Last night I posted a review for a recipe and day trip from the January Sunset Magazine. Today in my mail slot was February's issue. Made my first month goal.
(graphic taken from Google images)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunset Photo Contest
The back inside cover of the January 2010 issue of Sunset Magazine announced a monthly photo contest. Each month will be a different theme. By the time I checked out the contest details on Flickr (under Sunset Viewmaster’s), the deadline passed for February’s theme, “Romantic Getaways”. March’s contest with the theme of “First Sign of Spring” was under way. Excitedly, I looked through my photos and found 7 photos worthy, in my opinion, of entering the contest. What could I lose? Nothing but the experience of entering a photo contest. The Lord knows, I might even win the $100 prize if one of my photos is chosen. The photos I entered were the actual natural shots with no editing (I have not worked much on my photo editing program).
My “First Signs of Spring” entries included these few photos.
In most any place on the West Coast, the daffodil always is the first flower to sprout and bloom after the New Year. The daffodils in my yard are only a week or two away from blooming. Daffodils are also known as the flower of hope. Hope that winter will not last forever and soon there will be warmer and brighter days.
Around the same time as the daffodils are starting to bloom, showing off their brilliant yellows, oranges and whites, my Giants are sporting their orange and black. Another “First Sign of Spring” is the San Francisco Giants Fan Fest at AT&T Park ushering in the start of Spring Training for baseball. The Fan Fest is filled with energy and hope. Hope that maybe this year will be the year for the Giants to win the World Series.
“Farmer’s Markets” is the theme for April’s contest (the deadline is February 2nd, if you want to enter some photos). Somehow, in all my visits to various farmer’s markets, I have no photos of the yummy fruit and vegetables from the markets. The photos I entered were recently taken at both markets in Walnut Creek. The produce in the markets now includes: citrus fruits, apples, lettuce, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and any vegetable that grows under the ground.
Monday, January 25, 2010
San Francisco Day Trip Outer Sunset- January 2010
Trip taken on 1/9/10
The Delta Tully fog was thick all week long, the sun was unsuccessful in breaking through, and my bones seemed to absorb the cold damp air. My skin was craving a little vitamin D and warmth only the sun can bring. “Why go now: Here’s a little locals’ secret- winter is when the sun comes out in the famously foggy Outer Sunset. On clear days, the Pacific sparkles and the view stretch all the way to Point Reyes.” (Sunset January 2010 page 21).By Saturday I was more than ready to explore a day trip to the Outer Sunset District in San Francisco, if for nothing else but to lift the gloomy skies and my spirit. Even the news broadcasted that if one was tired of the inland yuck to head to the coast because the sun was out bright.
Off we drove, west towards the Golden Gate and the Pacific Ocean. My dear friend Dawn, who gave me the subscription to Sunset Magazine, graciously agreed to accompany me on the day trip adventures (and to be the pall bearer for the meal highlighted in Sunset). The weather drastically changes from one end to the other of the Caldecott Tunnel. In the winter the east side of the tunnel is foggy and dreary and the west side is sunny and nice. In the summer the opposite effect occurs. When we drove through the west end of tunnel, my longing to see the sun died quickly, the skies were dark and grey.
Some of the streets of San Francisco have no rime or rhythm and such was the case driving down Ocean Beach trying to get to Judah St. We drove down the coast for about 5 miles before being able to make a left hand turn. Finally, we made it back to the Outer Sunset district and parked.
“Get off to a good start. Trouble Coffee Company takes it’s java seriously” (Sunset Jan. page 22). As of yet, we were not off to a good start with no sun and not being able to turn left and we needed some java that has been taken seriously. Figuring out how to read the menu and making small talk with the fellow behind the counter about Trouble Coffee Company being in Sunset, we ordered 2 large low fat lattes and a thick slab of cinnamon toast. Not sure which was the biggest ‘trouble’ for this tiny place, only having 3 bar stools to sit on or the itsy- bitsy- tiny- weenie large latte that had our name on it. The latte was good but I think I was expecting something ‘serious’. The cinnamon toast slab must have been a little thick and was close to the toaster filaments, a little darker than my preference.
From Trouble Coffee Company we walked a few blocks to checkout a few of the shops mentioned in the magazine. A few blocks away wasMollusk Surf Shop on Irving St., where one can “feel like a surfer, even if you aren’t” (Sunset Jan. page 22). On the same block was Last Straw gift store but we must have blinked because we completely missed the tiny souvenir store. Two more blocks north on Ocean Beach is The Beach House Chalet. On the bottom floor is a beautiful mosaic of the history of Ocean Beach. On careful observation, one will notice that some of the people have 6 fingers on each hand. On a important side note, there also is a nice public restroom with warm water to wash up with, especially nice if you are chilly and cold. The Beach House Chalet lies at the southwest bottom corner of Golden Gate Park and on a nice sunny day, the downstairs garden eating area offers fantastic food ($-$$) and a wonderful atmosphere. The Beach House Chalet was not mentioned in the Sunset article but I felt it needed to be mentioned.
Ocean Beach has a huge parking lot and nice walking trail that parallels the Pacific Ocean. The waves were big and the surf was rough because a storm was on the Pacific jet stream headed towards the Bay Area (the reason for the clouds and the fog). For about 8 blocks we walked along the beach to Noreiga St. for our final stop, fish tacos (and a carne asada taco- still on the quest to find the best carne asada taco in Northern California) at La Playa Taqueria. When we ordered, I took the opportunity to practice my Spanish. The gal that helped me was very gracious because I know my Spanish is not the best but not the worst. In talking with her, I shared with her our reason for trying their restaurant, because they were mentioned in the Sunset magazine. The gal had absolutely no idea of what I was talking about and I showed her the article and she was somewhat shocked. The fish tacos were yummy, still on my search for the best carne asada.
As we headed home the sun started to come out, and then we drove through the tunnel and we were back in the fog.
The Delta Tully fog was thick all week long, the sun was unsuccessful in breaking through, and my bones seemed to absorb the cold damp air. My skin was craving a little vitamin D and warmth only the sun can bring. “Why go now: Here’s a little locals’ secret- winter is when the sun comes out in the famously foggy Outer Sunset. On clear days, the Pacific sparkles and the view stretch all the way to Point Reyes.” (Sunset January 2010 page 21).By Saturday I was more than ready to explore a day trip to the Outer Sunset District in San Francisco, if for nothing else but to lift the gloomy skies and my spirit. Even the news broadcasted that if one was tired of the inland yuck to head to the coast because the sun was out bright.
Off we drove, west towards the Golden Gate and the Pacific Ocean. My dear friend Dawn, who gave me the subscription to Sunset Magazine, graciously agreed to accompany me on the day trip adventures (and to be the pall bearer for the meal highlighted in Sunset). The weather drastically changes from one end to the other of the Caldecott Tunnel. In the winter the east side of the tunnel is foggy and dreary and the west side is sunny and nice. In the summer the opposite effect occurs. When we drove through the west end of tunnel, my longing to see the sun died quickly, the skies were dark and grey.
Some of the streets of San Francisco have no rime or rhythm and such was the case driving down Ocean Beach trying to get to Judah St. We drove down the coast for about 5 miles before being able to make a left hand turn. Finally, we made it back to the Outer Sunset district and parked.
“Get off to a good start. Trouble Coffee Company takes it’s java seriously” (Sunset Jan. page 22). As of yet, we were not off to a good start with no sun and not being able to turn left and we needed some java that has been taken seriously. Figuring out how to read the menu and making small talk with the fellow behind the counter about Trouble Coffee Company being in Sunset, we ordered 2 large low fat lattes and a thick slab of cinnamon toast. Not sure which was the biggest ‘trouble’ for this tiny place, only having 3 bar stools to sit on or the itsy- bitsy- tiny- weenie large latte that had our name on it. The latte was good but I think I was expecting something ‘serious’. The cinnamon toast slab must have been a little thick and was close to the toaster filaments, a little darker than my preference.
From Trouble Coffee Company we walked a few blocks to checkout a few of the shops mentioned in the magazine. A few blocks away wasMollusk Surf Shop on Irving St., where one can “feel like a surfer, even if you aren’t” (Sunset Jan. page 22). On the same block was Last Straw gift store but we must have blinked because we completely missed the tiny souvenir store. Two more blocks north on Ocean Beach is The Beach House Chalet. On the bottom floor is a beautiful mosaic of the history of Ocean Beach. On careful observation, one will notice that some of the people have 6 fingers on each hand. On a important side note, there also is a nice public restroom with warm water to wash up with, especially nice if you are chilly and cold. The Beach House Chalet lies at the southwest bottom corner of Golden Gate Park and on a nice sunny day, the downstairs garden eating area offers fantastic food ($-$$) and a wonderful atmosphere. The Beach House Chalet was not mentioned in the Sunset article but I felt it needed to be mentioned.
Ocean Beach has a huge parking lot and nice walking trail that parallels the Pacific Ocean. The waves were big and the surf was rough because a storm was on the Pacific jet stream headed towards the Bay Area (the reason for the clouds and the fog). For about 8 blocks we walked along the beach to Noreiga St. for our final stop, fish tacos (and a carne asada taco- still on the quest to find the best carne asada taco in Northern California) at La Playa Taqueria. When we ordered, I took the opportunity to practice my Spanish. The gal that helped me was very gracious because I know my Spanish is not the best but not the worst. In talking with her, I shared with her our reason for trying their restaurant, because they were mentioned in the Sunset magazine. The gal had absolutely no idea of what I was talking about and I showed her the article and she was somewhat shocked. The fish tacos were yummy, still on my search for the best carne asada.
As we headed home the sun started to come out, and then we drove through the tunnel and we were back in the fog.
White Wine Coq Au Vin- January 2010
Ultimately I would like to accomplish my adventurous day trip and culinary experiment from each issue before the next issue of Sunset Magazine arrives in my garage mail slot but I will give myself until the end of the month. I will try to have the blogging aspect done by the end of the month too, that’s a big try though.
My Menu
White Wine Coq Au Vin (Click for recipe)
Organic Swiss Chard with Garlic
Various Citric Slices
Artisan Wheat Bread
January’s Sunset had so many recipes I wanted to try. I had a difficult time choosing which possible “Yumahuh” (look on right side bar of blog for definition) meal to prepare. White wine being the star ingredient helped make my decision. Anything with good white wine will be tasty.
There is a funny story to go along with this meal. Since Dawn gave me the subscription to Sunset, she graciously agreed to be the taste tester for the recipe chosen each month. Dawn and I were talking before the meal and she asked me why I choose “Coq Au Vin”. I absolutely had no idea what she was talking about and I asked for clarification. She said, “Coq Au Vin”. I responded, what is “Cock auh von?” She said, “the meal you are cooking for dinner”. My tongue and my brain can phonetically say English (usually) and Spanish words (less usually) but French is foreign for me. We had a good belly laugh at over my lacking ability in French.
Personally, sticking to a recipe is really challenging for me, I rarely even cook with a recipe. “A dash of this, more of this, I think this will be tasty, season every step along the way” is my thinking as I am preparing a dish. The rat in the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, and I have many things in common- we have a good sense of smell and taste, we add what we think will make a dish better. So, there were some changes to this recipe, nothing major, just a few little things. A week and half after making the meal for the first time I cooked it again and kept more true to the original recipe except for the spices and the flour.
Instead of putting the salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and the flour in a bag to coat the chicken before cooking in the bacon fat, I put the cut up chicken in a bowl with about 2T of herbes de Provence (have to tell you, before this recipe, I had never heard of herbes de Provence but it was easily found in the spice isle at Lucky’s) and let the meat rest in the fridge for several hours. The bacon was cooked in the microwave and I cooked the chicken in the broth and wine. The second time I prepared the meal I cooked the chicken in the bacon fat and the meal had more flavor, and more calories too. The recipe called for heating the wine and broth in the microwave but I used the wine and the broth to saute the vegetables and be flavor up the overall taste of the dish. At the very end, I thickened the stew up with 1T of corn starch.
The side dishes I prepared were easy and finished off the stew perfectly. The Swiss chard was from my garden and was cooked with 3 cloves of garlic and a dash of the chicken broth. Right now all types of citric fruits are available at the farmer’s market. I sliced up rounds of orange, tangerine, grapefruit and Clementines. Suzanne lent me her easy bread recipe book and I prepared the dough the night before and cooked a loaf an hour prior to my company arriving. The bread was perfect for “dunking” into the stew to soak up the tasty broth. Dawn and I enjoyed a nice glass of Merlot to go with the meal.
“Yumahuh!, Yumahuh!” Absolutely my top rating for flavor, taste and satisfaction of the overall meal. All of my guests thought the meal was delicious and requested the recipe (at least one guest made the recipe for her family and for company and she said it too was yummy. This is the biggest compliment for a meal- someone else wants the recipe and they prepare the recipe).
Using the best organic and fresh ingredients make a ‘good meal’ into a wonderful outstanding “yumahuh” meal. I am very pleased with the first try of a recipe from the Sunset Magazine.
My Menu
White Wine Coq Au Vin (Click for recipe)
Organic Swiss Chard with Garlic
Various Citric Slices
Artisan Wheat Bread
January’s Sunset had so many recipes I wanted to try. I had a difficult time choosing which possible “Yumahuh” (look on right side bar of blog for definition) meal to prepare. White wine being the star ingredient helped make my decision. Anything with good white wine will be tasty.
There is a funny story to go along with this meal. Since Dawn gave me the subscription to Sunset, she graciously agreed to be the taste tester for the recipe chosen each month. Dawn and I were talking before the meal and she asked me why I choose “Coq Au Vin”. I absolutely had no idea what she was talking about and I asked for clarification. She said, “Coq Au Vin”. I responded, what is “Cock auh von?” She said, “the meal you are cooking for dinner”. My tongue and my brain can phonetically say English (usually) and Spanish words (less usually) but French is foreign for me. We had a good belly laugh at over my lacking ability in French.
Personally, sticking to a recipe is really challenging for me, I rarely even cook with a recipe. “A dash of this, more of this, I think this will be tasty, season every step along the way” is my thinking as I am preparing a dish. The rat in the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, and I have many things in common- we have a good sense of smell and taste, we add what we think will make a dish better. So, there were some changes to this recipe, nothing major, just a few little things. A week and half after making the meal for the first time I cooked it again and kept more true to the original recipe except for the spices and the flour.
Instead of putting the salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and the flour in a bag to coat the chicken before cooking in the bacon fat, I put the cut up chicken in a bowl with about 2T of herbes de Provence (have to tell you, before this recipe, I had never heard of herbes de Provence but it was easily found in the spice isle at Lucky’s) and let the meat rest in the fridge for several hours. The bacon was cooked in the microwave and I cooked the chicken in the broth and wine. The second time I prepared the meal I cooked the chicken in the bacon fat and the meal had more flavor, and more calories too. The recipe called for heating the wine and broth in the microwave but I used the wine and the broth to saute the vegetables and be flavor up the overall taste of the dish. At the very end, I thickened the stew up with 1T of corn starch.
The side dishes I prepared were easy and finished off the stew perfectly. The Swiss chard was from my garden and was cooked with 3 cloves of garlic and a dash of the chicken broth. Right now all types of citric fruits are available at the farmer’s market. I sliced up rounds of orange, tangerine, grapefruit and Clementines. Suzanne lent me her easy bread recipe book and I prepared the dough the night before and cooked a loaf an hour prior to my company arriving. The bread was perfect for “dunking” into the stew to soak up the tasty broth. Dawn and I enjoyed a nice glass of Merlot to go with the meal.
“Yumahuh!, Yumahuh!” Absolutely my top rating for flavor, taste and satisfaction of the overall meal. All of my guests thought the meal was delicious and requested the recipe (at least one guest made the recipe for her family and for company and she said it too was yummy. This is the biggest compliment for a meal- someone else wants the recipe and they prepare the recipe).
Using the best organic and fresh ingredients make a ‘good meal’ into a wonderful outstanding “yumahuh” meal. I am very pleased with the first try of a recipe from the Sunset Magazine.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Introducing A New Blog
For my 40Th birthday my good friend Dawn gave me a Sunset Magazine subscription and thus the title, a little play on words, From Dawn Into Sunset. A few months have gone by and several pages each month have been dogged eared and I think to myself, "I want to try that". In reality, my want to try this or that has not happened or has been logged deep and far away in my cerebral cortex to be extracted at a later date.
My goal is to try one recipe and cook up a meal for some friends, always including Dawn, and to do one highlighted point of interest each month. The meal will be easier than the point of interest. The Sunset Magazine covers the entire Western United States. Many of the points of interest are destinations that I want to explore but due to my work schedule and such I can't do during the month of the specific issue. For example: In this month's issue, January 2010, some of the National Parks in the Southwest are highlighted. I have always wanted to go to these National beauties but I can't just tell work, "I'm out of here for a week or two". There may even be an occasion that I write about a destination or recipe that was missed by Sunset.
On a side note, I love the sunrise (dawn) and the sunset. I take random pictures of each and might post them on here from time to time, especially since they go well with my title of the blog.
This sunset photo was taken on Saturday just north of San Simeon, CA were the elephant seals migrate every January to have their pups and to start the cycle all over again.
My goal is to try one recipe and cook up a meal for some friends, always including Dawn, and to do one highlighted point of interest each month. The meal will be easier than the point of interest. The Sunset Magazine covers the entire Western United States. Many of the points of interest are destinations that I want to explore but due to my work schedule and such I can't do during the month of the specific issue. For example: In this month's issue, January 2010, some of the National Parks in the Southwest are highlighted. I have always wanted to go to these National beauties but I can't just tell work, "I'm out of here for a week or two". There may even be an occasion that I write about a destination or recipe that was missed by Sunset.
On a side note, I love the sunrise (dawn) and the sunset. I take random pictures of each and might post them on here from time to time, especially since they go well with my title of the blog.
This sunset photo was taken on Saturday just north of San Simeon, CA were the elephant seals migrate every January to have their pups and to start the cycle all over again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
