The SF Chronicle just released Michael Bauer's list of the top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area and yours truly has only been to 25 of them. Gasp! Time to start working my way through the other 75 (and time to find a way to fund those meals!).
On a whim, I found myself at one of the restaurants on the list last night. A16 is my favorite spot to grab a pizza and a glass of wine. I was in the mood for Italian, so the Beau and I stopped by and ate at the bar. Well, "a pizza and a glass of wine" magically turned into "a pizza, burrata, olives and a few glasses of wine," but who can blame us? When a restaurant menu is as appealing as A16's, it's nearly impossible to walk away without trying multiple dishes. And why would anyone want to do so?
The olives came first. I am an absolute olive fanatic and these are some of my favorites; they use great blend of herbs (lots of rosemary and sage), garlic, and citrus. And they're perfectly cured. Culinairily, I don't think anything annoys me more than under-cured, inedible olives!
Next was the burrata. Eating this dish was the equivalent of a texture bomb exploding in my mouth. Think I'm being dramatic? Don't know what a texture bomb is? Try this dish. The creamy, sweet mozzarella nearly melted into the thin, super-crisp crostini while the olive oil drizzled on top coated our mouths in a silky film of almost-indistinguishable citrus.
The Salsiccia pizza was expertly cooked, of course, but the flavors lacked punch. It was topped with fennel sausage, spring onions, mozzarella and green chiles; we added an egg. The egg was a nice touch (egg yolk makes everything better...), but I think the best part of their pizzas (pizze, I suppose!) is actually the red chile oil that they serve as a condiment. It has a wonderfully flavorful heat, rather than being spicy just for the sake of being spicy.
Top the whole meal off with a few glasses of bold red Italian wine and great conversation, and we had a fantastic Tuesday night!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Winter Farmer's Market Salad
Oh, what a slacker I am! I have proven my initial point about New Year's resolutions, and I broke my own resolution by February! Well, hopefully this post will make up for it a little bit. I know those fennel-lovers out there will be happy...
I have a bit of an obsession with certain vegetables. This is rare for someone as staunch a carnivore as I, but some vegetables deserve (almost) the same level of devotion as their more popular protein counterparts. Brussels sprouts, arugula and artichokes are a few vegetables that I adore. But the subject of this week's posting is...FENNEL!
The Italian blood in my veins (well, half of it is Italian anyway) has left me with a deep appreciation of the flavor profile associated with fennel. Anise-flavored cookies, biscotti and pizzelle are a huge part of holiday celebrations in my family and I've always liked black licorice. Fennel is a relative of anise and has a much more delicate, subtle flavor that makes it more palatable for those that find anise too intense.
This side dish or appetizer is a pleaser to both the eyes and the taste buds. It's a gorgeous late winter or early spring salad that I put together after going to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Tuesday. If you can't find blood oranges, you can substitute any orange or even pink grapefruit. Enjoy!
2. Cut the fennel into very thin slices (I use a mandoline, but if you don't have one then just cut them about 1/8 of an inch thick. Toss with the vinaigrette.
3. Plate the salad by making a bed with the dressed fennel and arranging orange supremes/slices on top. Garnish with the fennel fronds.
I have a bit of an obsession with certain vegetables. This is rare for someone as staunch a carnivore as I, but some vegetables deserve (almost) the same level of devotion as their more popular protein counterparts. Brussels sprouts, arugula and artichokes are a few vegetables that I adore. But the subject of this week's posting is...FENNEL!
The Italian blood in my veins (well, half of it is Italian anyway) has left me with a deep appreciation of the flavor profile associated with fennel. Anise-flavored cookies, biscotti and pizzelle are a huge part of holiday celebrations in my family and I've always liked black licorice. Fennel is a relative of anise and has a much more delicate, subtle flavor that makes it more palatable for those that find anise too intense.
This side dish or appetizer is a pleaser to both the eyes and the taste buds. It's a gorgeous late winter or early spring salad that I put together after going to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Tuesday. If you can't find blood oranges, you can substitute any orange or even pink grapefruit. Enjoy!
Fennel and Blood Orange Salad
Serves 4
- 1 large fennel bulb or 2 small fennel bulbs. Cut off the stalks (saving some fronds for garnish), cut the bulb in half, peel off the outer layer, and wash.
- 1 T fennel fronds, chopped (for garnish)
- 2 blood oranges with rinds cut away, cut into supremes or thinly sliced into rounds.
- 2 T orange juice
- 2 T olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
2. Cut the fennel into very thin slices (I use a mandoline, but if you don't have one then just cut them about 1/8 of an inch thick. Toss with the vinaigrette.
3. Plate the salad by making a bed with the dressed fennel and arranging orange supremes/slices on top. Garnish with the fennel fronds.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Easy Weeknight Meal
I was standing at the abandoned seafood counter of my local Safeway one night last week trying to buy a handful of shrimp. As usual, every employee in the store completely ignored me. After about 10 minutes I realized that my plan of spicy shrimp and rice for dinner was not going to happen. Second choice: homemade miso soup with mushroom. Surprise! This fabulous Safeway was also out of miso. I did not have a third option.
I stormed over to the produce section to find the Beau and once again proclaim my hatred for this establishment and to despair over what on earth I was going to eat for dinner. Inspiration! He was standing next to some gorgeous fresh fennel, one of my latest obsessions. My backup comfort food is always pasta, so I ended up making this extremely easy dinner in less than 30 minutes. It was absolutely delicious, especially if you love fennel. I had leftovers for lunch the next day and it actually may have tasted even better then.
Sausage and fennel are natural together in Italian cuisine; most Italian sausages have fennel seeds in them so this dish might even taste familiar. The end result is a little drier than most Americans like their pasta, but it really allows the flavor and texture of the fresh pasta to come through. Try it out!
2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into bits, until done and no longer pink inside (5-8 minutes). Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon but leave the oil and fat in the skillet. Drain sausage on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Cook the fennel in the skillet over medium heat until just tender (5-8 minutes).
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
5. While the pasta is cooking, add the can of tomatoes and the sausage to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until some of the tomato liquid has evaporated and you have a sauce-like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix together the sauce and pasta. Toss to combine. Top each serving with a handful of fresh mozzarella cubes (or grate some Parmesan over it if you don't have mozzarella).
Buon appetito!
I stormed over to the produce section to find the Beau and once again proclaim my hatred for this establishment and to despair over what on earth I was going to eat for dinner. Inspiration! He was standing next to some gorgeous fresh fennel, one of my latest obsessions. My backup comfort food is always pasta, so I ended up making this extremely easy dinner in less than 30 minutes. It was absolutely delicious, especially if you love fennel. I had leftovers for lunch the next day and it actually may have tasted even better then.
Sausage and fennel are natural together in Italian cuisine; most Italian sausages have fennel seeds in them so this dish might even taste familiar. The end result is a little drier than most Americans like their pasta, but it really allows the flavor and texture of the fresh pasta to come through. Try it out!
Sausage and Fennel Pasta
Serves 2-3
- 1 package fresh linguine or fettuchine pasta, about 9 oz (dried will work as well, but only make about 1/2 a pound)
- about 4 oz bulk spicy italian sausage
- 1 bulb fresh fennel, stalks removed and the bulb cut into a rough chop.
- 1 can (14.5 oz) seasoned diced tomatoes (I like the basil and oregano seasoned ones)
- about 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed (you can just use grated Parmesan if you don't have fresh mozzarella)
- 2 T vegetable or olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into bits, until done and no longer pink inside (5-8 minutes). Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon but leave the oil and fat in the skillet. Drain sausage on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Cook the fennel in the skillet over medium heat until just tender (5-8 minutes).
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
5. While the pasta is cooking, add the can of tomatoes and the sausage to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until some of the tomato liquid has evaporated and you have a sauce-like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix together the sauce and pasta. Toss to combine. Top each serving with a handful of fresh mozzarella cubes (or grate some Parmesan over it if you don't have mozzarella).
Buon appetito!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Soup that is a Piece of Cake
Where did the expression "piece of cake" come from? For someone who doesn't really enjoy baking (myself), this doesn't necessarily imply "easy." I guess boxed cake is easy, but that's cheating...
Now soup, however...that's easy. Especially the one I made over the weekend! It's a delicious, hearty winter stew that takes the edge off the cold weather. It's ridiculously simple to make, pretty healthy, and rather cheap as well. I've had a bag of gorgeous Rancho Gordo "pebbles" sitting around, and I've been dying to make something delicious with them. You basically just throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot and cook away!
So pardon the Arrested Development reference, but here's the recipe for Hot Ham Water.
2. Add the bouquet garni, beans, ham shank, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, chicken stock and water to a large pot or dutch oven. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover all the ingredients and add more water as needed. You can make the soup to your desired consistency. (You can add a splash of red wine or worchestershire sauce here to add extra depth).
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for two to three hours or until the beans are cooked through.
4. Pull out the ham shank and shred any meat that is attached. Return the meat to the pot.
5. Remove the onion, carrot, and celery. If any of the garlic cloves are still intact, remove them as well.
4. Prepare the chard by cutting the leafy part away from the stem (the stems take longer to cook). Cut the leaves into 1/2 in wide strips. If you want to include the stems, remove the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler and cut into one inch wide pieces. Add the stems to the pot, then bring the liquid up to a slow simmer. 5 minutes later, add the leaves and cook until tender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Important - do not add salt until this step! Salt will make the beans cook slower if you add it before they're done. Chard has a bit of a salty flavor, too, and that will impact the flavor of the soup.
Serve with warm crusty bread and butter. Enjoy!
Now soup, however...that's easy. Especially the one I made over the weekend! It's a delicious, hearty winter stew that takes the edge off the cold weather. It's ridiculously simple to make, pretty healthy, and rather cheap as well. I've had a bag of gorgeous Rancho Gordo "pebbles" sitting around, and I've been dying to make something delicious with them. You basically just throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot and cook away!
So pardon the Arrested Development reference, but here's the recipe for Hot Ham Water.
Hot Ham Water (aka Smoked Ham, Bean and Greens Soup)
Serves 6- 1 lb bag of high-quality dried beans, picked over, soaked for 4-6 hours and drained. I used a bag of mixed heirloom beans, but use whatever you like to eat.
- 1 ham shank or (ham hock)
- 1 carrot, cut into 3 pieces
- 1 onion, cut in half
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 3 pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 c chicken stock
2 c water - 1 bay leaf
- 1 stalk fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 T herbes de provence
- 1 1/2 bunches of swiss chard or kale, washed well (I like to use swiss chard with red stems, it adds color)
- salt and pepper
2. Add the bouquet garni, beans, ham shank, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, chicken stock and water to a large pot or dutch oven. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover all the ingredients and add more water as needed. You can make the soup to your desired consistency. (You can add a splash of red wine or worchestershire sauce here to add extra depth).
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for two to three hours or until the beans are cooked through.
4. Pull out the ham shank and shred any meat that is attached. Return the meat to the pot.
5. Remove the onion, carrot, and celery. If any of the garlic cloves are still intact, remove them as well.
4. Prepare the chard by cutting the leafy part away from the stem (the stems take longer to cook). Cut the leaves into 1/2 in wide strips. If you want to include the stems, remove the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler and cut into one inch wide pieces. Add the stems to the pot, then bring the liquid up to a slow simmer. 5 minutes later, add the leaves and cook until tender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Important - do not add salt until this step! Salt will make the beans cook slower if you add it before they're done. Chard has a bit of a salty flavor, too, and that will impact the flavor of the soup.
Serve with warm crusty bread and butter. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Cruelty of Television
I've been cooped up in my bedroom for the last 4 days with bronchitis but am feeling much better now, thanks to those crazy mega-dose antibiotics. The worst part was probably the sore throat, which meant that I was confined to a diet of soup and tea for what seemed like an eternity. Of course, it didn't help that I was spending about 8 hours of the day watching the Food Network or PBS cooking shows (some of my favorite cooking shows are on PBS - America's Test Kitchen, Lidia Bastianicch, Hubert Keller). Alton made chocolate chip cookies and I wanted to cry. Paula made sauerkraut and ribs and I started to salivate.
While the content of the shows was definitely the worst part, the commercials certainly didn't help. Even when I would attempt to escape the torment by watching TLC (I'm also a sucker for John & Kate Plus Eight and What Not To Wear), the commercials served as a constant reminder of my inability to consume solid foods. I have a strong aversion to TGI Friday's but I would have probably given my right arm for some of those deep fried green beans in their commercials.
I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, because I spent the other 2 waking hours of the days reading cookbooks or food magazines. James Peterson's Cooking was especially painful because he includes such beautiful photographs, but I did learn quite a bit about different cooking techniques and got some great ideas for recipes to try.
I think some good will come from being sick; I foresee a cooking binge in the next few weeks! I think all the delicous recipes I observed and the reading I did have inspired me to make some things I've been meaning to try. Right now I've got some amazing Rancho Gordo beans soaking at home and I picked up some gorgeous greens from the Farmer's Market this morning (Dinosaur Kale, Curly Kale and red-stemmed Swiss Chard), so I'm concocting a bean, greens and ham soup for dinner tonight. I'm determined to try a pate or terrine next weekend, which ought to be really interesting! Until then, however, here's a recipe from my favorite FN cooking show, Good Eats. The Macaroni and Cheese episode was on while I was sick, and I love Alton's recipe. NOTE: I can't stress the importance of tempering the egg with the milk mixture so you're not left with scrambled eggs in your mac 'n cheese!
While the content of the shows was definitely the worst part, the commercials certainly didn't help. Even when I would attempt to escape the torment by watching TLC (I'm also a sucker for John & Kate Plus Eight and What Not To Wear), the commercials served as a constant reminder of my inability to consume solid foods. I have a strong aversion to TGI Friday's but I would have probably given my right arm for some of those deep fried green beans in their commercials.
I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, because I spent the other 2 waking hours of the days reading cookbooks or food magazines. James Peterson's Cooking was especially painful because he includes such beautiful photographs, but I did learn quite a bit about different cooking techniques and got some great ideas for recipes to try.
I think some good will come from being sick; I foresee a cooking binge in the next few weeks! I think all the delicous recipes I observed and the reading I did have inspired me to make some things I've been meaning to try. Right now I've got some amazing Rancho Gordo beans soaking at home and I picked up some gorgeous greens from the Farmer's Market this morning (Dinosaur Kale, Curly Kale and red-stemmed Swiss Chard), so I'm concocting a bean, greens and ham soup for dinner tonight. I'm determined to try a pate or terrine next weekend, which ought to be really interesting! Until then, however, here's a recipe from my favorite FN cooking show, Good Eats. The Macaroni and Cheese episode was on while I was sick, and I love Alton's recipe. NOTE: I can't stress the importance of tempering the egg with the milk mixture so you're not left with scrambled eggs in your mac 'n cheese!
Alton's Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon powdered mustard
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 large egg
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper
Topping optional but highly recommended!
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
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