Enjoy the Long Weekend

I hope you have relaxing plans this weekend. Z and I are traveling to Los Angeles for a family bar mitzvah (hi Fred, Z's grandpa and avid Hilary Stone Soup reader), and then we leave for Hawaii. If you have any Kauai recommendations, please send them my way! This will be my first time in Kauai, and I'm looking forward to hiking, acai bowls, and the beach. Enjoy the three-day weekend with family and friends--we sure will be! 

It can really suck to get to the end of a good book. This cute baby understands. 

Why grocery store brands are opening brick-and-mortar stores. 

Awesome food truck names. 

McDonald's offering all-day long breakfasts. 

I have always wanted to eat at this SF sushi restaurant. I guess now is the time! 

11 cakes that need only one bowl. 

What a great DIY for a wedding.

Loving the new Timbuk2 Femme collection.

Weekend project: turn your bedroom into an oasis.

Nutella meets cookie meets brownie. 

Summer Salad with Basil, Blue Cheese, Corn, and Heirloom Tomatoes

I am in denial that summer is basically over, and that is why I'm serving up a recipe today with some of summer's best produce--heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, basil, and arugula. Not to mention a hearty portion of blue cheese!

My friend A introduced me to this salad a few weeks ago. She stole the idea from her neighborhood salad/sandwich spot, and made it for me one night for dinner. I brought a big bowl of this salad to a potluck recently, and my friends devoured the salad quickly. Once you make it, you'll find yourself wanting it for dinner basically every night. Which isn't really a bad thing, since you'll only find these ingredients for maybe a few more weeks. So make this summer salad for dinner tonight.

As an adult, summer isn't quite as fun as it used to be. Living in the city means no friends with pools, working means no long summer vacations, and residing in San Francisco means piling on sweaters come June. Z and I will be escaping for a week to Hawaii very very soon, so we'll have to get our fill of warm weather, swimming, and vacation then, before the long grind to the holidays.

I'm thinking of fall recipes already--items for college football tailgates, Rosh Hashanah, and cozy Sunday night dinners. Before that though, let's make this salad over and over again, holding onto summer just a little bit longer.

Summer Salad with Basil, Blue Cheese, Corn, and Heirloom Tomatoes

2 ears of corn (white, yellow, bi-color--it doesn't matter!)

1/2 tablespoon of butter

4 cups of arugula, washed, rinsed, and dried

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

2 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

3 tablespoons chopped basil

Cut the kernels away from the corn cob. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the corn, and cook until just barely cooked (3-6 minutes, depending on the corn). You just want to lose the starchiness of the corn. 

Toss the arugula with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper according to taste. Add half the corn, tomatoes, blue cheese, and all of the basil. Toss and plate on a large serving platter. Top with the rest of the corn, tomatoes, and cheese. Enjoy!

Favorite Finds: Infatuation

Restaurant recommendations are tough, but there's one company, The Infatuation, that has become my absolute favorite app and website for finding new places to eat.

The Infatuation started in 2009 by two friends who found themselves being the constant source of restaurant recommendations for their friends, so they decided to build a website to help everyone find the perfect date place, the perfect place to take parents, a lazy brunch spot, etc.

Why I love The Infatuation: it's unpretentious and fun. They'll be honest and tell you that a trendy place has horrible food. You might find yourself laughing when reading one of their reviews. The Infatuation understands that food is meant to be fun and playful, and their tone and style resonate with any food lover. You'll get reviews on the restaurant as a whole, plus specific dishes, so you know what to order (and what to avoid!).

Who writes the reviews? The writers are exactly like you and me, and they don't receive any special treatment. Locals in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York,  and San Francisco cover restaurants for them, and they feature recommendations from public personalities like Product Hunt and James Freeman (founder of Blue Bottle).

Reviews on the site and app range from La Taqueria, a well-known and cheap Mexican spot, to Zuni, a high-end SF classic. Whatever the occasion, you'll find a perfect restaurant thanks to The Infatuation. They make it really easy to find restaurants by various categories like "Girls' Night Out", "Outdoor/Patio Situation", and "Cheap Eats".

Check them out here for more! 

Friday!

Have a great Friday everyone. I'm crossing my fingers that this warm weather streak continues through the weekend, so I can spend some time outside hiking and enjoying the sunshine. We're also in the midst of planning a trip to Kauai, so if you have any recommendations, please send them our way! Three close friends are coming over on Sunday to tell us their favorite places (and to enjoy a champagne brunch). 

Food safety tips for back-to-school season! 

Write an essay, win a restaurant.

Top Bay Area restaurants opening this fall.  

Eco-friendly chocolate chip cookies! 

A day in the life of Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant in America. 

Loving these kitchen storage containers--they'd be perfect for small candies or other treats. 

Saw this blush and it looks so dewy and perfectly end of summer pink--love!

Start-up food businesses making it big. 

Make some cold brew coffee this weekend. 

Hot and Sour Soba Noodle Salad

I've been keeping this soba noodle salad recipe a secret for a while now. I discovered it in via the New York Times back in March, and I quickly made these soba noodles my go-to dinner meal. I'm sorry for keeping such a delicious, easy, and healthy recipe a secret from you!

This recipe combines two of my favorite Asian flavors into one: gingery peanut sauce and hot and sour soup. My dad is famous for his peanut sauce recipe, which is always requested when my sister returns home from school. My family and I love hot and sour soup, and I still add a ton of vinegar into my soup because I'm convinced the soup is never sour enough. Clearly, any soba noodle recipe that combines the two is going to be a hit in my book. 

Z hates soba noodles (another article of proof that I must really love him, because who doesn't like soba noodles?), so I put this recipe into heavy rotation when Z was out of town. Since we rarely eat tofu when Z is home (surprise, surprise, he also doesn't like tofu), I used this as my opportunity to marinate some firm tofu in a gingery, garlic peanut paste, and added it on top.

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, and they have a strong nutty flavor. While they are typically not gluten free, you can sometimes find 100% buckwheat noodles which would be gluten free! 

Hot and Sour Soba Noodle Salad

Recipe via the NYTimes

Note: my version calls for a double amount of garlicky peanut paste that I use to marinate the tofu. Cut the paste in half if only making the noodles. 

Paste for Sauce:

4 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2-4 teaspoons red pepper oil (start with 2, and add more to taste)

Pinch of cayenne

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons sesame oil

4 servings of tofu (drained and pressed to remove water)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

1/2 pound Japanese buckwheat noodles

1 cup diced cucumbers

For the paste: Heat the peanut butter for 10 to 15 seconds in a microwave. Combine with soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper oil, cayenne, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Whisk together, and then whisk in sesame oil. 

Spread half of the mixture evenly over tofu, and place in fridge. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour. 

Using remaining paste, whisk in canola oil and broth. Set aside. 

Bring large pot of water to boil, and then add the noodles. When water comes back to a boil, add a cup of cold water to the pot. Allow the water to come back to a boil, and then add another cup of cold water. Have water come to a boil again, and add a third cup of water. When the water comes to a boil, the noodles are done. 

Drain the noodles and toss immediately with the dressing. Add remaining ingredients, including tofu, and toss again. Serve immediately.