffing with wild rice. But their pies were my favorite: pumpkin, pecan and apple.

When we finally got back home, we opened a bottle of Pinot and I began cooking.

I cut the watermelon radishes thin and fried them in safflower oil to make crispy chips.

I cut up the cauliflower and the sunchokes and half a jalapeno (just because I love them so much and have to use them in almost every dish) and roasted them until they were soft and steamy.

I then heated up some cream and soft ricotta and added it to the roasted cauliflower mixture in a blender. I kept a few pieces aside to keep the mash nice and lumpy.

The brussel sprouts were cut up fairly thin and pan fried with prociutto.

The lamb loin was simply pan seared as well, as it was tender and flavorful enough to mess with too much.

Overall, I learned to look for free furniture on craigslist and that lamb loin is easy. And gooooood.

Plate and Shoot

2010-11-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

I'm currently creating a website for the catering business. I, of course, am not personally taking on this task. Someone else is who is much more technologically capable, but I have to provide them with photos of my work. With this in mind, I decided to have a night when I would cook and plate and shoot several dishes from my menu with my family and friends. As wonderful of an idea as this sounds, having five people around you while you are cooking, thinking, planning and plating is quite unsettling. Especially when you are a person who is very bothered by live suggestions and commentary while "in the groove". On that note, it was a blast.

I first set up my mise en place.

The first canape I plated was inspired by a Cubano restaurant I went to in Tucson, Arizona. It's simply a fried plantain chip with yam puree, seared bay scallop, cilantro and fried jalapeno. The only part that takes a little effort is the yam puree. After boiling the yam, you need to peel it while it is hot and push it through a fine mesh sieve. Then add butter, cream and salt.

I originally wanted arugula for the next dish, but the mache was just too beautiful at the market. The salad consisted of fresh and very creamy ricotta, prosciutto, fig, and aged balsamic.

I made incredible gnocchi a couple weeks ago. With cooking the potatoes, peeling and sieving, rolling and boiling, it took almost six hours to make. The thing about gnocchi, though, is that it is always worth it. It's so good when made fresh, that it doesn't matter that it took you all day to make. I froze the left over gnocchi from that day and was supposed to cook it today for the dish I planned. But I'm also an idiot and forgot to bring it to my little photoshoot. So, I replaced the pasta with fresh pappardelle. The pasta was made with Gorgonzola cream sauce and shaved pear.

Surf and Turf: the worst title for an incredible combination. Suggestions please for a better name. This next dish is a perfectly cut Filet Mignon, seared scallop, potato puree, asparagus, parsley, horseradish and beurre rouge:

The salmon tartar was a challenge because the sun was beginning to hide, so our lighting was hard to find. We must have moved this plate five times before we got the right shot. The salmon was cut into cubes and dipped on one side into nori and toasted sesame. It was then placed onto a slice of jalapeno and topped with triangular slices of radish. The sauce was a spicy mayonnaise with chive.

I couldn't finish the night without lamb. I usually get a craving for lamb about every three weeks...it's an Armenian thing, I think. At this point it's been months since I had a good lamb dish. Rack of lamb is my favorite. It never fails in flavor. This last dish has heirloom carrots, thinly sliced potato, pomegranate, lemon confit, mint, and mint vinaigrette.

Of course I'd love to tell you this night of cooking satisfied everyone and we all went to bed full and sleepy, but I would be lying. With six people awaiting each dish and then only getting about one bite after the photo was taken, and even by then the food was cold, we were all still hungry. So Round Table was the answer, and the best answer of all. We all stayed up until about 1am drinking wine from my father's cellar and eating Round Table, discussing the oddities of Burning Man culture, and finishing it off with a couple episodes of East Bound and Down. Only now, are we all satisfied.

"Crab Louie"- The First Blog of Many

2010-11-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

After about a year of being told I should write a blog, I'm finally doing it. I don't know why I hesitated so much on this blog writing business. I'm old fashioned, I guess, and I like to write things down with a pen in a Moleskin most of the time. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that everyone and their mother has a blog (yes, my mother has a blog). And even more people have food blogs, especially here in San Francisco. And that is exactly what I intend to write about.

I've got the credentials. I went to culinary school, worked in a few restaurants, and am now building a small catering business. I get giddy over new ideas in food and my heart races when I think of roasted bone marrow and garlic. So, you see, I can write about food too.

For my first post, I'm going to show you my take on a traditional San Francisco salad. I've been craving seafood lately, particularly crab. When I brainstormed all the ways I loved crab, I thought of bisque and ravioli and ciopinno. Then I thought of something I disliked, which was the mayonnaise-drenched crab salads called Loius. What if I could make my own version of this awful lunch? Of course, I would ditch the Hellman's. Then, I'd make it an open faced sandwich. The Louis blossomed:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh mayonnaise

2 cup crab meat

1 bunch tarragon

A few radishes

1 garlic clove

1/2 bell pepper

2 stalk celery, peeled

1 Baguette

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Peel the celery before cutting a few stalks into a small dice. Do the same with the red bell pepper. Then run the radishes along a mandolin, or slice them very thin.

Cut the baguette into however many slices you need on the bias. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and pop them in the oven at 400 degrees to toast for roughly ten minutes. Afterwards, rub them with a garlic clove while they are still warm. While they are cooling, mix all other ingredients in a bowl together, adding salt and pepper to taste.

On each toast, spoon on a large amount of the crab mixture. Finish with the slices of radish and tarragon.

This dish turned out to be incredibly easy and simple to make, and I couldn't believe how impressed everyone was. The combination of homemade mayonnaise and big chunks of crab meat with pungent tarragon is such a wonderful appetizer.