Comfort Food

When it comes to food, I'm a simple girl. I like bread. I like cheese. I like just about any combination of the two -- especially the mac & cheese variety. And I liked it that way. That is until last month when I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy. Lucky for me, yesterday Coco and Omnivore books came to my rescue with a sweet little book called The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone.

Now, I have to be honest, I am a novice in the kitchen, so I am easily intimidated by creating food from scratch. Not so with this book. Each recipe has a reasonable number of everyday ingredients and clear, easy to follow steps to help you transform a pinch of this and a cup of that into a dish tasty enough to please even the staunchest gluten-lover. I tried the featured cover dish: Corn Macaroni & Cheese, which I managed to pull together for today's lunch in under an hour. And it tasted just like mac & cheese.

Having already pleased my well-honed mac & cheese-loving palate, I can hardly wait to try the next recipe... perhaps Quick Flaxseed and Chickpea Baguette, Goat Cheese Pizza, Spinach and Zucchini Frittata or Almond-Plum Rice Flour Coffee Cake. With nearly 200 pages of recipes, I'll have plenty chose from.

Oh How I Love a Good Book...

I am a lover of books. Reading is a passion and my taste ranges from classics to cookbooks. I also can't resist a great book shop; I love the hunt and have been known to spend many hours reading in the aisles. I had heard for months and months about Omnivore Books in Noe Valley, San Francisco. Unfortunately it took me quite sometime to make it over for a visit, but I have to admit the words better late than never really rung true for me on this trip.


Friends had described it as a little shop filled to the brim with books, new and old, devoted to food & drink. Boy they weren't kidding. I was over-whelmed by the volume and mix of titles they stock. There are shelves and shelves filled with books; luckily the proprietor is a lovely, patient woman who happily answers questions and makes recommendations. I was lucky enough to be able to gift myself a signed copy of Out of the Kitchen by Jeannette Ferrary.


The shop is small and warm with a very knowledgeable staff. If you are looking for a gift this holiday season, for the foodie in your life, they have many signed copies of new and perennial favorites. On a side note this spot used to be a butcher shop; this owner kept some of the old fixtures definitely check them out they really do add to the total fanciful feeling of the store.


Omnivore Books on Food
3885a Cesar Chavez Street
San Francisco, CA

Check it out soon!
Xoxo, Coco

I'm Not a Baker

I love savory cooking. I'm thrilled by the element of improvisation -- winging it when something needs a touch more salt, a drizzle of olive oil. I always make a recipe exactly according to directions the first time, but after that, all bets are off. I'm free to make changes as I see fit.
Baking has always seemed so rigid, so...not fun.

But I acquired a new range last year, and have been enjoying baking more and more. It's a chilly Sunday afternoon, and I had a craving for gingerbread. So I made these gingerbread cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting. I poked holes in the top of the cakes with a skewer and doused them with a ginger syrup for more flavor and moisture, and sprinkled the icing with chopped up crystalised ginger. Perfect for a winter's day.

Cupcakes and Frosting (I subbed orange for lemon)

Ginger Syrup (I'm saving the leftover to make cocktails and ginger tea.

Sweet Bliss

courtesy of Paulette Macarons

Oh how I love a good cookie, well not just any cookie, specifically french macarons. there is nothing, i mean NOTHING, better than a well executed macaron. When right, they are subtly sweet, with an ever-so slightly crunchy exterior and a marshmallow(y) interior. We are very lucky because in the bay area there are a number of good spots to try...C'est magnifique!

• Paulette www.paulettemacarons.com
• Miette www.miette.com
• Patisserie Philippe www.patisseriephilippe.com
• La Boulange www.laboulangebakery.com
• Bouchon www.bouchonbakery.com
• L'Artisan www.lartisanmacaroon.com
• Masse's Pastries www.massespastries.com

Xoxo, Coco

Local Gem

courtesy of jeaninepayer.com

Jeanine Payer is an amazing artist who lives and works in San Francisco (my hometown).  She has an atelier as well as a tiny jewel box retail space in the Union Square district.  Jeanine is known for her delicate silver & gold designs featuring beautifully hand engraved poetry; her work has a very quiet elegance about it.  Fall in love with her work at http://www.jeaninepayer.com/ ; I sure have...

Xoxo, Coco

What I Crave

courtesy of nymag.com

I thought I would spend time sharing one of my favorite jewelry lines with you. As I have already mentioned I have eclectic taste and will do my utmost to provide a solid mix of high-end to home-grown examples of beautiful jewelry. I thought I would start with a real drool-worthy brand...Van Cleef and Arpels.


I love, love, love VC&A http://www.vancleef-arpels.com/en/van-cleef.html. They have created some of the most stunning pieces ever made. A french design house, VC&A have been doing what they do since 1906 and are masters at it. They are a big part of a short-list of the very best in the world. Truly lovely...Enjoy!


Xoxo, Coco

I Guess I Should Just Start...

I have to admit that starting this blog has been easy (thanks blogger!)...but starting this blog has been really hard too.


Let me start from the beginning...


I am an expert admirer of beautiful things. And while my tastes are eclectic the look/style that I am attracted to I describe as urban prep. Best described as a cross between chic and sleek modern city living with a pop of color and whimsy thrown in for good measure. Urban prep isn't just about one particular category of goods for me; it best describes how I think about food, fashion & jewelry, design and decor. I love to talk about, buy, research, and stalk all these things; I just can't get enough. These are my passions, perhaps addiction is a more appropriate word (my husband would agree). Over the years I have casually shared with friends my feelings, thoughts, ideas, information, and recommendations. Now I thought I would take the next step and write it down and possible share what I have learned with a larger audience (or not--i guess that depends on you). At least i have decided to give it a shot. I will do my best to follow through and post regularly. My goal is to provide helpful and hopefully interesting info that I have picked up during my long love affair with all things I consider urban prep.


Oh yeah I can not let this occasion pass without saying thanks to a persistent friend (you know who you are) for coaxing me to try...


Xoxo, Coco