Spring

Saison (french word for spring) http://saisonsf.com/ is this lovely little restaurant in the French tradition tucked away in the back of The Stable Café http://stablecafe.com/ on Folsom Street in the Mission. You enter the restaurant through the industrial kitchen that connects The Stable Café with Saison. The dining room is inviting in the modern farmhouse style; a large communal dinning table in the center of the round surrounded by tables of four; the dining room seats roughly 30 people. The walls are adorned with artwork and the tables all have simple floral arrangements.

It was this past Sunday evening when my husband, a friend and I dinned at Saison. We had a long, leisurely delightful meal and a magical dining experience! We had the wine pairing with our meal, I was a little concern because our friend is Brian Duncan http://www.bin36.com/brian.html wine director at Bin 36 in Chicago http://www.plumtv.com/videos/2009-food-wine-classic-video-bin-36s-wine-director-brian-duncans-grand-tasting-tent-picks/index.html, he know his was around wine and food and Saison delivered! The food is fresh Saison claims “each morning our menu is crafted from scratch. We source all of our ingredients from the surrounding land and our network of small farms, ranches and fisherman” and it taste like it!
The food was so beautiful, simple, clean and precise in its presentation and flavor profile. Every course left us speechless and satisfied beyond belief waiting to experience the next plate. After every course I proclaimed it my favorite; the oyster and egg stood out. Brain said that the dessert was the best he ever had in his life!

Menu
Little leeks, Sweetwater oyster jus, wild caviar
Bailly-Lapierre Cremant de Bourgogne, France

Our farm EGG, smoked butter & golden trout roe

Garden vegetables & herbs cooked various ways
Can Feixes Penedes, Spain 2008

Roots stewed with bonito, caramelized flowering rabes
Domaine Seguinot Bordet Chablis, Burgundy France 2007

Crimson BEET aigre-doux, hibiscus & bone marrow
Poggio Argentiera Morellion de Scansano, Tuscany, Italy 2008

Poularde, whole-roasted with podi spides, almond milk, natural jus
Copani Pinot Noir “ tous ensemble” Mendocino 2007

Point Reyes Inverness, sun-toasted walnuts

Satsuma Creamsicle

Chocolate-walnut crumble, salted caramel ice cream

Saison is so very refreshing like spring, although it is expensive the meal and the experience was worth every cent! Chef Joshua Skenes is a master a shinning star on the culinary scene in San Francisco. I can’t wait until my next experience at Saison!

chef joshua & brian

Chocolate Month

It’s February – Chocolate Month; I was in Chicago for Valentine’s Day (I will muse about that later) so I missed having chocolate for Valentine’s Day. I have been craving chocolate for days so I decided to do something about it. Now in all honesty I have cravings for chocolate and may other things all of the time, I just thought the post Valentine’s Day craving was a nice lead into this blog.

Last night watching Bobby Flay Throw Down on HGTV the challenge was brownies, after watching that show I decided to make brownies would full fill my chocolate fix. Checking the pantry I found that I had almost all of the ingredients and what I didn’t have I could pick up from the store. Gooey fudgy brownies are the only ones for me. This brownie recipe started off as someone else but I have made so many adjustments to the recipe that it is truly mine. Remember the better the ingredients the better the brownie; enjoy this recipe and make your own adjustments if you like!

Johnnie’s Brownies

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (the good stuff, it makes a difference)
4 large eggs
I cup macadamia nuts (or whatever you like)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Sift the flour, 1 cup of sugar and salt together in food processor bowl (you can do this by hand if you want & if so you would put these dry ingredients into a bowl.).
3. Melt the butter and chocolate (not the chocolate chips) in a medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for 30 seconds or so, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Little by little, pour chocolate mixture into the food processor bowl alternating adding the eggs, pulse constantly scraping the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour and scrape the batter in to a buttered 12-inch glass pan (I prefer a glass pan when baking brownies, I like the chewy bottom) and fold in the nuts & chocolate chips. (I rough chopped some of the nuts and sprinkled them over the top)
6. Bake the brownies for approximately 30 minutes (remember it depends on your oven so use your judgment), during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
7. Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.
I made a simple ganache with some of the chocolate chips and a little whipping cream to drizzle over the top of the brownies.

I’m From Chicago…

I didn’t move to California to let a little weather intimidate me; yea it’s wet, damp and dark so what I’m grilling! Growing up in Chicago we would grill in any kind of weather including snow and sub zero; I had to remember my roots. So I decided to grill the chicken that I seasoned up earlier today to save myself (or my kitchen hand) the job of cleaning the roasting pan afterwards; what a good idea. The chicken was moist and juicy with a little taste of summer; oh the good life!

Feeling Fishy

It has been a rainy dark and dreary couple of weeks here in San Francisco; leaving me feeling rather fishy! Last Thursday I had a meeting on the peninsula so I stopped at Cooks and picked up a nice red snapper. Because it is dark, wet and dreary I wanted to prepare something that was warm and comforting, something that would warm the cockles of my heart. I prepared a very simple fish stew that I have prepare time and again sautéing garlic, onions, celery and green peppers in olive oil. Adding to the sauté one can crushed tomatoes and a cup of sweet vermouth; when this mixture is fully heated I add the skinned and boned snapper to the pan, put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes before turning the fire off. After simmering in the steamed tomato broth I uncover and serve over rice or pasta; this is a tried and true recipe that never has fail me!
Between last Thursday and last night I have prepared steak with chanterelle mushroom sauce and a roasted chicken so now it’s time for fish again. Don’t’ get me wrong, I love fish but it can get boring if it is not that way I like it which is usually in a raw or semi raw variety. Just recently an old friend said “you don’t eat much fish do you? I never see you order fish when we are out”; well she is right and wrong. I probably eat as much if not more fish than the average person but I don’t order fish when I am dinning out from anywhere. You got to really know how to handle fish before I order it out on a menu; there is nothing worse than over cooked fish or over cooked fished hiding under some sort of sauce!
My husband loves salmon, I like it too and it is really good for you. Salmon is rather pedestrian and can be really boring. I picked up some salmon from my fish monger bound and determined to find an interesting preparation, I did a little research and decided on a Panko-Crusted Salmon for dinner and man oh man did I make the right decision!
This recipe was wonderful; the fish was so moist, interesting, and complex. I served the fish with roasted green beans with pancetta and roasted sweet potato wedges drizzled with a little orange olive oil and salt. Try this recipe; it’s so easy and oh so good!
Panko-crusted Salmon
Panko is a Japanese type of bread crumb that is especially light and crunchy, popular these days with chefs because it doesn't get soggy. What I love about this way of preparing salmon is that the panko topping seems to hold in the salmon's moisture while roasting, so the salmon doesn't get dried out at all. The salmon is perfectly moist, flakey, and seasoned.
Panko-crusted Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 pieces thickly cut, boneless salmon (each 6 oz)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp honey mustard or sweet-hot mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection or regular). Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl, mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper (a light sprinkle).
3. Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Roast the salmon for 12-14 minutes (10 minutes was good for me, I like my salmon a little rare in the center) or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once; Serves 4.
Use your judgment, creativity and taste when preparing this dish and know your oven. The recipe calls for a 400 F oven; my oven does not run as hot so when something calls for 400 degrees I use 425.
Happy Cooking!

New Years Eve Gravlax

For the past ten years we have rung in the New Year with close friends in different locations from coast to coast. Our friends live in Chicago and for the past 3 or 4 years they have sought warm climates to escape Chicago’s brutal winter, this year it is Palm Springs.

My husband and I decided to break out of our mold and drive to Palm Springs rather than hop on a flight like we would normally do; we are not road warriors. So December 31, New Years Eve early in the morning we packed up the car and took to the road. Our hostess loves salmon so I decided I would try my hand at making Gravlax to bring along as a hostess gift and for New Years Eve treat.

Gravlax is basically cured salmon; there is nothing better than a thin slice of bread or a nice cracker spread with a little cream cheese topped with a thin slice of salmon and a glass of champagne. Most people whether they know it or not have had Gravlax. I made the Gravlax and it was simply fantastic! The recipe is below; because I am unable to follow a recipe to the letter I added the zest of an orange and it really added to the flavor.

Gravlax
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (3- to 4-pound) salmon, weighed after cleaning and beheading, skin on
3 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 good-size bunch dill, roughly chopped, stems and all
1 Tablespoon spirits: brandy, gin, aquavit, lemon vodka, etc. (I used gin because we didn’t have any vodka, next time I will use vodka because it is more likely that we will have vodka in the house.)

Preparation:
Fillet the salmon or have the fishmonger fillet it for you; the fish need not be scaled.

Lay both halves, skin side down, on a plate. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper, spread the dill over them, and splash on the spirits. Sandwich the fillets together, tail to tail, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Cover the sandwich with another plate and something that weighs about a pound -- an unopened can of coffee or beans, for example (I used a cast iron pot). Refrigerate.

Open the package every 12 to 24 hours and baste, inside and out, with the accumulated juices. On the second or third day, when the flesh has lost its translucence, slice thinly as you would smoke salmon -- on the bias and without the skin -- and serve with rye bread or pumpernickel, and lemon wedges.

For many years I have wanted to make Gravlax and I finally did before the end of the year and the decade. What a wonderful way to end 2009 and to welcome 2010.

Wishing you all good health, good eats and a prosperous New Year!

Merry Xmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy B-day To Me!

Back in San Francisco in time for the holidays, since I have been back it seems that I have done nothing but eat out and go to the movies, pretty typical holiday activities. My dinning out experience has mostly been “hit’s” with only one “miss”. So far I have dined at Chez Papa, Foreign Cinema, Pacific Catch (I hate this place, more latter) and Quince. Tomorrow’s my B-day so I know there is at least another dining experience in store this month!

Let me start my quickly getting Pacific Catch out of the way; the restaurant claims “We combine the bold sauces, spices and innovative cooking preparations of Asia, Latin America and Hawaii with local California ingredients to create a new kind of fish house”. I strongly and proudly embrace diversity, innovation and the fusion of cultures and food but sometimes if you don’t do it properly you can create a mess, something undesirable. I have been to this place twice and will never go again; each time I ordered a dish that had some type of “fusion innovation sauce” all over it – gross!! I don’t want to make you sick so I won’t say anymore other than remember the name of the place, it’s in the Sunset and if you like good food and appreciate different cultures (and don’t want to get sick) don’t go there!!!

Quince “OMG” (, I know that sounds silly coming from me) was to die for! The new location is simply stunning; the new minimal play on traditional design of the restaurant is as visually appealing as the food was gastronomically appealing! The hubby and I shared the starter and pasta course; we started with shaved Japanese Octopus with Buddha’s Hand over red rice followed by pasta in foie gras cream (I could have licked the plate on this one). Hubby had Sweetbread and I had a beef dish with Marsala Mushrooms. The other couple had the same thing with the exception one person had duck breast as her entrée. Our meal was accompanied by a bottle of very fine Italian wine from the Tuscany region. Dessert was petite and unnecessary since along with your very pricey check you are presented with a little sampling of sweets, all quite tasty. The meal was sublime; I highly recommend Quince when you are prepared to splurge!

One rainy evening we had dinner on the covered patio of Foreign Cinema; the movie playing was “Finding Never Land”. The drinks, food, oysters (me), wine and company was all good. Foreign Cinema is one of our neighborhood gems; it was another great evening dining in the Mission!

Dinner tonight is a mystery, I’m not cooking saving myself for tomorrow but I do plan to make a crispy duck for Christmas Eve. Christmas Day we plan to go to the movies followed by lunch at Jitlada http://www.jitladasf.com/, our favorite Thai restaurant.

So, stay tuned to see how this all turns out and what’s in store for the New Year!

Merry Happy Happy!!!

Ode to November

November 2009 ended for me in Chicago where I spent the last week assisting in my parents transitions to a nursing center, cleaning out their home and celebrating Thanksgiving. As children we were always taught that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining. This blog is about the silver lining.

My parents are adjusting to their new living environment, they are safe and

being cared for 24 - 7 and for that I am truly Thankful! My sister and I managed to meet our deadline for moving my parents and have begun the process of decorating my parents' new suite. My nephew and his dear wife prepared a scrumptious Thanksgiving feast, and for that and for them I am Thankful!

Thanksgiving dinner was rather informal, after visiting the parents we went to my sister's house

and my nephew and his wife arrived shortly thereafter with the meal. He brimmed the turkey, and it was juicy and very flavorful and oh so delicious! My niece (nephew's wife) made a cranberry relish that was to die for; it was sweet, tangy and had zest and freshness that only citrus provides! My sister made cornbread dressing, my favorite Thanksgiving side, and gravy from the turkey drippings. Thanksgiving was perfect, the only missing parts was my husband and son in San Francisco holding down the forth until I return!

Like the weather life has seasons, as we move into December we will see what life has in store. December 3rd we will kick off the birthday month in my family celebrating my sister's birthday so stay tuned to hear about the birthday celebration....

Seasons Greetings!