July 7th, 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 3rd, 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 6th, 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 29th, 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 27th, 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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June 27th, 2010

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 22nd, 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 27th, 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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