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Selasa, 29 April 2008

$1000 Giveaway!

$1000 giveaway



Just a quick reminder to let you know that today is the last day of the $1000 Mother's Day giveaway on Glam Dish. All you have to do to enter is comment on how you would spend the prize on mom. Check it out! So far the comments have run the gamut from funny to sad to very inspiring, worth a read even if you don't enter the contest.

I'm posting 4 days a week over at Glam Dish and there are plenty of tantalizing recipes, useful tips and tidbits. Please do stop by and say "hi."

The contest is now over, but thanks to everyone for visiting and commenting. And don't forget, there will be another contest in early May.

Ban Bottled Water

There's an old saying, "a good salesperson could sell snow to an Eskimo," which pretty much sums up my feeling about bottled water. To say we don't need bottled water would be an understatement. Most everyone in developed nations actually has water, good water, government tested, high quality, great tasting water. It comes right out of the tap. But companies are always looking for ways to make a buck.

Why is bottled water such a bad idea? You could complain about the price, which is often 3 times as much as what we pay for gasoline, and even more in restaurants, or you could consider the fact that sometimes bottled water (such as Aquafina) is just bottled tap water, but really the main problems are waste and pollution. Bottling and shipping water is a waste of energy and is a source of pollution. Some companies are trying to minimize their impact with carbon offsets. But that still doesn't change the fact that only a percentage of plastic water bottles are ever recycled and that the product is simply not necessary.

In the past chefs and restaurateurs have used their celebrity and promoted bottled water. I hope in the future more will take a leadership role in weaning people off this unnecessary and wasteful habit. Lots of restaurants are already serving filtered water instead of bottled, but it will take more celebrities like Alice Waters to make a ban on bottled water stick. It probably doesn't hurt that "water" is in her name!

Why did drinking water out of a bottle become a status symbol? I really don't know. But marketers caught on to the idea, and it seems like there is no end in sight. Here are some of the more outrageous bottled water products.

AquaMantra
aquamanta
"A tool to remind you of what you truly are?" A status craving environmental polluter!

Fiji water
Fiji water

A leader in carbon offsets, their product and bottles pollute the environment. All the while they sell consumers the image of "purity."

Skinny water

Skinny water
Seriously, water being marketed as 0 calories. All you need is 0 brains to buy it.

Aqua Deco
AquaDeco
Water in what looks like a perfume bottle. Just what we don't need!

BlingH2o
BlingH2o
The ultimate in conspicuous consumption. A whole brand created to be expensive, at $40 a bottle. "Fashioned to make a defining statement." And the statement is "we are shallow!"

Rabu, 23 April 2008

Things Cooks Love: Cookbook Review

Things Cooks Love


Last month I was raving about the new Williams-Sonoma Tools & Techniques book. It's the book I wish I had when I was first learning to cook. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are much more confident in your culinary abilities, Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes from Sur La Table is the book for you.

I already know that I want a paella pan and a couscoussiere, and this is the book that fuels my desires with descriptions, amazing recipes and gorgeous photography. You too may want do a little shopping or at least dust off your pizza stone after perusing it. Having 2 -3 recipes to go with each item is what really helps you justify your purchase of a food mill or clay cooker or tagine or whatever it is that strikes your fancy. Wondering what else you can do with the chefs torch you bought but never used? Forget creme brulee, the book has recipes for Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Bubbling Mozzarella and Toasted Goat Cheese, Roasted Beet and Pear Salad.

In the beginning there is a section on equipping your kitchen, and then the recipes are divided into "kitchens" as in Asian, Mexican, French, Indian, Italian, Iberian and Moroccan. Each "kitchen" has a discussion of essential pantry ingredients, tools and tantalizing recipes written by Marie Simmons, a two-time winner of the James Beard Award. The book is 300 pages long, has 100 recipes along with 125 detailed descriptions of kitchen implements from the common to the obscure. It's not a comprehensive book, but a great resource for using the "things you love" in the kitchen and a wonderful introduction to the cuisine of many lands. For $23 on Amazon this is a terrific book to add to your collection. Get a sneak peek at sections of the book here.

MORE
If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is a free launch party celebrating this book with tastes of recipes at the Sur La Table store at the Ferry Plaza on Friday, April 25th from 6:30-8. Space is limited so to RSVP, please call 415.262.9970

Selasa, 22 April 2008

Passover Crepes: Recipe (gluten free)

Passover Crepes
Welcome to the third day of Passover! When it comes to this holiday, it takes only a short while before dietary tedium sets in I'm afraid. While I'm not able to keep kosher for Passover this year I am still trying out some new recipes that are kosher for Passover.

Typically because you can't use leavening many recipes for baked goods and pasta rely on eggs for texture. I found a recipe for Passover pasta in Gourmet magazine that I am eager to try. Today I modified a Passover crepe recipe with good results. I served it stuffed with mangoes and topped with yogurt for a yummy breakfast. It also happens to be gluten free so it's good for those on a gluten free diet, as I learned from Karina of Gluten Free Goddess.

Crepes are also terrific for dinner. I like to fill them with cheese, mushrooms, roast vegetables or chicken. Using crepes is easy because they can be made ahead and even frozen for later use. They are also economical because you can fill them with just about any kind of leftovers to make a whole new meal.

Passover Crepes
makes about 12

Ingredients

1/4 cup potato starch
1 cup milk, low fat is fine
4 eggs

Instructions

Blend ingredients in the blender. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a little oil to coat pan. Stir batter and ladle about 2 tablespoons into skillet. Immediately swirl batter to spread about 6 inches in diameter.
Cook until bottom is light brown. Flip crepe and cook for about 1 minute until speckled.

Enjoy!

Rabu, 16 April 2008

Frozen Yogurt Fad Strikes Again!

frozen yogurt
I'm not sure how it happened, but suddenly frozen yogurt is all the rage again. It appeared out of the blue, much like cupcakes did. The problem is the same as it was back in the late 80's and early 90's during the last frozen yogurt boom, it's being marketed as "healthy." In fact, the chain Pinkberry was just in a lawsuit over whether or not the product was really yogurt at all.

Pinkberry is so popular in Los Angeles and New York that people stand in lines and risk parking tickets just to get some, and it has spawned the entrance in the American market of other frozen yogurt chains, including Red Mango, from South Korea. I haven't tried either, but I was curious, so curious that when I saw a sign for Tuttimelon in the Outer Sunset, I had to have some. Notice the similarity between Tuttimelon and Pinkberry?

frozen yogurt logos

I had my serving of it plain, which is not the way most people order it. You can get it with all kinds of fruit toppings which looked pretty fresh to me. I liked the sour tangy flavor. It wasn't as creamy as what I remember from years ago, but it was good. Even plain. The downside? While being promoted as healthy, a small serving is 5 ounces and supposedly that is 2 servings. Say what? That's like telling people to share a little bag of chips. It ain't gonna happen. While Tuttimelon frozen yogurt has no fat, the small cup has 150 calories, which may be healthier than some frozen treats, but isn't exactly health food. So go ahead and enjoy it, but don't believe all the hype and do check the nutrition info of whatever brand you try.

Tuttimelon2150 Irving St @ 23rd
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.

Sabtu, 12 April 2008

Quixote Winery: Favorite Things



In the wine country of Napa Valley one can easily find ersatz Italian villas, faux chateaux, and all manner of non-descript modern winery buildings that make little impression at all. And then there is Quixote Winery. Utterly unique, fresh and provocative, the building is a joy to behold.

As Alder Yarrow at Vinography says "By all accounts, Carl Doumani has nothing to prove." After selling the incredibly successful Stag's Leap Winery, he created a smaller winery and vineyard right next door. Working with eccentric Austrian Friedensreich Hundertwasser he created a building that, as Doumani puts it, makes you smile. Reminiscent of the organic architecture of Gaudi, there are no straight lines, the roof is topped with grass and trees, there is a golden turret and colored tiles. The overall effect is a whimsical feeling. Yes, if you had achieved much in your career, perhaps the next thing to refocus on would be pleasure and doing things the way you want to, bucking the system in the manner of Quixote himself.

The wines Doumani makes are the wines he loves, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. They are bold and gutsy wines to match a big appetite for life. The Syrah in particular is marked by spice and has a very long finish. While I'm not one to eat roast game and barbecue lamb all that often, these are certainly the wines for it. Because it is so small, Quixote is open by appointment only to just a handful of visitors a day. I do hope when you go you meet Carl and hear stories about working with Hundertwasser from his mismatched socks to his smashing tiles. But mostly I hope you get a chance to experience this very happy building.

In addition to the post and wine review on Vinography read articles on Quixote and Carl Doumani at the Napa Valley Register the New York Times and Jennifer Jeffrey's blog.

Selasa, 08 April 2008

Monet's Palate

Monet's Palate
One of the highlights of my first trip to France was going to Giverny to visit Monet's home and gardens. It's a nice little country day trip from Paris and a must see for anyone who is a fan of Impressionist painting. Monet's home is a magical place and the colors, the scenery and the light come to life in a way that is familiar and exciting at the same time.

Not surprisingly, I was fascinated by the tour of his house and especially his kitchen. Clearly I wasn't the only one because there is even a book devoted to the subject, called Monet's Table. The stunning combination of yellows and blues and Japanese prints transported me to another time and place as much as views of the water lily pond did. If you've been to the house perhaps you experienced the same thing. Or perhaps you've just appreciated his creativity and perpective. Either way, I'm sure you'll be as eager as I am to see the film Monet's Palate, currently showing on PBS.

Monet's Palate explores Normandy, Monet's passion for art and for fine cuisine. In addition to an art collector, art historian and a culinary consultant, the film also features various chefs and restaurateurs--Roger Verge, Alice Waters, Michel Richard, Anne Willan, and Daniel Boulud among others. To find out when it may be shown on your local PBS station, visit the Monet's Palate blog. You can also see a snippet of the film on the Monet's Palate website.

Jumat, 04 April 2008

Weekend Update

Absinthe


Just a quick note to let you know I will be up in the North Bay most of next week and the following week I have jury duty, so I may not be blogging here very regularly. If you have any favorite wineries or restaurants in Napa, feel free to post them in the comments!

In case you missed it last week, my review of Absinthe is up on SF Station. It's a festive restaurant and the food is really high quality and made with care. It's a nice place to go to catch up with friends or for celebrations.

My newsletter will be out, hopefully today. It's a recap of various posts and some links to sites I've discovered. Sign up if you'd like a copy sent to you.

You'll still find my posts on Wednesday at Bay Area Bites and most days at Glam Dish.

Kamis, 03 April 2008

Bay Area Breakfast Pizza

Leftover pizza is what I think of as a default breakfast, the kind of thing you eat when that's what's in the fridge. Freshly made breakfast pizza, on the other hand, is nothing short of divine.

Two breakfast pizzas I tried recently were that wonderful combination of both crunchy and chewy, perfect for nibbling on, while chatting away. I guess that means they might be better for weekend brunch than a weekday breakfast-on-the run. I haven't come up with my own version yet, but I thought I'd share the ones I've tried, in the meantime. I'm happy to say I found good ones on both sides of the bay.

The first breakfast pizza I had was at Bar Johnny. Bar Johnny is a bit of a dream come true for me. It's right around the corner from my house, serves a variety of delicious and reasonably priced small plates at brunch on the weekend, and for dinner. Still hungry after a night at the ballet? The snackable menu is available until 1 in the morning. Oh Bar Johnny, I think I love you!
Bar Johnny Pizza
The pizza at Bar Johnny is topped with smoked salmon, red onion, dill and creme fraiche. The toppings are cold, so they don't get "cooked" but the crust is hot. It's the perfect portion for one person. It's a bit like a bagel, cream cheese and lox, but easier to eat and linger over.

On a good day, Oliveto Cafe is a sunny little breakfast nook, I want to return to time and time again. It's warm, casual and comfortable. You order at the bar, find a seat, and the food comes to you, eventually. When a colleague suggested sharing the breakfast pizza I figured, why not? It turns out it's so big we actually had trouble finishing it. You can get it with various toppings but pancetta and a couple of fried eggs are de rigueur as far as I'm concerned.
Oliveto Pizza
The Oliveto pizza has a thinner crust than the one at Bar Johnny, but it's equally satisfying. When the egg yolks break and ooze over the tomatoey crust, life is good...

Bar Johnny CLOSED
2209 Polk St @ Vallejo
San Francisco

Oliveto Cafe
5655 College Ave @ Keith
Oakland

For more Bay Area pizza reviews, though not necessarily breakfast pizza's, check out the pizza category on Michael Bauer's blog at SFGate.

Rabu, 02 April 2008

Interview with Scott Gold & Shameless Carnivore Giveaway

The Shameless Carnivore


According to Scott Gold, author of The Shameless Carnivore, "lately eating meat has become somewhat déclassé" and yet I can't help but notice, it's the topic of discussion, everywhere I turn. Whether it's the hotly anticipated issue of Meatpaper, dining nose to tail, or the latest e.coli scare it seems we are obsessed with meat. This week is even "Meat Week" over at Chow.

Gold is just the most recent to look more closely at our relationship to eating meat but his look is an intelligent and sometimes very funny one. As an avid meat eater, I was especially curious to hear his take on women and all things meaty. Thanks to Scott for taking the time to talk to me about eating meat and how women fit in, among other things.

1) Is eating meat macho?

In general, I don't see carnivorism as particularly macho...then again, I think it all depends on what meat one is eating. Chicken salad on wheat toast? Perhaps a little on the "yin" side. On the other hand, eating a rattlesnake, alligator or wild boar that you stalked and dispatched yourself -- any animal that would very readily kill you if it had the opportunity -- that's about as hardcore "yang" as dining gets.

If there's a stereotype of carnivorism being a macho behavior, it exists for a reason: when you look into the hunting and meat-sharing behavior of chimps (our closest evolutionary relatives), you'll find that only the biggest, baddest males get to have more than just a scrap of meat in their diet on a regular basis. And that meat becomes a commodity that they'll fight over, trade with comerades, snub rivals, and offer to females they're looking to mate with. For them, meat is the ultimate currency, and the strong males control it.

But for me, being a human, enjoying a steak or a turkey sandwich or beautiful osso bucco doesn't seem macho at all - just appreciation of fine ingredients, which any discerning eater, male of female, macho or wimpy, participates in.


2) What do you think of women who are "shameless carnivores?"

I want to marry them. Again, I don't feel that relishing good meat is an overly manly thing, and I feel sorry for any woman who chooses the salad over the steak she's lusting after because she fears in might seem unfeminine. Bullocks to that! In fact, the NY Times recently noted a growing trend of women ordering meat on dates because men are attracted to that shared experience.

I'm drawn to people with adventurous appetites, and who are passionate about good food. And, yes, much good food has meat in it (or is meat). There's something decidedly fuddy-duddy and killjoy (not to mention unsexy) about picky eaters. Women who are bold, shameless carnivores, who revel in great food with unabashed gusto, have a very special place in my heart.


3) Now that you have revealed your love for meat, do you expect others will follow your lead?

More than anything, I'd hope that people who already enjoy meat will consider it with a little more perspicacity - to not only look into where their meat comes from (happy, healthy animals make the best meat, of course) and choose it wisely, but also to explore meats that they might not normally come by. Instead of grilling a beef steak, why not give buffalo or kangaroo a try? Substitute rabbit for chicken, see how the recipe can change in a lovely, gratifying way. The way I see it, if you've made the decision to eat meat, eat meat! Eat good meat, and don't be afraid to explore new territories.


4) Authors like Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan have made us look more closely at where meat comes from as well as how environmentally sustainable it is. Mark Bittman in his most recent book said "our current rate of meat and fish consumption simply cannot be justified." Do you agree?

Absolutely. There's no doubt that our current meat-consumption practices are on an unsustainable trajectory. Because meat is less expensive and more prevalent than at any time in American history, we wind up eating way too much of it, and that's neither good for us nor the animals, not to mention the environment. Still, that doesn't mean we should all become vegetarians. There are plenty of ways to enjoy meat and reduce your negative impact on Mama Earth. Mostly, that involves trying to eat local, humanely raised (and, if it's beef, grass-fed), conscientiously grown meat. And yes, eating less of it. But you know what? I've found that if you eat meat at fewer meals, when you do have a meaty meal it's of superior quality, you'll appreciate it so much more. And you can sleep soundly knowing that you're killing the environment a little less...depending on the state of your gasoline consumption, of course.

For a chance to win a copy of Scott Gold's new book, The Shameless Carnivore, head to GlamDish now!