July 7, 2012

Market Pick: CandyCots

Oh they really do taste as sweet as candy.

What: CandyCot apricots, two varieties this year: Yuliya and Anya
Where: Ferry Building Farmer’s Market or click here for other retailers

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July 3, 2012

Amy Atlas Brings Styling Inspiration to Williams-Sonoma Union Square

When Amy Atlas announced on her blog in the fall of 2010 that she’d be writing a book I immediately thought “she has to come to San Francisco for her tour.” Nevermind the fact that the she hadn’t even begun to write yet, I just knew Williams-Sonoma would be the perfect fit for hosting a book tour and of course, I wanted to meet her in person

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June 6, 2011

Skirt Steak Quesadillas with Guacamole

I was inspired to make these after seeing Eva Longoria prepare skirt steak recipes to promote her new cook book, Eva’s Kitchen. She was on Martha Stewart’s show to demonstrate her technique with grilling skirt steak for tacos. I must say, she was a great guest. I find some people don’t know how to interact with Martha, who is such an authority in the culinary world. Eva was really knowledgable and informative as she walked through the recipe and was being interviewed. After that, on Food Network’s Mexican Made Easy, Eva created chunky guacamole, the perfect topping for quesadillas.

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June 29, 2010

Ice Cream Sunday at Sur la Table

After churning out two quarts of sorbet this past week, I got up bright and early Sunday morning for Sur la Table’s ice cream class. I guess the sorbets was the equivalent of doing conditioning before a marathon. I was just warming up for the main event.

Menu (my lunch on Sunday):

Lemon Curd Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl
Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle
Mexican Chocolate Sundaes
Strawberry Ice Cream/Strawberry Milkshakes

A slice of lemon curd ice cream. To get the layered look, we formed the ice cream into a loaf pan. A bottom layer of lemon curd, middle layer of blackberry syrup, top layer of lemon curd and finished with more blackberry syrup. Then after it hardened, we unmolded the pan and sliced the ice cream.

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June 27, 2010

Sorbet Duo: Olaillieberry & Strawberry Prosecco

When it comes to sorbets, gelatos and ice creams I like flavors focus on one main ingredient. It is fun to have chunks, swirls, and sauces, but there is nothing like the intense taste of a single flavor. I made two sorbets that celebrate berries, the olaillieberry and strawberry. For a refreshing summer touch, I jazzed up the strawberry sorbet with Prosecco.

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Just Berries: Olailleberry Pie

What to do with eight pounds of freshly picked olaillieberries. A lovely dilemma because now I have a good base ingredient to experiment with. I wanted a dessert that would showcase the fruit on its own so I thought, a pie. An olaillieberry pie filled to the brim of just the berries and a bit of sugar to bring out the natural sweetness.

A nice helping of pie with a thin crust and berries oozing out the sides.

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June 22, 2010

Berry Picking at Gizdich Ranch

I really get in the mood for summer as soon as berries show up at the farmer’s market. Of course those berries don’t just magically appear all neatly packed into those square cartons. Someone has to pick them. I decided to experience what it would be like to do it myself.

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September 27, 2009

Fluffiest Pancakes: Lemon Ricotta with Balsamic Figs

Using ricotta cheese, I created lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast . The ricotta is the magic ingredient as it makes the pancakes so light that I managed to eat a stack of four.

 

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September 24, 2009

More with Figs: Tarts with Lemon Marscapone and Balsamic Figs

Figs are the perfect transition ingredient between seasons. They show up at the markets in July so they are great for grilling on warm summer nights or roasting in the fall. Some of us cannot let go of summer so figs help ease into the cooler weather months.

The finale for all my fig experimentation, a tart with lemon mascarpone cream and roasted balsamic figs.

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September 22, 2009

More Than Just Fig Newtons

I don’t mind eating fig newtons, but I’m really not a big fan. The cookie/cake part is kind of dry and the figs are not a good combination with it. Maybe there isn’t enough fig filling so the whole thing is just dry. Instead of figuring it out I’ll just show you how I think figs can be great.

I was given a large batch (are figs in batches?) and was ready to experiment. The logical thing to do would have been to pick a recipe and use as many figs as I could because I had A LOT. Of course I don’t make things easy and wanted to try a bunch of recipes. Hope this inspires some to give figs a try.

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