san francisco

Traci Des Jardins Daily Life
celebrity chefs

A Day in the Life of Traci Des Jardins

Traci Des Jardins is a San Francisco based chef and restaurateur.
by

Traci Des Jardins is a San Francisco based chef and restaurateur. She has three very different eateries: upscale Jardinière, Mexican Mijita, and ballpark-based Public House. Her fourth restaurant, Manzanita, is in Lake Tahoe at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. You may recognize Jardins from Top Chef Masters, where she made it to the final episode. Here is what she did yesterday, Sunday, June 26.

7:00 a.m.: I was in Tahoe. I drove up Saturday evening and woke up on Sunday early.

8:00 a.m.: I spent the whole day in the kitchen working out new dishes with my chef and sous chef. We're working on debuting a whole new menu. It's going to be put in place on July 7th. The seasons up there are different; it's basically going from Winter to Summer.

11:00 a.m.: I was tasting food all day long. I tasted a dozen different dishes, so I didn't really have lunch or anything. I started with the breakfast dishes. I tasted the huevos rancheros from the new breakfast menu. I tasted the egg-in-a-hole — it's a new dish.

1:00 p.m.: From the lunch and dinner menu I tasted the halibut with sweet melon and cucumber. Let's see. We also tried the new sea bass dish with baby fennel and saffron potatoes.

To find out what else Traci ate and what she made herself for dinner, keep reading.

Extremely Hot Peppers Dish at Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant, San Francisco
Poll

Would You Eat This Hot Pepper Dish?

It's simply a fact that I love spicy food more than most: from Sriracha to Sambal Oelek and Tabasco to Tapatío, I've got every hot sauce around, and I pour it on everything.
by

It's simply a fact that I love spicy food more than most: from Sriracha to Sambal Oelek and Tabasco to Tapatío, I've got every hot sauce around, and I pour it on everything. But last weekend, I ordered a dish at San Francisco's Old Mandarin Islamic restaurant titled "Extremely Hot Peppers." Its Chinese name is la si ni, which literally translates to "so hot it could kill you." This dish — about 95 percent chiles, and 5 percent chopped chicken — was so hot that two bites in, I had to stop and call out for more water. I've got a stomach of steel, but my intestinal lining was still reeling two days later. To date, the leftovers are still in my fridge, where they remain untouched. Tell me: would you give this dish a go?

Electric and Hybrid Cars
Eco

SF Adds Electric Car Charging Stations: Here's a Few of Our Favorite Models!

Thanks in part to skyrocketing gas prices, earth-friendly electric cars are getting more popular in America.
by
Electric and Hybrid Cars

Thanks in part to skyrocketing gas prices, earth-friendly electric cars are getting more popular in America. While home owners have the luxury of adding an electric car charger to their garages, apartment dwellers (like myself) are not so lucky. Fact is, I would definitely consider an electric car purchase if more charging stations were made publicly available. So imagine my excitement when I heard that San Francisco is in the process of installing around 90 electric charging stations in public parking garages that can be used for free until 2013. All of the stations can be found on Google Maps, and some are already up and running in the city. The stations will provide both 140 and 240 volt chargers, which would juice up a car like the Nissan Leaf in about three hours.


I'm a big fan of the Nissan Leaf, but that's not the only all-electric car to keep your eye on. Check out a few others in this slideshow!

Ford Focus Electric Nissan Leaf Tesla Model S Chevy Volt
View 4 Photos
How to Upload Photos YumSugar 2011-04-28 09:40:54
community

How to Share Your Food Photos

Have you cooked, eaten, or seen something amazing recently?
by

Have you cooked, eaten, or seen something amazing recently? Then share it with us! I recently enjoyed a very happy hour at Epic Roasthouse, and I uploaded my pictures to the community so I could share it with you. Want to be featured on YumSugar? You should do the same!

We've got a group called Savory Sights, where you can upload mouthwatering images of foods and drinks you've made, consumed, or just salivated over. Start sharing your photos now! There are lots of ways to participate, so read on to learn more and check out the rest of my photos from happy hour.

Ruti Boutique Designed by Nicole Hollis
san francisco

Eco Elements at Ruti Boutique

I love contrasts in design, so I'm definitely drawn to the work that interior designer Nicole Hollis recently completed on the new Ruti Boutique on San Francisco’s tony Fillmore Street.
by

I love contrasts in design, so I'm definitely drawn to the work that interior designer Nicole Hollis recently completed on the new Ruti Boutique on San Francisco’s tony Fillmore Street. The store contrasts a modern design with more rustic natural materials — in particular weathered, reclaimed wood siding. The gray tones of the wood work beautifully to highlight the gorgeous clothes and accessories featured at the boutique.

Along with the reclaimed wood siding, raw forged steel and antique fixtures set off unique accents, including a silver-plated antler chandelier, a custom display table made of reams of white copy paper, and an original wall installation, which employs various raw materials used in fashion, including wool yarns, thread, and leather.

Keep reading for another photo of one of the wall elements.

Sushirrito: Cross Between Sushi and a Burrito
Poll

Would You Eat a Sushirrito?

In January, a San Francisco place called Sushirrito opened, and there's been a line around the corner ever since.
by

In January, a San Francisco place called Sushirrito opened, and there's been a line around the corner ever since. The concept is remarkably straightforward: wrap raw fish, vegetables, and other accoutrements in a giant sheet of rice-covered seaweed, and eat it like you would a burrito. The idea is so simple you'd think someone would've thought of it long ago.

Of course, the backlash has rolled in, too. "How is it different from an uncut sushi roll?" a friend asked. "I don't know . . . it seems too weird," another picky eater told me. What do you think of the idea? Is it brilliant, or totally ridiculous?

Annual Great Compost Giveaway in San Francisco
Poll

How Do You Source Your Garden Soil?

This weekend in San Francisco, the Annual Great Compost Giveaway will unite gardeners with nutrient-rich "black gold" — finished compost perfect for their gardens.
by

This weekend in San Francisco, the Annual Great Compost Giveaway will unite gardeners with nutrient-rich "black gold" — finished compost perfect for their gardens. San Francisco residents simply bring their own buckets, containers, or wheelbarrows to pick up five gallons of the custom compost blend, which is made from food scraps and plants collected from restaurants and homes in San Francisco. If you're a local resident, you can find out more about the day's events through Recology's website.

However, we all can't count on our city of residence to bequeath us with great garden soil. Many of us have to buy our own garden topsoil, or create our own by composting at home. Tell me, do you have a backyard compost pile? Have you used your finished compost in your garden?

Virgin America's SFO T2 Terminal
Travel

What Other Airlines Can Learn From Virgin America's New Tech-Savvy SFO Terminal

Sir Richard Branson unveiled the brand new Virgin America T2 terminal at SFO yesterday, after a first-of-its-kind simultaneous flight of the Airbus A320, WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo over the San Francisco coastline.
by
Virgin America's SFO T2 Terminal

Sir Richard Branson unveiled the brand new Virgin America T2 terminal at SFO yesterday, after a first-of-its-kind simultaneous flight of the Airbus A320, WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo over the San Francisco coastline. The new eco-friendly terminal is LEED Gold-certified and sustainable, which is a first in the US. Not only earth conscious, the terminal looks pretty sexy, too. Check out images of the new terminal, find out why tech-savvy travelers will love it, and what other airlines can learn from the new addition.

Checking In Doesn't Have to Be Painful You Can Relax After Security Terminals Can Be Beautiful People Should Have Power Seating Can Be Stylish
View 5 Photos
Photos of Alexis and Trevor Traina's San Francisco Home in Vogue
tablescapes

10 Luxe Luncheon Ideas to Steal From Alexis and Trevor Traina

Last week, San Francisco royalty Alexis and Trevor Traina held a luncheon at their stately Beaux Arts manse to fête the De Young's new "Balenciaga and Spain" exhibit curated by American Vogue's Europe editor at large, Hamish Bowles.
by

Last week, San Francisco royalty Alexis and Trevor Traina held a luncheon at their stately Beaux Arts manse to fête the De Young's new "Balenciaga and Spain" exhibit curated by American Vogue's Europe editor at large, Hamish Bowles. Dripping in sophistication and sprinkled with irreverence, the house in posh Pacific Heights is everything you'd expect the home of a well-connected Internet entrepreneur and the creative director of Swanson Vineyards to be. Just one look at the gorgeous couple's dining room interiors and I'm bursting with inspiration for an equally chic Spring celebration of my own.

Here are some ideas for re-creating this look:

  • Choose a cool color to use throughout your textiles like a grassy green, and add touches of a warm color like cranberry in accents to balance it.
  • Dining chairs upholstered in avocado green chevron ikat are one surefire way to create a gorgeous luncheon setting. But if your guest list exceeds your seating supply, rent some gilded chiavari chairs to accomodate more of your fabulous friends.
  • Paint your walls a crisp, classic white like Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White and stain your wood floors a dark hue. Then layer in the color and glamour with accessories, textiles, and furniture.
  • Have a seamstress make a pair of pintuck curtain panels for every window made of the richest silk you can find. Make sure they're long enough to romantically spill onto the floor.
  • Give your table a youthful look by surrounding it by a loveseat or sofa on one side. Have it upholstered in a fresh, floral damask fabric like Designers Guild Campanile Wedgwood.

Continue for five more ideas!