A Lesson in Ribollita

I got some quality mama time this weekend. Friday night at mom's apartment meant whiskey cocktails, good food, and an old movie. Bright and early Saturday morning, she treated me to breakfast at one of the many diamonds in the rough of Oakland, Homestead. 

Our simple order of pour over coffees, homemade toast with apple pear jam, and warm veggie strata topped with creme fraiche was absolutely delicious. 

Watching the baker pull her fresh bread and doughnuts out of the oven in the wide open kitchen made it all the more home-y. 

Chai twist doughnuts though...

And on the counter, all of the baby bread dough with bright futures. 

Tonight's dinner was a learning experience. First the win: olive oil + rosemary + lemon peel + garlic = better olive oil. I was licking the spoon. 

I am all about substitutions. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't work as well as you'd hoped. In this case, swiss chard stems weren't the best substitute for celery. The consistency seemed interchangeable, but the flavor was a bit intense. This Ribollita recipe should be followed as seen on Feasting at Home. 

Luckily, nothing is bad with a snow fall of parmesan, avocado and toasted bread...Drizzled with a healthy serving of finishing oil!

Gratitude journal entry: I am feeling so grateful for a sweet Sunday night at home. Oh, and the pumpkin spice coffee I get to look forward to in the morning ;)