Junblog

December 12, 2009

On Thinking about Perfect Stuffing Balls and Pumpkin Pies While Wishing the Rain Would Just Go Away

Thanks to the rain, I was able to finally post photos from Thanksgiving. Kudos to my pie maker extraordinaire, Dennis made a lovely Thanksgiving dinner from perfect stuffing balls to tasty pumpkin pie. The roasted turkey this year was outstanding, too. I just love the holidays. But I wish it’d be a tad warmer and…

December 10, 2009

On Missing Home and Reminiscing with a Plateful of Jollibee Chickenjoy

It must be the chilly start to winter. Or my dear friend, Alvin’s visit over Thanksgiving. Or the Christmas carols over the radio. But whatever it is I am starting to miss home. I have spent many Christmases away and this year will not be any different as Dennis, Stanford and I are spending Christmas…

December 8, 2009

Holiday Ice Skating in the City

Because of this rare cold spell in the city, holiday ice skating is now even more fun. With the lights of the Bay Bridge and the Ferry Building as the dramatic backdrop, skating at the Holiday Ice Rink at the Embarcadero Center has been a San Francisco tradition for over twenty years now. The outdoor…

December 7, 2009

Hail the Snow in San Francisco

Okay, it’s really not snow. It’s more like hail, or little pellets of ice on my way home to the Dogpatch from downtown San Francisco. But there’s snow in the hills, in the East Bay, apparently. This dusting of snow at low elevations is rare. According to the Chronicle, the last time there were snow…

December 1, 2009

On Making Pie Crust from Scratch

Making pie crust from scratch isn’t too hard. Okay, scratch that. Watching Dennis make pie crust from scratch isn’t too hard. But seriously, it’s one of those things that seem too laborious, too tedious to do but it’s actually not. The Awl has an awesome recipe for homemade pie crusts and here is a documentary…

November 26, 2009

City’s Homeless Cats and Dogs at Macy’s Holiday Windows

The holidays are truly for everyone, even for the city’s homeless cats and dogs. Hoping to get a second chance to a warm and loving home, homeless cats and dogs from the San Francisco SPCA take center stage at Macy’s holiday window display at Stockton and O’Farrell in Union Square. Kudos to the San Francisco…

November 24, 2009

Kara’s Cupcakes

A pink box full of Kara’s cupcakes makes me happy. A pink box full of Kara’s pumpkin spice cupcake, moist carrot cupcake, and banana cupcake with caramel filling, all topped with Kara’s silky smooth cream cheese frosting, makes me extremely crazy, stupid happy. It just does.

November 23, 2009

Embarcadero Holiday Lights: Let the Holidays Begin

The lights have been turned on and the holiday season in the city has officially begun. With more than 17,000 lights illuminating the Embarcadero Center, the San Francisco skyline is more stunning than ever. Now it’s time for some turkey and pumpkin pie.

November 20, 2009

On Being a Gleek and Regaining Self Confidence

Glee’s Ballad was once again a trip down memory lane. Like Rachel I had a crush on my high school teacher. If she had a Mr. Schue, I had a Mr. Q. I wonder how he may be doing these days. Is he in Facebook? Will he remember me if I said hello? Will he add me as a friend? Okay, I don’t want to go that far but fondly remembering my high school teacher isn’t the reason why Glee’s last episode struck a chord yet again. Like Rachel I had confidence issues growing up. I always felt I didn’t fit in, that I didn’t belong. Despite graduating at the…

November 19, 2009

El Tonayense’s Tasty Street Tacos

Long before there were creme brulee carts, kitchenettes, and little skillets, there was El Tonayense. Seriously tasty and seriously cheap street food. You can play it safe and enjoy the traditional pollo: chicken; asada: beef; carnitas: fried pork; or al pastor: marinated pork. Or you can be less pedestrian and try the more adventurous lengua:…

November 17, 2009

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes at Dottie’s

Savory or sweet? Breakfast is always a tough decision, more so at Dottie’s, one of my favorite breakfast joints in the city. Last weekend it was a tossup between a prosciutto, basil, roasted tomato, red pepper flake scramble with toast and potatoes and pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes with real maple syrup. I guess my sweet…

November 16, 2009

Farley’s at 18th Street: Can you spot the Red Corgi?

One of the many great things about my new found freedom is being able to work from practically anywhere, anytime. I just need my MacBook, my Canon, a pen and my notebook, a good book to read, and since I work well while caffeinated and in a sugar high, a tasty cup of coffee and…

November 13, 2009

Corgi in the Dogpatch

Dennis and I are not the only ones enjoying the Dogpatch. Stanford is loving it, too. The Dogpatch is actually a great neighborhood for dogs and dog lovers. There’s Esprit Park at Minnesota between 19th and 20th where Stanford loves to run and chase balls. The park isn’t fenced-in but is large enough…

November 10, 2009

Mission Burger

The fried chicken sandwich was outstanding. How about the burger? It was pretty damn tasty. And my burger connoisseur thinks it so, too. The burger is a third of a pound of granulated Harris Ranch brisket, short rib, and chuck that is seared in beef fat, topped with tasty caper aioli, monterey jack and caramelized…

November 8, 2009

Mission Fried Chicken Sandwich

Today was my second trip to Mission Burger in ten days. I have been raving about their burger ever since I discovered their clandestine operations at Duc Loi in the Mission and I promised Dennis that I’d take him there as soon as we get the chance. Dennis is my trusted burger connoisseur, among other…

November 5, 2009

Halloween Photowalk

A walk in the city to take photos is always fun. But a walk in the city with fellow photography enthusiasts on Halloween night is way more fun. Organized by CaliberSF, the group meandered its way from downtown to the Castro snapping photos of fire exits, graffitis and the city’s craziest costumes. Kudos to CaliberSF…