Mary Ladd

Where the Chefs Go: Cookhouse Revs Up in North Beach

Images courtesy of Pamela Palma Photography

“I want to live here!” was the most squealed phrase at the Herbivoracious cookbook event for Michael Natkin at the aptly named Cookhouse venue. The crowd settled into a light filled room and many appeared comfy and happy with their meal and setting.

Cookhouse is a gorgeous North Beach nest that opened in February 2011. You can call it an event space, which it is. But such dry words hide the fact that Cookhouse is a sophisticated and vibrant spot that makes people wistfully cry out that version of “I could move here!” according to Director of Operations Amy Bryan. Climbing the stairs, one gets a decidedly mix of Paris in San Francisco feel. No wonder Cookhouse is ground zero for "in the know" birthday and anniversary parties, corporate mixers (leave that rubber chicken at the hotel banquet hall!), or perhaps an intimate dinner with the likes of Ravi Kapur, Stuart Brioza, Nicole Krasinski and Elizabeth Falkner before she decamped to the east coast. Prices depend on event, and more information can be found online here. San Francisco magazine is on to this celeb chef hangout and held a potluck here for a group of Best Chef Award winners last month.

Cookhouse has the kind of beautiful kitchen I love to work in: Thermador ranges and induction burners, MAC knives, Staub Dutch ovens, and a KitchenAid mixer. Neat freaks whoop over how well the cooking utensils are set up and organized, and the building dates back to 1913 and has served as a sound engineering office, bookstore and salon over the decades. It's clean, spacious and organized... the way I wish my home kitchen could always be.

Brendan Marshall of Kitchit has used Cookhouse for chef based events and said,

“Cookhouse has a nice venue with the facility to handle dinner parties of 20-30 people. For us, it’s all about connecting people with chefs. Cookhouse works for people who want a different venue.” 

Cookhouse’s Bryan confirmed that, “It’s a private venue you can rent for any use and it doesn’t have to be food related. That’s why we built it. We do a lot of private events, birthdays, anniversary parties, corporate team building, and classes. We even do a little bit of food photo shoots and filming here.” Professional cooking staff is available to help with the cooking and event flow, and Cookhouse has taken pains to work with local artisans and can order foodstuffs from Bi-Rite Market.

Wagyu Beef grillin' and chillin'

The marbled, rich texture of Wagyu beef is pure juicy goodness. We recently grilled some Wagyu at my folks place, in Benicia.

While the $29 per pound wholesale price is steep, the beef's smell and flavor make it a worthy purchase for any serious carnivore.

Recommended side dishes: chunky herbed mashed potatoes (go smooth if that's your preference, of course!), grilled asparagus, and buttery San Francisco sourdough bread. The only dessert you may have room for after feasting is a piece of chocolate or nibble of a fruity tart.

When Setting the Table....

The beautiful client was picky, particular, and wealthy. I wanted her to be pleased, since this was only my second time working at her manse. In catering--like all jobs--paying attention to little details is vital. Plan ahead, think things through, etc., etc. Yet mistakes happen, and bring me back to Earth. I'd like to think my brain wasn't operating at one hundred per cent because we were on Day 2 of a heat wave. I had gotten little sleep the night before, and was worn out by the heat.

There were two hours for me to set the table and do other kitchen tasks. Easy, right? Well.... Forgetting the first course soup spoons shouldn't have happened. My boss and I went over the menu when I arrived to work. The maid had already set everything out for me, or so I thought.  I should've done an inventory for each course before I set the table. But it looked like that had already been done for me. I didn't realize my  huge error until the guests were seated and ready to eat. My boss was ladling and garnishing the soup bowls for us to carry out.

OMG. All of the sudden, I could visualize the place settings in the next room. Shit! I had put a spoon down, but it was for dessert. A teeny spoon sitting at 12 o'clock was not going to gain me any smiles or looks of support from the client (or my boss). I was panicking. There were no soup spoons on the table! Eeeek!

My boss said, "I told you! Soup, Mary! You needed soup spoons! Go!!"

Out to the dining room I walked-ran, to find the proper spoons. Talk about awkward. There were four drawers to go through. I finally found the spoons tucked under an antique looking cloth. By this time, half the soups were already on the table, placed by a co-worker. The guests were talking and hadn't tried eating yet. They were of the well mannered sort, whew. That bought me just enough time.

I worked my way around the table, neatly placing a spoon for each guest. The final spoon was set right before the last soup bowl arrived. Within a minute, they started daintily eating the soup. I reported back to the kitchen: "They have spoons. Soup's set," to my boss. She was visibly relieved but still peeved, and I apologized, twice. It took me all night to forgive myself, and I kept replaying the nightmare missing spoon scenario over and over again in my head. Pulling such a rookie move will do that.

Sichuan Hot in San Mateo

Eating at San Mateo's Little Sichuan Restaurant can be a hot, hot, hot experience. The dry fried chicken, shown here, and Ma Po Tofu (pictured below) were almost too much. Yet it was tasty, hearty, and good. Combining jalapenos and Sichuan dried chilies offered potent heat. There was also a pleasant hint of sweetness with the chicken that helped balance the spicy seasoning.

We specified that the food be hot spice wise, and Little Sichuan delivered. I noticed other chile eaters sweating and smiling. Many had Chinese beer, tea, and water. On some tables, there were bowls of broth with red chile oil or liquid on top that intrigued. Worth another visit.

Others may complain about the service, which can be spotty. On weekday lunch visits the service isn't always consistently good. Also, the restaurant has a worn feel. But I'm not going for decor or service. The spicy food with ample servings over rules these quibbles.

The restaurant has it's own parking lot, which is a bonus for the downtown San Mateo area. Also, you can walk through the "Mother Ship" Draeger's food emporium before or after your meal. It's right next door....

Little Sichuan Restaurant
168 E. 4th Avenue
San Mateo, CA
650.345.9168

Catering Tip: Pipe It

Piping bags are used to fill canapes, as well as drizzle everything from chocolate sauce to whipped cream and even savory pastes. Disposable piping bags are made of heavy plastic. I have two cloth ones from cooking school that get washed and re-used. Make sure to air dry sufficiently or you get mold or stinky smells!

If you forgot to buy or bring a piping bag to a catered event, you may be able to use a baggie. Of course, there's a catch: the baggie only works if the material you are piping is more liquid than paste. Think mayo, pesto, that sort of thing. To make your own piping bag, use a one gallon sturdy baggie. Cut the bottom corner off according to how wide you need your piped liquid to be: one quarter inch is a great measurement to start with. Don't make the hole too big or the liquid will rush out too quick and be too wide a ribbon.

If you are piping a thick dip, the plastic bag will start to tear in little slits. A baggie is not sturdy enough to handle the pressure of squeezing out thicker substances. Trying to force a baggie to work, almost guarantees you'll have a mess of oozing multiple holes. Not the best way to get things done or impress your clients and boss!

Taste of the Nation next Sunday

Taste of the Nation

Experience the Premier Culinary Event

Taste of the Nation San Francisco
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Acme Chophouse
24 Willie Mays Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94107

Buy your ticket to the hottest food and wine event of 2008 and help fight hunger at the same time.

Share Our Strength remains one of my favorite charities because they have great food events and are fiscally responsible. I am volunteering the day of the event, and have been on the event committee in past years. Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation^® presented by American Express is the nation's largest and finest culinary benefit, featuring top chefs and mixologists -- all of whom will come together this spring to donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in America. Get your tickets here.

Iron Chef Michael Symon will be joined by three competitors from Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef”, including Gavin Kaysen (NYC's Café Boulud), as well as San Francisco’s own Chris Cosentino (Incanto/Boccalone) and Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière/Acme Chophouse/ Mijita). Finishing with the dessert course again this year is Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake fame and soon-to-open Orson.

How to use 6 pounds of Ricotta Cheese

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.

The Poop Blog presents: Crumbelievable Parenting

Hmmmm: how to navigate dining in a restaurant or at home when there's a baby involved? I seek answers in a post for The Poop, on SFGate.com. More of my writing will be on The Poop each week.

You're Late!

"Where are you?!" said the Catering Manager into her cell phone, in a terse, hushed voice. "280? You're supposed to take a 101 exit!"

The Catering Manager was on the phone with a co-worker of hers, and looked pissed. This was their sixth phone exchange, and it was 3:45. The truck was at this point forty-five minutes late. Since the van held all the food and decorations for the event, we had little to do. I tried not to think about how rushed things would be once the van finally arrived. To pass the time, I looked at the client's cookbook collection and noted the faces in his framed photos.

Driving a catering delivery van (or truck) in the San Francisco Bay Area during the holidays must be terribly stressful. Sometimes, catering companies use one van for two events, if they are doing things stupidly and on the cheap. Trust me, it's worth the extra money to rent another van. I've seen it happen many times where one crew has to deliver and unload food and gear for more than one event. Going from SF to say, Mill Valley will always take longer than planned. The poor crews are always late, frazzled, and ticked off. Inevitably, something gets left behind. At our event, it was a grand floral arrangement that was left behind in the catering warehouse.

By the time the female driver arrived at our event at 4:15, she looked forlorn and zonked. "My Mapquest said to turn left, but it was a dead end. There were no turns. Then, I got stuck on Market Street, and could only turn right." Poor thing, it was Friday rush hour, and her first time driving in San Francisco. I'm not surprised she got lost.

We had to hustle to carry tables, food, booze, bins, and other supplies up not one but two sets of steep stairs. This heavy lifting is why I shy away from other physical exercise in the hours leading up to catering gigs. My jokes about "Where's the elevator?" were met with thin smiles, but I was trying to lighten the mood. Since we were now an hour and a half behind schedule, it was a rush to get everything set up and ready. Guests were arriving at 6 p.m., so we had to hurry.

Whenever I started to feel panicky about how much I had to do before six, I took a deep breath. One thing at a time. Not my fault we're late. Keep working. What's next on the list? We cranked out a buffet that included: hummus, olive tapenade, pita points; smoked salmon; thinly sliced beef filet with horseradish cream, on focaccia; cheese station with seasonal fruit; lamb lollipops with pear chutney; Asian noodles in a ginger-garlic sauce; and chocolate truffles, fruit tarts, and petit fours. Guess what time the first guest arrived? 6:20. Of course.

Where I'll Be: Dinner with Bourdain & co.

 An SOLD OUT Evening with Anthony Bourdain- World Famous Chef and Author to benefit AIWF- Norcal Scholarship

Saturday, November 17, 2007 - AIWF NorCal (CA)
Time:	06:00 pm
Member Price:	$150.00
Guest Price:	$150.00
Venue:	E&O Trading Company
Email:	www.greenapplebooks.com

      

AIWF – NORCAL AFFILIATED EVENT

      

Saturday November, 17th

      

Green Apple Books and Naomi Epel

      

Present

      

 

      

An Evening with

      

Anthony Bourdain

      

celebrating his new book

      

“No Reservations”

      

 to benefit

      

The American Institute of Wine and Food Scholarship Fund

      

 

      

   Dinner prepared by celebrated chefs:

      

 

      

Chris Cosentino of Incanto Restaurant

      

        Alex Ong of Betelnut Restaurant

      

        Tim Luym of Poleng Lounge

      

        Sharon Nahm of E&O Trading Company

      

        Dessert Chef to be determined

      

 

      

including

      

Hangar One Vodka and St George Whiskey

      

and fabulous wines

      

 

      

Place:  E&O Trading Company conveniently located next to the Sutter Stockton Garage.

      

           314 Sutter Street

      

           San Francisco, CA 94131

      

 

      

Time:   7 - 10 pm

      

 

      

Cost SOLD OUT: 

      

$150 including food, drink, tip, tax & an autographed copy of No Reservations

      

$200 includes the above plus a 6 pm VIP reception w Tony & the chefs (limited to 50 people)

      

 

      

SOLD OUT

Tickets will go quickly for this stellar event for a worthwhile cause - a portion of the proceeds will benefit The American Institute of Wine and Food Scholarship Fund

Breakity-Break

I have been told I need to slow down and rest because I have a son on the way, due in early October. Since this is our first (maybe only?) kiddo, I can't say for sure how long I'll be away. But I look forward to returning soon with more exciting food, drink, and related tidbits. Until then, cheers.

Closing Time

One of the two remaining guests said to the host, "Well... we're the first to come and last to go!" in a giddy, slightly slurred voice. They smiled as they stood near the host, waiting for a response. Everyone else had left at least twenty minutes before. The host smiled and said to the guests, "Oh, you're still here?" Um, yeah. I know I don't want to ever be that guest.

Event guests usually stay beyond their invited time for any of the following reasons:

• way too drunk and/or "medicated"
• enjoying the party and feeling relaxed/happy/exuberant
• like how it feels to be in a new/different/exotic/beautiful place
• lost track of time
• want to continue eating and drinking free booze
• all of the above: clueless, clueless, clueless

Guests, if you happen to notice food stations shutting down and the staff starts blowing out candles and removing table lines, it's time to pack up and go, stat. Ditto for if the band or entertainment has disappeared or started putting away their things. At this point, if you hunt us down and ask for another drink or plate of food after we've put everything away, well... that may mean you have become a pain in the ass. If we can, we will comply with your request in a somewhat faux cheery way. It is called hospitality for a reason, right?

Santa Barbara: Lettuce B. Frank's Hot Dogs & More

Years ago, one of the perks of working in financial printing was the free employee meal. Although I hate eating at my desk and avoid doing it now, back then it was an unavoidable daily routine. One of my favorite free meals at the time was romaine salad topped with chili, and sides of pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and onions. This is hearty comfort food at its best, and I always love the interplay of textures and flavors.

I was reminded of how good this meal is on a recent visit to Lettuce B. Frank (LBF) on State Street, in Santa Barbara. We read a review that said something along the lines of "don't let the cute name fool you, it's good." None of us were in the mood for a long, complicated meal after a day of spending "quality" family time together on the road. LBF seemed to have something for everyone in our party (gender stereotype alert!): draft beer and massively loaded hot dogs for the menfolk; chili, salad, fries, and fresh aguas frescas and fountain drinks for the ladies. Another potential bonus: LBF tries to be fresh, organic, and local with its ingredients. 

LBF's chili ($4.95) is a Texas red version that comes with cheese and onions. While I usually prefer chili with beans, this beefy version tasted good mixed with the Caesar salad ($6.95) I shared with my Mom.  The cheese and salad offered pleasing contrasts. I stole occasional nibbles of hand-cut russet potato fries from Oscar and they pass muster. Dad and I tried the 2 house made hot sauces, which are both cayenne based. The milder hot sauce seemed to be fruitier. 

We sat at the counter, and the friendly crew took good care of us. Watching Dad and Oscar chow down on their Dog Pounder ($7.50) and chili cheese, (pictured above, $5.50) dogs made me queasy yet a little envious. I miss me a good dawg. At a 1/2 pound, Dad's 100% all beef NY style Sabrette hot dog, looked massive and tasty. LBF has only been open a few months, and they seem to be working hard.

Other interesting menu items include more salads, rotisserie chicken, beef or pulled pork sliders, fish and chips, mini corn dogs ("corn pups" as pictured above), cheese steaks, dogs (turkey, veggie, or all beef) and sausages with every kind of topping and sauce (hmmm items: creamy horseradish, maple, and pesto aioli).

Lettuce B. Frank
413 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA
T: 805-965-7948   

The Bachelor Client: Farmer's Market Outing

One of my newest clients is someone I've known for awhile. He's a bachelor and wants to update his cooking. His hope? To expand his dinner repertoire "beyond grass fed hot dogs and hamburgers." When he emailed to see if I could help, I said sure. I enjoy helping people get more comfy in their food routines. Especially if it's something they find to be annoying, tedious or otherwise unpleasant. Shopping, prep, cooking, and food storage can be simpler and easier with advice, tips, and practice.

His kitchen is spacious and pretty well stocked. There's room for more coconut milk, curry and other exotic fare, which he has expressed interest in. I also let him know without too much scorn that onions and garlic don't need to be stored in the fridge. But we have to start with baby steps. First, an outing to the farmer's market. Then we'll return to his place and prep.

Le Menu
White bean puree
Whole white beans
Frittata
Pesto with pasta

Shopping List
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion
Tomatoes
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 T. dill, basil, or other fresh herb
2 T. parsley (optional, for pesto)

1/4 c. + 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
1/4 c. pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds, for pesto.
1 lb. Fusilli or other long/thin pasta, for pesto

White beans

Hands Off, Server

It's irritating as hell when a server thinks he or she can and should do double duty in the kitchen. Doubly irritating if the server is doing this because he thinks his ideas are superior to all others, including the boss. Kitchen control freaks, be on guard.

This week, I had a night time event in an enormous Sea Cliff home (mansion?). Open bar, passed apps and a buffet for fifty guests, for three hours. Flowers (preferably edible ones) were deemed the garnish of choice by the chef. What he says goes. His gig, his rules, his cash. No problem, right? Well, almost. Reality is, catering mini-dramas can unleash at any time, regardless of how smooth the event is going.

A server that I'll call J decided one dish should have limes cut in half as a garnish. Talk about fugly. It looked like something straight off of a tequila bar, and did not match the flowers adorning the other hand crafted Italian plates. J had already gotten on my nerves an hour earlier, when he set about arranging flowers. That's great, but J waltzed off without cleaning his heaping mess of dirty scissors, gargantuan plastic wrap, flower stems and parts, and mini-mounds of pollen. There's one of many unspoken catering rules. If the event is flowing and there is not a rush, it makes sense for each person to keep his or her messes clean at all times.

I can now see J's logic in wanting to include his ugly lime halves. It sort of makes sense because the dish was Yucatan chicken marinated in achiote paste, dressed with fresh squeezed lime juice, and a sprinkle of cilantro. After J moved my flower garnish off (could this be what really got me going?) and put his stupid limes on the plate and left the kitchen, I turned to the male chef, my boss. "Those limes look ugly, don't you think?"

He replied, somewhat softly, "Yeah, I'm not a fan." To which I silently wondered to myself, "Why is J fucking with us? Why doesn't he let us" (read: me) "do our jobs?"

When the next order of chicken came up, I had a handful of flowers at the ready, next to the plate. J scooted his butt behind a cutting board and started slowly slicing more limes. I let him keep working while I set about slicing the chicken breasts. There may have been a smug smile on my face. I plated one chicken breast, and then the other. He started to move his limes over. "No, we're going with the flowers for this one," I said.

J gave me a quizzical, sarcastic look and the signs of a mini-snarl curled his lip. "Oh. The limes, though," he said.

"No. No limes. Flowers for all plates," I said in a slightly stern tone. J did not look pleased. He let the plate sit there, and busied himself by taking another plate out. This made no sense and seemed to show J was pissed, or so I imagined. One of the other servers eventually took the chicken with flower garnish plate out for me instead.

I'm not proud that I was a player in the lime garnish drama. But I felt that was my job, not J's. When more than one person puts themselves in charge of a task, no matter how minute, it may lead to conflict. That's just how it goes in catering.

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation SF

More Flickr pics here.

Last night's Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation event at San Francisco Acme Chophouse reportedly raised nearly 78K (final reports pending). Stars in attendance, and in the kitchen, included Chuck Williams, emcee Tyler Florence,  Tracy Chapman, Traci Des Jardins, Elizabeth Falkner, Thom Fox, April Bloomfield, Chris Cosentino, Jason Tallent, Stafford Mather, James Syhabout, Paul Arenstam, Scott Youklis, Stuart Bioza, Loretta Keller, Joseph Manzare, the Backburner Blues Band & Mr. Bud E. Luv, the tablehopper, Bob Helmstrom, Staffan Tarje, and Chris Cosentino.

 

There was a lively cocktail hour with music courtesy of the Back Burner Blues band. Folks mulled silent auction items (kitchen mixer, toaster, cookbooks, caviar, vino & champagne, anyone?), nibbled caviar and passed apps. Once everyone was seated, Florence kicked off the festivities. SOS was explained, Chuck Williams was honored, and five big ticket items were auctioned live. The biggest sell at 25K was dinner for fifteen guests, prepared in home by Keller, Des Jardins, and Falkner. After the auction, guests made their way home while many of the chefs and staff headed to the beautiful wooden bar, to celebrate a job well done.

MENU

Sweet corn pudding with anchovies & basil salad
Chef April Bloomfield - The Spotted PIg
2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Hall, Napa Valley

Bellwether Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms, wild mushrooms & herbs
Chef Loretta Keller - Coco500
2004 Pinot Noir, Mahoney, Carneros

Rotisserie Tronchetto & fennel with aioli & salsa verde
Chef Chris Cosentino - Incanto
2003 Sangiovese, Monte Antico, Tuscano

A Selection of American cheeses
Sweet grass dairy "Green Hill" Farmstead cow's milk, California
Bellwether Farms "Pepato" raw farmstead aged sheep's milk with peppercorns, California
Cypress Grove "Humboldt Fog" goat's milk, California
Roth Kase "Gran Queso Riserva" cow's milk, Washington
2003 Girard Artistry, Napa Valley
Chef Thom Fox & Chef Traci Des Jardins - ACME Chophouse & Jardiniere

Citizen Shortcake
Chef Elizabeth Falkner - Citizen Cake
2006 Moscato D'Asti, Luigi Coppo, Piedmonte, Italy.

Last gossipy items: look for cookbooks from Altman and Falkner, with photography by Frankie Faheny.

Buy it, Read It: Chile Pepper Magazine

It's finally here! The August 2007 issue of Chile Pepper magazine landed in my mail box today. You can find my Home from the Salsa Wars piece with pics, along with salsa recipes from SF taquerias. It was tough to get 2 of the restaurant owners to give up the recipes. I used my flirty ways and would do so again, all for the sake of good food writing.

Copies of Chile Pepper magazine are available at big box bookstores or by subscription. I'm looking into copies at local bookstores and will report back.

Late Night Food Reading

I can rarely read food related material at night. That's problematic because night time is when I usually have the time and energy to tackle reading. If you've ever expereienced the following symptoms, you may relate.

Symptoms of a late night reader tackling the subject of food:
-Growling stomach

-Mental inventory of fridge and pantry, with the frequency increased as more it gets later in the night.

-Visions of endless meals and dishes, combined with serious hunger pangs.

-Debates with self or companion(s) on how long it would take to cook up Dish X.

One late night, I was reading the James Beard book on Pasta, and making mental notes. A pile of  dog eared Gourmet, Saveur, Chile Pepper, and Organic Living magazines sat in a pile on the floor. We were planning on making lasagna inspired by the book the next day, for dinner. My brain and belly had other ideas. I asked Oscar if he would eat some with me now.

"Hon, it's almost eleven," he said, eyes buried in a book.

"I know. But... I'm hungry," I said, with a barely perceptible hint of whining thrown in for drama's sake. I had to change course. "It will only take two hours to cook!" I enthused. I couldn't wait to cook some Niman Ranch ground beef, chop onions, peel garlic, and make some thick and herby tomato sauce. We don't usually eat that late, and perhaps Oscar was wondering how enthusiastic I would be about cleaning up after all that cooking and gorging.

Guess who won? By 1:30 a.m., we were taking the lasagna out of the oven. "Wait 'til it cools," Oscar warned. He pointed to the recipe. "It even says to let it cool, right here." I shrugged. The cheesy-tomatoey combo looked and smelled amazing. How could I resist? I sunk my spoon into the steaming lasagna and barely blew on it before tasting. I made some awkward, "Ah, ummmm," noises, and tried to hide the fact that my mouth was burning a bit.

"See? I told you," he said.

"I can't wait a full half hour for it to cool!" I muttered.

"Okay, let's drink some wine and let it sit for awhile."

We feasted and drank ourselves silly that night. I have made other late night impromptu dishes for us, but that one stands out because it was a first. If I could figure out how to avoid or ignore my late night hunger and still tackle my food reading, that'd be another first.

Say my name, say my name

It was a pleasant surprise when the maitre'd said my name. This was after waiting a few minutes during the dinner rush for a table at Original Joe's in San Jose (no, I didn't want to sit at the counter. I was coveting a cozy, sexy booth.) I'd again realize how great it is for customers to hear their name spoken in a friendly way.

Sure, my cheese burger -- juicy, drippy, tasty, Angus beef, medium rare -- and crisp steak cut french fries were immensely satisfying. The waiter kept my drink full and things moved along at a nice clip. I wanted to cuddle myself into a ball after nearly finishing the burger, because I felt sated and sleepy.

But the real shock came after I paid, and was heading out the door. The hostess smiled at me and said good night. Fine. Been there, done that. Next to her was the maitre'd, who called my name out, and followed with a "Thank you, Mary. Have a good night." I was startled at how nice I felt when he did that. It took me back to dealings with successful restauranteurs. The smart ones find out and use their customers names as often as possible. It's interesting that such a small action, used on a consistent basis, can have a positive & perhaps lasting effect.

iPod Dinner Trend

I've noticed something a little weird at three of the Pacific Heights dinners I've catered in the last month. The host, (who so happens to be a male in his forties), brings his iPod with him to the table. Each host did the same thing at the start of the meal: propped the iPod on his right thigh. It made me nervous to get in the host's space because I worried he'd drop the device.

His napkin went on the table or over to his left leg. As the songs played, he'd sometimes press a few buttons, and scroll through different songs. This is even during conversation. He's multi-tasking as he goes. There are fewer than nine other folks with him for this meal. These other guests are his cutesy wife and usually hetero couples. With each iPod sighting, I looked around the table as I poured wine and water. No one seemed to bat an eye at having an iPod at the table. So, what did they play? It'd start out with classical and move into more trendy stuff as the night went on. Seems people are still in love with Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" song, because that gets the continuous play way too much.