Love: The Oaktown Spice Shop. At first I was jealous that someone had actually executed an idea that always lurked in the back of my mind: opening a version of Milwaukee's Spice House out here in the Bay Area. But then I met the guys who did it, found out that they, in fact, were from Milwaukee and had worked at the Spice House, and couldn't hold it against them. Their Better Than Everything Bagel Spice mix is a new favorite.
Like: The *free* Video Star app that lets you easily create professional-looking music videos, complete with a wide range of effects and seemless jump cuts to allow for costume and location changes. We now have a veritable library of Stella's takes on One Direction, Taylor Swift and Adele.
Discovery: Spencer's Pantry, a restaurant that comes to your house. My friend Jaime arranged this as a birthday dinner for her husband James last month, and it was such a lovely evening - an intimate, delicious, relaxed 6-course dinner in the comfort of your home, for no more than you'd spend at a nice restaurant. Chef Spencer grows or forages most of what he serves - vegetables from his own and his parents' gardens, eggs from a friend's chickens.
Obsession: Stella's, with typewriters. We've raised her to appreciate all things vintage, and it's finally manifesting itself. A trip to San Francisco's The Perish Trust turned her onto typewriters and prompted one of the best questions ever: "Did you live in the Time of the Typewriter?" "Yes," I said, "I was alive when Smith Coronas walked the Earth." Truth be told, if I concentrate, I can still conjure up the smell of Liquid Paper. Her new-found fixation has had me scouring Etsy for the perfect candy-colored relic for her birthday later this year.
Complaint: I've been making my French Press coffee wrong for, like, ever!? I had the chance to meet Peet's Coffee Master Roaster Doug Walsh and learned a lot about the art and science behind what Peet's calls an Uncompromised Cup of coffee. Here are their precise instructions. Try it their way and you will notice a difference. Possible next experiment: would this sexy wood-handled press pot put it even further over the top?
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