Work Date of Sunday, August 3, 2008
Event Description: Litquake fundraiser with light refreshments for approximately 200-250 guests. All food to be served at room temp until 10 p.m. or when food runs out. Guests arrive at 7:00 pm, show begins at 8:00pm.
Menu: Steamy & Saucy BBQ Pork Sliders, Creamy & Sexy Petite Quiches, Sinful Assorted Cheese and Fruit, Gotta Have It Chocolate Covered Strawberries
On a recent morning, my chef brother Josh treated us to some homemade breakfast burritos. We were staying at his place in Benicia to visit relatives in from New Zealand. It was a zippy, filling, tasty way to start the day. I almost forgot the tweaks in my body from sleeping on an air mattress for five straight nights. Staycation never tasted so good.
According to Josh, "The salsa is pretty simple:
-Vine ripened tomatoes
-Red onion
Saute these two with a small pinch of sugar and some salt 'til soft.
-Roasted red bell pepper
-Roasted habanero
-garlic
Puree in a blender and fold in chopped cilantro."
Note the U.S. salmonella scare continues to grow, so be sure your ingredients are from a safe source.
Yum! The second annual San Francisco Chocolate Salon is here on Sunday. Tickets are $20 and include lots of chocolate and espresso samples. It's enjoyable and worth the trip for any chocolate fiend.
Not only did I get to gawk at nearly naked women at a recent catering gig; I was also rewarded with a bounty of pumpernickel bread, one batch each of saffron and achiote poached shrimp, bay shrimp salad, and six pounds of ricotta. Oscar was stoked. It's always a treat to bring home a random box or bag of catered goodies because it's sometimes premium items or ingredients that I may not have at home.
So. How to eat one's way through six pounds of ricotta cheese? To start, freeze one of the tubs.Really, should two people be eating six pounds of whole milk ricotta in under three weeks? Then think big: go beyond pasta dinners or cheesecake. How do lemon ricotta pancakes sound, with or without blueberries? I've been obsessing over these pancakes for almost two weeks. Purists may scoff at the use of pancake mix but that's their problem! The first batch we made had us ooooohing and aaaaaahing to each other, and the 'cakes were light, fluffy, creamy, and delish.
LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES
Serve with warm honey or (my favorite) maple syrup. The recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' on foodnetwork.com.
1 2/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups pancake and waffle mix, Krusteaz is recommended
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Using a rubber spatula, stir water and vanilla in a large bowl. Add pancake mix & stir til just moistened but still lumpy. Stir in ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir gently to incorporate ricotta & lemon but still maintain a lumpy batter. Fold in blueberries.
Cook pancakes over a medium hot griddle, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. I like to put butter and syrup the entire stack of pancakes & then microwave for 30-40 seconds. Eat immediately while reading the newspaper, chatting with family, and drinking strong coffee.
Sampling Bananas Foster at Jen Leo's Vegas wedding recently got me thinking. I shared the excitement of watching the wait staff prepare the sweet dessert. There was lots of eager anticipation, and people would say to each other with awe and surprise, "Bananas Foster? They're making it?" True, it can be so much fun to see the alcohol flames quickly shoot up and die out as the bananas caramelize. Bananas Foster should be made for friends and family on festive occasions. In my past, I had let it turn into something else.
I'm thrilled to have new memories associated with Bananas Foster. I first learned to make the dessert table side in cooking school. The instructor was a retired restaurateur who loved to freely sample booze before and during class. Not that I judged him too much. My own reality felt only slightly less pitiful. I had broken up with a long term live-in boyfriend and moved home to my folks place ("just for a few months" I said). I felt like a loser for many reasons. By the time I'd reach their house late each night after class, the family oddball cat would sit with me in the dark, with the TV usually glazing in the background. Sometimes I'd read notes from class, or thumb through cookbooks. I also went through a serious Bananas Foster phase, where I decided to whip up the dessert for myself at midnight. Repeat almost every other night for two weeks. This was even if I had cooked it for restaurant guests at school. I remember feeling dull, tired, and lonely when I cooked the Bananas Foster for myself those nights. I tried to cheer myself into thinking I was becoming something of an expert in its preparation. But really, how high is the demand for that "skill"?
As the Golden Steer staff passed us our Bananas Foster, I bragged to Oscar, "I know how to make this. I can make it for you." Perhaps because he had been freely drinking all day, he answered in a sassy laugh, "But you won't." Oh, the challenge was on!
When I made it for us at home, he wanted to know the exact recipe, and even started looking around the kitchen for a cookbook. The man is a stickler for recipes and cooking process. He doesn't fully realize I've got the Bananas Foster thing down. Or that it's like riding a bike. Yes, it's a skill that returns easily even if it's been many years. I pointed to my mise-en-place of orange zest, 1 mildly spotted banana, brandy (no rum in the house. Time to explore), Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream, and brown sugar. I was hungry for the dessert and we both were excited to watch the bananas caramelize and cook.
Oscar was eying my outfit and scolded me, "You shouldn't be wearing baggy clothes on this one. What if you catch on fire?" Nope, I wasn't going to change. The cooking had already started, and my long sleeved purple cotton PJ's were comfy if not too sexy. I'll cop to one mistake on this joyful night: using too big of a skillet and getting overzealous with the brandy. When I touched the match to the skillet, a loud and fast WHOOSH of flames went out and over. I jerked my arm back quickly and turned my face away. Oscar claimed I "looked really scared" in those 2 seconds, but there's no way of confirming that.
We ate the sticky, gooey, creamy dessert in peace. There wasn't a lot of talking, but we were both definitely happy. Our plan is to make the dessert for family in San Diego, when we visit them next month. Share the Bananas Foster love. So much better than sitting in the dark, eating glumly, and talking to the TV, and a cat.
My pantry needs stocking, so I'm headed to the Made in France/Le Village warehouse sale, later today. Although my cash budget is $200, I have been known to go overboard at this sale. the rationale is usually: clothes, gas, PG&E. who really needs those things?? There's so many dreamy items to enjoy, from sparkling cider to oozy cheeses and high-quality charcuterie. Spices, olive oil, chocolates and French soaps round out the bounty.
If no one minds, I will sneak some photos, too. See you there?
Just a friendly reminder that Made in France / Village Imports
is holding a gourmet food and wine warehouse sale on:
- Friday June 29th from 02:00pm to 06:00pm
- Saturday June 30th from 08:30am to 01:30pm
Are you ready for Independance Day?
Looking forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
The Team at Made in France / Village Imports
©2007 Village Imports, 211 South Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA |
Beer ice cream? Intriguing, odd, and interesting. Our waitress at the Ukiah Brewing Company--which is touted as the first organic brewPub in the nation-- recommended it, so we decided to give it a go. There were two beer ice creams, stout and porter. All flavors are handmade by the chef. As a dessert, beer ice cream tasted surprisingly good. I tasted a nice melange of flavors: nutty, sweet, vanilla, and of course, stout beer. The beer taste came through at the end, but it wasn't overly strong, bitter or off. It may be that using beer in ice cream effects the texture, which was a bit too icy. Once we stirred it up, it became creamier and more like what one can expect from ice cream.
Not to worry if beer ice cream is not your thing. They also have mainstream sorbet and ice cream flavors. Or try what I found to be tasty cheesecake from Cheesecake Momma. Peanut butter fans may rightfully freak over the restaurants version of peanut butter pie.
The Ukiah Brewing Company & Restaurant has turned into a hang out for the Pig Hunt crew. The brewpub has good, sustainable food and a mellow vibe. There are tables on a pleasant patio in back. On a grooming/fashion note, a majority of the men working and hanging out on one visit had ponytails or shoulder length hair.
Ukiah Brewing Company & Restaurant
102 South State Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
T: 707-468-5898
Where's my clone when I need her? I am pining for a trip to Brisbane, to visit the Village Imports warehouse sale starting tomorrow. Sausages, wine, oils, vinegars, herbs, lemonade, cured meats, alcoholic cider, chocolates, and cheeses, come to Momma!
One tip I picked up from my last shopping excursion there? On Friday, it's possible to "beat the crowds" by hitting the warehouse after 5 p.m. A super helpful clerk told me that everyone rushes on Friday to be there between 2 to around 4:45 p.m., and after that, it is more of a breeze. Less of a wait in line (wear a wool beret and bring an intellectual book or newspaper to really fit in), fewer people, all around better. The problem of 280 or 101 traffic once you pay and load up your car? Well, you'll just have to eat a cheese and chocolate snack before you hit the road. Believe me, it is worth the time and traffic to get all that Euro loot.
Below is the text of an email Village Imports sent me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mary
Just a friendly reminder that Made in France / Village Imports
is holding a gourmet food and wine warehouse sales on:
- Friday November 17th from 02:00pm to 06:00pm
- Saturday November 18th from 08:30am to 01:30pm
Are you ready for Thanksgiving?
Looking forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
The Team at Made in France / Village Imports
This message is an advertisement from Village Imports. You may opt-out from receiving future messages about our
open warehouse events by Clicking Here. Village Imports will respectfully comply with your
request within 24 hours. Village Imports understands the importance you place on the privacy of information
that personally identifies you. You may access our Privacy Statement and read
how Village Imports considers the responsible use of personal information to be
an essential element in respecting your privacy.
©2006 Village Imports, 211 South Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005-1255. All Rights Reserved.
Watching the ladies make pupusas at San Mateo's Restaurant Las Americas (Salvadorean and Mexican food) made my mouth water. The smells of fat and frying made the hunger even stronger. A pupusa is made by hand, and contains masa. Seeing a tub of Country Crock near the prep area made me wonder: Where's the lard or oil? What is that stuff doing in here?
One pupusa is more of an appetizer rather than a full meal. (I laughed when the woman looked me over and asked if I wanted 2 pupusas. Did I look that hungry and gordita in my slightly too tight Pixies shirt?) The small cabbage based side salad that comes with a pupusa is called curtido, which is pickled and includes shredded carrots. It helps cut the fat from the pupusa's filling, which is usually cheese or a mix of pork, chicken, cheese, refried beans or loroco, an edible flower. The prices at Las Americas are $1.75 to $2 per pupusa.
My main course was a pork torta that included succulent, juicy shredded pork, avocado, sour cream, and a side of red sauce (too watery and definitely not spicy as the woman said it would be). It was on a soft white roll that absorbed the pork's juices. Definitely delicious and not too much food.
Restaurant Las Americas is a clean hole in the wall joint.The staff is friendly. Other menu items are: platanos (plantains) with crema, tamales, caldo, sopas, chile verde, baked potato (for that Country Crock, perhaps?) and nachos. Agua frescas and shakes in tropical flavors tempt.
Restaurant Las Americas Pupuseria & Taqueria, 254 South "B" Street, San Mateo, CA. T: 650-340-1327.
I had spent the day fantasizing about making some brussel sprouts or fava beans. They're on my mind from a weekend of food related chat and produce ogling in Lake Tahoe. Eating some tasty brussel sprouts at Chef Johnny Almamilla's Mar y Lago kept the veggie passion burning (more on the Mar y Lago meal soon).
Reality check. Bad news messes up menu ideas, pronto. Towards the end of my workday, I was told some upsetting information, which altered the night's meal plan dramatically. Eating a healthy green salad or artichokes with lentils didn't excite me one bit. No. I craved ooey, gooey, 
cheesy greatness in the form of a Pyramid Valencay grilled cheese sandwich ($16.50 for nearly 11 ounces).
According to the Le Village website, "this cheese from the region of 'Berry' was originally shaped like a perfect pyramid. On his return from the disastrous campaign of Egypt, Napoleon stopped at the castle of Valencay and seeing the cheese that reminded him of the Egyptian pyramids, drew his sword and chopped off the top. When making a Valencay, the drained curd is cast in a mold. When removed, it is covered with salted charcoal ashes, and ripened in a well-ventilated room at 80% humidity."
The cheese has been nestled in the fridge ever since I went to the Made in France Le Village warehouse sale and blew almost four hundred dollars. We are trying to work our way through all the duck, cheeses, and pate. Strong cheese and cured meat smells escape when the door is open. The Pyramid Valencay is the likely cheese culprit. When I pulled away the wax paper, I noticed white mold spots on the bottom. I sliced all the charcoal ash off, and tasted some. It was firm, tart, creamy, and had a mildly pungent aftertaste. This was going to be goooood.
I pulled a small cast iron skillet out of the oven. Turned on the flame. I like to use butter or extra virgin olive oil when making a grill cheese sandwich. There's something about the way the oil seeps into the bread that makes it taste wonderful. After a swirl of oil, I put a slice of wheat bread down. Then I layered thin sheets of cheese, on top of each other, and topped it with another slice of bread. As soon as I smelled the bread browning, I drizzled more oil on the top slice of bread, then flipped it. Depending on the cheese, I sometimes cover the skillet with another skillet or lid, so the cheese can melt. I didn't cover this time, and noticed the cheese wasn't fully melted. Into the microwave the sandwich went, for twenty seconds.
I savored the bubbly, scrumptious slice of heaven. Some cider or Sancerre would've tasted good, and complemented the cheese's tart pungency. Making and then eating the grilled cheese comforted me, and calmed me down. Nothing can be that bad, when your belly is full of good food, right?
Posh Bagel has a good jalapeno cream cheese spread. It has vibrant red and green chunks that are firm and fresh. I believe the jalapenos are of the young variety, since they offer significant heat, and have a strong pungency.
Try the jalapeno spread with an everything, egg, or plain bagel. Although the everything bagel offers the most complex flavor with its sesame and poppy seeds, and garlic chunks, it also leaves a trail of crumbs in its wake. Flavor purists will want to stick to plain bagels, to really get the jalapeno cream cheese notes.
Many bagel places use canned or jarred jalapenos in their spreads. This gives weak flavor and mushy texture. It also brings to mind a rice casserole that was popular in the eighties that was a creamy, (too) mild blob with grayish green peppers. Escabeche style jalapenos, when done right, have their place at home and in taqueria condiment bars. But I have yet to find a bagel spread with vinegary jalapenos that works.
Posh Bagels does fresh jalapenos with cream cheese right. As I worked my way through a recent bagel with black coffee, I felt a familiar warmth, and began to sweat a little. I became chatty as the heat and caffeine kicked in, and my lips were a little peppery. It's good when it's hot.
Posh Bagels has numerous Bay Area locations. Their website is under construction. Check local listings in SF, Menlo Park, Los Altos, and Mountain View.
I've heard and read that Marion Cunningham wants people to cook and eat at home together, as a way of keeping our society whole. That's a great idea, sure. But, my reason for using one of her charming Lost Recipes was more simple. I was tired and hungry and wanted to use as many leftovers as possible. Her recipes immediately came to mind, since it's straightforward comfort food. Oscar needed some soft comfort due to a recent yanked tooth. Ham Timbales, with some adjustments, fit the bill.
Lost Recipes offers wholesome, practical food that isn't too tough to prepare. I felt retro cooking the timbales, because it included so much butter, cheese and milk. For a lighter timbale, cheese could be omitted or used sparingly. You also don't need to use cooked maple bacon and soppressetta, but it is a great combo of richness and savory-meets-slightly sweet.
I wonder if Marion ever runs into trouble cooking with others. When Oscar helped me with the water bath step, he insisted on using a six ounce mug, refilled four times. He kept the tap running while he'd fill and pour, and it seemed silly (and wasteful) to me. My sage advice was to not-so-calmly screech, "Use a pitcher!", to which he responded, "There aren't any!" As he poured the last cup (finally!), I pointed to the not one but two pitchers sitting on top of the fridge. We maneuvered the water and timbales into the stove together, and bickered over how slow or fast we should do it. The hot air blast on our faces didn't help things.
All anxieties had safely disappeared by the time I served the timbales, a half hour or so later. Make up and hug or cuddle when one of you is acting crazy (with the crazy female hopefully initiating). Cook and eat together, and try to keep a sense of humor. Right, Marion?
"A timbale is a cross between a custard and a souffle, made in individual custard cups, or small molds, or even muffin tins; the timbales are then unmolded and served with a sauce." (I didn't make Mustard Sauce, but Oscar said ketchup tasted good.) "They may be made of almost any mixture of tasty cooked meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish, or vegetables and cheese...
5 T. butter
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
1 1/4 c. milk
2 c. minced ham (try a blend of crumbled cooked bacon and diced soppressetta for a moist result)
1/4 c. grated cheese (Parmesan, goat, or whatever sounds good)
2 T. minced fresh parsley
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt & pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, lightly butter 8 custard cups or muffin tins.
Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan, add the breadcrumbs and milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the meat, cheese, parsley, and eggs. Season with salt & pepper. Fill the cups 2/3 full, place them in a pan, and pan with enough hot water to come 2/3s of the way up the sides of the custard cups. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Unmold by slipping a knife around the inside of each cup and turning out onto a warm plate or platter. Serve 2 each person, with hot Mustard Sauce or a sauce of your choosing."
So far, one day of having a House Husband has worked out amazingly. Oscar is cooking, shopping, and even cleaning for the next 2 weeks. He has a bunch of Chronicle vacation days to use up. It's nice having someone else do the work. I felt pampered and relaxed when I came home last night and saw his mise en place set up in the kitchen. My only job was to spin the salad with its dressing and pour us each a glass of Le Village Hard Cider.
His creative salad was from ingredients direct from the Made In France warehouse sale. It turned out to be a sort of Cobb salad, with a few things changed.
Oscar's House Husband Salad:
1 avocado, diced
1 cooked duck breast, diced, with skin** removed
1/2 bag spinach leaves, rinsed and gently dried
3-4 ounces goat cheese (Laura Chenel is good)
1 handful grapes (orange segments, or craisins would work, too)
Bleu cheese or other creamy dressing, to taste*
*A fresh citrus or other vinegarette would also brighten flavors up. We thought toasted walnuts would be good for future House Husband Salads. Bacon, too.
**Save that duck skin! Oscar wants "to cook some eggs in duck fat," a fantasy he's had ever since I told him KGO radio personality Gene Burns is known to cook his eggs in fat (but it was bacon fat, I believe. Oh well, we love both). The duck skin can easily be used to cook other savory treats.
Serve House Husband Salad immediately by candlelight, with fresh toasted bread, and apple or hard cider to drink. Politely tell the House Wife to not lick the bowl. However, she can sop things up with a piece of bread. Let the House Wife gladly clean up.
I blew our budget at this weekend's Made in France/Village Imports warehouse sale, held in "where am I?" Brisbane, a few minutes south of SF. Rather than carry and use a calculator, as one pair of chatty French women did, I decided to make my coffee and lunch every day for the next month, so I could spend more money at the warehouse. (I've since been to Philz Coffee once since making this hollow promise). In my mind, a seventy-five dollar budget became hundreds more. I felt like my version of a Vegas gambler re-juggling funds like that, and was amped by the excitement of being surrounded by cheese, wine, oils, chocolate, and so many specialty items. Leaving work early has never been so fun.
The Made in France/Village Imports sale happens a few times a year. They open their vast (and chilly) warehouse to the public, with discount prices on chi-chi foodie items. Most of the items are French, with a sprinkling from Italy, Greece, Spain, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland.
For me, the cooler was the most exciting place to be. I grabbed two duck breasts immediately, and stepped my way around the other shoppers in the cooler. I shivered with indecision weighing a leg of prosciutto versus a 3 1/2 pound link of beautiful soppresseta. Because the prosciutto was from Canada rather than Italy, I snootily left it behind. At $9.50 a pound, I didn't want to experiment. I snapped up a bouche d'affinois log of cheese that turned out to be creamy, smooth, luscious, and perfect for spreading on Acme levain bread. Two six ounce packs of mousse and pate would be a better choice than the huge 2 pound log. Oscar and I can eat a lot and we like to share with others, but 2 pounds is pushing it. A choice of one each of bleu and goat cheese rounded things out.
My one alcohol purchase was Le Village hard cider, a steal at $3 a bottle. There are also cases of wine and champagne available, perfect for holiday parties and everyday drinking. The clerk warned me, "Some people don't realize how much things are, until they get up here. Then they ask, 'eight hundred dollars? Where did it all go?' " Be warned: it does add up. But you won't be sorry.
Sign up for notice of the next warehouse sale by emailing: OpenWarehouse@villageimports.net . See you at the next sale!
Made in France/Village Imports, 211 South Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005.
T: 415.562.1120
Gross out city: the butter we used to spread on tonight's bread had mold at the bottom of its serving dish. A quick read on various websites told us we will not die or become sick of botulism or other scary ailments. The only symptoms to look for (according to one website) are gagging, nausea and vomiting from the smell and taste of mold. We didn't smell or taste any mold, which gives me hope that the mold was at the bottom of the Butter Bell dish rather than on its way to our greedy open mouths.
I already felt queasy from seeing the guts drip out of our large prawns at dinner ("adventurous eating" I chirped, with a cringe). I grumpily told my husband he was not seeing grey in our butter, two times. Note to self, I do not need to be such a bee-atch at dinner, even if he won't turn off the "news" (I could hear from the kitchen that it was ESPN Zone, does he think I'm deaf?) and help get dinner to the table.
The reason we had mold in our Butter Bell is I didn't read online the part about putting fresh, cool water at the base, which will keep the butter fresh if changed out every 3 days. I don't remember the Butter Bell box even having directions that included the water step. I should've researched further, rather than smugly thinking my way was the best way. Guess I'll take the chore of changing out the water every 3 days, unless I toss the Butter Bell and revert to our butter-in-a-dish-in-the-fridge days.
Why is it I now crave a heaping serving of chocolate ice cream?
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