Blackbird Kitchen and Bar = Superb Seafood

Seriously, it is very difficult to find extremely high quality seafood here in Sacramento. And no, McCormick and Shmick is not quality. It is a high volume frozen fish factory.

But the husband and I seemed to have stumbled upon a gem with a capable staff and talented chef/owner. Blackbird is so extraordinary that it's worth the extra shift at work just so we can go once a week. The raw bar is amazing. They have created a mignonette for the oysters that is out of this world and the baked trout is mouthwatering. The thing that is so penultimate about this place is the expected good food of course, but the story behind the existence of it is really intense and worth a talk to the owner. Also, for a fresh seafood restaurant and an amazing atmosphere, the prices are reasonable. And, bonus, it's modern and hip without the hipster pretense. Needless to say, I love it!

Street Style - Anna

This one is a little cutie!

Her dress was thrifted as a long sheath and she hemmed it into a sixties, vintage amazement. Her shoes are Seychelles and are timeless and charming something you'd likely see on Zooey Deschanel. Her earrings are made by Shendoe Ceramics. But the sweetness of this ensemble is all Anna.

Et Voila! The finished product!

Orange Essence Butter Cake With Honey Buttercream

Yummy!

I made this delectable dessert for a holiday party and it was a smash. I'm a big fan of enhancing box cakes with other ingredients.

In this one, follow the directions on the back of the yellow butter cake box but instead of using water, use orange juice instead and add the zest of 1 orange to the batter. Bake as directed.

Also, I home made the candied oranges. It's a simple process which creates a marvelous presentation for this cake. But you can skip it if your short on time and use thinly sliced fresh oranges instead. Boil equal parts sugar and water. Simmer thinly sliced oranges for about 45 minutes. Remove slices from sugar water and dry on parchment. Arrange on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 250 for about 20 minutes checking often so as not to "cook" them. This step is simply to dry them.

Honey Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 Cup butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 cups confectioners sugar 
• 1 Tbs whipping cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Take butter out of the fridge early to ensure that it is at room temperature when you begin making this icing.
2. Use your kitchen Aid if you have one and with the paddle attachment mix the butter and honey until it is smooth. (If you do not have one beat these two ingredients together with an electric beater).
3. Begin to slowly add the confectioners sugar. Continue beating until it's all been added to the consistency you like (you might use 3 cups or you may like a stiffer frosting and add and extra cup. 
4. If you've added that extra sugar, and it's too dense, add the heavy cream until its thinned to the consistency you want.