Pre-Christmas fooding

[oyceter]

My sister and I are up in SF with her friend! Yesterday, we went to the Ferry Building and got bread at Acme (herb slab, pain ein, sourdough cheese), cheese at Cowgirl Creamery (Abbaye de Belloc, which is sheep milk and tangy and slightly buttery and nicely interesting; and Cowgirl's fromage blanc, spreadable and tangy and lighter than cream cheese, with a slightly grainy consistency), beef pot pie and mac and cheese from the Golden Gate Meat place, and wasabi potato salad (it's so lovely and green and vegetable-y!) and an onigiri from Delica. We also went around the farmer's market and splurged on fresh pasta for tonight's dinner (lemon ricotta ravioli and sundried tomato and mushroom ravioli), dried heirloom tomatoes, and this roasted garlic in oil thing. I then got a fruit pocket and nectarine-plum conserves from Frog Hollow. So tasty! We were extremely stuffed.

But then, for dinner, we went to Cafe Jacqueline, which I have been dying to go to for about a year now! It's this tiny little soufflé place in SF that's been open for about thirty years, and the chef (the aforementioned Jacqueline) makes all the soufflés herself. We had a chantarelle and garlic soufflé as a main course, and while it was amazing, the strawberry soufflé for dessert was AMAZING. As in, we all took a bite out of it and instantly declared it the Best Thing Ever. I am not even sure I can describe how it tasted -- it had heaps of chopped strawberries on top, and some more baked in, and the base was sweet and not-quite-creamy and light and fluffy, and it was just divine. And then, when you got to the bottom of the dish, the bottom bits were creamy and sweet but not too sweet and just tasted of strawberry and I have no idea what. I am not even sure if I am getting it right! It was just so amazing! It was gone about five minutes after it hit the table.

Today, we helped my sister's friend shop for presents, and I got Nana 8 and Sand Chronicles 1 (b/c I think David Welsh said he really liked it). I am wondering when Honey and Clover will finally come out, esp. since I think it and Sand Chronicles debuted in Shojo Beat around the same time.

Later on, we went to the Asian Art Museum to see the Stylized Structures exhibit on modern Japanese fashion, which was very cool, and then wandered through the collection of later Chinese jade carvings (Ming and Qing dynasties) and I finally got to see the museum's Korean collection. I love love love the Goryeo celadon porcelain. And! There was a modern painter doing scenes from Bai Juyi's "Song of the Pipa," which I had to memorize in 8th grade (it's a freaking long poem!) and each scene had two lines from the poem. It was so cool looking at them and remembering the lines and remembering my Chinese teacher from 8th grade talking about the poem.

Then we went a little overboard and got nine cupcakes from Kara Cupcakes. I couldn't help it! We couldn't decide! They were so cute and we were overwhelmed by the pinkness!

And now, fresh pasta for dinner...

Comments

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I remember the wasabi potato salad! So good!

We need to go to that souffle place.

[oyceter]

I love the wasabi potato salad so much! I love how the lettuce and edamame and peas in it make it so green and crunchy and fresh.

And we should definitely go to that souffle place.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I hadn't heard of Cafe Jacqueline! ::instantly puts it on to-food list:: Thanks for mentioning that!

Sorry to miss you while you were in town. Hopefully we can get together soon. I have vidbits to show you, among other things. (:

[oyceter]

It's so good! You have to try the strawberry souffle! It is amazing!

Yeah, definitely some time after Christmas... And eeee vid!

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

OMG, I wanted to buy Nana 8 today, but they didn't have it! Got Tsubasa omnibus instead, :D

[oyceter]

Ooo omnibus! These things always come out after I've gotten the individual series, of course.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmm. I've been trapped in the house with a very sick child since Tuesday, eating whatever is easy and bland as I care for him. Your delicious descriptions of shopping and eating are a tasty treat.

[oyceter]

Glad you liked!

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm cupcakes!

Everything sounds so good, enjoy and have a lovely holiday!!!!

[oyceter]

OMG the cupcakes are so amazingly good! The icing is creamy and mild and not like crystallized sugar and the cakes are moist and gaaaah. SO GOOD.

Thank you, and have a lovely holiday as well!

[sajia.livejournal.com]

Am so jealous! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[oyceter]

Thank you! Happy holidays to you too!