annie happel
Sweet and Salty
Yesterday was love’s official holiday. Today, I celebrate with new beginnings. In love with San Francisco’s early spring. Sunshine. Friends. Family. And of course, food.
When I was in high school, I bought a card with a drawing of a margarita glass on the front. The caption read, “Life is sweet…with salt on the rim.” I liked it’s message (and I just so happen to like margaritas too). I put the card in a big picture frame, along with photos of friends and family and concert ticket stubs and hung it on the wall in my bedroom.
Now, 15 years later, I’m reminded of that card. It’s likely decomposing in a heaping pile of trash, but it’s message has stayed with me. So today, in lieu of a recipe, I offer a simple suggestion:
A little salt enhances sweetness.
You know the best part? This is true both in life and in cooking.
Sweet and salty, sitting in a tree…
You So Good. Miso Good.
This is my favorite, new salad dressing. It is colorful, complex and exploding with flavor. It gussies up the simple lettuce leaf or the hearty grain, turning anything it touches to gold. Really, it does. It tastes like the dressing you get on that little starter salad at a Japanese restaurant except it’s one thousand … Continue reading
Seeking Temperance In Bourbon Chocolate Bundt Cake
Temperance sounds a lot like temper rants. As in, forks are flying, hair is on fire and things are getting completely out of hand, yet it means almost entirely the opposite. It would be safe to say that I’ve felt more on the temper rants side of the dial in this new year than temperance. … Continue reading
Namaste
Derived from Sanskrit, “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. So, Namaste means “I bow to you.” In India, it is both a greeting and a goodbye. It invokes smiles. Namaste. Palms pressed together, little bow of the head. Namaste. Slight head bob from left to right. Jose and I spent 2 … Continue reading
Sunny Side Up and Sweet
This is what I knew for certain about September 5, 2011 before it arrived: 1) Hazel, my gem and inspiration of a sister, visits before she heads off to Haiti for the next year. 2) Jose hops a last-minute flight for Uganda in the early afternoon. 3) It is my birthday. I made buckwheat pancakes … Continue reading
Summer Solstice Sprouts
I woke up at 3am and haven’t been able to fall asleep again. I caught up on email, downloaded photos, Googled odd questions I had tucked away in the far-reaching crannies of my brain, and watched old SNL commercials. It’s now 5:30am. The sun just came up. There’s no turning back to bed now. Happelsauce … Continue reading
All Hail the Mighty Kale
I’m a fan of so many things. Since we’re strictly discussing things of the edible variety here, I will refrain from sharing my entire list. I will say that my fanaticism for foods seem to ebb and flow – mostly with the seasons and my mood. Right now I’m a fan of fresh strawberries. They … Continue reading
