Food Trucksgiving

     

Krush Burger 

@KrushBurger

My favorite food truck has embraced the holiday spirit, turning the amazing Thanksgiving leftover sandwich into a slider! It’s fantastic and the sweet potato tots are oh-so-perfect on the side. Get them while you can Sacramento! 

(Belated) Backyard Oktoberfest

I love home brewers. They’re a fascinating breed and they throw great parties – like this one! There were five brews on tap and several growlers being passed around. 

I sampled three but I’m not really a beer girl, mostly go for the fruity varieties like Kasteel Rouge, so I won’t be reporting back about that part except to say that the Pumpkin Ale was fantastic! I will share my contribution to the party though, some beer-friendly noshes...

Soft Pretzels

recipe @ marthastewart.com

These are a bit challenging and time consuming but you’ll feel a huge sense of accomplishment when you’re done. Plus, everyone will be very impressed with you. I’ve made them twice so the recipe is solid but I will offer one piece of advice: Make it easy on yourself and skip the twists, go for bites instead. They take much less time, are adorable, and they’re the perfect party finger food! 

Cheddar Beer Soup

recipe @ epicurious.com

This soup is dangerously good. I recommend making it for a party so you won’t tempt yourself with the leftovers. It does have veggies (carrots, celery, leeks) in it but it’s mostly whole milk, beer and cheese. And then you top it with bacon. Yes, it tastes as good as it sounds.

The photo doesn’t do it justice but this is the way I recommend serving it up. The Crock-Pot keeps it warm all night and cups mean no spoons are necessary. Drink up! 

Why Bake When You Can Bombe?

Tonight I discovered an adorable new ice cream parlor in Sacramento, La Bombe Ice Cream & More, and it reminded me of this incredibly simple but impressive dessert I used to make all the time! Sacramentans, I highly recommend you check this place out. They use Gunther’s ice cream (which is fabulous), have incredible flavor combinations, and the staff is delightful. Here are two of their finest combos…

The Italian Bombe

mocha almond fudge, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla ice cream layered with chocolate cookie wafers and topped with Italian amaretti cookie crumbles 

The Neapolitan Bombe

chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream layered with chocolate cookie wafers, French strawberry jam and an Italian Amarena wild cherry 

I know that summer has come and gone but I eat ice cream year round, and a bombe is as good as it gets. It can go toe-to-toe with any layer cake but takes a lot less time and effort. Here are the basics…

Mixing Bowl Prep:

You'll layer the ice cream inside a mixing bowl to create the dome look and there are a couple ways to prep it. You can line it with plastic wrap, which makes it really easy to get it out of the bowl, but it will create little lines in it. If you’re covering it with ganache or whipped cream later that won’t matter. If the ice cream will be seen brush the bowl with vegetable oil and freeze it for a while before filling.

Ice Cream:

Let the ice cream soften so you can use a spatula to spread it around your bowl. Cover the inside completely with your first flavor, then fill the middle with as many layers of different flavors and toppings as you like. Freeze it between layers for about 20 minutes.

Crust:

You don’t really need a “crust” but I like a little crunch at the bottom. Chopped nuts or cookies are simple, tasty options. Just press the toppings into the last layer of ice cream while it’s still soft or add chocolate fudge and sprinkle on top of that.

The best part is that much like cakes even if it doesn’t look amazing when it pops out of the bowl you can still dress it up. Graham cracker crumbs, finely chopped nuts or ganache will erase all imperfections, and no one’s ever complained about whipped cream with a cherry on top! 

My SF Day: Ferry Building, Central Kitchen & Alton Brown

I spent Saturday in San Francisco basically geeking out about all things food – revisiting some favorites at the Ferry Building, trying out a new restaurant, and listening to Alton Brown wax poetic about endothermic reactions!

Ferry Building

ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

My first stop was at one of my favorite places in the city, the Ferry Building. It’s packed with wonderful shops and restaurants and you can’t beat the view. Some highlights include Cowgirl Creamery (cowgirlcreamery.com) for incredible cheese and Boccalone (boccalone.com) for incredible meats! I’m a big fan of their “Salumi Cones.” Genius.

Don’t fill up before you hit Hog Island Oyster Co. though. (hogislandoysters.com) There’s usually a line to be seated but it’s definitely worth it and they’ll serve you champagne while you wait!  The oysters are fantastic. If you know someone who is on the fence about them this is the perfect place to go and these two are the perfect varieties to order… 

Kusshi  

Deep Bay, British Columbia

The larger oysters at the top, these are very mild.

Sand Isle Kumamoto 

Humboldt Bay, CA

The smaller oysters at the bottom, these are mild as well but taste almost creamy. My favorite.

A bonus: They serve delicious sweet rustic bread from Acme Bread Company (acmebread.com), which is also in the Ferry Building. 

adorable recipe-wrapped candle

Central Kitchen

3000 20th St

San Francisco, CA

centralkitchensf.com

This is a new restaurant from the owners of the popular Flour + Water (still on my to-taste list). It's tucked away just down the street from F + W behind Salumeria, their fabulous delicatessen. I fell in love with it in the first five minutes based solely on the simple but creative décor in the indoor/outdoor space and our charming, enthusiastic server.  

I love the large format "tile" bolted to the back wall.

The back of a stucco building becomes modern bench seating.

We ordered quite a bit of food but here are the highlights...

crispy trotter with chopped clams & tonnato

This was my first time trying pig's feet! It tasted like pig face to me, which is delicious. I'm pretty sure these are a staple on the menu, they just swap out the accompaniments. It's a great way to start your meal - tender, flavorful pork deep fried with cream sauce and fried capers. Plus, you'll feel better knowing that you opened with something adventurous. 

chicken liver mousse with fig mostarda & spiced wine 

 If you're only going to order one starter, make it this one. It's beautiful and you won't be able to part with it until the jar is scraped clean. 

Confession: I kept eating it between courses and when the toasted bread ran out I put it on the homemade oat caraway rolls they serve to start. If we didn't have to get to the theatre I probably would have kept it around for the dessert course. It's that good. 

Last Stop - Castro Theatre... 

An Evening with Alton Brown
Presented by Bay Area Science Festival (Now through November 4^th!)

bayareascience.org

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one to be honest, but I was very excited about it. Turns out there were hand-drawn slides, experiments, and laugh out loud moments that even Alton didn’t see coming. (I'm pretty sure he was as entertained by San Francisco as we were by him.) Here’s what I learned… 

- There’s no such thing as cold.

- Alton’s position on organic vs. conventional produce: Buy local above all else.

- The secret to killer spare ribs: Sous vide for 72 hours and finish them off with a blowtorch!

- Bow ties are cool. 

Braz-erkely: Brazil Cafe

Brazil Cafe
1983 Shattuck Ave
(between Berkeley Way & University Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704

This stand may be small in stature, but with it's bright color scheme and a flood of people waiting for their orders, it's tough to miss Brazil Cafe.

Upon arrival, you are greeted by the owner Pedro, who offers a sample of his tri-tip dipped in cilantro sauce. The tri-tip is soft, buttery and the cilantro cream adds the perfect herbal kick to it.

 

Unlike a lot of food buses and stands, there is an ample amount of seating here. The water is self serve, but there is a free mango smoothie offer if you check in on Yelp, so that makes up for the lack of service. Mom was clearly not amused with the lack of shade and a restroom...












My mom ordered the tri-tip plate which was loaded with food. The rice that came with it was especially different. I'm not sure if it had a cream or possibly cheese added to it? It didn't have the dry consistency that a lot of South American dishes have.

I ordered the "Pedro's Favorite", which is a sandwich packed with tri-trip, ricotta cheese, jalepanos, pimento stuffed olives, pinapple, sauteed onions and topped with his house cilantro sauce. I could only eat 1/2 of this sandwich due to the size. It may sound like a strange combination of flavors, but they all blend perfectly together. This is without a doubt one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten. I even saved the other half and ate it when I arrived to Seattle the next day.

So if you're in Berkeley, you have to try this place!

Little Things Mean a Lot: Hardy Kiwis and Feijoa Fruits

Last Fall I discovered Hardy Kiwis at the West Seattle Farmer's Market. At first glance, they looked like olives so I was a little skeptical. When you bite into them (no need to scoop, just pop 'em in) they are just as sweet and juicy as a kiwi. The only bummer was I never saw my Hardy Kiwi man again.

2 weeks ago I lucked out and the Hardy Kiwis were back! They seem to only be around once a year in October, so if you see this stand, pick a batch up. I brought some to work and when my co-workers cut them open, the reaction was "awww".

I'm striking out on other ways to try Hardy Kiwis, so the best options for my readers are to wait for the West Seattle Farmer's Market in October of 2013, or to purchase a plant. They sell the plants here:
http://www.burpee.com/

I just shot a role on a TV show in the Bay area and got the chance to hang at my mom's house in the Greenhaven neighborhood of Sacramento. I have memories of eating the petals off the fruits in the Spring before they grow. Luckily for me, mom's fruit tree was in full bloom. Feijoa has a similar flavor to guava, but it's texture is grittier and it's more fragrant. To eat it, cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pulp, the same way as a kiwi. It grows rapidly in New Zealand but also grows in California, and regions in Texas to Florida.  If I could bottle it and create a perfume I would. I've never seen it sold in grocery stores, but I found them sold here:
http://www.buyexoticfruits.com/feijoa.html

Luckily, mom is shipping some up to me so I can have a taste of New Zealand in the PNW.

Champagne Cocktail Time!

French 75

I’m hosting a bridal shower pretty soon so the menu planning begins… with cocktails! We’re doing brunch, which of course calls for champagne, but I refuse to serve mimosas when there are so many more exciting options. Below are my favorite finds so far, please comment and add to the list!

French 75
gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, champagne (garnish with a lemon peel)
This is my favorite cocktail of the moment. It’s admittedly strong for brunch, probably more appropriate to sip over oysters later in the day, but we’re celebrating! 

Missy Bell
St. Germaine, grapefruit bitters, champagne (garnish with a grapefruit peel)
This one is named after a friend who invented it at The Shady Lady in Sacramento. It’s highly addictive.

Kir Royale
Crème de Cassis, champagne (garnish with a citrus peel)

Lavender Sparkler
lavender simple syrup, champagne (garnish with a lavender sprig)

Ginger Sparkler
ginger simple syrup, champagne (garnish with a lemon peel)

Cranberry Sparkler
cranberry, Cointreau, champagne (garnish with an orange peel)

Pear Sparkler
pear brandy, champagne (garnish with a thin pear slice)

Rosemary Lemon Sparkler
rosemary simple syrup, lemon juice, champagne (garnish with a rosemary sprig)

Classic Champagne Cocktail
sugar cube soaked in bitters, champagne (garnish with a lemon peel)

When I throw parties I love to offer a fully stocked bar complete with handwritten cocktail menu cards to inspire guests to be creative with their beverage selection. Flavored simple syrups are the most inexpensive way to create an impressive bar, especially when you put them in antique thrift store bottles with handwritten labels. They're incredibly easy to make too! It’s just equal parts sugar dissolved in boiling water and left to cool, with any flavoring you like. If you have a lot left over it’s great with iced tea and sparkling water, or if you’re a baker it works miracles on layer cakes! In bakeries it’s standard procedure to brush the cakes with simple syrup to keep them moist. It’s the best kept secret that you won’t find in recipes and when you use the flavored syrups your cakes will taste even better!