So many things going on...but no battery in my camera!

Wow, it's been a busy few weeks, and then there was this thing called Thanksgiving thrown in the middle of it!
This year Scott and I celebrated Thanksgiving together for the first time EVER! This is another perk of Scott's new job...the restaurant is actually closed on T-day and Xmas. At his old job, Thanksgiving was one of the busiest days of the year, so we are both very thankful that he doesn't have to work it anymore. It is very rare that we get to spend a holiday together, so we took full advantage of the day, beginning with coffee, baked eggs, and the Macy's parade. We had dinner with 21 family members at my grandma Marianne's house in Walnut Creek...everything was delicious, the turkey was perfect, and paired perfectly with the wild mushroom & duck reduction gravy Scott bought from a local chef at a fundraiser. Oh, and a special shout out for my mom's pumpkin pie...best crust ever, I still can't replicate it, and I even have the recipe!
So after Thanksgiving, I continued to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season for the remainder of the weekend. Friday night I dropped by my neighbor's fish fry in our shared backyard before heading to Pam's house for cocktails with my parents, brother Max, and his girlfriend Victoria. Pam is my childhood friend Haley's mom/ old neighbor/ dear family friend. After cocktails, our family headed to my parent's house to dine on homemade smoked turkey chili and cornbread while watching Wizard of Oz...not my mom's top choice, but the rest of us loved it =)
After two family days, the rest of the weekend I spent with friends. Saturday night I went out for Mexican food and margaritas with high school friends Liz and Andrea, and then Andrea and I headed out to Berkeley to meet up with Andrea's friend; where Andrea proceeded to drink a concoction called a "Booty Shaker."
Sunday night Scott and I had dinner with our Walnut Creek friends Brian & Irina. Scott and Brian went to high school together. Irina made a wonderfully tasty and rich french onion soup and Parmesan chicken. Gotta say, Scott and I are used to doing the cooking when we are at friend's houses, so we were both very pleased to have dinner cooked for us...thanks Irina...it was delicious!
So after my busy weekend with no camera batteries, the holiday season is officially kicked off...more posts to come!

Why is this so small?

Why are my post dates so big and my titles so small? Anyone know how to fix that?

Plastic Bottles?!

What has the world come to? We just bought a PLASTIC bottle of wine! OK, some explaining is necessary here...Every year around this time, France releases the Beaujolais Nouveau, which is the first wine with the grapes from this year's harvest (someone correct me if I'm wrong!). So the wine is new and young, and meant to be drunk right away, not aged. So in theory, it makes sense to bottle it in plastic, and it leaves 50% less carbon footprint than glass bottles. But still, the whole concept is weird. But hey, you can't do this with a glass bottle!

Box o' produce

A couple of weeks ago, we signed up for Farm Fresh To You , an organic produce delivery service. We opted to test out a delivery and see how long the produce lasts, and if it is worth it to continue the service. We received the box on Thursday, and now our home is filled with fresh seasonal produce. Here is what we received:

• 1 bulb BEAUTIFUL bulb fennel (the prettiest fronds I have ever seen)
• 1 bunch green chard
• 1 lb broccoli
• 1 lb satsuma mandarins
• 1 butternut squash
• 2 lb liberty apples
• 1 lb leeks
• 1 bunch dino kale
• 2 lb sweet potatoes
• 10 oz cranberries

Now it's the fun part, deciding what to cook with it all! So far I have made caramelized fennel to eat with my leftover cioppino...delish! And then last night I tossed my leftover fennel with some chard, garlic, Parmesan cheese, dash of nutmeg, and orzo. I am bringing some of the fresh cranberries to Kelly's house tonight to make a pre-turkey day cranberry sauce. And Sunday night I plan on making pan-roasted pork chops with cranberries and kale. The apples are delicious, and I love that they don't have that fine layer of shiny sheen over them, just fresh and natural apples (the way they're supposed to be). My only concern is the amount of produce I have to consume before it goes bad, so we might opt for the smaller box twice a month instead of the regular box once a month. Luckily this month there is a lot of long lasting produce (sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples). My favorite part of the box so far was coming home from work Thursday and finding it on my doorstep...it was like xmas opening it...fun fun fun =)

Happy Birthday Dad!

I think this was the first birthday I have actually spent with my dad since I went away to college! My mom planned a small yet decadent family dinner at Walnut Creek Yacht Club. My parents, Uncle Dick (he's the one who married us), and I met at the Yacht Club for drinks and dinner. Scott was also there, but he was in the kitchen cooking =)
I started the night with a zentini....vodka martini with ginger syrup and mint. My dad had a gin concoction with basil and some sort of infused syrup (I can't remember what), and my mom had what was advertised as something like the "best mai tai ever", and she said it was pretty darn good! After drinks, we moved to our table and started in on the wine. I don't have a picture of the menu, but on the top it said "Happy Birthday Jim". Very cute touch that the restaurant does for all special occasions. When our friends Brian and Irina celebrated their anniversary there, the menu celebrated them! Great keepsake to remember your event (they print the menus daily).
Originally, Scott was going to act as our personal chef for the night, but that plan was put on the back burner when Scott had to instead spend the night prepping canapes for tonight's Narsai David's fundraiser in Diablo. But he still managed to send out a tasty little seared scallop with pepper relish and potato crisp. Great way to whet our appetite prior to the fried prawns and chilled platter of oysters. Mmmm, we tasted 4 types of oysters, and I'm finally starting to discern the fine nuances of oyster taste, like brininess vs. saltiness. It really helps having oyster experts (aka: my parents) to teach my this important stuff!
For the main course, Uncle Dick indulged in a steak and potato "hay" (haha, funny name for fried potato strings!). My parents and I all ordered cioppino, which Chef Scott sent out family style. So a huge bowl arrived at our table loaded with fresh crab legs, mussels, clams, fish, and prawns, all bathed in a rich and spicy tomato broth, and then surrounded with huge garlic cheesy bread. You can't go wrong with that! We bibbed up, grabbed our crab crackers, and dug in to the seafood feast.
Toward the end of the meal, Chef Scott came out to chat and wish my dad a happy day.

Dessert was another grand affair. A trio of treats arrived at our table, garnished with a birthday candle. We shared pumpkin cheesecake, creme brulee, and a wonderfully rich chocolate/peanut butter tart with grey salt caramel and Chantilly cream. I love the sugar fork outline on the plate!
I know my dad enjoyed the night, because seriously, how could anyone not enjoy it with all the good food and drinks? So, thanks for the awesome dinner mom, and Happy Birthday Dad!

Eat your veggies!

Ahhh, brussels sprouts. Now how many of you truly enjoy these little cabbage heads? I grew up with them, and love them. In fact, I remember my parents bringing my brother and me to a brussels sprout festival in Santa Cruz, where they served everything brussels sprout, including ice cream (I do NOT recommend this or any veggie ice cream). So if there are like-minded souls out there who also like brussels sprouts, this recipe is for you. Even if you don't like them, I highly urge you to try this recipe, it is marvelous.


Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots
6-8 servings (side dish)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
1/2 lb shallots, thinly sliced
coarse Kosher salt
black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt* and pepper. Saute until soft and golden, about 10 min. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 min.
Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/4 in.) slices. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until brown at edges, about 6 min. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Saute until most of the water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, about 3 min. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper. Enjoy =)

*I prefer Kosher salt for cooking. This salt has larger crystals than regular table salt, and it is easier to pinch and add to a pan. Also, due to it's irregular crystal shape and size, it does not fully dissipate, which adds little bursts of flavor, especially if you add it in the last minute or sprinkle it on top of you food. Just remember, do NOT use Kosher salt for baking, as it does not fully dissipate and your finished product will be lacking the necessary salty flavor. For baking, use table salt.

What I've Learned Working in East Oakland

I used to think I worked in a disadvantageous neighborhood in Santa Ana, but now Oakland makes my old Santa Ana school look like Beverly Hills. I've been working in East Oakland for 2 months now, and have learned so much about families in tough neighborhoods.
I was always under the impression that if someone really applies themselves, they will be successful. If you don't like your situation, change it! But now I see that making change and reaching your goals in a low-economical crime ridden neighborhood is a really tough feat. These families have little money and huge drama. Most of the families I have met have had some sort of devastating family tragedy in their past, and that is the norm. My last 3 parent meetings revealed 3 different stories:
1. Mother and baby were hit by a car in Fairfield (and by the way mom told the story it sounds like they were purposefully hit). Baby almost did not survive, but now he is a kindergartner in my speech program!
2. Child's mother had epilepsy and passed away 1 1/2 years ago after a seizure, leaving her kindergartner to be raised by the grandparents, who have a slew of health problems. Now this child is a 2nd grader in my speech program, very sweet and affectionate.
3. Pregnant drug user/alcoholic gives birth while high and drunk, baby born with fetal alcohol syndrome and has a stroke, only weighs 2 lbs. Baby taken away from mother. No one can prove the father is the true father, so baby put in foster care. Mother has a pimp. Father tries to free her from pimp, which will cost $10,000, so instead he shoots pimp and goes to prison for 8 years. All the meanwhile, father's mother fights for custody of the baby. Finally wins after DNA tests prove bloodlines. Child raised my grandma (who she calls mom) and uncle. Dad recently out of prison and establishing relationship with daughter. Mom still out of the picture. Child is in 3rd grade and just graduated from speech!
Now after hearing stories like these, I understand how families are stuck in these neighborhoods. In many cases, education takes a back seat to survival mode, so many students do not receive the needed academic support at home, which dis-emphasizes the importance of education, which in my view is the best ticket out of these situations. I am disappointed that prop. 5 did not pass in CA, that would have created many new drug treatment programs in these neighborhoods, which is a positive step in starting to make these places better. All I can do is help these children communicate better, which hopefully enhances their life.