some of my favorite meals while sheltering at home

It has been a long year so far.... 2020 started out with great hope for a new decade and hopefully that may still be the case, but for most of us (for me) the stay at home order to stop the spread of Covid-19 began on Tuesday, March 17th.  At first, the days seemed like a mini vacation, just three weeks.  That soon expanded, and right now, we are in our 5th month.  I return to work soon, and hope for the best. One of the things that made us sane during this time was cooking fun and delicious meals... here are a few of  my favorite dishes.

Simple, clean out the fridge ingredients:  fried rice with sugar snap peas, chicken , celery and egg.

Chilled orzo salad is a snap when tossing the Orzo with one 7 oz container of Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade (in the salad case), a few capers and extra virgin olive oil.

Nothing says comfort food like a great grilled cheese.  This sandwich took it to another level with a mix of creamy herb goat cheese, Monterey jack, sliced smoked turkey on buttered Acme sourdough bread.

Don't forget an awesome pickle--I am obsessed with Safeway's Baby Kosher Dills!

I had an awesome breakfast ever morning.... it is one of my favorite meals!  Here is an omelette with chili, cheese and green onion with Acme Country Pain.

Red bell pepper and potato hash with poached egg---another amazing breakfast!  Served with Acme whole wheat pain.  As you can see I was a frequent customer of Acme at the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building was open for take out food and grocery shopping and made a pleasant place to get fresh air by the water.

And to wind down the many days into the next, a glass of bubbly is always welcome!

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.

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!

hash brown and sausage breakfast frittata

Happy Easter everyone!  I wanted to start the morning with a lovely breakfast frittata that is really an easy one pan meal! Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Layer a 10" cast iron skillet with defrosted shredded or cubed hash browns, saute 1/2 lb reg or hot sausage with 6 sliced baby zucchini and a quarter of a yellow onion, diced. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk 6 eggs with a dash of salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Place the sausage mixture on the hash browns, top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.  Pour the egg mixture in and top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake 26 minutes--rest 5 minutes and enjoy!

bluff cove olive oil and vinegars in la

I was recently in LA and my dear friend Brendan turned me on to the most exceptional olive oil and vinegars in the area--Bluff Cove Olive Oil Company.  I am obsessed with the Black Mission Fig balsamic and the Spanish Picual extra virgin olive oil--perfect to dress delicate arugula or marinate chicken--black cherry balsamic is my next puchase--your bottles are filled on site from a huge selection of organic imported oils and vinegars.

la, food and the pageant of the masters

Just got back from a wonderful visit to LA with my dear friend, Brendan Eisan.  It was a belated birthday celebration for me and an early birthday celebration for him.  One of our adventures included going to the amazing living art show, The Pageant of the Masters, in Laguna Beach.  Laguna Beach is a artsy beach town 2 hours south of LA--yes the traffic was awful getting down there--but worth it.  Part of the world-renowned annual Festival of the Arts, the festival's highlight is The Pageant of the Masters.  The festival was started after the end of the depression as a means to draw business back to the art colony at Laguna Beach.  The Art Association struck on the idea of a summer art festival, to be held the week following the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in hopes that visitors would travel south to Laguna Beach before journeying home.  A smash hit at the festival was the Living Pictures show created by artist and vaudevillian Lolita Perine. She dressed local residents in costume and seated them behind a makeshift frame.  In 1935 Roy Ropp, a local construction worker, realtor and amateur artist, expanded Perine’s concept and developed the performance into its present-day format---A ninety-minute stage show of “living pictures” – incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater and professional orchestra complete the amazing performance. 

Food wise, we did well!  We had a delicious dinner in Laguna at Tortilla Republic, with salsa verde chicken enchiladas, pork fajitas and great guacamole. Saturday night, birthday dinner at Pace on Laurel Canyon--cedar grilled salmon and molten chocolate cake.  In LA, Sunday brunch at the Little Next Door, featured a wild mushroom/gruyere omelette and creamy potato gratin with coconut cheesecake to finish. For casual lunch in Sherman Oaks--- 8oz Poke. Build your own poke bowl with a variety of fresh fish, sides, sauces and toppings.  My poke bowl was a ridiculous amount of fresh ahi tuna poke and spicy tuna on baby greens with rice, wonton chips, avocado, cucumber and seaweed salad for $10.95??  I dream of a repeat every day!

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.

san francisco food life has an instagram page!

Just one more way to share great food with my friends and family-- an Instagram page!  Just started posting--here is a snapshot of the page.  Follow me as I journey through SF food and beyond----- with more amazing shots of food to come! Yum!  dianaparkersf@Instagram

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.

thanksgiving 2015

I was so blessed this year to be with my family in Crescent City!  Not only was it a Thanksgiving celebration, but my brother's birthday, as well.  My parents' created and cooked a beautiful menu that included a custom ordered prime rib that was a thing of beauty.  Beef is still king--plus whipped cream horseradish!  Pumpkin pie and peanut butter chocolate cream pie sealed the meal!