secret muffins

I did an awful lot of baking this weekend-- cupcakes, muffins and two types of cookies. Add that to a fresh batch of lemonade with basil-infused simple syrup and a little Saturday-night get-together, I'm chalking this past weekend up as a pretty productive one.

A highlight of my three-day weekend was a trip with David to Culver City's Surfas, part restaurant-supply store and part gourmet grocer. I could easily fill up cart after cart here with goodies to outfit my dream semi-commercial gourmet kitchen! Half-sheet roll pans, baking cups, gel food colorings, bar supplies, perfect iced-tea pitchers and delightful baking supplies: you shall be mine! Someday..

Until that day, we're making do with what we have, using what's currently available in the kitchen, and keeping myself entertained with little things- like sneaking leftover chocolate Easter eggs into batches of banana muffins.. Can you say 'yum?'

up in smoke...

there was a devastating fire in a warehouse building across the street from our loft in downtown los angeles, last night.

this is what greeted us as we made our way home just after midnight. blogdowntown.com has some amazing shots of the aftermath (we saw this sight leaving for work this morning, but i wasn't able to grab any shots. the building is now boarded up.)

see more of my rooftop-view photos.

iDaft

Now, this is the most fun I've had all day, but I've had a pretty boring day. Nonetheless, if what you really need right now is a good excuse to have a midnight dance party, then please make your way to the Daft Punk Console. You can be your own Kanye West (or Daft Punk, for that matter) and remix the classic sound drops from Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

Now that is a good use of your time on the internet!

what i'll miss :: peet's coffee

I know, I know: Peet's Coffee & Tea is no longer a Bay Area exclusive. You can find little outposts of this local legend all over the West Coast now, and thank goodness for that. The decades-old company has always had a great emphasis on quality over quantity, and their growth has been slow. But within the Berkeley/Oakland area, you're always within a mile or two of a Peet's, which makes easy work of satisfying that craving for an iced latte and a tasty, chewy vegan ginger cookie.

what i'll miss...

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area my entire life, the thought of living somewhere so different from the little chunk of Northern California that I know and love seems really intimidating. How will I find my way around? Where will my favorite meals come from? What charming local secrets will I discover before anyone else? What will I miss?

There are many, many answers to that last question. As I prepare to embrace a new chapter in my life, I want to chronicle those things... I hope you enjoy a little peek into what makes the Bay Area 'home' to me.

raspberry-yogurt cake

I had the urge to bake last week, and I finally found the time to follow through. I baked up this delicious raspberry-yogurt cake from a 2008 issue of Bon Appetit magazine (recipe available here.) There are a couple of culinary curveballs in this recipe, so be sure to follow it to the letter. Just as suggested, I have found that a fair-sized slice of cake is great compliment to my evening tea, or as a morning, er, snack. (They keep telling me that cake isn't breakfast. However, I'm not too inclined to believe that!)

Yes We Cab!!

You know, it's not every day we make history with our votes. And it's not every day we make history with our wines. And well, I don't make wine, but luckily I know someone who does!

David and I had a brilliant idea over brunch back in December- a wine to toast Barack Obama's inauguration, called 'Yes We Cab!' Goofy, yes, but we thought it would be charming all the same. A quick call to our winemaker friend, Brendan Eliason at Periscope Cellars in Emeryville, CA and another to local artist friend J.B. Lowe and the idea is a reality!

If you're in the SF Bay Area, you can pick up your own bottle of Yes We Cab at the Periscope tasting room, at Solano Cellars in Albany and at both Vintage Berkeley locations (on College Avenue and Vine Street.) Special thanks to James Cardinell with Vinos Unico.

The fine folks at Periscope are hosting a screening of the inauguration, and will be showcasing Yes We Cab that night. Bottles will be available for purchase, so get one while you can! Get all the info on the event, here.

clearly up to no good.

I've been trying to spend some quality time with friends, lately. One person I seem to manage to meet up with at least once a week with is my buddy Jason, who can always be counted on for some random adventure, often involving delicious food. I snapped this photo after we had finished a day of devouring cupcakes at Cupcake Camp, coffee in South Park, dinner at my favorite Mission eatery, Maverick and then some ice cream at Bi-Rite.. what a perfectly delicious San Francisco afternoon!