Travel

Oh Napa

by Koko on January 20, 2013 · 1 comment

I love you.

My mom and I were fortunate to join a small group of 15 women chefs for a tour of Napa yesterday. In true chef-fashion, we focused mainly on food and just a little on wine. Our first stop was the Tres Sabores Winery. Now, I’m not normally a daytime drinker, but I had no problem sampling this crisp and delicious wine at 9:30AM. The winery has two large Golden Retrievers who roam wild as well as about a dozen sheep who graze throughout the vineyard.

We then went to Oxbow Public Market. And I was in trouble. This amazing indoor “market” is filled with small shops and restaurants with incredible food and products. There were fresh crepes, homemade ice cream, delicious cupcakes, fresh pressed juices and so much more. I could have spent all day in this small marketplace.

oxbow

We also went to Fatted Calf and saw an entire pig belly get butchered into a porketta, which was extremely impressive for a mainly non-meat eater. For Q, this would have been a “wow” moment!

We also stopped by a cute store called Poor House, which had incredible and unique home goods. I picked up these cute pieces to use for the wedding.

Me in front of the store:

Our last stop was Rancho Gordo’s, a small old-fashioned heirloom bean shop. Dried beans are SO much tastier than canned beans and they don’t take that much work! I like to saute some garlic and onion and then add the beans, water and cook on the stove for anywhere from 40 mins to 2 hours (depends on the beans and if you pre-soaked them or not). This store not only has an incredible variety of beans, but also helps small towns in Mexico whose farmers survive on the sales. An inspiring store. The quality is high and the impact on small villages is huge. I will never stop supporting them.

Bean pots on the top and bottom racks are made by one woman in a small village in Mexico. These are the BEST way to cook the beans. We bought one and will get back to you!

Overall, I could have spent all week in Napa. I love the interest in food and wine and pairing the two. I love the small shops and I love the vineyards more. I can’t wait to come back with Q sometime in the future and visit more!

Outfit is: Cardigan: J. Crew / Shirt: American Apparel / Scarf: Stella & Dot / Leggings: LuluLemon Wunder Under / Boots: Stuart Wietzman 50/50 (the best boots ever! This site also has more sizes) / Bag: from France! / Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Pin It

{ 1 comment }

An American in Paris 6

by Koko on January 17, 2013 · 0 comments

in Travel

This trip flew by!! Our last full day in Paris was spent stopping by the local department store with sells everything called BHV. We went in for a couple pens and a vase and left with new knives, glasses, French napkins, stationary and journals… whoops! I wanted to buy these bulldog pillow cases so badly, but didn’t know how I would get them home! And those neon Kitchenaids! Want!

We stopped at a local cafe for lunch. Asian inspired French food was a surprise hit.

In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of the Marais with our fabulous tour guide, Meg. We learned even MORE about chocolate and I’m telling you, French chocolate is superb. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a Hershey’s bar again!

The three sisters touring the Marais:

And like that it was over! Our last day was a cold one, I bundled up and wore my newly purchased French boots out on the French streets!

Rain Jacket: Eddie Bauer / Gray Knit Sweater: Gap (similar) / Beanie: Jessica Simpson Collection (similar) / Snood: J. Crew / Polka Dot Sweater: J. Crew (similar) / Pants: J. Brand 901 Legging Jeans / Shoes: French! / Bag: Zara (similar)

Yesterday, we packed up our things and said Au revoir to Paris! It was quite the trip.

Love my new Stella & Dot scarf from Q! We arrived in San Francisco late last night for the WCR (Women’s Chefs and Restauranteurs) conference and the Winter Fancy Foods Show. This trip has been about food, food and more food! Aren’t I supposed to be getting ready for a wedding here!?!

Pin It

{ 0 comments }

An American in Paris 5

by Koko on January 15, 2013 · 2 comments

in Travel

Day 5 in Paris was spent doing some serious shopping, but shockingly not all for clothes! As a foodie, I always love checking out local groceries, small shops and bakeries to see what the locals are eating. We began the day at Poilane, one of the most decorated bakeries in France. The breads were beautiful and the store was decorated with sable cookie ornaments. A dream shop!

bread

Next we headed to Le Bon Marche, the oldest department store in the world. The clothes were gorgeous, but we were more interested in the enormous food court. The food court reminded me of Harrod’s. There is beautifully prepared food in cases and the rarest of ingredients throughout the rest of the store. The French take their sugar very seriously. Since they take their espresso so strong, the sugar cuts the bit of the cafe. In the bottom photo here, you can see all the cute sugars the French sell. How cute to serve your company a cup of espresso and a sugar heart?

bon marche

And we got our first snow of the trip! This Alaskan girl should be used to the snow by now, but it was still exciting!

Outfit from the day:

Coat: Vince (similar)

Beanie: Jessica Simpson Collection (similar)

Snood: J. Crew Wool Snood

Sweater: J. Crew Colorblock Cashmere Sweater (similar)

Pants: J. Brand 901 Legging Jeans

Boots: Stuart Wietzman 50/50 (the best boots ever, worth every penny!)

Bag: Zara (similar)

Pin It

{ 2 comments }

An American in Paris 4

by Koko on January 14, 2013 · 4 comments

in Travel

We began day 4 with a walk through a small square in the Marais district where we are staying. There is something so magical about these small parks. The lights, the trees, the scenery is just beautiful.

park

We then walked to the Bastille Farmers’ Market. We all know how much I adore Farmers’ Markets at home and this one blew the ones at home out of the park. The fresh meat, seafood, flowers, eggs, and food were such a sight to see. The market is huge and filled with stands of goodies. This was my favorite part of the trip so far.

market

And how cute are these French doggies?

Tongue’s out and he doesn’t care!

This one looks like he is driving the truck. Look at his arm resting on the window!

We then trekked to the Latin Quarter for a small cheese and wine tour with the best tour guide EVER, Meg (truly, if you want a foodie tour, she is your woman!). Our first stop was Laurent Dubois Fromager, one of our tour guide’s favorite cheese shops. In France, food craftsmen compete for the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (or MOF), a unique award for the best of the best of their trade. Craftsmen must pay 50,000 Euro just to enter the competition and usually do not get the MOF award the first time they enter. Once you receive the MOF award, you can wear a red, blue and white collar and for your lifetime and are known as the best of your trade. For cheesemongers, there are only 15 in the country and the owner of this shop (Laurent Dubois) is one of them.

The cheese was fantastic! We had two bleus, a brie, a mont d’or and camembert served with fresh bread. The cheese is more flavorful and rich here, since in America we can’t have young cheese (anything under 8 weeks old) like fresh brie or fresh camembert because of bacteria the French don’t worry about.

cheese

For chocolate, Patrick Roger has the MOF in chocolate. We picked up chocolates from his shop and they were unbelievable. The chocolate is France is mainly dark and rich, so you really only need to eat one or two pieces to get your chocolate fix in.

chocolate