At Home with Kim Vallee

Archive | DINING

DINING, EATING out | June 30, 2009

Chez Papa in San Francisco | Restaurant Review

This is a delicious French restaurant in San Francisco with a beautiful quiet terrace, set on a plaza not far from Blue Bottle Coffee. I am showing you the lunch we ate on the terrace of Chez Papa on Mint Plaza last Monday. My Grilled Arctic Char with Fingerling Potatoes, Capers, Lemon and Brown Butter was [...]

DINING, EATING out | June 30, 2009

2 Comments

Restaurants are Embracing Twitter to Reach their Customers

I told you on my other blog that Twitter can be an efficient marketing vehicle for businesses. One type of business that benefits well from the free marketing platform that Twitter provides are local restaurants. What I like is that I decide which local stores and restaurants I want to follow on Twitter. This way, I [...]

DINING, TABLEWARE | June 30, 2009

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Honeycomb Toast and Tea Set by Jason Neufeld

Finding unique, outstanding gifts mostly assure you that you will be invited over and over. Plus, you avoid the awkward situations where you bring the same gift than another guest to an anniversary or a housewarming party. This is why I am always on the lookout for cool and original gift ideas. Beware that the ceramic [...]

COOKING tools, DINING | June 29, 2009

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Better Cooking Start with Ingredients, Techniques and Cookware

The Warm Chicken with a lemon couscous salad recipe by Donna Hay is a dish I prepare twice a month at home. It is delicious and fast to make. For everyday entertaining, this dish nicely pairs with a Gentil Hugel or Les Jamelles Sauvignon blanc. My husband sometimes cooked the chicken breasts on the BBQ but [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | June 25, 2009

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Summer Cocktails Made with Campari

Let’s revisit my favorite cocktails for summer besides the mojitos. I love Campari on a summer day. I often served Campari to my first friends because it is unexpected and simple to make. I typically go for tall drink recipes. You save time this way and the alcohol level is typically lower. A simple way to greet [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | June 22, 2009

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Do You Make Your Own Ice Cream?

I dream of making my own ice cream. My brother even bought me a machine a few years ago. I am ashamed to admit that I never made my own. But it is about to change. I read on a plane an article about unique flavor combinations that inspire me. Ice cream made with chocolate and [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks

June 15, 2009

5 Comments

Two Gravlax Recipes

Making gravlax is super simple. It will be ready to eat in 3 days but the total preparation will require less than 10 minutes of your time. My Two cents about the Traditional Gravlax recipe The traditional Scandinavian gravlax recipe calls for rock salt, sugar, dill seeds and fresh dills to transform a sushi-grade salmon fillet into [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks

June 11, 2009

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Tastier True North Eco-label Salmon | part 2 of my Eco-chic BBQ

This is part 2 of the eco-chic BBQ that I hosted last Friday night thanks to True North Salmon and iStudio. One of my guests goes fishing the Atlantic salmon every summer. He commented that it was the best farm salmon he ever tasted. Since they are foodies, this is a great compliment for this [...]

DINING, TABLEWARE

June 6, 2009

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Sebastian Conran’s Festa Collection Cheers Up Outdoor Entertaining

Festa caught my eyes with its sunny summer tones and a comprehensive line. At last, a melamine collection that proposes a mingle plate. Party Dish is practical and beautiful. It is well-thought with a whole to hold solidly the plate, a wine holder and a recessed plate to make sure nothing falls when you walk [...]

DINING, TABLEWARE

June 4, 2009

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Reusable Glass Straws by GlassDharma

I was curious and skeptical when I read the email from the PR agent of GlassDharma. It seems like a good idea but I did not know how practical their idea was. To judge by myself, I accepted their offer to send me a sample their Simple Elegance and their Beautiful Bend straws. Both models are [...]

COOKBOOKS, DINING

June 3, 2009

4 Comments

No Time to Cook for my Gastronomic Wednesday

This is a recurring topic lately. I worked too hard and by the time I returned home I do not feel like stopping at he grocery store. Ordering in can do a few times but you want more. Tonight, we ate dinner at 10 pm. But I took the time to prepare a quick and [...]

COOKBOOKS, DINING

May 30, 2009

2 Comments

Late news: Signing for Laura Calder’s Latest Cookbook

It may be too late but I still want to publish the info, just in case. Laura will do two signings for her latest book French Taste at Appetite for Books on today, May 30, 2009. Sadly, there is no words on the time. Apparently, you need to book your presence. To see if [...]

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