la diva gourmet

an easter rabbit.

2010-04-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so for the past few months I’ve tried to go vegan(ish), but I couldn’t resist the idea of cooking up a lavish dinner of Lapin a la Moutarde just in time for Easter. (I joked with my sister that I cooked the Easter Bunny.) The process took a few hours, mostly because you use the least meaty parts of the rabbit to make your own rabbit stock. But the end result was insanely delicious – tender pieces of rabbit, served with a side of vegetables, and lovely glasses of Aligote!

Rabbit with mustard sauce (Lapin à la moutarde)

Ingredients:

1 farm-raised or wild rabbit, cut into serving pieces, including the head if possible

1/2 c. smooth Dijon mustard (moutarde forte)

1/2 c. old-fashioned grainy Dijon mustard (moutarde à l'ancienne)

Kosher or flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 c. dry white wine, such as Chablis

1 c. crème fraîche

2 T. snipped fresh chives

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 leek, sliced

1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped

2 leafy stalks celery, sliced

Bouquet garni of 6 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and 6 leafy thyme sprigs

6 peppercorns

Optional: A dozen or more freshly pulled white onions 1-2 inches in diameter, peeled but left whole, cooked with water to cover, 1 T. butter, and 1 1/2 t. sugar until the water is evaporated and the onions starting to caramelize.

Make the stock: In a heavy dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, and brown the parts of the rabbit that have very little meat (the front of the rib cage) as well as the head if available. (Reserve the saddle, cut in 3 pieces, the thighs, and the forelegs for the dish.) When the rabbit pieces are browned on all sides, add the vegetables (except the bouquet garni), and brown lightly, stirring, for 5-10 minutes. Add the bouquet and water to cover. Bring to a boil and skim. Turn the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer 3-4 hours. Strain, pressing down on the solids and discarding them. Return the stock to the dutch oven or medium saucepan if it is already somewhat reduced, place over medium heat, and reduce by 2/3. Pour into a small saucepan and continue reducing until 1/3 cup remains. Reserve.

Meanwhile, three hours before serving, combine the two mustards with a generous pinch of salt and grindings of black pepper. Smear the remaining rabbit pieces with the mustard, thoroughly covering them, and arranging them in a single layer in a gratin or baking dish. Set aside in a cool place for 2-3 hours.

50 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rabbit, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Open the oven and pour the wine and the reserved reduced rabbit stock over the rabbit, then bake 20 minutes more. Remove the dish from the oven and drizzle the crème fraîche over the rabbit. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more. If using the onions, gently strew them over the dish. Sprinkle with the snipped chives.

RECIPE: Chole for the Soul

2009-12-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

Since it’s been bone-chilling cold in my apartment these days (damn uncontrollable San Francisco steam heaters), I had a craving for something warm and spicy. I was cleaning out my cupboards and found a bag full of Indian spices that I bought a few months ago when I went through a Bend It Like Beckham-inspired Aloo Gobi phase…which is how I ended up making a nice pot of Chole Masala last night. It’s pretty easy, and the fun part is that you don’t have to measure anything exactly. I’ll try to give you some measurements, but really, it’s all about “season to taste”.

You will need:

1 15-oz can of Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 Roma tomato, chopped

1 T. tomato paste

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large piece of ginger (about as big as your thumb), minced

1 t. ground turmeric

½ t. cumin seeds

1 t. Garam Masala

2-4 chopped green chiles, or red pepper flakes (adjust to your preferred level of spiciness)

½ t. salt

Ghee, or olive oil (for vegan version)

Handful of coriander, chopped

In a heated saucepan, toast the cumin seeds. Then add some oil and sauté the onions. Add turmeric and a little water (so the spices don’t stick to the pan). The add chilies, ginger, garlic, and a little more water. Then add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Keep stirring and adding water so you get a sauce-like consistency. Then add the garbanzos, garam masala, and salt. Simmer everything for 20-25 minutes (or longer) and add a handful of chopped coriander and stir it through. Serve with basmati rice!

RECIPE: Vegan Udon Sushi Rolls

2009-12-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to eat are nori rolls. These differ from “sushi”, as I don’t put sushi rice into them, but this version of a nori roll was something I modified after eating something similar this past weekend – it has the carb component (like regular sushi). It’s a pretty simple and tasty lunch item. You will need:

Nori sheets (you can use roasted for more flavor)

Avocado

Tomato

Chives or green garlic shoots

Cooked organic udon noods (well drained)

Roasted sesame seeds

Umeboshi paste (optional)

Lettuce, spinach, or any other type of fresh greens

Take one sheet of nori and dab a thin line of umbeboshi paste (depending on how strong of a taste you want of the umeboshi) about an inch to two inches from one edge. Arrange a handful of noodles on nori, and add sliced avocado, slice tomatoes, chives/garlic shoots, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Top with a handful of greens (I prefer spinach, which is rich in iron). Roll the nori tightly to create a “sushi” roll, and either eat as is, or cut into slices. It is absolutely delicious, and quite filling.

EAT: Beijing Restaurant

2009-10-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Beijing Restaurant
1801 Alemany Blvd
(between Ocean Ave & Ruth St)
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 333-8182

I can navigate a Chinese takeout menu fairly well. I stay away from things that look gruesome (chicken feet), gelatinous (jellyfish), or just make me feel bad (shark’s fin). Fried rice and cha siu pork are things that I grew up with, thanks to my family’s Chinese restaurant in San Diego. But that wasn’t what we were looking for when my friend Ed suggested we head to Beijing Restaurant. It was all about noodles and dumplings – two things that, when done well, are like a party in your mouth. Seriously.

Yao Ming and the owners

Beijing Restaurant is located in the “Mission Terrace” area of San Francisco, on the corner of Alemany & Ocean, in a little red building adorned with lanterns. Kind of out of the way for those of us that live closer to downtown SF, but hey, Yao Ming makes a stop here when he’s in town, so it must be good, right? I came, armed with my artillery of Chinese food “experts” (aka three of my friends of Chinese heritage who like to eat). We sat down and began the ordering process. Be warned, this place takes a little longer than your average Americanized Chinese food place, so if you’re starving (like we were), have a piece of fruit beforehand or something.

First up was the Beef Pancake. I love this dish – crispy layers of fried something on the outside and yummy, flavorful beef in the middle. Served piping hot. Then, they brought out the Zha Jiang Mian – Beijing style noodles. These is a cold noodle dish with fresh, hand-pulled noodles, cucumber, sprouts, and this wonderful hoisin(ish) sauce with bits of meat in it, mixed together. I really loved the cucumber added to the dish, as it made it taste so fresh and perfect for the muggy weather we were having. A word of advice – use the sauce sparingly, as it’s quite salty on its own.

The dishes were coming one at a time, which worked well because it made you enjoy your food (eat slowly!) and there was no way in hell we were gonna fit all the food on our table with drinks and elbows. Our next “course” was the lamb dumplings. I don’t know how to explain it, but when someone does a dumpling correctly, it makes me so happy. Delicate balance of dumpling skin, meat, and sauce. Freshly boiled. Beautiful.

I insisted that we order a vegetable to offset some of the carbs, so the only greens of the evening were the Spinach with Garlic. Then came the Lion's Head meatballs - served in four pieces. So tender, so delicious. And finally…our Flour Balls with Three Flavors. Almost like a cross between a noodle dish and a dumpling dish, I’d had a version of this at Old Mandarin Islamic (another fantastic Chinese restaurant). I don't really know the the "Three Flavors" is, but I'm guessing, Chicken, Pork, and Seafood. Just eat it. It's delicious.

All I can say is, I was so content after our meal. I wasn’t stuffed either, nor did I have that overly-MSG’ed feeling I usually get when I eat Chinese food. I would definitely make the trip out here again – and you should too!

1788 cognac, 1875 wine on sale at Paris auction

2009-10-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

By ANGELA DOLAND (AP)

A view of the cellar of La Tour d'Argent restaurant in Paris, Thursday Oct.15, 2009. Paris' landmark Tour d'Argent restaurant is cleaning out its 450,000-bottle winecellar _ one of the best in the world _ and putting 18,000 bottles up for auction in December, an event that has captured the imagination of French wine-lovers. The cellar of the Left Bank restaurant, known for pressed duck and spectacular views of Notre Dame, is a part of its history. A sign marks the spot where a brick wall was built in 1940 to hide the best bottles during the Nazi Occupation of World War II. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS — Over the years, the chief sommelier had forgotten they were there. And when the four bottles of 1875 Armagnac Vieux were finally unearthed from the labyrinthine wine cellar this week, they were covered in a black fungus that looked like matted cat fur.

The landmark Tour d'Argent restaurant, which dates back to 1582, is cleaning out its 450,000-bottle wine cellar, considered one of the best and biggest in the world. It is putting 18,000 bottles up for auction in December, an event that has captured the imagination of French wine lovers.
The restaurant is selling mostly wine but also some very old spirits, like three bottles of a Clos du Griffier cognac from 1788, the year before the French Revolution, as well as the ancient Armagnac, valued at euro400-500 ($595-$743) a bottle. The fuzzy fungus is nothing to worry about — it thrives on the fumes of such spirits and is easily wiped away.

The restaurant wants to cut down on wines it has in multiple to vary and modernize its selection.
"You'll probably see, we've got too many bottles," jokes chief sommelier David Ridgway.
Unlocking a padlocked iron gate, the tuxedo-clad sommelier ushered visitors into the restaurant's underworld, where bottles are stacked floor to ceiling in a succession of caverns. Though everything is registered in a computer, there are occasional surprises, like the 1875 Armagnac, which Ridgway came across while looking for something else.

The wine cellar of the Left Bank restaurant, known for pressed duck and spectacular views of Notre Dame, is a part of its history. A sign marks the spot where a brick wall was built in 1940 to hide the best bottles during the Nazi occupation in World War II.

Visitors are offered sheepskin blankets for the chill: 14 degrees Celsius (57.2 Fahrenheit) this week, but dipping to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) in winter.

"I like the wine to live a little bit of the seasons, even though it's temperature-controlled," said Ridgway, a Briton who has overseen the restaurant's wine menu since the early 1980s.

Times have changed since then, Ridgway says. Expensive jewelry or clothes no longer indicate what diners will pay for wine, and it's not taboo now for people to say what they want to spend. Still, he has to tread carefully: Propose a wine too inexpensive and some "people feel we have looked down on them, almost."
Estimated prices at the Dec. 7-8 sale by French auctioneer Piasa start at euro10 ($15) a bottle and go up to euro2,500-euro3,000 ($3,716-$4,459) for each 1788 Cognac, one of which will go to charity.
Among wines on sale are Chateau Lafite Rothschild (1970, 1982, 1997), Cheval Blanc (1928, 1949, 1966) and Chateau Margaux (1970, 1990). The total sale is expected to bring in around euro1 million ($1.5 million).
Buyers can rest assured the bottles aren't counterfeit — a major problem in the industry — because the restaurant bought them directly from vintners. As for the restaurant, the timing of the auction is right even as Europe struggles amid a global economic crisis.

"I'm sure there are some amazing treasures in that cellar, and it's a good time to sell because the wine auction market has really come storming back" after tanking during the early months of the financial crisis, said Michael Steinberger, Slate's wine columnist and author of "Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France."

The restaurant, a family business, was once the summit of French gastronomy, attracting royalty, politicians and film stars. Each duck served comes with a certificate: U.S. President John F. Kennedy ate duck No. 245,200, while Mick Jagger feasted on No. 531,147 and Princess Grace of Monaco savored No. 496,516.
But recent years have brought setbacks. Longtime owner Claude Terrail died in 2006, and his 29-year-old son Andre now runs it. The restaurant, where a prix fixe lunch menu costs euro65 ($97) and a tasting menu at dinner goes for euro160 ($238), long held three Michelin stars but is now down to one.
The economic crisis has affected the restaurant's finances only "a bit," Terrail said, in part because of its name and diverse international clientele. While the kitchen was recently updated, the wine sale may fund more extensive renovations down the line.

The restaurant's name means "The Silver Tower" in French, and all the bottles for sale are stamped with the restaurant's insignia, a tiny tower.

On the Web:
http://www.piasa.auction.fr/UK/

My Burger Craving - SO Not Good For You.

2009-10-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Partially due to to laziness, I have been subsisting on a mostly vegetarian diet. I can't muster the energy to roast a chicken or marinate and cook pork chops during the week. I've been fortunate enough to get tons of great produce from farmer's markets and Berkeley Bowl (love love LOVE BB, but it's all the way on the other side of the Bay so I can't get there that often). The veg diet is wonderful - but sometimes, you just want something meaty like a burger. You know?

So tonight, I went down the street from my house and ordered from Johnny Rockets, a chain that specializes in old-fashioned style burgers. A little on the pricey side, and everything is a la carte, but I figured the quality is better than Mickey D's so what the heck. I ordered a Rocket Double - two meat patties with tomato, onion, lettuce, cheese, and special sauce (Thousand Island) on a bun.

As I waited for my order, I happened to see the Nutritional Information pamphlet. This bad boy has......wait for it....1,193 calories.

Yeah.

OMG.

That's what I said.

When I got my burger home, I took off a patty out of guilt. It was still delicious...but that spin class is sounding reeeeally necessary right about now.

So Long, Sweet Summer...

2009-10-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

As the fog and mist creep back into the Bay, I had to post some photos of summer desserts. Two of my favorite things to make: tarte aux quetsches, and a strawberry custard tart.

FRESH SUMMER STRAWBERRY TART

Assembly:
1 fully baked sweet tart shell (recipe below)
1 batch pastry cream
1 lb strawberries

Fill the tart shell with pastry cream. Hull and slice the strawberries, reserving one perfect strawberry, and arrange in a circle on top of the pastry cream. Put the one reserved strawberry in the middle.

Sweet Tart Dough
(Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons; 4 1/2 ounces) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom

rolling pin

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Toss the pieces of butter with the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in—you should have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter, or, if you are really in a pinch - two knives.) Lightly stir the yolk, and slowly add it, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses—about 10 seconds each—until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

To roll the dough into the pan: Butter tart pan with a removable bottom.

* If you want to roll the dough, chill it for about 2 hours before rolling (unless you've used frozen butter and the dough comes out of the processor firm and cold, in which case you can roll it immediately). I find it easiest to roll this dough out between two sheets of plastic film – make sure to peel away the film frequently, so it doesn't get rolled into the dough.
* You may also use the press-in method - you can work with the dough as soon as it's processed. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Prick the bottom with a fork four or five times. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes (I do it for nearly and hour) before baking. It will help prevent the crust from getting giant air bubbles.

To fully bake the crust: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon (or prick it with the tip of a small knife). Bake the crust for another 8 minutes or so, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature.

Pastry Cream
(Tartine - awesome, awesome book)

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan. Add the salt, place over medium-high heat, and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.

When the milk is ready, slowly drizzle about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the hot milk and continue whisking until the custard is as thick as lightly whipped cream, about 2 minutes. The mixture must come just to the boiling point (slow bubbles, not boiling vigorously, or you will curdle the eggs, yuk). Remove from heat and immediately pour through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut the butter into 1 tbsp pieces and whisk into pastry cream 1 tbsp at a time until smooth.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming and put in the refrigerator to cool.

TARTE AUX QUETSCHES

Crust:

1 1/2 C of unbleached flour

1 stick unsalted butter (frozen, cut into small cubes)

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbl. sugar

1 egg yolk

1 Tbl. ice cold water

egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tsp. milk)

Tart filling:

1.5 lbs. small plums, halved and pitted

2 Tbl. cassonade (raw sugar)

egg custard (2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg +1/4 cup sugar —- tempered with 2/3 cup of hot milk)

Directions for tart crust:

Cut the dry ingredients with the butter until you have pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and cold water. Stir and combine. Add enough cold water until the mixture clumps in your hand. Next, place the dough onto some plastic wrap and form a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate for about 1/2 an hour. Roll the dough to about 1/8 in. thick and gently place it on your tart pan. Using your fingers, gently mold the dough to fit the tart pan and crimp the edges. Put the whole thing back in the fridge for about 15 min. or so.

Then, in an oven preheated to 350F, blind bake the tart shell for 15 minutes.

Next, arrange the plums on the tart in whatever way you feel - you can see how I've done it in the photos. Bake the tart for 15 minutes – the plums will begin to soften.

Take the tart out of the oven and pour the custard into the tart, making sure it surrounds all the plums. Sprinkle the tart with cassonade.

Brush the outer crust with a little egg wash. Lower the oven to 325F and bake for another 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

Bon apetit!

Wine & Spirits Top 100 Recap

2009-10-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Wine & Spirits Top 100
SF Design Center Galleria
October 14th, 2009

I was so engrossed in tasting, this is the only photo I took - just so I could remember the wine.

The annual Wine & Spirits Top 100 event sends many oenophiles into a frenzy – 100 fantastic international wineries pouring their best offerings until the waters run dry (literally)…what’s not to like? Being a self-proclaimed wine n00b and also being unable to afford 12-packs of Domaine de la Romanee Conti or Screaming Eagle, I was beyond excited to score a free ticket at work – plus, I heard they were pouring Krug and Cristal, and I decided this was probably a good time to see what all the fuss was about. (Squeee!)

The event was being held at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria, and for the first time, they were including a few up-and-coming Bay Area restaurants in the mix - totally exciting for someone who loves food (like moi). Our tickets allowed us into the “public” portion of the event, which was a bit of a madhouse. I'd highly recommend getting trade tickets if you can. Arranged by wine type (Sparkling, Rich Whites, Floral Whites, Pinot Noir, Rhone Family, etc.), the booths were lined up all around the first and second floors of the Galleria, with the handful of restaurant booths interspersed within the winery tables, serving complementary foods. One of the wonderful things about this event was that many of the booths actually had the winemaker pouring – a great opportunity to talk about the wine and learn a little bit about the vineyards.

Even though you’re supposed to start with the sparkling and lighter whites and end with dessert wines, I kind of liked going all over the place (it keeps me from getting palate fatigue). I started with a glass of 2004 Iron Horse Green Valley Blanc de Blancs. Next up - a deviled egg with crab meat from Nettie's Crab Shack. From there, we went all over - 2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Cristal (and yes, it lives up to the hype), 2006 Calera – Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir (already a personal favorite), NV Krug Grand Cuvee (another fabulous sparkler!).

In between the wine tastings, we also managed to eat Hog Island Oyster Company Kumamoto and Sweetwater oysters, Hudson duck with toasted farro from RN74 (Michael Mina's new restaurant venture), braised pork belly from heaven's dog, and “pho” beef tacos from Kitchenette (seriously amazing). When we got to the second floor (Cabernet central), we tried some 2005 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon (holy tannins, Batman) and some Iberian wines – a 2005 CVNE/Contino Rioja Reserva caught my attention, paired with Gitane's “Bacon Bonbons” (a bacon wrapped prune stuffed with goat cheese) – perfection. I also enjoyed flour + water's pumpkin soup - lovingly and carefully prepared, although it was the temperature of molten lava; one had to be careful not to burn their tastebuds off...probably not a smart idea for a wine tasting.

Back on the first floor, we wandered the Pinots again and ended up tasting a really fantastic wine from Drew Family Vineyards – their 2007 “Fog Eater” Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. After having Drew’s Pinot Noir, I wanted to try Flowers winery offerings…we had the 2006 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, Andreen-Gale. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. (Sorry, guys.) Last but not least, I ended the night with a tasting of Vilmart & Cie. 2000 Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Gastronome Premier Cru followed by the NV Brut Cuvee Rubis paired with milk chocolate from Brix Chocolates and a little huckleberry compote with goat cheese puree from Candy Bar.

All in all, an overwhelming yet awesome event. My only with is that it were less crowded so you had more time to really take your time and taste wines and take notes. But for a wine neophyte such as myself, it’s a great place to taste some of the big names without shelling out tons of cash. Totally looking forward to next year!

RECIPE: A Couple of Tapas Recipes

2009-10-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

I told my friend I'd make him dinner - something that I like to do for any of my friends who love to eat - and racked my brain thinking of what to make for him. I've been on a pasta ban for a while, so I didn't want to do Italian, and French cooking seemed a little too formal, so I decided on Spanish tapas. Easy, simple, using mostly similar ingredients, I'd be able to make several dishes within minutes. Two of my "must haves" are Camarones al Mojo de Ajo and Pan Tumaca - both are incredibly easy and require little to no accuracy in measurement.

CAMARONES AL MOJO DE AJO

Half a pound of large white shrimp, peeled and deveined but with tails still attached
6-7 cloves of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper
Pimenton de la Vera
Olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a skillet that holds heat well (heavy bottomed is preferable). Saute the garlic until it is lightly browned, then add the shrimp and saute until the shrimp is cooked through and the garlic has darkened. Be VERY careful not to burn the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with a dash of pimenton de la vera.

Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.

PAN TUMACA

The preparation of pan tumaca is pretty similar to that of Italian bruschetta, but instead of using chopped tomatoes, I use a puree. When using olive oil as a dressing (not heating it up), use the best tasting olive oil you can afford.

Plain baguette
One whole clove of fresh garlic, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Jamon serrano
Large, ripe heirloom tomato (I like the reddest, ripest ones you can find!)
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Using a food processor, puree the tomato and season with salt and pepper. Let the puree sit for a few minutes to rest. Slice the baguette and toast them in the oven. While the slices are still warm, rub them with the fresh garlic. You can use as much or as little as you prefer - be warned that fresh garlic is quite potent, so you may want to keep that in mind! Arrange the slices on a plate and top each one with a generous spoonfull of tomato puree. Top with a small piece of jamon serrano. Drizzle olive oil across all the bread slices, and garnish with parsley.

Easy right? I told you so. Buen provecho!

RECIPE: Pork Chops with Cherries

2009-07-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

A telltale sign that summer has officially arrived? Cherries are in abundance at the market - along with strawberries, peaches, nectarines, plums…yum! For dinner, I wanted to make something using things I already had in my refrigerator. I went back to Whole Foods and purchased some boneless pork chops and then went to work.

You will need:

3-4 boneless pork chops (medium thickness)

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

½ lb dark red cherries, pitted and halved (you can use more or less, depending on how much fruit you want in your dish)

Red wine (I happened to use a splash of Cotes Du Rhone that I had open)

Balsamic vinegar

Dried thyme

Ground cinnamon

A pat of butter

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and add a bit of olive oil. Cook pork chops evenly on both sides, so they have a nice brown crust on them, and are cooked all the way through (timing depends on the thickness of the pork chops). Once the pork is cooked, put on a plate to rest.

Meanwhile, use the same pan that you fried the pork in, continuing to keep it heated, and deglaze it with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Add the onions and sauté until soft, then add the cherries and continue to cook until the cherries have softened (they will almost start to dissolve). Add a splash of red wine, a light sprinkle of thyme, and a tiny pinch of cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust the flavors by adding more vinegar, spices, etc. At the end, mix in a pat of butter to add a bit of shine to your sauce. Serve pork chops with a nice spoonful (or two) of the cherry sauce on top….and VOILA!

For the haricots verts, I use this simple recipe:

12 oz haricots verts (I think this is how they are packaged at Trader Joe’s)

Olive oil

Dijon mustard

White wine vinegar

I don’t know the exact measurements, but make a little vinaigrette out of the olive oil, mustard, and vinegar, and toss it with STEAMED haricots verts. It’s delicious and makes a nice side dish to the pork.

I didn’t choose to serve a starch with this, but you can most certainly add on a side of potatoes or wild rice or quinoa to make it a heartier meal. I opted instead to have a couple small slices of baguette topped with a bit of pungent cheese, and accompanied my meal with a big glass of Cotes du Rhone.

RECIPE: Pork Tenderloin with Herbs de Provence

2009-06-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Before I started cooking regularly, I always wondered how my mom cooked without measuring anything. As a child, when I started learning how to cook by recipe, I was very precise at measuring and timing. But as time went on, I found myself using cookbooks more for inspiration than anything else, and becoming one of those people who adds a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. Tonight's dinner was pretty impromptu - I stumbled into Bryan's (an amazing butcher shop in SF's Laurel Village) and pondered over what meat to get. Chicken? Duck? Rabbit? Beef? I settled on a nice piece of pork tenderloin - about a pound - and went to work to make dinner for my friend Candice and I.

Ingredients:

Pork tenderloin (about 1 lb. for two people)
Two garlic cloves
Herbs de Provence
Sea Salt
Black Pepper (preferably freshly ground)
Olive Oil
Summer Squash, sliced
Onion, sliced very thinly
White wine

Chop up garlic and mix with a healthy amount (a tablespoon or maybe more?) of Herbs de Provence, fresh ground pepper, and sea salt. This is your rub for the pork. Heat an oven-proof pan, add some olive oil, and brown the outside of the seasoned pork tenderloin on both sides (just about a minute on each side). Then put the entire pan in the oven (set to 350 degrees), covered with foil. Take the squash, toss in herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and then add to pan. Cook the pork for about 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Put the oven on broil and let cook for another ten minutes. Total cooking time should be about 30 minutes per pound, maybe slightly less depending on the thickness. (Don't overcook it!)

Take the pork out of the pan to rest, then put the squash aside. Add a little bit of wine into the pan to deglaze it, add salt and pepper, and a bit of butter. Add onions and reduce. Keep adding wine and reducing until the onions are softened and somewhat pickled.

Slice the pork thinly, and serve with squash. For color, I like to also serve it with a green leafy vegetable, like kale or chard. Top with onions and some of the sauce. Voila!

DRINK: Honig Vineyard & Winery

2009-06-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

850 Rutherford Rd
Rutherford, CA 94573
(707) 963-5618
Appointment Only

A few months ago, I took a job that landed me in the wine industry. I'd always been curious about wine, especially living so close to Wine Country, but I was hesitant about getting into the whole food & wine scene in the Bay Area. One thing that has always turned me off about it (wine in particular) is the level of pretentiousness that seems to be rampant within the industry. Napa Valley is absolutely full of food & wine snobs, and I don't have the energy to feign knowledge of the origins of Zinfandel or to pretend to know what the hell "legs" are on my Merlot.

Have no fear, wine n00bs - Honig is the Anti-Snob.

At Honig, it's like being invited to someone's house - the tasting room feels just like a friend's kitchen, with a granite island and rustic wooden table. And your friend knows a lot about wine, and isn't going to make YOU feel bad for not knowing a damn thing. Honig specializes in two varietals - Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Honig even sells shirts that say "Friends don't let friends drink Chardonnay." Hilarious. "Honig" means "honey" in German, and if you forget that, you'll remember when you see the bee logo! The property is small, and the staff is equally little - it seems that many of them have been working there for years.

We showed up fairly late on Saturday afternoon without realizing they were appointment only, but David (aka The Guam Bomb) poured us some wine anyway, and didn't rush us out. We got to hear a little bit about the winery, their sustainable practices, about the winery's dogs, and actually ended up tasting their entire library of wines (the honey-colored 2004 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc was wonderful if you like dessert wines, but they may not have any left by the time you read this!). We ended up meeting a couple from SF that shared the large inside table with the three of us, and David sat down with us and it basically ended up feeling more like a casual afternoon with old friends than wine tasting in Rutherford! (There are two seating areas - inside (photo above) and outside - a nice patio area with lots of shade for those warm Napa Valley days.)

A few tasting notes:

2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - one of my favorite wines, easy to drink and perfect "introductory" wine for friends of mine who aren't really wine at all. I like that they use stainless steel, as it leaves the wine crisper and cleaner on the palate.

2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - very inexpensive and nice to have on hand as a casual drinking wine. Just like the 2007, very clean and easy to drink. Would go great with many Asian foods that lean towards the sour (like my mom's chicken adobo!).

2003 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyards - probably one of my absolute favorite Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa, but at $100 a bottle, I can't quite bring myself to buy it. The tannins have smoothed out quite nicely and the wine is still full bodied without being heavy on your palate.

2006 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - If you can't get your hands on the 2004 (and you probably can't), definitely invest in a bottle of the 2006. Totally worth it. A great dessert wine with subtle honey notes and a pretty golden hue.

Suffice to say, Honig is now one of my regular stops when I'm up in Napa Valley. Here's a little video of our friend (and now home-skillet) David talking about Honig. Isn't he a cutie?

RECIPE: Duck Breast with Figs in Balsamic Reduction

2009-06-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Taking a cue from one of my friends who loves to cook, yet doesn't like measuring anything (or giving specific ingredients for that matter), I decided to try my hand at cooking duck breast. Granted, the best possible way to cook duck breast (or any meat, really) is by using the sous vide method, but I don't have the time, patience, or equipment for all that!

You will need:

duck breasts (fresh, with skin on)
balsamic vinegar
red wine (optional)
honey
fruit - I used figs (washed and quartered), but you can use fresh ripe peaches or pitted red cherries
salt
pepper

Season the duck with salt and pepper. Put a tiny bit of oil in a saute pan and sear the duck breasts, skin side down. Depending on the thickness, you can cook the duck 5-10 minutes on each side. Make sure to get the skin extra crispy, but don't overcook. Put the breast on a plate to rest, and reserve the juices in the pan.

Add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, then season with salt and pepper and a dollop of honey. Add figs and the optional splash of red wine and reduce until the figs are soft and sort of falling apart. Taste the reduction to make sure it's not too sour - adjust with honey and salt as necessary.

Slice duck breast thinly and serve with the reduction, accompanied by a potato puree and some vegetables (I prefer brussels sprouts or something else green, just for color on my plate). It is DIVINE.

Bon apetit!

BAY AREA SPOTLIGHT: Farm Fresh To You!

2009-06-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

It was a sad, sad sight: I had cleaned my refrigerator, and put everything back. All that was left was a door full of condiments, three bottles of wine (one white, one rose, one bubbly), a chunk of parmesan cheese, a nearly-expired carton of almond milk, tortillas, and the end of a stick of butter.

You see, with my schedule being as it is (a full-time job - lately, with 11-hour days, running group, and attempting to have some semblance of a social life while getting important errands done)...I often neglect to stock my fridge. This leads to spending $$$ every day on lunch (and sometimes dinner too) and neglecting one of my favorite things to do in life - cooking. Ironically, I live right between Whole Foods and Mollie Stone's - which are possibly two of the most expensive (yet comprehensive) grocery stores in San Francisco, but can't seem to find the time to go shopping. So after a weekend run on the Embarcadero with my friend Jay, we both ended up in the SF Ferry Building to get coffee...and we were both persuaded to sign up for Farm Fresh To You, a delivery service that boasts Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The guy gave us $10 off our first order, so naturally, I went for the Mixed Regular box: about 10 lbs. of seasonal veggie and fruit offerings (regularly $31.50 per delivery, $21.50 with the discount!). That makes my produce an average of $2.15 per lb. for organic produce - unheard of at Whole Foods or Mollie Stone's. KA-CHING!

My first box arrived on Tuesday. Inside:

Yellow peaches
Black Plums
Blueberries
Summer Squash
Chard
Gypsy Peppers
Lipstick Peppers
Heirloom Tomatoes
Greenleaf Lettuce
Red Beets
Nantes Carrots
Red Onions

Everything is CERTIFIED ORGANIC. I have to say, I was pretty impressed, even if a couple of the items looked a bit weathered. I did receive a little newsletter in the box from Thaddeus (I'm guessing, the head farmer of Capay Farms) acknowledging that the latest produce offerings have been "pretty rough" due to the awkward transition between spring and summer. But no matter - I find a strange familiar happiness when I can smell the dirt on my vegetables. My green-thumbed grandfather used to grow bok choy and eggplant and tomatoes in our yard (among many other things) and we were fortunate to have truly fresh produce on a regular basis, so this is very comforting for me. PLUS, this will totally put my creative cooking skills to the test, as you don't really get a choice as to what they give you. I smell an Iron Chef session coming on, don't you?

For more information about Community Supported Agriculture and delivery from Capay Farms, visit http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com or stop by the San Francisco Ferry Building.

RECIPE: Raw Creamy Avocado Soup

2009-02-05T23:17:00.001-08:00

This recipe is super delicious, and refreshing. It is one of the foods that you can eat when doing a juice fast, as it is easy on your system.

RAW CREAMY AVOCADO SOUP

1 medium size avocado, pitted and cubed
1 cup filtered water
1 cup green juice (I use Evolution Essential Greens), originally this recipe called for only celery juice, but since I don't have a juicer, I just use pre-made green juice.
1/2 T. finely minced shallots
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Take the first six ingredients and blend in a food processor or blender. I use a hand blender, because I can control it better. Then season with salt and pepper.

GREEN FOOD SPOTLIGHT: The Plant Cafe Organic

2009-01-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

The Plant Cafe Organic
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
3352 Steiner St (between Chestnut St & Lombard St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 931-2777
www.theplantcafe.com

Anyone who has been paying attention to my Yelp reviews, my Facebook posts, or my Tweets (on Twitter) knows that ever since I started running in September, I've been delving deeper into the world of vegetarian and green foods. I feel very fortunate to be living in the Bay Area, where our options seem endless when one wants to eat healthy, sustainable foods. The Plant Cafe Organic (formerly known as Lettus Cafe Organic) has fast become one of my favorite go-to restaurants when I want to eat healthy but I don't have time to go to the grocery store or farmer's market to get all the ingredients myself.

In the mornings, they have breakfast selections, and on weekends, they have a separate brunch menu, which I have yet to try. I personally like their smoothies for the morning, though pricey ($6.50), they are delicious. I highly recommend the mango, which has mango, banana, and ginger. They also have a full juice bar, with one of the best selections of juices I've seen in the city.

Midday, the cafe is full of Marina-ites and employees from the Presidio (i.e. LucasFilm folks) who are getting salads and sandwiches. They have an extensive salad menu ($8-9), as well as the option to "create your own" ($5.95 for small), where you get five "toppings" and a dressing, and the option to add protein (chicken, tofu, specialty cheese) for an extra couple of bucks. I haven't had any of the sandwiches here, but I have had the California Burger ($10.95) - it's The Plant Cafe's own version of a Gardenburger, but it's tastier and fresher than those patties pulled from the frozen food section of Trader Joe's.

After 5:30pm, the dinner crowd heads in - mostly young professionals who don't want to cook, or folks who just finished a workout and want to end their day with a healthy meal. They have a variety of items...quinoa bowls, udon, a fish special, soups, curries. The cold soba noodles ($7.50) are great - a big bowl of noodles, pea sprouts, cabbage, and ginger-lime dressing. My favorite thing to order for dinner is the seasonal tempeh special ($10.95) - it changes every few months, but I have yet to find a version that I don't like. And to finish off a really delicious, healthy meal? The raw cashew raspberry cheesecake - all of the flavor of a sinfully rich dessert, but none of the guilt. Really.

The Plant Cafe may seem pretty yuppie, but it has a hippie soul and is striving to bring local, sustainable goodness to the masses. Bring on the quinoa! (Pretty awesome, since the word "quinoa" wasn't even in my vocabulary until last year.)

New Year's Detox...$85 A Day!

2009-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I know, I know..it's been forever since I've posted anything on this blog, but life kind of got in the way. I promise I'll try to keep updating as best I can!

~bernad*va

Imagine spending $85 a day on food. Completely possible, if you eat out three times a day, OR if you decide to have dinner at Chez Panisse on a nightly basis. But would you spend $85 a day on food...that you can't even chew?

So, this particular blog isn't quite about cuisine. It's about a cleansing juice fast that one of my friends introduced me to: The Blueprint Cleanse. It's been popular in New York City for the past year or so, and my cousin has done it (and she loves it), and so far, my friend seems to like it. Here's the deal: there are three levels of the cleanse. One for beginners (total omnivores), one for those who eat mainly vegetarian, and one for the stricter vegetarian/vegan types. You get six bottles of all natural, organic juices per day, and you can do the fast for one day up to twenty days. Sounds hardcore, but let me tell you, nothing could possibly be worse than the effects that I experienced when I tried the Master Cleanse a couple of years ago.

I really like the combinations of juices that they've set up. My friend is doing the Renovation Cleanse, which sets you up with:

1. Green Juice: Romaine, kale, cucumber, parsley, celery, spinach, green apple, lemon.
2. Pineapple-Apple-Mint
3. Green Juice (same as the first)
4. Spicy Lemonade: Lemon, Water, Agave, Cayenne
5. Carrot-Apple-Beet-Ginger-Lemon
6. Cashew Nut Milk

My friend says the juices are delicious! And my cousin says the program is "dummy proof".

I haven't exactly convinced myself that it would be worth it to participate, so I've decided to do my own sort of cleanse. I started my day off with a carrot-beet-celery juice combo, and have tempeh leftovers from last night for lunch. I bought some organic juice from Whole Foods (a green veggie juice, a carrot-beet-celery juice, lemonade sweetened with agave) and am going to drink that tomorrow and see how I feel about not eating solid foods for a day. We'll see how long it takes before I cave.

Recipe: Gomoku Takikomi Gohan

2008-03-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today I got a hankering for lotus root. Strange craving, I know. But I was perusing the produce at Berkeley Bowl and I got inspired. So I bought some lotus root, some carrots, gobo, kuro konnyaku, and shiitake mushroom and got to work. Today's dish, Gomoku Takikomi Gohan, is essentially rice boiled with five ingredients. You can use fish, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, whatever you think sounds good. For the version I made this evening, you will need:

carrots, peeled & julienned
gobo, peeled & julienned (today I used PICKLED gobo, I like the flavor)
shiitake mushrooms, caps sliced thinly
lotus root, peeled, sliced thinly & cut into pieces
kuro konnyaku, julienned

2 1/4 c. dashi stock
2 T mirin
2 T sake
2 T shoyu

2 1/2 c. Japanese white rice

Now, I am not good with measuring cut vegetables, so basically I use as much as I think I need. You don't want to overload your rice with stuff, but you don't want it to be ALL rice.

Wash the rice until you wash most of the starch off, then soak in a mixture of dashi, mirin, sake, and shoyu for approximately 1/2 an hour. It is best to use freshly made dashi made from seaweed and bonito flakes, but for time's sake, I often use instant dashi.

Then, you add all the cut ingredients and put them on top of the rice - and cook as you would normal rice. If you have a rice cooker, you can throw everything in there and hit the button, and you're good to go. If you're doing stovetop method, like me, make sure to watch that it doesn't boil over...lower the heat to a simmer and let it steam.

When the rice is done, you can mix everything together so that the vegetables & konnyaku are distributed evenly.

It is a bowlful of oiishi-ness!

NYC Food Adventures

2008-01-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my recent Yelp reviews for a few restaurants I went to on my recent trip to New York!

Balthazar Restaurant & Bakery
80 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-1414

Neighborhood: Manhattan/SoHo

It was my first trip to SoHo, and my friend and I were walking very quickly, in the cold, towards the subway station to catch the 6 train uptown. We were thinking about going back to Les Halles, but instead I caught a glimpse of a familiar red awning. How could it be familiar? It was the same bright red color with simple lettering that spelled out a name I know well - Balthazar. I only knew Balthazar through the famous cookbook, and I was excited to find that we could get a table in this bustling, crowded restaurant - and it was a Wednesday night, mind you. The giant mirrors on the walls combined with a votive candle on every table filled the restaurant with a warm glow. We were seated at the tables for two - small cafe tables that are very very close together, lined up against a banquette - a common feature of NYC restaurants.

My friend and I decided to share a cheeseburger and fries and the pork belly. As we waited for our food, a waiter brought out an enormous tower of seafood on ice to the couple seated next to us. The woman commented that it was an "embarrassing" display, and her companion turned to us and offered us some. (He was dead serious.) My friend and I laughed and politely declined, but chatted with the couple while the server brought us the half bottle of wine we ordered (note: Balthazar only carries French wines), which was really delicious and medium bodied.

Our food came, the cheeseburger (cooked medium) accompanied by a giant pile of some really good fries (though Brasserie Les Halles is a bit better), the pork belly (the top part a glistening deep brown, was so succulent and moist that it really did not require a knife to eat) was set atop a bed of these incredible mustard lentils. I could have had an extra order of these lentils. We shared our fries with the couple next to us, and they shared some really fresh oysters.

The entire meal was perfect, even without dessert. The service was impeccable - servers should be like the stagehands during a play - you barely notice them, but they make everything run smoothly. Balthazar was a show for which I'd definitely request an encore presentation.

Caracas Arepa Bar
91 E. 7th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 228-5062

Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village

Holy Guacasaca (that would be the name of the Venezuelan style guacamole they serve here) - this place is awesome.

For those of you who have never had an arepa, you MUST try it. Little corn pouches stuffed with deliciousness...I had the Los Muchachos, perfect for those who like the SAH-PYE-CEE - grilled chorizo, spicy white cheese, jalapenos, and grilled red peppers, and the La Surena, a chicken-chorizo-avocado orgasm in your mouth topped with chimichurri sauce.

It's cheap too - $7 or less per arepa. I also had some of the Yoyos - fried balls of sweet bread with plantains and cheese inside. It reminds me of a breakfast food - perhaps like stuffed French toast?

At any rate, thank you to AJ who recommended this place to me before my visit to New York...and buen provecho, y'all!

Brasserie Les Halles
411 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
(212) 679-4111

Category: French

J'adore Anthony Bourdain.

J'adore le steak.

J'adore les pommes frites.

J'adore le vin.

Par consequent, j'adore Brasserie Les Halles.

How fortunate that my icky hotel was located literally a block and a half away from Brasserie Les Halles, the famed eatery that celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain put on the map. I was looking forward to having dinner here ever since I found out I was going to NYC for business.

The reviews are true - the fries are absolutely delicious and crispy, probably some of the best fries I've ever had. I ordered the "Fitness Plate", a 6 oz. serving of steak served with various grilled vegetables, sauteed haricots verts, and a small serving of fries (enough to satisfy your pommes frites craving without making you feel incredibly guilty). I also had a bit of the wonderful French bread and butter that they give you with your dinner - the butter they serve with it is nice and softened, always a plus.

I would love to come back and try several other things on their menu - they have a classic cassoulet and confit de canard that sounded really good (two of my favorite French dishes). They also have a pretty extensive wine list, including champagnes and dessert wines.

Les Halles is also open at 7:30am-midnight, daily, so you can go and have breakfast (either 'petit dejeuner' - Parisian style, or New Yorker style - a heartier breakfast) or lunch or a late dinner - they have nonstop service, seven days a week. The restaurant is spacious, and at night, very dimly lit with candles at each table. I like the vintage French posters they have on the walls, and the checkered floor - great ambiance, and probably a really nice place for a date.

I think I will try to make it to Les Halles on every future trip to NYC (yes, it's THAT good).

BUY: This is Ridiculous - Bling H2O

2007-12-24T17:59:00.001-08:00

I just had to write about this. Today, while shopping for some food for our Christmas dinner tomorrow night, I ran across this pretty bottle of water. However, when I turned it over, I went into sticker shock as the price of the water was $55.00. I'm not kidding. I thought it was a misprint, until I picked up a smaller bottle and it was $30.00.

Bling H2O is a water designed to cater to the luxury lifestyle - according to their website, it was created because "In Hollywood, it seemed as if people flaunted their bottled water like it was part of their presentation". Apparently FIJI water and SmartWater just don't cut it anymore.

Couture water? Are you kidding me?

For that price, I better be pissing Cristal after drinking it.

OAKLAND SPOTLIGHT: Dorsey's Locker

2007-12-10T16:03:00.001-08:00

DORSEY'S LOCKER
5817 Shattuck Ave
(between 58th St & 59th St)
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 428-1935

Hey sister, go sister, where all my soul sisters?

The answer to that question is....not in San Francisco.

With the closing of the famed SF soul food spot, Powell's Place, us San Franciscans are experiencing a dearth of good and inexpensive soul food in our dear city, and had to travel outside of SF to find anything noteworthy. One evening, as we had a miserable dinner at PF Chang's, we asked our server, "Where do YOU go to eat when you're not working?" His answer: Dorsey's Locker. I gathered up a large group of hungry people and made them all drive to Oakland on a Sunday afternoon. Wanna see what we got to eat?

The seafood combination, yummy yummy sides, and the short ribs platter

They do all the classic soul food favorites: fried chicken, catfish, snapper, gumbo, short ribs, pork chops, liver & onions, ...and the sides: collard greens, black eyed peas, rice with gravy, mashed potatoes, fries, yams, red beans, green beans, corn, and mac & cheese (only available on Fridays and Sundays). Service was spectacular and entertaining, the food came in copious amounts, and we all left extremely full and satisfied. I think that Dorsey's is actually vastly better than Powell's Place - even in their presentation of the food. (Sorry Powell's...I loved you, but you have been replaced.) Think I'm exaggerating on how good the food was? My friend Joshua, who had the pork chops, cleaned his plate.

photo credits: arnold at inuyaki.com

I miss cooking.

2007-12-09T23:19:00.001-08:00

Hi Readers,

If you're still out there...it has been a hectic month, and I actually have not cooked a single meal at home that is share-worthy. I have probably spent 95% of the time eating at a restaurant or grabbing a salad from the Whole Foods salad bar. Not to fear...I have a few food-related events coming up this week to blog about!

xoxo,
BernaDiva

SF SPOTLIGHT: My Tofu House

2007-10-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

My Tofu House
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
4627 Geary Blvd
(between 10th Ave & 11th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 750-1818

As you can see, I have not been cooking lately - not for lack of want, but more so because I simply haven't had the time. So, for those of you who are not familiar with the wonder of Soon Du Bu Chige, I am presenting you with my current favorite Korean restaurant in San Francico - My Tofu House.

Located on a pretty mellow section of Geary Boulevard, My Tofu House is a favorite amongst locals, apparent by the waiting list that you will encounter during dinnertime. The menu is simple - no mile long list of unpronounceable dishes, rather, two pages in Korean with the English translation on the bottom. Though they make a pretty decent Bi Bim Bap and Bulgogi, their specialty is Soon Du Bu - tofu stew - offering at least nine different variations: original, seafood, dumpling, vegetable...I can't remember all of them, but I have not had a bad one yet.

Once you order, they bring you an assortment of na mul, the various side dishes commonly served with Korean food: bean sprouts, several types of kim chi, a fried fish, and little dried baby fish. Next comes a big stone pot of steamed white rice. And finally, the piece de resistance - your tofu soup in a stone bowl, still bubbling. My personal favorite is the dumpling tofu stew - a rich, spicy broth with soft tofu, rice cakes, and meat filled dumplings. You can choose how spicy you want it - I prefer mine "spicy", but for those of you who can't stand the heat...try the "white" or "mild" version first.

Usually, when I go with friends, we order our soup as well as an additional order of bulgogi - it's a ton of food, and often times the wait staff will offer you refills of any of the na mul that you want seconds on. And it's fairly inexpensive - $10.00 for your soup, and the bulgogi runs about $17 for a pretty large portion. I always leave here full and nice and warm inside.

TRAVEL: Sabor de Puerto Vallarta

2007-10-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a quick little trip down to Nuevo Vallarta in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, with a few little trips to the surrounding towns of Sayulita, Bucerias, and Old Puerto Vallarta (in the state of Jalisco). Besides the beautiful sunshine, the warm waters, and the fact that this was my first real vacation in over a year, the most memorable part? The food.

Though our resort was all-inclusive, the hotel's food was only okay, and we really wanted to eat "real" Mexican food - you know, the kind that the locals eat, the kind that brings the possibility of a raging case of Montezuma's Revenge. Our first venture was out into a town called Sayulita, located about half an hour away from Nuevo Vallarta on Highway 200. We decided on a little cafe called El Costeno, situated on the beach, and ordered a few dishes. Tacos de pescado (fish tacos), coctel de camarones (shrimp cocktail), quesadillas, ceviche, and fish. The two standouts were the Ceviche de Camarones - shrimp marinated in lime and chiles, and the Huachinango Frito - two whole red snappers, deep fried. Our bill total was about 500 pesos - a little less than $50, including beers, soft drinks, and tip.

Left to right, El Costeno, Whole Fried Red Snapper (Huachinango Frito), Shrimp Ceviche (Tostada de Ceviche de Camarones)

Our next stop, that evening, was the town of Puerto Vallarta, located in the state of Jalisco. By some divine stroke of luck, we found a parking spot right on the main drag, in front of TWO taco stands. We picked the one nearest to the car, Tacos Arturo, and ordered a few tacos each. These were probably the best tacos I have ever had in my entire life - little rounds of fresh corn masa, grilled, topped with your choice of meat (I had 'adobada', also known as 'al pastor', and chorizo), cilantro, onions, and salsa. Tacos cost 8 pesos (about 75 cents) up to 12 pesos for Cabeza de Res (Lengua - toungue, Sesos - brains, etc.). We washed our tacos down with Coca Cola (made with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup) and then walked down the street towards the pier.

Left to right, Tacos Arturo, A plate of tacos, Taco de Chorizo (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

First stop: The Casa Cofradia factory store - a tequila shop. They let us taste whatever we wanted to - and each "taste" was a little less than a full shot. About five "tastes" later, and I was a little buzzed. Time to get more food.

Left to right, Casa Cofradia Factory Store, close up of a tequila bottle, many many tequila bottles (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

As we approached the square, the amount of people doubled - it seemed as if everyone and their mother was out that night. At the end of the pier, the five of us stopped and stared: stand after stand of street food - aguas frescas, maiz (corn), hot dogs and fries, ceviche, plantains, tamales - it was like finding Mecca. We started spending our pesos on whatever our hearts desired. The average cost for everything was about 20 pesos per item (just a little less than $2). The ceviche was amazing, the roasted corn was nice and smoky, and I think I had the most delicious horchata EVER that night. After our binge on food there, we headed back towards the car and ordered a bunch of tacos to take back to our hotel. I got all bold (I think it was the tequila) and ordered a taco de sesos - cow brains. I ate half of it and gave the rest to my friend, who laughed at me when she saw the expression on my face. Sesos are not for everyone.

Left to right, Puerto Vallarta Pier vendor, Fried Plantains, and a giant serving of Ceviche de Camarones (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

Our last taste of real local food was our breakfast in Bucerias. I'd heard of this town in the Los Angeles Times, and it was close enough to our hotel for us to go there and make it back in time to return our rental car. We went to a little cafe in the back of a sort of 'food court' (several restaurants sharing a patio). We ordered Huevos al Gusto con Chorizo - a plate of chorizo with scrambled eggs and a side of beans, Birria de Res - a beef soup with lime, cilantro, and onion, and a Machaca burrito - shredded beef and eggs in a flour tortilla. The wait was a little long, but the food was worth every second. You could taste the richness of the beans, which meant they were made in the traditional way - with lard. The corn tortillas were fresh and handmade (you can tell by the irregular shape). Our entire table of five had breakfast (including coffee and aguas frescas) for around $22 USD. I definitely want to visit Bucerias again, since we didn't get to see much of it except for the cafe.

Left to right, Huevos al Gusto con Chorizo, Birria de Res, and a Quesdilla con Carne Asada (Photos courtesy of Grace Malvar)

After this trip, I don't think I can eat Mexican food for awhile, just so I don't ruin the memory of all the flavors for now. I recommend anyone going to Puerto Vallarta to venture out of the resort and go deep into the places where the locals hang out - it's what real Mexican food tastes like.

it's been a busy past couple of weeks!

2007-10-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

Hi Readers...

I've been absent for a couple of weeks - life got really busy and I had several birthday parties and other pressing social engagements to attend to. Then I got a cold. So I haven't been able to post for a while. But do not fret...I will be posting a great recipe really soon. My latest love: Korean tofu soup. I have some great pictures!

RECIPE: Southern Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken

2007-09-19T22:41:00.001-07:00

I have a fear of frying.

You would think that I'm used to it, growing up in a Filipino household that fries EVERYTHING (lumpia, pork, ukoy, fish), but truth be told, I was scared of the flying grease that would jump out of the deep fry pot and inevitably land somewhere on my bare flesh when I hung out in the kitchen with my mom. I've come a long way in overcoming my fry-phobia, but making fried chicken is something that I've never attempted...until this evening. It actually turned out really well - my taste testers approved!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of seasoning: your own preferred mix of garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper,dried thyme, dried oregano (I like a lot of cayenne)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 quart buttermilk
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups flour
Peanut or canola oil, for frying

Combine the salt, 1/4 cup of seasoning and sugar in a large plastic container or non-reactive stockpot. Add the buttermilk and stir to completely dissolve the salt and sugar. Immerse the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Combine the flour and remaining 2 tablespoons seasoning in a large resealable plastic (i.e. Ziploc) bag; shake to combine.

Heat 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and shake to remove excess. Add the chicken in batches to the flour and shake to completely coat. Remove and shake to remove excess flour. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to rest until ready to fry.

Fry the chicken in batches, skin-side down, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the second side, about 8 minutes longer. Remove and drain on paper towels.

(Note: An even oil temperature is key to the success of this recipe; a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer should be kept in the pot at all times. And the temperature should register at least 325 degrees F during the cooking process.)

Serve hot or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Home Cooking from The Philippines - Turon

2007-09-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to share my lumpia recipe, but it is sort of a family secret so I am going to keep that one to myself. Instead, I am writing about another sort of "lumpia", called turon. Turon is a dessert lumpia, made primarily with banana. Often you will see a banana-jackfruit combination, but I keep it simple.

Turon

1 package frozen lumpia wrappers (30 count)
7-8 bananas, not quite ripe
granulated sugar

1. Peel lumpia wrappers apart, very carefully so you don't rip them. It's an art, and I am not very good at it, so I ask for the help of my friend who is really good and quick at it.

2. Peel bananas and cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise, so you get four long, thin pieces from each banana.

3. Dip each banana in sugar on the wet (cut) side.

4. Wrap each banana in lumpia wrapper. I use square lumpia wrappers, and lay the wrapper down so it looks like a diamond. Put the banana in the center, fold the top half of the lumpia wrapper over it, fold the sides in, then roll from the top down. Seal with cornstarch mixture.

Cornstarch Mixture
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup of cold water

Dissolve cornstarch in water, then microwave for 45 seconds or until the mixture thickens into a paste. Do not over-microwave.

5. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, and serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

SF BAY AREA Spotlight: Ad Hoc (Yountville)

2007-09-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ad Hoc
476 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2487

Open for dinner Thursday through Monday, $45 prix fixe menu (not including wine).
Beginning September 18, 2007, open daily

The Ad Hoc crew listens as Chef Dave Cruz goes over the evening's menu.
Photo courtesy of John Lee Pictures, http://www.johnleepictures.com

Original visit: June 6, 2007

And to think I almost said, "Count me out!" when my friend Grace invited me out to dinner at Ad Hoc.

Anything with Thomas Keller's name attached to it pretty much guarantees good food. I learned this from my (I think he might be gay) ex-boyfriend - his family is a big fan of The French Laundry and some of the biggest food snobs you will ever meet. You've heard of the Laundry and of Bouchon, perhaps you've heard of Per Se (in NYC). Led by Executive Chef Dave Cruz,....this small restaurant is another hit for Keller with its down-home yet sophisticated take on comfort food.

Interestingly, this restaurant was meant to be temporary (to be open only six months or so), as Keller intended on opening up a place that served burgers and wine. As Ad Hoc became increasingly popular, it was decided that it would become a permanent fixture on Washington Street (next to Bouchon and The French Laundry) and the burger place would open elsewhere. (I've heard rumors that this place will be opening in Santa Rosa soon.)

Back to Ad Hoc.

Walking in, it feels like you are having dinner at a friend's house - except your friend owns a classy, cleverly-lit, hardwood floored home in Wine Country with a giant dining room. The tables have large panels of silver on them that reflect the lighting onto the ceiling - it makes for an interesting shadow dance while people are reaching for food and moving their glasses around. (Tres artsy, no?) Everyone seems to be engrossed in conversation and nonchalantly sipping wine, a must have in this part of town. Wine list - not too long, with some great choices from all over the world AND from local Napa/Sonoma wineries. Tip: If your waiter suggests a wine pairing, if you have the funds, GO FOR IT. I had my first wine pairing epiphany here at Ad Hoc - more about that later.

Ad Hoc does the prix fixe thing - no muss, no fuss, no hemming and hawing over what you'll be having for dinner. And it's family style, so going in a group is great. Plus, if you run out of your main course, they will gladly serve you a second helping. The first night we dined, we started with hearts of romaine salad topped with pickled onions, walnuts, and slices of apple with a Roquefort dressing. It was not only delicious, but pretty too - the dressing was to die for. Next came the main course - fried chicken with green bean casserole and potatoes. The fried chicken was not greasy - it was juicy and flavorful (brined to perfection); the green beans were cooked al dente (not mushy like your run-of-the-mill green bean casserole); the potatoes were just right and seasoned with roasted garlic (yum!). Then came the cheese course - a very sharp Wisconsin cheddar served with sliced peach (or maybe it was nectarine) and orange blossom honey. And to top it all off...strawberry shortcake for dessert - a light and airy version of a timeless classic.

The friend who invited Grace and I to dinner spends a lot of time here - so when we walked in, it felt like we were VIPs. We got amazing service from our server, Nessim, and the rest of the Ad Hoc crew (it's the kind of service that flows with no interruption, you barely notice as your plates are switched out or your glasses are refilled). They were super attentive, professional, and even put up with our raucous group with a smile. The manager from Bouchon and even the great Thomas Keller himself stopped in this evening. I didn't even notice that our dinner took nearly four hours - we were having such a great time being pampered by the waitstaff that we could have stayed all night.

A month after my initial visit, I made reservations for eight at Ad Hoc for my birthday. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better than last time, we made another trip to Ad Hoc for my birthday last night, and had "Mar y Montana" - a delicious dish made with poussin (that's young chicken for those of you who don't know) and white shrimp. This time, I wasn't paying as much attention to the names of the courses, I just remember it was another sublime experience. Our server, Peter, recommended a wine for our cheese course that transitioned nicely into our dessert course, where we had a Mascarpone Mousse. And this is where I had my wine pairing ephiphany - the wine made the mousse taste like a smooth, rich chocolate. I'd never experienced wine pairing in action - where the wine brings out a flavor in the food, but this time, the entire table had that experience at the same time. It was amazing.

Go to Ad Hoc. Bring friends. Take your time eating and enjoy every single course, spring for some wine, and thank your servers before you go. It's worth every penny.

BOOK: The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child

2007-09-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

I inherited a well-worn copy of this book many years ago from an ex-boyfriend (the same ex who got a copy of The French Laundry Cookbook for Christmas, and never attempted to cook from it during the entire time we were together). Published in 1968, this book was the result of the TV program "The French Chef", intended to teach as much French cooking technique as could be learned in several seasons of weekly half-hour programs.

Julia Child covers so many French classics: Coq au vin, Quiches, Crepes, Boeuf Bourguignon, Pates, Aspics, Cassoulet, Duck a L'orange, Brioches, Souffle....and goes on to describe techniques such as how to debone a leg of lamb, how to roast a suckling pig, basic sauces (Hollandaise, Bearnaise), blanching bacon, wine storing, chocolate melting, and so much more. I always go back through this book when I need a reference on how to do something. I am hardly a master at French cooking, but with Julia's helpful hints, I feel much less like une imbecile in the kitchen. This is definitely a "must-have" for any aspiring cook.

RECIPE: Vanilla Cupcakes

2007-09-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

I've been on a cupcake quest lately, as you can tell by the previous blog posts, and sometimes I have to surrender and make my own when I don't feel like shelling out $3 a pop for these little delicious bites. This recipe is supposedly from the Magnolia Bakery in NYC.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. In a small bowl, add the flours; stir to combine; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 3 minutes or until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add the dry ingredient in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
7. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overmix.
8. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.
9. Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-25 minutes.
10. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 15 minutes.
11. Remove the cakes from the tins and cool on a wire rack before icing with Vanilla Buttercream.

Vanilla Buttercream

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl
2. Add in 4 cups of sugar, milk, then vanilla.
3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat about 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the remaining sugar gradually, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until the icing is thick enough for good spreading consistency. You may not use all the sugar.
5. Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled - the icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

SHOP: Artisanal Cheese - Abbaye de Belloc

2007-09-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

This sheep's milk cheese from France is made in the traditional manner by Benedictine Monks at the abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc, located in the Western Pyrenees. It is a semi-hard cheese with a strong flavor that is smooth, buttery, fruity, and nutty, and has a high fat content. I have learned, thanks to the Cowgirl Creamery website, that the milk for this cheese is brought into the monastery from the neighboring farms. After tasting several cheeses at Cowgirl, this one stood out as one of my personal favorites, just like the cheesemonger gal who sold it to me. Current price: $27.99/lb.

Available through Cowgirl Creamery Artisanal Cheeses, either online or at their store, located at the SF Ferry Building Marketplace.

TIPS: The Basic Kitchen - Part Deux

2007-09-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Once you have outfitted your kitchen with the proper equipment, you are not quite ready to start cooking. When I moved into my apartment, I had to think long and hard about what to buy from the grocery store because I had NOTHING in my cupboards - I'd been used to living with roommates who already had their kitchen staples, or my parents who always had way too much in the pantry ("What am I supposed to use this for?"). After having my own place for the past four years, I have finally compiled a list of what you should have at all times.

Vegetable Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Non-stick cooking spray (canola) - duh.

Salt and Black pepper - if you can, try to get salt & pepper grinders and use sea salt and whole peppercorns.

Vinegar - white, balsamic, and perhaps malt varieties.

Soy sauce - very useful, and keeps for a long time.

Spices - only buy what you need, don't buy a spice rack unless you're really planning on using every single spice on there. I like to buy a bunch of containers from Cost Plus World Market and label them, and refill them with spices as needed. My personal staples are basil, oregano, parsley, cinnamon, red chili flakes, and Herbes de Provence. Anything else, I tend to buy it as I need it, like when a recipe calls for it.

Sugar, Flour, Cornstarch - always necessary for some reason or another. Flour can be used to make a roux, cornstarch can be used to thicken sauces and stews, and sugar is always handy.

Red & White Wine - I keep one bottle of red and one bottle of white on hand, not to drink, but in case I need them for cooking. Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines are $1.99 and worth every penny.

Other Foodstuffs:

White rice, pasta, can of whole peeled tomatoes, eggs, butter, milk, yogurt, coffee/tea, wine (to drink), garlic, onions, cheese, one box of chicken broth (for when you don't have time to make your own), condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo), and for "just in case you have guests" - a bottle of champagne.

SF Spotlight: Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

2007-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building
San Francisco, California 94111
(415) 693-0996

Farmers Market is open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings

It's a beautiful, beautiful thing to be able to wake up at 7:30am on a Saturday, grab my canvas shopping bag, and drive down to the Embarcadero (praying for parking) for the Ferry Building's Farmers Market, a mere three miles from my apartment. The experience of the Ferry Building's Farmers Market is far from ordinary, as we San Franciscans are lucky to be in fairly close proximity to a mecca of agricultural bounty - the outlying cities of Petaluma, Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, as well as the Central Valley, are full of produce, dairy farms, artisanal cheeses, wine, you name it - it is made somewhere nearby. The quality and variety of produce is unparalleled, in my book. The best part of the Ferry Plaza market is that the merchants are hand selected - operated by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) - all of the vendors are local and most of them are organic.

This morning, a good friend and fellow food-lover and I, wiped the sleep from our eyes and walked from our (metered) parking space straight to our first stop, Blue Bottle Coffee Co., located outside of the Marketplace. The line was already long at 8:30am, but we waited patiently for the $3.00 cup of iced coffee with vanilla soymilk that is pretty close to the nectar of the Gods where coffee is concerned. For the regular drip coffee, each cup is brewed to order - hence the wait, and the priceyness...but it is so worth it.

We decided to stroll the stands and actually made a beeline for one of our favorite vendors, Marin Gourmet. They have samples galore at their tent, and they MAKE you try them (you can get full just by standing there for a few minutes). My favorite product they have is Affi's Aubergine Pesto, a very flavorful mix of roasted eggplant and garlic, great to eat with pita chips or on bread. Luckily, if you can't make it to the Ferry Building, you can get their things at Whole Foods & Andronico's. Next door was the Della Fattoria tent, showcasing baskets and baskets of bread of all varieties, definitely worth checking out. After an amuse bouche of aubergine pesto, we were ready to get our grub on - we needed breakfast. Next stop: Hayes Street Grill.
It's pretty impressive that these guys can run a pretty organized line in a makeshift kitchen. In place of dupes on a slide (thank you, Kitchen Confidential), they use bright orange post-it notes stuck to the end of the counter. I ordered the chorizo scramble, and my friend ordered the Hobbs bacon, tomato and eggs on a baguette. The Early Girl tomatoes topping my chorizo scramble were, I kid you not, the best freaking tomatoes I have ever had in my entire life. I would say it was close to a religious experience. HSG makes pretty hearty fare, and it gave us energy to keep powering through the farmers market, which was beginning to get packed (and it was only 9am).

Here are some more photos:

left to right: A bounty of peppers, baby artichokes, and Early Girl tomatoes

See what I mean? Produce that not only looks amazing, but is absolutely fantastic. How do I know? Because most of the vendors will let you sample what they have. I ended up picking up some really robustly flavored Early Girl Tomatoes at Dirty Girl Produce based out of Santa Cruz. Their little booth was quite busy, because of the cases of dry farmed Early Girls and the selections of beans, haricots verts, carrots, and mixed greens.

I also ended up buying some more tomatoes - this time, Green Zebras and Lemon Drops, from Devoto Gardens (Sebastopol). I wanted to buy a bag of mixed greens too, but seeing as this weekend is a busy one for me, I wasn't sure when I'd get to use them, so I will probably have to come back next weekend if I have the time.

We stopped by Marin Sun Farms (Point Reyes) to check out the meat, per a recommendation from my friend AJ - they have a pretty impressive assortment of cuts. And they sold the avant garde as well....goat spare ribs, chicken heads....not my cup of tea but I'm sure someone out there eats that. A quick stop by G.L. Alfieri Farms (Escalon) yielded a sampling of nuts and almond brittle - they specialize in fruits & nuts. My friend bought some honeycomb from Marshall's Farm American Honey (American Canyon), then of course, we had to stop at Cowgirl Creamery for some cheeses to go with the honey. One final sweep around the plaza, mostly for more photo opportunities, and we decided to head home - it was starting to get hot, and some of the tents were already running out of stuff to sell (and it was barely 11:00 am). Armed with a bagful of ripe tomatoes, some goat cheese from Bodega Goat Cheese, a hunk of cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, and inspired by all of nature's bounty on display, I think I'm going to have to cook for a few people tomorrow...now what should I make?

Here are a few more photos worth sharing:

Left to right: Della Fattoria breads, a gaggle of grapes, Dirty Girl's Early Girls, and a variety of eggplant

For additional photos, please click here.

For more information, please visit http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com or http://www.cuesa.org.

SF/BAY AREA SPOTLIGHT: Kara's Cupcakes

2007-08-31T00:23:00.001-07:00

Kara's Cupcakes
3249 Scott Street (between Lombard and Chestnut)
San Francisco, CA 94133

P 415 563-CAKE
F 415 563 2252 for ordering

hours Daily 10-6

Speaking of Giant Cupcakes, if you didn't already know about Kara's, you need to get on a bus, get in your car, get on your bike (useful to burn off the calories you will eventually be consuming once you get to Kara's) and GO to the best cupcakery in the Bay. Or at least, the only cupcakery in the Bay that I know of.

I fell in love with cupcakes as an adult on my first solo trip to NYC in 2003, when a friend of mine and her roommate took me to the ever-so-famous Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street. I had a vanilla cupcake. I was hooked. Since that fateful day, free-standing cupcake shops have gained enormous popularity, like Sprinkles in Los Angeles, and now, Kara's. What's special about Kara's is that they care to use only the best local ingredients, like fruits from the Ferry Building Farmer's Market, Clover Dairy milk (Petaluma, CA) and Scharffenberger Chocolate (Berkeley, CA).

What to order? My favorites are the Fleur de Sel (a moist chocolate cake with a caramel center and chocolate frosting, topped with a tiny bit of Fleur de Sel), the Coconut Vanilla (vanilla cupcake with coconut cream cheese frosting), and my personal favorite, the Buttermilk Vanilla (vanilla cupcake with a Madagascar bourbon vanilla buttercream). They also do a fantastic Meyer Lemon filled cupcake. Prices range from $2.00 (mini cupcakes) to $3.25 (filled cupcakes). A little pricey, but you can't really put a price on a little piece of heaven, now can you?

BUY: Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan

2007-08-28T20:13:00.001-07:00

I have dreamed of making something like this, but my attempt was going to be a freehand cake sculpture. However, I need not worry about how to do it, because Wilton has come out with a two-piece cake mold in the shape of my favorite dessert, the cupcake!

Made of cast aluminum, it features a reflective, non-stick surface for quick release, and can stand heat up to 450 degrees. Available at Sur La Table for $27.95 MSRP

BOOKS: I Am Almost Always Hungry by Lora Zarubin

2007-08-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I picked this book up on sale at a local book shop here in Pacific Heights after seeing it in a few of the fancy boutiques on Fillmore and Polk Streets. It did not disappoint!

This beautifully photographed cookbook is composed of innovative seasonal recipes. Although some of the recipes are definitely not for beginners, there is a certain simplicity to her cooking that preserves the flavors and essence of the season she is cooking for. Each chapter is actually a menu of three to four courses, and she makes everything from soup to grilled lobster to risotto, to panna cotta. She also gives a little commentary on why she chose the particular menu to write about.

My lucky (or unlucky?) friends will be the "guinea pigs" that I will test more of these recipes on. If you are fortunate enough to have a good farmers market nearby (like the one at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza), you will be inspired to start cooking seasonally after you peruse Lora Zarubin's book, and rightfully so!

TIPS: The Basic Kitchen

2007-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

When I first moved into my apartment, I was bewildered by the thought of having to buy everything necessary to cook in my own place. My mom always had a crazy amount of cooking supplies in her kitchen, as we did, at one time, have a family restaurant in San Diego. So, in case you are wondering what makes a "basic kitchen", here are my two cents:

Cookware:
fry pan
sauce pan
saute pan
stock pot

Recommended: Stainless steel or stainless with copper bottom, with good weight (read: heavy)

Cutlery
Chef's knife
Bread knife (serrated)
Paring knife
Optional: Flexible deboning knife

Recommended: High end knives like Henckels or Wusthof, as they have good weight and balance, and can be sharpened back to perfection; you can also spring for a Santoku knife, which is a really handy choice

Cooks' Tools
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Wire whisk
Grater
Wooden spoons
Heat resistent spatula (silicone)
Ladle, slotted spoon, pasta fork
Corkscrew
Measuring cups & spoons
Tongs

Other supplies
Pyrex/glass mixing bowls
Colander (I prefer metal)
Cutting board (I prefer wood)
Oven pans/baking dishes (depends on what you intend on cooking, but get a good roasting pan as a start)
Pot holders

Electrics
Blender/hand blender
Microwave
Toaster/toaster oven

Recommendation: If you're on a budget, just go to somewhere like Target and buy cheapies. However, if you plan on some serious cooking, you may want to invest in a little more expensive electrics, like a more powerful blender or a microwave with higher wattage, cause really, you get what you pay for.

Getting fancy: The more advanced your cooking is, the more tools you will need (well, actually, you will want). Serious kitchen aficionados will buy Cuisinarts and electric mixers - I am hoping to get a Kitchen Aid when I have the money and space - and expand your pan collection by getting specialty pans (I have a well seasoned paella pan as well as a brand new crepe pan). I also got myself a George Foreman grill, for quick and easy indoor grilling, when I don't want to use my grill pan. Once you get into cooking, it's pretty much guaranteed that you will begin to visit kitchenware stores and work yourself into a frenzy over all the available options out there.

Hope that this is helpful to someone out there! Buon apetito!

APPRECIATION: Food Styling by Heidi Gintner

2007-08-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

My aunt Heidi is an AMAZING food stylist. You can see her photos here at HeidiGintner.net. Her work has been on catalogs and cookbooks for Williams-Sonoma, Safeway, and magazines all over the place. Here are a few samples:

RECIPE: A Page From "Entre Nous": Gigot d'Agneau

2007-08-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

I am not a trained professional. Everything I learned about cooking I learned from my mom, my ex, and TV. Certain things still scare me, like trying to make a souffle, making Hollandaise sauce from scratch, and cooking large pieces of meat in the oven (I just don't trust myself sometimes). However, there is one dish that I can say that I am able to do well. Gigot d'Agneau - sounds fancy, doesn't it? I don't have photos of this one, but trust me, it is quite good, and easy to boot.

Gigot d'Agneau

5 lb. leg of lamb, deboned
6 whole garlic cloves
5 T extra virgin olive oil
herbs & spices (I use Herbes de Provence)
12 small potatoes
8 whole garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use half the olive oil to coat the lamb, and rub it with garlic. Sprinkly generously with herbs, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Roast the lamb in oven one hour. Drizzle potatoes with remaining olive oil, season generously with herbs, salt, and pepper, and place potatoes and garlic around the lamb. Cook an additional 35-40 minutes, or until lamb is medium rare. Transfer lamp to a serving platter when done. Continue roasting potatoes until browned. Place potatoes and garlic together with the lamb on the platter.

I serve this with haricots verte and braised fennel topped with fresh Gruyere. Be careful not to overcook the lamb (very easy to do). I convinced one of my friends who swore she didn't like lamb to try it, and she totally liked it. Voila! Crowd pleaser!

RECIPE: Taste of Valencia: Paella

2007-08-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

I was perusing a magazine one day at work, when an article caught my eye: it was a two page spread on the culinary delights of Spain, with a giant photograph of a beautiful pan of Paella Valenciana. The simple metal pan was overflowing with seafood, chorizo, and chicken atop a bed of saffron and tomato infused rice. The mere sight inspired me to buy a paella pan from Sur La Table ($19.99) and try my hand at making it. I found out that it's actually pretty simple, and when the dish is finished, it is rather impressive. I am not one to follow a recipe to the letter, rather, I take the general idea and run with it. You will need a paella pan. So here is the basic framework for Paella Valenciana - I don't know the proportions exactly, you just have to feel it out. If you have ever made risotto before, the process is very similar. This recipe can be expanded to feed many...if you find that the liquid amount seems too little, make sure to have extra chicken broth on hand to cook the rice all the way through.

Paella Valenciana

Per person, you will need:
1/2 c. Paella rice (I use Valenciano brand)
1/4 c. Dry white wine
5 Saffron threads
1/2 c. Chicken broth
1 Tomatoe, pureed
1/4 Onion, diced
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 a Chicken breast, cut into strips
1 piece Dried chorizo (not the mushy fresh kind), sliced at an angle
2-3 Mussels
2-3 Clams
3-4 Shrimp, deveined, with shells still on
Frozen peas
Artichoke hearts
Red bell pepper
1/2 tsp. Pimenton de la Vera
Olive oil

Toast the saffron threads in a dry sauce pan until they start to release aroma. Add white wine to the pan and bring to a boil, then keep on low heat so the liquid stays warm. Heat the paella pan on medium high heat, and coat generously with olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic, then add the chicken breast. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the chorizo and heat through. Then, add the rice and keep stirring until the rice is coated with oil. Add the tomatoes and a heaping spoonful of pimenton de la vera and mix until even. Ladle some of the wine mixture and add a little chicken broth. This begins the cooking process for the rice. You will slowly add liquid and keep at a low simmer until the rice is almost done. Add all of the vegetables - the peas, artichoke hearts, bell pepper, and make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp is done and the shellfish have opened.

Serve this dish with red wine or a nice glass of sangria, and it makes an incredibly tasty, filling, and beautiful meal.