Sushi Date

Happy February- the month of LooooVE! If you're looking for something unique and romantical to do with your valentine then I have an idea for you - a DIY sushi date! Duncan and I did this a while back and it was so much fun as well as delicious!
Start your date out with a trip to a Japanese market to pick up what you need. We went to Uwajimaya in the International District here in Seattle.They have anything and everything you may need from fish to flatware! We're big Maguro (the red colored tuna, pronounced mah-goo-roh) fans so we started there. There's usually an entire section of sushi grade options in Japanese market so find that and you'll be set. Here's a handy little diagram of what else you may want to pick up (click to enlarge):

1) Sake! I love sparkling sake best
2) Sushi set for two (plates, bowls, and soy sauce dishes)
3) Sushi rice - making the rice just right so it's perfectly sticky is tough so I suggest buying it at the market so cooked and ready to go
4) Soy sauce - a cute soy sauce pitcher is quite versatile and can be used for all sorts of sauces (totally worth buying)
5) Seaweed salad - great on its own or in your sushi rolls
6) Bamboo sushi mat - you'll need this if you want to make actual rolls vs hand rolls
7) Sesame seeds help make your rolls look fancy
8) Chopsticks
9) Maguro - a nice, versatile, delish option
10) Spicy tuna - chop up some maguro and stir in sriracha as spicy as you like it
11) Seaweed - these come in large squares we cut ours into smaller pieces since we just made hand rolls
12) Wasabi
13) Pickled ginger - find it with the rest of the sushi grocery supplies. So yummy!

We laid out a blanket in our living room and set up everything on a big serving tray in front of the fire. It made for a very memorable and romantic evening of fun!

Purchasing tips:
Daiso is a great place to get the non edible items for very affordable prices (sake sets, dishes, etc, etc). If you're in San Francisco I'd also suggest Kamei Restaurant Supply on Clement street in the Inner Richmond. Get your dish needs filled there and then head to Japantown for your food supplies.

Hope you'll try this out sometime soon and it's Totemo oishii (very delicious)!

Booze Filled Beverages for Fall

Unless you're a new blog visitor you already know how in love I am with fall now that I'm living in a city that actually has seasons. It's cold outside and toasty indoors so I've been craving delicious food and beverages to go along with this cozy atmosphere. First up is a Pumpkin Martini. I initially tried out the recipe I found on eHow, but that version was a tad to heavy on the vodka for my liking. I tweaked the recipe just a bit to focus on the tastier ingredients and ended up with what I think tastes like a spiked pumpkin spiced latte. Here's what you need: Shake the following in a cocktail shaker with ice to make two chilled servings:
1 oz Cream Liqueur
2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Pumpkin Liqueur
1 oz Milk

Garnish your drink with bit of whipped cream, a sprinkle of pumpkin spice, and a cinnamon stick! If you have trouble finding the pumpkin spice liqueur you can also use a pumpkin syrup (like Torani).

Olive can never resist being the center of attention at a photo shoot. See what I mean.
Next up we have an even easier treat for grown ups. The Trader Joe's Apple Cider is a delicious place to start. Simmer it over a low heat with 3 cinnamon sticks, a whole nutmeg and a handful of cloves. Heating it slow will allow the spices to open up and give it an even more full, fall flavor. Add a shot of brandy for the adults and you have a wonderful fall beverage that will keep you warm on the inside and leave your house smelling amazing.

Strawberry Lemonade

San Francisco weather is so tricky. One day it's over 70 with clear blue skies and then it's raining the next. No matter how busy I am I always try to get outside when one of the random warm days comes along on the weekend. A few Sunday's ago was one of those days and I was itching to mark the gorgeous day with a yummy summertime treat. I ran down to the produce store around the block and bought a bunch of lemons, strawberries and some soda water and headed back home to make a fizzy alcoholic strawberry lemonade. I made a simple syrup with one cup sugar and one cup water. It keeps pretty well in a mason jar in the fridge so don't worry about having too much. Next I squeezed the lemons into a liquid measuring cup. This makes for one less dish to wash later. Make sure to note how much lemon juice you ended up with before you add the strawberries because you'll want to use about that some amount of simple syrup later on. Next I cut up the strawberries into small pieces and put them through a garlic press. Muddling them would work too, but the garlic press makes the strawberry mush really fine which allows it to be sipped through a straw. Then you add the simple syrup (about an equal amount as the lemon juice) to taste. Fill up your glasses with ice, add a shot of vodka if you so desire, and then fill up the glasses with a few inches to spare. Finish it off with the soda water to give it a fancy fizz and garnish it with a leftover strawberry. It's also really pretty to cut a whole, thin lemon slice (so it's a circle) and put the straw through the middle.There was a big creative project that took over the house that day and for once it wasn't mine. These boys enjoyed their spiked lemonade in between takes. When I think of strawberry lemonade I can't help but think of this fabric.
These Wild Strawberry Hair Clips are sweet and tart all at the same time!

Sunday Dinner

Our farmers market dinner on Sunday was the perfect way to finish an amazing weekend. Duncan and Scott had been out skating all day and they picked up the last of the needed ingredients on the way home. I got a kick out of picturing the two of them on their truffle oil and creme fraiche run to Molly Stones. It's definitely not what most people would have envisioned them buying.
Duncan rolled out our Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough while I sliced up the farmers market mushrooms and grated our Cowgirl Creamery Cheese. We brushed the pizza dough with truffle oil and salt and pepper and let it cook up for about 5 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Next we covered it in mushrooms and cheese (I'm pretty sure it's the Wagon Wheel cheese they mention here). We baked it for another 10-15 minutes until the crust was browned and the cheese bubbled up. We finished it with our farmers market arugula tossed with just a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. We served our gourmet pizza with our freshly roasted beets, goat cheese, and greens. Yum!

For dessert I sliced up these beautiful strawberries in the Cuisinart. I made a simple syrup by combining 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water over a medium heat until it was clear. Next I added about 1/4 of a cup of balsamic vinegar and poured that over the berries. I let them marinate in the fridge for a few hours and served them up with a dollop of creme friache. So simple and delicious!

My Colorful Weekend

What a weekend! I was able to take a nice break from Vivi Dot production and ended up packing in quite a few exciting outings. I have a lot of photos to share so I think I'll break it into a few posts over the next few days.
Duncan and I took our first trip to the Ferry Building Farmers Market and played tourist for the day. We stocked up on a all sorts of goodies including fresh pasta, cowgirl creamery cheese, mushrooms, strawberries, pears, flowers, and ridiculous number of beets. I can't get over these gorgeous poppies. They're so vibrant and delicate that I could have been convinced they were made with tissue paper. We got a little carried away with beets. We bought a bunch of red beets at our first stop and later found pink and white beets we couldn't pass up. Roasting beets is super simple. All you have to do is:

• Cut off the ends
• Rinse them off and pat them dry
• Wrap them in foil
• Place them on a baking sheet
• Roast them at 375 degrees for 1 hour (a little longer for the big ones)

You can then drizzle them with olive oil and eat them on their own or incorporate them into lots of deliscious recipes. We've been eating beet salad with goat cheese and greens all weekend. We also plan to make some goat cheese and beet grilled cheese sandwiches before they're gone. You just can't beat the the beautiful colors!

MMMM Mulled Wine

I made my first batch of mulled wine last year for a Vivi Dot friends and family holiday party/trunk show. It was a huge hit and after making it again at this year's party it's now officially a tradition. You really can't beat the way it makes the whole house smell like the holidays and the recipe I use is especially tasty.

I tend to wing it a bit since I make an extra big batch. For instance if I triple the recipe I don't need to triple the oranges. I also suggest letting it sit for at least the 15 minutes the recipe describes. The longer it sits the better it gets. Just be sure to keep an eye on it once the wine is added so it doesn't get too hot, boil, and take the 'fun' out of it. Also, there's obviously no need to spend much money on the wine since you're adding water, sugar, etc, but if you're like me and want to avoid the instant two buck chuck hangover I'd step it up one notch and go with something in the 3-4 dollar range from Trader Joe's.

Here's the full recipe courtesy of the Food Network

Ingredients
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 fresh whole nutmeg
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 bottle red wine

Directions
Combine 2 cups of water with the sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the orange slices, remove pan from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in the wine. Reheat gently over low heat, never allowing to boil. Serve hot, in heated glasses.