Bye Bye Miss American Pie

The Friends Who Will Help You Move

I once heard that you should only keep the friends that will help you move. As I've gotten older and have less time and energy to keep up with everyone, I tend to apply this concept. For me moving is a tedious, painful, arduous, and overwhelming task. I really don't know anyone who enjoys it. Sure there is the reward of moving to a new home / city / country / continent but first you must stare at the pile of things you've amassed over the many many years and wonder why at one point you thought it was a good idea to buy a faux leopard-skinned bean bag (not that I've ever owned one, really). Not only do you need good friends who will help pack and carry the boxes, but you need friends who care enough to tell you that you should really let go of said beanbag. 

This idea came to mind because I've recently been back in touch with my good friend "Larry". We met in London but now he lives far away in a place that I couldn't point out on a map. I'm American after all and Larry would never begrudge me for my poor sense of geography. My world has been a bit topsy turvy lately (for a variety of reasons I won't into detail) and out of nowhere Larry came back on the scene as if he was channeling my frustrations. 

The Friends Who Will Help You Move

I once heard that you should only keep the friends that will help you move. As I've gotten older and have less time and energy to keep up with everyone, I tend to apply this concept. For me moving is a tedious, painful, arduous, and overwhelming task. I really don't know anyone who enjoys it. Sure there is the reward of moving to a new home / city / country / continent but first you must stare at the pile of things you've amassed over the many many years and wonder why at one point you thought it was a good idea to buy a faux leopard-skinned bean bag (not that I've ever owned one, really). Not only do you need good friends who will help pack and carry the boxes, but you need friends who care enough to tell you that you should really let go of said beanbag. 

This idea came to mind because I've recently been back in touch with my good friend "Larry". We met in London but now he lives far away in a place that I couldn't point out on a map. I'm American after all and Larry would never begrudge me for my poor sense of geography. My world has been a bit topsy turvy lately (for a variety of reasons I won't into detail) and out of nowhere Larry came back on the scene as if he was channeling my frustrations. 

Larry and I once had a major falling out that took us a long time and a lot of work to repair. It had something to do with the fact that I am quite transparent about my feelings and my emotions tend to lay on the surface while Larry completely tends towards conflict avoidance and emotional detachment. It was a tough time for us but afterward Larry told me he was grateful that we'd made it through and was actually very appreciative for what he had learned through the experience. I guess it's not so strange that the student has become the master and Larry is using my own words on me now. 

And Larry really has helped me move. I asked Larry to have dinner with me one evening. When he arrived I mentioned there were a few large pieces of furniture I needed to move before I left for San Francisco. Ever the gentleman Larry started dragging bookshelves and tables down the street and climbing over walls and into windows to get everything moved out. Beware if you get a dinner invitation from me ;-)

Although things are a bit scary, overwhelming, and the future is unclear I am grateful for these friends that are part of my global "urban family". Yes, a bit mushier than my usual posts but I just felt like writing. 

Reunited and it Feels so Good

Last weekend I finally moved into my new flat in San Francisco. That meant that I was finally reunited with my clothes which have been seen sitting in a shipping container somewhere and my things that have been in storage since I moved to London.

The item that I was most excited to see again was my Kitchenaid stand mixer. Some people think it's a waste of space to keep in on the counter but I actually do enough baking to make carrying this mammoth appliance around a real hassle. Tonight I was very happy to finally dust it off, plug it in, and watch it whirl. It was a slow start but after a few minutes it was like the good 'ole times again.

My first baking project was a peach frangipane. I've never made one before but I was at the Ferry Building farmers market yesterday and found some amazing peaches from Frog Hollow Farm. I've really missed fresh California fruits and vegetables. I'm proud to say that I made my own flaky pastry crust and frangipane filling courtesy of my Tartine recipe book. It's sitting on the counter cooling so I won't know the end result until tomorrow morning. That just gives me more time to think of what I'll make next. Well there are a bunch of dry farmed early girl tomatoes from Dirty Girl on my counter. Looks like tomatoe sauce is up next.

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

It was exactly 3 years ago today that I boarded a plane from San Francisco to London. It is ironic that now I am flying back on this same date but there is some symmetry to it as well. The past 3 years have been nothing short of amazing particularly because I finally felt settled with a sense of community around me. As I look back I am astonished by how many things have changed and how many new experiences I have had. I am especially thankful for all of the interesting people I have met as they really have all left a mark on my life in one way or another. I am grateful to all of you who have let me be a part of your life as well. 

As I embark on my new journey, I would like to raise a glass to all of you who have helped make the last 3 years so memorable and remarkable! Keep in touch and watch this space...

Are You a Mexican or Mexican't?

Before I start getting angry emails, my title is a line from the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". A couple weeks ago I decided that I had had enough of the cold dreary London weather so I packed my bags and headed to Guanajuato, Mexico. Where is Guanajuato and why Guanajuato you ask? The state of Guanajuato is basically the center of Mexico and the city is about 400 KM north of Mexico City. I chose the city because it was warm, it offered me a chance to fill up on sorely missed Mexican food, but most of all because my good friend Dan is currently staying there.

Dan is a good friend from San Jose/Munich. We met in San Jose, however, didn't really become friends until he moved to Munich and I moved to London. Dan is learning Spanish and decided that the best way was to move to a Spanish speaking town for a few months and fully immerse himself. Lucky for me he chose the quaint city of Guanajuato and found a great host family to stay with.

Getting to the meat of things

Vegetarian is not a word in my vocabulary. I am a meat eater, always have been, always will be although I do try to be considerate of the meat I buy in terms of where and how it is sourced. To the shock and horror of many vegetarians, I brought a friend back from the dark side after nearly ten years by feeding her a piece of wasabi-crusted filet mignon.

Unfortunately this is one of the sore points of living in the UK. I miss meat, I miss my aged USDA prime corn-fed beef. One of the major differences between beef in the US and the UK is that US cows are grain fed while UK cows are forage fed and you can seriously taste the difference. I'm not arguing that one is better than the other but it's what I know and love. To add insult to injury you can barely get the same cuts of beef in the UK. Say goodbye to flank steak, skirt steak, and tri-tip. Even short ribs and oxtail need to be special ordered. How am I supposed to make my galbi, osso bucco, and pho?

No offense to Ginger Pig or any of my other lovely small London butchers, but I'm a bit over Aberdeen Angus.

*Note: I know those are pork ribs in the photo but this post was prompted by my inability to get some pork baby back ribs.

In the Spirit of Doing

As I mentioned in my previous post, 2010 is going to be the year of doing. Instead of worrying, over-thinking, or being too afraid I am just going to do. In that spirit I did two things in January that I am very proud of. The cake pictured in this post was my first attempt at Tartine's lemon meringue cake. Tartine is my favorite bakery in San Francisco and this is my favorite cake hands down. I was given their recipe book awhile ago as a birthday present but was always too intimidated to attempt this cake. First of all it is a complicated cake (it took me 3 days to complete everything) and secondly I know exactly how it should look and taste. My lemon meringue cake wasn't perfect but I think it was a worthy first attempt.

My second act of doing was in Vail, CO last week. I went across for a snowboarding trip to celebrate my friend Magg's birthday. I hadn't been anywhere near the slopes since I tore my left ACL skiing two years ago (I'd previously torn my right ACL skiing 10+ years ago). Before this accident I was an avid snowboarder for 10+ years and crossed over to skiing because my skill level was plateauing. I was very anxious about this trip and nearly backed out of the snowboarding part altogether. But I got back up that mountain and to my amazement it really was like "riding a bike" again. By the second run I was back into my groove and cruising down the slopes. 

Now I'm looking forward to see what I'll be doing next.

Ooey Gooey Goodness

A large surprise package arrived at the office for me today containing a massive supply of ooey gooey goodness all the way from San Francisco, also known as s'mores from Charles Chocolates. A good friend back home is certainly smiling down on me today! It's strange the things you miss when you move away from home and s'mores is definitely high on that list for me. For the uninitiated, s'mores are the ultimate campfire treat comprised of a graham cracker base, a chocolate square (typically Hershey's), and a gooey marshmallow expertly roasted over an open fire. Perhaps it's just the nostalgia remembering cool nights camping out at Yosemite after spending the day hiking up Half Dome but s'mores are one of the greatest comfort foods for me.

Although the s'mores from Charles Chocolates are a bit more grown-up since they're made with organic ingredients and artisanal chocolate, Chuck has really managed to recreate the experience. If they're so simple, why can't I just make them here? First you should realize that camping in the UK means spending more time in the tent hiding out from the imminent rain than sitting in front of an open fire. Also, graham crackers and Hershey's chocolate don't really exist in the UK. I guess digestive biscuits and Cadbury chocolate could be used instead but surely by then you've lost the point. It would be like replacing the peanut butter and jelly for cheese in your pb&j sandwich.

I've got a ton of s'mores to get through so excuse me if you see me walking around with chocolate and gooey marshmallow all over my face the next few days.

Back Among the Living

Unfortunately my blogging went on another hiatus but at least I was able to cross a few things off my bucket list while I was away. This summer was always going to be a busy one, as it may be my last in London, so I booked several things that I'd always wanted to do in Europe.

The summer started with my first time at a cricket match. For those who have heard that cricket matches can last for days, yes they can last as long as five days. However, I went to an ICC World Twenty20 match (a new format to get new audiences) which only lasts about four hours.

My next quintessentially English summer activity was watching tennis at Wimbledon. Last winter I managed to score a couple tickets through the lottery system. I got to see the Andy Murray on centre court and Andy Roddick on court 1. I was never a tennis fan until now. Wimbledon is such an amazing and historic place.

Last but not least, I was finally able to do something I've waited years for. I admit that I'm a bit of a motorhead/adrenaline junkie so I love fast cars. For over five years I've been trying to make my way to a little town in Germany called Nurburg which is home to the world famous Nurburgring race track, also known as The Green Hell. Nurburgring is 17.56 miles long with nearly 100 turns. It used to host the German Grand Prix part of the Formula One race until too many drivers died there and the others decided to boycott it. 

Hidden Kitchen

A few months ago I was looking into taking a Parisian food tour given by David Lebovitz (former pastry chef at Chez Panisse). However seeing as the trip costs €3450, I decided to check out a few of the spots from his trip on my own. This lead me to the Hidden Kitchen, a private supper club run by two Amercans in Paris. The story from Braden (from Massachusetts) and Laura (from Wisconsin) is that a few years ago they finished university and decided to spend some time living in Paris. As a way to make new friends, they started inviting people from the language school over for dinner once a month. The success turned it into a bi-weekly event among friends. Now Hidden Kitchen is an underground restaurant hosting 16 diners two nights a week out of their beautiful apartment in the 2eme.