Part 1: Street food, hipster heckling and other reasons to brave the crowds...

Just call me chompers.

Ok, so I'm not big on crowds, and sometimes that keeps me from experiencing some of the greatness that surrounds me. I'm not ashamed to admit that I would rather be at home, either perched at my computer or snuggling under a blanket with my knitting and whiskey. I don't know why it's so surprising that I find myself caught off guard and wanting desperately to retreat by the crowds at places like, oh I don't know, outdoor summer concerts, baseball games, Dolores Park on a sunny Saturday or street food festivals in the Mission. Where did all of these people come from?!

We went to the SF Street Food Fest this weekend. We rode our bikes over and got into the free bike parking lot quickly and easily. It's a great cause, and my mind was aflutter with the fresh air, the smell of bbq's and my intense determination to find a pulled pork sandwich and a taco. I mean, this was my dream! Food and drink, on the street, everywhere! I didn't have to stop eating until I wanted to!

We were holding hands and dreaming of puppies, cupcakes and fuzzy socks as we walked to the entrance at 22nd and Folsom. All was right in the world.

Cut to about a billion people packed into a 6 block radius. I was sucked out of my dreamy haze and dropped into an alternate swirling reality. How did all these people hear about my food festival?

SF Street Food Fest

Here's what I ate:

• Pulled Pork Sandwich & Strawberry Basil Lemonade from Good Foods Catering - Mother F-ing wow. That was the best I've EVER had! It was juicy and had a spice that was so distinct - definitely a cumin/cola something or other. Sadly they only cater, so I'm trying to think of a party to throw asap. 

I don't have a picture of the sandwich because I inhaled it. Also, they ran out of the Pork Belly BLT while I was in line, so that tells you how awesome that must have been.

• Estrellita's Tamales & Pupusas: One chicken and one spinach tamale, plus one bean & cheese and one pork pupusa.

• Falafel from Tibi's with the best cilantro saucy stuff at the bottom. Duh-die. And a cookie of some kind from this lady. It was interesting.

They got the food right, for sure. Amazing. So many to choose from, ranging from the regular street trucks you can find on any given day in SF, as well as some of the best restaurants in the city. By far my favorite was the pulled pork and lemonade from Good Foods Catering.

Another great thing, although ridiculously misplaced at times, were the tables that were set up to eat at. There were lots of standing height tables along the sidewalk (where people were trying to get in line), and lots of other pallet tables to sit at along the side streets. We found a table right away, even with that many people, which was great for our friends who came with their toddler. We used it as a central place while one or two of us went on a hunting and gathering expedition, returning with the yumminess.




The crowd part, not so much. My patron feedback to SF Street Food Fest is two-fold: Thank you, that was awesome! And Better Organization Next Time, Please.

There has to be a better way to get that many people flowing in a way that actually works. The food lines were so long and winding, and there was no clear path for the pedestrians. Everybody ended up cutting through hither, thither and grumpily; there was clearly no organization or thought put into how to make the traffic flow between those in line and those walking to the next stand. This part was a real mess, and I didn't really see anybody who represented the fest monitoring safety or flow. It could have been a disaster if anything had gone wrong.

It was overall really awesome, and I'm so glad I live in a city where this is all possible. 

I LOVE SF!

Don't forget to read Part 2 of this blog...

EAT Fast Food: Peppercorn Steak w/ Heirloom Tomato & Summer Corn Salad

There's nothing like eating summer when it's summer. 

This is a quick little ditty I whipped up last night in 25 minutes flat. 

Go!

*********************************************************************************************************************************

For a video tutorial on cooking this 

peppercorn steak with the cuuute 

Ali Wentworth and Jessica Seinfeld, 

click here.

Ingredients List:

1 NY Strip Steak (1" thick)
1-2 large heirloom tomatoes
1 ear of corn
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
Handful of arugula
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (substitute basil for you cilantro soap-tasters)
1/2 a lime
1/2 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed (not ground)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. canola oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Tip: Use a heavy bottom sautee pan to crush your peppercorns. Make sure they're all "popped" or else somebody's gonna lose a tooth.

Total prep & cook time: About 30 minutes  |  Serves 2

1. Start boiling the ear of corn in salted water. 
2. Trim the steak of the hard fat, and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Use the canola oil, crushed peppercorns and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt evenly over both sides of the steak. 
4. Bring a heavy bottom pan (cast-iron or stainless steel) to heat at med-high. No need to add any extra oil - the steak has all the oil needed. 
5. Once the pan is hot, put the steak on. This is going to make a crunchy, flavorful crust. It's also going to get a little smoky in the kitchen, so open a window.
6. For medium-rare, cook about 4-6 minutes on each side, about 125-130 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
7. While the steak is on the first side, large chop the tomato(es) and cilantro. Put them in a salad bowl and add the arugula and about 3/4 cup black beans. Add as much of any of these ingredients as you like. 
8. Flip the steak.
9. Squeeze 1/2 lime over the salad. Add a pinch of salt & pepper. (If you use pure citrus as a salad dressing, you HAVE to salt it in order to marry the flavor. Otherwise it will taste like a lime salad, which I guess isn't such a bad thing.)
10. Remove the ear of corn and let cool a little.
11. Check the steak's temperature. Remove and tent with foil when done. 
12. Cut the corn off the cob and add toss in the salad.

Divide the salad onto two plates. Cut the steak in about 1/2" slices against the grain and lay over the salad. Drizzle any juices onto the steak.

Savor the flavor, y'all!!

EAT: Strawberry Coconut Cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner

I found this on Pinterest! Scroll all the way down for the recipe. . . 

Guess what I had for breakfast.

Ask me how I guilty I feel.

Zip. Zilch. Nada.


This is quite possibly the best recipe that I've ever tried.

Being a southern girl and all, I appreciate a good Strawberry Cake.

Ok, that's a little vulgar. 

But this loco woman did all kinds of crazy goodness to an already good thing.

I could fill a bathtub with this stuff.

I'm gonna make you scroll through

all the mouthwatering images

before you get

to the recipe. 

You're welcome.

**I found this through Pinterest, and boy am I so glad. That place is awesome. 

You should all join. Oh, and follow me.

This week in DIY: Bert the magnificent, gin & tonic and a child with unusually large hands

Last night's premier of Project Runway (eatlovebert, btw) reminded me of how diy-ing my own clothing got me through the first 15 years of my life. I was a little raggedy ann out of necessity, hiding safety pins that held my jeans buttoned as I outgrew them at a pace too fast for my working class parents to keep up with. I secretly slept in my clothes after they were freshly washed so they would stretch out enough to be worn the next day. Surprisingly my mom never commented that I was already fully dressed for school when she woke me up.

I wore her t-shirts, two at a time (she's 6'1", can you imagine?) with the sleeves rolled up so it wouldn't look too ridiculous. Back then I wasn't thinking of how I could make an amazing outfit out of all of this, so much as I was hoping not to repeat an item of clothing in the same school week. OH THE HORROR! And cause for immediate mean girls expulsion.

Old Sweatshirt Becomes Super Cute Cardigan
Doesn't she look like Elle McPherson?
Source: dee*construction on Flickr

That Before picture looks just like a sweatshirt I would've stolen from my mom and worn. To school. As-is. To avoid embarrassment. Oy.

To me, do-it-yourself is the most basic human instinct, besides wanting to eat babies. And construction/deconstruction/construction is universally primal among my thought processes. 

When I'm cooking, I imagine the whole meal on my fantasy plate, then I break it down to the individual foods themselves, what pans I need and how to juggle them back together. I'm usually sauteeing while simultaneously thinking of what else is in the fridge that I could use. Grain mustard, radishes, seeds, lemons.

When in doubt, I always squeeze a lemon.

I can see myself making a gin & tonic right about now.
Source: (from top left, clockwise) closetcooking.com, donnahay.com/au,
joythebaker.com, theglitterguide.tumblr.com,

When I see a piece of furniture or artwork, I immediately think "How can I make that?" instead of "How much does that cost."

I love the scale of this frame leaning behind the sofa. The visual texture of the photos is the perfect conceptual compliment to the brick wall. Traveled, weathered and full of stories. Not to mention the Union Jack pillow, which could easily be made with old t-shirts and stich witchery. I hope I get around to this one.

Travel Photos in Large Scale Frame

Source: Apartment Therapy

I don't remember the first time I wanted to be Martha Stewart. I'm sure it was a closeted fantasy, because no self-respecting tomboy would be caught dead with a glue gun, and we didn't raise pheasants in our backyard.

Somewhere along the way, maybe when I bought my first sewing machine at 19 - an old White that was built into the table with a knee pedal I found for $25 at an estate sale - I knew I had acquired something golden. Something that opened possibilities for a cheaper, more interesting way of life.

 I had no idea what to do with it, but somehow I made a pencil skirt that DIDN'T FALL APART WHEN I WORE IT. The zipper was totally crooked in the back, but I pretended it was part of the design.

Yes, somewhere along the way, I became a Martha-ite. And probably even more secretly, I stuck with her through her unfortunate (but deserved) time on the rock.

Paper Pendant Lamps

Use simple paper shades and add layer upon layer of pretty goodness.

This is something I would do just for the fun of it. I don't actually have anywhere to put it.

Source: Martha Stewart via Apartment Therapy

Have you ever wanted to jam spoons into your eyeballs trying to find your other earring? One time I actually slapped myself in the face when I was trying to unjangle a necklace. Pull. Yourself. Together!

Drawer Pull Jewelry Holder

Source: onewomenshaven.blogspot.com

Do you realize that a person's options for jewelry storage are limited to those canvas closet things with plastic see through openings (which I have), stretched out pantyhose, ballerina boxes or tupperware?

One time when I was little, my dad got me a jewelry box. I didn't have any jewelry, so I just put rocks in it. My point is that it looked like a miniature china cabinet, and we weren't china cabinet people. We were bull-in-china-shop people.

It was small-tall and made from lacquered cherry wood. It had etched glass double doors that opened out, and it was mirrored in the back (so you could see yourself try on your jewelry, of course). It was so tiny, and I was an unusually large child with unusually large appendages. I could barely fit my hands into it, either to place or extract my rocks. I had to just toss them in there and turn it on its side to get them out.

Which just reminds me of how much I love plants. Look! She put plants in rocks!

Pressed Garden Leaf Stones
Source: sunsetgurldesign.typepad.com

And I love seeing plants in curious places, like clear containers.

Dinosaurs belong in their native surroundings.
Source: (from top left, clockwise) witanddelight.tumblr.com, madeit.com.au, oncewed.com

My friend Elizabeth gave me this one after I had surgery.

From Elizabeth
She got it at Iron & Eve Designs. IronAndEve@yahoo.com

(What surgery, you ask? Click over here to find out.)

What are your proudest DIY's of late?

EAT: On A Pulled Pork Mission

Photo: heartsnxj1.blogspot.com/

I'm southern. There's not much else I need to say to justify this post. 

When you're from Mississippi, just south of bar-b-que capital Memphis, TN, you have the sauce running in your veins. Your family reunions are bigger than a Skynyrd concert and may involve your Uncle Hambone cooking something on the engine of a beefed up pickup truck piled high on cinder blocks. You get lost in a sea of your cousins, know how to properly tip a cow and can smell kudzu in your sleep. You're southern. 

When I moved to California almost 11 years ago, I had no idea how much I would miss those parts of being from the south that were once second skin. Of all the sensory experiences that linger the most, southern food is the one I find myself trying to recreate often, albeit with a California touch.

Be not afraid - I have seen the light of California food. One of the first things that amazed me was seeing lemons, limes and avocados growing on trees. In people's backyards! Food growing on trees! Heading south along route 1, you're destined to find farmer's stands with heaps of brussel sprouts, greens, corn, tomatoes and strawberries stretching for miles along the fresh ocean breeze.

Southern food, which in my mind has always been based on what you grew in your garden or raised in the pastures, has seen a sad amount of fast food-washing over the years. My once small town two-lane road is now a six-lane congested McDonalds-BurgerKing-Applebees-SteakInShake thoroughfare, paving over what used to be green space, grass fields and my old trailer park. 

  

My Granny, Verneal Timmons

The southern food I miss is my Granny Timmons' homemade cinnamon buns, buckets of boiled peanuts, homemade breads, roasted chickens from the coup and good bbq. The fresh foods from her gardens and canned veggies from last season were torturous as a picky kid eater, but times are always achangin'. I find myself cooking more and more like my granny, and a good pulled pork sammich is definitely in order.

My fellow southern transplant friend Damion makes a capital M, Mean pulled pork, but he's holding on dearly to his recipe. I've asked him for it multiple times, and he just starts rattling off various ingredients with this charming, secretive smirk, saying, "Oh, honey! It's so simple. You just. . . brown sugar blah blah. . . pork butt blah blah. . . marinade. . . blah blah," until I've either lost interest or simply can't keep up. He never writes it down.

Luckily there's an awesome place up in Guerneville, CA by the Russian River that my friends have turned me on to. Stumptown Brewery has a yum-o-licious pulled pork sandwich, not to mention that good ole southern biker bar feel and fresh tap micro-brews for days. Sit out on the patio and watch the game or sprawl out on blankets in the large grassy area overlooking the river. This is fast becoming my favorite escape from the foggy city by the bay, and it is oddly always summer there.

Stumptown Brewery's fresh micro brews

Stumptown Brewery Patio

Also, fantastically there's a food truck that hangs out at City Hall on Fridays as a part of San Francisco's Off The Grid food truck movement that surprised the southern out of me with their undressed pulled pork (you add the sauce after, so weird!), fresh cabbage slaw and soft egg buns. Washed it right down with a large sweet iced tea and proceeded to sleep for an hour in the promenade.

Off The Grid, SF Food Trucks @ City Hall
Photo: cookwitheva.com

Of course there are tons of recipes online, but this is the one I'm probably going to try first, unless I can bribe Damion with sugar cubes. I usually default to Ina Garten's methods because she's not afraid of butter, but I go to her mostly for fresh yet indulgent, cape cod fantasy cooking, not down and dirty southern. Food 52 has one that looks simple and, shall we say, "interesting." Coke, really? 

Inarguably, there are different styles of bbq that must be considered - Texas, Carolina and Memphis-style, to name a few. Each has their own subtle and nuanced flavors, methods and fervent followers. I'll just say I'm a Memphis gal, and leave it at that. You can't go on a pulled pork mission without tasting these:

Photo: igougo.com

Rendezvous - the most famous bbq in Memphis. 

Neely's BBQ - three locations throughout Memphis & Nashville. YUM!!

Corky's BBQ - boasting "Slow-cooked over hickory wood and charcoal. As we say...cookin' the old fashion way!" 

Is there a mouth watering bbq hole in your neck of the woods?