l'écharpedesoi

thought i'd share a little note that hangs above my desk, from the wonderful vintage typewriter/fortune-telling machine at the musée mécanique.

retour

i'm back on the blogosphere after several weeks of intensive work, fun, and family. it's been extremely tough juggling 8 units and having family over in my (thankfully) spacious studio. french 121b is one of the toughest french literature courses you can take, and ochem needs no intro. thankfully it's almost over, and even though i've spent days and nights studying with no end, i feel really great. crazy to think that in a couple of weeks, fall will be at my doorstep.

yesterday i visited a nearby thrift shoppe that's literally a block away from my place, a real gem that's only open a couple times a week. props to my mom for taking me! i ended up leaving a few dollars lighter and one ring heavier; a 14k gold (solid, not plated!) ring with a single, iridescent ruby. granted, it was probably one of, if not the most expensive thing in the store, but i feel like i've scored such a find! vintage jewelry is always so beautiful, and to find them in mint condition with genuine materials is a bonus. will definitely wearing this number day and night.

also, super busy playing with taro gomi's play all day punch-out book.

feelinggood

Fit into a pair of 00 pants today. Feels good.

peyote

He's never going to guess! Having a bit of fun on Hanging With Friends, like a good student should. I'm actually working really hard right now. Rewarding myself with kitten cuddling as I type!

oystersonthehalfshell

Hog Island oysters on the half shell, fresh from Farmer's Market and masterfully shucked by my mom. Blue Bottle coffee spotted in the background (arguably a family-wide addiction)! Back in the day, my family used to travel all the way from LA to Marin County to get our hands on tons of different types of oysters and clams from Hog Island. Then we'd come home, grab some seaweed from the beach for garnishing, call our friends, and hold a seafood appreciation soirée in our backyard. Last weekend was a great way to relive the memories!

ciccoli

Sitting on my bed on a Sunday night with a glass of iced tea seems like the perfect time to extol the merits of ciccoli.

Now, I've never been too keen on foie gras or pâté, in spite of my francophilic tenets and my mom's sworn oath of allegiance to spreadable meat. While I crave buttery and creamy textures, pâté and foie gras are simply too rich for my palate. This is why I typically stay away from terrine, sweetbread, and the like.

I was dining at Delfina on 18th and Guerro when I discovered the perfect solution to this problem; ciccoli (CHEE-cho-lee)! Ciccoli is, in theory, pork pâté, made from pork shoulders, rinds, and/or fat, depending on the recipe you encounter. The paste in then served atop crostini, fried, eaten solo, etc. Delfina served it up on top of crostini-like pieces of toast, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. At first taste, the saltiness of the olives in the paste were overpowering, but as I lingered over every bite, the richness of the pork, and the fragrant salinity of the olives were a match in heaven.

The moral of the story for pâté haters and foie gras phobics in danger of losing their foodie cred? Go get yourself some ciccoli.

ps. ciccoli is noticeably more difficult to encounter than your standard charcuterie offerings. popular amongst bay area foodies is Paul Bertolli of fra'mani (based in Berkeley, CA!), and word on the street is that he has his own ciccoli recipe, found in his book Cooking By Hand. be on the look out!

l'agencecorduroy

Ultra-lightweight corduroy pants by L'Agence. My new favorite staple. Bonus points for biker chap-esque knee patches. Kept me warm all day despite the chilly winds in downtown SF! Highlight of the day was picking out favorite pieces from the Opening Ceremony x Rodarte collection to try on with my favorite sales associate at Barney's...the dude channeling Simon Doonan who always wears Commes Des Garçons polka dot prints.