Tidbits from the past few weeks

1. Believe it or not, I've still been cooking from time to time (and I fully intend for regular cooking to resume within a few weeks, once I'm settled in LA).  For a recent Sunday supper at E&M's, E and I prepared a bounty of vegetables, including tomatoes and zucchini roasted with garlic, olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, and plenty of fresh basil.  Thanks to E, we also had some chicken, perfectly cooked with white wine.

2. Caffe del Doge on University Ave: the "Giacometto," a butter cookie, and a pizzele.  The drink is essentially a hazelnut latte in a martini glass that had been smeared with Nutella.  The little spoon the barista gives you is perfect for scooping up the Nutella, along with the crushed hazelnuts that are sprinkled on top.

3. Mangoes came back in season and were on sale at Whole Foods.  This picture speaks for itself:

4. Dinner at Amber India in Mountain View (thank you, Aman!).  Butter chicken, mattar paneer, rice and naan: classic Amber and always excellent, even though the butter chicken is produced en masse; it has to be, since I'm pretty sure 90% of tables at Amber order this dish.

5. Chocolate caramel cake with blackberry coulis and toasted coconut at Mantra in Palo Alto, shared with seven friends on a Thursday evening: insanely good.

***

My blogging is going to go on hiatus until next week, since I am moving to LA tomorrow.  In the words of iconic Stanford music professor Giancarlo Aquilanti (you'll have to imagine the Italian accent): "Ok kiddos, fun is over for today.  But don't worry, because fun will resume very soon!"