I love figs and considering it is the season, I wanted to share some beautiful fig inspired images to create a Sunday afternoon fig party, even if only for one…like me. {content images source} {featured image source and recipe} {cooking with figs}
Not everyone celebrates July 4th – sometimes not even the Americans, so I figured I’d share topics for everyone who continues to join in on all the fun at Raw Silk and Saffron. But before I do, I have to say, I have no specific plans to partake in the holiday this year, but I am hopeful that at the very least the fog will stay at bay in San Francisco, just enough to enjoy the fireworks around the Golden Gate bridge which I am fortunate enough to see if I walk down a few blocks from my house. And maybe, I’ll grill a steak and have some corn on the cob and watermelon 🙂 – okay I’ll wear red-white-and-blue too. Anyway, lets proceed to the more interesting topics – speaking of grilled steak…
I realized as I was multi-tasking this morning that it’s nearing noon – which means I am hungry and need to get a quick bite for lunch and think of dinner – which for tonight is this wonderful recipe. I am on the fence about the creamed spinach part, with heavy cream or coconut milk + cream cheese + Parmesan. So, I am sharing the recipe and considering switching it up or adding my own take. I am going to go with heavy cream + a dash of Marsala wine, and a spritz or two of extra-virgin olive oil. I am not a fan of any cheese on fish. Everything else is perfect. INGREDIENTS 4 salmon filets, skin on or off (your preference) kosher salt and black pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons salted butter 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 4 cups fresh baby spinach juice from 1 lemon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving {more} On …
April fools day, I began a lifestyle change – in terms of eating better. Meaning, I don’t want to diet, or order a meal plan to follow. I simply decided to cut out carbs and sugar as much as possible from my daily meals. I have to tell you, it is day 9 and I feel pretty determined to go on, even when I am craving sugar like nobody’s business. I also want to report that I’ve been a little grouchy, call it having withdrawals, but I know in the long run this is going to help me. At least I hope in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Last night I was craving a fat dessert, and opted to drink two bottles of water instead. Which helped. But today, I decided to make a list of desserts that are good to keep in mind – for the just in case.
I love how everyone has added a certain twist to my Mediterranean background traditional dishes and in some cases it’s worked just fine, others it was a total disaster. This mini-pie recipe is something I’ve appreciated for a while now and will make a batch for dinner, with a side of plain yogurt for dipping. At least that’s how I roll. 🙂 RECIPE 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup currants 1/4 cup pine nuts 240g washed and dried baby spinach (a salad spinner is good for this) 1-2 tsps lemon juice 150g feta, crumbled 500g ready rolled shortcrust pastry sheets 1 egg, whisked 2 tbsp sesame seeds
San Francisco is an easy city to explore on foot, or a bus, or Uber or any means to get past all the tourist areas and the best way to plan it, is to start out with breakfast to some of my favorite and tested spots in my city and the rest of the list of many others I plan to explore eventually:
Ramen, otherwise known as a type of soup, is an easy meal, and with the ever changing temps in the city by the bay, I think this amazing recipe will have to do for dinner tonight: Ingredients 2 strips thick cut bacon, chopped 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons curry paste 1 tablespoon chili paste 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 pack ramen noodles 3 cups fresh baby spinach 4 soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving shredded carrots, green onions, chilies and cilantro, for serving
The past couple of months while on the road, I’ve done some damage to my digestive system. Meaning to say, that I’ve made bad choices – in terms of eating. But the truth of the matter is that I was helping a friend re-locate from north California to Southern California and because of the madness, we’ve ordered in mostly. Or eaten at not-so-ideal chain fast food places. So, I am currently trying to detox my system from all the salt, and butter and just plain crap. And eating very light and airy I call it because of the fluff more so than the substance in the selections I’m making. This is what I mean:
I used to dread grocery shopping before Trader Joe opened up in my neighborhood because I craved all things organic but couldn’t find it at my local grocery store. Now I look forward to my grocery shopping day – Sunday early morning – when all the items are neatly stacked and the store is near empty of all the madness that usually happens mid afternoon to early evening. There isn’t much that’s changed in their products, and I couldn’t be happier buying everything organic and putting my meals together every day from scratch. But once in a while I don’t mind a quick pre-packaged option I keep handy for those days I factor in working out after work, or perhaps an errand I need to run. So I was glad to stumble upon these ideas just as well to add to my selection:
I love living in San Francisco and exploring through the different neighborhoods to find the new it place to dine or a store to check out. But one thing I appreciate is the familiarity and consistency of North Beach, the traditional Italian neighborhood that always puts a smile on face, for staying the way it is for decades and hopefully not getting sucked into the modern take or transition to the city that is taking place in the last five plus years. Knowing October is the best time to visit my city, I found this helpful site that lists the best eateries in North Beach for the wonderful tourists that are planning a trip here. {featured photo credit}
rawsilkandsaffron.com 