cuteness

Meet Ben's new niece! Her name is Naomi and she is quite possibly the cutest, chubbiest baby on the planet.



Check out those sausage arms. She looks like a tiny pink Michelin Man.



I'm sort of coveting the baby onesie. So comfy. Maybe all those ridiculous adult lady-rompers on the Spring runways have merit....



This is what happens when the baby is left alone with one of us in a cafe: She comes out clutching a 1-pound bag of beans and addicted to caffeine. The expression on Naomi's face says, "I could really go for a double soy latte right about now." I feel you, girl.

birthday baking

Recipe adapted from Orangette. I didn't have the almonds, so I used 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. almond extract.

This cake is always a crowd-pleaser (or, rather, a Ben-pleaser). A combination like blueberries with lemon zest, or fresh cranberries and orange zest and/or almond extract, can work really well too . I like a cake that can change with the seasons.

market lunch

We returned home from our Saturday trip to Findley Market loaded with goodies. I love making food when the kitchen is full of fresh things. But for some reason, cooking right after shopping is a bit of a turn-off for me, especially when it's all humid and gross out. So we took inspiration from both the weather and our favorite Celebrity Chef.

First Course:



Silken tofu with soy sauce and scallions.

Entree:



Yellowfin tuna marinated in soy and seared. We used scallions again, but the fish would be great with toasted sesame seeds too. This was the Jamie Oliver contribution -- I love his food but don't always love watching him on-screen. Have you ever noticed how he misuses the word "literally" all the time? As in: "I'm going to literally chop this onion and put it in the pan." Drives. Me. Crazy.

On the side:



Salad of roasted corn, avocado, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, s&p. The corn was roasted on top of our gas stove.



Quite a yummy meal, I must say. It was also a good display of how Ben and I divide work in the kitchen. I chop; he sears; I wash; he dries; I boss; he lets me think I'm boss.

we are delinquents

To our one dedicated remaining reader (Camille...is that you?), you deserve a shiny gold star. If a blog could be mangy or overgrown with weeds, this one would be. The lack of posts is due to a few factors. Sheer laziness is at the top of the list. To that you can also add: incessant traveling, the stress of house-hunting in Vermont, and, once again, lack of will. Excuses, excuses.

But we've been having fun during these early weeks of summer. First up was a trip back to the Bay Area. My sister was graduating from Berkeley with her MA in Statistics and our friends Camilo and Dalia were getting married. Two outstanding reasons to hop on a plane.



Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures at both of those momentous Life Events. Sigh. Instead, all I have to offer is pictures from a very fun dinner out in the Mission with Ian, Jenny, Kate, and Dan.





That's Ben explaining exactly what library music is. Actually, I have no idea what the conversation was about but I love Dan's intent expression (Judge Judy would say that he has his "listening ears" on) and Ian's bemused one.

pdx

hello all. apologies for the prolonged silence. things around here have been a bit hectic, and the blog was among the first casualties. we've been interviewing for new jobs, writing, and grading exams (ugh).

but we did find time for a getaway to portland, oregon, one of our favorite cities anywhere.



we made the ace hotel downtown our headquarters. imagine a vintage northwestern hunting lodge run by hip librarians. the decor was industrial flophouse chic meets readymade magazine. staying there made us feel kind of like characters in a gus van sant movie.

our agenda for the trip was pretty simple.

number one: drink good coffee.



number two: eat good food.



potato and spinach quiche from half & half. their scones were also crowdpleasers.



the great wall of bread at saint honore.

we had dinner one night at a great little restaurant called le pigeon. we were celebrating something special (see below). i went all vintage julia child and ordered the beef bourguignon; ben ate bunny rabbit. hoppy easter!

number three: experience some nature to work off the aforementioned buttery baked goods.



portland has two beautiful public gardens that sit on a hillside overlooking the city. the rose garden was still hibernating but was lovely nonetheless. the japanese garden was amazing. little pavilions, waterfalls, koi, mossy rocks. ben got so zenned out by the atmosphere, he felt compelled to strike a yoga pose.



number four: drink more coffee.



and number five, the best of all: get engaged!

Valentine's Day Treats

Please welcome the new addition to our household. Her name is "Tray." According to her little bio tag, she has three brains (one in each horn), likes blueberry pie, and is always hungry. Hmmmm. I wonder why Ben picked this particular Ugly Doll for me.



Tray and I also have another hobby in common: We like to nap.



I couldn't help buying a treat for myself. Red shoes are an appropriate self-Valentine, I think.

"you know, for your tonkatsu sauce"

Before I joined the ranks of the gainfully employed, Ben and I used to have lunch together pretty much every day. But now that I have to eat at my desk (sad), the key to a good afternoon or a bad one usually rests with what my lunch is like. We've gotten into the habit of making bentos. Well, I should say that Ben's been making bentos for me. I'm a lazy git, particularly after dinner. This salad made with leftover ginger roasted chicken, tomatoes, and cucumbers was especially good.



Yum.

What's that you say? You're wondering about the dressing, eh? We all know that naked salads suck. Ben's mom to the rescue. Noni gave us this little container that's perfect for the purpose of holding vinaigrette. [It looks huge in the photo below but it actually fits in the palm of your hand.] And when I bring my deep fried Japanese pork cutlets to school -- as one does -- it'll hold my tonkatsu sauce.



I'd just like to know what "Proo" means....