There may not be a heaven, but there is a San Francisco.

As Kirsten mentioned in our first post (woo!), I was home in California for a few weeks earlier this month. Aside from reveling in the sunshine, spending time with buds and family, photographing the blooming mustard flowers and wandering the orange groves, I did a lot of cookin’ and a whole lot more eatin’. 

I spent a long weekend visiting my sister in San Francisco, wearing flowers in my hair, passing many hours (and paying many dollars) at Rainbow Grocery, and giggling, as close sisters do. For her birthday dinner, all of her sweet housemates cooked a huge vegan meal: fresh-cut fettuccine with Uruguayan-style marinara and vegetables as the main course, accompanied by Oven-Roasted Medjool Dates (see recipe below), the Best Fucking Salad I’ve Ever Eaten In My Entire Life (all organic- see photo), featuring blood orange, lemon, and grapefruit slices, balsamic-marinated cucumbers, well-fed tomatoes, various nuts, and fresh spring rolls filled with avocado, roasted bell peppers and onions, tossed with a shiitake-sesame dressing. We topped it off with pear and apple pie, and deliciously warm and traditional chocolate chip cookies for dessert. And wine, always wine. The meal was hearty, and the night was cozy, and the whole weekend made me seriously contemplate moving to San Francisco.

 

After one long day of thrifting in the Mission, walking around San Bruno, and going on a mini shopping spree at Daiso, we also ventured to Maggie Mudd in Bernal Heights, where I inhaled a scoop of Peanut Butter Palooka (soy milk-based) and a scoop of Pumpkin (coconut milk-based) in a fresh-out-of-the-oven waffle cone.
 

The whole weekend was heaven, and that was like the cherry on top. 

Oven-Roasted Medjool Dates
Makes however many servings your heart desires.
This recipe is my own interpretation based on watching one of my sister's housemates create this dish. She would usually stuff the dates with gorgonzola cheese, but in the spirit of veganizing it, she tried this combination instead. And it was mouth-watering. They were gone in the blink of an eye and left all of us wanting more.
 

Ingredients: 

Whole Medjool dates
Earth Balance vegan spread
Walnuts, chopped coarsely (small-ish pieces)
Cinnamon

Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Slice each date down the middle, length-wise, with a small, sharp knife. Remove pit.
• Mix nickel-sized amount of Earth Balance with about ½ teaspoon of chopped walnuts; mash together; stuff mixture into date.
• Repeat until all dates are stuffed.
• Roast on a brimmed cookie sheet in oven for 5-7 minutes, until Earth Balance is melted and dates are sufficiently heated through. Arrange on a plate and serve warm. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon (not pictured here).

*Note: The measurements in this recipe should be adjusted according to the number of dates you use.

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P.S. Apologies for only including one recipe here. Clearly, I did more eating than cooking while I was in San Francisco. More California culinary adventures to come...