Looking Up

I'm not really back to blogging quite yet, but I wanted to take this opportunity to say how much it has meant to me to know that you are thinking of me and my family. Thanks to everyone who posted a comment, sent me an email or called. The last few days have been tough but I think the worst may be over. Spending day after day in the hospital lobby and waiting rooms, it's been a comfort reading all your kind words of support. If you have any favorite restaurants around UCSF Medical Center on Parnassus, feel free to share your recommendations. So far I've eaten at San Tung , at Sandy's for pho, and am hoping to try a Persian restaurant called Lavash next....

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Do me a favor?

You might have noticed I have not been posting very frequently here. In part it is because I am very busy with work. But I am also going through some very challenging times. And I could use your help. I don't have ads on my blog and I don't blog here for dollars. I do it because I love doing it and I don't want that to ever change. I want you to enjoy coming here, to learn something, to be entertained. I don't want you to be distracted by ads or think you owe me something. You don't. Perhaps I'm an idiot, but it's just my little corner of the internet and I want to make it a nice and welcoming place. I wouldn't put ads in my home, and this is my home online. But this week I'd like to ask you to do me a favor and not one penny is required. If you are reading this post, could you think a positive thought for me and for my family? It doesn't have to be a prayer or anything more than "I wish her well" but it would mean a lot to me right now......

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Wednesday Linkage

* Over at Epicurious you'll find links to my posts about " target="_blank">culinary conquests , my " target="_blank">favorite foodie newsletters and specialized recipe search engines . * If you enjoyed my " target="_blank">Fennel Shrimp recipe , you might want to check out the Tasty Pernod Recipes post on Glam Dish. * Also on Glam Dish is my interview with Hari Nayak , chef and author of Modern Indian Cooking . Hari provided some great ideas for using this season's citrus fruit in new ways. * Curious about absinthe? I was, and Steve Hoffman the beverage manager at the St Regis filled me in and answered all my pesky questions in this all about absinthe post. He also provided an absinthe cocktail recipe you might want to try. * Over at KQED is my review of Bake Until Bubbly and reprint of a classic macaroni and cheese recipe. Gotta love that title! * Last but not least, I was interviewed on a new blog, called "I'......

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World in a Teacup Symposium & Tasting

At the fascinating and caffeinated World in a Teacup program this weekend I heard professors and tea buyers speak about tea, saw a special tea exhibition at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology on the UC Berkeley campus and tasted a number of different very high quality teas. Though the program is now over, admission to the museum is free, so if you are in the area, stop by and see the set of display cases with tea accoutrement. It will be on display until next year. Some of the teas I tried and enjoyed the most were: Purple Oolong from Art of Tea Complex and robust brew with spicy notes Tribute Pu-erh from L'Amyx Dark and bold this is a tea that would pair well with food, it's often served with dim sum Assam Extra Fancy from Peet's Coffee & Tea Smooth with malty and toasty flavors Here are some interesting facts you might not know about tea: The oldest living tea tree is 2700 years old The Japanese tea ceremony dates back to the 16th centu......

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