Sunset Moonshine and Fillmore Fillie Bests Brit

In this day and age, when the TSA is practically performing cavity searches, it is a pretty gutsy move to stuff a jug of moonshine in your suitcase just because you have a friend in SF who you think might  like to cook up a batch of homemade flavored liqueur.  While back East over the summer, our Freaky Friday friends met "a guy with experience" who explained that distilled neutral spirits are far superior to other options for homemade liqueur but much harder to come by.  They decided they'd better buy some while they were in a place it was abundant -  even though it meant dragging it all the way home. Just the most thoughtful and unusual gift that to me says "I know you, really know you"!

Pluot season began shortly after the gift jug was presented and they are just about our favorite fruit, so I decided to make two pluot based flavors.  A quick troll of the "interweb" revealed a few enthusiasts offereing good advice - like be prepared to throw out a lot of failed batches, and find a copy of the out of print Homemade Liqueurs for some guidelines on timing and recipes.  After reading everything I decided to reduce the amount of sugar that most of the recipes use and also increase the steeping time try to get the most flavor from the fruit.  I made two flavors; simple pluot/vanilla bean, and spiced pluot.

Step one was carefully washing all the fruit and equipment, piercing the fruit and putting it in glass jars with the other ingredients to steep (5 weeks), the jars need a shake to stir the mix every few days.

Step two was to filter the solids, taste and adjust the sugar and bottle for aging another 4 weeks.  At this point the alcohol flavor is still too strong but I hope the aging process mellows it.  Surprisingly,  the spiced mix has a much more pronounced and brighter pluot flavor - Pluotini for Halloween anyone? If it turns out tasty I'll post the recipe.

Our beloved former next door neighbor is still trying to keep me current with music in the city, so we've been going to the Fillmore.  Pre-show dinner at SPQR was mind blowing straight through to the last crumb on the dessert plated while the meal at 1300 Fillmore a couple weeks later perfectly illuminated the reason for the empty dining room.  The shrimp and grits is still good as were the brussels sprout "chips",  but every other item we ordered was sadly over battered, heavy and tasteless. The bar is cozy, the music is great, and the barkeep cheerful as can be - but I'm not sure I'd go there to eat again.

 Fall at The Fillmore" is a great program - the line up including many of the "new bands to watch in 2013" that you'll find noted in music information sites.  The Wild Feathers who opened for ZZ Ward were appearing on Jimmy Kimmel the next week, but they were still hanging out at the bar signing cd's, taking photos with anyone who asked, and accepting 29th birthday drinks for one of the bandmates.  A truly great show in every aspect.

ZZ Ward was so good I bought a cd for my SoCal music/foodie friends thinking they would love her as much as I...

 

"She sounds like Adele"

No, she doesn't.
She is the opposite of grating. I can't stand Adele.

"You know what I think? I think she sounds like Adele"

Doesn't.

"How can you say you can't stand Adele if you love this?"

For a start ZZ hasn't been overplayed to the point of turning what started as admiration into a burning, murderous rage  - I'd like to set some fire to the rain to rain down a bucket of shut-your-pie-hole on her head.  I just want her to shutup. O.M.G. SHUT UP or please, please, please, take a break. Go on vacation. Find a lyricist who can write an other song. LORD now it's in my head - make it stop!

ZZ writes and sings about being young and hurt too, but it is fresher - she has a fun energetic band and great stage presence. Both bands were working it hard at the Fillmore on a weeknight to a sizable crowd, as did Noah and the Whale a few weeks later - highly recommend you check them out.  We met a nice guy taking photos at the first show - check out his awesome photos of the local music scene on his blog rocknrollcocktail.com!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was crazy yesterday - I had no idea how huge the crowd would be! This has to be one of the most important events for the genre in the country. Thanks to The Mr. dropping me off,  and because my chum had planned an exit strategy and gave me a ride it wasn't too hard to get in and out but moving between the stages was really slow and you'll get jostled a bunch - but it was way worth it.  Billy Bragg sounded incredible and also told great funny stories, The Clinch Mountain Boys were pure bluegrass power that until last weekend I had no idea about! Chris Issac sounded wonderful but the crowd was so overwhelming we just had to bail and move on to another stage to await Emmylou Harris.  Cant hardly strictly wait for next year!

Sunset Sunshine & Moonshine

Having relocated  (after a whirl wind of a real estate transactions, wine country gypsy experience, andEast Coast travel) we find ourselves landed in the Sunset district  - at least for the time being.

Myths I'd like to dispel

1) The SUN DOES NOT SHINE, ever.

2) There is NO GOOD FOOD, anywhere.

3) You are a SLAVE to 19th Avenue THERE IS NO ESCAPING, not ever.

4) NO ONE WILL VISIT, not ever.

5) Welcome to THE MALL your new best friend...hope you like fro yo.

1)  One of the first interactions we had with our new next door neighbor (class of 1966 at Saint Ignatius College Prep where our son is currently a Sophomore) sounded something like this:

"Hey what's going on there? People sun bathing on 24th Avenue - we better call the paper!"

In reality The Mr. and I have had little difficulty keeping up the Ban De Soleil tan that our generous friends helped us attain while squatting at their St. Helena home all summer. Yes, there is fog, but we are beginning to think it's kind of like the naming of Iceland - they just want to befuddle the bearded hipsters who work for Google. Just stay where you are Justin.

2) Not only have we finally found good quality delivery Chinese from Xia Loong, every restaurant out here is HALF PRICE. Burger/fries/shake at Burgermeister (any locale) = $15.00, at Little Wok right here = $7.50. Oh, and you can also get Chinese food, or eggs. or anything, and they are happy you came in so they don't sneer at you. Not being sneered at makes burgers taste better too.

3) Ok, we are slaves to 19th Avenue.
However, it actually does eventually move you across town. After waiting at a light, or two, or six. One can however get to Moss Beach Distillery for the sunset in like 20 minutes - but who needs to when The Edge of The Continent is only 24 blocks away.

4) The Ones With Whom We Wish To Be have been, and stayed, and returned so we are not sad. File under #2  - one family we love turned us on to Indian/Pizza Delivery that is super yummy and fast to boot.

5) True, The Mr. does now become disoriented if he looses sight of  the Macy's Sign at Stonestown. HOWEVER the Sunday Farmer's Market is one of the best we have ever experienced - far surpassing our old neighborhoods and favorites - Stanyan Street, Upper Westside NYC, Chicago....

 ...and I do,  in fact like Original Tart from Loveberry better than from Yopi but our daughter disagrees.


The Harvest Moon has been stunning- especially when driving back from a quick trip to the beach to catch the sunset...but the Sunset Moonshine to which the title of this post refers to is something else we have cooking up...stay tuned!

 

Yes, some of them are hot. Very Very Very Very Hot. And you never know which one it's going to be until you do!

It's been way too long, but I'm back.  Sorry.
GO NINERS! Here's the snack tray plan for the day...oh but first I digress:

Mistake made yesterday - turned on Food Network and got into a hot bath with out the remote handy.    Has anyone seen this washed up ex-country music, uhm "star" named Trisha with a cooking show?  Her Superbowl menu made me soft, spreading, and pimply just by hearing her list the items on it - but by far the most appalling was her "green punch".  Koolaide, frozen lemonade, canned pineapple and SPRITE to give it a little "bright kick" - and this was for the ADULTS!  Someone shave her head so all will know her shame, please.  Go ahead and google the episode, you will never use the word "fancy" nor think of Bisquick the same way again.

It's a potluck this year, we have dessert, salad and quiche coming with some other moms, so I am just covering teenage boy grub and beverages.

Snack Tray Superbowl Punch

1 Cup Ginger/citrus Simple syrup
(2C sugar, 2C water, 4T chopped ginger, Zest 2 lemons & 2 Limes. Cooked until sugar dissolves. Take off heat and let sit and steep 2 hours or more. Refrigerate)
Juice 8 California Cuties
Juice 4 Limes
Juice 2 Lemons
1 T Hawaiian Ginger Honey (or any honey is fine I just have this and it's good)
2Q water or seltzer
Mix the first 5 until honey dissolves and the add the water or seltzer when you are ready to serve.
Adjust sweetness with more or Syrup for the kids, for adults serve in a rocks glass with a shot of Jack Daniels or Makers Mark.

It isn't neon green like Trisha's but I don't think you'll miss the petrochemicals at all!

Food menu pretty simple this year - left over Pollo Asada shredded to make mini tacos, chicken Italian sausages cooked low and slow in Marzano Tomatoes and sliced onion to make mini sausage grinders, guacamole and chips, and of course chip and dip. Sound good?

Tax Day Taco

Having started a ninja bathroom remodel while the Mr. was away, I've been spending a lot of my time in the formerly-too-scary-for-even-during-the-day Bay View/Hunter's Point section of town where the best deals on tile, fixtures and stone slab are to be found.  Also out there (at 1300 Evans Street) is the main Post Office where you might be on April 15th desperately seeking a post mark.   Across the street from that, in front of an empty office park is where to find The Best Taco You Will Ever Consume With Out A Shadow Of Doubt - and it will cost you $2.50  (each that is, you will want more than one I assure you, without a shadow of doubt).

My Handy Man Extraordinaire (HME) will be cross with me for sharing the Rodriguez Taco truck with you for fear that fame will degrade the incredible quality and fair price of their food - but it wouldn't be right to keep it a secret.

I was in the area again after a stone slab safari with my (very svelte)  designer buddy who "doesn't really like lunch" - and even she ate two beef super tacos and agreed that this was delicious - a lunch so worth having!  Plus Gary the owner called out "pretty ladies your lunch is ready!" when it was, and well, we liked that too!

HME has been a fan long enough to have attempted to make a Rodriguez super taco at home, getting closer and closer but not quite figuring out the tomatillo sauce that seems to be at least part of the secret.  Not only do these tacos taste wonderful but they seem to have mood boosting properties that are undeniable.  The sauce is almost like a Chimichurri but not really that sharp, it has lots of heat but a silky hot that is very pleasant and not too much, and also it is salty but not too much so.  After a couple of attempts and not quite replicating it, HME decided to ask Gary if he remembered the two blondes (that's us, and he did) and if we could have the recipe (which the gentleman provided on the spot) and here is what Gary told him:

Tomatoes and Tomatillos
Hot Red Peppers grilled
Onion
Oregano
Cilantro
Black Pepper and Garlic
Simmer the Sauce

Not exactly complete directions, but I gave it a try and it did turn out good, just not as good as Gary's!

I used the following:

6 large clusterTomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped 

6 larger Tomatillos paper removed, sliced in half and roasted on both sides for 4 minutes until some char is visible

Hot Peppers grilled ( I had 2 serrano, one anaheim, a red cherry pepper and half a red bell so I added a Tablespoon of chopped chipotle in adobe to add more smoked red pepper flavor)

Onion one medium chopped

Oregano 3-4 sprigs chopped

Cilantro a small bunch chopped

Black Pepper and Garlic (5 cloves)

I added the juice of a large lime and a teaspoon of salt

Scraped it all into the food processor in two batches and simmered the sauce for ten minutes.

A drizzle of the sauce also really brightened a Spanish - style chicken and rice I made a couple of days later, and also added a pretty accent to the yellow rice dish.  Next time I will grill all the elements and go find Mexican hot red peppers to see if I can get closer to Gary's magical taco sauce.

If you need a slab of stone for any reason, go see Andrea and his Papa at Andrea's Natural Stone and Marble where you will get a great price and the entertaining company of a couple of old world Italian craftsmen, and of course then you can have have lunch at Rodriguez on the way home!

A fantastically pricey slab made by gluing together sliced geodes

Andrea himself digging through remnants for me

Foodie Fighfighters and Stay-cation SF

I Just overheard two fire fighters in the Boulange de Cole talking about last night's tragedy - some one else was on lunch duty at the fire house and used up all the ingredients meant for dinner.   

"All my shallots, the wine and herbs, all the potatoes and most of my butter went into that stew! I had nothing to make sauce for the fish filets - nothing!"

It was such a beautifully SF moment - a bright sunny morning, two good looking firefighters fully suited up, one sipping a non-fat soy latte, the other an espresso, indignant about the purloined shallots, and everyone in earshot completely sympathizing with this outrage.  If you like food you just gotta love this town.

One of my brothers and his family from New England visited us for break week, trading rooftop high snow banks at home for what had to be the coldest week in recorded history here.  Whining about the cold did seem a bit absurd given the company, and their mocking me for it started to get to me - so I decided not to let the horror of sub-50 degree temperature stop us from enjoying the outdoors.   We had lots of urban hikes including Tank Hill and a trip to the historic columbarium (the entrance to which is impossible to locate unless you are walking), some great meals (most especially at Burma Super Star where aside form the not-to-be-missed, food-network-celebrated tea salad, we ordered the luscious curried chicken/noodle dish Nan Gyi Dok),  and some new experiences all in the process of wandering around the chilly Bay Area.


Winding our way around a switchback in the trail that curved under a fallen Redwood in Muir Wood, we came upon two shirtless dudes taking turns repeatedly punching one another in their washboard abs and laughing like Beavis and Butt-head.  It might have been some kind of new exercise regime the hipsters are engaging in, but since it was almost time to turn back anyway, we took the opportunity to leave ourselves wondering.  Lunch at Sam's in Tiburon elicited more (well deserved) mocking as we all ordered "Boston Style" clam chowder, which is decidedly not.  Still, the sunny deck and Crab Louis steeled our mettle for an after lunch walk about  as the Mr. suggested we take a peek at the new Cavallo Point Resort at Fort Baker on the way home.




Standing on top of the huge cement dock (just past the small Coast Guard Marina to the right as you drive in) rewarded us with view of SF none of us had ever seen.  Both bridges, all of downtown, and a very green stretch of the city extending all the way to the Mount Sutro Tower.  But if you ask me, the view from the outdoor lounge by the fire pit outside Murray Circle (the restaurant at the resort) was good enough, and that included a very nice cocktail to boot!  The guys stretched out on the thick cushioned sofa there, warming their feet by the fire and their faces in the bright sun while us gals went into the Farley Bar to order up a couple Irish Coffees.  Boy, did I ever then wish we'd had lunch in that cozy tin ceilinged bar instead of swatting at seagulls at Sam's!  The handsome dining room on one side looks a whole lot hipper than you might think former Army barracks would be, and you couldn't find a bad seat at the dark wood bar on the other.  Black and white photos, artifacts, and historical information on the walls add to the ambience -  you can really feel the long history of the place.  This is an ideal spot for a recharge after a hike (or instead of for that matter).  




As we were waiting for the Barkeep to expertly flame an orange peel for my Martinez, we read signs indicating that the restaurant has made the Bay Area Top 100 restaurants and earned a Michelin star two years in a row.  Also there is a sign pointing the way to a cooking school upstairs, and under a glass dome on the bar sat some pretty nice looking cupcakes - these two fact seem to switch on my Sister in Law's culinary curiosity.


"Oh, are these from the cooking school?" my sis in law inquires excitedly.
"Actually, no they are from our restaurant" the bartender replies, using an extremely polite tone.


"Are the people who work in the kitchen from the cooking school?" she asks, still excited at the prospect.
"No, Madam." he says, his voice patient as Mr. Rogers'.


"Do you serve food in the restaurant from the cooking school?" she's really smiling now.


Very, very, very slowly, as if explaining something to an alien visitor from Mars, he says:
"No, I don't  think we would be able to serve quite the same quality of food if we used the cooking school, madam."


"Well, it sure is fun to dine in a restaurant at a cooking school!" Still sunny as always.


"..." No comment from the Barkeep.   He's still smiling, but it's because he's struggling hard to hold back that special smirk we reserve for people who refer to our city as "Frisco".  


It was a pretty funny exchange, especially given this is the woman who brought a Le Creuset dutch oven as a hostess gift!  Just one of those East versus West Coast differences.  We put that pot to really good use, most notably she made Jacques Pepin's Yukon Gold Potatoes and I made chicken and rice, the recipe follows.


Preheat oven to 350


In a small pan crumble and sautee until browned 1 or 2 chicken chiorzo sausages (Faletti's house made is my choice), set aside.


Meanwhile, grind in spice or clean coffee grinder until fairly fine 1T black pepper and  3/4 T whole Cumin Seed.


Pat dry 6 chicken thighs, 4 drumsticks (both with skin and bones intact), and 2 boneless skinless breasts  
sprinkle both sides of the chicken using about  2/3 of the spices mixed with 1T Kosher salt 


Brown both sides of the chicken pieces in a hot dutch oven, using  enough olive oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan to about 1/8 inch (1/4 cup or so).  You have to do this in batches,  a few at a time so they do not touch in the pan.  Cook pieces with skin until deep golden brown, remove to a plate.  Sear the boneless breasts last, just to get a golden exterior (they might cook through, don't worry they won't be tough in the end).  Remove the breasts and set them on a plate too.


Put the following into the pot roughly in this order, and stir to coat in the oil for 2-3 minutes:


1 bulb fennel sliced
2 cleaned leeks sliced
(you can substitute a large onion chopped for these two)

2 cups long grain rice

1 each (small) red, yellow, and orange pepper, roasted, skinned and diced

(I roast mine ahead in the morning and leave them in a paper bag in the fridge to cool - you can substitute a roasted skinned trio of green -  1 Anaheim, 1 Poblano, and 1 Serrano also)

stir in

1  cup cherry tomatoes (1 cup of brined Italian cherry tomatoes from a jar works too)

2 fresh bay leaves

1t chopped fresh rosemary

1 large sprig thyme

15 garlic cloves left whole ( Christopher Ranch fresh peeled works great here)

sprinkle in the remaining spice mixture 

stir in

1/2 cup white vermouth or white wine

4 cups chicken stock (home made is far better of course)

Slice the breast pieces three times lengthwise, the across to roughly 2 inch cubes and stir them into the rice mixture.
Nestle the remaining chicken pieces (thighs skin up) into the pot, partially submerged so the bones are under the surface of the mixture. Cover and bake 45-55 minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked and the chicken falling off the bone tender.

Serve with a simple salad with lemony vinaigrette and buttered peas with fresh mint, and of course crusty bread. 

Ugly Tasty 1950 and Fire Spewing Vegetables

Proof is in the pudding - so there must be other people out there who hanker for the recipes from our moms' battered 1950 red and white Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, because it's been reprinted it in an exact replica. The pictures and little annotations are pretty amusing, some of the recipes are flat out ROFLOL funny (like the "flaming cabbage" hors d'oeuvre with which we are to delight our party guests by having them broil their own cocktail sausages - thrust through with toothpicks - over a sterno lamp shoved into a cabbage. OMG, I am so taking that idea and running with it! But here are also some really, truly astonishingly good recipes for baked goods, and timeless advice on basic cooking techniques.

We got an invitation from my neighbor for pizza dinner Thursday, and all that talk about food love the other day and a got me to thinking that it would be fun to bring one of the desserts my mom used to serve. The simple batter for the "hot chocolate pudding" (on page 222 if you have the book which means you probably also watched room 222) magically transforms in the oven into a layer of dark chocolate cake floating on top of dark chocolate pudding. It is so ugly you'll want to spoon a little whipped cream over the top of each serving (unless you have the hippest neighbor in the world who ALWAYS has Bi-Rite salted caramel ice cream in her freezer, in which case use that)!

"Oh, no chocolate cake , I couldn't possibly!" you say?

Get THIS, the entire cake only uses 2 Tablespoons of shortening (yes, of course I used butter), cocoa powder not even chocolate, a little milk (I even used with) sugar(s), and hot water. My teenage son will attest that it was good enough for seconds that night and again for breakfast to boot.

Food Love, and boozy baked beans

Appetites diminished by a flu in the house, Valentine's Day dinner consisted of soup and chocolates from heart shaped boxes. We had already celebrated with gifts and love notes to one another which is the best part of the Holiday anyway if you ask me. Even before the day arrived, I noticed Easter goodies adorning every aisle at every market. Now Easter makes me really think about Love, Food Love that is. I'm talking about the love that is in a gift of food or the act of preparing of a meal. You have to consider the people for whom you are cooking, remember things about them, think about them. Isn't this why family food traditions exist? It isn't simply the food's taste but also the feeling of being known and thought about that feels, well like love. Like pizza, there is no such thing as a bad pierogi, but Mrs. T's never make me feel warmed through like my Grandma's did.

Sure, we make meals for people we know who are ill, or recovering, or sad, or celebrating, and that is very nice and nurturing, but Food Love does not require an event. The neighbor to one side makes the best dark chocolate syrup on this planet, and regularly shares it on a random weekday. The Hipster on the other side invites us over and never forgets to put out peppadew peppers and Goat Cheese for the Mr. who adores this. One time the across the back neighbor brought us a huge bowl of blackberries from her yard just to show my kids that it is possible to grow lovely things - even smack dab in the center of a city block. Kitchen karma being strong around here, I'm going to make something and spread some Food Love around today.

More than one recipient of my new favorite food gift - smoked onions and dried heirloom beans from Tierra Vegetables - has asked for ideas of how to use them, so here is one of my favorites.

Jameson Baked Beans

1 cup red beans soaked (Tierra's beans need only about one hour soaking)

1 cup onion chopped

2 T canola oil

2 ribs celery chopped

1/4 t paprika

1/4 ground coriander

1/2 mustard

1/4 rubbed sage

1 T smoked onions (chopped from about one slice)

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 T tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano or from the farmer is best)

1/4 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey

4 Cups water

2 ounces maple syrup

Sautee fresh onion, celery and spices in the oil for a few minutes until fragrant (do not brown). Put everything else in a pot with a lid and bake at 300 degrees until the beans are extremely soft (about 4 hours in my oven). If you have too much liquid at this point remove the lid and continue cooking until the beans are very thick ( took me about another 30 minutes).

We served the beans with grilled chicken, corn bread and a salad of chopped Romain Lettuce and Fuji Apples, dressed with tangy "ranch" recipe follows.

Tangy Ranch Dressing

Mix together

1/3 cup minced onion

1 garlic clove minced

1/6 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T mayonnaise

1/3 Cup Greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1 t each: thyme, tarragon,kosher salt

1/2 t each: white pepper, celery seed, garlic powder

Thick and tangy, this dressing works well in salads with a sweet element (fruit or roasted beets), and makes a great sandwich spread with roast beef, left over pulled pork, or grilled steak.

The best squash EVAH

Ferry Building Farmer's Market 11:45 AM PST, a numbingly icy 45 degree day results in the quickest farmer's market stop on Snack Tray history. My brother is visiting and because the dinner plan includes the last of my holiday Pierogies and an awesome local made smoked Kielbasa, we need some fresh vegetables to counter act the effect of all that richness.

I spy what might be the beautiful small farm organic Spaghetti Squash I have ever seen - shiny golden beauty for sure.

The Farmer: "Nine dollars Miss"

Me: "NINE dollars?"

The Farmer: "That's a biggie Miss"

Me: "All you have are biggies?"

The Farmer: "Ok, what about Six dollars?"

Sold.

Haggling with small farm owners is less than cool for sure, and now that we have cooked and enjoyed his product I feel even worse - this was possibly the best side dish I've ever made. My brother LOVED it, as did the Mr. and they kept giving me wonderful compliments which would sound very boastful of me should I write them now - I think almost any vegetable would be good in this souffle - like dish but the fact that the squash was so sweet really made it a wonderful counter point to the roasted beet salad and smoky sausage we served it with.

Spaghetti Squash "Souffle"

Don't use water or the microwave to cook the squash - the dry roasting really added flavor.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and loose stands. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with olive oil and put the squash cut side down, cook 400 degrees until you can easily poke through the skin with a fork (45 minutes or more depending on the size)

Carefully remove the strands by lifting them out with a fork , work side to side until you have it all removed.

Clean, slice and saute in olive oil until soft - one large sliced shallot and 2 leeks (tender green parts only - I was able to use almost the entire leek as it was so young but older, tougher ones you'd need 3- 4) sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, fresh chopped thyme and parsley, add squash (I used about 3/4 of mine or about 6 cups) gently mix. Sprinkle mixture with 2 T flour, blend again and saute for two minutes until everything is blended. turn heat off.

Whisk 5 eggs and 4 T skim milk in a large bowl a pinch of fresh nutmeg. Temper egg mixture by adding a small amount of leek/squash mixture stirring very quickly to keep the eggs from cooking at all. Continue adding until it is all incorporated.

Grate 3 ounces Grana Padano (or any other cheese you like really - even a softer one would work) and blend most of it into the bowl - reserve enough to sprinkle on top of the dish.

Since we don't have a souffle pan, I sprayed a 2.5 quart oven safe glass bowl with olive oil, put the mixture in it, sprinkled the reserved cheese and cooked at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes - or until set and golden brown on top (and along the sides if you use a glass bowl you can see that).

East Coast flavored Good Stuff

There are a few food items I really miss being on the West Coast - that chewy Italian sliced bread covered in little sesame seeds (was it Maas's?), fried clams and chowder, thin flavorful pizza from the Pizzeria Regina in the North End, and grinders (especially from Nick's in Concord MA where I had my first real job). So it was a very sentimental taste weekend last when we stumbled across two of those flavors we miss with out even meaning to!

Delivery pizza in SF is just not good usually. They say the water in New York is what makes the crust just so - possibly the yeast in the air as well and ours is different. We have many wonderful artisan pizza's available but none of them do (or would withstand) delivery. Following a Yelp suggestion - we ordered from Marcello's just over the hill in the Castro for the first time and baby, after 15 years here we finally found it! Almost like home! Thin, tasty, the right amount of cheese and seasoned so you actually can taste what the chef put in there!

After a long morning of enjoying Fleet Week activities on the embarcadero, we found ourselves wandering through North Beach some distance off from what used to be the SF Brewing Company (now Comstock) where the family usually recharges in that part of town. We stopped to think about where to go - and busy as the city was with all the troops and visitors in town we saw right in front of where we stood four perfect seats at the "bar" of Cheese Steak. So we took 'em.

The Mr. and son split a traditional East Coast style (ie. provolone not cheese sauce, as both options are offered) Philly cheese steak, the little miss had an order of fries and a side of chili con carne, and I had a mushroom/onion with provolone hold the meat. We just didn't know what we were going to get as it seems there is just two guys and a griddle, $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can, and the chili is meant to go on a hot dog, but it was really really good! Perfect, crispy fries, delicious sandwiches, and the little miss ate all her chili saying it was really good! They even offered to add tomatoes and pickles to my no-meat which was awesome. Made me miss Nick the Greek Pizza man just a little...

Everyone has been asking about the brown rice bake I have been making (using those peppers that are all in season right now) so here goes, kind of my take on Southwestern rice bake but with healthier ingredients.

Cook 1/12 cups brown rice in 3 cups liquid ( I usually use half and half veggie stock and water)

Roast 5-7 mixed peppers over a flame or under your broiler until the skin is all charred all over, put them into a paper bag and close the top and let them cool until you can handle them. I usually include 1 -2 Serrano chilis and a Pasilla with what ever cool colorful sweet peppers they have at the farmer's market (this week they were burgundy, deep red and orange). You can substitute a jalepeno but they are a hotter and less tasty pepper than Serrano so only use one. Remove all the peppers' skin and seeds under running water, chop fine (make sure that you save any juices that come out while you are chopping to add to the dish. You can roast the peppers ahead of time and just stick them in the refrigerator in the bag even over night.

(I use my black iron pan for this one)

Saute over medium heat until golden brown (stirring occasionally to keep them browning evenly)

4 T olive oil

4 t cumin

4t oregano

sprig thyme

1 large onion chopped (can use the food processor if you have it out)

2 cups corn kernels ( I use frozen all the time if I do not have fresh, no need to defrost just toss 'em in)

1t fresh ground pepper

1t sea salt

Mix everything together with

one can of black beans (drained)

4 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar

1-2 chipotle chilis in adobe chopped fine

1/3 cup roasted pepitas ( I sometimes forget to put them in and so sprinkle on top)

place in a lightly oiled 9X13 " baking dish and sprinkle another 2 ounces cheddar on top, lightly cover, bake 350 until heated through (25 minutes or so), uncover to fully melt and lightly brown the topping(s)

skinned, seeded, chopped tomatoes make a nice addition to this dish as well, chopped cilantro or parsley is also good if you have it.

The Best and Worst Green meals in the same day

I had a hot dog for dinner tonight. Not a veggie dog or even a turkey dog - a plain old very not vegetarian hot dog. No one said a word to me which just goes to show the remarkable self control my seventh grader can exhibit if he wants to. Any time he's observed me having even the smallest taste of a non-veg dish I've prepared for him to adjust the seasoning he busts out with "How's that vegetarian thing working out for you there mom?". Snot. Curious, not a word tonight. More curious, why would this be the moment I'd choose to fall? Hot Dog? Probably you'd not be surprised to learn that it is 3:05 AM as I write this entry. I was thinking of trying hanging upside down for a while to see if I can dislodge the thing from my esophagus as every other attempt has been to no avail.

Which reminds me of last week when I had the best and worse green meals in succession in the same day.

For some reason I was really hungry one morning so I scrambled an egg. Not any egg, a beautiful, green, organic, locally produced egg from the cutest farmer who raises his chickens the way you would want them to be raised, purchased at the new Haight-Ashbury Farmer's Market. Yes, I said a green egg - there are usually at least one green, one blue and one rose colored in every dozen as this is how they are laid - in color. Made me realize finally at 45 years old why we must dye eggs at Easter. That egg served with a slice of avocado, a tiny sprinkle of truffle salt and small, intense, dry farmed early girl tomato took me through a "two a day" at the gym and long list of errands. Just as delicious as anything you'd want to eat, which is what makes the contrast with my unfortunate lunch so wrenching.

Being a serious soup lover I will normally travel pretty far out of my way to get a good one to go (the roasted tomato soup at The Blue Barn on Chestnut is actually worth trying to park in the f'ing Marina, no joke) but it was getting late, so I just grabbed a vegetarian split pea soup at Whole Foods. What a horrible, flat, mouthful of lumpy green paste that. Mercifully it was almost entirely tasteless so at least the experience didn't linger. Whole foods has lost it completely. Or maybe it never had it, good food just doesn't come from some giant aggregating corporation even if it is made from organic and sustainably produced ingredients. Good food comes from a small aggregation of identifiable individuals - a healthy animal, a carefully grown plant, a responsible farmer - and a cook who notices and cares about the energy, thought, and effort required to produce the ingredients. Sometimes it is hard to plan around the farmer's market schedule but it is just so worth it on every level.