129 replies to this topic

[melkor]

Thanks to gsquared I will be hosting this week's food blog. This week is more or less like any other week, except for Friday - which is my birthday. We live at the bottom of Napa Valley in California, in a reasonably small town.

MsMelkor and I both work from home, so the only time we go out for breakfast/lunch during the week is for work. Almost every day starts with a cappuccino. We are working on perfecting our cappuccino making skills so we each drink 4 or so a day - I make them during the week, MsMelkor makes them on the weekends since her work day starts around 6:30am, while mine starts at 9am. Because it wouldn't be right to start this blog without pictures of the cats here ya go.

Texas:

Rosie:

[Carolyn Tillie]

How fun is that?!?!?! And your kitties are SOOOOO cute!

BTW, I just got a phone call from Chipotle in Fairfield... Seems I am their Business Card Winner of the Week!

If you and Ms. Melkor care to join us tomorrow evening, we have to be Fairfield ONE LAST TIME and we could start your BDay celebration off with McDonalds Mexican Food!

Heck, its free... and we could try some interesting wine pairings!!!

[hathor]

Any blog that starts with pictures of the kitties will certainly be good! Very cute! Looking forward to some California sunshine in your blog, New York is full of grey slushy, un-inspiring snow like stuff. What I would give for a good avocado...!

[melkor]

Not a huge fan of Chipotle, how about Ana's Cantina in St Helena instead?

[melkor]

Breakfast is courtesy of MsMelkor - A spinach, potato, and parmesan frittata with some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

[melkor]

Any blog that starts with pictures of the kitties will certainly be good! Very cute! Looking forward to some California sunshine in your blog, New York is full of grey slushy, un-inspiring snow like stuff. What I would give for a good avocado...!

We've got grey skys and an ass-load of rain coming down. It's only slightly better than what you've got in NY today.

[phaelon56]

Only slightly better? Since you and Ms melkor passed through this way over the holidays we've had noe more than three or four days of sunchine and about as many snow-free days. It was also the second coldest January on record. Did I mention the 137" snowfall total for year to date?

Could be worse.... North of us in Fulton and Oswego they received eight feet of snow last week. That is not a typo. Eight feet. I'm starting to think that Syracuse is not so bad in comparison.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Not a huge fan of Chipotle, how about Ana's Cantina in St Helena instead?

Yeah - I'm not a huge fan either... but I've got this free meal and have to be in that part of the world that night.

Raincheck on Ana's, okay?

[melkor]

Not a huge fan of Chipotle, how about Ana's Cantina in St Helena instead?

Yeah - I'm not a huge fan either... but I've got this free meal and have to be in that part of the world that night.

Raincheck on Ana's, okay?

That works.

[melkor]

Only slightly better? Since you and Ms melkor passed through this way over the holidays we've had noe more than three or four days of sunchine and about as many snow-free days. It was also the second coldest January on record. Did I mention the 137" snowfall total for year to date?

Could be worse.... North of us in Fulton and Oswego they received eight feet of snow last week. That is not a typo. Eight feet. I'm starting to think that Syracuse is not so bad in comparison.

Wow. Maybe a little rain isn't so bad . At least we've been able to have asparagus from our garden twice in the last week, I suppose that's better than 12 feet of snow

[fifi]

I'm not sure what "bottom of the valley" means but it looks like you may be somewhere in the neighborhood of our own rancho_gordo. His web site is here. We were especially interested in his beans over on the Dried Bean thread. Have you ever run into his products at the markets listed on the site? Some of us would be interested in a report.

[melkor]

I'm not sure what "bottom of the valley" means but it looks like you may be somewhere in the neighborhood of our own rancho_gordo. His web site is here. We were especially interested in his beans over on the Dried Bean thread. Have you ever run into his products at the markets listed on the site? Some of us would be interested in a report.

Bottom of the valley means American Canyon - the town 5 minutes south of Napa. I've seen rancho_gordo at the Napa farmers market a few dozen times, he's got great produce. He'll be at the eGullet Potluck in a few weeks, I'm sure you'll get a full report. The Napa market shut down for the year at the end of October - I can't wait for it to come back.

[melkor]

Drinking another cappuccino now, this one is better than the one earlier today - the milk came out better this time. I'm running low on beans, but it's raining and I really don't want to stand out by the grill in the rain for 20 minutes to roast more. Hopefully the rain will stop this afternoon and I can roast a batch of decaf and a batch of liquid amber.

[bloviatrix]

Only slightly better? Since you and Ms melkor passed through this way over the holidays we've had noe more than three or four days of sunchine and about as many snow-free days. It was also the second coldest January on record. Did I mention the 137" snowfall total for year to date?

Could be worse.... North of us in Fulton and Oswego they received eight feet of snow last week. That is not a typo. Eight feet. I'm starting to think that Syracuse is not so bad in comparison.

Back in my Ithaca days we used to joke:

It it's not grey, it's raining. If it's not raining, it's snowing. If it's not snowing, it's sunny. In which case, you're someplace else.

[Carolyn Tillie]

but it's raining ...l Hopefully the rain will stop this afternoon

Note from up-valley...

It is REALLY raining up here!

Okay, I'd say gushing. We've got quite a river running down through the vineyard! Your cappuccino sounds really enticing about now! How about a picture?!?!?

[melkor]

but it's raining ...l  Hopefully the rain will stop this afternoon

Note from up-valley...

It is REALLY raining up here!

Okay, I'd say gushing. We've got quite a river running down through the vineyard! Your cappuccino sounds really enticing about now! How about a picture?!?!?

I'll have to make another - they don't last very long. Back in a few minutes with a pic and another cappa.

[melkor]

One crooked heart shaped cappuccino...



That one went to MsMelkor

[Carolyn Tillie]

That one went to MsMelkor

Awwwww

Tell her I'm jealous! (I want her cappa!)

[MsMelkor]

Back in my Ithaca days we used to joke:

It it's not grey, it's raining.  If it's not raining, it's snowing.  If it's not snowing, it's sunny.  In which case, you're someplace else. 

I graduated from Cornell in '95, and boy did it make me appreciate sunny weather! Now that I'm in the Napa Valley, I absolutely take it for granted that all summer (and most of the spring and fall) it will be warm and dry and that we can grow all sorts of veggies in our garden.

[melkor]

I'm off to Oakland for a bit, having lunch at Pho 84.

[pattimw]

Back in my Ithaca days we used to joke:

It it's not grey, it's raining.  If it's not raining, it's snowing.  If it's not snowing, it's sunny.  In which case, you're someplace else. 

I graduated from Cornell in '95, and boy did it make me appreciate sunny weather! Now that I'm in the Napa Valley, I absolutely take it for granted that all summer (and most of the spring and fall) it will be warm and dry and that we can grow all sorts of veggies in our garden.

How did you and Melkor end up in Napa Valley? I'm trying to find a way to end up there myself....


I live in Boston....I don't think I was meant to live in a cold climate.

[phaelon56]

At least we've been able to have asparagus from our garden twice in the last week, I suppose that's better than 12 feet of snow

That's swell if you like asparagus It's actually included in my "Culinary Axis of Evil" (I smell a new thread coming on). The Axis is rounded out by brussel sprouts and tripe/tendon (those two might just as well be one and the same).


I was actually in beautiful but gray Ithaca on Saturday doing some furniture shopping - they have about one foot of snow on the ground compared to our three feet. Time to investigate hydroponics - I'm tired of hunting around and paying through the nose for fresh cooking herbs.

[MsMelkor]

How did you and Melkor end up in Napa Valley? I'm trying to find a way to end up there myself....


I live in Boston....I don't think I was meant to live in a cold climate.

Oh, long story...we moved out here from the Hudson Valley in upstate NY when Melkor got a job nearby. We weren't sure where in the Bay Area we wanted to live - there are so many great places around here - but in the end, the lure of wine won out. Also it's much sunnier and warmer here than in SF/Oakland/Berkeley, but not as hot as it is in the upper Napa Valley. And the housing prices in the Bay Area are incredibly high, so finding something affordable in the lower part of the valley was key.

[melkor]

The weather has turned around nicely. The drive down to Oakland and the drive home look nothing alike.



and on the way back...



I had lunch at Pho 84 (17th & Webster in Oakland).



A glass of Iced Vietnamese Coffee, some rice, and chicken on a bed of spinach (Ga Cuu Long #41) - the sauce above the plate is lemon & black pepper. I can never get motivated to go anywhere else when I'm at my office in Oakland. It's a one block walk and the food is always excellent.

[hillvalley]

Beautiful pics!

How did you make the heart in the cappuccino?

[melkor]

Beautiful pics!

How did you make the heart in the cappuccino?

When ya pour the milk into the espresso, hold the cup at a slight angle and pour until a white blob surfaces, set the cup down and draw the pitcher across the cup to make the dent in the top of the heart.

This is cappa #3 for the day -

[Schielke]

Plus your lunch coffee... ;)

[MsMelkor]

Yeah, we usually have about 4 a day - one before breakfast, one between breakfast and lunch, a half-caf after lunch, and a decaf after dinner. So Melkor's had a lot of practice making latte art even though we've only had the machine for a couple of weeks.

[Schielke]

[melkor]

I'm snacking on some graham crackers and milk.