In Season: Figs!

We have a little fig tree in the backyard and and the past few days it has just EXPLODED with ripe fruit. I picked a bunch of figs yesterday and wanted to do something with them for lunch. I didn't have all the ingredients for Bon Appétit's Grilled Bruschetta with Teleme, Honey, and Figs (a great recipe that I've had a few times before) so I made this quicker version. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
Ripe figs
Baguette slices
Soft cheese (I used a strong goat brie and a mild cow brie)
Honey
Black pepper
Olive Oil

Directions:

Brush baguette slices with olive oil and place on grill pan* olive oil side down. Grill until nicely toasted. Flip bread and top with cheese. Once the cheese has melted a little, take the toasts off the grill and top each with one fig slice. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve warm.

*If you don't have a grill pan, you can easily make this on the barbecue (as the Bon Appétit recipe suggests!), in a regular pan, or in the oven (use the broiler).

Foodie Week(s)

Oxtail at Slow

Roses from Slow's Backyard Garden

The past few weeks have been filled with some amazing eating. I've recently started writing food reviews for a new student publication, The Starving Critic, which gives me a great excuse to eat out at fancy places that I might usually pass up in favor of cooking some pasta at home. Plus, as my time in Berkeley comes to a pause (I'll be back in SoCal for the summer), I feel the need to try every single restaurant on my Bay Area bucket list.

But this foodie half-month actually started out in LA, where I was visiting my boyfriend for the weekend. We set the tone on Friday night with an awesome dinner of asparagus with ricotta and poached egg, brussels sprouts, a burger, and churros with butterscotch sauce at Fundamental (which I've decided is the best restaurant in Westwood). We continued to eat burgers throughout the weekend, meeting up with my family at The Counter for my #1 favorite burger: medium rare beef with roasted garlic aioli, gruyere, and various other toppings (depending on my mood – this time it was an egg and some asparagus), all sandwiched between two lightly toasted buns. And complimented by a large amount of fries dipped in chipotle aioli.

The Counter's Burger. With an Egg on Top

Back in Berkeley, I had an amazing dinner at Slow, surrounded by gorgeous roses, to celebrate my friend's 20th birthday (I reviewed their equally awesome lunch service here). The next day we tried 900 Grayson's hobbit lunch, which was perfect – a seared ahi tuna sandwich and cantaloupe agua fresca, finished off with an alfajor (review here). Come Sunday, my roommates and I crossed the bay for Off the Grid's Picnic at the Presidio, which was way too crowded but also offered lovely views and good music (best thing I ate there was a surprisingly awesome double chocolate creme brûlée from The Creme Brûlée Cart). 

This weekend, my boyfriend came up to Berkeley and we had more good food – lots of kiwi boba from Asha, and a fancy picnic-in-bed from Gregoire (check out my review of Asha, and look out for a Gregoire review soon!). It's been an awesome weekend week month for exploring restaurants in Berkeley and LA – I hope you'll check out some of these delicious places! Look out for more recipes and ideas for meals at home soon.

Alfajor

My Roommate Looking Cool at the Presidio

Scenes from the Garden

I am constantly in awe of the beautiful UC Botanical Garden right here in Berkeley. Every season the garden has something new and amazing to offer its visitors. Here are some of my favorite shots. 

A gorgeous rose in the Garden of Old Roses.

An artist enjoying the Garden of Old Roses' view of the Bay – you'll have to see it for yourself.

Revisiting South Africa 

DIY Plant in a Can

Having something green and living indoors is a great way to brighten up a room, and can be really inexpensive when done right. Here's a super easy plant DIY:

Step 1: Pick a Plant.

You want a plant that doesn't need a lot of drainage.* I picked a blue elf aloe, which I water about once a month. It's still going strong! Cacti and succulents make great houseplants because they require so little water, but make sure you have a sunny window for them. If you're buying a plant from a nursery, make sure the container you use is bigger than the container the plant came in. You want plenty of room for the roots to grow down into. Another great thing about succulents is that they have little babies. If you notice a mini-succulent growing out of the base of your plant, carefully remove it and transplant. Look, a free plant!

Step 2: Pick a Can.

Next time you finish a can of coffee beans or chicken noodle soup, set it aside. Make sure your can is big enough for the plant. Thoroughly wash it and sand down any sharp edges (you can use sandpaper or a nail file for this). 

Step 3: Transplant.

Buy some soil. You'll need the kind of soil that's right for your plant; I used a cacti mix. If you're unsure of what to get, don't be afraid to ask questions at your local nursery. Let them know what you're planting, and where it will be. Fill the bottom of your container with a single layer of small rocks. Then fill it about a quarter of the way with soil. Using your hands and a small shovel if necessary, remove your plant from its original home. Gently brush off excess soil and, as my mom likes to say, "tickle the roots." Gently place the plant in your container and add more soil until it is secure. Give your plant some water. 

* For plants that need a lot of drainage, like herbs or flowering plants, drill a few holes in the bottom of your can and place a small saucer or tray underneath to catch the water.