Alice Q. Foodie

Chicago Part III - From Dolls to Dawgs

2009-06-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Goodness. It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry, that wasn't my intention, but being under the weather and extremely busy with work for the last few weeks hasn't left me a lot of time to write. It's actually kind of a shame, because I have some things I've been wanting to tell you. First though, let's wrap up Chicago, shall we?

Our last day in the Windy City was spent walking up the stretch of Michigan Avenue known as the "Magnificent Mile" and back down to the Chicago Art Institute. The "Mag Mile" is reknowned for its shopping, though these days, somewhat depressingly, it's just full of the same mall stores you see everywhere else. The tulips were its saving grace.

Gorgeous, endless beds of them were planted on the City's major thoroughfares throughout the months of April and May as a sort of public art exhibition. They lined the full length of the Magnificent Mile and the riverfront along Wacker Drive, and huge beds of them filled Millenium Park. Each bed was carefully designed and color coordinated like an enormous flower arrangement. It was truly something to behold.

We didn't do a lot of actual shopping on the Magnificent Mile, but my mother could not resist the American Girl Place doll store.

I'm not much of a doll person myself, but even I fell for some of the more elaborately costumed ones and their furnishings, like the Swedish table and chairs set below. I was gaga over the "Josefina" doll's jade green bed with woven Mexican blanket and sheepskin rug - and the seventies "Julie" doll with her roller skates and lunch box with miniature Hostess cupcake was calling my name so loudly I almost bought the lunch box by itself.

Upstairs they have the "regular" dolls - which come in different colors, hairstyles and features to offer the owners their best chance at finding a match for themselves. These come with pink hoodie sweatshirts and other less elaborate but still adorable "modern" outfits. Also on this floor was the tearoom - which had a surprisingly elegant menu, and plenty of tables available even though it was Mother's Day.

We also saw the doll "Hair Salon," where you can get your doll an updo or ponytail for around $10.00 - and the Doll Hospital, where a box of tissues sat on the counter next to the debit card terminal.

Moving on down Michigan Avenue, we decided to stroll into the Drake Hotel, one of Chicago's oldest and grandest, to see what was going on. Mothers' Day brunch was being served in the ballroom and tea was being offered in the lobby, complete with costumed Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. I love old classic hotels, and the Drake just has that feel of one of those hotels that has always been and still is in the middle of the action - like the Plaza in New York or the St. Francis in San Francisco.

On the way back down Michigan Ave. I snapped this photo of a classic "gangster moll" gown in the window of a nearby shop. It truly looked like it belonged in Chicago and nowhere else.

We made our way back down Michigan Avenue to Millenium Park and and the Chicago Art Institute. Sadly we were a week too early for the opening of the new Renzo Piano designed Modern wing - and by extension the new fancy restaurant. We ate a surprisingly forgettable lunch in their basement cafeteria. Normally I love museum cafes, but this one was the pits - as my mom likes to say.

After lunch we toured the galleries and saw some of the most famous artworks of our time. Did you know that American Gothic is supposed to depict a farmer and his daughter? All this time I thought they were a couple. Oops.

Nighthawks by Edward Hopper was one of the works I most looked forward to seeing. It's so evocative and has wonderful color and dimension.

This is probably the crown jewel in the museum's collection - Georges Seurat's Sunday Afernoon on La Grande Jatte. It even inspired the Sondheim musical "Sunday in the Park with George." It's lovely in person - I especially like that the woman on the far right has a monkey on a leash. We also saw several original Toulouse Lautrec posters and works. I got a little overdose of those in the 90's, but they're still spectacular in their full size original versions.

I especially enjoyed the stunning design and decorative arts collections. The skyscraper art deco bookshelf in the background and modern furnishings are still cool...

and I just loved this Viennese coffee service.

After soaking up as much culture as we could stand, we walked back down Michigan Ave to our hotel on the riverfront. Chicago is chock full of these amazing art deco office buildings that once housed the offices of companies (even whole industries) that no longer exist. For example the Carbide and Carbon building which has been converted into the Hard Rock Hotel. Thankfully all of the stunning art deco details of these buildings have been preserved - just look at those light fixtures, would you?

Dinner that night was at Cafe Spiaggia - the slightly less expensive and more casual wing of the Obama's favorite Chicago restaurant, Spiaggia. It's a little hard to find, up a couple of floors in a rather nondescript office building on the North end of Michigan Avenue. The cafe is a warren of hallways and narrow spaces. Ask for one of the tables in the window bays - they're much more comfortable. (The photo above is of our 1st table - sandwiched between the bar and a party of six - which we left when one of the window seats came available.)

The service wasn't the snappiest, and the atmosphere was a little loud and cramped, but the food we ate at Cafe Spiaggia was some of the best of the trip. This chicken under a brick (which I believe they also serve in the main restaurant) was as crispy as duck confit and served with a nicely balanced vinegar-spiked demi glace over spaetzle - slyly adding some distinctive German flavors to an Italian dish. I think that might even be rosemary on top - normally it's my kryptonite, but this dish was so good I didn't even notice.

Our second dish was a carbonara-like pasta, topped with a softly poached egg and tossed with asparagus and crisp prosciutto. The housemade pasta was al dente yet tender and though it had cooled a tad too much by the time I got a bite (already holding its curled shapes) the flavors were nicely balanced and the egg was perfectly cooked.

One of my biggest regrets as we got ready to leave the next day was that I didn't make it to Hot Doug's - the hog dog stand out in the suburbs that specializes in duck fat fries. That will have to wait for another trip (and there will be another trip) but I did manage to squeeze in a pretty respectable Chicago dog at Gold Coast Dogs at Midway Airport. (By the way - can I get a hell yeah for Sluggos - the Chicago dog place that used to be in La Jolla and UTC back in the 80's? I miss them like crazy.) I had a Polish dog with everything, and I have to say, it was a lot better than the one I had from Superdawg on the other end of the airport on a previous visit. Nice snap, good charred flavor, plenty of condiments - very satisfying.

After we finished our dogs, at my mom's urging, we got in line for popcorn at Nuts on Clark, just around the corner. I was skeptical - after all, packaged cheese and caramel corn is usually pretty stale - but the line doesn't lie. If you're flying through Midway - after your Gold Coast dog - do yourself a favor. Ignore the chocolate and nuts and get yourself a bag of mixed cheese and caramel popcorn for the plane - maybe a few gift bags too. You'll pay a little more for it than you really think you should, but I'm willing to bet you'll be darned glad you did when that drink cart comes rolling down the aisle.

Cafe Spiaggia
980 N. Michigan Avenue
(312) 280-2750
dinner only - recommend the Chicken Under a Brick

Gold Coast Dogs
Loop Location (check their website for others)
159 N Wabash Ave
(312) 917-1677

Nuts on Clark
Original location:
3830 N. Clark Street
(773)549-6622
also at Midway Airport, Union Station and Water Tower Place.

Chicago Part II - Magnificent Architecture and Some Pretty Good Food

2009-06-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

If you're going to travel with my mom, you need to be prepared. I'm talking like a Boy Scout. This lady does not mess around when it comes to, well, pretty much anything, and sightseeing is no exception. After dinner at the Publican it was still light out (being father North up there) and daylight was a wastin' - so we set out on a post-prandial constitutional down Wacker drive, up to Michigan Avenue, and almost halfway down the Magnificent Mile before turning back. The historic buildings you see there in the picture are the Chicago Tribune building (on the right) and the Wrigley Building. The massive cathedral-like Tribune building is really a sight to behold, particularly with all of the artifacts from famous monuments embedded in its walls - including the Great Wall, the Pyramids of Giza, and John Brown's Fort at Harpers' Ferry (no, really.) It made me very sad about the current state of newspapers - it so clearly comes from a time when no one could imagine their demise.

The next morning, we rose bright and early for a Chicago Architecture Foundation bus tour. Breakfast was at Yolk, a cheery cafe on Michigan Avenue a few blocks South of the Foundation's building. The food was excellent - and fast, which was a good thing given that we were due on the bus at 9:30.

Chicago's architecture is amazing and varied. Here you see the Sears Tower - the tallest building in North America - peeking up from between two older buildings. Did you know the skyscraper was invented in Chicago?

This tapestry depicts a portion of the 1909 Plan of Chicago by Daniel Burnham. (Read more about it here.) The plan was conceived as a sort of "Paris on the Prairie" and though it wasn't all implemented, it greatly influenced the design of the city.

This is the new Renzo Piano designed Modern wing of the Chicago Art Institute. Unfortunately for us, it opened the weekend after we were there. We did go to the "regular" part of the museum, and it was quite spectacular. I didn't realize at the time that it is second in size only to the Met.

One of the highlights of the tour was a stop at the Robie House, one of Frank Lloyd Wrights' residential commissions, on the grounds of the University of Chicago. No photos were allowed inside, but it features some really great architectural details - such as a wall of leaded glass doors that open onto a patio, and a huge sunken fireplace in the middle of the living room. The lower floor (below ground level) has a gentleman's bar and a playroom, the middle floor (you can kind of see the row of doors above) was the living and dining room, and the top floor, with three sides of windows - is the master suite. All are linked by a central staircase. Quite an ingenious floor plan, actually.

Another highlight was Crown Hall, on the campus of the Architecture School at the Chicago Institute of Technology. This building is remarkable for the fact that it is supported entirely by the trusses you see on the outside - there are no supporting pillars in the interior. Considering it was built in the early 50s, it's quite a marvel. It's absolutely huge inside, about 52,000 square feet - all completely empty, (Van der Rohe called this "Universal Space.") It's now used as studio space for architecture students. Architecture students are messy!

This shot is of the new student union at the Illinois Institute of Technology - just down the street from Crown Hall. Designed by Rem Koolhaas, the building features a tunnel running through it - above, for the Elevated Train. It kind of feels like the People Mover at Disneyland.

These are just some of the highlights - the tour also included the Rookery and other older buildings, and very interesting information about Chicago's past. After we got off the bus, we walked over to Millennium Park, right across the street, to look at the public art installations. The screens on this fountain display the animated faces of actual Chicago citizens (there are towers on each side.)

This very popular sculpture is known as "The Bean" - for pretty obvious reasons.

It creates a cool reflective effect - especially when you're underneath it. You can see a wedding party taking pictures there just at the bottom of the picture below, along with lots of reflections of me (the dark figure holding a camera up behind the couple.)

Just just past that is the Frank Gehry designed Band Shell - where Obama addressed the multitudes on election night. It looks very similar to the Disney Concert Hall in LA.

We kept walking, all the way to Fox and Obel, a Whole Foods-like gourmet grocery not too far from the Lakeshore. The sandwich we had there was pretty good, but the chocolate chip cookies were To Die For. They had that great chewiness I can never seem to achieve at home for some reason. From there we cabbed over to the Second City Theater for a 4 PM matinee performance of their touring show, which was hee-larious. Highly recommend that if you're in town.

After that, even my mom was tuckered out - so we had a beer and some bar snacks in the lobby of the hotel, then went up to the room and ate leftover chicken from the Publican while we watched the White House Correspondent's Dinner on TV. After all - we had to save up some energy for the next day!

to be continued...

Yolk
1120 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 789-9655

The Chicago Architecture Foundation
224 S Michigan Ave.
(312) 922-3432
we did the "Highlights by Bus" tour with the Robie House, which was great. Tickets and information about other tours are available on their website. Tickets for the tours are about $40.

Fox and Obel
401 E Illinois St # 1
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 410-7301

The Second City
1616 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 337-3992

My Favorite Chicken Soup

2009-05-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I really believed I could go away three weekends out of four this month and NOT pay some kind of karmic price, but if I wondered I now have my answer. It started on our Vegas trip, where I sat through an entire dinner at Mario Batali's B&B restaurant without being able to utter a word after losing my voice completely, and continues to this day, exactly one week later.

This cold (and that is what it is - no fever & no body aches) is kicking my arse up one side and down the other. Not surprisingly, I haven't had much appetite this week. All I've felt like eating is chicken soup or tea and cookies, with an occasional glass of carrot orange juice (my new favorite thing) thrown in. I hit on a formula for the soup earlier this week that I really like. It's nothing unusual, just a nice flavorful broth with some shredded chicken and noodles. I didn't add vegetables back to the pot, but you could do that if you like. The extra broth will also give you a head start on a few other meals, which can be helpful when you really don't feel like cooking.

I'll be back this week with more from Chicago and our dinner at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Vegas, which thankfully I visited before falling ill. Until then, if you need comforting like I do - whip up a batch of this and sit on the sofa in front of a movie sipping the broth from the bowl. Trust me. It works!

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole organic chicken - around 5 pounds
1 quart box organic free range chicken stock (yes, I know it's cheating - but it saves at least an hour of simmering time)
water
3 celery stalks roughly chopped
2 medium carrots roughly chopped
1 medium/small onion - quartered and each quarter cut into 2-3 pieces
1 teaspoon whole pepper corns
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 package of egg noodles such as pappardelle

for the broth:
Remove the breast meat from the chicken by inserting a thin knife on either side of the breastbone (top middle) and slicing gently down, pulling the meat away from the bone. Remove the skin from the breast meat and discard. Trim excess fat off the rest of the carcass and place in the bottom of an 8 quart stockpot. Add the stock and enough water to almost cover the chicken (it's ok if the breastbone sticks out a bit) Add the vegetables and bring to a boil. Skim the scum off the surface and add the peppercorns and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour and a half. Start tasting the broth after an hour and add more salt to taste if needed. Taste every fifteen minutes or so - you'll know it's done when it's rich and flavorful. If it tastes fatty, keep simmering. Remove the chicken carcass from the pot with tongs and strain the broth into a bowl. Return some of the strained broth to a 2-3 qt. saucepan (about one cup for every serving of soup you are planning to make.)

poach the chicken breasts:
While the broth simmers, fill a 2 quart saute pan 3/4 full with water and add half a tablespoon of salt. When the water boils, slide the two chicken breasts in and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes. The meat will tighten and the breasts will shrink a bit when done. Check for doneness by cutting into one of the breasts - it should be opaque but still juicy. Remove the meat from the water and set it aside to cool - when it is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite size pieces with your fingers.

to make the soup:
Bring the broth in the saucepan to a boil and add the pappardelle or egg noodles, breaking into bite sized pieces. Simmer the noodles in the broth until completely soft (no al dente here.) Add the shredded chicken toward the end of the cooking to heat through. (This can also be done with the broth from the fridge - just heat, add the noodles and chicken)

Ladle the soup into bowls and inhale the steam and sip a little of the broth directly from the bowl - you'll feel better instantly.

For an easy slightly fancier dinner (that I fed James earlier this week) poach some ravioli in the broth, adding some julienned kale, chard and/or scallions and a shower of grated parmesan cheese. The broth could also be used as a base for chicken and dumplings, or any number of simple soups - like this one or this one.

Sorry for the world's most boring food photo. It's not the most photogenic stuff in the world. Just be grateful that I didn't show you the one of the lentil and brown rice curry I made a few weeks ago. :-)

Chicago Part I - The Publican

2009-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

When my mom suggested a mother/daughter trip to Chicago this Spring, I immediately started thinking about where we would eat. (I know, big surprise!) I tried to find places that would be interesting and unique, but not too out there or expensive. Mom had mentioned she'd like to try Cafe Spaggia, a less expensive annex of the Obama's favorite restaurant in Chicago, so I made a reservation there for Sunday (which also happened to be Mothers' Day.) One night down, two more to go. Since we were going to a late afternoon Second City show - I decided to make one more reservation and leave one evening open for something casual - maybe pizza, or one of Chicago's other signature delights, like Hot Italian Beef sandwiches or Chicago Dogs. I thought about Avec or Blackbird, but Avec doesn't take reservations, and I was concerned about the wait on a Friday night. I made a reservation at Blackbird initially, figuring if we could get into Avec we'd cancel it - but then I heard about The Publican, the slightly more casual and even less expensive little sister to both restaurants - which conveniently also takes reservations.

The Publican bills itself a modern Belgian beer hall, and true to form, it features an extensive and interesting beer selection and a menu of large and small dishes intended for sharing. The dining room is large and airy with ball shaped light fixtures over the bar area, and wood and glass doors that fold open onto the sidewalk - a nice effect in the early evening with warm air and sunlight streaming in. The walls sport large, stylized depictions of the chef's favorite muse - the pig.

The menu is varied and enticing, with a selection of simple but interesting dishes: fresh oysters, a selection of shaved hams, large plump mussels served in a big copper pot (a serving large enough for two), housemade rillettes, a housemade charcuterie platter, housemade pickles, a roasted "farm chicken" with summer sausage and a flank steak sliced and piled high with green garlic, pecans and feta cheese. James' grandmother always believed everything was better with an egg on top and I'm sure she would have loved it here. They offer frites with an organic egg, and the best dish we ordered - a ragout of spring vegetables including chard, fresh peas and asparagus - was also topped with one and showered with grated cheese.

We always share food in my family, and none of us are big eaters, so we basically ordered a meal to share - a side of the housemade pickles, the rillettes, the farm chicken with summer sausage and frites, and a side of collard greens. The pickles came first and paired nicely with the fresh levain bread and butter on the table.

When the rillettes arrived, my mom was a little put off by the congealed fat the chunks of meat were preserved in. Think duck confit before it's pulled out of the fat and cooked, or carnitas before they're fried. Spread thinly on buttered toast with the rhubarb and currant jam it was savory and unctuous - a perfect snack with my crisp Belgian lager. Still, I could only eat so much (the serving is at least enough for four people) and when the server returned, he asked if we had liked it. Mom spoke up, "It's all fat!" (Of course, so is butter, but you usually don't get a whole bowl of it to eat with a spoon!) He giggled a bit and said "Well I guess that's what I like about it!"

Since that hadn't gone over so well, I saw an opportunity to add another dish to our menu - a ragout of spring vegetables topped with a farm egg and shaved pecorino romano cheese. This turned out to be the belle of the ball - a pitch perfect saute of green spring peas, asparagus and chard, sauced with butter and topped with a runny egg. It arrived with the farm chicken with sausage and frites, and the side of collard greens with grit fritters. Mom also didn't like the collard greens, because they weren't cooked down to melting (it's a southern thing) but I loved them. They were limp but still firm, flavored with bacon and a bit of vinegar, and topped with the little puffed fried pillows of grits - a whimsical touch that added a nice bit of crunch.

The chicken I found a little ordinary. I missed the "summer sausage" designation on the menu, and was surprised to find three slices of sausage that tasted just like Hickory Farms' on the plate. The fries were fine, as was the chicken, but the dish just wasn't all that special. It was also very salty. We were envious of our neighbors, who had ordered the mussels, followed by the flank steak. They were gracious enough to let me snap a photo, and even offered bites - which we declined (though I was tempted.)

The dessert menu offered three choices, an almond financier, a crisp waffle with lemon confit, and chocolate pot de creme topped with sugared walnuts. I liked the choices and I was intrigued by the waffle, but we decided we were were just too stuffed. Before we could tell the server this though, he arrived bearing the chocolate pot de creme - on the house, because my mother hadn't liked the rillettes. (He also took it off the bill.) It was a sweet gesture, no pun intended, and the pot de creme was very good. The coffee I ordered to go with it was excellent as well.

With the reasonable pricing, the originality of the menu and the comfortable but lively atmosphere, I think the Publican is delivering what many people are looking for in a dining experience these days. It has an intelligent sensibility without being intimidating, and will deliver an original and interesting meal (if you order properly) without breaking the bank. It's a place you could go on a date or with some friends, and even singles belly up in the bar area for a beer and some chicharrones. If I were looking for a place to go with a crowd or just a good weeknight bite, this place would be at the top of my list. If I lived here, I'm pretty sure I'd be a regular.

The Publican
845 W Fulton Market
Chicago, Illinois
(about ten minutes from downtown - just outside the Loop)
(312) 733-9555
reservations available on Open Table

Frank Bruni had the audacity to jump the gun on me and post his review of the Publican yesterday - you can read it here, and don't miss the slideshow!

Pizza, Pizza!

2009-05-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ever heard that old saying - that bad sex is like bad pizza? Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good? Yeah, I don't actually believe that, and - if I may be so bold - neither should you.

Good pizza really is worth the trouble it takes to find, and bad pizza - well, it just isn't worth the time it takes to eat it. Growing up, I didn't actually like pizza much (which may explain in part why I'm kinda picky about it) but I did like the crust - I even remember telling a few bemused adults that it was my favorite food. Not surprisingly, it's still my favorite part of the pizza. I like it crisp on the edges, with a bit of chew. The edges should be browned but not blackened, with a nice sheen and plenty of air pockets when I pull it apart. The toppings should be light but with plenty of flavor. Not sweet - I like my pizza savory. I'm also partial to a red sauce and am usually most satisfied with pizzas that include it (though I do make a good Alsatian one with a creme fraiche base.) I also think the cheese should be melted but not completely liquid when the pizza hits the table.

In the Bay Area I've found pizza that more or less meets these requirements in a few places - but Oliveto Cafe in Oakland stands out among them. I have only had the pizza once, so I'm not sure I could guarantee a repeat performance, but the one I had there with pancetta and Italian frying peppers was about the best I've ever tasted. (I have been a big fan of Oliveto Cafe going back to the days when I lived up there in the late 90s - and still am, though it's changed significantly since then.) Pizzeria Delfina is also pretty good, though I actually like their other items a lot better than the pizza. Their charcuterie, fresh housemade cheeses (ricotta and mozzarella) and the seasonal vegetable dishes kick their pizza's ass, in my opinion. Delfina's pizza is cooked in a gas oven, whereas Oliveto's oven is wood burning, which may account for some of the difference.

Pizzetta 211 might be in the running as well, but we were treated so crappily there the one time we tried to go, that we ended up leaving before we ever tasted the pizza. Still, it's one of those places, tiny and with an attitude, that might have food worth putting up with a little nonsense for. I'm not absolutely sure, but I think it's woodfired as well.

In San Diego - a few New York and Chicago-style joints have distinguished themselves - Bronx, A Sicilian Thing, Luigi's, and Lefty's among them - but in terms of wood-fired Cal-Ital style we've been a little lacking - except for Sammy's, which has it's merits, but isn't quite what I'm talking about. Thankfully, the addition of Blind Lady Alehouse to the local dining scene and the new mobile wood-burning pizza vendor at the Little Italy Mercato go a long way toward solving this problem.

Blind Lady has a unique ordering system that requires you to walk up to a counter and place your beverage and food orders separately. It's best to order your food and get a number, then step to your left and pore over the extensive beer menu. (If it's a Wednesday or Saturday, you can ask Andy - the tall guy in the cool glasses - to help you make your choice.) There are a lot of unusual brews, Belgian, local and otherwise - which should come as no surprise given that Lee Chase, a former Head Brewer at Stone Brewing Company, is one of the owners.

The pizzas are thin crusted and large enough for two to share, and are divided into two categories on the menu - the more or less "every day" varieties, and some more elaborate specialty pizzas. On two visits I've had the Salciccia pizza (one of the standards) and loved it - and the two specialty pizzas I've tried - the Asparagus and Speck with Spring Onion and Lemon Zest and the "Bacon and Egg" pizza have both been delicious - the Asparagus and Speck probably being my favorite.

Their salads are a bit more of a mixed bag. On my first visit the produce on the avocado and citrus plate was perfect, but the chile vinaigrette was a little too bitter and oily. On another occasion, the caesar salad was over-dressed, and the anchovy flavor was overwhelming. The spinach salad with dates however was a winner - a perfect savory/sweet combination I could eat all day long. Oddly enough, the "Blind Lady" moniker comes not from the notion of a woman who cannot see - but from the fact that the site used to house a shop selling window blinds. Aaron LaMonica - a former sous chef at Region is also in the kitchen here.

At the Little Italy Mercato on Saturday mornings (on Date Street in Little Italy) Principi's turns out wood fired pizzas, breakfast sandwiches and flatbreads from their mobile woodburning pizza oven.

The breakfast sandwiches include farm fresh eggs and Siesel's bacon or homemade sausage, and the pizzas available on the day I visited included sausage with spring onion, and artichoke with sage and green garlic - as well as margherita. The fava been puree flatbread also looked wonderful, with a rich, vibrantly green topping.

I made a special request for a child sized sausage pizza and they kindly obliged. It was crisp and chewy and the housemade sausage was flavorful - a nice tide you over bite or lunch while walking around the market. I'd like to try their breakfast sandwiches too - I would bet they are better than the ones from the panini guys down the row.

There were, and presumably still are, rumors that Cafe Calabria in North Park was going to start serving wood-fired pizza, but I think they've been delayed by logistical problems related to their chimney and the multi-story condo building next door. Barry also makes pizzas in his (new) woodburning oven at La Milpa Farm in Escondido on the third Saturday of every month at 4 PM using his own sourdough crust and vegetables from the farm. Just be sure to bring something for the potluck. (A salad or dessert is always a good choice - and while you're there, don't miss the duck who thinks she's a goat!) His farm is also going to be the venue for an upcoming Cooks Confab dinner, so be sure to check their site for more details on that coming soon!

Blind Lady Alehouse
3416 Adams Ave
San Diego
619-255-2491
open for lunch Sat and Sun - dinner six nights a week - closed Mon.
menu

recommendations: I really like the Asparagus and Speck, Salciccia, and Bacon and Egg Pizza, and the Spinach, and Arugula salad with local dates, pickled onions and Pecorino Romano cheese. I also want to try some of their starters and the specialty desserts (which are available sporadically.) They also serve ice cream from Mariposa - which is just a block away, but often closed on weeknights.

What are your favorite places for pizza, here in San Diego or otherwise?

More Pizza Posts:
John's in New York
Oliveto Cafe
Pizzeria Mozza
Pizzeria Delfina

Nate and Sarah's Kitchen

2009-05-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Don't you just want a bite of that cupcake? This kitchen belongs to the friends whose 40th Birthday we were in San Francisco to celebrate this weekend. Nate did the painting himself, as well as a couple of other great pieces that hang in their house. (I've tried to commission one, but so far no dice.) I also love the espresso machine - and the cups sitting next to the stove, which are porcelain but made to look like crumpled paper. Nate and Sarah have great style, no doubt about it.

San Francisco Treat - Dynamo Donuts

2009-05-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend's trip to San Francisco was filled with return visits to favorite places, like Pizzeria Delfina (now within walking distance of Tommy's house!), Hog Island Oysters (swoon!), Boulette's Larder, Michael Recchiuti, Boulevard, and, of course, Acme Bakery - for the giant bag of bread I mule down here at the end of every visit to make the magic last just a little longer. I always like to try at least one something new though, and this time I set my sights on Dynamo Donuts. I've been hearing about fancy donuts for a while now, and though I've had some good ones in restaurants recently (Norma's at the Parker Palm Springs comes to mind) I haven't had a chance to try these new exotic flavors. There is a place in NYC that does them called Doughnut Plant, and I am sure there are more. (There HAS to be one in LA - if not, somebody needs to get on that quick.)

Dynamo Donut and Coffee, on 24th in the heart of the Mission serves donuts in phenomenal flavors like Maple Apple Bacon, Saffron Chocolate, and Banana Dulce de Leche (stuffed with both.) Their flavors change frequently, and there's no real website to speak of, but Fridays and Sundays are ALWAYS Maple Apple Bacon donut day, so if you're looking for those (and you should be) those are the best days to go.

This past Sunday they had eight flavors: the aforementioned three, plus Rose Chocolate, Spiced Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Ginger Orange Twist, and Rosemary Chocolate Almond. I selected six to try - all but the Rose Chocolate and Rosemary flavors.

Since Dynamo is a walk up stand we ducked into Taqueria San Francisco, just down the street on the corner opposite the St. Francis and ordered up a couple of Mission burritos and quesadillas to share along with our donuts and coffee. It was quite a feast, I must say.

Of the donuts, the raised glazed were by far my favorite - especially the Maple Apple Bacon. Speckled with pieces of good fresh bacon and covered with a not too sweet glaze, it's sweet with a savory-salty kick - my very favorite kind of breakfast. The Vanilla Bean is the closest thing you'll find to a standard glazed donut, but much, much better, and the most appealing looking one did not disappoint either - well-browned, sugar-coated and stuffed with sliced bananas and dulce de leche. The Saffron Chocolate surprised me a bit with it's lovely balance of flavors, and the Orange Ginger was perfectly acceptable as well. The only one I didn't finish was the Spiced Chocolate, which was curiously bland. Maybe it was an off day for that batch.

Regardless, I would rate this place as well worth the trip from just about anywhere that doesn't require getting on a plane, and maybe even then if you really like donuts!

Read what David Lebovitz, Shuna, and the lovely Joy had to say about them.

Dynamo Donuts
2760 24th Street
San Francisco
415.920-1978

apparently there are plans afoot for a lovely inside area, with copper fixtures and a patio, so stay tuned for that!

Shopping at Specialty Produce

2009-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

I first heard about Specialty Produce several years ago from Chef Hanis Cavin, when I took a cooking class from him at the Prado in Balboa Park. As we scooped up bites of seared scallops topped with a freshly made blood-orange hollandaise (it was a sauce-making class) someone asked about the itty bitty sprout-like microgreens on top. Hanis told us they came from this great warehouse-style store that specialized in restaurant supply, but was also open to the public - Specialty Produce. After that, it seemed like I started hearing about them everywhere, and whenever I would say I hadn't been, the response was some incredulous exclamation: "Oh, you HAVE to go!" It's not exactly the kind of place where you just do your regular grocery shopping though, so it took me a while to find the right opportunity.

It finally came last summer, when I decided to make a mess of pickles for our annual September barbecue. I found great baby carrots, cauliflower and even grapes for pickling, and bought vinegars by the gallon jug. I also bought potatoes for my favorite potato salad, and lots of edible flowers (including lavender) for the cheese tray and decorations. (The lavender looked especially nice floating in the jar of fresh lemonade - perhaps accounting for the fact that it had disappeared after the first half hour of the party!)

When I was there, I noticed the pallets of produce and other items heading out to some of the better local restaurants. J Six, AR Valentien, etc. It seems they ALL get their stuff there. You don't have to be a restauranteur to shop there though, and they're trying to get the word out on that fact. They stock bulk quantities of dry goods, higher end pantry items (like the aforementioned vinegars) and dairy items as well as produce. (Their refrigerated warehouse is huge, and COLD, so bring a sweater or a jacket if you're planning to spend any time browsing in there!)

Lately I've struck up a friendship with the lovely Kelly Orange, who I "met" on Twitter, and who invited me to come down and take these photos and do some shopping. I waited until I had another party opportunity coming up - it was a double whammy actually - dinner with friends, followed the very next day by a barbecue, where we served that chocolate cake, along with grilled sausages from Sausage King, potato salad, heirloom tomato bruschetta with with burrata cheese, the rest of the pea and fava dip, some steamed artichokes, and Labne topped with zattar spice and pita bread. It was quite a spread - we got some good use out of the items overflowing out of the box in that picture above, let me tell you. I had heirloom tomatoes, peas, favas, blood oranges, micro chives for the potato salad, spring onions, baby creamer potatoes, blackberries, champagne vinegar, even McCann's Irish Oatmeal. They've got it all, baby.

Shopping there is a little bit intimidating at first, or at least it was for me. If it's your first visit, you might want to call and let them know you're coming - they will be happy to show you around. You park on Hancock street, but enter on the North side of the building, up the stairs on the far side of the loading dock. Once inside, you sign in at the desk, get a card to wear around your neck, and you're free to shop. It's definitely a wholesale operation first and foremost though, so watch out for forklifts and pallets stacked all over the place piled high with boxes. You'll need some plastic bags, which you can find by the scales next to the entrance to the refrigerator room (or you could bring your own.) There are no carts, so you just pile up your stuff and they'll get you a box when you're done. You can pull up to the loading dock to get your stuff, or carry it out if you don't have that much. Be warned though - like Costco, it's one of those places that's hard to walk out of without a heavy load. Unlike Costco though, you won't have buyers remorse when you get home and survey your goods - you'll be too busy cracking your cookbooks and calling your friends to invite them over for a fabulous homecooked meal!

Specialty Produce
1929 Hancock Street, Suite 150
San Diego, 92138
(619) 295-3172

Check out their website for a complete list of their in-stock items, updates on their selections from the farmers markets (including the Santa Monica market) and new seasonal specialty items - as well as information on the restaurants they serve.

The Julie & Julia Trailer is Out!

2009-04-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

The trailer for the new Julia & Julie movie is out (the movie itself comes out August 7), and I have to say - it looks a lot cuter than I thought it would. Directed by Nora Ephron, it's a double adaptation of both My Life in France, by Julia Child, and the Julie Julia Project by Julie Powell. I never read the blog, and I had a hard time getting into Powell's book, but I loved My Life in France and I'm a big Julia Child fan, so I will probably see it for that reason alone. Plus, I think it's hard for Meryl Streep to make a bad movie, and I can't get over how much Amy Adams looks like my friend Becky Wheeler here! While I was watching the trailer I kept thinking "You go Becky - Look at you in a big fancy movie with Meryl Streep!"

Enjoy!

here's a better quality version - just do yourself a favor and let it load fully before viewing.

Spring Dinner Party 3.28.09

2009-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling like time is slipping through my fingers, which explains why it took me so long to post about this dinner party we had in the backyard last month. Or at least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I love cooking in the Spring and Summer, because so very little actual cooking is required. Meal assembly is more like it - chopping, slicing, tossing - a little blanching here and there, maybe a little grilling. It's not so difficult to pull a multi-course meal together when the ingredients of three our of the four courses require minimal intervention. On this occasion, I did kind of go the high maintenance route - shelling and blanching peas and favas for a dip, and making a risotto (which I can't help but call "ris-ought-o" since watching Hells Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey.) But the cake was baked the day before, and I bought the cheese and bread so all that remained was for me to take the marvelous produce the good lord (and Specialty Produce) gave me and make the most of them. And crack the wines of course. This was our menu:

Spring Dinner Party
3.28.09

Pea and Fava Bean Crostini with Garlic, Parmesan and Mint

Marinated Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata over Baby Greens

Aspsaragus and English Pea Risotto

Lemon Almond Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Quark

I don't really have a recipe for the dip, because I just felt my way through it - tinkering and blending until it tasted right. First I shelled and blanched the English Peas and Favas (it takes more than you might think, so buy plenty) and pureed them in a food processor with half a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, a little mint, quite a bit of lemon juice, a good glug of olive oil and a lot of grated parmesan cheese. Next time I'd use pecorino romano - it has a bit sharper flavor, and the reggiano parmesan is just a little too expensive to use here, where its mellow nutty flavor doesn't really shine. This was really good with champagne and actually improved with a little age. I served it with some crostini brushed with olive oil.

To make the salad I diced some heirloom tomatoes and marinated them for about an hour with some finely chopped red onion, a pinch of sea salt, a splash of red wine vinegar, a grind or two of pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and some micro-basil that I pinched off of some seedlings I had just started. I tossed the greens with balsamic vinaigrette, topped them with the tomatoes, added a hunk of burrata from Taste Cheese in Hillcrest, and drizzled the tops with the juice from the tomatoes. This was our first taste of heirloom tomatoes this year, and boy were we ready.

Then there was the risotto. I mean, the ris-ought-o. Yes, I will not be making this for a dinner party again anytime soon. This is the second time I've done this, and both times the result has been an unacceptable delay between courses. I really need to work on my technique - and should do it on my own time, on a weekday after work sometime, instead of when my guests are hungry. (Then again, if they keep drinking, it matters less and less what the meal tastes like, right?) This was a good idea in theory - just a basic white wine and parmesan risotto recipe with blanched asparagus tips and peas stirred in toward the end, but the risotto was just a little too al dente, and an hour of cooking really is too long. It looked nice anyway.

The dessert was one of those can't go wrong sort of things - just what you want to serve after a rather long and wine-intensive dinner. The lemon and almond cake was made the day before and topped with macerated berries, and a fantastic new-to-me discovery, vanilla bean quark from Spring Hill Dairy. It's available at the Farmers Markets in Little Italy, Hillcrest and even La Mesa, and it sells fast, so get there early (they also do lemon, but I prefer the vanilla.) A half pint carton is $5. and well worth it. It's tangy, cheesecake-y, just a bit sweet - and perfect with berries and lemon cake, and a little dessert wine, if you're so inclined.

Most of the groceries for this meal came from Specialty Produce. If you live in San Diego and you like to cook (and especially if you like to throw parties) and you haven't been, you really must go. The better restaurants and catering companies in San Diego rely on them for their ingredients, and they carry a number of items you can't find anywhere else. It's such a great place it really deserves its own post, so look for that coming soon.

In the meantime here, have some cake!

Lemon Almond Butter Cake
(based on this recipe and the yogurt cake in Molly's book, which she originally posted about here.)

This simple, relatively sturdy cake can be made in less than an hour and is just the thing with summer fruits, especially berries. The flavors of the butter, almond and lemon play off each other perfectly, and the moist texture allows it to stay fresh for days. It's great with coffee as a simple snack all on its own. You could also sub a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a swipe of the inside of a vanilla bean for the lemon, and pair it with a chocolate glaze for another dessert entirely.

1 cup of All Purpose flour
1/2 cup of almond flour or ground almonds (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest (about one lemon)
½ cup plain organic yogurt (low fat or whole, but not non-fat)

for the glaze whisk together:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, almond flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl making sure there are no lumps. Whisk the almond extract, eggs, butter, oil, zest and yogurt together in a separate bowl, then gradually add the wet to the dry ingredients, mixing just to combine.

Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the middle springs back when touched, and a toothpick comes out completely clean. Cool the cake in the pan for thirty minutes or so, then turn out onto a cooling rack covered with parchment and and peel the parchment off the bottom.

Brush the bottom of the cake with the glaze and allow to stand for at least half an hour before turning back over onto a plate. (The paper on the rack will help you flip it back over and keep it from sticking to the rack.) Alternatively, you can use a toothpick to poke holes in the top and just glaze it right side up as well!

I Heart Kim Chee - Korean BBQ at Buga

2009-04-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

What's not to love? Spicy, sweet, pickled? Seriously. I'm actually surprised it took me this long to try kim chee, but then again - I kind of like it that way. I like to think that things in your path come along in their own time - restaurants, cuisines, countries, even people. I also really like having something to look forward to, and I'd been looking forward to trying Korean Barbecue for a long time.

Too busy to cook and too late to set up a dinner at someone's house, our supper club decided to dine out this month. Being both budget conscious and curious - we narrowed our options to Korean or Vietnamese, and ultimately settled on Buga. Chowhounders and a few friends of mine had recommended it as THE place to go for Korean BBQ. I got sucked into reading reviews (why don't I do anything else as obsessively as I research restaurants??) on Yelp, and was a little bothered by the wide ranging comments - talking about the service, prices, etc. I needn't have worried though, the service was perfectly lovely, and the prices were reasonable.
After poring over the menu and asking a few questions, our group of five decided to order two grilled meats - the kalbi and sliced pork belly - and three other dishes, the Jap Chae, Vegetable Bibimbap, and the delicious-looking spicy stir fried pork dish pictured below, the name of which is escaping me right now. It was a big hit with our group. Soon after we ordered, our server returned to light the gas grill in the center of the table and drop off the panchan - small, savory, cold dishes meant to be shared. These included small servings of cucumber kim chee, radish kim chee, cabbage kim chee, pickles made with zucchini, squid and broccoli, a chili sauced eggplant, cooling daikon - and some rice paper and chili sauce to garnish the meat. I loved them all, including all three of the kim chee varieties - but I think I loved the radishes most. The fermentation makes them a little funky, but a good kind of funky - the umami kind. The Jap Chae reminded me of Vietnamese glass noodles - stir fried with pork and vegetables, and the pork reminded me of delicious spicy Chinese food. I wasn't as fond of the Bibimbap, but it was popular with the rest of the table. Despite all the chilis, nothing was unbearably hot, and the flavor was tempered with sweetness.

The meats for the grill initially seemed a bit expensive, but given that there was enough of each for five of us to share (small portions, but still) the $20. price tag didn't seem so high. The meat is sliced thinly and cooks quickly. Of the two meats we chose, the kalbi was by far my favorite - the pork belly was fine, but very fatty and a little bland. Signs in the restaurant announce that they serve Coleman Natural Beef - which was purchased last year by Meyer Ranch. This isn't pastured beef, but it is raised without growth hormones or antibiotics, and according to humane standards. (At least according to their website.) Assuming this is true, the meat is undoubtedly a little more expensive than ordinary commodity beef, making the price seem a little more reasonable. All of our food and a large Korean beer that Lisa and I shared came to less than $30. per person, tax and tip included. (We had contemplated ordering one of the family style meals but were very glad we hadn't when we saw the bill.)

Buga is located just off 805 at Clairemont Mesa, in the parking lot of a Motel 6. It actually used to be a JoJo's coffee shop - if you remember those. (We ate there when I was a kid - and at Organ Power Pizza across the street, where the oven was powered by yes - a pipe organ.) The atmosphere isn't going to win any awards, but it's clean, they have nice large booths and you won't be looking at the floor or the light fixtures anyway. You'll be looking at the grill and the marinated meat sizzling away on it, the nifty white bowls filled with tidbits of spicy, pickled deliciousness, and your friends' smiling faces.

Buga Korean BBQ
5580 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858)560-1010
reservations recommended

Kirk wrote about Buga in 2005, and by the looks of it not much has changed! Check out his post here

Eggs en Cocotte at Farmhouse Cafe

2009-04-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I made a list of 100 good things to eat (and drink) in San Diego, and you can bet that if I'd had these back then, they would have been right up there near the top. A couple of Sundays ago I ~~duped~~ talked James into coming with me to the Hillcrest Farmers to help me pick up some seedlings from Phil at Sage Mountain Farms, and then sweet talked him into getting some breakfast (which required more cajoling than it should have, really.) We wound up at the counter at Farmhouse, just as it started to rain. The coffee was hot and delicious, the welcome warm, and the food absolutely fantastic.

We started with a "petite" serving of the Ricotta Pancakes with orange butter - a perfect solution for people like me who like sweet breakfast but not too much of it. Soft and dense, they are just right for sharing. I moved on to the Eggs in Cocotte - which were highly recommended by my next door neighbor at the bar and our server. With good reason, I now know. They are baked in a little ramekin with some heavy cream, parmesan cheese and tomato concasse with a little wine. The texture is creamy and custard-like, with a more complex, savory flavor than most breakfast dishes. Toasted Bread and Cie levain and some fried potatoes round out the plate. James chose a chorizo fritatta which was also very good.

I'm always hard pressed to make breakfast or brunch recommendations here in town, because so many places are hit or miss, and/or have a ridiculous wait on weekends. I just don't believe in that - though it seems a lot of people feel differently, judging by the crowds outside Hash House on weekend mornings. There are a few places that have just one good dish on the menu, like Brockton Villa (which I still like because I just love that little house) with their Coast Toast, Hob Nob with their Corned Beef Hash, and Crest Cafe's ricotta pancakes. There's really only one dish I like at Hash House too, now that I think about it. Sage Fried Chicken with Maple Reduction (that did make the list) but I just can't bring myself to wait an hour and a half for it. Urban Solace also serves good brunch, with an especially nice pecan french toast.

Farmhouse is only open for brunch on Sundays, which coincides nicely with the nearby Hillcrest market. That is, if you can resist the Thai coconut pancakes and kefta kebab sandwiches offered there...

The Farmhouse Cafe
2121 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA, 92116
(619) 269-9662

Other posts about Farmhouse - dinner last fall , and lunch when they opened.

I like them so much, they even have their own flickr page!

My Favorite Chocolate Cake (No Foolin'!)

2009-04-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've tried a lot of chocolate cakes in my time, and baked a few myself, but I knew, the instant I tasted it at Starlite one evening last fall, that this one was The One. It was dark, dense, moist, not too sweet, and absolutely huge - with nice thick layers about one and a half inches tall. I liked it so much that I asked our server for the recipe and wrote my email address on a slip of paper for him to give to the chef. It didn't arrive right away, and I kept remembering and then forgetting to do anything about it, but then lo and behold - about two months later the recipe appeared in my email inbox.

This is pretty rare for me, settling on one recipe I could use for the rest of my life. Aside from a go-to roast chicken and a go-to vanilla ice cream, I seldom make anything the same way twice. This cake just really does it for me though - not only is it perfect in terms of its flavor, moistness and size - it's one of the simplest cake recipes I've ever seen. It is literally foolproof. It also stores well (I froze mine for a week) and it's so moist that I can't imagine it would ever dry out.

The only caveat is that the recipe makes a LOT of batter. So much, that at first I didn't believe it would fit into two cake pans. When it came time to mix the wet and dry ingredients together, I discovered I actually didn't have a big enough bowl, and had to retrieve an enormous one I found at an estate sale, that that I had planned to sell in my Etsy store. That bowl is now in my kitchen cabinet, which is where it will stay now that I know I will need it every time I make this cake. If you don't have an enormous bowl, you might try adding half of each of the wet and dry ingredients (by weight) to a third bowl in two batches.

This cake bakes up so tall that you could probably get away with halving the recipe and baking one layer for most occasions. Still, it's nice to know that when one of those occasions comes along when nothing but a big, honkin' chocolate cake with thick, fudgy frosting will do - this one's Your Man.

Starlite Devils Food Cake
adapted from Sharon La Bate - Pastry Chef at Starlite, and graciously shared by Marguerite Grifka.

Dry Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
2 ½ cups cocoa (I used Valrhona)
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 yolks
1 ½ cups coffee
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
6 oz. melted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line two nine inch cake pans with parchment and grease well (grease the pan before putting the parchment in so it doesn't slip, then grease the paper too.)

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together well in a separate bowl.

In a very large bowl (a six quart or larger Kitchen Aid should also work) gently fold the dry into the wet ingredients, and whisk gently, just to get rid of any lumps. (If you don't have an enormous bowl but you do have a kitchen scale, you can also weigh out half of each and blend them together in a third bowl, then just pour each batch directly in the cake pans.)

Evenly divide the batter between the two pans, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean (a few moist crumbs are ok) Allow the cakes to cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes, then turn out of the pans, peel the parchment off, and allow to cool completely before storing.

This batter would also make great cupcakes - just fill your papers about 3/4 full, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until dry and springy to the touch. Take the cupcakes out of the pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle, so that the steam doesn't cause the papers to come off.

Thick Fudgy Frosting
1 pound of powdered sugar
3 sticks of butter, softened
8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 Tablesoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt

Whisk cocoa powder and salt into warm melted chocolate until dissolved set aside to cool to warm. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and gradually beat in powdered sugar, then sour cream and vanilla, scraping the bowl down as needed.

With the mixer running on low speed, add melted chocolate to mixture and blend, scraping the bowl well to make sure it's all incorporated. Frost the cake immediately. If the mixture gets too thick, you can thin it with a little milk or cream.

Cooks Confab-ulous - Sustainable Seafood Dinner at 1500 Ocean

2009-03-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended my first of these events - but if I have anything to say about it, it definitely won't be the last. The Cooks Confab is a group of socially conscious local chefs who throw marvelous dinners every few months, with a stated mission anyone can get behind: to bring good people and great food together and "share the love." Gotta love that. At each dinner, each chef prepares a different course based around a theme - in the past they've featured truffles, "birds," foie gras - and last week, Sustainable Seafood.

Andrew Spurgin of Waters Catering, Jeff Jackson and Timothy Kolanko of A.R. Valentien, Jason Knibb and Jack Fisher of 910, Brian Sinnott of 1500 Ocean, Nathan Coulon of Quarter Kitchen at the Ivy, Christian Graves from JSix, Brian Malarky from Oceanaire, and Antonio Friscia of Stingaree are all on board, and the word is more chefs are joining. Given that this list is a virtual "who's who" of the best chefs in town, it's no surprise that the food was amazing, but they really went above and beyond - every detail was lovely and every dish was delicious. That's hard enough to find in a regular restaurant meal, so the fact that they accomplished it at an event attended by over a hundred is nothing short of a minor miracle.

It all started on 1500 Ocean's terraced front patio. They've done a little work on it recently, adding a large walk-up bar and some wide-rimmed concrete fire pits that double as cocktail tables. In this area, they served the first five out of nine courses (with wine pairings) and when we were ready for the rest, we went into the restaurant to be seated for the remaining four courses at a table.

Angie and I started with the grilled baby abalone, served up by Nathan Coulon. Nathan is the son of Michele Coulon and the grandson of the owners of the Belgian Lion - one of the earliest and best loved gourmet restaurants in San Diego's history (where 3rd Corner currently resides.) Sustainably farmed in Mexico, the abalone was served grilled, sliced and returned to the shell with either a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil or a garlic butter sauce. The flavor is sweet like a scallop or calamari, but it has a little more texture - almost a crunch to it. The abalone shells were an especially nice touch - I think the bussers thought I was a little nuts when I said I wanted to keep mine.

Next we zagged up to Stingaree's station for a taste of the Royal Shellfish Bisque. The chef was making it to order, adding chunks of lobster tail to an incredibly rich base along with a squeeze of oil. It was served in little porcelain cups, and was divine. I had seconds.

Brian Malarky's oysters and Brian Sinnott's crudo were both highlights - impeccably fresh and beautifully plated, served with their own fabulous wines. Last but not least (of the "outside" courses) was Jeff Jackson and Timothy Kolanko's Guerrero Negro scallop mousseline. It was subtle but flavorful and perfect for spring, with the vibrant green garlic puree and pea tendrils.

After we had sampled everything offered outside, we moved indoors. We had a large party of eight - so they kindly seated us in their "wine room" a separate dining room in the back near the bar. The main dining room is lovely there too, with the doors that open onto the view, and the natural wood accented by sky blue armchairs (I just love those chairs.)
Once seated, we were treated to the attentions of Ted Glennon, the hotel's Wine Director and Sommelier, who filled us in on all of the wine choices and poured our glasses. The indoor courses included a seared wild striped bass, a sea urchin pasta with mushrooms, and a sous vide Loch Duart salmon with morels. All were delicious - but the bass was my favorite, crusted with tapenade and served with a drizzle of chorizo oil and the tiniest baby vegetables I've ever seen -purple potatoes the size of a pencil eraser and carrots the size of a baby's pinkie.
The dessert by Jack Fisher was something special. It was one of those things I might not order if I saw it on the menu, but it really wowed and surprised me when I tasted it. It was called "Olive Oil Parfait" - in the French sense, because what came out was not a layered dessert in a glass, but a cold mousse flavored faintly with olive oil and vanilla. (It must have been cut while frozen.) It was served with a dollop of strawberry "caviar" - molecular gastronomy style, and a bit of stewed rhubarb and syrup. A nice, not too heavy and very interesting conclusion to a long and lovely meal.

I felt so lucky to enjoy this meal prepared by good people in the company of good friends. It feels like we're starting our own little "Confab" of food lovers here in S.D. - so many great and fun things are happening, classes, socials, dinners, etc.

If you're in San Diego and you're interested in joining the fun, go to http://www.slowfoodurbansandiego.org/, and sign up for membership. Classes are coming soon in jam making, gardening, beer tasting and other fun subjects, inexpensive social mixers are held monthly, and you'll be kept apprised of dinners and other social events. No need to fear the "Slow Food" label (if you worry about such things.) There is a group of fantastic, enthusiastic people behind this group, working together to learn and grow and meet the needs of the community.

Tickets for this event were $95.00, including the nine courses, wine pairings, tax and gratuity. In my mind, it was an amazing value, given the quality and work that went into it. The next Cooks Confab event will be held on June 7 at 910, with the theme of "Meat" - expect lots of charcuterie, grilled meat and possibly some unusual cuts. 910 is quite a bit smaller than 1500 Ocean, and my understanding is that it will be stations only, without a sit-down component - so it won't be exactly the same - but I would bet good money the food will be delicious. Check out their website at http://www.cooksconfab.com/ for more information.

For more information on dining at 1500 Ocean (which is fabulous in its own right) go to http://www.dine1500ocean.com/

More photos of this dinner can be viewed here.

New Goodies on Home Sweet Vintage!

2009-03-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Over the past week weeks I've hit up a couple of estate sales and my mom's own kitchen, and come up with some new items for my Etsy store, Home Sweet Vintage. I'm adding new things every few days, and have some cool stuff in the hopper (if I do say so myself.) I'm also going to Palm Springs in a couple of weeks, and expect to find more treasures there. Last time, a lot of the shops were closed, but I still found a vintage copper Mauviel beating bowl in a thrift shop for $7.99. If only I could afford the matching ($70.00 !?) stand from Williams Sonoma.

Just yesterday the shop was also featured on a design blog, Simply Designed and Etsy Finds - in a montage with some other great vintage sellers. Her site is also lovely, so be sure to check it out.

More food posts coming soon!

url: http://www.homesweetvintage.etsy.com/

"Faux" or No, Le Gras C'est si Bon - Homemade Chicken Liver Pate

2009-03-19T20:51:00.001-07:00

Faux or no, this gras spread is to die for. Hopefully not literally - everything in moderation, right? I have been saving up the livers from my Womach Ranch (local pastured) chickens over the past few weeks (plus a few extras thrown in upon request) specifically for the purpose of making chicken liver mousse or pate. I've had divine versions of this delicacy at both the Farmhouse Cafe and Third Corner, and I knew it was indulgent, but until I started looking at recipes, I have to admit, I was blissfully ignorant of exactly how much so. Six egg yolks? 2 cups of cream? A pound of butter? Sheesh.

After puzzling over three wildly varying recipes*, I posted a query on Twitter - asking if anyone had a good one, and Sam reminded me of Michel Richard's recipe in the Happy in the Kitchen book. The recipe is actually the simplest one I looked at, both in terms of the method and ingredients. It's a cinch to make, incredibly inexpensive, and best of all, amazingly delicious.

Michel refers to this as "Faux Gras" because it tastes very much like foie gras torchon. I think it actually tastes better than the foie gras torchon we had at Roseville a few nights ago, and all of the ingredients can be purchased for under $5.00. Add some cornichons or pickled red onions (or pickled cherries if you want to go all French Laundry on your guests) and a Bread and Cie baguette and you're all set. With some champagne and salad greens, you've got yourself a feast!

"Faux Gras" Chicken Liver Pate adapted from Michel Richard's Happy in the Kitchen
(mostly what I've done here is cut the recipe in half, his calls for 1 pound of livers, and this makes one nice-sized ramekin. If you're having a party, you might want to double it, and make two ramekins.)

Womach's fresh, organic pastured chickens are available at the Sunday Hillcrest Farmers Market. If you ask nicely, he'll give you extra giblets (ask for feet and necks for stock) and I think he'll also sell the livers separately - I saw him sell about half a pound to an elderly gentleman for two or three dolars a few weeks ago.

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 stick butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup whipping cream
maldon sea salt
finely ground pepper
5-6 ounces chicken livers, any veins, fatty lumps or dark spots removed

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a small heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion to the melted butter and cook until soft, stirring often. Using a microplane grater, grate half of the garlic clove into the onion. When the onion is translucent, add the whipping cream. Cook until the onion is very soft, about 5 minutes.

Boil two cups of water, either on the stove or in the microwave. Place the chicken livers in the bowl of a small food processor or 2-3 cup mini-chopper Add the onion mixture and puree until smooth. Place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl, and strain the liver mixture into the bowl. Place a four inch ramekin in a cake pan or other high sided pan, and pour the mixture into the ramekin, stirring the surface lightly to get rid of any air bubbles. Place the pans in the oven on the middle rack, and pour the boiling water into the outer pan until it comes halfway up the side of the ramekin (supplement with hot water from the tap if it's not enough.) Cover the ramekin with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the middle is set but still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

If you like, you can seal the top with some melted butter with a few sage leaves or thyme springs in it, or a gelatin mixture infused with herbs. Michel uses a cucumber gelee with parsley. If you don't seal it (and I didn't) just press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pate to preserve it. Well wrapped, it will keep for at least three or four days in the refrigerator.

* the other recipes I looked at were from Food and Wine, Gourmet and Paula Wolfert's recipe from the Piret's Cookbook. I intend to try at least one or two more of them - so I'll be sure and let you know how they turn out!

Sunday Supper 3.8.09 - Homemade Caesar Salad

2009-03-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have to confess, I'm taking some creative liberties with this post. You see, what we had on Sunday is something that I wouldn't suggest you - or anybody else - ever make. It was rich and full of good ingredients, but somehow it came out both bland and uninteresting, never a good combination. We did have this earlier in the week though, and I haven't done a Sunday Supper in a while, so I figure it's acceptable to engage in a little bit of revisionist history here in the interest of sharing a good meal with you.

***
Sunday Supper
March, 2009

Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing and Croutons

Pan Grilled Brandt Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Shuna's Butterscotch Pudding
***

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to pull out the recipe for Caesar Salad. This salad was one of the first things I ever learned to cook, and thus holds a special place in my heart. I started making it in college when I was a nanny for a family in Irvine. Room was included with my deal, but not board - but the family loved this salad so much that at least once or twice a week, the mother would ask me to make it and let me eat with them in exchange. It was a pretty good deal, actually. Now that I think about it, she was pretty tolerant of my experiments in the kitchen, maybe even more so than my own mother. I think I even did my first holiday baking extravaganza in their kitchen (which is how I learned glossy black countertops are not a good idea, in case you're considering a remodel.)

I had just started learning to cook the summer before, poring over James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking and the New York Times Cookbook (which was waay out of my league) and at their house I had the Wolfgang Puck Cookbook and the Silver Palate Cookbook to peruse. Over the intervening years, I've made a lot of Caesar salads - for dinner parties in my apartment on Olive Street - where I was a single girl making it on my own for the first time, for pretty much everyone I dated, even for my parents who pronounced it way too garlickly (I've toned it down a bit.) In all those years, a lot of things have come and gone, but the Caesar Salad is still around.

The other night, I decided to shake it up in a jar instead of whisking it, and decided it's my new favorite salad dressing method. I added some homemade croutons and sliced romaine hearts, and it was delicious - as good, if not better than it ever was. Despite the fact that I have toned the garlic down from five(!) cloves to just three, this is a pungent dressing, which is the way I like it, but you can of course adjust it to taste. More olive oil and less mustard/vinegar will make it more mild. One thing I don't recommend is the use of a food processor or blender. The dressing will emulsify - changing both the texture and the flavor (it becomes creamy and a little bit sweet.)

The steak we had the other night was a Brandt flank steak purchased at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Brandt's steaks come pre-packaged - and a 1.5 pound flank steak sells for the same price as one pound of Rib Eye or New York Strip, about $15.00, and I like the flavor as well or better than more expensive cuts. I seared this one in a grill pan on the stove, and sliced it against the grain. The chimichurri sauce almost a relish - made of garlic, parsley and oil - it came from the empanadas guy at the farmers' market (conveniently located right next door to the Brandt stall) - it's $4.00 for an 8 oz tub. (I also encountered this stuff for the first time in college, but I'll tell you about that later!)

A little more revisionist history: I am on a bit of a dessert moratorium myself (sad, I know) but if I were to serve a dessert with this meal, I would go retro-comfort with Shuna's Butterscotch Pudding. I've always wanted to try this recipe. I am sure it's a good one - if you try it, let me know. I've also done chocolate pudding, so if that's more your speed, check it out.

Alice's Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

2-3 hearts of romaine

1 loaf of sourdough bread, day old
olive oil (garlic olive oil works really well - I like Temecula Olive Oil Company's)
salt and pepper

2 anchovies (good quality, in olive oil)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup mild olive oil or other vegetable oil
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup shredded reggiano parmesan cheese
1 egg (preferably farm fresh from an extremely trustworthy source)

Wash, trim and dry the romaine hearts, wrap loosely in paper towels and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To prepare the croutons, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the bottom crust off of your loaf of sourdough bread, cut the loaf into 1 inch thick slices and slice each piece from side to side into thirds - then cut into one inch cubes. Place the cubes into a large bowl, and pour olive oil all the way around the inside of the bowl, just above the bread cubes - so it flows down the inside of the bowl. Lift the bowl and start tossing the cubes to coat them evenly (or use tongs or your hands, if you prefer.) Add a liberal sprinkle of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper halfway through the tossing. Spread the croutons in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan, and bake at 350-375 for about fifteen minutes - until they start to brown and the edges are crisp. Toss them around and bake for a few more minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool completely before storing.

For the dressing, cut the anchovies into small pieces and smash the garlic cloves - mash to a paste together with the salt and place this mixture in the bottom of a small jar. Add the mustard, worcestershire sauce, pinch of cayenne, oil, vinegar and lemon juice and shake well. Just before serving, add half of the shredded reggiano parmesan, and crack the egg into the dressing.* Whisk with a fork to break up the egg, and shake again.

To prepare the salad, slice the romaine into one inch ribbons and separate. Pour about 1/4 cup of dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl, and add the lettuce. Toss - adding more dressing as needed (it should be well coated, but not too drippy.) Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, a few grinds of pepper, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and some croutons.

If you have dressing left over, immediately seal the jar and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Throw away any leftover dressing that is not properly refrigerated and don't leave this salad sitting out very long, due to the raw egg it contains.

*This salad really is not the same without the egg. If you can't or don't want to eat raw eggs, I believe there are pasteurized products out there, but I haven't tried them. If you do, please let me know how it turns out!

Home Sweet Vintage is Open for Business!

2009-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you know that my new Etsy store is open!

I love to shop, as anyone who knows me knows - but more than anything else, I love to hunt. I love flea markets, estate sales, thrift shops, anywhere I can pluck a gem out of the muck and shine it up. Since I can't keep it all myself, I'm putting it up for sale!

Home Sweet Vintage is the name - and vintage housewares and kitchen items from the 50's to the 70's are the game. I am particularly interested in vintage cookware, and will also feature mid-century modern decor items, classic and vintage cookbooks, and other shiny objects that just happen to catch my eye. Take a look around - I hope you see something you like!

Cheers everyone, and have a good weekend!

Where I've been...

2009-03-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't been around much lately, and for that I apologize - the truth is I've been distracted by a number of things and haven't been able to blog much - but if you've wondered where I've been lately, here are some answers:

Shopping at Mona Lisa in Little Italy for fresh ricotta, San Marzano tomatoes, prosciutto, basil, pasta, broccoli rabe, fresh sausage and fresh mozzarella.
Working on perfect pancakes (they're close but not quite there yet.)
Cooking out of the Jamie's Italy cookbook (see no. 1)
Procuring and photographing items for my new Etsy store featuring vintage homegoods, cookbooks and kitchenwares (more on that later this week.)
Eating at Mama's Lebanese, Saffron, In N' Out, Jaynes Gastropub, Alchemy and The Linkery.
Practicing the violin and going to yoga classes again.
Waiting for Vicky Cristina Barcelona to come out on Apple TV (it finally did this weekend)
Plotting trips to the Amalfi Coast, Palm Springs, San Francisco and Esalen - in my head.
Arguing with Honkman about Farmhouse vs. Better Half on Chowhound.
Eating the Chuao Chocolates Lisa and Luis sent home with us after a fantastic dinner party on Saturday night.
Making salads with the greens from our friends' garden.
Shopping at North Park Produce for labne, housemade hummus, olives, pita bread, dolmas, and zataar spice.
Reading Molly's book (which I highly recommend!)
Keeping up with friends on Twitter and Facebook
Worrying about our friend Raquel, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
Fantasizing about making homemade Twix from Sherry Yard's recipe.
Hanging out with Jora and C Man and Baby J
Scouting a hiking route to the top of Mt. Helix that avoids the busy streets.
Working on a recipe for "healthy" peanut butter cookies using agave nectar and whole wheat flour. First batch was a little too heavy, second was a little too bitter. We'll get there.
Shopping at the Little Italy and Hillcrest Farmers Markets - where we now get nearly all our produce and meat. Certainly I won't be buying any tomatoes anywhere else (though I'm not picking them off my In N Out burgers just yet.)
Working, of course!

photo is Jamie Oliver's Chicken Cacciatore - from Jamie's Italy - using aforementioned San Marzano tomatoes and the legs of a Womach chicken procured at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. He now sells smallish ones for $15. I have one air drying in the fridge right now for tonight's dinner!

100 Good Things to Eat (and Drink) in San Diego

2009-02-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

Who says there's nothing good to eat in San Diego? Just for fun, I put this list together inspired by 7x7's recent list of 100 Things to eat in San Francisco before you die. How many of these have you tried, and what would be on your list?

Mussell bisque en croute at Dobson's
Espresso gelato at Gelato Vero
Huitlacoche quesadilla at Aqui es Texcoco
Baked Alaska at Oceanaire Seafood Room
Falafel at Mama's Lebanese (esp. the wrap)
Smoked marlin taco at Mariscos German
Carne asada burrito at Sarita's
Chicken liver mousse at Farmhouse Cafe
Birria tacos at Tacos El Paisa
Croissants at Opera Patisserie
Coconut pancakes at the Thai stall at the Hillcrest Farmers Market
Coast Toast at the Brockton Villa
Crab sandwich at Point Loma Seafoods
Tortilla chips from El Indio
Fish and chips at Shakespeare's
Salted caramel chocolate cupcake at Eclipse Chocolat
Bacon cheeseburger at Hodad's
A Turkey Avocado Jack sandwich at The Cheese Shop at LJ Shores (not Downtown)
Duck confit with grapefruit marmalade at Market
Roast Pork Bahn Mi and a Cafe Sua Da at K Sandwiches
Duckaroni (mac and cheese with duck confit) at Urban Solace
Uni bisque at Sea Rocket Bistro
Italian Sub at Mona Lisa
Ahi and Tomato salad at Saladstyle
Roast beef sandwich with red onion and goat cheese at Con Pane
Green papaya salad at Sab E Lee
Choucroute at the Linkery
Plain yogurt at Yogurt World
Cannelloni at Sante
Fried oyster tacos at South Beach Bar and Grill
Confit tangerine with chocolate ganache at Cavaillon
Drugstore Burger at the Torrey Pines Lodge
Pierre Robert cheese at Taste
Mussels with creme fraiche at Vagabond
Cheese Crisp Special at Casa de Pico
Steak Frites at Cafe Chloe
Lefty's Pizza
Egg Salad sandwich at Cafe Zinc
Peanut Butter ice cream at Oasis in Imperial Beach
Lentil soup at Athen's Market
Sage fried chicken with maple reduction and bacon mashed potatoes at Hash House
Chocolate Chipotle Cake at 1500 Ocean
Heirloom tomato salad at Nine Ten
Lemon souffle tart at Market
Abuela Hot Chocolate at Chuao
Barbacoa at Vallarta's in Otay Mesa
Broham Sandwich at Phil's BBQ
Vietnamese spring rolls at Dao Son
Fresh uni from Catalina Offshore Products
Wood oven roasted mussels at Napa Valley Grille
Jidori chicken with currant and pine nut couscous at Jayne's Gastropub
Chocolate pot de creme with brandied cherries at Cafe Chloe
Burger and Fries at Starlite
Corned Beef Hash (with the coffee cake) at Hob Nob Hill
Jade Mistress cocktail at Red Pearl Kitchen
Red velvet cupcakes at Influx
Grilled cheese sandwiches at Bite
Fish torta at El Pescador
Donuts from Mary's
Torte Belge at Michele Coulon Dessertier
Pomegranate and watermelon salad at Urban Solace
Mole at Cantina Mayahuel
Alesmith "Old Numbskull" Barleywine
Shrimp and Scallop Potstickers with Tobiko Caviar Sauce at Roppongi
Scones at Rebecca's
Thai-Grilled Chicken and Cambodian Cucumber Salad from Saffron
Charcuterie plate at Starlite
Fried Oyster Cobb Salad at Market
Ceviche at Latin Chef
Velvet Diablo cocktail at Starlite
Honey Doughnuts at Honey's in Encinitas
Tuna tartare at Wine Sellar Brasserie
Fruit tarts at Extraordinary Desserts
French tuna salad sandwich at Bread and Cie
Peanut butter and chocolate creme brulee at Urban Solace
Rocky's chicken salad at Waters
"Funky Roll" (softshell crab and crab) at Cafe Japengo
Hot fudge sundae made with creme fraiche glace at Extraordinary Desserts
Cheese course at Blanca
Guanni chocolates at the Hillcrest Farmers Market
Triple berry jam from Jackies Jams
Carne asada tacos and a Cadillac Margarita at Old Town Mexican Cafe
Burger at Ritual Tavern (with housemade ketchup and mustard)
Carpaccio at Blanca
Fish tacos at Don Chuy in Solana Beach
Lemon ricotta pancakes at Crest Cafe
Summer corn and tomatoes from Chino Farms
Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale
Fresh mint and cocoa nib ice cream at Farmhouse Cafe
Liverwurst at Sausage King
Espresso at Pappalecco
Cannolis at Cafe Zucchero
Kefta pita sandwich at the Hillcrest Farmers Market
Orange vanilla bean white hot chocolate at Eclipse
Lobster avocado and grapefruit salad at Bertrand at Mr. A's (lunch)
Crow's Pass strawberries
Chorizo at Las Cuatro Milpas
Carnitas at Carnitas Uruapan
Bo La Lot (beef wrapped in grape leaves) at Saigon
Patatas Bravas at Costa Brava

Photo key, from left to right, top to bottom: No. 100, No. 9, No. 39 , No. 53, No. 10, No. 22, No. 26, No. 59, No. 20, No. 16, No. 5, No. 16 - cross section, No. 87, No. 89, No. 3, No. 43.

More Winter Soups

2009-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

The weather most of us are having right now couldn't be better for winter soup, and it doesn't get much more wintry than these two. The first is one I devised to use up some cruciferous vegetables languishing in the fridge. A little bacon and some cheese fixed that problem right up. The second is one of the other soups we had at that recent supper club meeting I mentioned, my friend Diana's Golden Winter Soup. She made this for our get together in December, and it was such a hit that we asked her to bring it again for this one. Not quite as sweet or heavy as most squash based soups, it has a nice savory undertone and will please just about anyone - kids or grownups. (Not sure I can really say that about a soup containing broccoli and brussels sprouts - even if cheese and bacon are involved!)

As an accompaniment for any or all of these soups, I highly recommend Molly's Sliced Spring Salad. Most of the ingredients are available at the Farmers Market right now (at least here in San Diego) and its' salty, tangy crunch is a perfect foil for a hearty soup. Jora brought it to the supper club gathering, and it was a bit hit.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout Soup with Bacon

6 slices bacon
8 ounces brussels sprouts, cut crosswise into thin slices
2 bunches of scallions, sliced - white and light green parts - about 1 to 1 1/2 cups lightly packed. (1 small onion, chopped or two or three leeks slivered could be substituted for the scallions)
8-10 cups of chicken stock
1 pound of cauliflower florets
8 ounces of broccoli florets (any combination of these two can be used, really)
3-4 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups shredded gruyere cheese - lightly packed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese lightly packed
drizzle of half and half
a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot chile powder

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, chop into half inch pieces and set aside.

Add the sliced brussels sprouts and scallions to the bacon grease left in the pan, return to the heat and saute, stirring often until softened. Add the chicken stock and bring just to a boil. Add the cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes and bring back to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are tender - about 15 mins - and remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender. (If you have to use a blender, make sure you do it in small batches, and keep the lid well covered with a towel to avoid splatters.) Taste and season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the cheese will add a little salt. If it seems too thick, add a little more stock, or water. Return the soup to the heat and stir in the shredded cheese and pepper, and drizzle in a little half and half. Check seasonings one last time before serving. Top with the chopped bacon.

Golden Winter Soup
from Cooking Light
You could also easily make this with vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Puree with an immersion blender (being careful not to splatter) or puree in batches in a blender, using a towel over the top to protect yourself from any splatters. Hold the lid on firmly, as the heat can cause it to come off. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Soup for Sunday Supper Club

2009-02-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I hosted my monthly Supper Club on a Sunday evening with the theme "Soup and Salad." It was one of my favorite supper club meals in recent memory, with three soups, a mussel stew, two salads, and three desserts - all absolutely delicious. I made this soup after seeing the recipe in the NY Times. It just really appealed to me - spicy, warming, and rich with the coconut milk - but with that spark of fresh herbs on the top. It's also easy, and fairly quick - fast enough to make on a weeknight assuming you have all the ingredients.

As I was making it, I realized it's very close to a Curried Mushroom Soup I used to make a long time ago, from the Oprah cookbook, In the Kitchen with Rosie. I stopped making it because James didn't particularly like it, and at some point Trader Joes stopped carrying those frozen bags of assorted mushrooms. (I suppose you could use fresh, but I think the curry would sort of drown out their delicate flavor.) Either way, it gave me a little case of nostalgia, and got me thinking about how we cycle through dishes and things we cook. I used to have several things in my repertoire that I never make anymore, partly because I've discovered better recipes - and better ingredients, but some things have been neglected unfairly. Like the handmade Caesar salad I used to make by mashing the anchovies and whisking them with garlic, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, olive oil and mustard, and the slow cooked caramelized onions I used to make as a side dish. I really need to dig those out.

I don't think I'll forget this soup again anytime soon though.

Spicy Curry Noodle Soup
adapted from the New York Times

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced cilantro stems or lemongrass
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal, more for serving
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces (I used cooked chicken and added it last minute)
4 1/2 tablespoons yellow curry powder, preferably Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cans (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk (light is fine)
3/4 cup half-and-half
8-10 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar, more to taste (or agave nectar)
12 ounces dried thin rice noodles (bun or vermicelli)

Salt to taste
2 cups bean sprouts
8 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8 tablespoons torn mint sprigs
4-6 scallions, cut into thin rings
4-6 shallots, thinly sliced and deep fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)*
Quartered limes for serving.

1. Heat oil and a little broth in a large (8 qt) stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and lemon grass and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic and chili paste and stirfry until coated and fragrant. Raise heat, add chicken and stir-fry one minute. (I skipped this b/c my chicken was already cooked.) Add curry powder and paprika and stir to coat. Then add coconut milk, half-and-half, chicken stock, turmeric, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 4 minutes). Rinse and drain.

3. Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar. Divide noodles into large soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil, then ladle over noodles. Garnish with bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, scallions and fried shallots. Pass limes and sambal at the table.

*You might be tempted to skip the fried shallots because they're a hassle, but they're really, really good. They took a little longer than I thought they would - so I'd suggest making them a little ahead of time.

Yield: 4 main-course servings.

More soup recipes coming up!

Special thanks to my friend and guest photographer Angie!

It's just so sad.

2009-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

The more I read about Domino going under, the more it bums me out. There's actually an article in today's NY Times about the whole outcry over it. I think this last quote from Cynthia Kling, one of the contributing editors, is especially prescient.

“It’s like that scene in ‘Dinner at Eight,’ ” she said, shrugging parka-clad shoulders, “the part when the husband comes home and tells his wife he’s lost his job. And she says something like, ‘Darling, that’s fabulous! All the best people are losing their jobs.’ ”

It can't be easy - I wish them all the very best of luck.

Collage photos from Domino's archives - house tours of Jenna Lyons, Ione Skye, Carolina Herrera Jr. and the slideshow on improvements for renters.

1962 Barbie Dream House

2009-02-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

I came across this on eBay the other day, and can't get over how freaking cute it is. This is the original Barbie Dream House - the first one they ever came out with. I don't know about you, but I would have died for one of those Barbie Townhouses in the early 70's - the one with the elevator? My parents got me the Barbie Country House (which is also on eBay) instead one year for Christmas, and I think I probably should have had therapy over the disappointment.

The whole thing is cardboard, so complete ones in good shape are pretty rare. Still, these only cost about $30.

I want my front door to look like that!

Doesn't this look like a Domino spread? *sniffle!* Check out the open top record player. We had one of those - and there are record albums with real titles, and books, and little cardboard pillows. All of the furniture is folded and put together.

here's a longer view - Love the pink interior of Barbie's closet - and that picture on the wall.

Here's a closer look. Cool huh?

Looking for more info, I ran across this great little essay on the subject of the early Dream House - check it out.

P.S. I Love You - Part II

2009-01-29T15:49:00.000-08:00

Ah, the Parker. It seems to be a loaded question when you ask people what they think of it. Regardless of how they feel about the decor (which I love, personally) or the service (come on, what guy would want to wear those hot pink pants?) I have never had a bad breakfast in their dining room (as we discussed earlier) and I think virtually anyone would have to agree that the grounds are absolutely gorgeous.

By some sort of landscaping miracle, they are both lush and drought tolerant - with lots of meandering pathways, citrus trees dripping with fruit, and plenty of shady spots, fountains and grassy bits to ameliorate the heat.

After wandering for a little while among the pampas grasses, you come to a cute little "Lemonade Bar" serving lemonade, of course, and other "beverages" too.

A shaded lane between two petanque courts shelters a row of tables and chairs, and just beyond another hedge lies one of the two swimming pools on the grounds.

The sensibility of the Parker is sort of Morocco meets the beach - having a weakness for whimsy myself, I dig the oversized chess set and the peaked umbrellas, though someone with less tolerance for this sort of thing might not...

I also love their huge bougainvilleas that climb up the outside walls of the rooms overlooking the other pool - closer to the center of the complex.

And the vast swaths of grass punctuated by some Moroccan lawn furniture and an ancient olive tree remind me of the even-more-whimsical Delano in Miami Beach.

Since their rates are a little higher than some of the other places in town (around $300 per night) I haven't stayed there yet, but I could definitely be talked into it, despite what some have said. Maybe a girl's weekend this Spring? Who's in?

More photos can be viewed in this set.