Janet and I first met at our university’s preview week– we were both searching for a bathroom in the same maze of hallways, and we bemoaned that girl’s restrooms were on every other floor only, remnants of a tech school that was once predominantly male.  It made for a funny first meeting story, and so I’ll always recount that moment, despite our later meeting in more meaningful ways.  We’d go on to be in the same pre-freshman summer program where we built soccer robots, and then in the same dorm where we’d bemoan awful campus food and cook Friday night dinners together.  As freshman, we were a good pair– back then I was way more shy, but Janet would fearlessly march up to talk to people, or non-chalantly walk into buildings that we may or may not have been allowed to have been in, and we had many grand adventures this way.

We lived in an all-girls dorm, the only one on campus.  Growing up as a girl interested in mathy and sciencey things, who didn’t wear makeup and couldn’t stand teen magazines, I felt closer to boys in lots of ways. My previous experience was that girls were gossipy and catty and awful, I was uninterested in forming close friendships with them– I was scared to, even.  Janet, it turned out, felt the same way growing up, and it wasn’t until living in McCormick that we formed what would turn out to be lifelong friendships with strong, smart girls who would also rather talk about which primates have opposable thumbs and which don’t, and the state of healthcare in Africa (ok and sometimes boybands).  It was really a beautiful thing.

I mentioned that Janet loves to cook, yes?  We formed a Friday night cooking group, where we’d alternate picking a recipe and getting ingredients (and everyone always helped prepare and cook).  And this was actually how I learned to cook for the first time.  Janet is also the most amazing baker, baking the best cream puffs I’ve ever had.  Her cooking and baking is as fearless as becomes her– she’s eager to try new and daunting recipes, and excited about improvising.  And she was generous with her results.  One winter, she was done with exams  before most of the rest of our group of friends, and she delivered each of us an elaborate homemade meal, dessert included.  Given that they were an oasis of happiness amidst the stress of finals, I don’t know that I’ve ever enjoyed a meal more.

I was sad to say goodbye to her at the end of college, as she went off to medical school and I stayed on for more grad school.  But we found ourselves together again in San Francisco, and it was like no time had passed.  It wasn’t that she was exactly the same, and I wasn’t either, and of course there’s nothing wrong with people changing and growing.  But the tie of friendship, that was still same.

Now after her residency here, Janet is off to Boston again, for her fellowship.  I felt so lucky and spoiled to get to spend a few years with her again.    To commemorate, we booked an Airbnb hut on the beach in Bolinas, and spent a weekend hiking, exploring tide pools, taking lots of photos.  And of course cooking– starting a fire ourselves, roasting marshmallows, and grilling burgers.  But, it being Janet, we couldn’t have possibly had standard burgers.  One of the bags that Janet packed was filled only with fancy condiments and the burgers had red pepper puree, chipotle mustard, monterey jack cheese, among other things.  Despite it being a (super charming and rustic) hut, there was no skimping on gourmet food to celebrate our decade-long friendship.

The decision to go to kettle pond literally involved getting a map, pointing to it and deciding “Let’s try hiking here!”.  We had no idea what the trail was going to be like but it was secluded and not too worn and lovely.

In a time when it’s so easy to get information online beforehand, it’s amazing to try hiking somewhere without knowing anything about it.  It’s amazing to serendipitously time a hike perfectly, so that you reach the end of the trail as it starts to get dark.  It’s also amazing to hike somewhere and feel like there are secret trails made just for you, and Kettle Pond had that kind of feeling.

Photos 4, 8, and 9 by Naveen.  Also, I used my new/old Polaroid Land camera while in Vermont and had lots of fun with it!

You can tell when animals are well-loved, you know?  They’re comfortable and friendly around people, they are affectionate and pleased with attention without being needy (though they might still chew on your shoelaces cutely.)

It was super apparent that the goats at Big Picture goat farm are well-loved.  The goats were so chill and friendly and welcoming.  Their goats loved to come up to us, to kiss and be kissed, their cute tiny little teeth loved to nibble on shirts and backpack straps, they loved to nuzzle their heads on our legs.

The goats names are so fitting and so sweet: Eloise, Winnimere, Orion, Django, Ginger, Fern.  And many more.

We saw floppy eared goats, perky eared goats, milky white goats, brown goats, multi-colored goats.

We met the sweetest and sleepiest two week old goat kid, dubbed Gingerale, since his mom was Ginger.

Louisa and Lucas, who run the farm, told us super cute stories about the animals– for instance, their llama didn’t get along with any of the goats when it arrived– and it used to cry itself to sleep at night from loneliness.  But as soon as a new batch of baby goats was born, it took to them immediately, and the baby goats loved the llama back.  Since then it’s been their official babysitter.

That kind of genuine love is apparent in Big Picture Farms caramels too–there’s something so distinct and special about them.  They’re sweet in a mellow way, chewy without being too sticky, there’s a creaminess from the goats milk, and the sea salt finishes it off.  After being introduced to the caramels (Joshua had picked up a box from the candy store, during his visit here, and I subsequently bought several boxes from Birite), I visited their website and saw their adorable goats, and I knew I wanted to visit them if I were ever in Vermont.

That some time happened to be last weekend– when I found super cheap plane tickets to spend the weekend hiking with my friend Naveen.  I wrote to Lucas and Louisa, who informed me they weren’t necessarily set up to take visitors but since I was coming all the way from San Francisco, they’d be happy to introduce me to the goats.

After an afternoon of goat petting and nuzzling, as Naveen and I said goodbye, we gave them silly watercolors we had made of the goats, and a polaroid taken of the goats that afternoon.

Know that when you eat Big Picture Farms goats milk caramels (if you’re in San Francisco, you can get them at BiRite or The Candy Store!), that they were made with love by the sweetest couple and the cutest goats on earth.

(photo 6 by Naveen)

A magical weekend in a magical forest in Vermont!  These pictures were taken on a hike in the backyard of the Airbnb I stayed at!

I got the idea for this cooking series when Ada took a picture of me cooking Pad Thai wearing an Iron Maiden shirt.  #ironmaidenchef, I tagged it, as a joke.  But after my initial amusement, I realized that I wanted to make it happen for real.

I wanted to start off with something on the simple side (as I’ve never filmed a cooking show before).  It’s fitting that this pilot episode features grilled cheese, as I learned how to make the perfect grilled cheese from a concert after-party for a Zazen Boys show in Toronto.  At one point during the party, I sat on the floor and ate pizza with Zazen Boys bassist Yoshida Ichirou.  I was too intimidated to say anything to Mukai Shutoku, to be perfectly honest.  But Yoshida was easy to talk to and we agreed about many things.  We loved Iron Maiden, and pizza, and we had identical religious views.  Parts of that conversation stick out strongly in my mind, our adamant agreement that the God both of us worship is Music– God is Music and Music is God.

But most of that party involved me feeling really awkward– for no other reason than I’m just really awkward at parties.  And whenever possible, I translate this awkwardness into making myself busy in the kitchen.  That’s easiest if it’s my own party, and if not, I go to the kitchen and ask if I can help with anything.  At this particular party, it was a brilliant move, because the concert organizer’s best friend was making his 100% perfect grilled cheese, and amidst helping slicing apples and buttering bread, I learned all of his secrets.

And these secrets, I am now sharing with you.

- use gruyere cheese

- add thin apple slices

- butter all sides of the bread

- cover the pan to make the cheese melty

And the number one secret

- drizzle a tiny bit of truffle honey over the apples.

(photos 1, 3, 4, 5 & 7 by joshua)

(ending sequence filmed by joshua)

One of my best friends is currently visiting from Toronto!  The weather in San Francisco this weekend was even more magnificent than usual, so on Sunday, we set out to have a music bike picnic.  There are many suitable places in the city for such a picnic– I love all the hidden patches of green– but I wanted to go somewhere neither of us had never been before.  We biked around the Presidio until we found this spot with a low wall backed by a welcoming number of trees and set up there.  The picnic involved bread, cheese, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate covered graham crackers, and madelines.  And then lots of ukulele and pianica duets.  And then, bubbles.

I love how many magical spots there are in the city that I haven’t discovered yet.  And I love how biking there with a basket full of food and instruments makes it more magical.

Do you have a favorite hidden spot in your city?

(first photo by Joshua)