I Am Full. Cafe Gratitude opened a week ago Monday on the miracle mile in San Rafael, and I took myself there for a refreshing lunch. The first cafe opened in San Francisco, and I've been wanting to go there since I heard of it. When I heard Cafe Gratitude was opening in Marin, I of course kept watch!

First off, the menu is large, and you have to read it through as none of the labels are recognizable, except as affirmations. Yes, everything is an I AM statement. The food is raw and uses a lot of sprouted nuts and grains. A very 'earth-mother' kind of atmosphere. Nourishing! On each table there is a bottle of water at the ready with some positive word labeling it -- mine was "Love". Think they are followers of Dr. Emoto's work following messages from water? As if love wasn't enough, I ordered an "I Am Aloha", fresh coconut water of Thai young coconuts. It was served in it's own ecological coconut shell with a hole drilled in it to insert a straw. I was advised to take the vessel home and crack it open to eat the meat after finishing the drink.

I had my "oh it's raw veggies so I'm going to starve" mindset in place, so I actually ordered too much. I started the food courses with the "I Am Bountiful". This dish consisted of "live" crustini – Four different toppings atop live toast. One of each of the following: Fresh tomato, basil, garlic; thinly sliced avocado with Himalayan crystal salt; Hemp seed pesto; Raw olive tapenade. I must have been in a really silly mood because when I read "live crustini" all I could picture was a "live crustacean- a lobster" being held over a pot. I'm sure it must have caused some scary vibes to reverberate around me. I kept trying not to giggle. But the crustini were quite good, and the live toast was made of some kind of sprouted nuts, so it was very filling.

Next up was "I Am Festive". This is Cafe Gratitude's take on 'taco salad', consisting of shredded romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy dressing topped with crumbled walnut-seed taco filling, guacamole, salsa, nacho cheese and green sprouts topped with flax chips. It was really quite good, I'd have it again in a heartbeat, but I was, well - "I Am Full", would be the best description at that point, so I didn't do it justice. There was a lot of love going around in that place too -- my waitperson kept patting my back and sliding her hand down my arm with positive words.

I really felt quite refreshed and more 'alive' somehow when I left. My waitperson also asked me the "question of the day" -- "How does your community support you?". My answer -- they are there for me. And thank you readers for being there with me!

Charming oasis in Larkspur Landing. Dad and I recently enjoyed an early dinner at Tha Siam, in Larkspur Landing. The place is quite small, but it is thoughtfully decorated and has a calming charm. A little oasis to chat and have delicious dishes brought out in succession.

We noted a fresh crab fried rice on the chalkboard outside and ventured to order it, and it arrived first in succession. It was made with fresh crab which is in season, and it was our favorite of the evening.

Next came the well-seasoned barbecue chicken, with a fresh crisp salad on the side. Nothing to fault here.

And at almost the same instant the Pad Thai Koong Sod was served, which had a splash of tamarind sauce among its ingredients. It was highly recommendable as well. I was also impressed on behalf of my veggie friends to note that they had a separate section of the menu, equal in size to the omnivore's, devoted to the vegetarian side of things. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying their pumpkin curry on that side of the menu. The service was also prompt and friendly.

Dad did ask if people in Thailand ate dessert, and could he then try some ;-) - so with that we shared some coconut ice cream - very creamy and with the scent and flavor of fresh coconut.

Global Grazing. Friday night I met Sachiko at Pres a Vi in the Presido. She was quite excited to introduce me to this new place having happened upon it as a cool find of her own and wanting to share with another appreciative foodie. I went anticipating a convivial evening of catching up with someone I hadn't seen in awhile, so didn't bring my camera. Photo above is courtesy of the Pres a Vi website. So I will just have to describe our meal as quite over the top. The menu is truly global as you can see from our small plate choices:

ahi tartare -
hawaiian tuna blended with kukui nuts, meyer lemon zest, sesame oil, and soy topped with wasabi tobiko and accompanied with taro chips

fresh lumpia -
another version of a filipino classic. cilantro scented crepes filled with rock shrimp, seasoned vegetables and served with spicy peanut dressing

seafood paella -
saffron infused rice with scallops, shrimp, and edamame

popcorn shrimp -
tempura battered rock shrimp tossed in nuoc cham, bean sprouts, romaine and crispy noodles

‘duck buns’ -
shredded peking duck confit with hoisin, watercress and cilantro

dessert tasting -

cookies, candies, chocolates for two

white chocolate blueberry
coconut macaroons
ginger fudge
fruit and nut rocher
sablee
truffles
amoretti
cheesecake
bites

By all means GO if you have the chance. The room is also designed well for acoustics, so although busy it is not overly noisy and you can enjoy a good conversation with your dining companions. The parking is easy too, just under the building at One Letterman Dr. (SF).

Guess Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this Week? Me. The brainchild of Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen, Weekend Herb Blogging has been one of the web's most popular food blogging events, and has been going strong for well over a year. Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) was my first ever food blogging event, and my first post for it was on the yamaimo, back on September 24, 2006. And since then I've participated in the event with a Dill Havarti Sandwich, Dill Cream En Croute, Lamb and Herb Soup featuring dill again, and a German Cucumber and Potato Soup, with yes, dill again. I had to put dill in some Dilled Corn and Potato Salad for WHB before finally moving on to another herb. (You are probably wondering if I voted for dill as my favorite herb in Kalyn's Anniversary Celebration of WHB? Wonder no more.) I featured celery in a Celery Cous Cous which makes a superb side dish, then got adventurous with a Chard Skillet Saute. I then went natively exotic with Sunchokes Gratin, followed by Sesame Salsify. I then went on a soy binge for Weekend Herb Blogging, showing how to make soy milk and tofu from scratch, and featuring a Hiyashi Tofu recipe. I had to do something with all that soy bran, so the next time I entered Tropical Okara Granola into Weekend Herb Blogging. My most recent entry into Weekend Herb Blogging was an Herbed Cheese Log which featured parsley. What am I going to do this week? Well, I haven't decided, so it will be a surprise for all of us!

I have been working on posting all the recipes which I've posted on this site to GroupRecipes, under the username annalou. If you are interested in the recipe side of my blog, this is a good spot to go for a summary of all my recipes with photos.

If you would like to participate in Weekend Herb Blogging on my watch, check the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging, then write your post and e-mail your permalink to the me by 3:00 Sunday February 25th, Utah time at annalou AT ix DOT netcom DOT com. Be sure to include a link to Anna's Cool Finds with the words Weekend Herb Blogging in your post. Please also put the words Weekend Herb Blogging or WHB in the subject line of your e-mail so that I won't miss it!

Blogging friend comes alive off the page. I had a wonderful visit and it was the first time ever to meet another food blogger Saturday afternoon, and I couldn't have started with a better person than Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms. She wrote about her impressions yesterday, and here are mine. We met at La Dolce V in Sebastopol upon her recommendation. It has recently relocated to downtown Sebastopol, and is cute and offers a luxurious chocolate experience.

I tried a "Bliss Bar" and waited for

my French hot chocolate, which quickly followed. The French hot chocolate was divine, the most thick with rich mouth-feel that I've ever had. Elle and I found a surprising number of things in common, from her daughter living in Seattle (my home turf) now, to my having lived a few years in Falls Church, Virginia where she grew up. We had more than we could fill in an afternoon to talk about, and we're planning to meet again, next in Marin for an encore in March. I'm looking forward to it.

This hybrid doesn't work. I had heard some mixed reviews, but enough good to venture out yesterday to try a Chinese Restaurant with a Japanese twist. The staff was friendly, but the food just didn't measure up. Having some errands in San Rafael, I thought it good timing to drop in for lunch. Yu Shang has a lunch menu that has quite a few Chinese dishes, plus sushi and some bento boxes.

I tried the Mixed Vegetable Special, which came with 'soup of the day' which was hot and sour soup. It was terrible, so I only took a couple spoonfuls. Lukewarm to cold, it tasted like egg drop soup with a lot of soy sauce and some vinegar thrown in. The waiter noticed that I barely touched it and offered me in a nice gesture, to bring me some miso, but I declined, knowing I would have enough food anyway.

Then my Mixed Vegetable Special came. The waiter forgot to ask my choice, according to the menu, of either fried rice or chow mein. It came with a default of fried rice. The rice was a disappointing mix of rice and egg so finely minced that it appeared like spots of lemon peel on the otherwise white rice. No veggies or meat/seafood to flavor it. The 'appetizer of the day' was strips of fried won ton skins with sweet & sour sauce drizzled over -- yuck. Now that is cheap. The mixed vegetables themselves however tasted quite nice, and had just the right amount of crunch.

Next misstep was that the appetizer arrived after the main dish. I decided to try the Three Stooges which was supposed to be a a roll with snow crab, scallops and tuna. The tuna graced the outside, and was fresh and pretty. In fact, it was all I ate of the dish after then first, then second confirming surprising bite. First, I could not distinguish any scallop in the dish, either by taste or viewing. The snow crab was a smoked crab salad from the best I could distinguish. Did not taste fresh, yet it was hard to distinguish because of the smoky flavor. The shaved cabbage had some kind of clearish gelatinous dressing on it, that tasted of mayonnaise although it didn't have its appearance at all. As I mentioned, after trying hard to distinguish the flavors, I gave up on the whole thing other than the fresh tuna topping after the first two trial bites.

Sunny lunch in Larkspur. After thinking to myself many times that I'd drop in some day, I finally tried Noonan's Bar & Grill in Larkspur Landing. This place really has their act together. Warm greeting, prompt and excellent service and inventive twists on the menu. And OMG! choice!

I tried the sandwich special, a red snapper sandwich. Everything about it was perfect, and I was amazed when I heard the list of possible sides. Not just your 'fries or salad' standard. I chose asparagus, and was pleasantly surprised that it was grilled white asparagus that came out. A little on the pricey side, but their service and food are really impeccable. It also has Sunday brunch.

For dinner I met an old friend for dinner and we went to Taylor's Automatic Refresher at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. They forgot to leave off the cheese from her burger, and forgot my Dr. Pepper until I went back and queried, but my veggie burger was good and we enjoyed talking and catching up on lots of mutual interests.

They're making a movie and causing traffic havoc. Near my house no less. Don't be on 101 near Mill Valley after 5 p.m. and expect to exit for the next 10 days. But nonetheless, I was able to get home and pick my Dad up for a Valentine's dinner. Querying Dad on what he'd like to eat, he preferred simple, like meat and potatoes. Now where could that be that wasn't already overbooked??? And would leave me able to run into Sausalito to finish up a quick bit of work at my client's? So that's how we ended up at Outback Steakhouse in Marin City for Valentine's Day. I could see that the line wasn't out the door, and in fact it was relatively quick to procure a seat.

We started with a House Salad with Ranch Dressing. First thing we noticed was it should have been called the Incredible Shrinking Salad. It's been a while since I've been to Outback, and the one thing I remembered well was the size of the salad that was part of the overall cost of the meal. It's now probably a third of the size, much poorer variety of vegetables included, and the same amount of dressing on top which really finished off the poor showing. And the dressing lacked any Ranchiness... think mayo with a hint of sour cream and no seasoning.

Dad had the Chicken on the Barbie. He gave up the idea of potatoes when he saw the possibility of healthy steamed fresh vegetables. He liked his plate, and finished it off.

I splurged on Alaskan King Crab legs. Hard to cook these wrong. They were delicious and the misstep on my veggie side order was quickly corrected. The staff were all quite pleasant.

Dad said "What's for Valentine's dessert?", a moment after he announced he was quite full. So we shared a Chocolate Chocolate Tower. Truly a frightening sight, steak knife sticking straight up in the middle! As it should have been since it was enough to feed a family of six. We took a few bites drizzled with raspberry sauce and called it good.

Verdict is yes, this is a corporate cookie cutter type place I usually neither go to or write about, but it's where we ended up for various reasons for Valentine's Day. I don't think it's a good value for the money, as it wasn't cheap, and mostly mediocre. But Dad and I had a good time anyway.

Out again in Sausalito. First, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Yesterday, I had my first 'meal' at Saylor's Landing after my bout with a bug on Monday. I have been here before, taking my Nebraskan cousins here a couple of years ago who loved it. I had not tried lunch yet, and was pleased to notice that it was open for lunch when passing on my way to Fish the other day.

I thoroughly enjoyed a tortilla lime chicken salad. It has freshly grilled chicken breast on top of a nicely dressed salad with a lime kick. The waiter was very pleasant, and the sun had come out, filling the interior with light through their well-placed windows. Some people had chosen to soak in the sun on the deck outside. Definitely will remember to come back here for lunch again.

Food does not appeal. I've come down with either food poisoning or the dratted stomach flu since yesterday so I've not any tasty food adventures to share. My doctor recommended Pedialyte, so that's been my diet! Will probably be back tomorrow with something foodish again!

Weekend Herb Blogging. Kalyn is hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week, the home where it all started.

I've made an Herbed Cheese Log for my entry this week, featuring parsley. Parsley is often substituted for Kalyn's favorite coriander because it has a milder flavor. Parsley is often favored as a garnish, with it's pretty deep green curly fronds looking artful. It is also used as a breath freshener, some put it in dishes also containing garlic to off set that odor. One of the substances in parsley, myristicin, has been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and may be particularly useful in combating lung cancer. It is also very potent in the vitamin area- 2 tablespoons contribute 153.8% of your daily allowance for Vitamin K, and more than 15% of your daily allowance for Vitamin C.

Herbed Cheese Log

8 oz of cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Let cream cheese soften at room temperature. Add all ingredients except walnuts to bowl and mix in thoroughly.

Roll into a log using plastic wrap, and a sushi mat. Place another sheet of fresh plastic wrap on top of sushi mat, then spread finely chopped walnuts on it. Take log out of other wrap, then place it on sushi mat and roll in the walnuts, coating the outside evenly. Chill until ready to serve.

Stormy Sausalito. For lunch yesterday I paid a visit to the ever-popular Fish. Away from the tourist district, and a little hard to find, this gem is always swarmed by locals, rain or shine. And on Friday, it was rain.

But even so, at 12:36, there was a line up waiting to order, and all the seats except at the counter, were filled. Fish has a simple menu, and simple prices. Cash only and tax included so all is even and easy.

I started with the White Clam Chowder, thick and full of good tasting tender clams!

I then moved on to the Fish Taco Plate. It was great with three different toppings, including a fresh mango chutney! And fresh cilantro. I'll bet my cilantro-loving friend Kalyn is drooling!

In the evening, my Dad and I met my Aunt Darla who is visiting for a conference in San Jose to take her out to dinner. It was her first visit to 'sunny' California. My challenge: to think of something a true mid-westerner, meat and potatoes, corn & green beans only kinda gal would love. Oh, and some Italian. So we started over to Santana Row for a safe bet, Maggiano's. Well, a lot of others had a taste for Italian since when we arrived at 6:20ish, there was already over an hour's wait. Plan B fast! Left Bank I knew would have some meat and potato combinations with a French twist, so we went there an enjoyed a long meal catching up on family. My taste surprise was that the potatoes that came in my dish were in croquette style, with white truffle cream in the middle. After falling in love with it at the Fancy Foods Show, it was my first finding of it in the 'wild'.

I found out that my two cousins, Jeff & Sean have opened a bar and grill called the Double Down and are having a good time with it. Cousin Darin has a bar near Minden, NE, but my brain didn't retain the name. Their father, my Uncle Pat, used to write a food column for the local newspaper that was quite a kick - "Man in the Kitchen", sporting a photo of said uncle with a bag over his head for anonymity. He used to send us some of the columns. Even though Minden has a population of about 3,000, it sounds like there is never a dull moment.

We also spoke of home arts, like canning and I heard that they are alive and well. Which reminds me, I tried a little experiment myself today, making my own laundry soap. I was amazed at how simple it is! Grated bar soap, borax, super washing soda, essential oil and water put together in a certain way and voila! Two gallons of amazingly good and grapefruit-fresh smelling laundry soap resembling lemon sorbet. Enough to clean the clothes of an entire army!

I also queried Aunt Darla about local produce, farmer's markets, and what is grown in Nebraska. It seems like eating local would be a bit tough there. Among other things I learned is that there was an expensive attempt to grow hydroponic tomatoes in big greenhouses in Minden, but alas, they found there is no greenhouse glass strong enough to withstand the hail. Apparently the entire investment was lost when the first big hailstorm came through, crashing through the glass, and shooting shards through the tomatoes such that nothing was salvageable. Nebraska grows a lot of corn, not for humans but for animal feed and ethanol. Some potatoes and soy is also grown. Not an appetizing array of choices to try eating only local, unless one had a garden and canned/froze as the gowning season is short. I learned a lot about the independent Nebraskans, and their standing up to the Federal government's long reach as well.

Is Table as good as Tabla? Dad and I had an early dinner at the newly renamed Table Cafe in Larkspur. Has to be early there as it closes at 7 p.m. A New York restaurant also named Tabla challenged the name on this local place, and so with a quick switch of a vowel, it has become Table Cafe. I have been here any number of times, and mentioned it in this blog on June 24, 2005, and reviewed it quickly with photo on September 10, 2005, so I thought it high time for an update. Table Cafe also serves brunch on Saturdays for those who enjoy the weekend brunch scene. It also has a couple take-out options available each day too. The menu is seasonal and very fresh. Table Cafe uses only organic foods, and its produce is all organic local and sustainably grown. Good for you and good for the planet.

Dad had carrot apple and ginger juice with his Butternut Squash-Orange soup with mint garnish. What an antioxidant boost! And he said it was delicious.

I started with a ginger spritzer with lemonade and tried the White Bean and Sage Soup with cabbage and carrots. That was delicious as well.

Dad was startled by the size of the dosai that was set in front of him!

Dad's dosai was the Roasted Turkey Breast with avocado and balsalmic roasted onions and arugula. He chose the pear chutney on the side. He enjoyed it, but couldn't finish it as it was quite a bit of food.

I tried a special off the blackboard - Crab Dosa. It consisted of fresh Dungeness, cilantro aoli and mizuna greens. The crab was so fresh and light and blended well with the other ingredients. I had avocado chutney on the side.

Not being able to eat any more, but not wanting to pass up their previously experienced dense Scharffen Berger chocolate brownies, we took a couple to go and enjoy with a movie later on. Yes, Table is as good as Tabla, and still a wonderful place for a casual, yet gourmet food experience.

Good food, if you can wait. It was so dark and rainy last evening, there was no way to take an outside photo of Gira Polli, which has a very nicely designed exterior. But the above photo is a quick snap of the inside.

We started with some Brushetta. The tomatoes were ripe and flavorful, quite a feat for mid-winter, and the olives, capers and blue cheese made a nice flavor medley.

Dad then enjoyed some rotisserie lamb, the Arrosto D'Agnello.

I had the succulent Arrosto Di Polli. The meat was moist and flavorful, and it was so tender it fell off the bone. The waiters were friendly and attentive, and the preparation of the food for maximum flavor was observed. However, there was an unusually long delay between each course, not explained by the number of people in the restaurant or take-out counter. There were few people eating in. If you can bear the wait, the food is well-flavored and has a home-like feel.

Sparkling lunch. I enjoyed lunch at Sausalito Bakery & Cafe, on the north end of Bridgeway in Sausalito. The water in the harbor was sparkling as I walked along the sidewalk to my destination. Once inside, what was striking was how sparkling this place was as well. The display cases weren't crowded with food the way many delis are, but rather the food was artfully displayed and the freshness glistened right through the cases. The staff was friendly and the cleanliness of the establishment was striking.

I enjoyed a hot turkey and bacon sandwich on sour dough. And enjoyed is a good word here since it was warm, fresh and delicious. I even had a choice of grilled onions, not just raw! Another customer came in just for the vegetarian sandwich as well, stating it was the best one he'd ever had. I also noticed that breakfast items are served here as well.

Farewell dinner. My friend Judith is moving away to Fredricksburg, Maryland next week, so we enjoyed some tapas together for a last catch up before her move. We chose the award-winning Sabor of Spain for the setting so we could leisurely enjoy various tastes as we caught up with each others lives. We were warmly greeted and seated and a team of people supported the waiter in giving us a fabulous dining experience. It was Judith's first time, my third, and we were impressed. We selected a variety of tastes which harmonized well and tantalized our palates.

Good luck Judith!