http://www.alamodejournals.com because life tastes better with ice cream. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:05:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The last few months have been incredibly hectic. Between work, travel, and odd projects around the house, there isn't enough time in the day (and night) to accomplish everything on my list. Unfortunately after all the tasks are done for the day, the last thing I desire to do is ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/07/summer-leave/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-leave W Istanbul If you pictured Istanbul to be a crowded and bustling mecca, a myriad of narrow alleyways and meandering hilly streets, where around every corner persuasive but charming men hawked carpets and spices between sips of Turkish coffee and bites of baklava, far away travelers entranced as much by the ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/06/lost-in-istanbul-part-ii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lost-in-istanbul-part-ii http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/05/fauxlaroid-fridays-istanbul-part-ii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fauxlaroid-fridays-istanbul-part-ii http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/05/fauxlaroid-fridays-istanbul/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fauxlaroid-fridays-istanbul design*sponge, Istanbul, and chocolate hazelnut baklava A week before I left on my trip to Istanbul, Turkey, I got a surprise email from the lovely Kristina Gill of design*sponge's in the kitchen with series, asking if I would be interested in submitting a recipe. Of course my answer was a resounding ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/05/from-turkey-with-love/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-turkey-with-love It's been a month already and Istanbul is still on my mind. I can't remember the last place I had the opportunity of visiting that completely and utterly captured my heart, soul, and stomach. I recall clearly the puzzled expressions and concerned tones I received when I told my family ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/04/lost-in-istanbul/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lost-in-istanbul If you love to eat, one of the hardest questions to answer is "what is your favorite restaurant?" I often stumble when asked this, but it only takes a quick jogging of the brain to conclude that the place you return to time and time again, will most likely score ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/03/radish-salad-with-yuzu-vinaigrette/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=radish-salad-with-yuzu-vinaigrette I really thought I could make it. The dish seemed so simple; a plate of creamy polenta,  layered with soft, savory taleggio and parmesan, the rich yolk oozed like a golden lava flow as I punctured the egg with my fork. It was sublime, and of course I kept thinking ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/03/risotto-with-poached-egg-bacon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=risotto-with-poached-egg-bacon I have to tell you about my new favorite pasta. I'm absolutely in love with orecchiette (oh-rayk-kee-EHT-teh), a dimple of a pasta with a funny name. Orecchiette, which actually means "little ears" in Italian, is typically made by pressing the thumb into a small round of pasta dough against a ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/03/orecchiette-with-sausage-and-rapini/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=orecchiette-with-sausage-and-rapini lavender hot chocolate In Southern California, we're blessed with a relatively mild and short winter season. Incredibly, while the rest of the country may still be under a blanket of snow, here it's already warming up to the low 70s during the day. That doesn't mean a nice, piping mug of ... http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/03/hot-for-chocolate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hot-for-chocolate