La Palma makes me Tutifruti

I had some delicious tortillas and tamales from La Palma "Mexica-tessan" for Christmas. A yummy, sugary Tutifruti Jarritos too. If you live in San Francisco, you should definitely visit La Palma and give it a try. 

I discovered that a Mexica-tessan is a wonderful market and taqueria combo in the Mission District on the corner of Florida and 24th Street. Get some fresh, homemade tortillas for your dinner one night. You'll find a huge difference from what you are used to buying in the store. Their corn tortillas are soft, rich in flavor and "two-ply"; they have an airy pocket in the middle. The tamales have a good flavor. I preferred the regular tamales over the Salvadoreños style. They have a very rich flavor, wrapped in a banana leaf, rather than a husk. They also have a an olive in the middle. Watch out for the pit!

Happy Halloween

I made you a Halloween Movie treat! Enjoy!

Special Thanks to Bruno for help with the project.

Music: "All Things Go" by Sufjan Stevens

Miette the Most Delicious Chocolate: Gianduiotto

I stopped in my favorite confiserie, Miette, in the charming Hayes Valley in San Francisco. I bought a piece of my favorite and the most delicious chocolate, Gianduiotto.

The Italian chocolate has been around since 1865. When cocoa was rationed, hazelnuts became an additive to help make the chocolate. The hazelnut paste combined with the chocolate results in a rich, sweet flavor with extra depth and a smooth, creamy texture that you will never forget.

18 years in the Making... Maccallum

The Macallan Whisky tasting party at Fort Mason Officer's Club was a success. Tracy and I enjoyed a delicious range of scotches from Macallan. The 15 year and 18 year reserves were my favorite. It was sad to think about some of the men who had labored hard 18 years ago to make this whisky, never lived to taste it.

Baggu will save u

Baggu re-useable bags fold up and fit in your pocket

I got my first Baggu. I love it. I want more. More colors!

The Baggu will save your world. It's a reusable shopping bag. Well, first you can easily tote them with you to the grocery store or farmer's market. They're stylish enough to take to the mall or as a tote to the beach. These nylon totes pack neatly into a small square pouch that fits in your pocket. I stash mine in my backpack always. It's reusable-durable design is available in more colors than Skittles. Make your own rainbow!

Benefits:

- You will save resources such as paper and plastic

- You will produce less waste

- You will look eco-conscience and stylish at the same time

- You grocer will knock a few pennies off your grocery bill

- You will save space - you won't store a mess of empty bags under you sink

Next I'm going to get one in Oyster, Pigment Green and Smoke!

Miso Fly Ice Sculpture

The Miso Fly Boutique held it's first year anniversary party this weekend. It was an amazing night. The room was like a piece of heaven. Covered from floor to ceiling in white fabric, bathed in soft blue light. The highlight for me was seeing the logo I designed for them, etched into the martini bar, made of ice. It was exquisite.

This set the scene for the fashion show, which exhibited the clothes from the Miso Fly boutique and some beautiful human specimens modeling the attire. Hair was done by Jessie Townley of Hairajuku Salon. The party was filled with patrons, dancing and noshing on delicious treats from savory meats, ice chilled sushi and wonderful deserts (which i was fortunate enough to be seated closely to). The event was hosted by owner, Tracy Kang.

Divsadero Art Walk - Mini Bar Show Last Month

I recently took down the show from the Divisadero Art Walk at Mini Bar. I showed some silkscreen prints and giclee prints on canvas and paper. The pieces were illustrations from my Spirit Guide Series and from my World Culture Series. Favorites were the Moon Goddess, a girl with antlers by the moon light and the asian themed silkscreens, including the Geisha.

Thanks to everyone who attended opening night and checked out the art after. Thank you to everyone who bought pieces. I hope you enjoy them!

Special thanks to Sorell, Mark and Malik for all of their help getting my editions done!

Here are some more photos from opening night...

Phillipe Burger - YUM!

Illustration by Xhico

I went today to my favorite lil' restaurant in Palm Springs, Chez Philippe. I recently designed some characters (above) and some display menus for him. He added a Burger to his menu, so I had to give it a try... DEE-LISH-US! It was a great burger!

The Kobe Beef patty with thick, juicy and full of flavor. It was simply seasoned and the full flavor of the beef really came through. The toasted Brioche Roll offered a slightly crusty, yet light compliment to the hearty patty and thick melted layer of Swiss Cheese. The burger was moist and need very little condiments, so a dab of Garlic Aioli did the trick. It was traditionally finished with tomato, onion, and hearts of romaine. Though the romaine provided a nice crunch, I would have preferred Arugula to add a bit of a peppery bite.

The burger was served with Mixed Greens with a tasty house vinagrette. The French Fries were, well, French Fries. Nothing special - they could have been a bit more gourment to really compliment the burger. Skinny, crunchy fries would have been perfect!

Overall, another delicious meal at Philippe's. Bon Appetit!

Musubi

I didn't know there was Spam "sushi". Musubi (pronounced moo-soo-bee, with no accent) is a Hawaiian way to eat Spam. Today at Hawaiian Bill's, I ventured out to try the Musubi. It was oddly delicious. Something about the salty, briny taste of the meat, then the soft texture and mild flavor of the rice and then the crisp, sharp salty bite of the nori wrapped around, made this an interesting treat. I would definitely try this again.