Is This Too Much Wine for Two People to Drink in Two Days?

Just wondering...... It was fun while it lasted!

Dessert, The Lazy Way: Individual Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecakes

I read a wonderful post today from the blog of Chef Laurent Gras, formerly of Fifth Floor, now head chef/co-owner of his latest culinary venture in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago, L.20 (as in el-two-oh), an upscale seafood restaurant along the lines of Le Bernardin (much as I hate classifying Le Bernardin as a "seafood" restaurant; making it sound like a glorified Red Lobster when it is, in fact, an experience in the sublime).

It was about inspiration in it's various forms (click on the title of this post to read Chef Gras' very brief exposition on this subject & others as well as an update on the new restaurant's construction). It's an interesting glimpse into the creative and practical side of culinary achievements; without one view of bad haircuts or one expletive emanating from a sad hack with Tourette's Syndrome.

(Can you tell I watched the first Top Chef Season 4 episode last night?)

After reading the L.2O blog, I was inspired. It wasn't necessarily by the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas or the fluid lines of a Galliano gown but by the idea that great beauty whether it is in architecture, nature, art or literature can give one such great aspirations. Such a desire to live & breathe & find in ourselves some spark of the divine, however small.

It made me want to look at the mundane, everyday objects we see around us in a new light. A golden light. It made me want to transform disparate things into a unified, glorious whole that would be better than the sum of its parts.

In short, it made me want to bake.

BAKE???? WHAT???

Yes, bake.

I took a look at the few items in my refrigerator & pantry that have languished for so long; unused and underappreciated. A hunk of chocolate, a brown egg, a block of cream cheese, a tub of mascarpone and some leftover dregs of french pressed Major Dickason's blend.

"From this", I thought as Laurent Gras inspirational images whirred in my head, "I will create!"

And so I have..... recipe to follow, in the meantime here are some images of the process and the finished product:

The main ingredients

The texture of the cream cheese after the initial whipping & before adding the other ingredients

The first rough chop

The texture of the chocolate after incorporating the first 1/2 cup of the batter

The ramekins filled with batter in their bain marie just before baking

Individual Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecakes

Note: Cheesecakes like banana bread, fruit crumbles, biscotti, muffins and the like are great things for the pastry challenged like me to undertake. This recipe is much easier than it looks at first sight. I guess when you give this recipe a first glance and then see 14 instructions; you'll think I'm crazy for calling it "Lazy".
What makes these little cheesecakes "lazy" are that they have no crust. Instead, I finely chop some toasted almonds & sprinkle them on the center of the plate and around the perimeter of the little cake. It acts as a de facto crust, saves you some calories & is much cleaner tasting then the tired nut or cookie crumb crusts that usually afflict the bottom of a cheesecake. This cheesecake resembles the N.Y. style more than any other. That means dense, slightly chalky & tongue-coating in texture. I didn't use sour cream which is an essential for good N.Y. style cheesecake, but you can add it if you like; just be sure to subtract an equal amount of the mascarpone from the mix.

I use ramekins that are well-greased with baking spray and lined with little circles of parchment paper; but, you can use plain vegetable oil or butter instead. This recipe makes 4 little cheesecakes in 4.5 oz. ramekins but the recipe can easily be tripled and poured into a 9" springform pan just be sure to increase the the baking time to 55 or 60 minutes, if you go that route.

I've said this before but I'll say it again: It's really important that you have an oven thermometer always hanging in the center of your oven so you know the actual oven temperature. They are cheap & easy to find. The timing and finished results of all your baking & roasting is dependent upon the correct temperature. The only way you'll know if your oven is the correct temperature is to measure it. The only way to measure it is with an oven thermometer. Enough said.

I beat everything by hand because I love whisking things but it requires that you set all of your ingredients out at room temperature for a minimum of one hour before beating; longer if like me your refrigerator is set at 38 degrees F & your kitchen is cool (I left my stuff out for almost two hours before the cream cheese was soft enough). You can use a large food processor or standing mixer, if you prefer.

You can do this the really lazy way & just add 2 oz. of dark chocolate syrup or Nutella to the cheesecake batter instead of melted chocolate. These prepared foods have emulsifiers & tons of sugar so you'll have to adjust the sugar & egg content to compensate. That might be less rewarding than just melting semisweet chocolate chips which I recommend doing if you'd like to save some time & effort.
Otherwise, use a good block of dark chocolate from Valrhona, Caillebaut or Sharffenberger. Use a serrated knife to shave the chocolate easily and evenly into small, meltable shards. I chose to chop the chocolate but I am notorious for doing things the hard way (just ask my husband, the poor guy). I can't help it. Insanity runs in my family.

Ingredients:

• an 8oz. block of cream cheese (do not substitute whipped cream cheese)
• 4 oz. of mascarpone (1/2 tub) plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup plus one tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of strong French press coffee or espresso
• 2-1/2 to 3 ounces of dark chocolate, shaved then melted & warm (you can melt chocolate chips instead of block chocolate)
• 1 ounce of roasted almonds, chopped finely (for garnish)
• 6 fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced (for garnish)
• ground cinnamon (for garnish)
• agave nectar (to drizzle over garnish of mascarpone & strawberries)

Instructions:

1. Set rack in the center of the oven.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Prepare ramekins according to the note.
4. Whisk softened cream cheese in a large stainless steel bowl until light & fluffy. (See image above recipe.)
5. Slowly add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking it in well to fully incorporate. Now add the mascarpone, whisk it in until mixture is homogeneous; followed by the flour; adding only a little of the flour at a time & whisking well then add the egg, beat into mixture well & finally the vanilla.
6. Next we temper the chocolate.
7. Set aside about 1/2 oz of the shaved chocolate. Then melt the remainder of the chocolate in a medium-sized moisture-free microwaveable bowl by using short 30 second bursts of the microwave until the chocolate just begins to soften. (About 2-1/2 to 3 rounds in the microwave but times can vary from machine to machine)
8. As soon as the chocolate begins to soften, stir it slowly with a rubber spatula until the residual heat melts the chocolate then add the remaining shards of chocolate to the melted chocolate; stirring them in well to melt them in. The chocolate should be warm, silken & glossy. (If it has cooled too much, and begins to harden throw it in the microwave for another 20 seconds & stir well).
9. Add 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter to the melted chocolate, folding it in & stirring it well to fully incorporate (see my photo of the chocolate texture above the recipe). Then add the coffee to the chocolate mixture. Stir well. Add the chocolate mixture to the rest of the cheesecake batter & fold it in until the mixture is completely homogeneous.
10. Spoon mixture, dividing it evenly, into the four prepared ramekins. Place ramekins in a roasting pan, allowing ample space between ramekins. Give the roasting pan a couple of quick small drops on the work surface to remove any air bubbles that may have formed in the ramekins while spooning the batter in. Fill roasting pan with hot water until the water level reaches the center of the ramekins (see photo above).
11. Bake for 25 minutes until sides are puffy & center is firm but slightly jiggly. Remove the ramekins from the oven. Carefully, run a paring knife dipped into hot water around the perimeter of each cheesecake to facilitate removal from the ramekin later, and place in a draft-free area on a wire rack to cool for an hour. When room temperature, wrap them well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
12. When you're ready to plate them, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of finely chopped almonds in the center of each serving plate, carefully run a paring knife dipped in hot water again around the perimeter of the ramekin, invert the ramekin on your open palm or onto another plate (not the serving plate), give the ramekin a gentle tap all around its bottom with the knife, & carefully unmold.
13. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake & carefully place the cheesecake over the center of the chopped almonds.
14. Add a dollop of mascarpone (that you've given a quick whisk to) over half of the cheesecake, top with strawberries & additional chopped almonds, add a few slices of strawberries to the plate, drizzle the strawberries and the mascarpone with a little dark agave nectar & a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder.

Ode to Cricket Cola: It's The Real Thing!

Okay....

WHERE have I been for the past few years?

WHY is Tuesday the first time I have ever tried this modern marvel?

WHEN was this green (in every way, literally & figuratively) soda put on this planet?

Simply put, I (HEART) Cricket Cola.

WHAT e=mc2 type came up with this modern reinvention of the nasty dusty old wheel that is today's carbonated beverage?

WHO cares?

I do and so should you. Run, don't walk, to your nearest Real Foods & buy some! Or order it at Pacific's Catch on Chestnut St. for lunch like I did. SOON.

Try it!
You'll like it!

Have another look:


What a formula for deliciousness!!!
Genius, pure, genius.

The makers of this new elixir are very much on the Q.T.
All we know for certain is that they started this cola revolution in San Francisco & D.C.
Hmmmm....

Do they wear funny helmets, swing flat bats and run back & forth endlessly between wickets to score points? No wonder they won't post any information (or thankfully any pictures) about themselves on their website!

Or.... are they really giant Gryllidae who have come here by way of the eighth dimension released from inter-dimensional captivity by a massive collision involving Mount Tam and a Jet Car equipped with Buckeroo Bonzai's volatile oscillation overthruster? If so, watch out, they may take over the world!

If they do, I won't care as long as they keep producing this beneficent beverage (provided, of course, no insects were harmed in the making of it) which as their website modestly claims:



What more can you ask for?




Oh, BTW, Congrats to San Francisco for having the safest tap water in the country!!!

Whining About Your Wines? Mind Your Tongue: Introducing.... The Budometer.

Last Friday, the Wine section of the San Francisco Chronicle ran a great piece about the science of winetasting. Today the Washington Post has run it, too.

Yes, I said the science NOT the art.

Read here for an interesting controversy stirring up in the highest echelon of the wine sphere where it's quite possible to now show that the greatest wine gurus of our time may not be the best judges of what a great wine is.... at least not for you!!!

Click here, to take the Budometer taste test yourself & see why you may prefer white zinfandel to red Bordeaux and it has nothing to do with money or class distinctions (well, maybe a little). The reality behind why certain connoisseurs rate particular types of wine higher than others may both surprise you and make you feel better about yourself.

The Lazy Gourmet Strikes Again...

Grilled Chipotle-glazed Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Caramelized Onions & Fresh Guacamole

Lots of headlines in the news today: Elliot Spitzer's "Slush Fund" Blunder. The N.Y. Gov got caught with both his pants down and his hand (not to mention more delicate parts of his anatomy) in the cookie jar because he was arrogant enough to ask the bank to mask his pimp payments to the only prostitution ring he used so much, he didn't crack down on. The bank refused to cover up the gov's naughty bits... the rest is history. If he had stuck to food porn, like I do, he'd probably still be governor.

Then, we have the cheerful news that California and Oregon are fresh out of wild salmon which means the Pacific Northwest wild salmon season is over before it began. It appears the salmon have run.... away from our rivers and streams. Oh well, there's always Alaskan salmon which will now cost $99 lb. and at least San Francisco's Board of Supervisors has made sure that all those health-conscious, calorie counting Big Mac eaters know the exact number of protein grams in every super-sized order of fries they eat! There's your tax dollars at work for you. Bravissimo!

One good thing (for reality foodie tv fans, anyway) is the premiere of the long-awaited Top Chef Season 4 in Chicago featuring several SF bay area cheftestants this go-round.
What! you're not familiar with this show and the thrill of watching a bunch of Wolfgang Puck wannabes stab each other in the back with their 9" chef knives? You don't know what you're missing!!!
Apparently, reality tv vet & chef cutie extraordinaire, Rocco DiSpirito will be conducting the first "Quickfire challenge": Deep dish pizza.
Exciting times, Exciting times!!!

To add some further thrills and chills to your day, The Lazy Gourmet strikes again!!! Adding a little cooking & dining pleasure to your busy lives. It's a pork taco cooked in a stove top grill topped with caramelized onions and fresh guacamole. All of it quick and easy to make with an active cooking time of 15 minutes; despite the three steps: marinade, guacamole, cooking. The marinade & guacamole is easy to make and tastes so much better than the packaged stuff.

You start by making the marinade which is no harder than taking the ingredients listed below (& pictured here, as well) and mixing them with a fork in a small bowl; then chuck the pork tenderloin in a Ziploc bag with the marinade, zip the lock & massage the marinade into the pork through the bag. No fuss, no muss.

Chipotle Marinade
Ingredients:

• two chipotle chilis in adobo, minced into a paste
• 1 tablespoon of reduced sodium soy
• 1 tablespoon of jerez sherry vinegar (or a mild apple cider or rice wine vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (don't substitute fresh garlic, it will burn when you grill it)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
  
• 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil (it's high smoke point makes it good for grilling)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (just for a little flavor, it's low smoke point makes it bad for high heat cooking)
• 1 lb. of pork tenderloin
  

While the pork marinades, you thinly slice a sweet red onion or two, toss them in a medium-hot pan that's been anointed with olive oil, sea salt & freshly ground black pepper. Not much instruction is needed, other than to remind the cook to keep the heat moderate and give the onions an occasional stir while you prepare the guacamole & the rest of the meal.
Make the guacamole after you start the onions.

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

• heavy bottomed saute pan
• 1-1/2 sweet red onions
• olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan
• freshly ground sea salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/8 cup of verjus de perigord ( green grape juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon of reduced sodium soy
• the juice from 1 wedge of lime

Guacamole

Note: People seem to think that guacamole is some mysterious, complex food to make. Nothing could be further from the truth. All it takes are ripe avocados, another handful of ingredients & a dinner fork which I will list somewhat obliquely in the pictures that follow.

One thing does puzzle me though: where does it all go? Somehow, it seems to magically disappear from it's bowl about 2 minutes after I serve it. I can tell you that if I sliced & diced up 4 avocados, a few diced grape tomatoes, 1/3 of a very finely diced onion, the juice of half a lime, a very finely minced clove of garlic, a jalapeno (minced with ribs and seeds removed first), a handful of chopped cilantro, a tiny squirt of sriratcha, a little sea salt & pepper and just threw it all in a dish without mashing it up....

Like so...

... no one would eat it that quickly; if they ate it at all. But, somehow, through the alchemy of mashing those same avocados and mixing all the salad ingredients into it, the mess that is guacamole is endowed with umami qualities so irresistible humans just can't stop eating it!

(Just wanted to illustrate how easy it is to release a perfectly ripe avocado from it's skin. You just peel it with your fingers. It's a fruit, after all, with a thick peel, treat it like one & you'll have no problems with it!)

When the guacamole is done, you set your grill pan on medium-high to heat up and brush it with a heatproof (silicone) basting brush dipped in grapeseed oil or some other neutral tasting oil with a high flash point.



Now let's finish the caramelized onions which should be quite soft & brown by now (if you set them to cook when I suggested). You deglaze the onions pan with some verjus de perigord (green grape juice sold at most good bay area markets) or beer and let it cook down; when it does, you then add a splash of soy sauce (less than a teaspoon) with a grinding of fresh black pepper & a squeeze of fresh lime juice; stir it all in and set the pan on the cooktop's lowest setting while you cook the pork or turn it off if it seems to be burning. We want the onions caramelized not charcoaled!

Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then remove your pork tenderloin from the bag, place in the hot pan & brush the top with a little more of the marinade. Grill the pork on your stove top grill pan (my fave is Le Creuset) which takes 12-15 minutes for a 1 lb. tenderloin: starting with five minutes on one side until charred grill marks appear; then flip over & cook another 4 minutes on that side; cook it 4 minutes more on the third side & another couple of minutes on the last side.



Remove it from the heat, letting it rest on the cutting board for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute evenly through the meat. While the meat rests, wrap your tortillas in foil & throw them in the pre-heated oven directly on the rack to heat for five minutes. I am loving these sprouted corn & spelt tortillas. Great flavor & texture and safe for people with wheat allergies!!!

Slice the pork on the bias, against the grain into 1/2" thick medallions. The pork should be pink in the middle.



Add the pork and any accumulated juices to the warm pan of caramelized onions increasing the heat to medium high & combine the onions with the pork. This will both cook the pork further for those who are still frightened of medium rare pork and flavor the pork with the caramelized onions sweet yummy goodness.


Remove the tortillas from the oven & just set them next to the pork on the range top with the guacamole & let everyone serve themselves directly from the pan to assemble their pork tacos.


Buen provecho!

This recipe should serve four but the two of us never have any leftovers!

San Francisco: One Perfect Night & Day with the One You Love... A Happy 11th Wedding Anniversary

It was a perfect Saturday afternoon on the 8th of March in the 2008th year of the Gregorian calendar.

A beautiful day for a wedding; and, we had one.
11 years ago,
on the beach along the California coast that overlooked the same ocean but a different bay near Carmel appropriately known as Monastery Beach.

We eloped, if you can still call it that after living together for eight years.

We stayed at the Lodge (Pebble Beach) and had two very surprised friends in tow as witnesses who had no idea why we were so dressed up that afternoon. I, in my little ivory colored St. John purchased in secrecy especially for the occasion, and Garrett looking very dapper in his dark blue Zegna suit.

Our pals had on khakis, polo shirts & sneakers; having stepped right off the plane from New York and ready to hack a few golf balls around the course until we ambushed them into attending our wedding.

Garrett & Dave were taking part in their second annual two-man team amateur golf "world championship". Sally & I weren't golfers then but tagged along, to shop, eat, ride horses, take pictures, workout, spa etc.
I thought it might be fun to throw a little marriage ceremony in.
You know, to break up the monotony.
It did!

11 years later, still married, still on the left coast in San Francisco and still loving it! The marriage and the city, that is; though, not always in that order. :>)

This year the celebration started early with a walk by the bay for me & a hike in the Presidio for the hubby; after which we met up by the benches at Lita Vietor's View in the sunshine and picnicked overlooking the spectacular North Bay vistas with two of our favorite sandwiches from Lucca Deli on Chestnut which we shared equally, "halvsies, halvsies" as the hubby cutely puts it.
(The sandwiches were turkey & provolone with roasted sweet red peppers and avocado on Dutch crunch; rare roast beef with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and more roasted sweet red peppers on Acme sweet as well as Lucca's yummy vinegary potato salad with fresh dill)

View of Golden Gate Bridge & Marin Headlands from Crissy Field

After lunch, a little shopping expedition at the nearby Sports Basement, the former army px turned sporting goods store, for a few sporty essentials then back home for a refreshing nap before dinner and the ballet.

A few words about that evening:

Jardiniere: the best service and most delectable duck preparation in the city, bar none!

When I tell you that we had a 6:30pm dinner reservation (tried a month ago to get it earlier and no dice, too many others were also attending the ballet that night) and had to attend an 8pm performance, you could imagine how fraught with tension that dinner could have been.

I did call ahead to explain our predicament (which I'm sure occurs much more than Jardiniere would like) and was told what I already knew: the kitchen conducts its pace at two hours for a two top. But I was both tenacious and very apologetic, so the hostess said she would note it on our reservation and they would do their best to comply.

Jardiniere's upstairs dining room

A world-class dinner in less than 90 minutes?

They did it!!!

They did it with aplomb, grace & wit! We did our best to help by ordering quickly & decisively but the staff at Jardiniere not only realized our needs but fulfilled them in such a way that we felt as though we had a leisurely meal (which included a loan of reading glasses directly from the incredibly gracious and hospitable sommelier) plus a few lovely chats about food & other pleasures with our very capable server. We even had time for dessert (the fab Dulce de Leche flan with fresh cinnamon sugar coated churros & jalapeno gastrique).

We each had a glass of Henriot rose champagne, starters (perfectly seared scallops with ample slices of Perigord black truffle for me, beet salad with spiced Marcona almonds for hubby) a bottle of '02 Marcassin Three Sisters Pinot Noir , the entrees (Wagyu ribeye for him, San Francisco's most amazing duck breast delicately seasoned with five spice powder replete with toothsome crust & unctuous meat, did they sous vide it? if they did how did they get that crust???? for me) plus dessert in 75 minutes and never a rushed moment! Incredible!

Needless to say, we will be returning for Traci Des Jardins' tasting menu very soon; so that we can eat there properly; but, I must say, I can't imagine it getting any better in terms of the kitchen's expediting, the servers solicitude and charm, or the quality of the food served. My only quibble was that the Wagyu ribeye, a humongous slab of beast that was originally ordered by moi, was slightly overcooked more medium than medium rare with a slightly "off" flavor vaguely reminiscent of used dish rags but my husband didn't detect it and very gallantly switched dishes with me. The duck breast, on the other hand, was out of this world!!!

It had been far too long since I had eaten at Jardiniere. When Traci Des Jardin was at Rubicon, I enjoyed many meals there including hostessing my husband's company Christmas party. When Ms. Des Jardin initially opened Jardiniere with Pat Kuleto in 1997, we followed her there (X-Mas party included) but over the past several years what with one place & another opening, I have ignored this Civic Center classic despite the James Beard awards, despite the Iron Chef appearances.

I've already booked two dinners there for the next month and half. Jardiniere deserves to be revisited and often!!! It is everything a restaurant ought to be! I'll be in a better position to describe the latest experience there and review it properly next month. Stay tuned!

The San Francisco Ballet's 75th anniversary season is in full swing and it is spectacular!

Yuan Yuan Tan & Damian Smith in SF Ballet's Program 5

We saw program 4 last night. (Couldn't find pictures of it on the internet yet)
The program offered:
An evening of tributes to the choreography of Jerome Robbins with three suites:
Fancy Free, a jaunty character-driven balletic rendition of "On the Town" with music from Leonard Bernstein;
Into the Night, with three nocturnes from Chopin, and three beautiful pas de deux with some of the company's finest principals (Yuan Yuan Tan, Lorena Feijoo, company choreographer Yuri Possokhov);
and finally, West Side Story, a Robbins ballet suite of the musical so rambunctious and energetic that I was cheering like I was at the Super Bowl not the War Memorial Opera House. When ballet corps member, Shannon Roberts as Anita started singing and dancing, "I Want to Live in America" I thought I was watching a young spicy sassy Rita Moreno on the stage not a fouette' turning, toe pointing, chignon-wearing ballerina. Hips were flinging, heads were tossing, the prevailing mood was wild and reckless. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

I'll be back there next week to watch Program 5 which offers a very different look at this versatile company. You should go, too. Program 4 with the West Side Story suite will only be offered until March 20th. This company is finally getting the worldwide acclaim they deserve due to the efforts of Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson & Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov with exciting works, superior staging, incredible scenery and a cast of principals and soloists (plus its young corps) who are truly poetry in motion.

All in all, a perfect day and one that could have occurred only in San Francisco. Where else could you in the course of a sunny 68 degree winter's day walk by the beach & picnic for lunch and then have an early bird gourmand special before going to see a world-renown ballet in the space of twelve hours. Not too many places, I'm so happy to live here!

(The photos of the Bridge are courtesy of my iPhone since the Sony camera is still ailing but they look pretty good, huh?)

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!


Jardiniere Restaurant website

San Francisco Ballet website