Passionfruit cheesecake at Cafe Schober in Zürich

Dear Friends, I am The Homesick Potter.

I am driven to find that perfect brew that is also known as coffee. But truth be told, it is not just about the coffee. It is about the whole experience of finding a place where the ambience is right, the service is friendly, the eye is getting its candy and so are the taste buds.

Zürich does not lack cafes, in fact I am not sure how many I should list. But I might as well begin now.

Today I went to  Cafe Schober. map

I scouted it out the day before, during a walk when the window decoration took me by surprise.

 A narrow entrance leads to a room which resembles a sweet shop. Packaged sweets rival the assortment of cakes. 

 My eyes rest on a passionfruit cheesecake. 

The coffee I ordered is called "a Schale" or more precisely a shawle. I did ask for a double shot. Nice and strong! The California cheesecake has a crunchy base with a rich but not too sweet vanilla creme cheese filling. The top consists of a tangy passionfruit layer which is peppered with seeds adding an additional burst of flavour. The three elements are in perfect harmony with each other.  I should mention the art on the third floor is by Mischa Kaufmann. It's worth going up the stairs. 

My days work is done. Moreover, the waiter was easy on the eye and extremely pleasant.  I managed to satisfy all my senses.

A tale of two cities; Zurich and San Francisco

Dear friends, I am The Homesick Potter.

Two very different cities on two continents, but I am on my usual quest; coffee and food.
Local time 7:30 am, it is still dark outside, dawn is only minutes away and Zurich is slowly revealing itself to me.

I am sitting in Café Motta, the perfect early morning hangout, sipping my favourite drink, a latté. This always seems to make me reflect and contemplate on the present, and also on the past. Here in Zurich the present and the past occupy the same space. The interior design of Motta is modern, on the wall there are large mirrors, framed by two abstract paintings. The space is generous, round tables and chairs invite.  Hidden behind the "Neue Zuricher Zeitung", patrons read their newspapers. No one seems to be in a hurry. Outside the church bells ring for the early morning service. I shall like it here.

Zurich photo credit Gerhard Pratt

But before I totally succumb to Zurich's charm I would like to revisit San Francisco.

 Different views

Places not to be missed in the Mission District:

The Local Mission Eatery on 24th Street is a wonderful place to have dinner or go for brunch. The space is inviting; long benches make communal eating a must, the kitchen is open and part of the experience, further back there is a large cookbook collection sorted by colour rather than topic. 

In the back of the restaurant is the Knead Patisserie.  Do try their Pomme de amore; a flaky pastry filled with crème brûlée. In fact all of the pastries I tried are divine, but  alas my coffee cravings were not satisfied - I went elsewhere for these needs.

Gracias Madre on 2211 Mission is a wonderful Mexican vegetarian & vegan restaurant that merits more than one visit. Even carnivores will love it.

Mission Art San Francisco

Dear Friends, I am the homesick potter

One small change of direction opens a new colourful experience.

The number 12 bus on Folsom was late going into town, so I decided to go off on a little detour.
Little did I know how wonderful it would be. I walked along an alley where every space was covered with paint. Murals depicting Mexican idols like Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera. A local painter called Lucia Ippolito and Tirso Araiza painted a mural called "Mission Makeover". The mural is about the social change in their neighbourhood, the gentrification pushing out the Latino population. Back on 24th St., further along there is a large mural about the Europeans displacing the Indigenous population. The hardship of living in one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the US is visible on every street corner; you just have to be willing to see it.

Icons of Mexican Art - Hector Escarraman

Icons of Mexican Art - Hector Escarraman

Mission Makeover - Lucia Ippolito & Tirso Araiza

Mission Makeover - Lucia Ippolito & Tirso Araiza

Mission Makeover - Lucia Ippolito & Tirso Araiza

Mission Makeover - Lucia Ippolito & Tirso Araiza

Location: Balmy Alley, off 24th Street near Folsom

Mission Pie

Dear friends, I am the Homesick Potter.

I'm not sure if it is the name or the fact that I have not had a sip of coffee until now, but I feel I have landed somewhere good. I am in the "Mission Pie" on Mission St., sharing a table with four strangers who are all enjoying their food, and there is some tasting across plates going on as well. Our motley group was just joined by one more person, which makes our table full.

The interior itself is not special, except that it is very bright, high ceilings, with intriguing  chandeliers. The walls, bare today, often show local artists' work. The people at my table just told me that this place makes the best pies in the city.

I will try some now.

Huckleberry Apple pie just arrived

The filling was perfect. A mixture of tart and sweet. The berries, small, added a different texture to the soft apples. The crumble topping was not too sweet, and the pie crust was thin, and the edges crusty, holding the fruit together, but not overpowering it.
Mission Pie
Krystin Rubin & Karen Heisler
2902 Mission St.,
San Francisco, Ca. 94110
www.missionpie.com

Dear friends, I am the Homesick Potter.

This blog will be my new creative platform, a new venture, a necessity, borne out of homesickness for my work, my studio, and my artistic community.

I left London Ontario in late August this year, right after a very busy creative session, followed by a show, entitled Canadian Imports at Jonathan Bancroft -Snell Gallery.

Homage to Emil Nolde: Sunflower Bottle

I have been in Golden Colorado since then. My life here has a very different pace and I am a woman of leisure.  I have taken on the task to finally write down my mother's recipes, some of her stories and her life philosophy. I am well into this project and the book is taking on its own dimension. I have decided to include not just my mothers favourite dishes, but I am also including my mother in-law's recipes as well as those from friends past and present. The recipe collection and anecdotes are for the children, and their culinary skills and adventures will have to be included in the book.

I will share those recipes in due course....

The other obsession for which I have time again is kntting. This may be a warning to some people out there. Your Christmas present might be hand made. I have discovered an a wonderful yarn shop in Boulder Co. I have had a minor glitch, so I think it is time to finish for today.

See ya'll, your Homesick Potter