October 21, 2016
– Ask any food fanatic about their favorite movies and undoubtedly Tampopo will be on their list (if not #1). Juzo Itami’s delightfully playful 1985 “ramen western” tells the story of Tampopo, a woman on a mission to turn around her failing roadside noodle shop with the guidance of two truck drivers – an unlikely pair of ramen ronin. Janus Films […]
May 22, 2015
*Yoko is in China for 10 days! And with no access to Facebook or Instagram, she is sending us photos the old school way — via postcards. We’ll be featuring these snapshots from Yoko in Chengdu and Shanghai all week here on the blog. Enjoy! – Kayoko When I saw this bottle of Chinese wine […]
March 14, 2014
My first encounter with phyllo roll — Wow. Cinnamon-spiced chicken with raisins, chickpeas and almonds were listed to describe Chicken Cilicia, my favorite on La Méditeranée‘s four-roll platter. My taste buds wondered what I’d been doing all my life before I discovered that poultry, nuts and baking spices compose a stellar trio. It would take […]
December 31, 2013
When Old Man Winter’s icy digit stops mercury from rising, I am reminded of a traveler I met in Argentina, a Canadian middle-school teacher who once ran sled dogs. It was so cold in Saskatchewan that when he and the dogs returned to their cabin after a day of skittering across the tundra, he dropped […]
December 13, 2012
Popuphood is turning 1yo! We’re so thrilled to be a part of this great community for its first anniversary. To celebrate, we’re throwing a wine party! Our good friend Cory is the co-proprietor of Selection Massale, an East Bay-based wine distributor, focused on discovering wines by smaller, organic producers in Europe. We love Selection Massale’s […]
November 16, 2012
The Bizet cocktail was created by David Slape, a former PDT bartender. The drink is a Champagne-based riff on the classic Americano, and is named after 19th century composer Georges Bizet, who is most famous for his final operatic composition, Carmen. Bizet 1.5 oz Shinn Estate Rose 0.5 oz Luxardo Bitter 0.5 oz Amaro Ciociaro […]
May 25, 2012
At its core, the art of mixing drinks involves the skillful ability to balance flavors. Sometimes it’s a simple task involving three ingredients that are prima facie playmates, resulting in an instant classic–the Daiquiri or Manhattan cocktails come to mind here. Other times the balancing act is more akin to the high wire variety, with […]
May 11, 2012
The 100 Year Punch is a cocktail that features a couple of unique ingredients that highlight the Korean heritage of its creator, Daniel Eun (who also created the #8 cocktail). Baekseju (also spelled Bek Se Ju) or “100 Year Wine,†is a rice and corn based Korean wine flavored with ginseng and other herbs. Apparently it […]
December 13, 2011
It’s Christmas in a minute or two, and from my windows overlooking the big lakes of Copenhagen I watch people rushing back and forth in the typical December rain. They’re probably leaving one Christmas party to go to the next. This month is not only about stressful giftshopping or Christmas Eve preparations or even killing […]