Sunday, September 27, 2009

Guess where I am...

If you haven't been clued into where I am currently located in the world, these two pictures show the vast diversity of this crazy crazy place.

NYC


NYC


Also, as I am using my company computer so have no access to photoshop. If my pictures look like shit, blame the PC. (Perhaps this should be Apple's new ad campaign)

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Better than Christmas: A Give Away

giveaway


I'm happy to announce Les Petites Images second and most delicious give away to date.
The amazing Marxfoods has graciously provided me with the goods to give to one of my very lucky readers.

When the box arrived here I was in awe. It's simply ridiculous how many great things there are. It seemed like I just kept digging and digging as though it was Mary Poppins handbag. Though sample sized, these goodies could keep you busy in the kitchen for six months and will certainly spark some creativity.

The sweeteners alone are enough to make any sweet-tooth's mouth water...

Granulated Honey
Giveaway extravaganza

Demerara Sugar
Giveaway extravaganza

Vanilla Sugar
Giveaway extravaganza

All of them together looking pretty
Giveaway extravaganza

And then there were the salts: a plethora of specialty, rare, beautiful and oh-so-different types of salt. Salt you can use to make an extra special margarita, or add a spicy crunch to the top of a fabulous appetizer, or even as an addition to a fabulous home made truffle.

A "palette" of different flavors and colors
Giveaway extravaganza


Hawaiian Red Sea Salt

Giveaway extravaganza

Espresso Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Smoked Sea Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Lime Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Gray Sea Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Szechuan Pepper Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Hawaiian Black Sea Salt
Giveaway extravaganza

Habanero Salt
Giveaway extravaganza


That's quite a good give away isn't it? Salt and sugar? I guess spice would be an appropriate addition. So why not add, say, eleven types of dried chiles from around the world? Sure, no problem.

Giveaway extravaganza
Clockwise from far left: New Mexican Chiles, Japones Chiles, Organic Aji Cereza Chiles, Ancho Chiles, Aji Panca Chiles, Habanero Chiles, Puya Chiles, Chipotle Chiles

and a few more...
Giveaway extravaganza
Top to bottom: Ghost chiles, Smoked Serrano Chiles, Pasilla Negro Chiles


And then... (can you believe there is more?)

Finally there are the mushrooms. We all need a little umami in our lives right?

Shiitake
Giveaway extravaganza

Maitake
Giveaway extravaganza

Oyster
Giveaway extravaganza

Porcini
Giveaway extravaganza

Black Trumpet
Giveaway extravaganza

Lobster
Giveaway extravaganza

Chanterelle
Giveaway extravaganza

Matsutake
Giveaway extravaganza


And that people, is the greatest giveaway this blog has ever seen. Granted it's only the second giveaway I've done around here, it's still totally boss!

To qualify:
Leave a comment telling me which of the above products you are most excited to try in your kitchen and how you would use it.

Comments will close at 12pm central time on Friday October 9th. The winner will then be selected at random using the random integer generator at random.org to select one person by their comment number. If you blog, tweet, tumble or facebook (or any other form of social media for all I care) about this give away, leave a comment linking to your shout-out and enter to win up to 3 times!

Good luck!


Giveaway extravaganza

Friday, September 11, 2009

Kate Takes California: Part II

After another full day of meetings, we all really needed some R&R. Wednesday night we hit up the traditional "Irish pub" of Petaluma (what?) and enjoyed sitting on the patio until the sun went down and the temp dropped to the 40s. It's true that I deal with temperatures this low 6 months out of the year, but in California in August? I had just about enough of that. I made everyone go inside so my poor flip-flop-cladden feet could warm up.


Work Trip to CA



This looks like a scene from the birds, but it was really cool to watch these guys swoop around for 5 minutes, go back to their perch, and then back to the swooping thing. Strange creatures.

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Thursday we had another long day ahead of us. That's right. It was beach day. A pretty heated east coast v west coast volleyball game ensued (I picked east coast as my team, as I hand spent time hanging out with them during the week, and they are a much smaller sales team. Good thing too, because the west coast was ALL talk. I think it ended up 3-0 East coast. Way to go my friends.


Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA



Finally the competition subsided and the relaxing part of beach day began. Some people kayaked (and got to see seals 10 feet away from them, awesome!) and my bosses daughter Madelyn got her first taste (literally) of the ocean sand.

Work Trip to CA


Work Trip to CA
Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA
Work Trip to CA

seriously how cute is this?
Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA


After a fun trip back into SFO on hwy 1 (Read: not fun for the weak of stomach, including yours truly) we spent a short period of time in touristville USA, ate at McCormicks and Kulitos (and had what was truly the best Halibut of my life) in Ghiradelli square and bought some sourdough to throw in the freezer at home.

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Of course I grabbed a quick shot of this bride and groom

Work Trip to CA



The next morning, after the panic of an ammonia spill (and the possibility of being stranded at the Airport hotel) I finally got to SFO, bought a few pounds of Peet's and got a free cup to go (apparently when you spend $30 some dollars on coffee they'll give you a free cup). This was when I realized that I couldn't actually BRING my DAMN coffee with me to the terminal because Peet's was in ticketing. DAMN YOU TSA and your crazy 2oz bottle rule.

This gave me the opportunity to relax under what turned out to be a pretty cool sculpture hanging right outside of the terminal. Fine, I guess I'll forgive the TSA, but only this one time.

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Monday, September 7, 2009

Kate takes on California (Day one)

I know what you're thinking. Kate starts a new job, Kate stops blogging. Guys, it's not true! There is no doubt I've been busy. Learning a new job does take up time and energy. Add that to a couple of weddings and baby shoots, plus a trip to sunny CA and a bout of the stomach flu and there you have it. Bad blogging. Now I'm not making any promises. I have a bunch of things coming up pretty soon here. But I am going to give it a concerted effort to be better. In the mean time... here is a glimpse into my "work" trip to California.



My company is based out of Petaluma, CA, which ensures a trip through San Fran. I love this city, but since I was riding with others, I didn't really have a chance to do anything on my own. No worries. We at least stopped at a "scenic overlook"

Work Trip to CA

My 1st day of the sales meeting was tough. A plant tour in the morning, followed by long lunch and 3 hours of meetings afterwards (I know you're feeling my pain right now).

Now I realize I told you I wasn't going to mention the company I work for. The same holds true today, but if you figure it out from a picture or two I'll just think you're REALLY savvy.

The sales team (well, 1/2 of us)
Work Trip to CA


Mmmm, veggie burgers.

Work Trip to CA

The beginning of cheese enchiladas

Work Trip to CA

The amazing thing about this company is that so much is still done by hand.

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

The last thing I expected a plant to smell was pleasant. Today it smelled like the inside of a Mexican grandmothers kitchen. Not bad!

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA



There is a ham in every group

Work Trip to CA

Get this. They make their own tofu... by hand. We ate some right off the pressing block (this was the 1st delicious step towards me having a very full and bloated soy belly by the end of the week).

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

We didn't get to see any soup being made, but the set up looked pretty cool

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA


After our three long treacherous hours of meetings (you hate me, don't you? Hold on, it gets better) we headed off to a ranch about 10 minutes from downtown Petaluma.

Work Trip to CA

complete with pomegranate trees

Work Trip to CA

.. .and a fully equipped bakery

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA



... and scenes that look right out of an Anthropologie catalogue

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

... and chef preparing us produce purchased at the farmers market that morning

Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA

We stayed until dusk, filled to the brim and more content than ever before. Seriously this place was so incredibly beautiful. I'm thinking about getting our marriage annulled so we can get married all over again at this place. I can't even imagine what it would be like to live on the premises (three families have small cottages on the land, that are just as cute inside as they are out)


Work Trip to CA

Work Trip to CA


Up next: Beach day!