enjoy dinner on the patio at le colonial in san francisco

Last week, I had my first dinner in a restaurant since March 11th! 

Le Colonial. which specializes in French-Vietnamese fusion food has opened it's beautiful built in patio for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5-9 pm, reservations required.  The gorgeous, partially enclosed patio has an open air roof, well spaced, white clothed tables and great service, all well away from the street---you really feel like you can finally have a fine dining experience safely!  Waiters are masked and wear gloves, no menus are touched---you simply scan your phone over a bar code and voila! the menu appears!  Some of the delicious dishes included caramelized pork belly, duck spring rolls, shaken beef and lemon grass chicken.  Cocktails and wine are also available. Bon Appetit!

silver palate classic chicken marbella

One of the most delicious recipes I have made for book club is the the Silver Palate's famous Chicken Marbella.  The contrasting flavors of  briny, salty and sweet are exceptional.  It was the first main course to be offered at their Manhattan store and I can't thank Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins, with their passion for good simple food, for creating such an amazing dish and the iconic cookbook to match.  Enjoy this dish served over pureed mashed potatoes (better for the pan juices to run into) and sauteed spinach! 

Original recipe--- 16 pieces.

I used 12 bone in/skin on chicken thighs to make 6-8 portions depending on appetite.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 chickens quartered  (or approx 12 bone in/skin on thighs)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley finely chopped

Directions: 

1. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. 2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 3. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them. 4. Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice when pricked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour. 5. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauceboat. Note: To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in the cooking juices before transferring the pieces to a serving platter. If the chicken has been covered and refrigerated, reheat it in the juices, then allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the chicken.

enjoying the thanksgiving and christmas holidays 2018

I have been getting into the spirit of the holidays more so this year than usual.  There have been alot of changes this year, with Gump's filing bankruptcy--and me taking a new job at Bloomingdale's as a result.  Change is always challenging, but I have been very blessed with having lots of friend get togethers, birthday dinners, lunches and my great book club gang to name a few to make me feel more settled and vowed to myself that I would make every effort to enjoy the time.  I had a lovely, simple Thanksgiving, visiting friends and family all day by phone and text.  I cooked a cute little 9 lb bird that made great lunches for the next 5 days.  I also made an old favorite recipe of mine that I had published in a Neiman Marcus cookbook many years ago, spinach souffle casserole. This is a decadent recipe of cheesy goodness that tastes as good cold as it does right out of the oven.  I topped off the day by starting the all red holiday decorations with a new little tree that I got this year for the entrance way--it sits just right on the chest and has a nice reflection in the mirror.  One more tree to go!

spinach souffle casserole recipe:
4  10oz frozen boxes/bags of chopped spinach

1 1/2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

(3 cups total)

2 green onions thinly sliced

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ tsp salt (scant)

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

4 eggs, separated

Defrost spinach and place in a colander and drain well---press down with paper towels, till very dry.  Spray a 9x12 glass casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly beat egg yolks till frothy.   Beat egg whites till light peaks form.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the egg whites.  Fold the egg whites lightly into the mixture---turn into the baking dish and bake approx. 35 minutes till lightly puffed and golden.  Rest before cutting.

great birthday trip to la

I never fail to have a wonderful time when I visit Brendan in LA, as you know from former posts of our adventures in food and more!  Brendan had some great things planned . . .we went to The Broad museum in downtown LA, a private collection of modern art not to be missed.  The Broad is a beautiful building right next door to another gorgeous piece of architecture, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the LA Philharmonic---designed by Frank Gehry.  After your museum tour, take the tram down the hill to the Grand Central Market for a food court extravaganza!  We opted for old school Chinese--egg foo young!

The adventure continued with a great dinner at Lares Mexican in Santa Monica.  We saw Ocean's Eight while we were there, and it is a fun must see, especially for all the clothes and jewels!  Try breakfast and a sidewalk table at Sweet Butter, stop at Nespresso in BH for a fabulous salmon platter and visit the incredible mall at Westfield Century City, which features 3 stories of Eataly, an all Italian emporium filled with every Italian food and beverage delight you could possibly imagine---try the Roman pizza, known for its distinctive chewy, bubbly crust---we selected the prosciutto with green olives . . . words can't describe.  Brendan is a great griller and we enjoyed ribeyes and filets on grill the last night!

delicious homestyle mexican food at casa vallarta in oakland

                                                                          

One of my favorite go to places for lunch is Casa Vallarta at 1910 Park Blvd in Oakland.  This casual family run restaurant delivers homestyle Mexican favorites with delicious salsas, well developed sauces and homemade corn tortillas all at great prices.  Some of my favorites include the pork tamales with beans and rice, the wet burrito smothered in melted jack cheese and served on red and green sauces, chicken tostada salad in a tortilla bowl and the crispy beef tacos to name a few! Stop in and create some favorites for yourself! 

dinner at maybeck's in san francisco

I had a wonderful dinner last night with my dear girlfriends to celebrate my birthday.  My friends really pulled out all the stops--starting with, it was a surprise!  I was to meet Judy downtown at 5:00 and then, see what would happen. We began with a nice glass of wine at the Four Seasons. We then took an Uber and arrived at Maybeck's on Scott Street in the Marina. Inside, my friends had set up the private room with flowers and place cards and candles--it was beautiful!

Wednesday night Maybeck's features Beef Wellington and if that is not fantastic enough, at 7 pm promptly, you are invited into the kitchen where chef Eric Lowe talks about the preparation and makes the first cut into the Wellingtons---they were a thing of beauty!  Back at the table, we started with grilled/smoked artichokes with remoulade and halibut crudo with chili/lemon olive oil.  The Beef Wellington was served with black truffle au jus---creamed spinach was served on the side.  The beef was so tender you could cut it with your fork.  My dear friends continued the surprise with a cake made by SusieCakes on Chestnut Street, with a sweet butter cream frosting just like you remember from childhood and the perfect birthday cake!  Truly a wonderful evening I will never forget!

mod pizza makes it simple and delicious!

I was coming home from Crescent City back to San Francisco on Monday and the new route to SF includes a stopover in Portland.  The lovely woman in the seat next to me lived in Portland, but as we were exiting the plane, instead of heading right to baggage, she said she can't leave the airport till she had pizza---I said "what pizza?' and she said "Mod Pizza!"  Well, I was going to have to try it and am I glad I did--or maybe not, because the closest Mod Pizza to me is in Alameda or Daly City---tough for a quick fix.  Mod Pizza  was started in Seattle in 2008 and now has over 200 locations---what a story, read all about it on their website, modpizza.com. The concept is a simple, small menu done well. Choose from either a 6" or 11" ultra thin crust---add from an array of dozens of toppings all for the same price---baked in minutes in a super hot pizza oven till those lovely crispy bubbles form on the crust, taste, die and go to heaven!  Want sauce like buffalo, barbecue or balsamic drizzled on or on the side--no problem, no extra charge.  Want a breakfast pizza--they have that too!  My choice, the Mad Dog, with pesto base instead of red sauce, pepperoni, sausage and ground beef.  Choice number 2 (yes, I had to test 2) red sauce with pepperoni, hot sausage, mushrooms, bell pepper, red onion and pesto drizzle---amazing.  Oh, and IF you need it, they have salads and shakes as well!

new year's eve at e & o kitchen and the shelton theater

Brendan came into town for New Year's Eve and as always we had a wonderful time.  We didn't have to go far to have a lovely evening right on Union Square.  We started with dinner at E and O Kitchen and Bar on Sutter Street and if you haven't been, make a plan to go--the atmoshere is casual chic, the food is divine Asian fusion with great cocktails--even housemade ginger ale and they have a great happy hour from 3-6, Mon-Sat.  Really nice, you could order directly off the regular menu on NYE--dinner included ahi tuna tartar, pad thai noodles with gulf white prawns, wood roasted black cod on water spinach and of course a very tender shaking beef with tomatoes, chilis and watercress.  We only had to travel a block to the Shelton Theater for a super hilarious, well priced comedy show called "Cheaper Than Therapy".  This long standing club in the heart of downtown SF has a cool downstairs bar and will definitely remind you of a below street New York bar.

waffler pizza recipe

I have been intrigued with pizza made in a waffle iron ever since I saw Ree Drummond make one on the Pioneer Woman.  Something about using your waffle iron more than twice a year and not having to turn on the oven were strong motivations to make this idea work!  I have practiced a couple of times and it really is quite easy.  I use fresh store bought pizza dough--I use about a 1 1/2 cup size portion, let it rise and roll it out on a floured board to the approx size of my waffle iron. My iron is a square Cuisinart waffler that I LOVE.  I also love my JK Adams French rolling pin---gets the dough as thin as you like with no effort! I linked Ree Drummond's recipe but I made a few variations and you can too. Spray your waffler with non stick spray and let the waffle iron heat up as normal.  Lay your rolled out dough on the iron and close the lid and cook dough till the green ready light comes on. I then brushed the dough with olive oil, layered on pepperoni slices, grated mozzarella and Mexican blend cheese, chopped artichoke hearts, more cheese, dash salt and pepper and closed the lid---for about 1 minute till cheese melts. Open lid, brush down any bits that might have stuck to the top (actually much less than you would think for all that cheese) and lift out with a large spatula to your cutting board. For clean up, let the waffle iron cool, and brush away any bits with a pastry brush and layer paper towel on the grates and close lid to absorb any excess oil.  The BEST way to clean it just to make a batch of savory waffles the next morning---spotless!!  Other combinations I have tried are cooked sausage with thinly sliced baby zucchini and onions and sliced black olives. Overly wet/heavy toppings don't work.  You can use pizza sauce, but use a light hand.

book club dinner at iThai in san francisco

Just had another great meal at iThai in San Francisco!  iThai is one of our Book Club destinations when we don't feel like cooking--but want delicious dishes with super fresh ingredients.  Some of our favorites are the panfried chive dumplings, the crispy calamari (pictured above), larb salad,  BBQ chicken with cashews in a Thai country style glaze and wok-fried filet mignon with basil and peppers, all served with jasmine rice. Make a visit to the Post Street restaurant for many more great dishes.

sotto mare oysteria in the heart of north beach

For another San Francisco  traditional restaurant experience, check out Sotto Mare at 552 Green Street in the heart of North Beach.  Owned by Gigi Fiorucci, you may recognize two of his former SF landmarks--Maye's Oyster House on Polk Street and Caesar's near Fisherman's Wharf.  Not to disappoint, this seafood haven has a line out the door, cioppino to die for, not a french fry in sight--and they don't do dessert.  On this particular night I had their super thick and creamy chowder followed by fresh petrale sole in a piccata sauce with  perfectly cooked vege's--get in early and sit at the counter--don't be disturbed by the push and shove--it's part of the experience---Sotto Mare also sells seafood retail for the extreme home chef in all of us.

tyler florence does the most delicious shrimp scampi with linquini

I had a craving for scampi with linguini and decided to make it for my book group.  The problem, finding the perfect recipe for a dish that has many subtle variations.  With great success from Tyler Florence's recipes in the past, I chose Tyler's Ultimate and it was fantastic.  The wine and lemon were the perfect amount of acidity and the shallot added extra depth to the flavors.  My slight change up--I made two pans of sauce so I could fully coat the shrimp in one and toss the linguini in the other. I plated the pasta and topped it with the prawns and extra sauce--yum!  So feel free to double up the sauce recipe and be sure to serve with a crispy, crusty garlic bread.  Makes 4 entree portions.

1 pound linguini

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large shallot, finely diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

½ cup dry white wine

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

Cook pasta in salted water for 6-8 minutes.  Drain and reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the shallots, garlic and red pepper flake until shallots soften, about 3 minutes.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil.  Return shrimp, pasta and parsley to the pan along with reserved water.  Stir well, heat through and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil ( or extra sauce if you made it) and serve immediately.  Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

dinner at hakkasan, san francisco

I just had a wonderful dinner at Hakkasan--- Chinese cuisine done with extreme style . . . a modern salute to Cantonese cuisine.  This is a destination restaurant, a chain, in fact, but with a emphasis on food, detail and decor that reminds us why it is a global brand.  Hakkasan was founded in London in 2001 and has since become one of the world’s most distinguished global restaurant, lounge and nightlife brands.  I enjoyed the Peking duck, so beautifully plated, as to be art and a dessert lemon tart that was topped with a grape sorbet that was world class!  Whether a treat or extravagance---Hakkasan is located at at One Kearney, San Francisco.