I'm back!

Nope, I didn't drop dead or anything. I have been working hard on finding gainful employment while simultaneously managing to attend the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in Seattle this year. This particular trip involved me racing around like a madwoman to various points on the West Coast: Chicago to San Francisco, San Francisco to Seattle, Seattle back to San Francisco, San Francisco by car to Eugene, and from Eugene back to Chicago via Portland. In between all that nonsense, I managed to visit with lots of old friends, eat crazy amounts of delicious food, and talk to a few of my culinary idols.

Here are some highlights in no particular order:

1) Korean BBQ at Brother's Restaurant in the Richmond with Alison W. and Nathan.
2) Salmon chowder and girlie drinks with Jen at Twenty Two Doors in Seattle.
3) French hot chocolate and pear pastry with Megan at Sweet and Savory in Seattle.

French hot chocolate.

4) Hot pot with Peter and Chloe at Seven Stars in Seattle.
5) Russian pastries with Rachael and Rodrigo in the Richmond. Who knew I could fall in love with strudel?
6) Vietnamese lunch at Green Papaya with Shauna.
7) Vietnamese sandwiches from Seattle Deli with Megan.

Still more Vietnamese food with Megan. I can't remember the name of this soup - it was sweet and sour and very tasty.

8) Inventing a game called "Kitty Spank" at the expense of Megan's cats (they retaliated by using my face as a launching pad the rest of the night).

Kitty plots his revenge.

9) Attending the IACP conference with Alison R. and Pamela.
10) Sucking down a tequila shooter at the Hales brewery after helping Megan and Kris move.

When you help people move, you should reward yourself with half the menu from Shanghai Garden.

11) Beers at the Zoo with former Microsoft coworkers.
12) Chatting with Linda Carucci, one of the nicest people on earth. Go buy her book right now!
13) Listening to Fergus Henderson talk about butchers.
14) Hanging out with David L. and meeting all of his chocolate friends.
15) Meeting up with my cooking school pal Amy at Tartine in San Fran.
15) Miscellaneous Seattle yummies: mole salami at Salumi, clam chowder at Market Grill, roti canai at Malay Satay Hut, spending the afternoon as one of those unemployed laptop people at both Victrola and Vivace, passionfruit gelato at Gelatiamo, tasty pretty Mexican at La Carta de Oaxaca, and beef pelmeni at Cafe Yarmarka.

Hula hoopers in Capitol Hill.

Lowlights:
1) Renting a car in Oakland and reading in the contract that returning the car with blood stains incurs a cleaning fee.
2) Locating my rental car. It was a tan PT Cruiser.
3) Listening to someone hurling violently three rows behind me on my flight to Seattle.
4) Babbling incoherently to Dorie Greenspan. I was just so excited to meet her!
5) Terribly stale macarons at Le Panier in Seattle.
6) Cupcake Royale running out of cupcakes.
7) Driving five hours through the mountains of northern California and southern Oregon alone in a rental car with the engine light on in the pouring rain. Luckily some desserts from Sweet Life were waiting for me in Eugene with Eliz:

Sweet Life overindulgence.

I'm moving to the Bay Area tomorrow for good. I hope to be blogging more regularly in the next few weeks, so stay tuned. Life is just a little bit crazy right now...