Here’s a small sample of things we saw yesterday on the first day in California. You can guess what they are.
Chile and cream of artichoke soup:
Olallieberry pie with ice cream:
The official mascot of the University of California at Santa Cruz:
Today: Whale watching!
THAT is one gorgeous slug!
Oh yes! The Santa Cruz Used Running Sneakers!
Sorry couldn’t help it!
… seriously: beautiful pics…. even the banana.
At first blush, I thought it was a banana pepper!
You went to Duarte’s and didn’t get the Cioppino? I am shocked I tell you, shocked!
I wasn’t very hungry. . The soup, good bread, and pie filled me up! I also had a blood orange IPA brewed with blood orange flavor, which was fantastic.
That soup looks delicious. The wildlife abounds!
Are you inferring a connection between the two? 😉
cr
… creme of slug & pelican…
“Olallieberry” – that was a new one to me, so I looked it up and started thinking. What’s the origin of all those *names* which end in -berry? E.g, Roddenberry, Hockenberry, Eichenberry,?
As for cream of artichoke – I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that, either. I take it would be the upper stem part that is creamed, not bits from the leaves that are normally only edible at one end?
In this ‘cream of artichoke’ recipe, “cream of” means cream is one of the ingredients rather than the other culinary meaning: the technique of softening & blending.
The base ingredients for the soup are: butter, garlic, onion, green chillies, frozen or canned artichoke hearts, chicken stock, heavy cream, seasoning. Some recipes use veg stock instead of chicken stock, & lime or lemon juice, & chopped carrots.
Since you were at Pescadero for lunch, I’m assuming the elephant seals were at Ano Nuevo. If you get a chance to go further up the coast, you should try breakfast at the 3-Zero cafe by the Half Moon Bay airport.
Oh, and down the coast, pasties at Bay City Bakery in Davenport.
Whoops, that’s Whale City Bakery.
…and “pastries” I assume?
teehee
Although PCC(E) with pasties might be a once in a lifetime sight to behold. Or Zero…
Get your minds out of the gutter, folks😬 Pasties are also Scottish(?) turnover like things.
I had forgotten the nipple association until you reminded me…
Pasties – the meal in a pastry case – are from the far south of GB – Cornwall although Devonians next door argue it’s theirs. Poldark country & all that. I’m sure you’ll know Poldark because it’s got a bloke in it with pectorals & chiselled features… 🙂
Of course – Cornish pasties! Had some abysmal ones in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula a few years ago. I’m sure tasty ones must exist somewhere. A good friend was recently looking for some of those little iron-on appliqués to covers holes in gym T-shirt. She accidentally called them pasties and I have not let her live it down😬
I’ve seen one episode of Poldark, on a friend’s recommendation, and though he was indeed easy on the eyes, I found the script too daft to continue with.
I’d pay to see that! 🙂
Looks to be Steinbeck country — somewhere where “Doc” from Cannery Row would’ve gone to collect marine specimens.
Actually, it’s paradise if you can afford it.
Have to mention as most probably missed this. Barack Obama just finished a speech in Illinois that was a really great one. Hope you get to see it in rerun on line.
I had heard he was, but won’t be able to watch until later. I imagine Trump will be less than pleased.
He said it was something you could sleep to. Ooooh, what a dig.
WH staffers should pipe it to his bedroom 24/7 in that case.
Love the idea!
Our President always has the most gracious things to say🤮
Yeah, remember back when we had a president who was legitimately elected AND fluent in English?
Good times, those.
What’s depressing is that that lament is warranted by two of the last three presidents.
Ah, lovely California, the state I was born in (San Jose). Ano Nueva is a beautiful state park. Are you going to head south to Monterey? The Monterey Bay Aquarium is nonpareil.
I thought capers were little flower buds?
Ha! Took me a couple seconds to get it though. 🙂
It was pretty lame!
That aquarium has some great online live streams too. My favorite is the shark cam.
I love the otters too!
nothing beats otters!
If you glance at that first photo for just a moment, it looks like it could be a painting of a war between two colonial forces.
*in my best Finding Nemo voice*
“Mine?”
That brings back memories! I used to live in Butano Canyon, just a few miles outside of Pescadero (where Duarte’s Tavern serves their famous artichoke soup and some delicious pies). I saw those cliffs and pelicans every day on my daily commute – if the coast was not too fogged in.
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Lovely post, Jerry. Thanks and have a great vacation.
Yes. There are many, many beautiful parts of California, still. Most of the coast is exceptional, especially Monterey and Santa Cruz (I used to go to summer camp in Santa Cruz). The coast range and the Sierra Nevadas are wonderful also. I grew up in Concord, Contra Costa County, about 19 miles +/- from San Francisco, a favorite city.
I hope that climate change doesn’t turn California into Arizona or Nevada, while turning Oregon into California.
For fans of Breaking Bad and a Better Call Saul: a thought-provoking review.
https://lithub.com/better-call-saul-knows-morality-is-about-more-than-individual-choice/
How peculiar – I read that on Monday [even though it’s dated the 12th]
Oh – I have a nice deal on a Hummel if ya interested. See below.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/718SYLf4GYL._SL1303_.jpg
Deal on a Hummel…LOL
Incidentally – the first comment underneath the Literary Hub article is from a non-genius of literary criticism.