Gourmet Girlfriend

Book Club -- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

2017-04-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Living 25 curvy miles away from the 15 other Book Club members, haven't hosted Book Club in the past five years. (Not to mention our little mountain cabin is in no shape to host guests at present.) Felt like I owed the ladies something special after their hosting many wonderful, memorable nights. So, I hauled my wedding china to work, where 12 were hosted.

My husband noted that the ladies in my Book Club don't eat much, many of them are slim. Last book club some wanted to stick to the appetizer plates instead of moving to the dinner-sized plates to help them with their portion control. That got me thinking, I could get away with just using my salad plates, instead of hauling dinner, appetizer and dessert plate along the twisty-turn-y roads!

The book the Nightingale is about two sisters in World War II occupied France. One works in the resistance and the other copes living on old family land in a small Loire Valley village. As things during the war start to get dreary and messy, the elder sister Vianne makes a Sunday picnic and a "normal" Sunday meal. These contrast to future war rations (as one Book Club member pointed out).

Therefore I made Vianne's dinner for her family (as described on page 10): pork tenderloin in thick-cut bacon (at eight o'clock--right on time--), apples glazed in a rich wine sauce, browned potatoes, a bowl of fresh peas swimming in butter seasoned with tarragon. Of course baguette, and for dessert ile flottante (toasted meringue floating in a rich creme anglaise).

One part of the book that stood out to me, was when the sisters were disappointed with a ration of octopus they received when things were tough. After standing in line for hours, with the food supply dwindling during WWII, makes one reflect on our modern conveniences.

The Nazi officer who lived with Vianne would give her daughter Sophie chocolates. I happened to find one that had a French-sounding name and made in Germany, thought it appropriate. I placed a bowl of a few MandMs on the table, maybe to give a small sense of scarcity during the war.

I think the 12 lovely ladies were happy. Hoped for a beautiful, relaxed feeling one might get as a visitor to Vianne's home during better times. The Book Club members were so kind to help with 100% of the clean up (just like the clean up in the book after dinner).

Live Earth Farm, Watsonville, CA

2016-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) hosted a Fuji Apple and dry-farmed tomato u-pick. Although the weekend was busy, I made the time to drive an hour to Live Earth Farm to pick the apples. We love them and it was the only opportunity this year to do so. Last year's apple u-pick was rained out, and they won't be combining the Harvest Festival October 29 this year with the apple u-pick. The apples are crisp, sweet and juicy. Very flavorful.

Ad Hoc Restaurant's 10th Birthday

2016-09-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

My dear Ad Hoc Restaurant's birthday is September 16. They threw themselves a festive 10th Birthday Party in the back garden for about 300 people on the previous Monday, September 12, 2016. We were greeted at the sign-in table with a giant art chalkboard and a pulled pork waffle cone. Platters of mini lobster rolls came from the kitchen. There were three food stations outside in the back garden: oyster and prawn cocktails; baby roasted piglet, corn on the cob and wood-fired pizzas; finally there was fried chicken, beans and the fixings. Later, there was a large dessert buffet table. Wandering inside the kitchen there was a birthday cake displayed made by The French Laundry. Inside the restaurant a charcuterie platter, cheeses with bread were available. It was a lovely party.

Benu Restaurant San Francisco, CA

2015-07-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

photos and descriptions for Kim:

My husband turned 45 years old, so we made our way to Benu in San Francisco, California. This is California's fourth 3-Michelin Star Restaurant. Korean Corey Lee, chef/owner, is a creative genius.

We started with "small delicacies," that lasted over an hour and a half. (starting at top and moving left to right)
1. Caviar with winter melon and chicken cream
2./3. Mackerel with lotus leaf and pickled plum / Tomato seasoned with plum sauce
4. Grilled sea snail with citrus and chive petals
5./6. Cured unlaid hen egg with bacon and lily bulb / Acorn black truffle Imberico ham Parmesan pickled red onion
7. Oyster with pork belly and kimchi
8./9. Wild bamboo fungi stuffed with scallop and butter / Fried okra with salted shrimp and shrimp roe

Traditionally, Korean meals were served with brass chopsticks/spoons. Thus the meal began with a beautifully hand-hammered brass charger and brass flatware.

10. Eel taco

Finally at 9:00pm we started with our meal:
11. Thousand-year-old quail egg, potage, ginger
Chef notes in his new book "Benu" that if this egg comes back untouched, he knows that this restaurant isn't for that diner. He has a point. This restaurant isn't for everyone, it does take a very specific type of diner to thoroughly enjoy this meal.
12. Caramelized anchovy with potato salad
13. Cucumber, sesame, black truffle (served with black truffle bun and black truffle puree with black truffles--I could eat these all day.)
14. Foie gras xiao long bao
14b. Sea cucumber stuffed with shrimp, fermented pepper, cucumber (supplement, for my husband)

15. Steamed hen, abalone, lettuce, black trumpet mushroom
16. Beef rib, tomato condiment, charred scallion
17. Porridge, “shark fin,” dungeness crab, Jinhua ham

18. Shaved milk and honey (photos out of order . . . see below, then back up)
21. Dark chocolate with seeds and marshmallows, The End.

19. Coconut, almond, strawberry

20. Date cake with vanilla icing (supplement for my husband) out of a music box

My husband felt loved because I know that he "suffers" from not having anymore aged wine. I ordered him some wine with age to make up for it: 1989 Dominus and a 1988 Sauterne (though that wasn't served so that we could have a nice Grüner Veltliner). The evening was a total success, all the way around. The four diners were ecstatic, the kitchen was creative, and the service people were kind.

Our fellow diner went to culinary school. He noted, "I didn't learn any of this in culinary school." True, this food comes from the heart (wanting to share), and mind (a melding of left and right brain). It is a definite gift to be able to put this kind of knowledge, taste and energy on a plate.

Charity Auction Dinner

2015-06-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

When faced with an Auction theme "An Evening in Paris" to benefit a local church/school, I thought, "What if my friend Chef Dave Cruz came down from Napa (California) to cook dinner?" Called up another friend, who has a great house for entertaining, and asked if she'd like to co-host a dinner with me. Neither of us knew the full extent of what we were getting ourselves into. It was a lot of work, but worth it.

Photo: François Mori/AP Photo

Part of the fun, and issue, was the theme for the dinner: Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon. My wedding china is based on the Loire Valley, which is considered France's valley of kings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace of Versailles isn't too far away, so Marie's Petit Trianon was an ideal theme for the dinner in mind. Queen casual.

The co-host and I mixed and mingled our china, silverware and glass sets. Each of six courses had their own setting. This caused hundreds of pieces that needed washing, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend going this route again. Instead, rent the place settings, go with fewer courses or hire help.

First course: crudités vegetables with 'green goddess' dressing. Also, an Asian-dressed watermelon and shrimp appetizer were served in the bar area with the co-host's grandmother's china. Two French Champagnes were served: Henriot Rose Champagne along with H. Goutorbe Rose Champagne. The guests liked the fruitier H. Goutorbe better.

The second course was served at the table. Chef prepared a beet, leek, frisée and hazelnut salad. Edible flowers were gathered from the co-host's garden. This was paired with a mixed drink the co-host's husband devised that we called "Cheers to 1774," the year Marie Antoinette was gifted Le Petit Trianon by her husband.

Third course was sea bass wrapped in a French Prosciutto-style ham on top of yellow corn and red pepper. This was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley: Comte LaFond 2013 Sancerre. My favorite food and wine pairing of the evening, the balance and acid of the wine complimented the sea bass so nicely.

Our entree for the evening was Rib Eye beef, with potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms. Coupled with a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley: Domaine Grosbois Chinon 2011 Gabare. The beef melted in one's mouth, the chef was magic.

For the cheese course we served the co-host's 2009 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes with Roquefort, and a triple creme cheese called Pierre Robert Rouzaire. While shopping for the cheese, we were told that it's becoming increasingly difficult to acquire French cheese in the US. I loved this food and wine pairing, but most guests were becoming quite full. The antique Canton Famille Rose porcelain plates from china added to the luxury of the evening.

I made a lemon basil palate cleanser from lemons and basil from the co-host's garden.

Finally, the sixth course of dessert was strawberries, crunch and coconut ice cream. The co-host made chocolate truffles, which the guests thoroughly enjoyed. We served percolated coffee or Tea Forte to the 10 guests and 5 hosts. The chef, who'd been working from 8:00am to 10:00pm (plus 2 hours of driving on both ends), gave a few words; then we drove the sated guests home with "Queen's Honey" soap and a breakfast bread to enjoy the next morning, Father's Day. We succeeded in doing a modern version of a dinner Marie Antoinette would have at her private Petit Trianon.

Napkins that matched the wedding china were made on a sewing machine

especially for the occasion. Wrapped soap became place cards.

Brix Restaurant

2013-08-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

Talk about blessings in disguise. Our friends wanted to take my husband out for his birthday and suggested Bottega in Yountville. I contacted an acquaintance, James Darden, on Facebook to ask him if he could help us obtain a reservation, as he works there. Instead of responding, "sorry, can't help you," he simply 'unfriended' me. This seemed a rude thing to do, as the friend hosting us said, "Food is only as good as the people."

Lucky, lucky us, our chef friend Dave Cruz [who’s currently working as the Head Chef at Brix Restaurant located at 7377 St. Helena Hwy in Napa, CA 94558, just north of Yountville--(707) 944-2749] was excited to host us for dinner. It was easy for us to obtain reservations on opentable.com, for the time we wished. When we arrived Saturday evening we had a lovely table on the corner of the patio. The wedding in the distance looked ideal and beautiful; the weather perfect.

Chef Cruz sent out a wonderful selection that pleased our palates. It was beyond expectations, simply a relaxing, well decorated and manicured place to have a meal. A friend once commented that Brix was her parent's favorite place to eat, and they would go there each time they were in town. I don't have to wonder why anymore. Brix is sensational.

figs with manchego

polenta with pesto

pork belly

salmon tartar

prawns

sweet and sour chicken wings

flat bread

butter lettuce salad

panzenella

bronzino

halibut

beef short ribs

beef rib eye with smashed marble potatoes

apricot beignets and salted caramel ice cream bars

chocolate layer cake

Backyard Restaurant

2013-03-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago received a message that Dave Cruz would be cooking at his friend Dan Kedan's restaurant Backyard in Forestville, CA. We immediately made a reservation.

Walking up to the restaurant after a 9 mile jaunt across Santa Rosa, passing by Willowside Meat (the butcher), and a right-hand turn onto Hwy 116, things looked familiar. Nearly 15 years ago, my husband and I ate at this restaurant before it became Backyard this past November. On a drive back from the Mendicino Coast, it was a convenient stopping place. Hearing a bit about Backyard from Chef Dave Cruz, we wanted to try it, and now that we know it's exact location, we'll be back when we're headed to the Redwood Coast.

Arriving after a busy couple of weeks, and thankful for a holiday weekend, I ordered "Tim's Mocha," which was most enjoyable. I'd drive this way just for this coffee drink, told by friends that it had whipped cream within. It's nice to know this restaurant shops the way we do at home, including dairy from Strauss Family Creamery.

The night's menu, five-courses featuring the bounties of Northern California and guest chef Dave Cruz, began with a trio of Amuse bouche. The crostini with kimchi, bacon beignet and buttered radish were served on a hazelnut wood tray.

The kind chefs sent out a flatbread with miner's lettuce, onion and sausage for us to try.

To the table came a beet and wheat berry salad with a yogurt and mint sauce. The Sonora wheat berries were perfectly cooked and made one think of the fiber and nutrients that support good living.

Pasta being made earlier in the day, as posted on Backyard's Facebook page.

and the finished product: Tagliatelle with egg, king trumpet mushroom and parmesan

Wild Alaskan halibut with quinoa flavored with flavorful carrots. Another dish that makes one think of living well, in good harmony with the earth. A dish that shows good stewardship/husbandry of the soil, plants and animals. Wish the world's population could all eat like this, we would feel better in our 'environmental skin.'

Grilled beef with potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, asparagus and garlic butter.

Three cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery: St. Pat's, Mt. Tam and Red Hawk with marmalade were sent from the kitchen with kindness.

Lemon posset with cherry, pistachio brittle and meringue. As possets should be, it was like a lemon soup (thickened liquid). The flavors were bright, and cherry rich.

The owners Dan Kedan and his wife (her birthday, no less), are sweet and passionate about their restaurant. It has to be a good feeling to get up, work hard and know that while reaping the reward of long work, one's doing no harm to the world one's children will grow. The feeling of the restaurant is definitely family and future oriented. What a nice place to happen upon on the way to or from the Mendecino Coast, or it could strike one's fancy enough to stay in West Sonoma County permanently.

New Orleans, LA

2013-03-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

My husband's stepmom is Sicilian and brought the tradition of St. Joseph's Tables with her. Saw a couple of her tables in person, read some books, did some research and then made a couple of Tables myself. Used this year as an opportunity to visit New Orleans, LA, the place with the most St. Joseph's Tables in the U.S. (not to mention largest population of Sicilians outside of Sicily).

Oak Alley Plantation

It takes some doing getting from Northern California to New Orleans, it's not a simple process. Buy plane tickets during hurricane season for flights not during hurricane season for the best prices. Expect airplane delays. It's well worth a once-in-a-lifetime visit, though. My aunt has relatives who go quite often, and I personally couldn't do that.

Our March 15-19th trip could not have been better. The weather was perfect, in the low 70s; excitement for St. Patrick's Day; the Mardi Gras Indians out for Super Sunday; great development for the Super Bowl (still rebuilding after 2005's Hurricane Katrina); delicious seafood in season, etc., etc. not to mention the 100+ St. Joseph's Tables/Altars prepared. (Watching the local information station, one's under the impression there is always a weekend parade happening in New Orleans. It might be impossible to visit when "something's" not happening.)

St. Francis-Xavier in Metairie, LA's 2013 St. Joseph's Table

Altar bread in the shape of a crawfish

Altar bread in the shape of an alligator

Details of Fig Cookies, Egg Baskets (dough using fancy exacto-knife cuts)

Details of a take-home bag from a home celebrating their 25th St. Joseph Table

Obviously, we loved our trip. My husband said he'd visit again, while I have other places I'd like to see before traveling to NOLA again. Could not live there, but it was a spectacular place to visit with it's 300+ year history. For starters, there are an unreasonable amount of people who've died from brain cancer. Without any scientific proof, I concluded that it makes sense that pesticides and chemicals coming down the Mississippi River from the heartland of America cause this awful phenomenon. The shrimp in Louisiana was a revelation. Have never tasted such good shrimp, and suspect I never will. The people seem very honest, friendly and hardworking (there wasn't a time during our trip we felt threatened). Hope that we figure out a way to stop poisoning our fellow citizens at the end of the Mississippi River.

The Night the Lights Went Out

2013-01-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

In the early afternoon on Thursday I glanced down at the San Jose Mercury and San Francisco Chronicle Newspapers that normally spread across the granite lunch counter at work. Spied the words "Ad Hoc" and "Cruz" and immediately welled up, my favorite chef is leaving my favorite restaurant--it's official.

Sure, I've hear people say that it wouldn't last forever. My brain has know for nearly a year, but my heart didn't believe it until I saw those words in black and white.

Slight panic set in, sadness and happiness (after all the butterfly must be released). Husband is out of town for the week, should I go up tonight? I wondered. When I calmed a little, and read the fine print (Friday, February 1, 2013 is his last night), called my husband and determined we'd go on Sunday the 27th of January and on Chef Dave Cruz' last night Friday.

How do you send off such a person? Congratulate him, thank him, say we'll miss you, we love you, bravo, etc.? He's been with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group for more than 8 years, over 6 of those at Ad Hoc restaurant, from it's inception through today. He's been the man, the soul of Ad Hoc.

My current plan is this: an orange grand marnier cake inspired from a book club cake I had this past Thursday and a Rum Cake out of the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook.

Oranges are "good fortune" when given for Lunar New Year (coming up on February 10, Year of the Snake), and thought that would make an appropriate symbol.

Orange Cake for Dave

1 pound of unsalted butter

2 3/4 cups sugar

orange zest from 8 oranges

2 cups almond flour

2 cups +3 Tbsp corn flour (this makes it very dense)

1 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp. salt

2 cups + 3 Tbsp eggs (~11)

1/3 cup + 3 Tbsp Grand Marnier liquor

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 passion fruit, very ripe

3 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a 15-cup capacity bundt pan. Refrigerate the pan and then sprinkle with sugar to coat.

Place all the flours and salt in a medium size bowl, use a whisk to break up any large clumps and to combine.

Cream the butter well, add the sugar and orange zest and mix for about 7 minutes until fluffy.

On low speed, add about 1/3 the eggs 1/3 cup of Grand Marnier and the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and add 1/2 the remaining eggs and mix for 10 seconds. Repeat with the last of the eggs. It's okay if the mixture looks broken.

On low speed, add the flour mixture slowly until just combined.

With a spatula, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan to distribute evenly, use a spoon to make a well all the way around the center, so that the cake rises evenly. Bake for 65-75 minutes until done. Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then spoon over the following:

Mix the remaining 3 Tbsp Grand Marnier with honey and the strained juice of the passion fruit in a microwave safe cup. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, until the honey has melted into a liquid consistency. Stir well.

To Glaze the Cake: Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides. The cake is best made a day ahead.

Grand Marnier Icing:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp Grand Marnier

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

We Did it Again

2012-12-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

Our friends in Angwin, CA (northeast Napa Valley) are wonderful farmers who grow grapes for wine. That's not all, though. They raise and produce much of their own food and beverage: chickens/eggs, pigs, vegetables, goat cheese, honey, beer, etc. Within the extended family, they have children who raise animals in a 4-H club. A very sweet little girl spent her first year in 4-H raising two amazing lamb.

It was my first time bidding on an animal at a livestock auction. When one receives a cute handwritten letter asking one to bid at the Napa Valley livestock auction in August, it's purposefully difficult to say no. At the auction I felt a little strange, sorry for the lamb who seemed scared, and one could see why. The noise is loud, fast and with many people staring at the animal on display.

After we made the winning bid, uniformed older children came and placed a photo in hand of the pretty animal with the child who raised it. That image erased the uneasy feeling of the auction. We found the lamb and girl, thanked them, and then said kind words to each.

We were lucky to have our friend, the girl, take her lamb home for a few weeks to eat and run to it's heart's content. At the beginning of September, a hired gun went out to the farm and calmly shot the lamb "Taco" dead. One single shot, a very minimum of pain.

The lamb was transported by the hired gun to the butcher's in Santa Rosa, CA. We picked up our lamb at the end of September from Willowside Meats (the fantastic butcher shop).

Called our cook friend, and asked if we dropped off some lamb breast, would he cook it and have us over for dinner? Enthusiastically, he agreed and the delicious dinner above was the result. Happily, we decided that supporting our 4-H friend was a good, wholesome and tasty way to go.

Purchasing a whole animal at the Napa Valley fair auction was on the expensive side, ~$6.50 per pound total. However, the fact it was NV made it expensive, and most 4-H clubs in other areas have extremely reasonable prices. Luckily, we had help paying as a relative wanted to go in with us on the purchase.

Counting the number of packages of lamb, we determined that we could eat one package every-other-week and have the lamb last all year. I decided to save the boned leg-of-lamb roast for Christmas.

My nearly 95 year old great aunt, her niece, and friends--7 people total, really enjoyed our leg-of-lamb holiday dinner. We thank the well respected, tasty lamb for giving it's life for us every time we cook a piece of it.

America the Beautiful

2012-12-16T21:54:00.002-08:00

It's been a while since I've written. Part of the reason I'm considering writing again from time to time, is that I'm now paying Google for extra space to accommodate more photos.

In light of the tragic school shooting Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School, thought I would write a little about America. The better America is, the worst it is, too. There is too much to say, so I'll just hit upon a few points.

I am extremely fortunate. We have jobs, an education and everything we could need, and then some. I feel lucky and very happy to be an American. Wasn't always an American, however. My parents adopted me when I was 2 years old. A week ago, I celebrated 36 years in America, with tremendous food, wonderful friends and scenic views. Good things that are made possible via this country.

Through a book club I'm involved, I've read about different countries' views, politics and policies. It's eye-opening learning about world wars, mental illness, and the human spirit under extreme conditions.

Speaking with a man from Viet Nam, opened my eyes partly to why America is able to enjoy so much. He took the point that, America has a history of dropping/selling guns all over the world, perhaps to divide nations, to promote civil wars. He argued that by doing so, America had countries fighting among themselves (dividing their power), purchasing newly "needed" weaponry--both of which are potentially advantageous to this country.

So, it's relatively ironic that our fundamental "right to bear arms" has lead us to allow guns produced solely for killing humans, into any American's hands. The Sandy Hook tragedy is the new poster child for our extremism.

What is right with America, is also what is wrong with America. I only hope that we may put these freedoms into the hands of educated, chemically/hormonally balanced individuals. I love America and hope that it finds ways to be wholesome, honest and good.

Anniversary Dinner at Meadowood

2012-08-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

We used to dine every few months at The Restaurant at Meadowood in the early 2000s when we wanted good, casual, reasonably-priced Napa Valley food and ambiance. This entire concept went on it's head when Chef Christopher Kostow was hired away from the 2-Michelin Starred Chez TJ in Mountain View, CA.

Our friend, with a little help from us, obtained a position growing vegetables at the Montesori Garden for The Restaurant at Meadowood, 900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena, CA. Meadowood and it's chef Christopher Kostow earned the second 3-Michelin Star restaurant rating for the Napa Valley (Thomas Keller's The French Laundry being the first). Naturally, we wanted to experience some of what was grown (from time-to-time we'd volunteer a little hand in the garden) and determined that our upcoming wedding anniversary would be a great time to go.

We were so pleased Ad Hoc Restaurant's chef Cruz and Meadowood's gardener agreed to join us. The dinner was most memorable because of the company of these hardworking, soft-spoken and determined people.

The restaurant treated us to Billecart-Salmon Brute Rose Champagne to start. We were seated on the patio over looking an expanse of grass in the mild evening.

Amuse bouche starter

Garden vegetables with dipping "soil"

Beet and carrot amuse bouche

*** Wonderful taste: whipped yogurt, pickled plum with black sesame and shiso leaves

Cherry tomato clam lovage

Spot prawn, lily and caviar with individual sourdough bread roll

Garden cucumber, sesame seed, borage

Peter Michael "Ma Belle Fille" Chardonnay

Abalone, lobster, mushroom, succulents with individual bread

Trout, forgotten herbs, beet and peaches

*** Bouillon of roasted meats (palate cleanser)

Roast leg-of-goat

*** Goat, cumin, buttermilk eggplant with pumpernickel rolls

When asked, I gathered some (non-poisoned) garden snails at 6:00am a month earlier, 35 of them. My friend the gardener at 4:30am picked up over 400 snails, which eventually helped to create the following dish:

Cote de boeuf, snails and chanterelles. It is interesting to note the restaurant/chef's relationship

to the potter who creates many of the dishes upon which the food arrives.

*** Pretzel mimolette with summer peppers

Lime palate cleanser

Lemon cream with currants

Chef Cruz's gift of 2000 Dom Perignon Champagne

German chocolate cake (white chocolate coming out of the coconut shell)

Stages of the grape

The meal is obviously not something one wants to do every day. Surprisingly, the food wasn't the star of the show; the company was . . . the food was an amazing compliment to the fun company.

Would I do it again? Yes, especially for their treat known as "The Twelve Days of Christmas," when they feature a different chef and winery for 12 nights in December.

Truly, I believe Chef Kostow, purposefully or not, is showing us the future of fine dining (at the point if & when the modern world looses it's infrastructure, and we've poisoned the land and water). This is how we will eat well: using sustainably harvested fruits, vegetables and animal products; served on hand-crafted dishes.

Date Night

2012-03-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Friends are back from their six-month honeymoon. The husband landed a job at Bonny Doon Vineyard in north Santa Cruz, CA. He began right around the same time as new Chef du Cuisine Ryan Shelton. Ryan comes from several years as an innovative pastry chef under chef Bruno Chemel, first at Chez TJ in Mountain View, CA, then from Baume in Palo Alto, CA.

Decided to eat a sampling from Chef Ryan's second night at the head of Cellar Door (soon changing names to Le Cigare Volant):

Boquerones (Spanish Sardines)

Popelouchum Asparagus Soup

Glaum Ranch Circulated Egg (low and slow, like sous vide)

Spring and Baby Vegetable Salad

Crispy Brown Rice with Miso Glazed Root Vegetables (Arugula Tempura)

38 degrees North Lacquer Duck Leg with Orange Anise

Assorted Cheeses

Strawberry "Thaw" Custard (with liquid Nitrogen). This was one of the top five most fun desserts I've had. It was a great way to end our "date."

The aim is that Chef Ryan Shelton will earn Cellar Door at Bonny Doon Vineyard it's first Michelin Star. Given the sources for wonderful, fresh ingredients are within 50 miles, he's at an amazing location to produce a Michelin Star for the area. He just needs to keep working, challenging himself, surrounding himself with good people; and as Thomas Keller says, (paraphrasing) 'You're not just cooking for today, you're cooking for your legacy.'

St. Joseph's Table Baking--Day 5

2012-03-04T19:22:00.035-08:00

Decided to go to work and bake there. This had definite advantages and disadvantages. One advantage was the quantity I was able to finish. At home I usually make 2 batches of bread in a day, at work (with the commercial oven, pans, etc.) was able to bake 7 batches of bread in 9 hours straight.

Didn't bring the Kitchen Aid mixer from home, and mixed everything by hand. [This left me desiring a Camco hand bread mixer like my friend owns.] Wasn't able to incorporate all the flour for which the recipes called, and my arms were tired. Caused the decorative loaves to be not as sturdy, so they broke where they wouldn't have had I taken time at home. The advantage was that 16 loaves (some huge) were baked in a day (where ~6 smaller loaves would be normal at home). The out-sized loaves I wished to bake would only fit in the commercial-sized oven.

Arrived at 10:20am and began mixing yeast with warm water.
Bowl 1 = 1 batch Bread of SJ = 1 large 20"w round 4-rope-braid-loaf (normally creates 3 med-lg loaves)
Bowl 2 = 2 batches Bread of SJ = 2 large round loaves (1 balls round, 1 plain round with comb-incised decoration)
Bowl 3 = 2 batches bread of SJ = a loaf each of: ladder, monstrance, loaves/fish, chalice, hammer, carpenter's square, and a nail
Bowl 4 = 1 batch of Festive Easter Bread = 2 doves with eggs, "S"/"G" with eggs, and a host
Bowl 5 = 1 batch of Festive Easter Bread = 1 round braid with 3 colored eggs
The Festive Easter Bread still needs icing and colored sprinkles.
(see March 2011 archive for recipes)

After mixing, kneading the rest of the ingredients by hand, shaped the loaves (experimented with shapes) and baked the bread 3-4 large sheet pans at a time.

Finished baking just after 5:00pm, then it was an hour of dish washing and another hour of wrapping the bread for the freezer. Finally left, exhausted at 7:20pm. That was my penance for all the fun I've had lately. Hopefully the bread shows well on the Table.

Lessons for next time: bring the mixer, recruit dishwashing help, as well as bread-shaping help. Not the best idea to do it all alone; and the ball round doesn't hold together, the plain round with comb-incised design held together the best.

Re-Opening Ad Hoc Part 2

2012-02-28T19:15:00.001-08:00

Think we're the luckiest people, because Ad Hoc Restaurant agreed to host us both nights of their friends and family pre-opening. It was the best leap day I remember.

The public was made what we had on Leap Day, February 29th the very next day March 1st--their official public re-opening after the renovation. What we had on Tuesday, Ad Hoc recreated for the public on their second opened day Friday, March 2nd.

Salad

Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw, Butter Beans (Supplement: Biscuits & Gravy)

Landaff

Banana Split

Saturday March 3rd they served prime rib and were very busy. We ate the caramel panna cotta dessert with friends, and I took home the scallop supplement. The atmosphere was a-buzz many people happy to be back home.

Sunday March 4th Ad Hoc had hash for brunch and pork rack for dinner. Monday Thomas Keller himself was in house for the fried chicken dinner. Can't think of a better way to cap a whole week of Ad Hoc.

St. Joseph's Table Preparation--Day 2

2012-02-19T20:00:00.001-08:00

As promised, the second portion of the Fig Cake recipe. The filling portion's recipe is in the previous day's blog post.

Fig Cakes (adapted from "Viva San Guuseppe: a guide for Saint Joseph Altars")

Dough:

6 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 sticks butter

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups cold milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough should be very stiff (if not cover and refrigerate). Roll out pastry dough into sheets 1/8" thick. Cut dough into long strips 2" wide. Place fig filling evenly along the center of the strip (as described here is easier than the shorter strip version pictured above). Roll one side of the dough over the top of the filling. Continue to roll dough to complete a long tube of dough and filling. Roll tube to smooth and thin out.

Here I cut the tubes about 3" long and shaped into a horseshoe, then made incisions 1/3-1/2 way through at 1 cm intervals.

Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on rack or waxed paper. Allow to cool. Frost with a simple powdered sugar and milk icing. Yields 60-100 cookies depending on size.

Iced and decorated Fig Cakes

Decorative (non-edible) Wheat Sheath with Mouse loaf [before]

Grape Cluster and Wheat (decorative only)

Made the decorative only loaves using the same recipe as last year, but reduced the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon only (low yeast for a crisp design). http://csagirlfriend.blogspot.com/2011/03/bread-of-st-joseph-vuccidrato-pane-di.html Loaves will be baked further in a low warm oven for several hours to dry out fully, then shellacked for multi-year use.

Fish loaf before

2012 Fish loaf after baking

St. Joseph's Staff, Cross, Artichoke and Fish decorative bread loaves

St. Joseph's Table Preparation 2012--Day 1

2012-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

Orange Lemon Cookies

1/4 of the recipe was specially decorated for friends

10 c. flour

9 eggs

1 lb. butter

2 1/2 c. sugar

7 tsp. baking powder

zest and juice of one orange

zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. (Note: this barely fits in a standard home mixer, recipe may be halved.) Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, mix well. Add milk, zest and juice from the orange and lemon. Mix in flour and baking powder. Roll the thickness of a breakfast sausage and cut into 1 1/2" long pieces on a diagonal. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes, until just done, a very light brown color (watch closely). Recipe makes ~200 cookies.

Frost with a mixture of powdered sugar and lemon juice (thickness to taste). Dip cooled cookies into frosting (and optionally sprinkle with colored candies).

Fig Cakes

Hubby helped by mincing the following ingredients for the inside of fig cakes (cookies). We did this by hand in an effort to save money by not purchasing a meat grinder.

The recipe below is meant to go in the cookies listed in tomorrow's post, however noticed it would work in the "forever" items made for the table above. These are not suppose to be eaten, rather used year, after year for the St. Joseph's Table.

Filling:

20-24 oz. dried figs

10 oz. diced dates

1 orange

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla

1 c. pecans

Grind (or chop very finely, over and over again) figs, dates and pecans. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix. Cover and let stand until needed.

(fig cake 'cookie' recipe continued tomorrow).

The Farm, Hog Island Oyster Company

2012-01-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

Friends invited us to go north to eat oysters near Bodega Bay. They were aiming for the Hog Island Oyster Company 'The Farm' on the Tamales Bay, CA (just northeast of Point Reyes N.S.) at 20215 Highway 1, Marshall, CA.

We met up at their place in San Francisco and drove the Golden Gate Bridge north, then traveled over toward the coast. They came prepared with ingredients to prepare sauce for oysters, beer, fruit, cheese and pita crackers. We brought wine, as we didn't know what else to expect.

Upon arriving along the crowded coast (an unusually warm and sunny day for this time of the year), we took advantage of the free valet parking. There is substantial remodeling happening on the property, so fencing barricades lead us north, then west around a building. Our immediate view was of a crowded group of warm (nearly 70 degrees), and sunny revelers. We hunted for an available picnic table.

Note: ~6 picnic tables along the outside (by the fence) are by reservation only (call ahead); ~6 picnic tables + 1 stand-up table 'inside' the semi-circle of outer tables are first-come-first-served (and sharing is encouraged--if not necessary!) The other difference between the outer and inner tables (all outdoor) is that the outer tables require self-shucking of the oysters and have ~89 cent oysters available, and the inner tables have house-shucked oysters for ~$2 each. Obviously each has it's advantage, plan ahead.

Atlantic Oysters

Our host ordered one-dozen barbecued oysters and two-dozen raw small-sized "Sweetwater" oysters. When those were done we had two-dozen raw "Atlantic" (type, not raised there) oysters.

Small Sweetwater Oysters

Temporary storage for harvested oysters, Hog Island Oyster, Co.

All the oysters were fabulous as they're all farm-raised a 100 yards away by 'mud flats'/on oyster beds, then stored a short time in containers where fresh bay water flows in and out (so the water doesn't become toxic).

It was fun to go to the source and drink all the bring-your-own-beverages, and accompaniment food in a relaxed setting. The Bay Area's weekend-idle riche (guy sporting a "Facebook developer" t-shirt, former 'Lehman wife'-turned-'Google wife' with a large ring some would inadvertently assume costume, etc.) unintentionally congregated to this local like Surat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." A french bulldog was our table-mate for the glorious foodie afternoon.

Opening REDD WOOD

2012-01-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

When one has the town with the highest per capita Michelin Stars (due to one demi-god-like chef), there's bound to be competition. Some of said chef's employees were hired to give the north-end of Yountville, CA a young, hip vibe. Was invited to the second night of pre-opening (friends and family) of a casual eatery REDD WOOD at 6755 Washington Street, Yountville.

We woke before the crack of dawn to put in a full day's work, then made the two hour trek north to our 'home away from home.' After more than four days of rain, it finally cleared in time for our drive through San Francisco.

REDD WOOD has a sleek, spare 'clean subway' meets 'rustic elegance' decor within the charming and tiny Hotel Luca complex. We sat at the bar.

Hubby began with a gin drink ('209' gin made by a winery owner nearby--Leslie Rudd) and shared meatballs. These had a texture I admire--meaty, not mushy, and definitely included pork in the ingredient mix.

We sat by the 'meat locker' or curing room.

A shared 5 piece charcuterie featured the house-created cured meats. The restaurant also makes all their bread and the extra-long grissini.

I had the winter vegetable salad with green goddess dressing.

Hubby ordered the lamb bolognese with risotto balls (arancini). The sauce was what one would expect from a nicely textured and meaty-tasting bolognese.

The roasted potatoes were good cold the next day, the fried brussels and cauliflower were excellent and memorable.

For dessert we shared a chocolate caramel tart with hazelnuts and toffee cannoli. The desserts were perfection. It was the best cannoli I've had. The chocolate caramel tart was rich and smoothly textured with the nut and crisp crunchy crust.

Note that the menu will change from day-to-day. Open for dinner to late night. Do serve wood-fire pizzas.

Our evening was so lovely that we were most pleasant to one another afterward. So, I suppose that says something about a meal: one that's better than years of couples therapy (not that we've had any).

In the end, if I had to make a judgment, would say it's a great place to hang out with friends and have a snack. Unable to wrap my brain fully around choosing to dine at REDD WOOD over my favorite restaurant. (note that Bouchon Bakery and Ad Hoc restaurant are both undergoing several months of renovations) Do believe that REDD WOOD restaurant is a fun, comfortable place to enjoy friends and food (+ it has a full bar).

Thanksgiving at Ad Hoc Restaurant

2011-11-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

I am attempting to eat at Ad Hoc Restaurant 366 times within mine or the restaurant's life. Each time represents a day during a calendar year. This is a tricky proposition because Ad Hoc isn't open every day (they're normally closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), and closed on major holidays. For instance, 2012 is a Leap Year, however February 29th will fall on a regular Ad Hoc day off, so I'll have to wait until 2016 to eat there on a February 29th.

When I heard this past Spring that the restaurant (my favorite) would be open (as a one-off) this Thanksgiving I asked early and often for a seat. We've dined often enough to become pretty good friends with a number of the employees. It feels like family.

Prior to Thanksgiving dinner there were murmured rumors . . . "a whole turkey per table," "Chef wants one of each pie made per table," etc.

Pastry Chef Sarah Z. at 2 am finishing her Thanksgiving pies

Finally, the big day arrived. I ate a persimmon for breakfast and tried not to eat anything else before our 3:30 pm reservation. We drove past our friends' San Francisco apartment and picked up pineapple treats they'd brought back from Taiwan. We each ate one, which saved our grumbling tummies.

Once we arrived, we didn't have to wait long for the great appetizers. Every bit was housemade, down to the crackers. Hor d'oeurves featured olive and eggplant spreads, wrapped bread sticks, stuffed mushrooms and smoked salmon.

White bean soup

The turkey roasted for our table.

Turkey with all the fixings: onions, Brussels sprouts, yams, green beans, bacon celery stuffing, whipped potatoes, cranberry sauce, and little drop biscuits. The mushroom soup on the green beans was out of this world.

Our table of two was served half of each pie--pumpkin, apple and pecan with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and whipped cream. (Tables of four were given three full pies!)

This was my second time eating in a restaurant on Thanksgiving day. The first time didn't feel like Thanksgiving, this time definitely did. The entire staff went out of their way to devise a plan to make their friends and family feel really, really special. Everything about the meal was planned to create a feeling of home, comfort, memory, etc. We brought home a file box full of leftovers, just like the leftovers of our past Thanksgivings.

Ad Hoc's careful planning succeeded. I felt extraordinarily lucky to have such a love-lavished meal.

Honey Caramel Almond Bars

2011-11-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

As they say, the fifth time's the charm, and here is the final product:

Gourmet Girlfriend's Honey Caramel Almond Bars

Time 1 hour, 30 minutes; Serves 24

Crust:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300° F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9” X 13” baking pan very well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, salt, and sugar at medium speed until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour and cornstarch, mix until just incorporated.

Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the dough well with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes, until pale-golden brown around the edges. Cool slightly as you prepare the topping.

Caramel Almond Topping:

4 cups sliced almonds (optional: use less)

2 ½ cups light corn syrup
1 cup honey

4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups heavy cream, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla

Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes until lightly golden.

In a very large sauce pan heat the sugar, honey, corn syrup, 2 cups cream, butter and salt on medium heat, stirring, until it reaches bubbling, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Without stirring, when bubbles subside, wash down the sides with cold water. Let boil until the caramel comes to 240 degrees, soft ball stage. Slowly add the last 2 cups of cream, without breaking the boil. Continue to boil until caramel reaches the medium/firm ball stage 244 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almonds. Toss until they are completely coated.

Pour the caramel over the pre-baked pastry base. Cool the bars completely, then cut into 24 triangle bars

(OPTIONAL: let cool 5 minutes to 200°F and use to cover caramel apples).

CSA & Pig Pick Up

2011-10-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday picked up our CSA. We're contemplating whether or not to get the Winter Share this year, but will definitely get the Regular Season Share next year (beginning in April 2012).

Up at Summit Lake Vineyards the younger Griffin daughter raises pigs for 4-H. The eldest daughter used to raise 4-H pigs, but doesn't any more. Now her pigs are raised for college money. We purchased half a 300 pound pig to supply us with protein for the next year. Not only did we see the pigs when they were young arrive at the farm, we saw them grow up.

Some may have great issue with knowing that one of these sweet pigs ended up filling our freezer. I've said many prayers and given much thanks for the pig. I know they were not overcrowded, that they were fed well, treated well, cared for; will help a talented young, hardworking lady go to college; and I know when, where (at home), and how the animals were shot and butchered. All of it done with much respect for the animals.

On Saturday we picked up our pig from the butcher at Willowside Meats, Inc. in Santa Rosa, CA. One can see the quality of their meats. Having not personally bought a half an animal before, I was surprised to learn we had 19 pounds of sausage (made into breakfast links).

Sunday morning we had sausage pita for breakfast; and a bacon, lettuce and tomato salad for dinner. The sausage was relatively lean, the bacon very lean and meaty, both had excellent flavor. We requested the butcher put the pork into small packages as there are only two of us. I'm sure you'll hear more about the pig in the future.

For the dear pig who gave up it's life

for us to eat and be nourished well.

Dominion & Dinner with Friends

2011-10-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend while dining with friends, we invited them over for dinner tonight. After watching Barefoot Contessa, shopped for a few items for the menu I'd created earlier in the morning. Lately, I've spent hours looking on eBay at beautiful antique china/porcelain. It's been a very long time since the china in our collection was used, so I thought we'd go a little fancier tonight and see some of the pretty plates that usually sit in the cabinet.

Dishes sitting out awaiting their respective course.

Amuse Bouche of mushroom, yogurt and carrot parfait with a squash blossom bought at the farmers market by our friends. This was served with a 2010 Monte Volpe Pinot Grigio from Mendocino (purchased on my parents' 45 Anniversary at Graziano).

Earlier I'd prepared items from the CSA: green beans, eggs, potatoes and lettuce for the Salad Nicoise. In the pantry I didn't find the black (nicoise) olives that I'd hoped, and only found the pimento stuffed green olives, oh well! The tuna was from our local market, and seared briefly on each side.

Tuna salad nicoise served with 2009 Eric Kent Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Scallop with prawn under mashed sweet potatoes, served with a "Root of All Evil," absinthe mixed with root beer.

Preparation of the scallop with prawns.

Braised lamb with roasted sweet and yellow potatoes served with 2006 Retro Petite Sirah Howell Mountain

Cheese course, petite creme with applesauce made by a coworker and toasted Companion Bakers bread, served with Spiced Pear Vodka mixed with gingerale

After the main course, we took a break to play the card game "Dominion," which is a little like Settlers of Catan--without a game board. It's an enjoyable game to play with 2-4 people.

The evening ended with strawberries stewed in a peppered wine sauce with whipped cream and Pocky sticks. A 2002 Summit Lake Clair Riley Zinfandel Port from Howell Mountain was served, though I think it would have gone better with the cheese course.

Surprisingly clean up was much easier than I would have thought, as serving and removing plates was done in an organized manner. Also, it probably helped that there were only four of us.

For an evening that was planned on the fly, seven hours from conception to delivery, it turned out well. Life is what one makes of it.

Camping Lake Almanor

2011-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

From our home in the San Francisco/Santa Cruz Bay Areas of California, Lake Almanor and Lassen Volcanic National Park are about a 6 hour drive. We took Interstate 80 North out of the Bay Area and over toward the State Capital of Sacramento, eventually we ended up on 70 North and then took 32 East from Chico, CA. Leaving just after 6 am, we arrived at our Lake Almanor Campground South at noon. Stepping out of the car, we were instantly relaxed. Fresh cool, clean, air; blue sky; tall, happy trees made us want to set up our new hammocks and take in our temporary home. The Lake Almanor area is like a blissful, calm, quiet, uncrowded, low-key version of Lake Tahoe.

We took a ride around the lake after settling in and setting up our tent. The photo above was taken on the southwestern corner of the PG&E-created lake, looking north toward Lassen Peak.

The remainder of our camping party had joined us by the second night, the night before the full moon. We hoped in the car to obtain a great sunset shot, and this moon rising photo as well. This southeast-facing photo was taken after the adventure of crawling down a couple of embankments to the lakeside. Rocky Point PG&E Campground affords visitors tent sites right on the lake shore, we discovered.

Every morning while camping, the mother ground squirrel (ground squirrels don't have stripes that go all the way down their noses, unlike chipmunks) scurried around for food. Meanwhile, her three babies, one of which is pictured above, would come out for some sun. What a cute family with whom to share our campsite.

While waiting patiently for the Lassen Volcanic National Park road to open, we rented a boat. The boat was equipped with a "fish finder," so we could see the best fishing was on the least populated side of the lake, about 300' off shore. Lake Almanor is a wonderfully relaxing lake. My husband I both commented on the cloud formations: reminded me of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings, and my husband of "The Simpsons" clouds.

One night we ate at the Pines Resort on the lake shore. The restaurant was memorable only for it's Friday and Saturday night live bands. When I saw the sun setting, I ran out onto the dock and photographed the colors. Loved that people just boated across the lake to eat dinner, then cruised back to their country club homes.

The night after the full moon, this amazing moon came up behind us: a huge orange moon sitting in a dark blue sky, reflecting a deep orange off the turquoise lake water. The colors reminded me of something tropical like southern Florida.

Listening to me, my husband drove Highway 89 South to go home. We took the scenic route, which surprised us with it's wonderfulness. Passing many quaint towns; Quincy, CA being my favorite; Lure Resort on the river in Downieville, CA looked sweet as well. Highway 49 South followed 89, where we stopped to take the photo above. Our friend, who drove this route the previous night, said that he saw two giant mountain lions sitting on a boulder looking for food in the river. What an exciting trip!

Lassen Volcanic National Park

2011-07-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

We entered Lassen Volcanic National Park in northeastern California on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Little did we know the road through the park was closed due to snow. Our small camping group was able to go one third of the way through the park, then a closed gate at Bumpass Hell (a bubbling geological site) stopped vehicles from going further. I didn't believe the website posting, from a week before we went camping, that stated a number of the popular hiking trails in the park were closed due to snow.

This bubbling mudpot is clearly visible from the road, and one of the first thermo-geological sites one comes across from the southern entrance to the park.

A short hike up a hill, affords the view of this steaming, rapidly bubbling hot spring across the stream (the trail right up to this spring was closed due to danger of stepping through the thin crust between hiker and boiling water!).

Parking at Bumpass Hell trailhead (as far as we could go), we walked the road behind the closed gate to this view of Lake Helen. We were awed by the beautiful frozen lake and the pretty icy blue color of its water. Across the street from this lake was a 24' high wall of snow, it made an impression on us from the snowless part of California.

Lucky for us, the road all the way through Lassen National Park opened while we were still in the area. We drove back through the park on Saturday, when we were sure that the road would be open. Above is a picture of the back side of Lassen Peak, it shows the devastated area from Lassen's 1914 and 1915 volcanic eruptions (its last big eruption was in 1922).