Pres a Vi

Georgia and I checked out a beautiful new place in the Presidio called Pres a Vi last night. We decided it would be a great place to bring our parents. Check out photos here.

They have an incredible wine cellar and serve flights of wine so you can taste new things. I tried the "racy Italian whites." Yum. The ahi tartare was fantastic.

Pasta Gina

I routinely walk by this pasta shop in Noe Valley, but I never went in until this week. I bought homemade porcini mushroom ravioli, garlic marinara sauce, olives, bread and wine. The pasta was incredible and prices were reasonable ($50) as I was able to provide dinner for three people plus leftovers!

Tiburon Weekend

Thanks to Heidi and Alan, Georgia and were able to pretend we were Marinites (is that a word?) this weekend.


See the fog bank off in the distance? That's San Francisco.


We "swam."

We grilled.

And Rennie and Henry kept each other entertained.

New Hobby

I'm somewhat reluctant to admit it, but I've found a new hobby -- knitting. I decided I needed something to do with my hands that didn't involve eating or drinking. I bought some beautiful, soft yarn at Imagiknit (clever, no?) and started this on Saturday. After pulling it apart completely more times than I'd care to admit, I think it's looking pretty darn good.

Homemade Pickles - Part Two

I'm proud to report the pickles are fantastic! In fact, they're the closest thing to Grandma's pickles I think I've ever tasted.


Here's the recipe I used. Because I like a really potent pickle, for my next batch, I'll increase the salt, garlic and peppercorns.

Ingredients:
6 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt (use only kosher salt!)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 lbs small cucumbers, thoroughly scrubbed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
6-8 coarsely chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn

Directions:
1. Combine the water, salt and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
3. Pack the cucumbers and the remaining ingredients in a 2-quart (2 litre) glass jar, and pour brine (water/vinegar mixture) over them, covering the cucumbers completely.
4. Store, covered in the the refrigerator.
5. The pickles will be ready in 4-5 days, and will keep refrigerated for weeks.
6. **NOTE** since the peel is eaten on these pickles, make certain to wash and scrub the outside of the cucumbers well to remove any dirt. I used a toothbrush to scrub the outsides.

China Camp

Linda and I went for a short hike at China Camp State Park on Sunday. Then we enjoyed scrumptious sandwiches from Bi-Rite. Yum.

Chihuly's Glass

I went to this exhibition on Friday. It was pretty incredible. Apparently, it's Chihuly's largest-ever museum installation.