Pacific Coast Highway : the road trip

This is the unedited version of the article I wrote for Travelife about my road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway, from San Francisco, CA to Vancouver, BC Canada. I've been meaning to post about that trip so this is a good way to start, and an even better way to save me from having to write it all up again. :)

It’s late at night on a Friday, one of many typical Friday nights during the salad days of my HS and college life. I’m in the backseat of my friend’s Pathfinder pick-up which is cruising effortlessly through the dark and foggy, yet thankfully familiar, Tagaytay highway heading for the beach. The collective energy in the car is almost palpable: the windows are rolled all the way down, all thoughts of school and curfew have been cast away, Don Henley’s Boys of Summer is blasting from the tape deck, and we’re singing along with him at the top of our lungs while the cool breeze dances along in our hair.

Being on the road in a reliable set of wheels with good company and great tunes can put me in a fantastic mood. It didn’t always matter where we were going because getting there was already half the fun. So when it was decided that we would be driving to Vancouver, BC from San Francisco, I was over the moon! Not only would I finally be visiting my sister and her family again after twelve years, but I was finally going on a proper road trip! It must have been all those songs that played like soundtracks to road movies or those compelling books by Kerouac or Steinbeck that triggered my own longing to hit the road for my own adventure. There was no real agenda apart from arriving at the final destination. I wasn’t escaping anything nor was I trying to find myself. I was simply giving in once again to my wanderlusting, fun-loving and thrill-seeking nature, open to whatever the universe cared to toss my way.

The road trip gods had gifted us with the perfect sunny California summer day. Being the most experienced and confident driver of the group, Colo volunteered to take the wheel. I rode shotgun as navigator and Therese happily took the back seat. We would pick up Katrina and Lizzy in the city. The Chevy Trailblazer rental we picked up the night before was loaded with five women and five women’s worth of stuff with room to spare. Lizzy supplied the junk food and drinks and I supplied the tunes from my iPod with a playlist made especially for this occasion. My stack of printed Google maps had been discarded and stuffed under my seat, in favor of the infinitely more high-tech Magellan GPS which we named ‘Maggie’.

The plan was simple: we would drive up to Pt. Reyes, do an overnight in Petaluma, then continue on to Portland, OR, stay a couple of nights, then on to our final destination in Vancouver, BC, from where we’d take a plane back to San Francisco a week later. And as with most major decisions in life, we were faced with two options: take the longer, more rewarding scenic route via Highway 1 or the shorter but less picturesque Interstate 5. I suggested we take I5 all the way past CA/OR border, then veer west to drive the scenic route along the fabled Oregon Coast, to which everyone agreed.

But that wasn’t what happened. You see, Highway 1 which is also called the Pacific Coast Highway and Route 101 in certain parts, is the type of road driving was invented for. The type of road you see in movies or commercials where the handsome star in a red convertible has one bronzed arm draped across the shoulders of his blond leading lady with the over-sized sunglasses, while he tackles each hairpin turn skillfully with the other. It’s the type of road that makes you forget that you’re supposed to be about 50 miles east on I5. Yes, there is a reason it’s called 1.

It doesn’t matter how many times I do it, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge could never be a been-there-done-that experience for me. Whether shining brightly on a crisp and clear day with sailboats playing underneath or enshrouded in the famed San Francisco fog as it was on this day, it is certainly a thing of beauty which represents one of my most favorite cities in the world. Though the bridge isn’t very long at 1.7 miles, traversing it is like travelling to another country. One made up of sweeping rolling hills, redwood forests, rugged coastlines and craggy cliffs where you might half-expect a leprechaun to jump out at you from the side of the road. Except this isn’t Ireland it’s Marin County, and that was a wild deer, not a leprechaun.

to be continued...

Santorini Dreaming, my latest article on LA Travel

This is so exciting for me. Not just because this is my 4th travel piece that's been published (2nd in a row with Lifestyle Asia Travel, with another in the pipeline for the next issue) but more so because it's about a place I dreamed about since I was a little girl. Being in Santorini was such an extraordinary experience for me. Making it even more wonderful was the fact that I went with one of my closest friends who happens to also be one of the coolest people I know. So it was indeed a dream come true and being given the opportunity to share it was really special for me. :)

The article is published in the April/May or summer issue of Lifestyle Asia Travel along with other fab destinations such as Bordeaux, Palawan and Bohol. Oh and I was also asked to contribute some photos and tips for the Postcards section! :)

Ouefs en Cocotte or Eggs Baked in Ramekins

Oeufs en Cocotte. Such a fancy name for such a simple dish. I can't even begin to pronounce it, so when my family asked what I was making, I simply said "eggs baked in ramekins" as that it is precisely what they are. Ouefs is the French word for eggs, and Cocotte for ramekin.

I have a fondness for eggs, especially the small farm-fresh organic eggs delivered by our friendly organic farmer every other week. They're smaller, the yolks are bright orange, and they have a fresher and richer taste. Once you've had your first organic egg, you are spoiled for life.

My inspiration to make eggs baked in ramekins came about while reading Julie & Julia. While I am known to possess delusions of grandeur from time to time, I have no aspirations of trying some of what are, in my opinion, insanely tedious recipes found in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Having said that, there are many that are defintely doable and that I would love to try my hand at someday.

But this, well this was just so simple! And so perfect for a quick breakfast or brunch meal. I love me some weekend brunch! I decided to make three variatons. One ramekin for the classic recipe, another with sauteed mushrooms, and because I had some smoked wild Sockeye salmon ( a lovely gift from a friend in Vancouver), I made one with that too. They all turned out marvelously, and I couldn't pick a favorite! We all had a taste, mopping up the last of the remaining dregs with our bread and we couldn't get enough of it. I wish I had made more.

Classic Oeufs en Cocotte

1 egg
1 Tbsp cream
a knob of butter
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 C.

Grease your ramekin with some olive oil or butter. Carefully crack one egg into the ramekin. Top with a little cream, a knob of butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Place the ramekin/s in a baking or roasting tin and pour hot water around it until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 8-10 minutes if , like me, you like it runny. About 2-3 minutes more if you prefer the eggs to set. Remember though that the egg continues to cook inside the ramekin even after you remove it from the oven.

Let is rest for a couple of minutes and serve with your favorite bread.

For the Oeufs en Cocotte with Salmon; I chopped up some smoked salmon, mixed it with chopped leeks, and placed it at the bottom of the ramekin then layered everything else on top.

And voila, that's it!

You may experiment and create your own variations. Just do some layering, placing the heavier ingredients like meats on the bottom and the herbs such as chives or leeks on top of the egg. I'd like to try it next time with bacon or ham, chorizo, and spinach.

The breadcrumb topping here looks like a fantastic idea, too!

Every single vote counts

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming. So please don't forget to vote. :)

THIS SATURDAY
28 MARCH AT 8.30PM
YOU CAN VOTE EARTH
BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR
- EARTH HOUR.

~~WWF is urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Click here to learn more about Earth Hour and take action.

Watermelon granita

A poolside BBQ and swim party is something my friends and I love to plan all year round. Usually we just throw burgers and sausages on the grill then lay out the condiments and whatever sides we decide to make that day. Sometimes there's a casserole of some sort or a pasta dish. Drinks are always aplenty. The beers are chilling in the ice box and a pitcher of iced tea and various soft drinks are also available. The music and laughter are flowing freely and we just eat and hang around and have a great, great time.

These parties become more frequent as soon as summer comes around. And there's no denying that summer has arrived in the Philippine islands! I'm already tempted to turn on the a/c at night, but I'm holding off for as long as I can still manage to sleep well without it. It becomes almost unbearable to stay most days during the months of March to May yet we force ourselves to leave our air-conditioned cocoons and surge bravely into the sticky humidity to fire up that grill and flip those burgers while beads of sweat form a river down our spines.

And we did just that two Sundays ago. Anticipating a hot day, I had first thought of making some fruit shakes with all the fruit I had at home. At the last minute though, I decided on making this watermelon granita for a change. I found a simple recipe online and the result was exactly how I hoped it would be: light, absolutely refreshing, cooling and so so good.

Alas, it didn't make it to the party. Thinking I could make it in the morning for a 3 pm party was a mistake. I should have started it the night before. I did not take into consideration the fact that I do not live alone and hence I am not the only one that opens and closes the freezer door. By the time I had to leave, it was still this tray of half-frozen slush. Thankfully, I also had some pineapples for the grill so I didn't arrive empty-handed. Because the party had lasted well into midnight, we cranked out the blender and made sangria slushies instead.

When I checked my icebox that night, the granita was good and ready. So for days after, I enjoyed a glass of watermelon granita in the warm evenings while I daydreamed of palm trees and and blue-green waters.

Watermelon Granita
recipe & instructions from foodnetwork.com

1/2 seedless watermelon
1/2 cup white sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Cut up watermelon flesh into chunks and then puree in a blender. If your watermelon isn't seedless, make sure to remove the seeds first before putting in the blender or you'll get mashed up seeds which may taste bitter.

Combine the watermelon juice with the sugar and lemon and mix well. Pour it all into a shallow wide pan and freeze for 1 hour. When the mixture is frozen, remove from the freezer and rake with a fork all the way through. Return to the freezer for another hour and then rake again. Return to the freezer for one more hour. Rake again with fork then serve. Add a sprig of mint to up the coolness factor!

Have a great summer everyone! (or Spring or Fall, use whichever is applicable to you) :)