life recently (aka the longest post ever)

Posted on May 22, 2013 by salt & pepper

greek yogurt parfaits make for the best mid-afternoon snack

new light fixture to spruce up our apartment

brunch at Foreign Cinema

the best croque madame ever

Twilight finale movie party with Noreen & Elli

some gorgeous views while running down along the water

dinner at Absinthe

spring training in Scottsdale

first stop was breakfast at The Marketplace at Olive & Ivy, then off to the ballpark

where we were hit with torrential rain and a hailstorm

luckily I found time for a margarita before the sky opened up!

and luckily we escaped to a nearby spot for shelter

and we even found a Grimaldi’s Pizza nearby!

(based in Brooklyn, it’s some seriously yum pizza)

we also really liked Modern Steak for happy hour

the warm butter poached lobster jar was a big hit

as were the white truffle french fries

the next day we hit up The Breakfast Club for brunch

since the boys were having Bloodies I figured I’d have a glass of bubbly…

look at the size of it!

(grande latte for reference)

twinsies!

Sohrab ordered a beast of a breakfast…

a breakfast burrito “monster style” (aka smothered in pork green chile and chorizo queso)

after hitting up another game & a little shopping for Elli and I

(thankfully it stayed dry)

we headed back to Olive & Ivy for dinner

I love the hanging jar lights!

Our last night we tried Citizen Public House

and met up with our good friend, Leo, who lives out there

and then headed over to the poolside bar / club at the W

it was pretty awesome

especially since we were “VIPs” bc we were staying at the hotel

and therefore didn’t have to stand in line

I went on a quick trip to Denver for work

and had a lovely overpriced airplane picnic (that I did not make) on my flight back

fun Twilight posters from D’s sister, Maria

my brother then came to visit – we started off the trip at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay

and of course hit up Roam

I find it impossible to not order their bison burger

a trip to Rose’s Cafe was also in order

for dinner with our cousin Mandy

easy recipe for leftover designer pizza:

crisp up in a pan then top with a fried egg for breakfast – so good!

MJ took me to a lovely lunch at Absinthe

their soft garlic pretzels with cheese sauce are omg good

we then swung by Four Barrel coffee in the Mission for a couple of lattes

MJ snapped photos while I got a little work done

good to the last drop – that’s latte art at its finest

MJ also took us to a lovely meal at Cafe de Amis – Scott’s the best bartender in town!

we also managed to make it up to Tahoe for the weekend

the snow was melting but it was still really cold!

we had lots of opps for great shots

because we took the Heavenly Gondola up the mountain

such amazing views!

hot cocoa was necessary

yup, very needed

MJ and me

MJ had a peak named after him

heading back down

so beautiful

we then went on a drive and headed over to Emerald Bay

so pretty

snap happy

love that Domino has started releasing magazines again

I cooked up a yummy pasta dinner for us all

perfect in front of the fire with my Domino mag

and on MJ’s last night we went to a Warriors / Lakers game – so much energy!

I went on a few more foggy runs down along the water

isn’t this city amazing?

then mum & dad came up to visit!

of course we had to go to Rose’s first thing

and lots of long windy walks down along the water

and huge latte bowls from La Boulange

and more long walks

and trips to the farmers market, of course!

Kerry and Brett then came up for our sorority reunion

(we get a lot of house guests, in case you haven’t realized)

this is so funny – check out Brett’s face in the background

he just took a swig of Kerry’s green juice

I don’t think he was very impressed

but we were – Juice Shop is great!

the gang’s all here – it was our ADPi Centennial!

(the boys were good sports to be hanging out w a bunch of old shady ladies w us!)

after, we hit up one of our old college haunts – KIPS!

it was a great night spent with old friends!

on Sunday we hit up Market Bar for brunch

and then walked off some of the cobwebs from the night before by doing the Filbert Stairs

once you climb one hundred million stairs, you end up at Coit Tower

fantastic views of the city, huh?

I also had a playdate with the darling Zoe

there was a bachelorette party in Miami

that started at the ever-so-fab wine bar in Terminal 2 at SFO

you can grab pizza next door at Tyler Florence’s place

and bring it into the wine bar

red eyes are rough

but look what was awaiting us!

frozen melon balls, poolside

our lovely waiter

we had to stock up on bubbly – and this was our closest option

we <3 ~~liquor~~ bubbles

oh yeah, and here’s our hotel – isn’t she lovely!?

but not as lovely as the bride-to-be!

I even fit in a run one of the mornings

there’s a great running path right along the water

but it was soooooo hot

I missed the fog

#connietakesmiami

the second day was spent poolside

isn’t our cabana sweet?!

their poolside snacks were delish

of course we needed some silly bride props for Connie

this is nice

cheers to Connie!

all dolled up for our night out on the town

cheers again!

our third day was spent on the beach

and ended with some crazy weather

thankfully it cleared up for our last morning

and Sarah and I hit up the beach one more time

adios Miami, it’s been fun!

the following week my team from NY was in SF visiting

we went on an incredible hike in Marin one afternoon

hi guys!

like a fairytale

Team Muse Running Club

there was a crazy fire that we witnessed a couple of blocks away

(thanks Ana for the pic)

so scary – there were a gazillion fire engines

yay for the sf fire dept though – they were awesome

Adrian and I goofing off in the office

and D and I headed down to Paso Robles with our friend Jim

we finally got to try Artisan for lunch

it did not disappoint

my favorite dish was the goat cheese & ale fondue

served with garlic bread, broccolini and kielbasa

we hit up a few wineries

pinky raised for white!

clap for red!

(this was at Booker)

D discovered that you could order Woodstock Pizza to Atascadero

#winning

(we won’t talk about how many pizzas we had to order to get them to deliver there)

Savannah was ready for a day of wine tasting

and crack bread, oh yes

you can not go to Paso Robles without stopping at Di Raimondo’s

I mean it – don’t even think about not going

so purdy

look at our picnic spread!

omg it was the best thing ever

I think my favorite winery of the day was Whalebone

Jim suggested that we try out Hoover’s Beef Palace for brunch on our way out

it was pretty special

We shared pancakes for a breakfast appetizer

which they served alongside lots of little cups of butter

because that was necessary, obvi

a run was absolutely necessary after a weekend of pizza, crack bread, wine and pancakes

we attended a couple of Giants vs Dodgers games

#letsgogiants

where I discovered the organic stand with bubbly!! woot woot

we also headed up to BottleRock in Napa for a little music & wine in the sun

on our first night up there we headed to The Thomas for dinner – delish!

that’s the grilled asparagus with hazelnuts,

bacon, a poached egg and truffle-yuzu hollandaise

we shared a fancy pants bottle of Cabernet

and both ordered burgers - so original, i know

but they came with bacon jam

bacon jam!!!

warm sugar cinnamon donuts were absolutely necessary

the patio was so lovely – what a great spot

the next two days were spent listening to amazing music

our favs were The Shins, The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes,

and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

so good, so so good

and the food, omg – so good. that’s the salsiccia pizza from ca’momi

look at these nifty little cups!

sippy cups for adults

the trip took a sad turn when we got a flat tire on the way to OC for mother’s day

look at the spread we missed out on while stuck in Firebaugh! #boo

after finally making it to OC we had a wonderful week down there

we even made it to the beach one night for a picnic dinner

one of my best friends, Alie, and her family were able to join us

that’s her little boy Charlie after dunking himself under a wave in his only set of clothes

boys will be boys!

and here’s Kellan, her littlest

he loved the israeli couscous we brought down!

we also made it to The Riders Club in San Clemente

we had heard it was one of the best burgers in town

it did not disappoint

and finally, my friend Allison got married in Carlsbad

aren’t these mini margaritas the cutest.things.ever?!

phew, that’s it… told you it was the longest post ever

sneaky spaghetti & meatballs

Posted on April 30, 2013 by salt & pepper

Spaghetti & meatballs has to be one of my ultimate favorite dishes – it’s so comforting and delicious and always hits the spot. The problem is, it isn’t always the healthiest of options so I’ve come up with a sneaky cheats recipe that is *almost* as good as the real thing (especially if you mix in some fresh mozzarella at the end)… check out the recipe on TDM! :)

spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread

Posted on May 26, 2011 by salt & pepper

I like meatballs.

D likes meatballs.

And luckily for us Noreen likes meatballs, and she’s visiting this week.

Making your own tomato pasta sauce is much easier than you think. Really. I promise. Noreen, can you vouch for me?? Nobody ever believes me when I say that.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion

5 cloves garlic

1 cup white wine or bubbly

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Chop the onion and saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 or so minutes, stirring every now and then so the onion and garlic cooks evenly and doesn’t burn.

Add the wine or bubbles, and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Then add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes, give it a good stir and reduce the heat to low.

Now it’s meatball time. I realize I’ve posted on meatballs before. But these ones are different. Healthier. Juicier. Why you ask? Because they are cooked in the sauce, so they soak up all the tomato-y loveliness. Usually I bake mine, but Andrea from Can You Stay For Dinner cooked hers this way and I thought it was so clever. Not only will they be much more moist, but it’s one less pan to clean up! And then, I read on Bon Appétit to mix the breadcrumbs with milk, hence the oh so pretty photo above.

1 lb ground turkey or chicken
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 1/3 cup milk, let sit for 5 mins
1 tbsp ketchup
4 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. And if you get squeamish doing this with your hands try disposable gloves… your hands do such a better job than any utensil.

Form into balls and place carefully into the sauce. At this point you can continue to cook on your stove top over low heat, or you can finish cooking in the oven. I put the oven on to 300 degrees and cooked for approximately 30 minutes until the sauce was bubbling and the meatballs are cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking you can prep the garlic bread and boil some water for the spaghetti. I don’t have quantities for the garlic bread, I’m sorry… I had a small amount of butter left, so I added some olive oil so there was enough to cover the bread. Also, I decided to add some cubes of frozen chopped basil. Sometimes I add chopped parsley. Sometimes nothing. It all depends on your preferences.

Microwave for 30 seconds and stir to combine the butter, olive oil and basil.

My favorite bread for garlic bread is a ciabatta loaf. So many air pockets… perfect for filling with garlicky goodness. Your water should be boiling by now so throw in the spaghetti and while it’s cooking bake the garlic bread at 300 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes in foil, unwrap, separate and broil for 3-5 minutes until the top is slightly golden.

Drain your pasta, top with sauce, meatballs, and a huge hunk of garlic bread…

Dinner is complete!

serves 8

delfina

Posted on October 3, 2010 by salt & pepper

D & I headed over to Delfina Pizzeria, a fabulous Pac Heights pizza joint, for our 1 year anniversary. We like to keep things simple, and decided that the classic ‘dinner & a movie’ date night would be the perfect way to celebrate! For once in our lives we were actually pizza-ed out, so it was quite fun to look at the rest of the menu options Delfina has to offer… we were not disappointed:

fresh stretched mozzarella w/ a simple arugula salad and crusty bread

(sorry this photo isn’t great… I forgot to take the picture before I tucked in!)

insalata tricolore – arugula, radicchio & endive w/ shards of grana padana cheese

Delfina’s famous neopolitan meatballs in sugo

Cannelloni w/ escarole, borage, ricotta & tomato

Sadly we had no appetite left for dessert – this really is sad because they had olive oil gelato on the menu. And they don’t always have it since they switch their gelato menu around every couple of weeks. Argh! Maybe, just maybe it might taste like my favorite dessert in the world, the olive oil gelato from Otto in NY! You can see my post on that here. I’ll have to keep you posted on this – now we have an excuse to go back!

cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Posted on July 24, 2010 by salt & pepper

I’ve been meaning to try Giada’s recipe for mozzarella stuffed meatballs for a while now… I remember seeing her making these on tv, and the idea of mozzarella oozing out of a meatball just seemed too tempting to pass up. I decided it would be the perfect Wednesday night dinner to make for when my friends, Dani & Dave, came over to see our newly painted and decorated apartment… I made a couple of changes to Giada’s meatball recipe, did my own spicy tomato sauce to serve with the spaghetti, and then baked some garlic bread to serve on the side. Perfecto… They definitely were a hit with everyone, and I’ll definitely be making them again!

Here’s the recipe for the meatballs – adapted from Giada’s.

- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated

- couple of handfuls of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra to serve with the spaghetti

- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

- 2 large eggs

- 2 generous squirts of ketchup

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- crushed red pepper flakes (Giada suggests 1/2 teaspoon, I just eyeballed it)

- freshly ground salt & pepper… again, I eyeballed

- 1 lb ground beef (really you could use turkey, chicken, pork etc etc)

- 1 lb ground veal

- mozzarella cheese, cut into teeny tiny small cubes (she used smoked mozzarella, which I personally detest, so I used regular. Also, I was worried that fresh mozzarella would be too watery so I used the firm kind, but I think fresh would actually hold out okay, so I’m going to try that next time.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the onion, parsley, pecorino romano, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, s&p. Add the beef and the veal, and use your hands to combine the meat with the rest of the ingredients. Your hands are definitely the best tool to use here… they’ll incorporate all of the ingredients without overworking the meat. Take small spoonfuls and roll into whatever size meatballs you choose… I did fairly large ones. Use your finger and make a small indent in each, fill with a cube of mozzarella, and then smoosh the meatball around the mozzarella so the cheese is completely enclosed. Place your meatballs on baking sheet, lined with parchment or nonstick foil and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Or, if you have an extra cookie rack lying around, place this on top of the baking sheet and put the meatballs on this to cook, and the fat will drain away better. Then just cook your spaghetti, serve with a tomato sauce of your choosing (some day I’ll post the super easy one I make all the time), and bake up some garlic bread (literally just mix room temperature butter and minced garlic, spread on some good crusty bread like ACME Ciabatta, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. I like to broil at the end so it gets a little crunchier).

I couldn’t not include this picture!

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