lemon and honey sugar body polish

I am crazy about sugar scrubs, body polishes, etc. but they can be very expensive (think Brown Sugar Body Scrub by Fresh) until my friend Deidre made a batch of sugar scrub a few years ago. I happened to see a similar recipe for it in a C&H ad this holiday and I thought it would make a great stocking stuffer or hostess gift for Christmas.

I made a few changes to the to the recipe and you can certainly use any fragrance essence

you prefer. I used 8oz. low mason jars with simple ribbon and a hang tag that stated what it was. Of course small jars with custom labels and stickers would look great--the possibilities are endless. The best part, your skin really is silky smooth and sugar has long been known for its healing powers. I would not use it on the face. Wipe the tub or shower well after use. It can be really slick.

The recipe:

1 cup white or brown sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil like canola (no olive oil--too much odor)

1/4 cup honey

4 capsules of vitamin e oil

2 or 3 drops of lemon essential oil (or to your liking)

Stir, and package. Does not need to be refrigerated, but will need a little stir with each use.

Makes 16 oz.

a retro dinner party in la and a visit to rivera restaurant, downtown la

I visited Brendan in LA a couple of weeks ago to celebrate our Christmas since we would not be able to do it over the conventional holiday. (He will be in SF for New Year's Eve.)

Brendan planned a great dinner for six of us and I was only to happy to assist since he is a little out of commission due to recent repair surgery on a damaged elbow. The table was absolutely gorgeous and the menu delicious. We tagged team and it worked out perfectly. Our retro menu began with a classic clam dip and a first course of cream of broccoli soup. Brendan re-created our favorite salad from House of Prime Rib in San Francisco followed by a super moist, herb infused pork tenderloin with roasted fingerling potatoes tossed with Gorgonzola and sauteed baby carrots. Homemade blackberry pie a la mode completed the decadent fare.

The beauty of any party is the interesting mix of guests, some who have never met but through some mysterious chemistry seem to have instant interesting dialog and debate on a variety of topics. (After dinner party questions don't hurt.) In attendance of course was our dear host, Brendan, the driven and consummate entrepreneur-owner of Blink Photo. Tu, the beautiful neighbor with a trail of broken hearts who works in executive placement. Jodina, the loving mother, a voice actor/partner with Jon St. John Productions. Dwayne, the cool intellectual who owns Gathers Strategies, and Jennifer, the actress strong in her beliefs, who owns GuerriLA Theatre in LA, a unique theatre experience performed in private homes. I don't know where I fit into this whole mix except that perhaps I am the keen observer, waiting to see how the whole
thing plays out. On this night no topic was off limits and no opinion to sacred. A great time was had by all.

I can't go to LA without trying out the latest hot restaurant and downtown Los Angeles is the place to find it. We made a Sunday night reservation at Rivera, an upscale Latin eatery on Flower across from the lavender lit trees of the Staples Center.

We started with the tortillas florales with Indian butter, delicate homemade tortillas stamped with edible flowers and the butter, an avocado puree. Another starter not to be missed are the piquillos rellenos stuffed with chorizo, gruyère and golden raisins. Brendan had an entree of banana leaf braised pork shoulder with Peruvian potatoes and I had blue corn tortillas stacked with duck, black beans and goat cheese, smothered in chili rioja sauce. A side of quinoa and spinach complemented both.

Another lovely trip to LA.

exceptional thai food at soi 4 in oakland

Had a great adventure in dining yesterday. Sometimes the unplanned has great end results.

That's the way it turned out when Deidre and I went to Jack London Square to try Eric Tucker's new collaboration at 202 Second, Encuentro. It opened on December 4, with lunch beginning Monday at 11:00am--no reservations taken.

Well, guess what, they were closed--a sign in the window said they would actually be open for lunch on Wednesday. Disappointed, but we will be back. The description on Yelp of the crispy kale chips and peppered portobello and caramelized fennel sandwich was mouth watering. Eric Tucker, executive chef of the great vegan restaurant, Millennium in San Francisco, surely has another hit on his hands.

Turns out Monday in Oakland is not a big restaurant day. Lots of calls to restaurants. Lots of closed restaurants. But a quick cruise up College thinking we might go to a favorite standby, Garabaldi's and we spotted Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery. It was a second visit for Deidre and a real find for me.

We ordered 4 dishes of what I can only say were absolute perfection with many others that sounded equally delicious. What made the dished so good? Slight variances in traditional ingredients, such as a salt and pepper calamari topped with delicate julienne of carrot and onion and a sauce that was more like a simmered Mexican red sauce rather than the usual sweet chili sauce. Tender and falling off the bone baby beef short ribs in a spicy kaffir panang curry, and Deidre's favorite, lightly battered prawns in spicy tamarind sauce with crispy shallots.  The wok sauteed wide noodles known as pad ke mao were hot and spicy with chicken, Thai chili and deep-fried basil leaves. Not one flavor competed or repeated itself.  I have been to Thailand and this is one of the best Thai meals I have ever tasted.

cooking a perfect turkey at the last minute

It has been quite a month. I went on a trip with my mother on the river boat Odyssey through Austria and Germany. We had a truly wonderful time. (I will devote an entire blog to the trip soon). As a result, I of course cleared out the fridge before I left with no plans for cooking, instead planning on having a small Thanksgiving dinner with friends.

Well my dear friend came down with a cold, so I decided to cook a little dinner for myself. I got the last slot on Tuesday for a 7:00 pm Safeway delivery. Since I don't own a car, Safeway delivery is a very convenient way to shop and usually orders are accurate and complete. Well not this time. In addition to no vegetables, lemons, nuts, milk and pancetta, the turkey was m.i.a. So off to the store on Wednesday. By the way I did get my delivery fee credited with no hassle.

I kept it simple. Cream of broccoli soup, roast turkey with a wild rice side dish with pancetta, a mixed green salad with dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette and a crisp chardonnay. I skipped dessert. I had enough Bavarian cream and apple strudel recently to last awhile.

Everyone has their favorite way to cook turkey and I have mine. Cover with soft butter and rub with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 450 degrees, place bird breast side down on rack in roasting pan (keeps breast meat moist as juices from leg run into it). After 15 minutes, turn down heat to 350 degrees. Turkey is now sealed. Baste with hot chicken stock every 20-30 minutes.

Know your approximate cooking time—rule of thumb is 20 minutes for every pound. Turn the turkey breast side up during the last hour to evenly brown and check the meat thermometer.

When it reaches 170 degrees, remove the bird even if it is under time—the thermometer rules.

Tent the bird and let it rest 20 minutes before cutting. Perfect every time.

By the way, this is for an unstuffed bird. I don't like moist stuffing and this is where cooking times can vary. Cook your stuffing in a casserole next to the bird the last 45 minutes.

The crispy top and tender middle is worth it.

great burgers and decadent milkshake bar at burger bar, san francisco

I made the trek to Burger Bar, (Macy's Union Square) this week. And guess what, so did everyone else—at least it seemed like everyone I spoke to had either just been there, was going or was there while I was there. John Kenneally from Southern was at the bar and Carmen from Neiman Marcus joined me for lunch. All in all a very social scene.

So how was it? Good. A lot of variety choice of meats, buns, cheese, toppings, sauces and even sides and unexpected combinations like the peppercorn burger with a peppercorn cream sauce from Fleur de Ly, surf and turf burger with Black Angus and grilled lobster and a bunless burger sandwiched between portobello mushrooms. Zucchini fries are crisp and delicious and a nice substitute for fries.

But watch out, there is a milkshake bar and even the simple chocolate shake is a decadent swirl of chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Served with a very thick straw, thank goodness.

the book club reads the girl with the dragon tattoo and enjoys spaghetti with fresh marinara

I love books. I love reading. I can't tell you how many times a book has made it all better—you know the time—about 3am when things don't seem solvable. Books put things in perspective and they transport you to another world. I love books. So about eight years ago a group of us who wanted (and needed) a combination social, cooking and book club came together.

Our little group just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This excellent mystery, the 1st of a series of 3 translated from Swedish and written by the late Stieg Larsson is all the rage right now.

So besides the chance to read, vent, discuss politics and gossip, food is the center of the book club. When my turn for dinner comes, I spend weeks writing menus, changing the menu, making grocery lists, editing the list and a day or two to bring it all together.

I followed a craving I was having and decided to do a classic Italian meal with a homemade marinara with spaghetti and meatballs, garlic french bread and creamy caesar salad. I made a simple sauce the day before that turned out absolutely delicious. My dear friends even requested to take their leftovers home to enjoy the next day.

Ingredients for the marinara:
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine

4 cloves of garlic, minced fine

2 TBL butter

2 TBL olive oil

2 TBL tomato paste

1 tsp anchovy paste

2 TBL pesto

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup good red wine

dash red pepper flake

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup of chopped Italian parsley, no stem

Saute garlic and onion in butter and oil 5 minutes till soft, add all other ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Best made the day before. Reheat and pour over hot spaghetti. If you make meatballs, rewarm them in the sauce and spoon over pasta. Pass grated parmesan cheese.

l'ardoise reminds one of an intimate dinner at a european bistro

A friend of mine, Joseph Leon, the owner and creative force behind JL Designs in San Francisco has a love of small, intimate restaurants with well executed classic food, simple ingredients and especially fantastic sauces. I never refuse when he calls and says of any new found eatery, “I have been here three nights in a row—I can't stop—you are going to love it!”

Friday night the latest destination was L'Ardoise at 151 Noe in San Francisco. My first thought when I came up the street was “I know this corner!” Once upon a time it was home to my favorite Thai restaurant, Thai House. After Thai House closed, I forgot about that little restaurant space until now. L'Ardoise, owned by chef Thierry Clement (Fringale) has actually been open over a year and a half, so I did an excellent job of blocking out that location.

This really is a delightful space with 30 or so seats, friendly French waiters, tiny bar, moody lighting and the dark wood and cozy seating of any European bistro. Our favorites are the escargot with parsley sauce, tiger prawn ravioli, coq au vin and duck leg confit with pommes landaises.

Have a glass of Champagne and enjoy tarte tatin to finish. Be sure you make a reservation—you're going to need it!

bocanova one of the newest additions to the oakland food and dining scene

I go to Oakland fairly frequently for a couple of reasons: one of my best friends, Deidre Joyner, a Realtor with Red Oak Realty, lives there, and two, the town, which in addition to being simply beautiful with deco architecture downtown, mid-century modern in the hills, glittering lights along the lake and the addition of the Cathedral of Christ the Light church, is going through an amazing food and dining metamorphosis.

Deidre, also a CCA grad, is my guide to all things food in Oakland/Berkeley. She would know. She writes a terrific real estate and lifestyle blog called the Oakland Berkeley Journal. A recent drive around the lake revealed the sprawling new Lake Chalet restaurant and at Jack London Square waterfront dining soon to be joined by a giant market place to rival the the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Our latest destination was Bocanova, 55 Webster at Jack London Square. This Pan-American/Peruvian influenced grill, a spacious, beamed and pillared beauty with communal tables and heated outdoor seating right on the water features organic and sustainable ingredients. We both fell in love with the little gem caesar salad; miniature leaves with perfect caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan and bits of anchovy. The grilled halibut with avocado and pickled vegetables on a torpedo roll was also a winner. Crispy yuca fries made a nice side.

The result? A need to visit Berkeley Bowl West (again) to buy all the ingredients to make our own little gem salad and other goodies. This MEGA food emporium is a foodies sensory overload but in a good way. For Deidre and myself an inspiration to cook more at home with the best possible ingredients.

Check out the food and dining scene in Oakland soon. You'll be glad you did.