Year: 2017

Travel: If Architecture Is Your Thing

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I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I spend a lot of time looking up, to all the structures making up a city, a town, or a village. So naturally this article about 20 best cities for architectural lovers stuck the perfect cord on this chilly Sunday morning while I sip on green tea and scroll the madness of the internet. And for your viewing pleasure I am going to simply list the least expected destinations or beg forgiveness for my ignorance just in case the places I list are more well know than I assumed:      

Travel: San Francisco Coffee Shops Worth an Uber Ride from Union Square

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I couldn’t stop at just “San Francisco Coffee shops” when I was thinking about the title of this post 🙂 Becaaaauuuusseee….San Francisco, Uber, Union Square and coffee are a package deal – in terms of the order of things to do for tourists while visiting this fine city, I call home.  (Mouthful I know) Anyway, if you are coming to town, or simply commuting in fron the Bay Area for some fun or shopping or a museum visit or just to get a glimpse of the ocean in October, then I suggest your first stop to be  one of these fine coffee shops that I have tested and love:    

Travel: Fun Facts You May Not Have Known About

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I remember as a child standing in a very short line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in New Orleans place in Disneyland, CA, and after the ride, leaving through an exit that funneled to a back lot, where I spotted facade-like doors and stairs leading to areas not open to the public. Years later, while on a private tour through the company I was working for at the time, who was Disney’s preferred banker, we were privy to a secret club which was behind one of those doors. You can imagine my excitement about the privilege. Too bad we weren’t allowed to take photographs then. Someone I knew once told me that she celebrated New Year’s in Australia and then flew to Hawaii to celebrate it again, again the thought of being able to do that seemed amazing to me.   For those who love bookstores and libraries as much as I do, then consider a night’s stay in Paris bookstore Success comes in all ages – as we all know – and …

Food: Are You Particular About Your Pasta?

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I ask because I am. I take my pasta very seriously and will only buy certain brands from different grocery stores and a few from specialty stores. I also appreciate how wonderful home/restaurant-made pasta is. So, here’s an article you can read on your train commute home, about pasta and one chef’s list of which to buy and why? Dececco Rummo Rustichella D’Abruzzo Why does quality make a difference? “If you buy better brands of dry pasta, you’ll find you have a much broader window of how long you can cook them,” Easton explains. “They’ll typically take a little bit longer to cook because they have a higher protein content, and just a better strength and gluten development in the pasta… You can overcook them a couple minutes, and they still have beautiful texture and are absolutely al dente.”(more)

Food: Potato and Cauliflower Curry

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Oh heavens above, this is the most amazing dish I’ve yet tried, and as we all know by now, I felt the need to share 😉 INGREDIENTS 1/4-1/3 cup Thai Red curry paste or Khao Soi Paste 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk 2 cups low sodium veggie broth 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or regular molasses) 1 pound baby potatoes, halved if large 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds kosher salt and pepper 2 cups fresh spinach arils from 1 pomegranate for serving steamed rice, cilantro, and limes, for serving fresh naan, for serving

Food: Fall Nachos Copied

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Oh my god! I love nachos and probably have it at least twice a month – so when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed to share: Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed12 ounces sliced mushrooms, quartered1 Delicata squash, halved, cleaned and thinly sliced2 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon South African Smoke Spice Blend (from Trader Joe’s) Or, mix together the following:1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated1 bag tortilla chips (I used a mixture of blue corn and sweet potato tortilla chips) {photo credit}