Sunday Morning, Part III (of III) - The Market Haul

As you have probably guessed if you've seen the other pictures, I went a little nuts at the farmers' market on Sunday.

Here's a complete list of what I purchased:

• apriums
• pluots
• tomatoes and cherry tomatoes
• fresh salsa
• squash blossoms
• fava beans
• green beans and wax beans
• spring onions
• strawberries
• bread and cie baguette
• Guanni Chocolates
• Brioche cinnamon roll

Suffice to say, we have eaten well this week. For Monday night's dinner, I stuffed the squash blossoms with ricotta cheese and lightly fried them in a beer batter. With the strawberries, I made a strawberry clafoutis.

On Tuesday, I oven-fried an organic chicken, which we ate with salad from the tomatoes, some of the bread, and some leftover Rancho Gordo beans (made on Sunday using one of the onions.) For dessert, we nibbled on the Guanni chocolates.

Wednesday's dinner was a pasta dish made with sprouted wheat pappardelle, another of the onions, the fava beans, some Niman Ranch bacon and Reggiano parmesan. I gave some of the green and wax beans to my mom, and had some in my lunches this week (they steam beautifully in the microwave).

Of all of the things I made this week though, my hands down favorite has to be the pluot and aprium tarts I made on Sunday. Saturday was my dad's birthday, and we celebrated on Sunday night. He had requested brownies, which I made - but I thought a birthday called for something more. Not a cake though, not today.

My first idea was to make a tart using pate brisee and pastry cream - but I don't have an oblong tart pan, and I remembered that we had made some really delicious pear tarts using frangipane and puff pastry in my class. We built the tarts by rolling out the dough, cutting it into strips, and stacking the thin strips of puff dough on the sides with egg wash.

With the leftover puff dough from my St. Honore Cake and the recipe for frangipane, I set to work. Here's the Frangipane, ready for spreading.

I thawed the frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight, rolled it out very thin, and cut it into two three-inch strips, and four 1/2-inch strips. I glued the half-inch strips onto the edges with egg wash, trimmed the tarts to even and filled the centers with a generous smear of frangipane, spreading it with a offset spatula. I laid the sliced fruit on the frangipane in a pattern, sprinkled the top with toasted almonds, and brushed the edges of the pastry with egg white. They went on a parchment lined sheet pan, and baked at about 375 for 40-45 minutes, until they were deep golden brown and the frangipane had puffed and dried between the slices.

Here they are just out of the oven. (I sprinkled the edges with powdered sugar from a shaker.)

The recipe for the puff dough can be found here. I have two recipes for the Frangipane. The one I used here is the one from my class, but when I made almond brioche a while back, I used a different recipe from the Joy of Cooking. Here I have included both. Chef Foran's is a little lighter and fluffier - while the other recipe has more almond flavor and a little more heft.

Frangipane I - a la Chef Foran
(makes about two cups)
4.5 ounces of butter - softened
4.5 ounces of sugar
4.5 ounces of almond meal
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla paste
3/4 cup of All Purpose Flour
pinch salt

With the paddle, beat the softened butter, sugar and almond meal until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla paste and incorporate. Blend in the flour and pinch of salt.

Frangipane II
adapted from the Joy of Cooking

1 cup almond meal (ground whole almonds)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons soft butter
1 egg white
1/4 tsp almond extract
a couple of teaspoons of water

Mix the flour, powdered sugar and almond meal in a smal bowl. Whisk together the soft butter, egg white, almond extract and corn syrup. Stir into the almond meal mixture, adding a little water if it seems dry - you want a fairly light spreadable texture.

Sunday Morning Part II (of III) - the Hillcrest Farmers' Market

Sunday's visit to the Hillcrest market was the first in a while for me, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. We used to go almost every week. I'm not sure exactly why we stopped, but I think several factors conspired against it. There's the fact that we like to stay home on Sunday mornings listening to NPR, eating croissants (or waffles) and reading the New York Times; the fact that we don't live in the neighborhood anymore (though really it's only twenty minutes away); and last but not least - the fact that every time I go to a farmers' market I get carried away and buy tons of beautiful fruits and vegetables that end up drying out in my refrigerator.

All I can say is, not anymore. I suppose this really isn't fair, since this is probably an ideal time to shop the market, with all of the spring and summer produce in full bloom - but I just can't believe I ever gave it up.

It seems like the Hillcrest market has expanded and improved since my last visit. For one thing, it's now out in the street, instead of taking up the whole parking lot. It's a little more cohesive and easy to navigate with the produce on one long strip, and the prepared foods in another section right next to it.

The produce was obscenely beautiful - stone fruits, cherries, tomatoes, corn, squash blossoms, onions, cherimoyas, avocados - you name it. I will have to go back when I can spend more time to get a handle on the various vendors. Some are certified organic, but most are not. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't follow good farming practices though - you don't know unless you ask.

Some things haven't changed. In the prepared section, the most popular vendor was clearly the "crepe guy," though I don't remember the line being quite this long before.

I opted for one of these eyepopping brioche, from Michel of San Diego Cake. (I had to giggle when he asked if I was a "Martha Stewart spy" when I asked to take some pictures.) He had some fantastic looking fruit tarts, a large pan of chocolate "fondant" (flourless chocolate cake) and other goodies.

Next door to these delights was the raw vegan pie and pizza guy . Not many takers for this.

Further down, I happened on this little stand, for Guanni Chocolates. I was intrigued by the display of organic cocoa beans and nibs, and the boxes with Peruvian textile ribbons. I asked a fellow customer about the chocolates, and he said they were phenomenal, and that they have them catered for party favors. He seemed to know what he was talking about, so I decided to give them a go.

The chocolatier/owner, Mariella Balbi and her son were working the stand, and we chatted a bit about the flavors. I was intrigued by some of her unusual combinations, including the Pisco - with Pisco (Peruvian brandy) and currants; the Lucuma - which includes a Peruvian fruit by the same name; and a caramel described as lemony topped with Alaea sea salt. Thoroughly charmed and intrigued, I bought a box of nine. Frankly, I think these are so good that they deserve their own post. They were top quality - possibly even the best in town.

I bought a lot, but I saw many things that I will go back for. Chief among them are cherries - I just couldn't do it, given everything else I bought - but I can't wait to get my hands on some. Clafoutis is one of my newest obsessions, and I am bent on mastering it. I tried one, with some strawberries - but it wasn't quite right. Tartine's recipe is next on the list.


Next up, Part III - the haul I brought home from the market, and what I did with it!

Hillcrest Farmers Market
In the DMV Parking Lot
on Lincoln Street between Cleveland and Normal
Every Sunday, rain or shine - 9-1.
For listings of markets throughout San Diego, go to the San Diego Farm Bureau website

Sunday Morning Part I (of III) - Breakfast at Cafe on Park

This past Sunday, I dragged James - kicking and screaming - out of the house on Sunday morning to go to the Hillcrest Farmers Market, located at the DMV parking lot in Hillcrest. We had originally planned to have breakfast beforehand at the new Cafe One Three, nearby on Park Boulevard, but when we arrived just before 9 AM (gotta get out early on Sunday morning!) they were sweeping out the place. We figured they would probably open at 9, but when James hopped out to ask, the answer was 10. That seemed a little late to us, even for Sunday, and we weren't about to wait an hour to eat. Next!

I remembered reading something on Chowhound about another new place that recently opened up over on Adams, Cafe 2121, so we swung over there. It too was empty, and though it was open, I looked at the menu and saw very few breakfast options.

We have sort of had our fill of the Parkhouse Eatery, so we continued back down Park Boulevard to the aptly named Cafe on Park, located just South of University in a little strip of stores that includes a bondage shop and a pet wash. This place that has been there for ages, but somehow we had never been. (Probably because we always went to Parkhouse.) It also used to be quite crowded, as I recall, and we aren't much for waiting to eat breakfast.

The menu is full of both standard breakfast meals and quirky combos like Cap'n Crunch pancakes, which I knew I'd seen somewhere before... In fact, I noticed several similarities between the menu here and that of the Hash House, as well as the pots of homemade jam on the tables and the pancakes the size of bicycle tires. It turns out that the owner and chef of the Hash House actually worked here for five years before moving on to open his own place. As it turns out, Hash House is really just a redux of this place.

We ordered conventionally - poached eggs with bacon, potatoes and toast for me, and a waffle combo for James - a waffle with eggs and bacon. Coffee all around.

The eggs were perfectly poached, with runny yolks but fully cooked whites, the applewood-smoked bacon was crisp, and the O'Brien-style potatoes included onions and strips of jalapeno peppers. I spooned the eggs over the potatoes and ate them together like a hash. The only problem was that there was a little too much butter-like substance on the toast. That's easy to fix though, I'd just ask for it dry next time. The jam on the table was homemade, but I couldn't tell what kind it was. I asked our server and he said he wasn't sure, but the owner's mother had made it. I think it was grapefruit, based on the color.

James' waffle was a little underbaked, but it had good buttermilk flavor. His eggs and bacon looked good as well. (They don't supply real maple syrup automatically, but it is available for an extra $1.25.)

The dining room is a cheerful mix of funky artsy-industrial and retro-country diner, with concrete floors, a cast concrete bar with varnished wood top, and butter-yellow walls. Currently they are hosting an art exhibit of some brightly colored fairly realistic-looking birds, mounted on the walls. (I wasn't facing them, but James claimed they looked real enough that they were creeping him out.)

The beverages (other than coffee) are served in mason jars, and the menu has a distinctive home-style flair to it - much like the Hash House. The coffee was good, and they kept it coming. They serve breakfast and lunch daily, and Thursday thru Saturday they offer dinner as well. (On the days they are open for dinner, they close between 2 PM and 5 PM, other days, they close at 2.)

By the time we left, close to ten, they had a few people stacked up outside, but not nearly as many as you'd find at Hash House or Parkhouse Eatery. I'm not sure if this place has been forgotten, if we were just early, or if it was just slow because of the holiday weekend - but we felt like we'd discovered something. It's always nice to find something new right under your nose! Given that I plan to start shopping the Farmers' Market more often, I'm sure we'll be back on many Sunday mornings in the months to come.

Coming Soon - Part II, Shopping the Farmers' Market.

Cafe on Park
3831 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA
619.293.7275
open daily for breakfast and lunch, 9-2. Reopen 5-9 for dinner, Thurs-Saturday.

recommended dishes - the poached eggs and O'Brien potatoes (a friend of mine also used to rave about the Buggs Benny - their special fancy version of eggs benedict.)

The Daring Bakers Do it Again - Gateau St. Honore

This month, I was granted the privilege of becoming a member of the "Zeta" class of the Daring Bakers, a group started this past fall by Lis and Ivonne. In just half a dozen or so monthly challenges, the Daring Bakers have ballooned to include dozens of members.

This month's challenge came from Helene of Tartelette. Being an accomplished pastry chef, she put us through our paces with a multi-component concoction called "Gateau St. Honore." Traditionally served on birthdays in France, the cake is made from a puff pastry base topped with rings of pate choux, filled with a vanilla diplomat cream, and ringed with filled cream puffs coated with caramel. (Got all that?) I had reservations about this challenge, but I felt I had to tackle it given that I learned to make the choux and puff pastry in my class. It was a perfect chance to practice, and I am so glad I followed through.

Since the option was offered to purchase the puff pastry, I decided I would make my own using the shortcut "blitz" method, rather than the "butter package" recipe supplied by Helene. It worked well - as you can see above, the layers came up nice and flaky. My only mistake was that I didn't bake it quite long enough. The edges were perfect, but the center hadn't quite had a chance to finish, and it fell a bit when I took it out of the oven. The dough was very simple to make, and but for the resting time in the fridge, didn't take long at all. Here it is getting its last couple of turns.

The marble pastry board I purchased recently came in very handy for this.

Since I was in the aforementioned rush, I almost didn't do the caramel on top and on the puffs. I am so glad I did though - the contrast of the crunchy burnt sugar was a perfect accent for the flavor and texture of the rest of the dish. One interesting thing about this dessert is that the dough for both the puff pastry and the cream puffs are not sweetened at all. I barely sweetened my whipped cream, so the pastry cream and the sugar provided all of the sweetness.

Trying to do too many things at once, I stepped away from my pastry cream on the stove for a moment too long, and overcooked it a little bit. Not enough to scorch it, thank goodness - but enough that it went a little lumpy on me. Luckily I was able to save it by pushing it through a sieve and adding a little whipped cream. The one change I made to this recipe was to add a little vanilla paste to the cream, along with the suggested rum, which I thought was nice. I like the look and flavor of the little vanilla bean flecks.

My favorite part of this dessert - by far, were the cream puffs filled with diplomat cream and covered with the caramel. I had thought the process of making and dipping the puffs would be complicated, but it really wasn't. Helene's recipe worked like a charm, and after the puffs chilled, I loaded up a small pastry bag with a small tip and poked a little hole in them. I overfilled the first one a bit, and it squirted out like toothpaste from a tube, but I soon got the hang of it.

To do the caramel, I just put half a cup of plain white sugar in a dry nonstick pan, and let it melt over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally to keep the edges from getting too brown. You really have to watch this carefully - it can burn in a flash. When the sugar was completely liquid, I put the puffs on a rack over some paper towels, tilted the pan, and just dipped them in, one by one, setting them on the rack. As I did it, the caramel started to harden very quickly, and I had to reheat it to get it liquid. Once it thickens it's kind of hard to get the puffs out without squeezing them, and you don't want to get any cream in the caramel if you can help it. I just scooped out the couple of tiny bits that wound up in it, to keep the rest from crystallizing.

I couldn't figure out how to do the spun sugar, so I took the caramel I had left and just drizzled it over an upturned bowl sprayed with a little oil for an impromptu sugar cage. I think the spun sugar would have been much nicer, but you have to work with what you've got. I'm sure that once I've taken the sugar class I will be a pro - but that hasn't happened yet.

The only problem with this type of caramel is that it gets sticky very quickly and doesn't last very long - you wouldn't want to put this dessert together any longer than a couple of hours before serving. I served this at a small party at my parents house, and actually packed all the components separately, including the cream and whipped cream - to assemble on site.

If you're interested in reading more about the puff pastry and choux paste, check out my earlier post about the day we learned these techniques in my pastry class. The puff dough recipe and a different (but very similar) choux recipe are included. The full recipe for this creation, including the butter package puff, the choux paste used above, and the diplomat cream can be found on Helene's blog, here. Be sure to check out the links on the sidebar to see the creations of the rest of the Daring Bakers!

À bientôt!!

Biscuits and Beans

As I mentioned earlier, based on a recommendation from Maia and inspiration from Heidi and their website, I ordered some beans from Rancho Gordo the other day. They arrived today, along with a bottle of hot sauce, and a package of canela (cinnamon sticks.)

I have to admit, I was compelled to order the beans in large part because they look so cool, but I really have no idea what to do with them. I love the idea of eating more non-meat forms of protein and getting more fiber and whole foods in my diet, but I wasn't raised in a bean eating family, unless we're talking about pork and beans, or those icky three bean salads made from canned wax and kidney beans. (I still can't get over the fact that you just open the cans and dump it in the bowl. Ick!!) Needless to say, I turned up my nose at those things, even going so far as to pick the beans out of my chili when I was a kid.


I need a little help, people. If these were your beans, what would you do with them?

I have heirloom Good Mother Stallard, (what a great name!) Cannellini, Borlotti and Marrow beans.

Speaking of great names, I am at the section in Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, where she talks about the names for all of the heirloom varieties of vegetables you can buy. It's making me really excited to seek out some unique and unusual varieties when I plant the garden next year. (I'm going to need a lot of boxes to grow all that I have in mind!)

I'm just trying new things all over the place. I've made scones a million times, and shortbread for strawberries as well, but I had never set out to make big fluffy biscuits from scratch until this week - when I decided to give them a try for my supper club meeting tonight.

I actually had a false start on my first effort, following the recipe from Joy of Cooking. (You know there's a serious disconnect when one recipe that calls for three cups of flour makes a dozen biscuits, and another that uses only two cups claims to make twenty!) What I wound up with was something more akin to a cracker. They were crisp and flaky but slightly flat, and tasted sort of like like buttery saltines. I actually think they would make great canapes, baked in small squares, split and filled with cheese or salty ham. We ate them with some fig jam and bleu cheese as an accompaniment to oven fried chicken and a green salad.

This morning I got up a little early to do a re-do on the biscuits, so that I would have something to take to the supper club this evening as promised. I needed a new recipe, and I thought I remembered seeing one recently on the adorably funny blog Smitten Kitchen. Sure enough there it was, lurking among a number of delicious-sounding brunch recipes. I didn't use the chives because I wanted to be able to drizzle the biscuits with honey and/or slather them with jam, and I didn't have any buttermilk on hand so I was forced to substitute some yogurt, which worked just dandy. I was very pleased with the way these came out. They were fluffy, flaky, light and delicious - in short, everything a biscuit should be. Here is the recipe, as I adapted it.


Fluffy, Flaky Biscuits
adapted from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, who in turn adapted her recipe from Dot's Diner in Boulder, CO

3 cups Organic All Purpose Flour, sifted
1 Tablespoon of sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) chilled unsalted organic butter, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3/4 cup organic plain lowfat yogurt (I used Trader Joes Organic)
1/4 cup organic whole milk, plus a little more as needed.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda with a whisk. Add the butter and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs, with pieces no larger than a pea.

Combine the yogurt and milk in a measuring cup, and pour all at once into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon just until it comes together, adding a little more milk if necessary. Knead against the side of the bowl five or six times, and turn out onto a floured marble or stone surface. Roll out to 3/4 of an inch thick, forming a large square. Cut into 9 even pieces with a sharp knife. Flip the squares over, dust off any excess flour, and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Spray with a light mist of olive oil or brush with melted butter. Bake until the tops are lightly browned, about fifteen minutes. Serve warm with softened butter and a drizzle of honey.

To reheat room temperature biscuits, place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. These would also freeze very well.

New Year, New Look and Restaurant News!

As of Tuesday, it's the start of a new blogging year for Alice Q. Foodie, and I thought it might be nice to lighten things up around here for summer. I'm still tinkering with it, so let me know if you have any specific feedback, or if something's hard to read, etc. I am still having some problems with the header not displaying properly in Firefox, but I am hoping to get them fixed soon - it's working fine in IE 6.

I also wanted to share some news and information I've come across recently. First off, a new gelateria and cafe just opened in Little Italy at the corner of State and Cedar, called Pappa Lecco. The gelato is house-made. It's intensely flavorful and very creamy. It's quite different from Gelato Vero, which is more "chewy," and sweeter and more intense than Cafe Zucchero. (I haven't been to Mondo Gelato yet.) The food I have sampled from their lunch menu has been good, but it seems like they are still finding their way. They have dozens of combinations on the menu, and some sound more successful than others. I ordered the salad made with prosciutto and goat cheese - drizzled with olive oil. Everything was fresh and it tasted good, but it kind of needed something - maybe tomato or basil - to balance the flavors. I also would have liked some vinegar in the dressing. The panini selection is fairly limited - my dining companion ordered the plain mozzarella and prosciutto and said it was good, but a little bland. Their website is not up just yet, but it looks like it will be www.pappalecco.com.

I also had a chance to pick up a salad for lunch this week at Saladstyle, in the East Village downtown. This place is a tiny hole in the wall that serves fresh entree-sized salads. I really enjoyed the Seared Ahi and Tomato, made with organic greens, a generous portion of seared ahi, ripe tomatoes, capers and olives - with a crouton on the side topped with hummus. It seemed to be quite popular, at least two or three other people ordered the same thing while I was there.

If you get the salad to go it comes in a plastic clamshell, with the dressing on the side. If you eat in (they have a few tiny tables) they will serve it to you on a plate. I'd love to see them switch from the plastic clamshells to paper boxes, but at least the clamshells are recyclable. Salads are around $9.50, and for a dollar or so less, they will also make a wrap with any of the salads in a tortilla. They deliver free in the downtown area with a minimum purchase of three salads.

About a week ago, we had dinner at Jayne's Gastropub for the third time, this time with our friends Lisa and Luis. They really liked it, and we've enjoyed it every time we've been. The vibe on Saturday night was busy but relaxed. It didn't feel like they were overwhelmed though the place was definitely hopping. We were pleased and surprised to have Billy for our server - he has worked at Laurel and the Wine Sellar Brasserie in the past and is a fantastic server, sommelier and just a general all-around raconteur. Lisa made an observation that I've also made in the past, that Jayne's is the kind of restaurant that every neighborhood needs, and that San Diego needs more of.

They've made some changes to the menu since our last visit, removing the Wiener Schitzel and adding a vegetarian entree of Grilled Polenta with Organic Vegetables and a Niman Ranch Pork Porterhouse. They have also replaced the Orechiette with Sausage with a new Linguini with Pancetta and Arugula, and added a new starter, Gambas Al Ajillo. These were lipsmacking good - sweet, garlicky and spicy. We also tried the white bean crostini, which was fine (loved the bread) and the calamari, which I think we've had every time we've been so far. I had the chicken this time, which reminds me of Zuni chicken with the pine nuts, arugula and currants, and James tried the Pork Porterhouse. Lisa had the short ribs, and Luis had the steak. For dessert, we did the lemon tart, and the butterscotch creme brulee, which is one of my favorites anywhere. The lemon was nice, but not quite tart enough for my personal taste.

A new Italian restaurant is open in North Park called Alexander's - run by the son of the people who run Old Venice in Point Loma. It's on 30th, just across from the Linkery. My "sources" tell me that the all white decor is very cool, but the food is just ok. One member of the couple is actually Italian though - from Italy - so he's a bit picky about his Italian food. It's still wildly popular though, and I think it will do well. We would have tried it the other night, but for the fact that they don't take reservations and we didn't want to wait an hour.

In other news, the opening of the new Currant restaurant in the Sofia hotel downtown has apparently been pushed back to July - it was originally scheduled for April. A little bird told me that Bite, Chris Walsh's new restaurant in Hillcrest is open, but I haven't confirmed that yet. I am anxious to check it out. I can't help but wonder what will happen with Confidential. I drove by there on a recent Friday night and the crowd was pretty sparse, but it was a little early yet for clubbing.

I've also heard that CHOW, the new noodle restaurant in the former Celadons location on University is opening soon tonight(!) so keep an eye out for that. I've heard mixed reviews on the decor at the new location of Celadon - in Region's old space. That location has had a tough time ever since Stefano's left.

Hanis Cavin has taken over the kitchen at Kensington Grill - he's been the Chef at Dakota and Pacific Coast Grill. I've taken his classes at the Prado - he's a really nice guy and a lot of fun. At one time he had a fan club of people who filled up his classes well in advance, I'm not sure if that's still going on.

Also in Kensington, I read that Philippe Beltran, a former partner in Vagabond has left there to take over the Green Tomato. It is to be renamed "Bleu Boheme" That place was always terrible when we lived in the neighborhood, so whatever they do to it will undoubtedly be an improvement!

Anthology, the new jazz supper club project from Bradley Ogden and Jim Phillips (the former chef at Pamplemousse) is opening this month on the border of Little Italy/Downtown. It looks like you can get in for as low as $10.00 (plus a $15.00 minimum food/beverage tab) to see the house band. Tickets for a headliner will run anywhere from $20 a head on up to $105.00 for a package including a three course meal. Show tickets are currently available through Ticketmaster, and the menu can be viewed here.

A bit of disappointing news came from a recent post on Gil and Krista's blog, What We Dig. "San Diego Confidential" dished that rumor has it Jason Schaeffer is already leaving 1500 Ocean. He's already left San Diego once before, to open Per Se with Thomas Keller in New York (he was wooed away while at Laurel) so hopefully he has learned his lesson and is staying in town this time! Check out the link for other interesting tidbits!

Boutique Beans - Slow Food v. the SF Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market

**Update 5.21.07**: Check out Sam's take on the whole thing: Becks & Posh: The Farmers' Market versus Safeway

I'm also reading the Barbara Kingsolver book, Animal Vegetable Miracle - it's a real eye opener about conventional farming and seasonal produce. I highly recommend it for anyone with an interest in this topic!

***************************************************
I decided to work from home today (really - I am getting work done, I swear!) and in taking a little break, I noticed some interesting posts on the following blogs and on Chowhound about this brouhaha over Carlo "Smallweenie" Petrini and his bashing of the SF Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. I don't have time right now to digest the info and comment extensively, but there's really no need - the matter is exhaustively and thoughtfully dissected by the commenters in these forums. I have some conflicting feelings about Slow Food myself, and these links provide some interesting food for thought. Please to enjoy:

SF Gate article about CUESA's decision to cancel Carlos' scheduled book signing and schedule a meeting instead.

Chowhound thread about the whole thing.

Rancho Gordo's blog - wherein Rancho Gordo owner and Ferry Plaza Market farmer Steve Sando reprints the actual quote from the book (in his first post, scroll down a bit) and talks about the meeting that occurred instead of the book signing referenced above. Joe Schirmer of Dirty Girl farm (the supposed "surfer bum" mentioned in Carlo's book) also talks about what actually happened in his meeting with Petrini in his comment on the first post. (Perhaps Carlo is confused about the difference between a novel and a non-fiction account - maybe he should go on Oprah to explain.)

I Heart Farms - a Bay Area blog about farms, wherein Joe Schirmer also left a comment (very funny man, that Dirty Joe - and good looking too - who knew?)

Good Food Comes from Happy Cows - the post from a cool new local blog that actually led me down the rabbit hole.

Other fun related links:
Rancho Gordo's online store - I just ordered some beans, canela and hot sauce!
What Dirty Girl's got
CUESA - the organization that manages the SF Farmer's Market
The Ferry Building Marketplace

Photos from my most recent market visit -clockwise from top left:
1) a discerning shopper at the market
2) olives, tomatoes, lavender and basil at the market on a recent visit
3) one of those actresses Carlo was talking about - shopping for tomatoes at Dirty Girl
4) the Ferry Building herself.

What is it with this stuff? (Yogurt World)

I've been reading about Yogurt World for a while now on Chowhound, and of course I've heard about Pinkberry - seeing as how I don't live under a rock - but I've had a hard time understanding what all the fuss is about. I still do, to some extent. After hearing so much about how tart it is I had some high expectations.
I was a little bit disappointed, actually. The tart fruit flavors were more like sorbet - not nearly puckery enough in my book, but the plain yogurt is really nice. It's not exactly sour, but it has good tangy dairy flavor - like cheesecake, creme fraiche, or sour cream. It's the incredibly dense smooth texture that really makes it addictive though.

After eating my bowl of 1/3 plain, 1/3 tart peach and 1/3 passionfruit, I went back later the same day and bought two more bowls of plain (one of which is pictured here.) I brought them home, one for my husband, and one for our friend Kenny - who is helping us out with some projects in our yard. Kenny took the yogurt and left - but a few minutes later he was back. "Where did you say you got this stuff again?" He loved it. So did my husband. If this place were any closer, it would definitely be dangerous.

There's actually bit of a scandal surrounding Pinkberry, over what exactly is in the yogurt, and whether it's actually yogurt at all. (Remember that old Seinfeld episode, where they all get fat eating the "non-fat" yogurt?) If you really want to be sure about what you are getting, or if you don't live near one of these places, you can recreate the flavor at home by freezing Trader Joes' or another high quality organic lowfat yogurt in an ordinary ice cream maker. You can even add your own fresh fruit. Heidi, over at 101 Cookbooks wrote about this recently, and I plan to try it soon. I've frozen the "vanana" (vanilla and banana) and vanilla flavors before, but I've never tried freezing the plain. It's actually sweet enough though that I think it would work really well - even without sweetener.

Yogurt World
4646 Convoy St #113
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-1688

Several flavors of self-serve frozen yogurt and numerous toppings, priced at .38 per ounce (about $3.00 - $4.00 per serving.) I recommend the plain yogurt - without toppings to interfere with the texture!

Disneyfood, Part II

Amazingly, I think I ate almost as well on this trip to Disneyland as I did on my last trip to the Bay Area. Who'd have thunk it? Happily, it seems that they are focusing more on the quality of their food - not just in the parks but all around the resort. They are even hosting Wine and Food Weekends in the California Adventure park and some of the hotel restaurants every weekend through May 20 - with celebrity chef presentations, cooking classes, wine tastings, etc. It looked like most of the events were already sold out, but based on the success of this one it seems likely they will do more. Annual passholders are also invited to a food and wine festival called "Taste" with booths from many of the hotel and park restaurants and chefs. If you live in Southern California, an annual pass actually isn't such a bad deal. As long as you are willing to give up going on the most crowded days, the pass is less than the cost of two parkhopper passes - $154.00. An even more restricted pass is available for $124.00.

One of the things I love about Disneyland is that on every visit, there are always new surprises. This time we heard some fantastic bluegrass music at the Golden Horseshoe Revue (apparently they have given up the showgirls I remember from childhood), we nuzzled with the goats at the petting zoo, and toured the Golden Books exhibit at the Disney Gallery above Pirates of the Caribbean. We got a huge kick out of watching the kiddie Jedi training in Tomorrowland, (they teach a bunch of kids to fight with light sabers - then Storm Troopers and Darth Vader show up and the kids have to fight him to save the republic) and battling it out with each other on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (James wiped the floor with me.)

Favorite surprises from past visits have included the Haunted House decorated for the Nightmare Before Christmas, which they now do every year between Halloween and Christmas, the amazingly intricate decor in the Hollywood Hotel - aka the Tower of Terror, the live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire game show (alas, gone), and the Soarin' Over California ride, which was closed on this visit, unfortunately. We were also fortunate enough to have the opportunity several years ago to eat lunch at Club 33 with a friend of the family who chose to take a group of friends there for her retirement party.

Aside from the other fun stuff, on this trip we also had some surprisingly good meals. We started with lunch the day of arrival at the Uva bar in Downtown Disney. Uva is downstairs from Catal, a Mediterranean restaurant owned by Joachim Splichal of the Patina Group. The bar serves a menu of sandwiches, salads and pizzas - as well as cocktails - all day, in a patio set up in the middle of the Downtown Disney mall. We started off a little bit cursed, because it was late for lunch (we had tried to find the exit for the In-N-Out in Mission Viejo, but missed it) so there were very few customers. Ironically, I find it's in those situations that you sometimes get the worst service. We started out with a couple of cocktails (we're on vacation, baby!) a burger for me, and pizza for James. My margarita was a little watery, and came with the sorriest looking lime wedge I think I've ever seen. James ordered some crazy cocktail containing Rockstar Energy drink based on the servers' recommendation. I thought it was disgusting, but he drank it. It couldn't have hurt that it was about 95 degrees.

The burger was pretty good, but the quality wasn't quite what I was expecting hoping for. The pickles were just like Mc Donalds,' the cheese wasn't fully melted and the meat was a little dry. The bun and the fries were very good though, and it hit the spot. James was disappointed that the artichokes and olives on his pizza were canned, but the crust and cheese were good. Overall, it was fine - but nothing you'd go running back for. (Photos are in the collage above, to enlarge, just click on it.)

After lunch, we wandered over to the park. The crowd was starting to thin, mostly because of the heat. Main Street was packed with sweaty kids in strollers being pushed by their worn out parents, and we were able to get on lots of rides with absolutely no wait. We hit Indiana Jones, the Golden Horseshoe Revue, the shooting gallery in Frontierland, the Snow White ride in Fantasyland (just because there was nobody in line), the Jedi training, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters - and I think that was about it for the first day. Somewhere in there we shared a frozen banana. (James said the mothers of small children were glaring at me, but I am quite certain it was just his imagination.)

After chilling at the hotel for a little while, we decided to change our dinner reservation to the Napa Rose. We've been there a couple of times before and thought it was just ok, but I had read a few good comments on Chowhound recently. We made a late reservation, and my friend Patty came out to join us since her husband Josh was in Vegas (reportedly enjoying dinner at the 9ine Steakhouse at the Palms.)

After polishing off a bottle of Perrier Jouet around the outdoor firepit, we sat down for dinner. The dining room is expansive - with an open kitchen, a large bar area, and dining room. The decor is in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, with lots of wood and signature deco-style roses. For starters, we chose the cornmeal crepes filled with dungeness crab, scallops with a vanilla lobster sauce, and duck confit. All three were excellent, but the scallops were damn near perfect.

They had a wonderful "fond" - that brown crust that comes from proper cooking - and were tender and perfectly sweet. There were large pieces of lobster meat, and the buttery sauce had a very subtle vanilla and citrus flavor. The dish also included a small dollop of incredibly rich mashed potatoes.

The duck confit was crisp and tender, set in a rich broth with baby vegetables. The crepe was probably the weakest of the bunch, but it suffered from comparison with the scallop. The crepes were light and thin - filled with a mixture of julienned vegetables and crabmeat, with a drizzle of curried carrot broth.

For our mains, I stuck with seafood, ordering the halibut with baby tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, pesto and mint salad. James ordered the steak, which came with a rich smoky macaroni and cheese with bacon, and broccolini. The macaroni and cheese was made with orzo, which made it almost more of a pudding than a casserole. The steak was perfectly cooked medium rare and very flavorful. The halibut was also beautifully seared and I liked the contrast of the buttery potatoes with the cool sweet tomatoes, basil and mint.

For dessert we decided to share a sampler of mini desserts, which came out on a large glass platter with a pulled sugar rose in the center. The little delicacies included a pineapple cheesecake, a strawberry shortcake with lemon curd, a Scharffenberger chocolate mousse cake and a berry cobbler served with a tiny scoop of sorbet. Each of them was perfectly sculpted and adorable to look at, but the simplest one - the shortcake with strawberries and lemon curd - was by far the best.

The chocolate was also perfectly acceptable - but the pineapple cheesecake and cobbler dish were a little cloying. We also ordered a Bailey's irish cream and chocolate dessert, which came with a shot glass of pot de creme and a chunk of a rich chocolate ganache-like mousse, which was also very good. (There are more photos in the collage above, to enlarge, just click on it.)

The only real problem with the meal was entirely my fault. The restaurant has a huge wine list, and I was tasked with finding us a wine to enjoy with the starters. I didn't really think we'd get through three bottles, but I thought a nice fruity white would be nice with the food we had ordered and with my entree, and James could get a glass of red to go with his steak. On a whim, I passed up the Nora Albarino, one of my favorites, and decided to experiment with a Roussanne, from Qupe. We've tried several Qupe wines in the past and liked them all, so I was hoping this would be no different. When the sommelier/server opened the bottle and poured me a taste, I hesitated. I didn't like it, but I didn't quite know why. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it - but it seemed a little off. I know that a larger percentage of wines are corked than most people realize - but if this one was, it wasn't obvious enough for me to recognize it right away. I nodded, and he poured the glasses. None of us liked it. It had all of the heaviness of Chardonnay with none of the smoothness or butteriness. It was also six years in the bottle, which had apparently left it with even more bitterness than usual. We managed to polish it off, but a better wine would have enhanced our enjoyment of the meal far more. I really wished I had asked more questions, and relied on a recommendation from the sommelier - but I guess that's how you learn. At least, that's how I learn.

The following day, we slept in and I went to the pool for a quick swim before breakfast. The hotel's casual restaurant, the Storyteller Cafe, is right near there, and was literally packed at 8:30 AM, with about fifty strollers outside.

I had lobbied for the La Brea Bakery earlier, but James wanted pancakes, so that's where we were headed. I was hoping that most of the people would have cleared out by the time we came back, since the California Adventure park opened at 9, but no luck - so we moseyed on over to the La Brea Bakery.

The bakery is currently under construction - the dining room and kitchen are closed, so the options were limited to pre-made pastries and coffee drinks. We chose a couple of sweet pastries and some savory breakfast options they had, including a pierogi-like brioche stuffed with potato, and an egg and cheese puff. With some strong coffee and grapefruit juice we were good to go.

The potato stuffed pastry was particularly good, and their pastries and croissants were authentically buttery.

The only slight disappointment was the sugar-crusted morning bun, which was bready like a cinnamon roll when I had expected it to be made from a flaky dough.

California Adventure was first up that day, which seems to be the right plan for beating the crowd. I think everyone who shows up in the morning goes to Disneyland first and California Adventure second (if at all) so the crowds are fairly thin there in the mornings. We walked along the boardwalk and went on California Screamin - again, no lines. We got soaked on the Grizzly River Rapids ride, and plunged however-many stories on the Tower of Terror. The "Hollywood" zone in the California Adventure was packed with small kids and their parents who were there for the shows that they offer - apparently they are the best in the park. The Bug's Life attraction is also near there and is great for little kids.

Just after noon, we decided to head over to Disneyland to see if we could get on the list for a table at the Blue Bayou. It hadn't occurred to us that they would be completely sold out based on the lack of crowds on the rides, but they were. We went on a couple of rides we had missed the day before - Pirates of the Carribean with the new Jack Sparrow additions (new to us, anyway) and the Haunted House - and decided to check out the Cafe Orleans restaurant on New Orleans Square. They gave us a beeper, and we went up to the Disney Gallery to kill some time.

We actually discovered this place a few years ago, it's really kind of hidden away, and isn't always open - but when it is it's a great place to get away from the crowds. The stairs are right next to the little cafe that serves the bread bowls of soup, above the Pirates of the Caribbean, and in the shop they sell high-end Disneyana, posters from the rides (like the ones at the entrance) and original art work. They also have exhibits - this time there were concept drawings for many of the rides, including the Matterhorn, Casey Jr's Circus Train, and the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Ride (which will be replaced by a new Finding Nemo ride opening the first week of June.) The other exhibit was across the courtyard (a nice spot with tables) and featured Golden Books from the 40s and 50s - they had the mockups and original cover art drawings along with some of the finished books on display. Some of the artwork was gorgeous. While we were looking at that exhibit our beeper went off for lunch.

They have changed the menu at the Cafe, and now serve the Monte Cristo sandwich, fritters and some other specialities from the Blue Bayou. They also serve baskets of really good garlicky pomme frites (every table seemed to have some) and a mean crab salad sandwich, made with sweet fresh crabmeat, tomatoes, remoulade and avocado on a toasted buttered roll. I was impressed. This place seemed almost as popular as the Blue Bayou - It must have been nearly 2:00 PM by the time we ate there, and it was just starting to clear out when we left. (Again, more photos in the collage, to enlarge, just click on it.)

After lunch, we went on Big Thunder Mountain, and then spied the little petting zoo - back behind the ride near the meeting area. The zoo houses the presidential pardon turkey, and a number of sheep and goats (including several babies), a couple of ponies and a cow.

The goats were very cute and seemed to like the attention. They had an area behind a low fence that they could retreat to if they got tired of being handled, and there were staff members on hand to make sure everyone behaved themselves. After one last rematch on the Astro Blasters (where I got beat even worse than the last time) we headed home.

Disneyland really makes a good short getaway trip from San Diego or LA, especially if you stay in one of the hotels. I really love the Grand Californian - it's decorated in the Craftsman lodge style, and the common areas are gorgeous - the soaring open lobby with the giant fireplace, the wide staircases the terrazo and wood inlaid floors and authentic arts and crafts decor light fixtures, pottery, etc. Much of it was custom made especially for the hotel, and there are cases containing art pottery and other turn of the century artifacts in the staircases and the lobby.

The pool is a great place to relax in the afternoon, and the spa is now run by Mandara - we didn't have a chance to try it but we might have if we had stayed longer. The rates aren't cheap, but for one night I really think it's worth it - especially when the parks are open late. It's great to go in the morning, retreat to the pool in the hottest hours of the afternoon, and go back after dark. We couldn't do that on this trip because the parks weren't open late (they are prepping for the premiere of the new Pirates of the Caribbean Movie - At World's End) but it really makes sense - especially if you have kids who need to nap (like James!)

Where we went:
The Disney Grand Californian Hotel
reserve online or call (714) 976-MICKEY - well in advance. If you want to make one night reservations for the hotel online, you must choose hotel only.

The Uva Bar (and Catal Restaurant)
(714)774-4442
or go to www.opentable.com for reservations

The Napa Rose at the Grand Californian. We called through the hotel front desk for reservations, which might work better than "priority seating." If you are dining with kids, they also have a large bar area with coffee tables, lounge chairs and couches where they can have some room to roam around.

La Brea Bakery - kitchen currently closed for renovations, serving pastries, sandwiches and beverages only

Cafe Orleans - near Pirates of the Caribbean, sandwiches, salads, crepes and fritters.

Other recommendations:
The Haagen Dazs in Downtown Disney makes a mean black and white (vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce) malt.
The skewers at the Bengal BBQ are good for a quick bite
Pineapple Whip by the Tiki Room is good and cold, but it could be a little more tart.
The fritters in New Orleans Square are good - but it's just not the same when you can't get them from the Mint Julep Bar anymore!

Happy Mother's Day!

This picture was taken at the petting zoo at Disneyland last week. The rest about Disneyland, and much more, is on the way!

High Falutin' Pizza

More on Disneyland is coming - soon. We actually ate very well. It looks like I am going to have to eat some of my words too, because we wound up having a fantastic meal at the Napa Rose and skipping Catal entirely after a mediocre lunch at the Uva bar.

In the meantime, I couldn't help but notice this article in the NY Times on Pizzeria Mozza, the new collaboration between Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery fame, and Mario Batali of -well - Mario Batali fame. Apparently I am not the only one who thinks an artisan pizzeria is the ideal neighborhood restaurant.

So when do we get one of these in San Diego? Actually, I hear that the Caffe Calabria guys are hard at work on one as we speak - they have the pizza oven from Italy, and are presently testing recipes and techniques. We wait with bated breath!

I also saw a couple of other good food articles in the NY Times Dining and Wine Section , including this one by Mark Bittman on equipping a no-frills but perfectly adequate kitchen on a shoestring budget, and this scientific study of the five-second rule. I might quibble with Mr. Bittman on a few of his items, but I couldn't agree more about the tongs. They are the one kitchen tool I absolutely cannot do without. I also don't think I will be eating any bologna off the floor anytime soon. The dogs generally take care of that!

Speaking of high falutin', I also really enjoyed this past Sunday's T Style Magazine entitled "All the Fixings." Lots of crazy fabulous foodie fun, including recipes and a couple of pieces by my favorite T magazine writers, Christine Mulke and Heidi Julavits.

Disneyfood!

This morning for breakfast, I had organic Cafe Fanny granola, with organic strawberries and milk from Strauss Organic Creamery. For lunch? Probably a corn dog.

Just like Joy, it turns out that I am a big fat hypocrite when it comes to Disneyland. I am sure it has a great deal to do with childhood nostalgia - growing up in Southern California we went at least once a year - but many of the things I enjoy most about it actually didn't exist then. I especially love Disney's California Adventure (they have booze!) and the faux-lodge fanciness of the Grand Californian hotel. I have a peculiar fascination with romanticized old California - as portrayed the likes of John Muir, Diego Rivera and Ansel Adams - though I know it's all a fiction (see Joan Didion). I can't help it though, I love the whole Craftsman, deco, socialist El Dorado aesthetic, and somehow, the California Adventure manages to capture it in an amusement park, no less.

We're heading up to the "mouse house" today and spending the night at the Grand Californian as a little mini vacation. It's going to be insanely hot - I'm looking forward to repeated rides on that Grizzly River Rapids ride, where you can - no will - get soaking wet.

As far as eating, our itinerary includes many of the places on Joy's list - but we won't be there long enough to hit them all - only about 24 hours. For dinner tonight we're planning to try Catal at Downtown Disney. We've done the Napa Rose a couple of times, and it's ok but doesn't really measure up for the prices in my experience. I also really like the fritters at New Orleans Square (if the places is open, it hasn't been on our last couple of visits) and the Monte Cristo sandwich at the Blue Bayou - which, let's face it, is just a fritter in the shape of a sandwich.

The La Brea Bakery near the Disneyland gate is a good stop for a quick breakfast (even though Nancy Silverton doesn't own the place anymore) and there are a few decent snacks in the DCA - like the turkey leg at the Bountiful Farm, and the Wine Country Trattoria.

Back when they first opened - Mondavi was running the Golden Vine restaurant and it was really excellent - just like something you'd find in Napa, right down to the fancy linens and wine glasses. I have no idea what it's like now, but it's a gorgeous room, all open to the outside with a plein air mural along one wall. I think it's only open Thurs-Saturday for dinner now, which doesn't bode well for success.

I've also had decent luck dining at the Hungry Bear cafe - mostly because they have lots of seating and it's a nice setting right next to the water. The food is mediocre in the extreme. The Bengal Barbeque skewers are good, but the eating environment leaves a lot to be desired - sandwiched between the Jungle Cruise and the Indiana Jones ride. That Dole Whip is also mighty refreshing.

I'll be back in a couple of days with more on Disneyland, a couple of restaurant reviews (Jack's Ocean Room) and some more baking adventures!

See ya real soon!

Cake Decorating Is Not My (Pastry) Bag

As I am nearing the end of my cake decorating class, taught by pastry chef James Foran of Market here in San Diego, I am realizing that I have learned a lot. What I learned is not exactly what I expected, but important nonetheless.

I took the class because I wanted to learn the type of decorating you see on wedding cakes - flourishes like flowers, ribbons, bows, etc. And I did. I can write with icing (though I need more practice), I can make shell borders, I can do swiss dots, fratelli lace, smooth buttercream and gum paste roses. Will I do them again? Probably not. When I need gas, I go to a gas station, I don't drill a hole in my backyard and refine the crude oil myself. Similarly, I think this type of work is best left to the professionals. I will, from now on, have no problem paying good money for a professionally decorated cake (mind you one that tastes good) given the amount of tedious labor involved.

I had really thought that I would like it. I love clay, I love artsy stuff, and I like to play with food, but there's something about handling all of that pasty stuff and molding it into unnatural shapes that gives me the heebie jeebies. Why go to the trouble to use artisanal ingredients, like Scharffenberger chocolate, organic butter and flour, and then slather the whole thing with something that comes in a plastic tub and tastes like Lucky Charms marshmallows??

It's funny because in the beginning - Chef Foran said that stuff really wasn't his thing, that he preferred simpler desserts - and he taught us those too. We did some very classic recipes - Opera Cake, a passionfruit mousse cake ringed with joconde sponge, and another ringed with ladyfingers. We did mousses, glazes and some other stuff I missed (I actually missed several of the classes due to work, unfortunately.) We did a lovely glazed chocolate torte, topped with some sugar decorations and a plaque reading "happy birthday" - this I will do again. I sat through these, waiting patiently for the wedding cake decor - so imagine my disappointment when I realized that the other cakes are the ones I really want to make.

If I do ever make a fondant covered cake for a special request - I will make my own fondant or seek out a better quality product than what we used in class. I know they're out there. Though we used very good quality products for most of the class, it just wouldn't do for us to be butchering huge quantities of fondant and gum paste at Chef Foran's expense.

The deeper truth is that I am probably not a pastry chef, though I have always fancied myself as such. I like to tweak and fiddle with recipes - something you simply can't do with a cake until you make it the next time, and I have absolutely no patience for something that doesn't come out right. I had hoped to learn things in these classes that I am still light years away from doing - like formulating my own recipes. I am starting to realize that that kind of experience comes from experimenting - which is something I rarely have time to do. I also find it difficult to risk the kinds of ingredients I want to use - chocolate, butter, eggs, etc. in recipes that may or may not turn out the way I want them to.

For example, I am still on the quest for a brownie that satisfies all of my requirements. It needs to be moist, dark and chewy - that is the elusive quality that I can't quite find. I tried Tartine's recipe the other day, which called for a POUND of bittersweet chocolate, and it still wasn't what I am looking for (though they are very good!) I posted a recipe a few months back that I optimistically declared the Ultimate Brownie - but I was in denial if I thought I was done. Maybe the answer is dark brown sugar, more cocoa and a little less butter. I guess I'll have to keep trying. Luckily, I have co-workers who will take the leftovers off my hands no matter how they turn out!

Fridge-O-Rama

Well Sam started it, with her post talking about Rancho Gordo beans and St. Benoit yogurt, among other delectable Bay Area things - so I thought I'd follow suit. Mine isn't quite as artisanal - but it is unusually well stocked today. On the left we have some butter - both organic and Plugra, some Flax meal, Grey Poupon, flax oil and organic pickle relish. Bottom left we have some Taittinger, Pellegrino, sparkling Martinelli's and a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau that probably should have been drunk months ago.

In the center, you can see lots of Stone beer, some Sriracha, cheeses, organic eggs, produce, Ezekiel 4:9 bread, and various jars of jams and condiments up top. I really need to sort through those! On the right are some more assorted condiments - and the milk - looks like I need to buy some more when I go out today.

One reason there's so much beer on display - tonight we're having people over for the De la Hoya/Mayweather fight. We're ordering pizza from Gaetano's, but I am making a salad with bleu cheese and candied pecans to go with it, and I made a batch of Tartine's brownies last night. They are good, but not exactly as I remembered them from the bakery. They seem more like a very dense flourless chocolate cake than a brownie, and I think I like a little more chew. I've been toying with the idea of making some mint margaritas, in honor of both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby - we'll see if they have some fresh mint at the store!

What's in your fridge?

Will Fundraise for Food - Island Divine, the Junior League of San Diego's Annual Spring Fundraiser

The annual Island Divine fundraiser is the Spring event for the San Diego Junior League, aimed at raising money for nutrition education programs for local kids. This year the event was held in a spectacular setting at Kellogg Park near La Jolla Cove. Participating local restaurants included Cendio, JRDN, Coldstone Creamery, The Shores Restaurant at the LJ Beach and Tennis Club, Fresh, Bread and Cie, Bread on Market, Gringos and Delirios. The wine and beer vendors were really too many to mention (maybe that's why I can't remember them all!) but included local favorites Stone Brewing Company and Orfila. There was the requisite silent auction to raise money, with some great items up for bid. I tried for a cocktail making set with some organic Square One vodka and pomegranate and lavender simple syrups - but someone kept outbidding me so I finally just let them have it.

Several of the restaurants served up interesting samples. JRDN was doing seafood dumplings in a beurre blanc sauce. Chef Victor Jimenez was there doing the serving himself. The new restaurant Delirios in Bird Rock was a standout, with a short rib in mole sauce served over risotto. They also had some ceviche on tortilla chips, and both the owner and chef were there serving and handing out $15.00 gift cards. The chef, Aaron La Monica, worked with Michael Stebner and Jason Knibb at Region before striking out on his own as Executive Chef here.

The most popular dish though, had to be the seared scallops that the Shores Restaurant was dishing out, served with a bit of roasted artichoke and red pepper, and a beurre blanc sauce. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and they did a stellar job with the presentation.

Cendio in La Jolla had some dates stuffed with parmesan and wrapped in bacon, which were definitely tasty, but not exactly original cuisine. I have heard good things about this place though. Gringos was doing a lobster martini over mashed potatoes, which was quite good. I also have to give them kudos because they were one of the few vendors who brought enough food to continue serving longer than an hour or so.

One of my favorite booths was the Square One Organic Vodka. They were pouring little martinis, made with the vodka, a little sparkling water and pomegranate or lavender simple syrup from the Sonoma Syrup Co. The vodka is made with rye, and according to their website at least - produces waste so pure it's fed to organic dairy cows. Gotta love that.

Throughout the venue, bread and cheese stations were set up for easy grazing, with breads from Bread and Cie and Bread on Market. Apparently these were deemed necessary a couple of years ago when the wine was more plentiful than the food. This year the crowd was well under control - smartly dressed in their "preppy chic" best in accordance with the event's Nantucket theme.

Speaking of chefs and the Junior League - I also participated in a recent project where Joe Manganelli, the chef of Chive, donated his time to teach kids about nutrition. Jeff Rossman of Terra is also slated to come out and help us teach kids to garden in the coming months. I am hoping to participate in that project and will be writing about it if I am lucky enough to be appointed a co-chair of the committee. I'll be learning right along with the kids on that one.

The next Island Divine event won't come around for another year, but in the meantime the Junior League is selling a fantastic cookbook year round called California Sol Food. It really is a great book - the recipes are triple tested so they really do work, and it's is practical for both entertaining and every day cooking. I have used it many times myself, and have even blogged about a few of the recipes. The local paper wrote a nice article about it here. If you're interested in a copy, you can order one through the Junior League website at www.jlsd.org, or drop me a line. I have also seen them in some local bookstores, including Warwick's in La Jolla.

Happy International Workers Day!

and happy birthday to me! If I were going to bake myself a cake, which I am not because I don't have time - this is the one I would make. I have been talking about making this cake for oh, I don't know - a year now? But it just never seems to be the right time. Maybe I'll just have to bust it out one of these days for the heck of it. It's also my "blog day," at the end of the month, so maybe that would be a good time.

Today is not just my birthday, it is also the birthday of Nathan Ballard - Communications Director to San Francisco's illustrious mayor, Gavin Newsom and our very good friend, and of course International Workers' Day is celebrated on this day throughout the world. Turns out pagans and socialists love May first, which suits me just fine!

Happy Birthday Nate!