playing.it.by.ear

Emily Dellas First Class Cooking Classes: Taste of India Lentil...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:17:00 -0700

Emily Dellas First Class Cooking Classes: Taste of India

Lentil Dahl w/ Spinach & Coconut
Mango Chutney
Cucumber Raita
Chicken Tikka Masala
Cardamom Pudding w/ Mango

Such a fun cooking class! Emily was very knowledgable in the kitchen and had some interesting insights to share. I would highly recommend checking out one of her classes - don’t forget to bring wine with you!

Check out: First Class Cooking

<3 Mama’s on Washington Square <3 The food here is...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:01:00 -0700

<3 Mama’s on Washington Square <3

The food here is always a treat and I would recommend all SF’ers give it a try. Most mornings you can find a line wrapping down the block while locals and tourists alike wait 2+ hours.

Get in line early, go in on a weekday if you can, and take turns leaving the line to grab coffee nearby while you wait. I had the Crab Benedict and tried the Carrot & Crumble Cake. While I am not a big fan of cake or sweets for any meal, the Carrot Cake stole the show. It was amazing and the frosting was the best I have ever had (still thinking about it). The crab was fresh and I was surprised the hollandaise sauce didn’t take away from how flavorful each ingredient was. All-in-all it was another successful Mama’s morning and I can’t wait to go back.

Check out Mama’s for yourself.

Wine tasting in Napa! Frogs Leap, Mumm, & Miner Family.

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:44:00 -0700

Wine tasting in Napa!

Frogs Leap, Mumm, & Miner Family.

support <3

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:34:14 -0700

support <3

It’s like you’re my mirror, my mirror staring back...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:32:08 -0700

It’s like you’re my mirror, my mirror staring back at me. I couldn’t get any bigger, with anyone else beside me.

The Weather Channel launches their new Android app by raining on...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:29:47 -0800

The Weather Channel launches their new Android app by raining on morning commuters at the bus stop. Nicely done.

“Love sought it good, but given unsought is better”...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:59:00 -0800

“Love sought it good, but given unsought is better” - Will

<3 cheesy, corny Valentine’s Day was a success!! Thank you Dom & Caroline for being my dates. Extra call out to the ladies in my family for being my valentines for life.

Party! Party! A mashup of some favorite pop songs to make you...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:25:49 -0800

Party! Party! A mashup of some favorite pop songs to make you want to dance.

“Feeling blind, to realize all I was searching for me. Oh...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:28:23 -0800

“Feeling blind, to realize all I was searching for me. Oh all I was searching for was me.” - Ben Howard

Snack, snack, munch - Holiday bites

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:58:39 -0800

“It was the best Christmas ever!” - Kei & Lei 2012

I must say, I have to agree with my sisters on this one…we really did have one of our best Christmases yet. 2012 was a year we were happy to put behind us and I think we all made the best of the time we spent together in ways we typically take for granted.

Per usual, even with all of the fam time, movies, cray shopping crowds, trips to visit family, skiing in Tahoe, etc. my mind was on the meals. Even just putting this recap together has me scheming my next culinary snack attack. And off we go.

Dreamy Hot Italian Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms…

You can put anything in a mushroom and bake it and I would probably love it. I went with some spicy italian sausage, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and some other secret special ingredients I can’t mention, then topped with more cheese and finished with a dash of paprika. These mushies only take about 25 mins in the oven and once they are out you will keep popping them in your mouth until you find yourself fighting over the last one with your siblings. Seriously…

They don’t even resemble the little fungi you pick out of your Mom’s cooking. They did come out a little on the spicy side, which was perfect for me but you can always add more cream cheese to cool down the spice if you aren’t big on sweating while you eat. Speaking of spicy…

Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeños & Bacon-Wrapped Dates

These little guys left my hands on fire for a good hour. Lesson learned = wear gloves or use utensils when emptying the seeds from your peppers. You get the point from the photos…spread cream cheese on the inside of the pepper, wrap in bacon, and use a tooth pick to hold it all together. Bake until the bacon is cooked.

The dates were a big hit with my Mom, she really liked the salty sweet combo where as I was in too much pain from the peppers to really care either way. Seriously, wear gloves. The Jalapeños turned out to be pretty messy to eat and very spicy but were still irresistible. Next time I plan on doing the peppers a little differently so they are easier to eat. Stay tuned to find out how that goes.

Next food coma to look forward to: Cooking class date night please!

“From now on our troubles will be miles away. Here we are...

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:33:00 -0800

“From now on our troubles will be miles away. Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more. Through the years we will be together, if the fates allow. Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”

I have a case of holiday spirit right now. My house smells of cinnamon, our tree towers overhead with twinkle lights and childhood ornaments, and the cold weather is incentive to bundle up. I’ve spent the past few weeks diving into this time of year at full throttle. This has involved the dreaded Black Friday shopping, planning out what to get people on my Christmas list as opposed to winging it the day before, finally visiting the snow and even putting on a pair of skis, and making an effort to spend time with my family doing fun family stuff. I am looking forward to the rest of the month: holiday parties, Apple Hill, Tahoe (again), family dinners, and spending winter break with my baby sistas.

Winter.is.coming.

The Lumineers - Classy Girls I asked her “why?” and...

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:12:02 -0800

The Lumineers - Classy Girls

I asked her “why?” and she replied,

“It was nothing I was doing wrong, it’s just what it is.”

Oh, classy girls don’t kiss in bars like this.

This year I was thankful to spend a week in Washington with my...

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:45:29 -0800

JM Winery

Alexandria Nicole Tasting Room

Darby Tasting Room

Darby Tasting Room

This year I was thankful to spend a week in Washington with my family. I had a great time wine tasting in Woodinville and catching up with everyone.

Future Screens - Don’t Stop “Wherever we’re...

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:13:56 -0800

Future Screens - Don’t Stop

“Wherever we’re headed, I hope it’s far…”

Coit Tower steps…worth it at the top.

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:55:00 -0800

Coit Tower steps…worth it at the top.

Bruschetta Baked Chicken Total time: ~45 mins McCormick Sweet...

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:27:00 -0700

Bruschetta Baked Chicken

Total time: ~45 mins

McCormick Sweet Basil & Oregano Bruschetta spice packet
Olive oil
Sliced tomatos
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Balsamic vinegar

- Mix olive oil and McCormick spices (ignore instructions on packet)

- Place tomatos on one side of the baking dish and chicken on the other side

- Evenly rub the chicken with olive oil/mixture and toss some of the mixture with the tomatos; I also added a dash of pepper and garlic powder to the chicken

- Bake 30 mins at 425 F

- Serve tomato mixture on top of the chicken and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

This dish is extremely easy to make, tasty, and was a big hit with my family when they came to visit. Originally the chicken was served with pasta salad, bread salad, mashed potatoes and garlic bread. Since I made a few trays of the chicken there were some leftovers and I served them with a steamed artichoke and green salad. Perfect for large groups or family dinners. Give it a try!

Turkey burger over greens w/ homemade tomato salsa 1. Cook...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:48:00 -0700

Turkey burger over greens w/ homemade tomato salsa

1. Cook frozen turkey burger patty 6-7 mins on each side, or until cooked thoroughly.

2. Chop fresh tomato, onion, basil, and garlic; drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix together.

3. Toast a slice of whole wheat bread and smear with mustard. I used a spicy yellow mustard from Chateau St Jean winery.

4. Pile toast with fresh greens, cooked turkey burger, salsa, and sour cream. Dig in!

Ben Howard @ The Filmore, San Francisco 10/9/2012

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:37:00 -0700

Ben Howard @ The Filmore, San Francisco 10/9/2012

Taken with Instagram A lot has happened in the last month but I...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:59:00 -0700

Taken with Instagram

A lot has happened in the last month but I did find a few moments to snap a shot of some of the tasty food I’ve eaten:) Enjoy.

Top Left: Sleepover Sourdough Pizza

My mom used to make a variation of this for my friends and I at sleepovers when I was growing up. She would get a bunch of different toppings and we could each make a few personal pizzas. It is an ultimate comfort food and super easy/quick. Grab some fresh sourdough, slice it up, top with marinara, mushrooms, cheddar, mozzarella, and spinach. Broil on high for about 5-10 minutes depending on how hot your oven gets. Great as dinner or even as an appetizer.

Top Right: Go-to Veggies & Rice

It’s no secret that this meal makes its way onto my table at least once a week. When you find something you like that also happens to be healthy, you go with it. Saute up some bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, tofu, and garlic. Season with garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, and drizzle with Soyaki or soy sauce. Serve over brown rice and add Tabasco to your liking. I use Uncle Ben’s Instant Rice because it only takes 10 minutes on the stove and it is split into the perfect size serving so I don’t end up with a bunch of leftover rice.

Bottom Left: Fancy Ramen

One of the first things I learned how to make for myself was top ramen; I think it was right after toast and right before Mac & Cheese. I remember first learning to crush up the noodles, place them in a bowl of water and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. I would watch the bowl go round and round while the water bubbled up and spilled over the top. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t taste like it did when my mom would make it but I soon realized it was because to her, top ramen was the base to a much more elaborate meal. Oh, and she was a grownup therefor allowed to use the stove. Over the years we added sausage, bamboo shoots, egg, green onion, etc. and always soy sauce, worcestershire, and sesame oil. We would even fry the barely cooked noodles with the seasoning to make a crunchy version. The variation above: boil water, crack an egg into the boiling water, add chopped mushrooms and tofu, then the ramen noodles for no more than 3 minutes. In your bowl add the seasoning packet, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Pour the noodles, mixture and water into the bowl. Mix well. Add hot sauce. I prefer to eat my ramen in an oversized bowl….don’t ask.

Bottom Right: Rogue Maple Bacon Beer

It is a meal in a bottle. I’ll admit, I did not order this brew nor did I even enjoy it all that much. Seriously though, you have to appreciate the Pepto Bismol looking bottle as well as the insane combo of flavors this beer contained. Imagine being able to drink your breakfast while also having the benefits of boozing with your friends. If you haven’t tried it yet, find someone to share with and give it a swig.

obsessed & on repeat.

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:38:43 -0700

obsessed & on repeat.