We have been in the Bay area for 2 weeks now and I have gotten out and about and can tell you a few things that I love. Bear with me, I got quite a few pictures and I couldn’t decide which ones to include!

1. The Weather

The weather is darn near perfect here, and I know it rains at some point, I just haven’t seen it. It has rained at least twice in Atlanta since we left. Not to mention it is cool in the early morning and evening, no humidity, and it does not get too hot. Definitely don’t miss the Florida/Georgia weather! There is a running joke here that there is a “sunshine tax” built into the cost of living.

I believe it.

2. The Parks 

There is definitely not a shortage of parks here. Great for the tyke and the dog. We’ve been to four different parks already. Yes FOUR. All within 3 miles of where we are staying right now. They all look like this. Great playgrounds and wide open spaces. Just beautiful.

3. The Cities and Areas

Sausalito

Berkeley

The Castro

There are so many different areas to visit – we have just barely touched the surface. Laid back areas like Berkeley, areas filled with money like Sausalito and for a little something different, head to The Castro. I wonder if President Obama would like this area (with his new found openness and all!).

4. The Long Scenic Drives

Are you kidding? These are some of the most amazing views I’ve seen in the United States. Not to put the Gulf coast to shame, but the Pacific coast rocks. And, I can go sailing.

If I wanted to.

5. The History and Sightseeing

The Painted Laidies

Haight Ashbury

The Grateful Dead House

Sea Lions @ Pier 39

Alcatraz 'The Rock'

China Town

There is so much history in this area you almost feel it as you walk through the streets. It makes me want to learn more!

6. The Outdoor Shopping, Farmer’s Markets and The Food!

Downtown Walnut Creek

Ceviche, Maria Maria

I haven’t had a chance to really dive into all of this yet, but I am excited to! Everyone keeps telling me about this great food, so bring it! As for the farmer’s markets, nough said, but you can find those anywhere.

So far I LOVE what I have seen, but I will also tell you what I don’t like. Do you think my list will be longer or shorter? Next week – I’ll let you know!

 Heather Scholten, Farmgirl Gourmet

Local, sustainable, delicious food is the name of the game here. There’s not a lot of things about Heather’s blog you won’t like. Get to know her and all about Farmgirl Gourmet.

1.

I love the name of your blog. Do you actually live on a farm?

Heather  When I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, we were living on a 20 acre farm.  I loved cooking and was (and still am) a Farmgirl at heart, so it seemed like a great blog name.

2.

You’ve been at this for about 6 years now, can you tell us a little about the start of Farmgirl Gourmet? What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen to your blog since the beginning, and what is one change you think everyone could make to their blog to make it better?

Heather  The start of Farmgirl Gourmet was mostly out of necessity.  Family and friends were all curious about us city slickers living on the farm and always wanted us to send photos.  I decided it was easier to have a central place to post them where they could check it out whenever they wanted.  The recipes back then were few and far between.  One of the biggest changes to FG happened in October 2010.  I had quit my job and was taking the winter off when I decided to throw myself into my blog.  I revamped the look of it and it has grown leaps and bounds in readership ever since.  One change I’d recommend – always be current.  Whether its aesthetically or the relevance of your content.  People want to see what’s new and exciting and look at it on a pretty blog/website.

3.

Tell us about your tagline: Homegrown, Local, Sustainable, Delicious. How does this represent you and what your blog stands for?

Heather  I came up with my tagline several years ago.  I’m an advocate for loving your local farmers.  Make friends with them and help support them by buying their products.  I also grow a very large organic garden myself and try to inspire others to do the same.  Square foot gardening is much easier than most people think.  The delicious part – that’s my ultimate goal with any meal I prepare.  I want the first bite to encourage moans of joy.

4.

With the experience and knowledge you have gained through the years, if you had advice for a food blogger trying to “make it” what would it be?

Heather Well to be quite honest, I’m still waiting to “make it”.  If I had to say how I’ve gotten where I am, it’s 1) Loving what I do, 2) Social Media.  That’s it.

5.

Can you let us in on some of your photography secrets and tips? Have you taken a class or do the beautiful pictures just come naturally?

Heather  I love this question.  No I have never taken a photography class.  Wait, I stand corrected.  I did take a class recently but knew more than the instructor.  Everything is self-taught.  I am fortunate to have a Dad who loves me and gifted me a beautiful DSLR camera.  Don’t get me wrong, gorgeous photos can be taken with a point and shoot as well.  As for tips and secrets, I really don’t have any.  I use my big living room window as my natural light source and a silver platter my grandmother gave me to bounce light.  That’s it.  No swanky light boxes or reflectors.

6.

Take us through your editorial calendar process. How does the Farmgirl decide what makes it to the big screen?

Heather People ask me this question a lot.  The thing that drives recipes on my blog is my stomach.  I will jot down holiday ideas on my calendar but the rest of the year, it’s just hunger pangs that determine what will be on my blog.

7.

What is your favorite kitchen tool that you use everyday in your 100 year old kitchen?

Heather Probably my 8 inch cast iron pan.  I love that darned thing.  It is incredibly versatile and makes everything taste better.

8.

If I had to make something from your blog right now, I don’t think I could choose. What would you make?

Heather  Gosh, that’s a hard one.  That’s like asking me to pick which kid I like best.  I definitely love the Chocolate Lovers Cheesecake.  It holds a special place in my heart as it’s my Mothers recipe.  She loved making it and always received kudos for it’s deliciousness.

9.

You have a small group of bloggers that do a Virtual Potluck. Could you give advice on how to reach out to similar niche bloggers and the best way to reach out to brands?

Heather  The VP group started after 20 of us did a promotion for Emeril Lagasse’s new cookbook in September 2011.  We enjoyed collaborating with each other so much that 13 of us stayed together and formed Virtual Potluck.  If I was to advise someone on how to start a group of their own, I’d say find bloggers that think like you do.  That you have excellent report with and just go for it.  You may hit bumps, but in the long run, it’s a heck of a lot of fun.  Funny thing about Brands…they tend to contact us.  As food bloggers, we all get offers from here and there, sometimes we pitch doing a collaboration with Virtual Potluck and the Brand will latch on, other times they prefer the 1 on 1.

10.

You are on social networks everywhere! What is your favorite way to connect with your fellow bloggers and readers and how do you decide what to post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc? Do they all connect or do you put different updates everywhere?

Heather  I use TweetDeck a lot.  It allows me to update multiple social media platforms at one time.  Being everywhere takes work, but it pays off in the long run.

11.

Farmgirl Gourmet has been featured all over the web and in various media formats. What do you think is the biggest part of your success?

Heather  I think it’s staying true to me.  I won’t sacrifice who I am or what I cook.  I think people like that and can connect with food bloggers who have a good voice.  I also think Social Media is a great way to build report and readership and has opened a lot of doors for me.

12.

Are there any cookbooks in the works? If not, have you thought about doing one?

Heather I wish!  Someone just asked me today what my plans were for FG.  Cookbook is #1 on my list of “want to’s”.  Now to find a publisher who feels the same way.

Thirteen.

What are the future plans for you and ‘Farmgirl Gourmet’?

Heather  World Domination.  Oh sorry, I mean…continuing to do what I love.  Make delicious food.  If that means book deal(s) or ecookbooks, I don’t know.  I’m just riding this fantastic roller-coaster and I don’t want to get off.

Heather’s blog is Farmgirl Gourmet. You can also catch her around the social network water cooler at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and others.

The Tuesday Thirteen is an interview series that asks thirteen questions to your favorite people in food. If you have questions you are curious to ask food bloggers, cookbook authors, publicists, food photographers, etc., please send your questions to miranda@mangoesandchutney.com.

The following is a guest post from Chef Mireille of Chef Mireille’s Global Creations. I love that she explores and blogs about International cuisine and I am hoping to take Mangoes and Chutney to an International level as well. Enjoy this post about where her family is from and an updated traditional recipe their country.

I am so excited to do this guest post for Miranda of Mangoes & Chutney.  She has a wonderful blog, with varied posts.

This recipe is a traditional recipe from Suriname, where my grandfather is from and where much of my family still lives.  When I mention Suriname to most people, I usually get a dumbfounded look as many people have never even heard of the country…I am not going to comment on what that says about our education system.

Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guyana, is a country on the northeastern coast of South America.  It is the only Dutch speaking country in South America.  Due to the history of the Dutch West India company in Suriname, people came from the East as contract workers to cultivate crops, after slavery was abolished.  For this reason, Suriname is one of the most diverse countries in the world, with large populations of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and African peoples, as well as leftover descendants of the Dutch colonizers.  It’s not unusual to see a mosque next door to a syngagogue or a mandhir, as you walk down the streets of Paramaribo, the capital.  Their cuisine is as diverse as their people.

This recipe is one of the recipes from the Indonesian population of Suriname, however, I did update this traditional recipe with a spicy glaze that complements the flavors of the cake well.

I hope you enjoy this cake and on your next vacation, consider Suriname!

About the Author: Chef Mireille

Mireille is a NY based personal chef & food writer/blogger.  She comes from a diverse family & explores the flavors of International cuisine on her blog, Chef Mireille’s Global Creations. Her passion for culinary arts began at age 10, when she would borrow cooking   books   from the library.  After working in advertising for a few years, she switched careers and followed her passion.  Live your dreams!   Chef Mireille

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Mary of One Perfect Bite and some other women food bloggers (including myself) are blogging our way through the 50 Women Game Changers In Food published by Gourmet in May ’11. Some of the women on the list you will know, others you may not, but either way, this will be a great 50 week journey to learn more about these women that inspire the way we think about food today.

Please visit Mary at One Perfect Bite, Val at More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn at Have Kitchen Will Feed, Heather at Girlichef, Jeanette at Jeanette’s Healthy Living, Sue at The View From Great Island, Barbara at Moveable Feasts, Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen, Claudia at Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce at More Time at the Table, Kathy at Bakeaway with Me, Martha at Simple Nourished Living, Jill at Saucy Cooks, Amrita at Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades and Sarah at Everything in the Kitchen Sink for their tributes to these 50 women.

Camarones Enchipotlados

To spend a Sunday afternoon in Zarela Martinez’s kitchen would be heaven. I love Mexican food and it is one of those cuisines that has such complex and delicious flavors, yet in America it is simplified into such categories as Tex-Mex and Taco Bell. Justice? I think not. Real Mexican cuisine is rich, flavorful, and intriguing. So much culture and tradition intertwined into the dishes, Mexican food deserves to be explored. This week, we do so through Zarela Martinez. Born in Mexico and known for her authentic vivid Mexican cuisine, she took her cooking and knowledge from El Paso, Texas to New York City. If you are not familiar with her name, maybe the name Aarón Sánchez rings a bell? That is her famous son – a Food Network chef. I’d say she taught him well.

Read more about Zarela on her website About Page. This week I was drawn to this Sautéed Shrimp with Chipotle Chiles. Why? I love shrimp, chile peppers, limes. Hmmm, sounds perfect.

 Mis en Place:

The Seafood marinade was a strange concoction of ingredients to say the least. I always wonder how these types of recipes come about during the development. I was none the less surprised at the flavor it gave the shrimp. Subtle, yet delicious. You could taste the underlying citrus notes and they paired well with the fire of the peppers.

Kitchen notes:

• I used one pepper and a little extra sauce to get the right amount of heat. You know – not enough to make you go for the water after every bite, but just enough to let you know it’s there.
• The shrimp does not need to stay in the marinade too long. Remember they are delicate seafood. Don’t put them in until you are ready to cook the dish.
• If you like your shrimp more charred, pat them dry before you saute them. Too much liquid and they will become more like boiled shrimp.

In the Spotlight: Zarela Martinez

(from Wikipedia) Zarela Martinez is a New York City-based restaurateur and cookbook author born in the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta (Sonora State), who learned cooking from her mother, Aida Gabilondo, also a cookbook author. She began cooking professionally out of necessity. Martinez’s work has received awards from the New York State Restaurant Association, the Women’s Venture Fund, the Women’s Leadership Exchange, and the Orgullo Award from the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services. In July 2004, she was singled out in the “Americans at the Table” issue of the U.S. State Department’s online publication E-Journal USA: U.S. Society & Values as one of seven crucial “taste setters” who have redefined the American culinary landscape since the last half of the twentieth century.

Georgia Johnson, The Comfort of Cooking

The Comfort of Cooking is one of my favorite blogs to relax to right before I go to bed. It’s casual, fun, informative, and mouth watering. I’m not the only one reading and it is evident by Georgia‘s many followers and friends. Get lost in her blog (as I often do) and let’s find out how she does it.

1.

Georgia: My home office. On especially nice days, though, I’ll take my laptop outside and soak up some sun!

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Georgia: Practically every tip and trick on that page is as a result of my doing it the wrong way first, then trying it a different way and having great success!

9.

Georgia: For bloggers, check out Family Fresh Cooking for beautiful photography, How Sweet It Is for hilarious writing, and For the Love of Cooking for a plethora of simple, delicious recipes. To be honest, I hardly ever open my cookbooks so I can’t recommend any!

Thirteen.

The Tuesday Thirteen is an interview series that asks thirteen questions to your favorite people in food. If you have questions you are curious to ask food bloggers, cookbook authors, publicists, food photographers, etc., please send your questions to miranda@mangoesandchutney.com.

Mary of One Perfect Bite and some other women food bloggers (including myself) are blogging our way through the 50 Women Game Changers In Food published by Gourmet in May ’11. Some of the women on the list you will know, others you may not, but either way, this will be a great 50 week journey to learn more about these women that inspire the way we think about food today.

Please visit Mary at One Perfect Bite, Val at More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn at Have Kitchen Will Feed, Heather at Girlichef, Jeanette at Jeanette’s Healthy Living, Sue at The View From Great Island, Barbara at Moveable Feasts, Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen, Claudia at Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce at More Time at the Table, Kathy at Bakeaway with Me, Martha at Simple Nourished Living, Jill at Saucy Cooks, Amrita at Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades and Sarah at Everything in the Kitchen Sink for their tributes to these 50 women.

I was really looking forward to making a candied orange biscotti to showcase Gael Greene’s favorite foods. Alas, I had a serious lack of pantry supplies – it comes with the territory when you move, so I had to scale it back and find a new recipe. Enter, Bubby’s Watermelon Lemonade. This is a drink inspired by a TriBeCa restaurant, and since Gael Greene is not a recipe writer, she often made dishes over and over again that she loved. This was one of them, and now it is one of mine.

Mis en Place:

Yep. Pretty simple. Four ingredients to outdoor relaxation. Cool, refreshing, not too sweet. Although if you are a fan of sweet lemonade (you must be from the South) that’s an easy fix. Double up on the simple syrup.

In some parts of the country, I know you are ready for this drink to make an appearance at your next deck party. Other parts, it’s still pretty cold and you probably don’t have the best fruit selection yet. If that’s the case, pin it for later. You’ll be wondering where this recipe went.

Kitchen Notes:

• For a sweeter lemonade, double the amount of simple syrup
• For an easy way to get watermelon juice, cut into cubes and juice it with a lemon juicer.
• To make simple syrup, mix 1 part sugar with 1 part water.

In the Spotlight: Gael Greene

In her role as restaurant critic of New York Magazine (1968 to January 2002) Detroit-born Gael Greene helped change the way New Yorkers (and many Americans) think about food. A scholarly anthropologist could trace the evolution of New York restaurants on a timeline that would reflect her passions and taste over 30 years from Le Pavillon to nouvelle cuisine to couturier pizzas, pastas and hot fudge sundaes, to more healthful eating. But not to foams and herb sorbet; she loathes them.

Last week, I posted my personal review of ALMONDINA Cookies and said that one lucky winner would also receive a sample box. With the help of Random.org‘s number generator:

The winner is…

NUMBER 13!

Savannah, your sample box will be shipped out direct from ALMONDINA. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The Tuesday Thirteen

Marc Matsumoto, No Recipes

Marc Matsumoto is the genius behind the blogs No Recipes and The Wandering Cook. He travels the world to bring new inspiration to his kitchen, then he creates that inspiration without recipes. You’ve probably seen him on tv commercials and the Food Network. Now  he’s going to give you a look at how he does it all.

1.

Marc, The dishes on your site are stunning and you seem like a natural. Have you always been interested in food? Was there any one person that started you on your culinary journey?

Marc: My single mother who taught cooking classes out of our house when I was younger was definitely a big inspiration. I loved to eat before I loved to cook, but I definitely started cooking young. Maybe 5 or 6?

2.

Starting so young is probably one reason you have become so familiar with the way food works. Your blog is called No Recipes. So…do you cook everything without a recipe?

The Tuesday Thirteen is an interview series that asks thirteen questions to your favorite people in food. If you have questions you are curious to ask food bloggers, cookbook authors, publicists, food photographers, etc., please send your questions to miranda@mangoesandchutney.com.

Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco, California

Well, not really. As you read this, we are flying across the country from Georgia to California. This past week has been crazy! Although you wouldn’t know that anything changed by reading. But, if I get a chance to make my way around the city, I’ll do a couple of first impression posts – this should be fun.

I’ll be back tomorrow with The Tuesday Thirteen!

Mary of One Perfect Bite and some other women food bloggers (including myself) are blogging our way through the 50 Women Game Changers In Food published by Gourmet in May ’11. Some of the women on the list you will know, others you may not, but either way, this will be a great 50 week journey to learn more about these women that inspire the way we think about food today.

Please visit Mary at One Perfect Bite, Val at More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn at Have Kitchen Will Feed, Heather at Girlichef, Jeanette at Jeanette’s Healthy Living, Sue at The View From Great Island, Barbara at Moveable Feasts, Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen, Claudia at Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce at More Time at the Table, Kathy at Bakeaway with Me, Martha at Simple Nourished Living, Jill at Saucy Cooks, Amrita at Beetle’s Kitchen Escapades and Sarah at Everything in the Kitchen Sink for their tributes to these 50 women.

I love Mexican food. It’s pretty hard not to. If you don’t love all things corn, beans, peppers, rice, beautifully seasoned meats, cheese and tortillas – there’s always guacamole! Avocados blended with peppers, lime juice, cilantro and pears. What? I meant to say grapes. No that doesn’t sound right. Pomegranate seeds? Um, this is not your traditional sounding guacamole. None the less, I gave it a try – skeptical – but with no changes to the original recipe and I was blown away!

 Mis en Place

Diane Kennedy is the authority on Mexican cuisine. So I gave her weird guacamole a try. Never would I have thought to put grapes and pears in a guacamole – let alone pomegranate seeds. But the sweetness of the fruit blended perfectly with the mild avocados and the serrano peppers gave it the right amount of heat. Crunch in guacamole? Yeah, but the pomegranate seeds were a great crunch that aligned perfectly with tortilla chips.

Kitchen Notes:

• I halved the recipe and got a lot of guacamole (pictured). Only use the full recipe if you need more than a medium bowl full.
• Deseed the serrano peppers for less heat. I used the seeds of one pepper and thought it was perfect.
• It will last covered a couple of days in the fridge.

In the Spotlight: Diana Kennedy

(From Wikipedia) Diana Kennedy is an author and authority on Mexican cooking. A native of the United Kingdom, she moved to Mexico in 1957 with her husband, Paul Kennedy, who was a correspondent for the New York Times. She has been called the “Julia Child of Mexican Cuisine” and has spent 45 years traveling through Mexico researching cooking techniques and the history of Mexican cuisine. Her first cookbook was published in 1972. She currently resides in the state of Michoacán.