FrogPrincesse

How can you resist this? There was no way I could, so I got a little sampler from Carlsbad Aquafarms, our local source for mussels and oysters. They were wonderfully light and crisp. This French crepe vendor had an incredible technique. Display of French pastries Citrus including a personal favorite, Oro Blanco grapefruit Panini

After Catalina Offshore, it was time for us to pay a visit to the Mercato, the farmers' market in Little Italy, a neighborhood in downtown San Diego. It's wonderful how a group of residents, The Little Italy Association, launched this market a few years ago, and how it went from a few selected booths to a market that could rival with European markets, with over 100 booths ranging from high-quality organic produce to freshly shucked oysters. The market seems to continue to gain in popularity. Today we had a hard time finding parking, and the crowd was definitely there with us! The quality is still the same as when the market was first created. One of the criteria for vendors is that they produce food within a 100 mile radius. A market with a view They always have musicians, which make shopping even more enjoyable. Shopping at one of our favorite vendors, Schaner Farms, for eggs (we got an assortment of duck, guinea hen, and hen eggs), blood oranges, and flowers. We bought a basket of golden raspberries from this vendor. The white alfafa and sage honey had a wonderful delicate flavor, so we picked up a bottle. It's great to see vendors selling local meat since it can be hard to find.

Thanks your vote of support! I am not sure I could keep up with the pace though! But for sure, there is still enough material to cover at least another week, if I ever have a chance to do this again.

Still trying to catch up with my posts! This morning we went to Catalina Offshore to pickup some fish. They are located off Morena boulevard. They were rather busy so we did not have a chance to tour their warehouse. Catalina Offshore is known for its high quality sea urchin that is exported to Japan. That is how their business initially started, by a professional sea urchin diver and his wife. The offerings of the day Their high-quality seafood is used by a number of restaurants all around town, including many of our favorites, Nine-Ten in la Jolla, Searocket in North Park, the Fish Shop in Pacific Beach, and MIHO gastrotruck. Most of it comes from California and Baja California. We got the local halibut that we will cook tonight.

After Nine-Ten, it was time to head to the Noble Experiment. This speakeasy-type bar is well hidden inside a very popular restaurant in the East Village. We made our way past the crowds inside, and went straight to the back of the restaurant to an unassuming hallway. What is behind the wall of kegs is completely unexpected... A small space with comfortable booths. But wait, what is on the wall? It's a fantasy-version of the catacombs with golden skulls! Trust me, it all makes sense after a few drinks. There is even a gallery of paintings on the ceiling. There is a drink menu, but we always have the most fun when we let the bartender create something for us based on our preferences. We prefer to sit at the bar so we can watch the bartenders in action, and see the extended liquor selection on the shelves behind the bar. Last night, Brian took care of us under the watchful eye of Anthony Schmidt, the resident expert mixologist. It was Brian's first evening on his own and he did a fantastic job with our cocktails, together with a great conversation! Our first drinks arrived. I received a variation on the Negroni and got one mixed with Beefeater and Barolo Chinato cocchi, and a grapefruit twist (an idea I am going to steal!). He had a Monk's Buck (cognac, green Chartreuse, ginger, lime and club soda). For our second round, I had spotted a bottle of Bols Genever that I had always wanted to try, and Brian turned it into a John Collins variation. I loved the depth of the genever in that drink. My husband ordered a drink with rye whiskey and Brian mixed something with Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, yellow Chartreuse, orange and Angostura bitters. Anthony himself mixed a few drinks as well so we had a chance to see him in action. Yet the even best things in life have to come to an end, and when the deer on the wall starts blinking at you, you know it's finally time to go home...

Thank you, annabelle!

Fourth Course Mahon, a soft cow’s milk from Spain, served with fried almonds Black Diamond Cheddar from Canada, served with fig jam Fifth Course Toasted Goat Ricotta local blueberries, honey jam, melon-lime granita I was especially happy when this plate was placed in front of me. Gina from the cheese shop Venissimo, who taught me to make ricotta, learned to make ricotta from Jack Fisher, the pastry chef at Nine-Ten. She told us in her class that he felt that "If you can't make ricotta, you probably shouldn't be in the kitchen", which convinced me that I had to try making it at home! So it was great to finally try his ricotta. It had a wonderful flavor from the goat milk, and a crispy tuile of honey on top. Caramelized White Chocolate Mousse marshmallow fluff, graham cracker, dark chocolate-rosemary sorbet My husband, the chocolate-alcoholic, was in heaven with his dessert!

Last night we went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Nine-Ten is located in the Grande Colonial hotel in La Jolla and serves impeccable Californian cuisine, with interesting touches from chef Jason Knibb's Jamaican heritage. We've had many great meals there and enjoy letting the chef decide for us, so we ordered the "Mercy of the chef", a 5-course tasting menu. Each of us received a different dish, so that's really a good way to extensively sample the menu. We started off with a cooling watermelon and ginger spritzer. First Course Hamachi Sashimi marinated baby shiitake mushrooms, scallion vinaigrette marinated baby shiitake mushrooms, scallion vinaigrette Peach and Nectarine Salad cucumber, purslane, mizuna greens, mustard frill, plum, cilantro flowers, soy-yuzu vinaigrette This was my dish and I really liked the soy-yuzu dressing with the peaches, I thought it was a great idea. The little jelly spheres of plum were a fun touch. I got a rosé wine with the salad, which was surprisingly dry and provided contrast to the dish. The Hamachi was paired with a Sancerre. Our sommelier was great, by the way. Second Course Northern Halibut Chino farms corn, sea beans, hon shimeji mushrooms, peanuts, kaffir lime, coconut & green curry The curry sauce was poured on the fish at the last minute. Wild King Salmon haricot vert, piquillo peppers, castelvertrano olives, shallots, grilled eggplant puree, fennel-chili lemon Third Course Lamb Loin artichokes, fingerling potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, pecorino, asparagus The lamb was perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the combination of flavors. This might have been my favorite dish of the meal, although it is really hard to pick one. It was paired with a Malbec from Argentina. Jamaican Jerk Pork Belly baby carrots, swiss chard, plantains, black-eyed peas, spicy jellies & sweet potato puree This dish was paired with a Miora pinot noir with smokey undertones that were wonderful with the jerk spices.

Yes, Specialty Produce is amazing. I thought you would all enjoy seeing it!

I am still catching up on my backlog and realized that I never got to post pictures from Specialty Produce. When I picked up my farmers' market bag on Thursday afternoon, I also had an extensive tour of the facility. You see Specialty Produce truck all around town. They are a wholesale distributor of produce to restaurants in San Diego. Their warehouse is also open to the public during certain hours. The amount, variety and quality of items that they have in stock is really overwhelming. Most of it is sourced from local farms, and a lot of it organic. I think that you would be hard-pressed to find anything that they don't have in stock. Their website has a wealth of information. In addition to listing every item in stock (and quantities!), it also provides details on the various items they carry, the best way to prepare them, which restaurants in San Diego recently purchased them, and even videos in some cases! Microgreens and edible flowers, including orchids Cucumbers Herbs Strawberries Porcini Morels Red corn Peppers They also have a large dry goods section with everything from dry pasta to locally-made jams. Slabs of salt for cooking

Before going home yesterday afternoon, we stopped by Great News in Pacific Beach, which is the store where I buy most of my kitchen equipment. They also have a cooking school. I attended their knife skills and pressure cooker classes with my friends a few years ago. Their classes are a lot of fun. Sharp things. I bought my Messermeister from them after realizing how bad my knives were. You should have seen the chef knife I was using then - it was starting to turn into a serrated knife! Shiny things A rainbow of stoneware Le Creuset I know what you are thinking, but I was reasonable and did not splurge on this one! Some things are kept under lock and key. Their cooking school is located at the back of the store.

Yesterday, after picking up an epi at Bread and Cie, we went to a cheese shop nearby, Venissimo. We've been regulars at the store since they opened in 2004. Their first store in Hillcrest is located in a tiny little wedge of a space. Since then, they've opened other stores in Del Mar, downtown, and Long Beach. The downtown store offers regular cheese tastings and classes. I learned to make ricotta at a class that the passionate Gina, who owns the store with her husband, gave last year. The quality of their cheeses surpasses what you generally find in a supermarket, because they are handled with much more care, and are allowed to age properly. And they will always offer you a sample to ensure that you will be satisfied with your purchase. They also offer a small assortment of cured sausages, and various cheese-related items. We bought a couple of goat cheeses, a Selles-sur-Cher and a slice of Midnight Moon that we will be nibbling on tonight.

FauxPas, I see a lot of parallels between cooking and chemistry. I think that the fact that I was more at ease with pastry initially is no surprise, because it's very precise, each item is measured, and there is little room for error. Being a chemist, these are things I am very comfortable with. With cooking, there is much more room for interpretation, and it took me a lot of practice and observation to get a feel for things.

After Bristol Farms in UTC, we headed south to Hillcrest. When we moved to San Diego 13 years ago, we used to live in this neighborhood that we still visit regularly. I felt right at home since it is the home of a European-style bakery, Bread and Cie. Their bread is baked in a 10 000 pound stone hearth French oven and they use traditional French techniques. When they first tried to use their European bread recipes in San Diego, they could not understand why they would not work as well, and spent considerable time tweaking them to adapt to the local conditions. What I love with their breads is that they have the most amazing crust, and deep flavors. We brought this epi home, together with some cheese from a nearby cheese shop. (To be continued)

Of course, I have to go to the grocery store every once in a while. My usual stores are Trader Joe's for everyday items, and Bristol Farms for the rest. Bristol Farms is somewhat similar to Whole Foods, without the sometimes preachy politics. The olive bar They have a very extensive cheese selection. More cheese The meat department The produce section. A lot of it is local and organic. I never venture into that aisle, but my husband pointed to me their array of old-fashioned sodas. Their liquor department is well stocked... including a few hard-to-find bottles. I bought this for my collection. I am sure I will find a use for them!

We had lunch today at a place I often eat at during the week, MIHO Gastrotruck. It's a food truck whose philosophy is to use local seasonal produce, and made-from-scratch ingredients. It was created by two former employees of the Linkery (a local restaurant known for its sausages and cured meats), Kevin Ho and Juan Miron. There was a long line as we got there a little late. Here was their menu today - Daily Menu fresh, seasonal produce sourced as locally as possible... all natural, sustainable meats raised without hormones or antibiotics... hand crafted street food made from scratch every day...unless it has an * RASPBERRY ALMOND SALAD local raspberry, almond, local mixed greens, pt. reyes blue cheese, poppyseed vinaigrette PADRON BURGER grass fed beef, all natural Duroc bacon, fire roasted local padron pepper, all natural white cheddar, local avocado, cilantro lime aioli, local brioche bun* MARGARITA FISH TACOS tequila, lime, & agave marinated wild rock cod, pico de gallo, crema fresca, local cabbage, local corn tortilla* INDIAN FRYBREAD TACOS hand made frybread, roasted local summer squash, local torpedo onion, black beans, pico de gallo, crema fresca BELGIAN STYLE FRIES hand cut kennebec potato, hand made moroccan spice ketchup We ordered a burger & fries for him, and the fish tacos for me. We also got a bottle of Mexican coke, and a Hawaiian soda. We passed on dessert, but it looked pretty good. Our orders were handed to us with a big smile (as advertised!). Then we settled on a grassy area nearby to have our picnic under a tree (it is very hot today!). It was wonderful as usual. The fish tacos Burger and fries

Honkman, Good to know. I was just at their Hillcrest branch today. Thanks!

Heidi, I wish I did but I don't make my own baguettes. I make rustic no-knead breads that I cook in a cast iron dutch oven (Le Creuset), but obviously that would not work very well for baguettes. The bread for the ricotta tartine was from Bread & Cie, a local bakery (more on them later). Saba is cooked grape must. It's rather sweet, and was used traditionally as a sweetener when sugar was more scarce. It's very good drizzled on a bitter salad such as treviso. It's called for in a few recipes in several books that I own, including Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, and Babbo by Mario Batali. It took me a while to find a place that carried it. I finally found it at the little store at Mozza (mozza2go), Batali's restaurant on Melrose in LA. Here is an article on saba that was published in the New York Times. Here is a picture of the bottle I have at home. That Saucisson en Brioche sounds amazing! If you make it again, please post pictures on eGullet! "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" is worth looking into. So far I've only ventured into the peasant loaf and enriched bread sections, but the flatbreads are on my list too. Their website has a ton of information too, in addition to the excellent eGullet thread.

After the final proofing step, I brushed the dough with an egg wash before it went in the oven. 35 minutes later, the brioche was finally ready and the house smelled wonderful ! For some reason, it cracked a little more than usual.

It is indeed very simple and requires very little active time, just some planning. It's also my experience that the flavor improves if the dough stays in the fridge for a few days before baking.

On the second day (yesterday), when I took the dough out of the fridge, it had deflated a little. I sprinkled some flour so the dough would not stick, lifted it out of the container, and cut off a large piece. Then I formed the loaf and put it in the buttered pan. It went in the oven again for its second rise.

I started making this brioche a couple of days ago. Here is the process, based on Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Here are the ingredients. Normally, I would use honey from one of the vendors at the farmers' market, but I had run out. The flour is added to a mixture containing lukewarm water, salt, yeast, eggs, honey, and melted butter. Yes, I measure the flour by volume, and this is only because this recipe does not need to be precise. The water content can always be adjusted to obtain the right consistency, which is supposed to be fairly loose. Otherwise I always use a scale for baking recipes. I use my handheld mixer to make sure that all the flour is incorporated. The mixture does not have to be perfect, and this should take less than a minute (no kneading, just mixing!). I finish by mixing the edges with a rubber spatula. Here is what it looks like, before the first rise. I use the proofing function on my oven. For dense batters, the setting is 125F. Here is what it looks like after the first rise, which takes about an hour. At that point, it went in the fridge until the next day. Corrected typo

This morning, for a change, I had breakfast. Homemade brioche with locally-made blood orange marmelade. Corrected typo

Loved that Barely Buzzed from Beehive - chocolot brought me some when she came for the chocolate conference - she is good friends with the cheesemaker. I was fortunate indeed - wish I could get it here. Loved all those other pupus! We really liked the cheese! The idea of a cheddar with coffee & lavender buds sounds strange on paper, but it really works.

As promised, here is the rest of the kitchen tour. Our tiki drink station The bar (There is some overflow in the other cabinets) The tea and coffee station The Kitchenaid and a few of our dishes The pantry, which is in the hallway in the back of the kitchen