Great day to hang today with pals at the Jack of all Trades market at Jack London Square .
More images to come on todays finds at Htpp://www.jackofalltradesoakland.com
Any one can knock out a lava cake these days.
My Pal Jacque found an organic mix for Molten Lava Cake by Wildtree that allows you the ability to toss some of these babies together in
less than 15 min. The recipes is easy and as is comes out good. I altered the recipe a bit and added vanilla and a splash of espresso to make the chocolate taste more chocolaty.. The package comes sized for 6 small ramekins – so you may need to purchase them as well. Bake time says 12 – 15 min. I suggest you check them at 10 min, then take them out by 12 min to really get the gooey center. Otherwise you will end up with a pretty nice brownie cake. The cost of the premix box is around $9 makes 6.
Bak-klene ZT cooking spray – get your glide on
This Christmas one of my work colleagues gifted me with Bak-klene ZT cooking spray.
Yes – I know – you might wonder why?? Well – we often all talk about food and She had heard about this particular brand and thought of me ( Note – this is what gifting is all about – thinking before hand and knowing the person – not because its been marketed since october and with the biggest most budget).
So, I digress.. I had always tended to use what ever spray I had around the house – but never found them great. Till now – Bak-klene converted me! Not only does it go on easy and provided me with the non-stick coverage I wanted – it has no after taste or leave a funky texture on the cookware. It also has zero-transfat and is used in many profession kitchens I have heard tell. I have been working with it now since December and even the stickiest messes I have managed to bake up – have simply slid out!
Available at Williams-Sonoma or Amazon – at almost $10 its not cheap – but its well worth it.
Scala’s is like coming home – you know what to expect and it’s just what you want!
With tickets to see Napoli ( a period story set in the 40’s during the war years in Italy) at the the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco last week -we decided to make a night of it and grab dinner at Scala’s Bistro
Scala’s is a well known and beloved restraint in San Francisco at the Sir Francis Drake. The Sir Francis will also have a special place
in my heart because it
was the first hotel my grandmotherand I went to on a trip when I was young after my grandfather had died. In fact if you have seen the play – this image isn’t far from what you would have seen!
But Scala serves up its own history and special place – because it continues to earn it.
Having been one of my favorite traditional style restaurants here in San Francisco for well over 15 years – I continue to go for celebrations and when I want memories to be made. Not only has it been home to some great chef’s over the years, it offer great servers who know how to work its menu to ensure a perfect dining experience to match any palette. Much of the menu is solid, good prepared dishes that glen richness, texture and flavor – while leaving you feeling like you have been well fed.
This trip we opted for the Pork Loin with cabbage and the New York Strip
The risotto is some of the best, the meats all come with rich flavors and combinations you can want. Another must try is the cured meat starter – paired with some cheeses and toast. Its well done, nicely portioned, simple and yet has all the richness I like with cured meat plates. I think I have eaten one version of this almost every time – in fact the only dish that used to knock it off the pedestal for me was the watermelon, feta cheese salad that sadly is no longer on the menu for some years now.
Note: When crowded don’t overlook eating in the bar – you get seated and served often quickly and can usually get in that way with out a reservation.
432 Powell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
b/t Post St & Sutter St in Union Square
Phone number (415) 395-8555
The Daily Grill still serves up a good solid menu
Last week I was able to get a few hours off and Paul and I figured we would head downtown to pick up one of my computer systems that I had dropped off at Apple for some adjustments. While out – we decided to hit Macys (and managed to get in for a one day sale – SCORE!). While out were hungry so decided to grab lunch at one of the local “steak” houses that do a lot more than just steak.
The Daily Grill has been a constant in San Francisco and caters to a mix crowd of business folks, theater people and tourists. We’ve enjoyed the entrees and main dinner menus on a few occasions so this trip we went for lunch. The food and service is old school – lots of “al a carte” and all the amenities that go with that traditional professional server style of dining. This trip we opted for the Crabcake BLT – we while pretty good as is – personally I think that by using the peppery arugala as lettuce – it ended up falling flat against the other flavors and really needed a lemon vinaigrette to balance it with the rich crab and bacon. On the other hand the grilled asparagus rocked the meal when paired with the chicken burger which was a clear winner for that day.
The Daily Grill still serves up a good solid menu
347 Geary St
San Francisco, CA 94102b/t Mason St & Powell St in Union Square, (415) 616-5000 dailygrill.com
Ahh… Valentines day is a memory and Easter and the Peeps hit the shelves at Walgreens!
Spring must not be far behind – as the sticky, squishy, slightly crunchy Peeps have invaded the stores. Recently at Walgreens here in the Castro – I ran right in to not 1 but three shelves. I think along with cockroaches and some conservative politicians, Peeps my outlast us all.
According too Wikipedia and a a short visit the website for Just Born – Peeps are produced by Just Born,[2] a candy manufacturer founded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Russian immigrant Sam Born. In 1953, Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company and its marshmallow chick line, and replaced the painstaking process of hand-forming the chicks with mass production.[3] When founder Sam Born would display a sign for his freshly-made candy, he would title it “Just Born,” playing off of his last name and the fact that he made his candy fresh daily.[4]
I think what tickles me most – is how Peeps and Just Born has harnessed its Social Media – be it with Twitter under hashtag #peepsLove, Instagram, Facebook ( yes you can friend and follow), a counter and even a “show and share what can you create with peeps” and other promo that keep these little day glow monsters coming… and yes they even have a Pinterest following
Plenty Vibrant
One of my gifts last year was Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1452101248/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_n4A6sb0TGHSTP
It has some outstanding recipes and the pictures used made even the strongest carnivore whimper a bit!
Chow on Church Street
What are the nice things about having a few days by yourself is you get a chance to hit restaurants and just take your time. This weekend I got a chance to visit off-hours one of my old favorites on church street, Chow
Normally a pretty packed and bustling go-to spot. On Saturday mornings around 10:30 you can have a great easy meal where you don’t have to rush.
Since it had been a while since I had breakfast there- this visit I went with the Ricotta pancakes. They come with a tart-sweet fruit puree and an extra dollop of ricotta cheese.
While not as brightly flavored as say the way Cafe Mystyque does with its addition of citrus peel. Chow does a good job with them.
Great lunch and light entree items keep me coming back. But be aware the volume when busy can be loud
Chow
215 Church St
(b/t 15th St & Market St)
Castro
San Francisco, CA 94114
Valentines day will be held in one week
Our Valentines dinner was postponed till Paul gets back since I wasnt sure how my face & mouth would feel once the dentist did his magic getting my tooth back in place. Ended up cooking at home instead. Managed to onock out oven baked sesamee chicken, roasted cauliflower, broccoli and perogies all in 60 mins.
Gluten Free goes mainstream – Safeway Castro Street
Over that last few years – we have all seen the increase in folks talking about the health benefits of moving towards a Gluten Free diet. We’ve several sets of friends who have switched over to it, so I am always on the look out for ways to edit my menus to accommodate them. Was nice to see how Safeway Castro is figuring this out – especially with the new Whole Foods across the street. We have tried several of the new Safeway branded gluten free line and found them pretty good and reasonably priced.
