Drool

September 15, 2015September 16, 2015Leave a comment

With all this time on my hands lately, I actually have the time and energy to do things I love. I am writing, exploring, taking photos, and cooking.

I especially love to cook for others. Maybe it’s the hidden Jewish mom in me that thrives off feeding others, but there’s little to nothing else in life that compares to the feeling of true contentment I feel when others enjoy the food I make.

This last month has been a fantastic culinary exploration so far. I started on a pickling kick back in July and pickled my own red onions. I was putting them on everything, much to the dismay of my guests. While some people loved them (myself included), others weren’t such big fans (sorry, Shonna). I’m still hankering to make my own sauerkraut, but in due time. I found this awesome pickling device at a craft fair and I really want to get it!

Here are some of my favorite recipes so far. Click the links to pull them up:

And some I got ideas from friends or made up in my head…

Poke
Oven roasted salmon
Quinoa veggie salad
Roasted tomatos in pasta
Heart attack hamburgers
Shrimp fettucini with fresh pasta

Are you drooling yet? Let me attach some pictures.

: Grilled chicken, peaches, and green beans on the back patio.

: Fresh fettuccine noodles with bolognese sauce.

: Pan seared salmon with fresh greens and pickled red onions.

: Burger with garlic mayo, avocado, carmelized onions, fried egg, and bacon.

: Orange, beet, and fennel salad.

: Fresh fettuccine noodles with shrimp in white wine sauce.

: Pulled pork with pickled red onions, radish, and avocado.

: Ahi tuna poke with avocado, green onion, and cucumber.

: Caprese salad, shrimp pasta, and brussels sprouts.

: Purple mashed potatoes, green beans, and steak in red wine vinegar sauce.

Want a meal? Just ask. Bon appetit!

Do.

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015Leave a comment

Yesterday while at work in the Ferry Building, a woman came up to me at my stand and put her hand down her pants and immediately started feeling herself and groaning. I realized she was clearly homeless and not mentally stable, so I grabbed our work phone and called the building security to have them escort her out. She kept following me around the stand and I got worried that she wouldn’t leave me alone. She finally walked away right as my friend was coming up to say hi to me. At that moment, she ran up to him and starting humping him and violently grabbed his arm. Luckily, he was able to get her off of him but not before she scratched his arm pretty badly. Security finally came over and was able to remove her from the building.

I was never worried for my safety as I was completely surrounded by people, but I know that some people walking around San Francisco definitely feel uncomfortable at times. The problem is not just that there are too many homeless people here, but that they are not getting the kind of attention and care they need in order to stay healthy. The mental health of people is the #1 problem in this city, and it only continues to grow.

I’m worried about this problem as I hope other people are, and always encourage people if they have the time to help organizations such as Glide, which offer mental health services to those in need: http://www.glide.org/page.aspx?pid=371.

Host(ing) with the Most(ing)

July 27, 2015July 27, 2015Leave a comment

As if traveling for all of June wasn’t enough, I returned to my SF home and promptly had two Norwegian girls stay in my room with me for five days. They left on a Friday and that night I had a French-Swiss friend come and stay with me for another 8 days. From the end of May until after they had left, I had only slept in a bed alone a total of 6 nights out of 42. That includes one night where I also had 6 people sleep over in my full bed and twin-size mattress on the floor, but that’s another story.

Traveling and hosting are difficult things. It takes a lot to be a good, low-maintenance guest, as well as a comfortable and welcoming host. After all my years of traveling and learning how to be a good host from people I’ve stayed with or from the great examples given to me by my family, I can say for sure I am wise enough to pass my host knowledge down to those who may need some advice.

Always give your guest a towel up front. One of my biggest pet peeves is having to ask my host where I can find a towel. In fact, Taylor and I were trying to be such good guests while staying in Munich that we never asked for a towel and instead used our t-shirts to dry ourselves off for 3 days. That was interesting.
Have enough bedding. When Tay and I got to Hamburg, we immediately laid claim to the blankets Martin provided, because one was clearly greater than the other. We decided we’d alternate nights with them so we each got our turn with the better one. We found out a couple nights in that they didn’t have enough blankets for us so Martin used his window curtain and put a cover over it. Crafty, but not quite perfect. We appreciated the effort.
Have some food available for your guests. A lot of times I travel with snacks, but for those few days when I’m too lazy to go out and get something, I always appreciated having something that my host was willing to give me.
Anticipate sharing your bed and that your space won’t be as comfortable (and clean) as you might hope. People come with stuff and when they leave they’ll take it with them. Embrace the mess. Shit happens.
Don’t expect anything in return for hosting. It’s great when people visiting bring a small gift or treat you to a meal, but the best part about hosting (in my opinion) is knowing that whenever you want to travel, their home will be open to you.

It was amazing having so many generous people throughout my trip open their home to me throughout my June adventure. It’s for this reason that I came back to California and let the foreign girls stay with me – I felt like I owed it to my Germans to return the favor back out into the universe.

So there they are, my pearls of wisdom, take them or leave them. No matter what, opening your home to someone can only be a good thing. Even if your guest ends up being crazy (something I have yet to experience), at least it all makes for a good story.