[Dinner, November 2008.]
Buttermilk mashed potatoes. Chickpeas with garlic and spinach. Roasted cauliflower and carrots. I can think of fewer things that can make me happier on a wind-blown Tuesday eve in San Francisco — and it’s what I ate for dinner the other night.

I’ve been a bit cranky this week, probably because [...]

[Pumpkin, barley and root vegetables, November 2008.]
For all of my incomprehension about just how exactly we’re right smack in the middle of November and not still ensconced on a deserted beach somewhere along the California coast at the end of July, I’m finally starting to feel that little thrill that comes along with the holidays. [...]

[Not from Ad Hoc, but still pretty good, July 2008.]
For ages I’ve been dying to go to Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville “for the temporary relief of hunger.” It’s one of Thomas Keller’s ventures; originally it was a stop-gap until he finished his burger joint but was so successful I don’t know if [...]

[Jessica's flowers, November 2008.]
Though I was in DC for less than 48 hours, I managed to: revisit many old neighborhoods; have brunch (eggs Florentine, french toast, mimosa, coffee) at the place I always seem to end up having brunch when I’m in town; brave the P St. Whole Foods on a Saturday morning for cupcakes [...]

[In the backyard, April 2008.]
Voici mon secret. Il est très simple : on ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. - Exupéry, Le Petit Prince
(Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is [...]