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Saved By Zero

Posted by on 19 October 2010, 6:44 am

I’m on maternity leave but don’t yet have a baby to care for. Therefore, I have quite a bit of time on my hands – to clean, to organize, to think about things in great detail. Last week, I decided it had been far too long since

a) I wore real shoes (these beauties, in black, became the norm a long time ago), and

b) I went on an actual date with my husband. You know, a date spent in a real restaurant with fancy cocktails and detailed conversation and sleek decor, as opposed to a sandwich shop willing to overlook my faded maternity leggings and the trail of crumbs clinging to my pregnant belly.

After hearing some buzz about Zero Zero, a new-ish establishment specializing in Neapolitan-style pizzas and pasta, I decided we should venture to SoMa for a night on the town. Because said evening began at 5:45, it took some time for Corey to realize this was indeed an actual date…apparently he didn’t notice the flats and lip gloss I donned for the occasion?! I even popped my antacids with a bit more subtlety than usual.

Once we established the significance of this event, we settled back to enjoy the ambiance. Zero Zero doesn’t skimp on the aforementioned sleek decor – we sat upstairs and had a great view of the main seating area and bar, as well as some funky murals that adorn the walls.

As for the food, San Francisco is teeming with restaurants that offer this exact cuisine. I’ve dined at quite a few of them and have to say that Zero Zero wins the prize for both quality and value. We split three items, starting with fried brussel sprouts with pickled onion, pear and pancetta. What a fantastic combination of flavors! I knew I’d love the crisp pancetta, but the pickled veggies and sweet pear actually made the dish.

Next came a panzanella salad with more pickled onion, avocado, cucumber and heirloom tomatoes. This was light and refreshing with subtle hints of basil and arugula. The bread was just as it should be for panzanella: soft without being mushy, and with a light garlic flavor. I could have eaten this as my meal and been perfectly content.

And finally, the big finish – the Castro pizza with housemade sausage, sopressata, mozzarella and basil. The toppings were ample and tasty, and the crust was equal parts blistered and chewy. (Don’t you hate it when pizzas like this are burnt to a crisp? This one was perfectly cooked, in my humble opinion.)

We had zero zero room for dessert, but Corey sampled a cocktail from the restaurant’s interesting bar menu. The Ninth Ward was a blend of bourbon, falernum, St. Germain, lime and bitters. It looked a bit like rose-tinted dishwater but Corey loved the layers of flavor.

I thought this might be our final adult hurrah before Baby T. makes her way into this world, but my doctor thinks I have a bit more time to wine and dine. I’m 39 weeks pregnant today, and she feels reasonably sure I’ll make it to my due date – if not a few days after. Only time will tell!

Filed under Dining Out. Tagged 
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Indulge Me

Posted by on 13 October 2010, 10:01 am

This is not a post about food. This is a post about baby stuff – specifically, my baby’s nursery. Several people have asked about this, so I figured I’d share some photos along with my experience with navigating the vast world that is the baby product industry. Indulge my nesting instincts with this one post and we’ll get back to food tomorrow :)

I am not a decorator. Our home is comfortable, clean and reflects our personalities, but it’s hardly stylish or put together. Assembling a baby’s room posed a challenge for me because most stuff is themed and matchy-matchy, meaning you coordinate your paint color to your bedding set and your crib to your custom-made wainscoting.  That is just not how I roll. Plus, baby furniture and decor are ridiculously expensive, and it’s hard for me to justify spending thousands of dollars for infant furniture and accessories. My tastes and preferences will evolve as the baby grows (and/or we move to a different house), so I don’t want to feel tied down to expensive items meant to last a lifetime. I wanted a room that was safe, comfortable and functional, with the perfect amount of girly flair. Here’s what I came up with.

The crib was a subject of much research and debate. After consulting Consumer Reports, Baby Bargains and various new and experienced moms, I decided on the Gulliver crib from (surprise!) Ikea. I never thought of Ikea as a source for nursery furniture, but it turns out their cribs are highly ranked for safety and value. It’s a small, simple crib, which is perfect for our space. What’s more, the $99 price tag doesn’t make me feel like I have to keep it forever and use it as a toddler bed.

Also from Ikea: coordinating Gulliver changing table…

…and Expedit bookcase. While it will be used to store books and toys, it will also serve as a storage area for blankets and clothes thanks to the handy canvas bins. Again, our small space means we can’t have a separate dresser for Baby T – she’ll share a wardrobe with me (the light brown one, seen in the photo above) and take over a bit of my closet.

Spending a little less on furniture allowed me to spend a little more on the really fun stuff: bedding and decor. Again, this is NOT my strong suit, but I am happy with the things I found and I like how they came together in the room. All of the purple accessories (bedding, canvas bins, hamper) are from Land of Nod, an affiliate of Crate & Barrel. Not only are they known for quality and safety, they also have some ridiculously adorable stuff. The best part is that all of the items are available a la carte, so if you’re like me (anti matchy-matchy) you can buy as much or as little as you want from each bedding/accessory line.

And as for decor…my first stop was Etsy, where I found these gems.

Corey made me promise I would not turn our nursery into a wall-to-wall Westie shrine. Hmph. I think that would have been phenomenal, but whatever! One wall will have to suffice. These are fabric appliques that I mounted on canvas. I’m far from crafty, but I can handle a little bit of fabric glue.

Etsy also yielded these adorable and inexpensive art cards, which became instant decor after I slapped them in some boxy Ikea frames.

And the last bit of wall art came from the hidden caverns of my basement. My mom first did this watercolor painting when I was a kid – I don’t know if she gave it to someone, or sold it at a craft fair, or what, but I loved it, and asked her to recreate it for me in my adulthood. It came off my wall at some point, but I always kept it, and in thinking about nursery decor I knew I wanted this to be in my daughter’s room. Perhaps it will inspire her to work toward world peace?

Finally, the last bit of decor – the rug. Can anyone tell me why rugs are so expensive? I’m not talking about luxurious Oriental rugs, or wall-to-wall carpeting – I’m talking about 4×6 accent rugs that should not cost $200 or more. Thankfully, we found an inexpensive rug at T.J. Maxx that just happens to match the rest of the room. After searching high and low for this item, I’m convinced I should open a discount rug store to fill a gaping hole in the decorating market.

Someone enjoys the rug quite a bit.

From start to finish, I’d guess that we spent less than $600 on everything in this room – and I’m totally happy with that budget, as it gives me some wiggle room to add more necessities and decor once the little peanut arrives. Come on out, baby – we’re ready for you!

Filed under Baby.
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Mothers and Daughters

Posted by on 11 October 2010, 5:37 pm


At 38 weeks pregnant, I’m doing a lot of thinking about mothers and daughters.  As I look back on my 31 years with my own mom, I’ve deciphered four distinct stages in our relationship.

Stage 1: Undying love and devotion (birth to 9 years old). For much of my early life, I thought my mom was totally cool. I wanted to hang around her. I wanted her to chaperone school field trips. I enjoyed accompanying her to the mall, the grocery store, local restaurants and other places where I might see friends.

Stage 2: Mortal embarrassment (10 to 17 years old). OK, so I still loved my mom…but did she have to wear those clothes? In public? Did she have to talk to my friends? Like most daughters in this age range, I believed my mom’s sole purpose was to embarrass me in front of people I desperately wanted to impress. Considering she was a mother of five who worked full time, I’m sure this was at the top of her to-do list.

Stage 3: Realization of authority and expertise (18 to 29 years old). As I went off to college, got married and attempted life as an adult, I realized the need for Mom’s guidance on everything from roasting a chicken to ironing pleated pants. I didn’t always take her advice, but I knew I could rely on her for credible information.

Stage 4: Acceptance of the inevitable (30 years old to present). Like most women, I am slowly becoming my mother. We both worry. We procrastinate. We strive for perfection, even when things don’t need to be perfect. We have many of the same tendencies, though we don’t always see eye to eye – especially when it comes to food.

Take, for example, this twist on a classic: BLT with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese. I enjoyed something similar at a local French bistro, and knew I had to recreate it at home.

Mom would love the roasted tomatoes.


And she’d totally swoon over the crusty bread.


But she absolutely hates goat cheese, and would not be afraid to tell me so. In fact, I believe her exact words would be something like, Why would you cover that beautiful bacon with something that smells like dirty socks?


I’ll never change her mind about goat cheese. Or cilantro.  Or mayonnaise (which is really the most painful – I can’t believe the woman uses Miracle Whip). But if she changed those opinions, she wouldn’t be my mom, and we wouldn’t have nearly as many healthy debates. Let’s just hope my daughter falls on my end of the culinary spectrum so I don’t have two headstrong women to argue with in the kitchen.

BLT with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

for two sandwiches:

1 lb plum, roma or similar tomatoes (I used a new-to-me variety: pearl tomatoes)

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

salt and pepper

4 to 6 pieces of thick cut bacon

1 to 2 oz soft goat cheese

mixed greens or other lettuce of your choice

sandwich rolls or crusty bread of your choice

mayonnaise and/or mustard, if desired

Note: This recipe can be adapted according to how decked out you want your sandwich to be. Aside from the general cooking method for the tomatoes, it’s all about your personal preference! Adapt the quantities of each ingredient to suit your tastes.

Preheat oven to 425. Wash the tomatoes and remove any stems.  Slice them in half and use the tip of your knife or a spoon to gently remove the seeds and liquid. Place the tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes; they’re done when they are tender and caramelized. (Depending on your oven and the size of your tomatoes, you may need to roast them for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.) Remove tomatoes from the oven and set aside.

While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the bacon over medium low to medium heat until you reach your desired level of crispness. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bread with a thin layer of mayo and/or mustard (if desired), then top with mixed greens, bacon and roasted tomatoes. Finish the sandwich with a layer of crumbled goat cheese.

Filed under Baby, Pork. Tagged ,
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My Temporary Normal

Posted by on 29 September 2010, 7:47 am

These days, it’s perfectly normal for me to be wide awake at 3 a.m. I used to get frustrated and upset by this, especially when everyone tells me now is the time to stock up on ZZZZs….but I’ve learned to embrace it. And therefore, it’s perfectly normal for me to eat breakfast around 3:30.

Lately it’s also normal for me to spend a lot of time thinking about my baby, who is approximately 4 weeks away from her birthday. I hit the 36 week mark yesterday so there’s no turning back now! These thoughts range from the typical (what will she look like? what will her personality be?) to the laughable. (Example: during last week’s episode of Glee, I actually got teary-eyed thinking about my daughter being bullied in high school and not getting picked to be on a sports team, show choir, or anything else she wants to participate in. Perhaps this is a little premature.)

Finally, if you go by my last few posts, it appears normal for me to subsist solely on baked goods – specifically, brownies and bar cookies. I promise I’m making (and consuming) savory food, but honestly, the baked goods are more interesting to prepare and share. My version of nesting includes only a little bit of cleaning and organizing and a lot of baking. It’s not that I want to eat everything I make (truth be told, I’m losing my appetite in the final few weeks of pregnancy – how depressing is that?!). It’s more that I want to feel a bit of the old me in this new phase, which I have dubbed my temporary normal. Things will change forever when Baby T makes her appearance, so I may as well bake random batches of Zucchini Carrot Bars while I still have time to do so.

These are more cake-like than bar-like, but they’re still delicious. I found myself with a surplus of carrots and zucchini, and while half of the veggies have been consumed raw with ranch dip, the other half went directly into a bowl with butter, sugar and eggs. As abnormal as that sounds, I promise these bars are great for a light, sweet snack – or a 3:30 a.m. breakfast.

Zucchini Carrot Bars

adapted from Fat Witch Brownies

1 1/4 c shredded carrots (I used about 6 medium carrots)

2 c boiling water

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 c shredded zucchini (I used about 1 1/2 medium zucchini)

1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 c raisins

Put the shredded carrots in a colander. Pour the boiling water over the top and allow the water to slowly drain. Let the carrots sit and dry for about an hour. If they still seem fairly wet, use a couple of paper towels to gently press out any excess water. (Note: I found that my zucchini was quite wet after shredding it, so while you do NOT add it to the colander with the carrots and boiling water, you may wish to blot it dry when you tend to the carrots.)

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9×9 pan by either greasing and flouring or lining with nonstick foil, leaving an overhang on all sides (my preferred method). Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth, then add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and add the dry ingredients to the batter. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated, but not overmixed. Add the carrots and zucchini by hand, followed by the walnuts and raisins. Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs (no batter).

Allow to cool on a rack for one hour, and cut into squares just before serving. (If using a glass baking dish, remove from the pan after 10 minutes of cooling – this is where the foil overhang comes in! – then cool fully on the rack.)

Filed under Baby, Baking, Dessert. Tagged 
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Happy Surprise

Posted by on 20 September 2010, 8:37 pm

I knew it was coming.

People warned me that I might hit a pregnancy wall – that time when pregnancy stops being fun and magical and starts to feel like work. I’m 35 weeks – so close to the finish line – and all of a sudden, I feel kind of terrible. I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in…a while. Hormones are raging and minor problems at home and work feel like major catastrophes. When my allergies flared up last week, I decided it would be best to stay home and get a day of rest. I was feeling a little sorry for myself (okay, a lot sorry for myself) when there was a knock at the door….and Mr. UPS Man handed me this:

A new cookbook, sent by my Aunt B.! She and I once visited Fat Witch in NYC’s Chelsea Market and enjoyed their yummy selection of brownies and bar cookies. I didn’t know about this cookbook (though I have tried the Fat Witch boxed brownie mix), so I was thrilled to receive it. Thanks for the surprise, dear aunt. It was just what I needed to snap me out of my funk.

My cookbook collection is intentionally small because I only buy books I know I will use. They have to have more than a handful of viable, tasty recipes. Aunt B. clearly understands this philosophy because every single recipe in the Fat Witch cookbook is something I would make. Everything is prepared in a 9×9″ pan, so it’s great for those of us who prefer to bake in small batches. And don’t worry if brownies aren’t your thing; this little book includes lots of recipes for blondies and bar cookies, which are just as delicious as their fudgy brownie counterparts. My first baking adventure yielded these Apricot Bars, which feature a buttery cookie crust and a gooey topping made with brown sugar and dried fruit.

These were made entirely from pantry staples since we almost always have a bag of dried apricots on hand for quick, easy snacks. They were rich and delicious, and while they tasted like a complicated dessert, they were ridiculously easy to throw together. If every recipe in the cookbook is this fantastic, I’m going to be a fat witch, indeed.

Apricot Bars

adapted from Fat Witch Brownies

3/4 c tightly packed dried apricots

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp

1/3 c granulated sugar

1 1/4 c flour

2 large eggs

1 1/4 c packed brown sugar (recipe calls for light; I used dark because it’s what I had)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×9″ pan with a double layer of nonstick aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on all sides of the pan so you will be able to lift the finished product straight from the pan.*

Put the dried apricots in a saucepan along with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Drain, allow to cool slightly and pat dry with paper towels before chopping into small pieces. Set aside.

Prepare the crust by beating the butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until pale yellow and creamy. Sift the flour into the butter/sugar and mix on low to medium until well combined and crumbly. Use your hands to pat the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven, and remove when the crust is golden brown.

As the crust bakes, prepare the topping by beating the eggs, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla and salt on medium low speed until smooth and incorporated. Stir in the chopped apricots by hand and pour the topping over the par-baked crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours. Use the foil to remove the bars from the pan in one piece, then cut into bars. (If using a glass pan, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and cool completely on the wire rack before cutting.)

*As I mentioned in my last post, I prefer using nonstick foil to get brownies and bars out of the pan and facilitate an easier cutting process. If you prefer, you can butter and flour the pan in lieu of using nonstick foil.

Filed under Baby, Baking, Dessert. Tagged ,
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