Becks & Posh

B.E.A.T it, BLT!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:31:08 -0500

Bacon, Egg, Avocado, Tomato

Bacon - Fatted Calf
Egg - laid by either Sadie or Yolko, my work-colleague's chickens.
Avocado - Will's
Tomato - Balakian Farms
Mayonnaise - homemade (using Yolko and Sadie's eggs)
Bread - Acme

?How do you Spruce up your BLT?

Archives
2007 | On Food Photography and Ratatouille with Pixar's DP, Sharon Calahan
2006 | Culinary Muse
2005 | Imperial Tea Court - Ferry Building - San Francisco - CA
2004 | La Galere des Rois - Paris - France [Since Closed!]

© 2008 Sam Breach

beeT-Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:39:58 -0500

Crafty Party at Del4yo's

Inspired, perhaps, by a visit to a Lotta Prints Party in SF, My friend Del4yo threw a hands-on T-Shirt-printing party of her own.

Lotta Love

More Lotta Love

I really wanted to do a radish print, but I thought it would be too difficult so I decided to make a beetroot stencil instead. Trouble is, everyone seems to think it is a radish anyway. This was fun. I think I should be crafty more often.

?Which vegetable would you print on your T-Shirt?

Archives
2004 | Le 40th Fete - Part 1 - Le Party!

© 2008 Sam Breach

A Bowl of Portugese Plums

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:51:29 -0500

Small, Round, Sweet...

?I'd never seen round plums before, have you?

Archives
2007 | Carless in America - Goodbye S2KUTE
2006 | Mama's Washington Square

© 2008 Sam Breach

Free Water for Life courtesy of Boccalone Salumeria

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:54:04 -0500

Another reason to love San Francisco and its 'environmental stewards' like Mark Pastore and Chris Constentino...
At the San Francisco Ferry Building's newest store, Boccalone Salumeria, you can buy, for $20, a smart-looking metallic water bottle brandished with the pig-angel logo that, to my mind, embodies global love for all tasty salted pig parts. As anyone who likes to eat pig parts will know, following up these salty snacks with a refreshing glug of pure water is not a bad idea.

Any Locavore worth his or her salt will not feel comfortable about shipping glass or plastic bottles of 'designer' or mineral waters half way across the world when perfectly adequate Hetchy Hetchy water flows freely from our taps here in the Bay Area. At Boccalone Salumeria they have installed the patented Natura® water filter system that further improves the composition of the tap water and rids it of any smell or taste of chlorine.

At Boccalone Salumeria, Natura's filtration system provides customers with a choice of room temperature still, or chilled sparkling or still waters. You can either purchase it by the cup or be smart and buy that hamtastic bottle which promises you free water refills for life. It even has a handy clip on the top so you can secure it to your market shopping basket, so you'll never forget it... Boccalone also sell 'Meat Cups'. How can you not be intrigued by the idea of a meat cup?

?How do you Drink your Water?

Local Resources
Thanks to the person who bought me my first meat cup.
Hello to the person I bumped in to, who shared a little of another, different, meat cup with me, a meat cup that rightfully belonged to the Mad Meat Genius.
No two meat cups are the same, it would seem.
The Importance of Municipal Water: San Francisco’s Phase Out of Bottled Water
Some Eco-conscious Restaurants are Banning Bottled Water

Archives
2006 | Lemony Yogurt
2005 | 2003 Vintage Coonawarra Majella Sparkling Shiraz
2004 | Le Cafe du Commerce and Restaurant Pizza "La Gioconda"

© 2008 Sam Breach

Cheese & Chorizo

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:07:41 -0500

A Picture from Portugal

Queijo de Ovelha Curado and a Spicy Chorizo from Portugal.

Archives
2006 | Happy 4th July
2005 | The Living Room & Beach at the W - San Diego - CA
2004 | Le Sancerre, Montmartre

© 2008 Sam Breach

On Food Reviews: Journalists vs Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:50:00 -0500

Professional Critics vs Amateurs

You are probably thinking that this subject has already been talked about more than enough. But here comes a fresh perspective on the subject of Reviewer vs Reviewee from Kelli Bernard of LoveScool, a blog-reader, turned blogger, turned professional food writer turned Tea & Bakeshop Owner:

"I can spot a blogger at Amai from a mile away, and I love it. They usually come in alone, order at least 4 different things, then set everything up on a table and take pictures before trying a bite of each one."

To find out what else Kelli has to say from her unique perspective on all sides of the fence, read on...

PS - A sweet friend once gave me a boxlet of Amai's sweet treats and I can vouch that they were very good.

?As a blogger do you ever use traditional reporting techniques like calling the place you are reviewing and asking questions of them?

Other Resources & Further Reading
Professional v Amateur Restaurant Critics, San Francisco Chronicle Weighs In

Archives
2007 | Mon Ami Gabi Las Vegas
2006 | Soleil @ the K - Gas Lamp - San Diego - CA
2004 | Thornbury Castle, Gloucestershire, England

© 2008 Sam Breach

Community Wine Making in Dogpatch/Potrero Hill, San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:27:21 -0500

How you, too, can get in on the act, with Crushpad

A few weeks ago, I did something I have never done before: I bought three bottles of pinot noir. Nothing unusual about that, you might think. But the difference, this time, is that the wine I purchased hasn't been made yet. And - if all goes according to plan - I am going to be part of the wine making process. And you can be too!

I was very excited when I found out that Crushpad - a winery situated just a few blocks away from where I live, had started a community wine-making project right in my hood. I don't expect anyone remembers, but I first wrote about Crushpad almost three years ago. Although the idea of it appealed to me on some level, I couldn't really get into it at the time because it was so cost prohibitive: To make your own wine with Crushpad privately costs a whopping $5,700 to $10,900 per barrel.

So when I heard that Crushpad were opening up the opportunity to be part of the wine-making process to our whole neighbourhood, both the people who live here and work here, I jumped at the chance to be involved by buying (the maximum allowance) three bottles of the Potrero Hill Pinot at the futures price of just $19 a bottle. So, what does this give me and what does it give you, if you decide to buy a bottle too?

For just $19 you can be a part of all of this:

July 10 9, 2008 Potrero Hill Pinot Pizza Party
August 28, 2008 Potrero Kick Off Party
October 5-18, 2008 Potrero Hill Crush Camps (dates subject to change)
February 14, 2009 Valentines Day Barrel Tasting Party
August 2009 Potrero Pinot Release Party
AND
# Receive online updates about the progress of your wine as is makes its way from vineyard to bottle.
# Participate in a special Potrero Hill Crush Camp where you'll get to sort grapes, do punchdowns and learn about winemaking. Plus enjoy all the grapes you can eat!
# Vote on a local Potrero Hill artist to design the label for Potrero Pinot.
# Know that any profits from this endeavour will go to a neighborhood charity.

AND, of course, you'll end up with the bottle of wine you were a part of making.

For an investment of just $19, it doesn't sound like I've got anything to lose! I'd love as many of my Potrero/Dogpatch neighbours as possible to join in the fun because then I might get to meet you, make wine and clink glasses with you. And if you don't live or work in this particular area, don't fret, your turn will come: Crushpad plans to start similar community wine making projects all over the city of San Francisco soon. Click here to see the map, select your hood and sign up for information about when Crushpad will be offering their service to you and your neighbours.

?Have you ever made wine before? How did it go?

Archives
2006 | Hungrig in San Francisco (now in English!)
2005 | The first time I met The Restaurant Whore

© 2008 Sam Breach

Mystery Garlic Cloves

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:31:01 -0500

What, exactly, are these?

I was no sooner off the plane in Portugal, after 20+ hours of travelling, when I found myself begging my mother and sister, to let me accompany them to the local supermarket [Modelo] instead of taking the catnap they suggested I needed.

I was a little spaced out, what with the jet-lag and all, but something unusual caught my eye and I dropped it in the trolley for further investigation. I thought I had discovered some kind of interesting garlic type indigenous to Portugal, but when we arrived back at the villa and I studied the carton more carefully, I realised (if my translation abilities are to be trusted), that these little weirdos had come all the way from China.

Uh-oh, I hope they aren't genetically modified or something unnatural like that?

I used these orbical self-contained garlic cloves to flavour salad dressings and marinade meats over the next few days, finding the results to be much the same as a regular garlic clove for the main part. Except, they are a little easier to peel and they look kind of cute...

?Have you ever seen such a thing? Perhaps they are common-place in your neck of the woods? If you know anything more about them, please can you share?

Archives
2007 | Lettuce & Lovage Soup
2006 | Thank Goodness for the French
2005 | End of the Month Eggs on Toast

© 2008 Sam Breach

Grilled Fresh, Plump, Portugese Sardines

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:01:01 -0500

Simplicity at its delicious best

Nothing added except sea salt and 3 minutes on the grill for each side of the fish. That's all these beauties need. My only regret? Looking back, I think I should probably have taken advantage of the opportunity and eaten a whole lot more sardines whilst I was in Portugal!

?When and Where did You Last Eat a Freshly Grilled Sardine?

Archives
2006 | How I made Lemon Curd
2005 | The Helmand

© 2008 Sam Breach

The Market - Silves - The Algarve - Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:26:21 -0500

Vegetables, Fruit and Sardines!

Silves is a town in The Algarve Region of Portugal. These photographs were all taken in the local Market place. Those sardines have long since been gobbled up...

Archives
2007 | Leeks a la Grecque and other Inspirations
2006 | How to Make Bakewell Tarts

© 2008 Sam Breach

Dancing Croissant for Every Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:12:03 -0500

How Quickly Can You Work This One Out?

Rate, Comment and More! | Personalize This Game | Visit The Sims Carnival

This is a Puzzle - a question, problem, or contrivance designed for testing ingenuity - so there are no clues except for me to suggest that you have your volume turned on.

Stick with it: Be patient and solve the puzzle and you will rewarded with some tres charmant entertainment.

Of all the personal games I have built using the Sims Carnival Tools, this one, Ooh-La-La-La!, is the game I most proud of. Unlike the other games I've embedded in this blog, which have largely been re-skins of already-existing games made by other people that I personalized by simply swapping the art, Ooh-La-La-La! is a game that I built from scratch using the Game Creator programing tool. My inspiration for building this game was Hoshi Saga 2 by Nekogames, which you should really check out, because they are a beautiful way to lose track of some time.

Today's puzzling game should be enough to keep you all occupied whilst I head away from the web towards Europe where I'll be hanging out in Portugal for a week with my family, some of whom I haven't seen for over two and a half years. When I return I hope I'll have some tales of fresh sardines, Leite-creme and, hic, Portugese wines...

PS. If you would like to play the game (encore) against the clock and compete for stardom on the High Score Table then you'll need create a Sims Carnival account and play the game on the host site. I wish I had the high score on my own game but the truth is that there are three people so far who are faster than me. Pah!

PPS. Other games I have made using Sims Carnival:
Bloomin' Marvellous
Flower Power
Vegetal Quiz
Menu Match Madness

Archives
2006 | Farmer Brown & Coco500
2005 | Bread from the Avoca Cafe Cook Book

© 2008 Sam Breach

Food Pairing Game

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:08:38 -0500

Let the Menu Matching begin:

Rate, Comment and More! | Personalize This Game | Visit The Sims Carnival

Flip over the cards to pair the recipe-in-progress with the finished dish. Sort out the menu as quickly as you can because the dinner guests will be arriving soon...

I know the pictures are a little bit small and perhaps not the easiest to see - it's a kind of work in progress, learning as I go along kind of thing. I'll keep working at it in the hope of bringing you better foodie games in the future...

Other Resources & Further Reading
*You, too, can build your own games at simscarnival.com

Archives
2006 | Boating on the Bay, tomato season day

*Disclaimer - I am professionally connected to the SimsCarnival project.

© 2008 Sam Breach

More Diverse Bay Area Food Blogs to Check out

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:39:48 -0500

No Salad as a Meal: Restaurant reviews with stunning pictures.

Italy in SF: The name says it all.

the jaded palate: The Girl Who Ate SF.

Omnivore Herbivore Carnivore: The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

Sunday Nite Dinner: Food, friends and a hungry bear.

The Family Chef: How to juggle cooking with any busy lifestyle.

Amy Andrews: Your guide to the Food Room.

My Amuse: Fun, Food Forever.

Mmm...that's good!: From Jodi Liano who has taught me at Tante Marie's.

Spots for Dates.com:Reviews of the Best Restaurants, Places, and Spots For Dates.

Archives
2006 | Two Tasty Ladies
2005 | Bakewell Tart

© 2008 Sam Breach

Purse-Sized Poco Dolce Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:45:56 -0500

Perfection in a Little Packet

Poco Dolce Tiles. My favourite chocolates. So irresistible to me, a regular box of 8 pieces is a dangerous thing. Thank goodness I can now purchase them one at a time: $2 a piece, available from Village Market. Last weekend I tried their new flavour, mint toffee. I have a personal problem: I love toffee, I love mint, I really don't love the two of them together. Thank goodness I'd been a tiny bit greedy and secured myself a Sesame Toffee Bittersweet Tile too, just in case...

Local Resources
Poco Dolce - 2 blocks from where I live - order online here.
[Psst - it's the BITTERSWEET TILES you'll be wanting, trust me.]

Archives
2006 | Where to watch the World Cup in San Francisco
2005 | Beautiful, Edible Borage Flowers

© 2008 Sam Breach

Learning to Cook the Whole Hog

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:10:44 -0500

with Frances Wilson at Tante Marie's...

Comfort food: whole Boiled Ham served with Parsley Sauce

Delicious hand-built Cuban Roast Pork Sandwiches

Perfect: Warm Sausage & Potato Salad with Arugula.

A taste of head cheese.

Sausage Makers.

Carefully removing the skin from freshly smoked/cooked bacon.

Guess I am going to be putting a smoker on my shopping list now..!

Check out Tante Marie's Website for their Cooking Class Schedule.

Archives
2007 | Technology in the Kitchen
2006 | Magnolia Bakery - Bleecker Street - New York
2005 | Cáfe Bassam - Downtown - San Diego - CA

© 2008 Sam Breach

The French Laundry is Best Overall...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:27:50 -0500

...OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM Restaurant

This thought popped into my head when I looked at my home page on Opentable this morning, and noticed that, as voted by San Francisco OpenTable diners, The French Laundry is Best Overall Restaurant.

Now, let's think about this for a minute, shall we?

We know from Opentable's blurb about their Diners' ChoiceTM Lists, that what makes them unique is the following:

Qualified - Only those with a seated reservation can submit feedback.
Unbiased - The large volume of responses means that ratings are not skewed by extremes.

We also know, from this special page that The French Laundry has all to itself on Opentable, the exact number of tables available online via their reservation system. At dinner time the answer is 1/16 which translates to a meager 6.25%. [I hope I got my math right, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.]

My conclusion is that the maximum percentage of The French Laundry's guests that can vote is 6.25%. Factor in other elements like the fact that not everyone votes in these kinds of things, and that we are talking about the percentage of tables not actual people and the feedback rate must be considerably less representative than you might first imagine.

I am a fan of Opentable and I actually really appreciate the new opportunity to give post-dining feedback. I have never eaten at The French Laundry (but I would like to, one day). However, having The French Laundry as best overall restaurant in their OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM Lists just seems skewed to me.

?If Opentable only has a limited number of reservations in a given restaurant, should they leave them off their OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM Lists?

On the other hand, does anyone really give a ****? Probably not. Ok, I'll shut up now.

© 2008 Sam Breach

A Vegetal Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:28:48 -0500

Rate, Comment and More! | Personalize This Game | Visit The Sims Carnival

(Once you've clicked the green 'play' button, click to continue onto the quiz!)

It's a race against the clock. More fast, correct answers will increase your food budget for 2008. Hurry - the cost of food is rising rapidly.

Click on the fresh garbanzo bean next to the correct answer

?According to the game, what's your remaining food budget for 2008?

© 2008 Sam Breach

Every San Francisco Diner Should Read This:

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:09:21 -0500

The Check Republic [from 7x7]

And then shut up whining about the cost of eating out. Please.

PS - The reason I was pleased to be alerted to this article is because it ties in with something I wrote to a food newsgroup about the cost of food in restaurants only last week:

"I don't get it. Why do so many people think they are entitled to cheap food? Why the obsession with thriftiness when it comes to what you eat? Does everyone buy the absolute cheapest video-game/tv/sofa/jeans/car? Some people might, but I'll bet that most people want something a little better than the cheapest when it comes to most things in life. But why not with food? This stuff goes directly into our bodies, if we spend a little more on anything, why not on something that touches us so closely and even shapes our healthiness? The cost of food is rising drastically - we have to get used to this notion that food is not cheap and appreciate that restaurants have huge over heads...."

© 2008 Sam Breach

Best San Francisco Girls Night Out Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:46:42 -0500

Cocktails: Absinthe, Dinner: Bar Jules, Dessert: Boris Portnoy

Last night I was lucky enough to be treated to a girls' night out of my own choosing. Together, I think we made some excellent decisions.

Absinthe: Has been making some of the City's best cocktails since long before innovative cocktails were all the rage. I nearly plumped for a simple glass of bubbly for my aperitif until I noticed that she was ordering a special libation off the chalk board menu. It sounded perfect and it was: Aperol, a sour cherry gastrique, rosemary and Angostura topped up with soda (?), a deftly balanced drink where the initial impression of warm spices opened up to reveal notes of herbs, fruit and bitters.

Bar Jules: This walk-in only spot in Hayes Valley actually accepts reservations for six or more. Know in advance that you'll surrender yourself to the short, daily changing menu, which goes up on their website around lunch time each day. Last night's dinner looked like this:
06/05/'08

asparagus soup with sour cream 9.

butter lettuce salad with beets and pistachios 8.

la quercia prosciutto with long cooked favas and grilled bread 15.

mussel salad with creamer potatoes, peas and pickled carrots 12.

northern halibut with cucumbers, radishes and french beans 25.

muscovy duck breast with apricots, escarole and balsamic vinegar 23.

wood grilled skirt steak with cauliflower gratin 24.

Between us we tried everything above. The mussel salad with its cold boiled potatoes, bright, vivid peas, pickled carrots and dollop of garlicky mayonnaise was deceptively wonderful. The moist, tender domestic ham was beautifully presented: the delicate, fanned slices glistened with olive oil whilst the sturdier grilled bread and fava beans provided a rustic contrast. Everyone who chose the steak was swooning over the cauliflower gratin. Although I had plumped for the duck, which was good, I was more grateful for all the forkfuls of the creamy cauliflower that headed in my direction. Under regular circumstances I would probably have settled for some of Bar Jules' Chocolate Nemesis for dessert, but since we'd heard rumours that Boris Portnoy had just landed at The Candy Bar we elected, on the spur of the moment, to pay him a visit instead.

Boris Portnoy: I head this section with the Chef's name, rather than The Candy Bar's name because, make no mistake, we went there for him, and not just because it is 'San Francisco's first Dessert Bar'. Some readers may remember that Boris was the highlight of a previous girls' night out when he worked at Campton Place. Last night we asked Potnoy to simply show us his stuff. He brought us out plate after plate of beautifully presented sweet treats. A milky chocolate parfait that collapsed into a melting, oozy, delectable mess, a key lime custard more puckering and intense than any you will ever have tasted, the white coffee he has bowled me over with in the past, now made into an ice cream and an eggy warm brioche with spicy cherries and a stunning feta sorbet were just some of the highlights from last night.

If you can lure him out to your table, Chef Portnoy seems to enjoy hearing that his desserts are appreciated. When we asked him why he left the more grandoise Campton Place for a small neighbourhood spot, he said it was because he wanted to make food for real people. That would be you! Go pay him a visit...

PS Thanks to all my girls for making last night such a treat.

Archives
2007 | Apples in Season
2006 | No Way
2005 | Tra-la-la-la-la-la-la
2004 | Red, Hot & Pink Menu

© 2008 Sam Breach

OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM Restaurant Lists

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 25 May 2008 21:00:03 -0500

Whose Choice?

Having racked up the required number of points by making restaurant reservations online through their service, I recently receiving a very welcome dining check worth $100 signed by Opentable CEO Jeff Jordan. I can't wait to spend it. But where? Perhaps I should use the new OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM restaurant lists - the newest way to help you choose the perfect restaurant, that the same Mr Jordan was gushing about in my email inbox recently.

In what appears to be a smart move to align themselves more with services like Zagat and Yelp, Opentable has a new diner feedback program that gives members a chance to send confidential, anonymous feedback directly to the restaurant. It also enables Opentable to analyze the feedback they receive from the hundreds of thousands of OpenTable diners. This seems like a great idea, especially since Opentable already has a well established 'in' with the restaurants that other feedback services simply can't compete with.

The spanner in the works is, that despite being a regular user of their service, they haven't actually asked me for any feedback yet. And so I am left wondering who, exactly, is listing their favourite restaurants in San Francisco as The French Laundry, Cyrus, El Paseo, La Toque and Auberge de Soleil? None of these are even in the city. Hopefully they will soon expand the service to be inclusive to all of their members. But until they do, I will not confidently trust their results.

?Have Opentable asked you for Dining Feedback yet?

Archives
2005 | The Ramp
2004 | The Slow Club

© 2008 Sam Breach

Becks & Posh

B.E.A.T it, BLT!

beeT-Shirt

A Bowl of Portugese Plums

Free Water for Life courtesy of Boccalone Salumeria

Cheese & Chorizo

On Food Reviews: Journalists vs Bloggers

Community Wine Making in Dogpatch/Potrero Hill, San Francisco

Mystery Garlic Cloves

Grilled Fresh, Plump, Portugese Sardines

The Market - Silves - The Algarve - Portugal

Archives2007 | Leeks a la Grecque and other Inspirations2006 | How to Make Bakewell Tarts© 2008 Sam Breach

Dancing Croissant for Every Winner!

Archives2006 | Farmer Brown & Coco5002005 | Bread from the Avoca Cafe Cook Book© 2008 Sam Breach

Food Pairing Game

More Diverse Bay Area Food Blogs to Check out

Archives2006 | Two Tasty Ladies2005 | Bakewell Tart© 2008 Sam Breach

Purse-Sized Poco Dolce Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles

Learning to Cook the Whole Hog

Archives2007 | Technology in the Kitchen2006 | Magnolia Bakery - Bleecker Street - New York2005 | Cáfe Bassam - Downtown - San Diego - CA© 2008 Sam Breach

The French Laundry is Best Overall...

A Vegetal Quiz

Every San Francisco Diner Should Read This:

Best San Francisco Girls Night Out Ever

OpenTable Diners' ChoiceTM Restaurant Lists

Archives
2007 | Leeks a la Grecque and other Inspirations
2006 | How to Make Bakewell Tarts

© 2008 Sam Breach

Archives
2006 | Farmer Brown & Coco500
2005 | Bread from the Avoca Cafe Cook Book

© 2008 Sam Breach

Archives
2006 | Two Tasty Ladies
2005 | Bakewell Tart

© 2008 Sam Breach

Archives
2007 | Technology in the Kitchen
2006 | Magnolia Bakery - Bleecker Street - New York
2005 | Cáfe Bassam - Downtown - San Diego - CA

© 2008 Sam Breach