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Delicious and tender baby beets with micro greens and fresh mozzarella.

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Here's an extreme close up of the hamburger I enjoyed last week with Cody while we went couch shopping. It's a bacon cheeseburger with pineapple and it was quite tasty. In fact, I think I may have a new favorite flavor combination: Pineapple and Meat. So... the couch we found this night was nice, but the couch we found the next day was perfect! Perfect with the exception of the $4300 price tag. Look like we'll have to keep shopping...

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Oh, yum! Vanilla bean, apple pie a la mode, AND coconut gelato in one cup!!

I know what I want for dinner.

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Here's the pitcher of beer me and Cody shared at Cuetopia the other night.

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My pho~ fixings from our trip to Khanh's in San Jose.

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Here's one of the many, many ribs I devoured prior to destroying several buckets of butter drenched crab legs at the annual crab feed. I'm already counting down the days til next year's feast.

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"x" sort of marks the spot.

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My new kitchen faucet! Thank you Overstock.com!!

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Here's a photo of the mural at Kohsamui and the Monkey in San Francisco. Yummy Thai food!

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Peanut butter, apples, bananas, and cranberry sauce on whole wheat bread!

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Buttery, oozing potato and steak from Henry's Hi-life I had a couple drinks before this picture was taken and it didn't come out as well as I thought it would.

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Cody's breakfast burrito from Burrito Factory

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Agua fresca w/strawberry and melon

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Here's the last photo from the cooking class I took at Dreager's Market. This is the saffron aioli that went with the beer battered shrimp recipe below. Personally, I could live without the addition of the saffron since I didn't think it added anything to the sauce and, to be honest, I don't think saffron is that great anyway. If it's your favorite then try it out, but if you could care less like me I'd omit it. Also if you hate shrimp (Kate) you could probably adapt this and make onion rings instead.

Spicy Beer Batter Fried Shrimp
Makes 8 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour1 tablespoon Spanish paprika1/2 teaspoon kosher salt12 ounce beer1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauceVegetable oil2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveinedFlour for dredging
In medium bowl combine the flour, paprika and salt. Whisk in beer, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Cover; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
In large heavy bottom sauce pan or deep fryer, heat about 4-inches of oil over medium-high heat to 375°F.
Dredge shrimp in flour, and then dip in batter. Fry shrimp, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately

Saffron Aioli
Tiny pinch of saffron, broken up and soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg yolk, coddled*
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 cup pure olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

* to coddle the egg, place the egg in a small saucepan. Cover with water and heat to just before simmering.

Mash garlic and salt to a paste using a mortar and pestle.
In a medium bowl, whisk together yolk, lemon juice and vinegar. Add oil a few drops at a time to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to add oil until all of it is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. (If mixture separates, stop adding oil and continue whisking until mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.)
Whisk in garlic paste and soaked saffron with liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If aioli is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 drops of water. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

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Yes, more recipes and pictures from the cooking class at Draeger's. You really need to try some of these because they were excellent! Above is the lamb brochette with minted yogurt sauce. I like lamb, but since some people don't I think this would be just as delicious with chicken. Hidden behind the brochette is the mini potato pancake. I LOVE tiny food!

Moroccan-spiced Lamb Brochettes with Minted Yogurt Sauce
Serves 10

Twenty 6-inch wooden skewers
1 pound lamb tenderloin
½ teaspoon anise seeds
2 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 recipe mint pesto, recipe follows

Soak wooden skewers in water.

Slice each tenderloin into 4 strips, about ¼-inch thick. Thread on to wooden skewers and place in a shallow baking dish.

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the anise, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom and cumin until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow the spices to cool slightly. Transfer to a spice grinder and process until the spices are ground together. Pour the ground spices into a small mixing bowl and add the cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Mix the spice mixture with olive oil and pour over the prepared lamb skewers, coating evenly. Allow the skewers to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

To grill the lamb, bring the marinated skewers to room temperature. Using an indoor or outdoor grill, heat on medium-high and place the skewers in the center of the grill. Cook for about 1 minute on each side (for medium rare) or until lamb is cooked through.

To serve, remove the skewers from the grill and place on a serving platter. Serve with the mint pesto on the side.

Minted Yogurt Sauce
Makes 1 cup

1 large garlic clove1 cup fresh mint leaves1/4 cup olive oil
4 ounces Greek-style strained yogurt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Finely chop garlic in processor. Add mint leaves and process until the leaves are chopped finely. With the motor running, slowly stream in the oil until the mixture is emulsified. Stir in the yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mini Potato Pancakes with
Crème Fraiche and Chives
Serves 8
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup yellow onion, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Additional kosher salt for garnish
1 cup crème fraiche
1 bunch chives, finely minced
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Peel potatoes and finely grate by hand on a box grater, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.
Spread grated potatoes on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and toss with flour, then stir in onions, eggs and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 6-8 pancakes, spoon 1 tablespoon potato mixture per pancake into skillet, spreading into 2-inch rounds with a spoon. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook until undersides are browned, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain, and season with kosher salt. As you continue to make more pancakes, re-stir the batter before each batch. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
To serve, top with a small dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkle of minced chives.

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Charlotte's mile long lashes and snout!

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It's bacon! And it's mayonnaise! Two great tastes that taste great together!

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Just one of many weird, burned looking wires that led to nowhere within our walls.

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This is the amazingly flavorful chicken in endive we made at Draeger's last week. They're kind of laborious to make, but totally worth it. This recipe is perfect for parties and I can't wait to make this for our housewarming party. Here's the recipe courtesy of Draeger's.

Chinese Minced Chicken with Glazed Walnuts in Endive Spears
Serves 6

5 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup thinly sliced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon seeded and minced serrano pepper
1 tablespoon oyster flavored sauce
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
Grated zest of 3 limes
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 heads endives, spears separated
2 cups glazed walnuts (see recipe)
½ bunch basil leaves, washed and dried in paper towel
½ bunch cilantro, washed and dried in paper towel

Preheat a wok or large sauté pan on medium-high until smoking hot.

Add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the pan and quickly stir-fry, first the shiitake mushrooms and then the celery. Set aside.

Clean your wok, return it to the heat and bring it back to smoking hot. Add 3 tablespoons of peanut oil to the pan and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and green onions until soft, but not browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the ground chicken to the pan, and sauté until the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer chicken mixture to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the serrano pepper, oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, and rice vinegar.

Once the chicken mixture has cooled, add the serrano pepper mixture. Fold in the reserved mushrooms and celery, and mix well.

For service: spoon the chicken filling into the endive spears and garnish with glazed walnuts and herbs.

Glazed Walnuts
Yield: 2 cups

1 ½ cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups walnuts or nuts of your choice

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir water, sugar, pepper, and salt together in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and then add the nuts. Return the liquid to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Strain the nuts out of the liquid and place them on a sheet pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat. Place the nuts in a 350° oven and bake until they are crunchy and candied, approximately 10-18 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to frequently toss the nuts so they will cook evenly. Cool and store in an airtight container.

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Here's a picture of the gum bedazzled tree we found at The Endup where Cody and I ended up on Sunday after our Valentine's Day visit to Zeitgeist where we enjoyed their famous Bloody Mary's and grilled hamburgers. After a couple of drinks there I got the urge to go dancing in the afternoon on a Sunday and ended up at The Endup just like in the olden days.