des Bôites de Marc Giai-Miniet

des bôites (boxes) of Marc Giai-Miniet are AMAZING!!!!!! Check out the last pic to get an idea of scale!

tombeés du camion

My friend Sarah sent me a link to this amazing website!

Blueberry Scones

Did a bit of baking tonight. These blueberry scones from Breakfast, Lunch, Tea turned out beautifully and they are delicious! The blueberries I bought weren't the sweetest, so I made a maple butter to go with. So far, there hasn't been a single disappointment from this book; I highly recommend it!!!!

The Pop Up Shop

On the way to happy hour at T Rex, the girls and I discovered this wonderfully charming little store called The Pop Up Shop which is literally that, a treasure trove of French finds that will last only 6 more weeks! From classic white ceramic ramekins to all things le petit prince, this store has wonderful and unique gifts. The prices are so reasonable and the proprietors are warm and welcoming! Check out their hours below...

located at 1316 10th Street off Gilman in Berkeley

Aria

Had the chance to pop into one of my favorite shops in SF, Aria. Among all the treasures I found and purchased some tiny vials of mounted micro shells from the 18th century. The owner, Bill travels to France several times a year to search out antique pieces and collections...

The space is truly amazing. From original anatomical posters, to antique miniature globes, Aria has something for the curious and creative.

The shop is open Tues- Sat 11-6 mostly... And if you get a chance there is a great bakery across that street that specializes in biscotti. Happy hunting !!!!

A Day of Finds

Had a full day! Woke up at 6:30 and headed to Niles for their annual Antique Sale. I came away with a few goodies and after a few hours of garage sale scouring and booth bargaining, I continued onto Oakland for..

... a walk in the Mountain View Cemetery with Miss Essential Monsters herself.


We stumbled on this outsider art shadow box on an unmarked grave in the "unfunded" portion of the cemetery. It was such an amazing find amongst the broken head stones and weeds of a forgotten group of graves from an Oakland's home for women.

After a few hours of graveside strolling I went to SF to see the Birth of Impressionism show at the De Young. You can't, of course, take any pics in the gallery (although I'm pretty sure I did at the Musée D'Orsay when I saw them the first time), but I did take some shots of some of my favs from the permanent collection...

Gelée de Thé - A Delightful Treat!

A new find! The rooibus tea called Bourbon (Thé Rouge Bourbon) by Mariage Freres is one of my favorites. This past weekend we discovered this delightful jam or gelée they make in the same flavor. Admittedly, this would be a very easy jam to make, just tea, pectin, sugar and lemon juice. But one of the indulgences of Mariage Freres is their dramatic packaging, noir et jaune vivant. Atop hot buttermilk biscuits, it was delicious!!!

Galettes at Cibo in Sausalito

Last night I was treated to a baking workshop at Cibo with the girls from Maison Reve!

Cibo is this wonderful bakery/eaterie in Sausalito that uses local organic ingredients and creates delicious seasonal pastries and more. Tara, who owns Cibo with her husband, was delightful! We learned how to make the best pie, tart, cookie and galette dough, then made 3 galettes to take home. I had so much fun!!!

The incredibly talented and wonderful women who make up Maison Reve. Yasmine, the owner, treated us all to this wonderful workshop to celebrate what a success the last year has been for MR and I was so happy to be included! Merci mille fois!!!

Macarons Class at Baking Arts

Aaron and I made les macarons this afternoon at Baking Arts in San Francisco.

The class lasted about an hour and a half and we each made a batch of 10 macarons from start to finish. The owner and instructor, Richard, was very knowledgeable and friendly. With classes of about 6 people the atmosphere was pleasant and perfect for beginners! I definitely recommend the class to jump start your macaron making!



I love Macarons!!!

I am in love with I Love Macarons! I bought this today at Anthro. The instructions seem straightforward and are accompanied by wonderful images. Best of all its in English! Will post pics as I make the recipes!

A Wedding Gift

My good friend Alicia married her Parisian beau and I wanted to give her something that was special and unique for her.  She is not someone who I imagined swooning over creating a registry and I thought that I could gift her something handmade.  Our friendship started out as photographer (me) and model (her) and  I thought she would appreciate the gesture.  

Alicia is not a collector of things in the same way I am, but we both share a passion for food, and spent most evenings cooking together in my small apartment in Bordeaux.  Over the course of a year abroad we had many conversations about food, flavor and texture. After some reflection I decided I would make 8 jams made from some of her favorite ingredients. The first and most important being Strawberry Rhubarb...  Some jams and preserves are of the traditional variety, but I also included pickled watermelon rind, kumquats in spiced syrup and kiwi fruit.

For the presentation I embroidered linen with silk ribbon and capped the jars. A wrap of twine and yarn created the look.

I had dinner with Alicia on Friday. The meal she prepared was delicious, French in inspiration, and the conversation was even better. When I opened the fridge there were several of my jams, half empty, on the top shelf. I think it was the perfect gift I could give a friend to wish a lifetime of love and good food!