Archive for October, 2007

Halloween Fare

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

Halloween in downtown Los Altos, where ya could die from the cuteness. Chiquita Banana.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Gorgeous Green Bean.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: [...]

Tags:

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »>

Chez Panisse; Chez Moi

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Every Saturday afternoon I consult with the chefs at Chez Panisse about menu ideas. I tell ya, they’re geniuses at this. Each session revs up my enthusiasm to try new combinations and twists on [...]

Tags:

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »>

World’s Greatest Pot Roast

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

The dish J. and I call World’s Greatest Pot Roast isn’t a pot roast at all. More accurately it is my candidate for the World’s Easiest Short Ribs, but the recipe started as one for pot roast and then morphed into the meat and method I use today. Years ago I read a few lines [...]

Tags: , ,

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »>

Beach House Baking

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

I’m sure there are people with second homes who always know the pantry inventories of said abodes. I am not one of those people. I try. I’m pretty good about the freezer, making sure it always holds puff pastry, butter and bacon — life’s true essentials. But our beach house pantry [...]

Tags:

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »>

Demolishing My Low-Carb Vows

Friday, October 12th, 2007

Oh, I am loving this book from the chef/owner of San Francisco’s Citizen Cake. Gorgeously photographed, sassily written and stuffed with exciting recipes, “Demolition Desserts” is one helluva book. Even the back cover blurbs are impressive: Mario Batali calls it “crazy, smart and beautiful,” Pierre Herme claims to want to try [...]

Tags: , , , , ,

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »>

Sort-of Souffle Tuesday: Pops rather than Puffs

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

Making good-enough popovers is simplicity itself, but consistently producing near-perfect popovers — crisp on the outside, moist and tender within and, of course, puffed both high and wide — is a goal I’ve found maddeningly elusive.I’ve tried various cookware — muffin tins, ceramic ramekins, special iron popover pans –and both hot [...]

Tags: , ,

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »>

Shortcake like Mother Never Made (unless Mother was an Italian Pastry Chef)

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

Amongst shortcake fans you have your biscuit-lovers and your sponge-cake devotees. Cake people are wrong, of course; in shortcake, biscuits are better. But every once in a while even my strongest convictions have to be altered.After the Strawberry & Peach Shortcake I had recently at Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar in Healdsburg I [...]

Tags:

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »>

Souffle Tuesday — two days late

Thursday, October 4th, 2007

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

When it comes to matters culinary I’m pathetically suggestible. Let one of my food gurus mention an unusual spice or helpful gadget or pricey pan and I immediately NEED it. Occasionally I don’t have [...]

Tags:

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »>

Pat is in the Details

Monday, October 1st, 2007

The fish tacos I had for dinner Friday night at Nick’s Cove on Tomales Bay were so good I was tempted to order them again Sunday morning at brunch, but the “you must be kidding” look I got from across the table made me pick eggs Benedict instead. Thus bullied into choosing [...]

Tags: ,

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »>