The Cockroach Dance

Some people fear snakes, others fear heights or spiders. I am deathly afraid of cockroaches (but don't get me wrong, I'm scared of big hairy spiders too). In saying that, I’d rather have a spider on my face, than a cockroach anywhere near me.

So you’re probably wondering what the cockroach dance is. It basically consists of hopping around on your tip-toes, alternating from one foot to the other, while trying not to touch the ground at all so that cockroaches can not run over your feet.

And this was my first experience of Singapore. In my head, this was my rationalization of Singapore thus far:

Harvest Hell {Guest Post}

I've always wanted to do a series of guest posts written by friends and family, but I just haven't gotten around to bugging enough people to write something for me. Luckily for me, someone actually wrote something for me without too much pestering on my end! 

Below is a post written by my good friend Dustin who recently spent a few months harvesting wine in Oregon.
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We are all familiar with the idiom “this is when we separate the men from the boys”. Well, the harvest season in any wine producing region across the world is truly an example of the men proving that they are men, and the boys falling to pieces.  

Mr. B

I'm obsessed, nay, infatuated with Anthony Bourdain. I've watched every single episode of No Reservations, read his most recent book, am reading his first book, follow him on Twitter and on Facebook, and try to get him to respond to my tweets basically everyday. Clearly, he's not having it.

That's okay, he's like the dealer to my food porn addiction and I'm still planning to hussy up every buck I have to make sure the supply never runs dry.

Alright, in reality, I like the way he thinks and expresses himself. Sometimes crude, sometimes harsh, almost always sarcastic, but frank and to the point. I appreciate honestly without all the BS. I like the fact that he can sit at a bar in Boston and take shots of whiskey with the locals, and the next week sit down to a typical, yet basic family meal in Vietnam, and have a good time either way. I like that when he's eating, he can get along with everyone (have you seen the Ted Nugent episode?) Yes, he's rough around the edges, but no one is perfect.

Umami Burger

Umami: Taken from Japanese meaning savory. One of the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter).

The first thing I was told after having been welcomed into the flagship San Francisco spot was that Umami Burger proudly grounds their own meat every day, processes their own cheese, pickles their own vegetables, and that the word umami means savory. You should expect all of their burgers to be rich in flavor, juicy, and cooked medium-rare.

I first read about Umami Burger on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere, and haven't stopped hearing about it since (my LA-based friends can't help but gush over their obsession with it). So naturally, when a co-worker casually mentioned that he had just had lunch at the new restaurant, I -literally - ran over to check it out. I wasn't the only one who was excited to be there - a reporter from the SF Chronicle was there interviewing the staff and taking photos.

A much more professional photo than mine from the Umami Burger site.

Luckily, I had just missed the lunch rush, and was able to sit down at the bar immediately. I asked the bartender what the most popular burger was and he suggested either the Umami Burger or the Hatch Burger. I chose the Umami Burger since, hey, it's Umami Burger, with a Japanese Caprese Salad to start.

SFO -> PDX

The Willamette River and Burnside Bridge

Portland was not somewhere I had envisioned myself visiting. It had never registered on my internal map of places to see, I had no reason to go to Portland, and I couldn’t imagine what I would do once I got there. But recently, I had a spontaneous choice to make: go to Portland for the weekend or not. I thought about it and figured, “When the hell else am I going to have the chance to go to Portland…why not?” So I booked a flight and landed in Portland a few days later.

Having done a quick Google search (and rewatched half an episode of No Reservations in Portland), I realized Portland is a foodie’s paradise. So, being a big fan of food myself, I decided this was going to be a weekend long search for anything delicious…and boy, was I right.

My fellow Portland newbie (and foodie extrodinaire) and I spent the weekend voraciously eating our way through the city, with the one exception of Powell's City of Books – where I could have happily found a cozy corner to curl up in and read book after book.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Portland was that everyone had tattoos. Tattoo parlors were aplenty, and I saw more than one freshly inked arm in my short time there. The atmosphere was definitely not what I'm used to: totally down-to-earth in a I-wear-tshirts-and-jeans-listen-to-rock-music-and-dye-my-hair-funky-colors kind of way. But despite the tough-guy appearances, no one was rude or pretentious, everyone wanted to share with us their favorite places to eat and everyone was genuinely friendly.

Every place we found was delicious. Portland may have a relaxed vibe to it, but Portlanders are very serious about their food and beers. 

Happy Birthday To Me!

My birthday was a few days ago, and this year I wanted to celebrate by doing something low key. I started the day by taking a long walk with my aunt down to the water near Fisherman's Wharf, through Fort Mason and to the Marina. We decided to have lunch at this cute little place called Rose's Cafe where I had some amazing lemonade: sparkling lavender lemonade with a piece of mint (if you don't like sour, you might want to add some sugar)....mmm so good, I'm craving it right now!

On our way back to Nob Hill, we passed through Polk St. and stopped for some birthday froyo at Loving Cup. They are known for their creative way of mixing their froyo flavors and for their realllly delicious rice pudding. 

What I Ate

Not so typical foods from my travels to Sweden:

 Fresh picked raspberries

Champagne, raspberries and watermelon

Greek yogurt and raspberries, a pistachio cinnamon roll and pear cider

Homemade blueberry pie

Pear popsicles

Diam ice cream

Instead of sour cream & onion, they have dill chips

Fancy cakes

Assortment of delicious Swedish cookies

Swedish desserts

Homemade salmon sashimi and sake

~C