Sunset Magazine's New Oakland Home First Look

I have been a huge Sunset magazine fan for years now and am SO excited they moved their headquarters to Oakland--yay for the east bay! I was even more excited that I got to get a first look at their new digs at 55 Harrison Street in Jack London Square. I don't think these photos do it justice--I was completely floored by the new office space. From the beautifully designed test kitchen (think Heath Ceramics tiles, open space, cork flooring and clean lines) to the all-glass, floor-to-ceiling wine "cellar", there was no detail left untouched. I also loved that they kept some of the artwork and iconic pieces of furniture from the old headquarters.

After more than 50 years in the iconic Cliff May-designed headquarters in Menlo Park, Sunset moved to Jack London Square in Oakland, a vibrant neighborhood full of small businesses and awesome restaurants, coffee spots, and of course, Miette (my fave!). The new offices were designed by San Francisco architects RMW.

Side note: Our Cliff May-designed home is the only one in Berkeley. We were featured in the January 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine--Lucas was so tiny then!

One of my favorite parts of the office is this floor to ceiling library housing stacks of Sunset magazine archives, cookbooks, pieces from the old headquarters, and even a little reading nook seamlessly built right in.

I could look at this space all day. And that painting!

Below is Margo True (right), Sunset's Food Editor (love her recipes!) with Carol Shih (left), Digital Associate Editor.

And check out Sunset's original test kitchen on the cover the November 1966 issue!

Here's Oakland's Mayor, Libby Schaaf, on one of the office tours.

Below to the right is Sunset's Editor-in-Chief, Irene Edwards. I really loved meeting her--she was so down-to-earth, vibrant and full of positive energy.

SunsetMagazineHeadquarters_6.jpg

I'm allergic to alcohol but this floor-to-ceiling glass wall wine cellar was so dreamy.

More books! And that wooden slat wall--LOVE! Reminds me of a George Nelson platform bench.

I'm also excited to visit Sunset's main test garden beds and outdoor kitchen at Cornerstone, a public garden, event and retail space in Sonoma. Below is Johanna Silver, Sunset's test garden guru. What a rad job!

One of the highlights of the night was guest chef Tanya Holland, Executive Chef and Owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ in Oakland, CA. She demonstrated a quick version of her technique for flavorful fried chicken and served it up with a bright and zingy black eyed pea salad and buttermilk biscuits. Yum!

For dessert were these delicious little Mini S'mores made by one of my favorite bakeries Miette.
Nine of them count as one normal sized one, right?

This is the other kitchen where some photo shoots and guest chef demonstrations take place. The all white dishes and accessories along with the copper Kitchen-Aid mixer (LOVE) were generously provided by Williams-Sonoma.

Sprinkled throughout the office were these gorgeous arrangements by Berkeley's Flowerland (signs were printed by my friend Rori at Paper Monkey Press).

These addictive Candied Rosemary Hazelnuts were a sneak peak from Camp Sunset, A Modern Camper's Guide to the Great Outdoors (Oxmoor House, May, 2016). The recipe is from chef-owner Jason French of the Portland restaurant Ned Ludd. I'm totally going to make these!

I mean, look at their view!

Thanks for the awesome housewarming invitation. Welcome to the east bay, Sunset! Check out more photos on Instagram #TheNewSunset.

The Sunset Celebration Weekend is coming up on May 14th and 15th at Cornerstone in Sonoma Wine Country which will include the debut of the new Sunset Test Gardens and Outdoor Kitchen and will reflect the sophisticated lifestyle and taste of Sunset’s gorgeous new Sonoma Wine Country location.

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Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair

Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper

According to Wikipedia, "Coffee and doughnuts" is a common food and drink pairing in the United States. I would go a bit further to say it's one of the most perfect food and drink pairings--the sweet and tender crumb of a fresh donut paired with a smooth and mellow cup of coffee can't be beat.

Today I've partnered with Williams-Sonoma to show you how the OXO On Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Maker makes delicious barista-quality coffee at home. And I've paired that cup of coffee (or two) with a delicious baked donut recipe with two kinds of glazes.

Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper

I can't tell you how many Oxo kitchen tools I have and use and love. So when they came out with a new line of coffee makers, I was really excited to try it out. I have loved coffee since my college days, switched to decaf when I was pregnant with both boys, and have been back on ever since. While Nick prefers his coffee black, I personally love an almond milk latte. But I will drink a regular coffee as long as it's not too bitter. And has milk in it. A lot of milk.

The OXO On Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Maker makes one of the best coffees at home that I've had. I had no idea how much science was involved in making coffee, but I really can tell the difference between our last coffee maker and this new one. It has a microprocessor that monitors time, temperature and volume from start to finish, resulting in barista-quality handcrafted coffee at home with one touch of a button.

Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper

I tested several kinds of coffee including Counter Culture Hologram, Counter Culture Idido, and Stumptown Guatamala Santa Clara (all from Modern Coffee, my favorite coffee shop in Oakland), as well as Philz Tantalizing Turkish.  The Oxo made each one taste like it says on the package.

Aside from making really good coffee, here are a few other things I love about the OXO On Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Maker:

  • Super quiet
  • Sleek and modern design
  • You could see the water percolating which I think is pretty cool
  • It shows you how long the coffee has been sitting
  • The vacuum-insulated lightweight stainless steel carafe keeps coffee at the perfect temp
  • Could easily make just one cup of coffee
  • Easy to clean

The only con I would give is that I can't see how much coffee is in the carafe. But then again, if the carafe were made of glass, the coffee wouldn't stay at an optimal temperature.

Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper

Now on to the donuts! I made baked donuts with a blueberry glaze and also a chocolate one with some crushed pistachios on top. I love any kind of donut except for maple bars. This is the first time I've made them at home--sadly, the first batch tasted like play dough, but the second batch using the nonstick donut pan from Williams-Sonoma was a big hit.

Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper
Coffee and Donuts -- The Perfect Pair  /  www.goodonpaperdesign.com/blog/2016/2/1/coffee-and-donuts-the-perfect-pair  /  @good_on_paper

+ Full Recipe for Baked Donuts
+ Donut pan and cooling rack from Williams-Sonoma
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+ Williams-Sonoma generously sent me the Oxo On Barista Coffee Maker to test out. I have received no other compensation for this post. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

My Real Life 2015 Best Nine and Happy 2016

According to 2015bestnine.com, my best nine Instagrams were the ones shown above. My real life best nines are the ones shown here on our holiday card (photos by Sarah Hebenstreit) and below.

Thanks for all the love and support this year. I'm so grateful to my family/friends and to all the friends I've made both online and offline this year. Happy new year!

1. Lucas turned 5 and had an epic Wild Kratts party

2. Theo turned 3 and jammed with his buddies

3. Lisa turned 40 and holy shit she's 40 (I went to Tulum, Mexico with my girlfriends from college on our annual trip)

4. Lucas started kindergarten and LOVES it

5. Family trip to Maui and Theo's first plane ride

6. Lisa and Nick celebrated their 10-year anniversary (photo by Sarah Hebenstreit)

7. Lucas had his first surgery (1/2" piece of wood in his foot)--also, not really a "best" nine but he did so well throughout the whole ordeal.

8. Nick ran a full marathon (3.49) and hasn't run since (but plans to get back into it in 2016), photo by Sarah Hebenstreit

9. Lisa went to Tulum and got a tan--Nick hiked the Trinity Alps and got pneumonia / I also conquered a very big fear of mine!

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