A San Diego Love Story

So, I'm going to clarify something. I'm definitely not a professional photographer; far from it. Whatever glimpses of innovation or talent have caught your eye in my blog are inspired by pure and unadulterated hunger. And desires to satisfy that hunger with a morsel of something new and even more delicious than the last bite. 

I spent the the last week of August 2009 cavorting in San Diego with some of my dearest friends. We did the obligatory boogie boarding: Check! We explored downtown San Diego:Check! Totally forgot to visit SeaWorld: Check! And ate resplendent fish tacos, burritos, and sushi. Check, check, and yummmm check. It was possibly the best vacation I've ever taken, quite frankly. It's all true what they say: Once you go West Coast... you'll never feel comfortable walking down a street without a head shop named "Smoke This" on it. Isn't that what they say? Well, never mind.

Anyway, let's get straight to the point. This is a pictorial (and mostly food-related) account of my trip.

However, sometimes you will see extraordinary cactus flowers such as these

As well as famous San Diego burritos from Konos such as this.

Sumptuously crispy fish tacos that I would go all the way back to the Pacific Coast to eat.

Fresh-made, locally grown coffee at the bus stop. Yes, please. Seriously New York, get with it.

So after we admired some SD flora, ate a burrito, gorged on fish tacos, and washed it down with some coffee, we found this Thai restaurant and raided their spring rolls.    

Sushi will someday squash the beef between East Coast and West Coast (no pun intended).
 

Some of the best So-Cal brunch food ever.

authentic tortilla warmers

more delicious coffee on the beach

beach rave avocado & turkey sandwich

frozen mango margarita concludes the slide show (hmm.. idea?).

a dinner party

So, yesterday was mama M's 60th birthday. This is definitely a tough age for a woman to approach. In my eyes, my mother only gets wiser and more beautiful as she ages; but she won't hear a word of it. Maybe she'll listen to the swarovski-crystal-adorned Michael Kors watch we got her.

Instead of inviting tons of relatives, mama M decided that she wanted to have a small celebration with just her immediate family. We promised to lax on mama M's strict diet just this once so she can eat some crunchy pickles and creamy, whipped pate on her special day. We brought out the Russian semi-sweet champagne,

the homemade crabmeat salad (imitation crab meat, canned peas, hard-boiled egg, and light mayonnaise),

store-bought liver pate (mostly eaten... but, look at those creamy nooks and crannies!),

and the homemade shish kabob (marinated in a garlic and herb concoction, skewered with alternating circles of onion, and grilled on an oven rack). Yum! I love the color menageries.

Of course, the relatives refuse to stay away, and tonight is the real deal, the genuine, Russian, vodka-drinking, herring-eating,  joyous debacle.

Bon Apetit!    

Beginnings

Hello everyone,

Passionfood is a trial food blog for me. I'm a first-timer, dipping my toes into the warm, cozy ocean of food blogging, which really isn't as petrifying as it had seemed while I was thumbing through my favorites like La Tartine Gourmande and Orangette--the greats, recognized by the Times, awarded accolades.

So, a little about moi;

I'm a foodie (apparently with a penchant for Jamaica and ankle bracelets), and it was in college, when I finally had my own kitchen (read:laboratory) to preen my unsharpened cooking skills (read:explosives). Thank god I had a mop. However, things weren't always so messy and I wound up cooking some incredible meals: steak and eggs benedict, spinach-and-feta stuffed chicken, potato pancakes (which I have recently improved on with a much more Gentile recipe), marinated pork loin, and so much more.

I guess I should clarify, this blog will not only exalt food, but also drink. I am a beer aficionado, gravitating mostly toward the Belgian, but also German beers. I'm sure there will be some wine-drinking in the mix somewhere (there always is, isn't there?).

Oh! One more thing I should mention: my mother (we will refer to her as mama M) was recently diagnosed with congenital heart failure. And now I am a dedicated, doting, and psychotic daughter, cooking low-sodium, low-sugar (mama M is a diabetic), and low-fat meals.

Adieu!