Five years ago, we did a guest chef/workshop event with Chef Jesse Mallgren at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, CA. It was a really fun trip for us. Alex was doing the chef thing by himself because Amaya, who was about two and a half at the time, was traveling with us. The property was gorgeous, and Jesse and his team were welcoming and a lot of fun to be around. It was the first time I ever tasted warm hard-boiled eggs on a breakfast buffet, and I was an instant convert. They were delicious. Amaya saw her first orange trees on the property and spent hours walking up and down the steps in the garden near our room.
One of our favorite mementos from this trip is the small mandoline pictured below. It was a gift from Jesse. I had never seen one so small before, and it made me laugh to hold a mandoline in the palm of my hand. We use it all the time. It is perfect for slicing garlic and jalapenos, and I pull it out of its drawer almost every day. I’ve never figured out what the mirror is for, and I’ve never found another one for sale anywhere. It has built-in memories because it reminds me of that trip to Madrona Manor every time I use it, so whenever I pull it out, it makes me smile. What could be a better gift than that?
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