When you have a child, finding a kid friendly restaurant with great food can be a challenge. That’s why we love going to Delarosa when we’re in San Francisco with Cooper. The restaurant is not too far from where my parents live in the city and it’s a very quick trip for us from Marin because it’s right off the Golden Gate Bridge on Chestnut Street. It works out well for us when we want an impromptu lunch with my parents on a weekend. We love it and the food is nothing short of exceptional.
When I’m on vacation enjoying the local cuisine (in this case-tacos, guacamole & margaritas) sometimes I start to miss my regular eating routine. Although I’ve been known to say that I can eat Mexican food and never tire of it, I learned that in reality that’s not entirely true. My tastebuds were craving gigantic bowls of kale salads. I wanted big salads full of arugula and ones that encourage my hippie sensibilities. I needed salad like WHOA by day three of my vacation.
sidenote:
If you eat fries in Mexico, do they count as Mexican food?
Don’t answer that.
I had a salad like this at Chez Panisse last year. It’s simple, delicate and yet with the hazelnuts & shaved Parmesan it’s actually pretty hearty. It also includes a figgy balsamic that helps balance out the peppery bite of the arugula. Have you tried fig jam in a salad dressing? You should.
A salad like this gets me right back on track with my taste buds.
Tacos? I think I’ll have to wait a few days.
Here’s what this past week looked like (in Mexico!!)
On our way home. It’s always so nice to experience a sunset on the plane.
The Mexican Situation! That’s the name of the latest Joy the Baker Podcast. I’m actually in Mexico this week phoning it in! We talk about Cadbury eggs, botch Spanish & discuss ways to not tell your friend you don’t dig her boyfriend. Thanks for listening!
Friends! I’m in Mexico with the crappiest internet connection so I’m not able to easily post My Bites Around the Net this week. I’ll add them to next week’s post. Thanks for your patience and a special thank you to all of you who try out recipes I’ve posted on my website. It means a lot!
Have a great weekend!
Spring is starting to show its face here in California. We’ve had a few nice days recently. They were the kind of days where I deeply regretted my long sleeve shirt & boot choices. I should probably look at the weather app on my phone before I get dressed. I have a feeling if I start now, I won’t stop. I can get rather obsessive with weather.
Blossoms are appearing on trees and it’s a nice change of pace to see some blocks of brilliant pink & white amongst the skeletal limbs of trees on our way to school in the morning. My daydreams are focused on warmer weather. Sunshine, citrus and things that make me feel good when it’s sunny…. like big jars of Orange Honey Ginger Ale on the back porch while Cooper digs muddy trenches for his big Tonka trucks. Birds chirp and seed packets wait to be organized.
This orange honey ginger syrup reminds me of perfumed orange blossoms and spicy ginger beer. It makes a wonderful mixer if you’re wanting to make a boozy drink. Rum, vodka, bourbon & gin are all welcome. Just probably not all together…at the same time.
I hope that sun is shining in your neck of the woods. And if it’s not, here’s a little bit of sunshine in a jar for you.
As someone who cooks & bakes a lot, I find it necessary to have a few tricks up my sleeve when I’m entertaining. In my experience, people are always impressed if you can make carbohydrates fancier. That’s why I always run out of my killer garlic bread and continually blow minds with this herbed flatbread recipe.
Carbs can be mind blowing. What can I say? See that avocado on top of this bread? EPIC.
And this here Cheddar Cheese Bread is no exception. It’s like a bread meets biscuit. That means you can portion control (err on the big side!) your slice of bread. It’s crispy on the outside, and fluffy/slightly dense on the inside. What makes it more awesome is the bits of cheese that can be seen throughout. The edges of the bread have some crispy cheese baked in. YES to that.
I can imagine this recipe could be a gateway for more amazing Cheese Bread Combinations. Rosemary mixed in? Smoked Paprika? How about a few dashes of hot sauce? Pair it with a soup & salad?
Don’t mind if I do…
Here’s what this past week looked like:
Valentine’s Day! We made homemade cards. It was super last minute, but with a little creativity, it worked out!
