I kept the day a bit more casual by planning to go to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market for fresh dolma-making supplies and empanadas, and would do so via Muni. I wanted to make the filling and roll the dolma when I got home, followed by going to personal training at 5pm, where I would deliver a couple tasty empanadas to our personal trainer, and then come home and actually cook the dolma. Casual, no?
El Porteño has a booth at our local Farmer's Market and the guy always has written on his chalkboard, "See us at the Ferry Building, too!" See, the empanadas are Argentine... our personal trainer is Argentine... I wanted to surprise him with some of his homeland cuisine that night at training. Unfortunately, there are three different Farmer's Markets on different days of the week at the Ferry Building, and Tuesday is apparently Porteño's day off. It was too bad because I really wanted to give PT a treat, and personally I was dying to have a Fugazzeta or Champiñones. Empanada addict in tha house!
Don't feel bad for me... the alternatives for fresh Market food really weren't so bad. It was a toss-up between fresh and really awesome sounding vegetarian options at the Donna's Tamales booth, and vegan samosa at the Sukhi's booth. I loves me some tamales, believe me, but Indian food - and especially samosa - will always win. I bought three: one for me when I got home, and then one for me and one for Honey Bunny to have with dinner. Indian addict in tha house!
I did partake in a lil' treat when I was there. I have a particular weakness for Miette, um, anything. I would eat their pastel-colored $150 petite cake plates, seriously. I chose the classic Chocolate cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream frosting. Holy shit. I was sitting there in the midst of tourists having a mouth orgasm. It was seriously the best cupcake I've ever had. The frosting tasted like homemade vanilla whipped cream rather than buttercream. Yeah, OMG. I brought home a Chocolate cupcake with Raspberry Buttercream frosting for my Honey to have after work, and he loved (and shared) it. Cupcake addict(s) in the house!
Aside from trying to locate treats for myself and others, I perused all the other goods at the actual Farmer's Market and of course the Ferry Building Marketplace (aka Permanent Farmer's Market). A note about the Marketplace: you can drop hella bills there without batting an eyelash. The place is insane, which is why I only go there about once a year. Soon, one of Honey Bunny's old friends will be opening a store in the Marketplace for his business, Beekind, and that will be cause enough for another few visits.
It was a bit frustrating finding all the dolma supplies I needed but eventually I did and headed home, trying to beat the going-home traffic on the most popular of all outgoing Muni trains. Unfortunately, I didn't beat it.
I didn't get a car until 2000, and have lived in SF since 1993. That represents seven years of taking the Muni to just about anywhere I needed to go in the city. Once I got a car, I gladly kissed Muni goodbye. The rate at which I got colds and the flu declined immediately and dramatically. The time it took to get anywhere was cut in half. And of course, the amount I started to spend on parking in lots, parking at meters, and getting parking tickets, was shocking. It was worth it, though. I've never looked back, even though it makes me feel guilty to say that. I know the environmentally responsible thing to do is to keep taking Muni whenever possible. I don't know what to say, though... I really hate taking Muni when I could instead take the car.
There are, however, a few places to go, and certain times of day, in SF where taking the car rather than Muni is foolish. Going to the Ferry Building in the middle of the day on Tuesday is one of those instances. It really didn't pain me to take the Muni this time. I knew it would be mostly empty and quiet, and for god's sake, any inbound train drops you at Embarcadero station where you are but a few paces from the Ferry Building. I always feel like a tourist when I take Muni now, because I'm bumbling to get my change in the slot and get a transfer and find a seat. No doubt I have the same pained and panicked expression that many tourists wear. It wore off easily enough, though, and I settled into my old routine quickly: look disaffected, don't look anyone in the eye, and put your backpack between your feet on the floor. No problem getting to the Ferry Building... it was as quiet as a mouse on the train. I even took some arty photos during my trip.
Getting back, as I mentioned above, was different. I hate being packed in on the train, and we were packed in like sardines. At least I had a seat, which is really all you can ask for in that circumstance.
Once I got home and settled (including having my first of two samosa, yum!), I started making the dolma filling. My hub and I say the same thing every time: "it's really not that hard to make". Folks, that's bullshit. I mean, it's not hard but it is incredibly time consuming even when you have all the time and patience in the world. The endless prepping and washing and chopping, the number of dish towels you have to use, the amount of utensils and dishes you burn through (and then have to wash)... it's insanity!! Honey Bunny got home to find a very crabby me racing around the kitchen trying to prep to roll and stack the dolma in the pan in time for us to get to personal training. My back ached, my patience was shot and the last thing I wanted to deal with was doing an hour and half of yoga with strong-ass onion and garlic scent wafting from my hands.
We did it, though, and came home to put the dolma on the stove and have a really great conversation at the kitchen table while it was cooking. Honey Bunny and I have been married for almost two years and together for a total of seven. Sometimes you get all talked out when you've more or less been together every day for seven years. It's really special when you find something new (or something old which is new again) to shoot the shit about. It brings you closer and it's wonderful.
Dolma is more art than science. Every batch has the ability to taste slightly or very different. I made my favorite kind, Dolma Bil Zait, which is savory due to the addition of tomato paste and garbanzo beans (and subtraction of currents). This batch was strange, tangy (?), but still good. We ate and ate and ate dolma until we could eat no more, and still my large platter was half full of dolma. No problem... they make some tasty leftovers. Say it with me: Dolma addicts in tha house!
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