ludja

A possible answer online: click Thanks for the photos MayhawMan. It's nice to hear from you a bit as I know you must be pretty busy.

Also with orzo, but perhaps different than what you made before. It's simple and delicous. 4 servings 1 cup orzo 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice salt and pepper 1/4 cup + 1 Tbs olive oil 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and chopped (I like oil cured olives) I also add some minced lemon zest and some chopped parsely. Whisk up the dressing while the orzo is cooking. Add in the olves. Add the olive vinagrette to the orzo while it is still warm. Fold in parsley. Serve warm or at room temp.

Well, I'm looking forward to also trying Incanto then, because I had a very good meal at A16 (about a month ago). I decided to go ahead and post this as there isn't a separate thread on A16. I promise to come back with a comparison to Incanto soon. Other caveat is that I've only eaten at A16 once. We were walk-ins on a Sunday night. We came in ~ 6:45 pm and were seated in a little under an hour. We took a stroll outside, and then came back and had a glass of wine before we were seated. We were seated in the narrow hallway section which I think may be the prime area for walk ins. It would probably be a bit more relaxing in the main room, but we were able to settle in comfortably. During the meal, our service was actually quite good w.r.t. pacing and making sure we had what we needed. Many items appealed to me on the menu--we had a difficult time narrowing down our choices but decided to split an app, a pasta and a pizza. We had: Tomato caponata with tuna conserva, capers and basil $9 Orecchiette with octopus, fresh borlotti beans, chiles and mint $13 Pizze Verde (friarello peppers, mozzarella, grana padano, chiles, garlic, olive oil) $12 The tomatoes were dead ripe and delicous, the tuna, capers and basil blended together for a great, almost indescribable flavor. There were also chunks of good, toasted country bread in the mix, so it was a little like a panzannella. The pasta dish was one of the best I've had---I just really loved the combination and the octopus and beans were cooked perfectly--the octopus tender and the beans cooked but not overcooked. We thought the pizza was good re: the crust and toppings but only wished that there was more grana padano on it as a counterpoint to the bland mozzarella and the mild green peppers. (We should have asked for some additional parmagiano but ended up just salting it a bit). The crust did get a bit soggy as time went on, (as others have mentioned on the Delfina Pizzeria thread), but we ate it up pretty quickly! We also found both of our desserts to be excellent: Plum and almond cake with fresh ricotta and plum confettura $7 and Honey semifreddo with toasted brioche and peaches $7 We had regular coffee along with the dessert and that was the only low point for us during the evening. While A16 is not unique in this regard, the coffee was weak! To me, there were many things I wanted to try and it was difficult to choose--and I felt they followed through on the execution. This was the brightest spot for me and a major incentive for me to return. Also, we got good service and I was happy to see the large choice of half carafe wines offered. We had a nice red wine from Calabria.

Is it possible to buy these anywhere? We just a state day (yesterday) reminding Californians to plan for emergenices with kits, water, food for pets, etc in the case of an earthquake. These might be a an easy way to have some food set aside for an emergency kit. Recommendations around here are to have food and water supplies for 4-5 days.

Hi Jim, I just rememberd a recipe that my Mom made that we all love--it is the *one* doctored cake mix that she made and it is very good. It's a whiskey cake, but I"m thinking that rum might also make a good substitute--and in fact my mom may have done this. It's very easy to make and great to eat any time of day (breakfast included). It also travels and keeps well. We would bring this on weeklong trips at a cottage rental at a lake or the beach. Let me know if you give this a try! click

Thanks for the info Ed. Although I bake quite a bit, I'm pretty cautious when it comes to tweaking baking recipes and wouldn't have been sure that something like this would work.

I noticed that your trip was a while back already, swankalicious, but how did your lodgings and food turn out in Santa Fe (and Taos)?

Thanks petrissage and fyfax (and others upthread). I've peeked into Baleen at The Inn at Loretto and it was a very beautiful setting--both the indoor and outdoor sections. Thanks for the tip on the food. The Compound is also a lovely looking place so it is sad to hear the differing opinions on this restaurant. Although it certainly sounds like bhoward had an excellent time there this past summer. Hopefully Senor Lucky will get on a more even keel. I've had a drink at the renovated "Senor Lucky" bar at the Palace , but that's it, to date. The friend's parents did a little of their own investigation and decided they wanted to try SantaCafe this time. I'm interested to hear an update on this Santa Fe institution. On a recent trip I went to a few new (for me!) places. Tia Sophia's on San Francisco St for Saturday breakfast. I had an awesome breakfast burritto smothered with red and green and filled with a very good chorizo, eggs and home-fried potatoes. I loved the vibe in there on a Saturday morning as well; seemed like a happy combination of mostly locals and some tourists. (We went early, ~ 8:00). Another great place was La Plazuela in the La Fonda Hotel for lunch. I've always know it is a beautiful place with the sun trickling down onto the tables and tiled floors in the courtyard and surrounded by the painted glass (see this link), but the food was very good as well! I had a truly revelatory mango gazpacho (no extra sweetner besides the fruit, cucumbers, chile, cilantro) to start. I opted to give their New Mexican platter a whirl (tamale, enchilada and chile relleno--quite good). My dining companion had a nice chicken salad. Tasty dulche de leche cake for dessert. I've been there before, but will also give a mention to the French Pastry Shop attached to La Fonda on San Francisco. It sure is nice to start the day with an almond pithivier and a good cup of coffee. The La Fonda Hotel is a great place to stay, by the way. I love the old ambience, the amenities and location. The 'regular' rooms have beautifully painted furniture and tiled bathrooms. The concierge was also extremely helpful with a few different issues.

GiftedGourmet recently linked to a nice Newsweek article that talked about the upsurge in artisanal products available around the country and featured 15 of their top choices here. Five of the fifteen purveyors were from California, including June Taylor jams already mentioned above. The other four were: CHINABLUE, SAUSALITO, CALIF. chinablue.com PHILO APPLE FARM, PHILO, CALIF. philoapplefarm.com LALOO'S GOATS MILK ICE CREAM, PETALUMA, CALIF. They ship, but to buy in stores you need to be on the west coast for now. I'm interested to see how these taste. They could also be a good option for lactose intolerant folks (like my sister, who can handle goat and sheep milk products). Some flavors are: Black Mission Fig, Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Cabernet. Nice website at: goatmilkicecream.com Anyone familiar with these products? They also gave a preview of Paul Bertolli's upcoming (slated for next spring) Sulumeri which will be selling cured meats such as smoked and sweet sausage, fennel salame, bresola, and mortadella. FRA' MANI HANDCRAFTED SALUMI, OAKLAND, CALIF. framani.com

Two other options for fresh cider and cider doughnuts in New England, from my old stomping grounds of Central CT: Lyman's Orchards Located at the Junction of Routes 147 & 157 in Middlefield, CT 06455. Main Phone: 860-349-1793. Farm Market Fax: 860-349-1223. Office Fax: 860-349-1424. “Owned and operated by the Lyman Family since 1741, Lyman Orchards is recognized as the ninth oldest family-owned business in America. Now in its eighth generation the family business continues to grow and evolve while maintaining a steadfast commitment to preserving the land for future generations” Lyman's has a big facility now and can also be a fun place to take kids; they have "pick your own" fruit, a large store, outdoor area with a duck and swan lake, a corn stalk maze in the autumn, etc. Roger’s Orchard located right on Shuttle Meadow Reservoir on the New Britain/Southington border is also a great place. It is also family-owned for many generations and the retail space is in a quaint old wooden building. They also have wonderful baked goods, jams, etc in addition to fresh cider doughnuts and cider. I still love visiting both these orchards when I go home.

Chef Martin Rios at the Old House Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Bio exerpt from James Beard event

If your fiancee has a sweet tooth, nice vegetarian options at NYC delis include cheese blintzes or cheesecake. (I've brought NYC deli cheesecake on the plane for the ride home before...)

My English boyfriend says "gin and vermouth." ← One might almost need to say that sometimes in the States as well. I ordered a Martini at Zuni Cafe (in SF, and which has a very nice bar) recently and the exchange went like this: "Do you have Hendrick's gin?" "Yes." "Great, I'll have a martini. Oh, by the way, what type of vermouth do you use?" Bartendress pulls herself up a bit, " We *never* use vermouth with our top line gins in making martinis". "Well, if you have Noilly-Prat, I'd like some of that. Six to one, if that's ok, and an olive" I got a nice martini in the end, but I was kind of surprised by her comment. Don't know if that is reallly the 'house' policy there, but now I feel like I need to inquire about teh vermouth when ordering... (I also usually have to ask for a few drops of bitters in my Manhattans, but that's another thread). edited to add: Enjoyed your story, SteveA. Nice that you gave him some encouragement at the end... It sounds like he had already taken a large step for the day!

I'm not sure if this is a new product or not, but it is really good! Trader Joe's Cocoa Hazelnut Spread 12.35 oz for $2.69 (in Northern CA) Ingredients: Sugar, Hazelnuts, Sunflower and Hazelnut Oil, Cocoa Powder, Whey Powder, Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Product of Turkey. Besides the reasonable price, there is NO peanut oil!!! (This is in contrast to American-distributed Nutella). I really dislike the peanut taste in this context as (for me) it completely takes away from the hazelnut flavor. I'll have to compare it side by side with Europe-distributed Nutella, but this is tasting great!

I'm not sure if this is a new product or not, but it is really good! Trader Joe's Cocoa Hazelnut Spread 12.35 oz for $2.69 (in Northern CA) Ingredients: Sugar, Hazelnuts, Sunflower and Hazelnut Oil, Cocoa Powder, Whey Powder, Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Product of Turkey. Besides the reasonable price, there is NO peanut oil!!! (This is in contrast to American-distributed Nutella). I really dislike the peanut taste in this context as (for me) it completely takes away from the hazelnut flavor. I'll have to compare it side by side with Europe distributed Nutella, but this is tasting great!

The same is true of milk and milk constituents. Many items have 'hidden' dry milk ingredients in them (commercial stuffings, sausages Sometimes, just "whey" will be listed as an ingredient.

It's probably not possible to do this retrospectively, but it would have also been interesting to see how or if the ranking differed if you campared votes from the "novice wine drinkers" and the "gurus". In that way, one would actually have a measure of both perspectives. As we know, at one level, a good wine is one that one enjoys at the time, but often people's tastes evolve as they begin to experience a greater breadth of wine styles. That has certainly been the case for me in the last fifteen years. Sounds like a fun time to have so many wines to taste. I went on a recent tour of Paso Robles and Santa Barbara wineries (3 days) and got to taste a large number of Syrah's from a relatively small geographical area. It was also very interesting to compare and contrast the Syrah's in this way.

If you type in "Italian Rum Cake" , using the quotes to search the three words as a contiguous phrase, you get this. ( , not magic, but putting search phrases in quotations can make a big difference in search efficiency)

Fair enough...

Nice topic, I also like Italian Rum Cakes. The kind I know were (are?) the type you can get at Italian restaurants in the northeast. I found a couple of recipes googling. I just may have to try one of them...

Do look here as well. So many good ideas over the years.

One of my favorite simple preps for figs from Chez Panisse Desserts: Assemble a platter of fresh figs, trimmed and respberries. Whip up some heavy cream, flavor with Pernod (sparingly, as it is strong) and sweeten with some sugar. Serve the cream and a crisp cookie alongside the platter. (The figs and raspberries look beautiful together and anise is a very complimerntary flavor to both). Another nice accompaniement to fresh figs and raspberries is honey mousse.

I searched a bit and didn't find a thread on this... One of my favorite colunms is Gary Regan's in the SF Chronicle Wine Section. Distinctive and complex cocktails are featured. You can easily access the column through the pinned digest in the CA forum, here The Wall Street Journal just started a Saturday, "Weekend" Edition and has a new cocktail column by Eric Felton that will run every other week. The first article is pretty general but it may be worth checking out. The first column speaks a little about the institution that is the cocktail party along with some tips for giving one. There are three recipes: Peach Mojito, Manyann (gin, Dubonnet Red, orange curaco and lemon juice) and a Dirty Vodka Martini. Are there any other columns out there worth checking out?

I haven't been as thrilled sometimes with the taste of olives I've found that come already stuffed, and so I'd hoped to be able to de-pit them myself. I've seen some suggestions for cutting a spiral in the olive to remove the pit, and then to reform the olive around the stuffing before breading it. As you say, I'm not sure I have the dexterity to do this... I like your idea re: soaking the olives before stuffing them, and I am more likely to do this if I start with already depitted olives... Not sure if you mentioned this recently, but what areas of Italy are left for your next three months?

I love fried olives... but haven't tried making them at home yet. The ones I've tasted had anchovies and/or anchovy paste in them which also results in an incredibly savory snack--and which as you say, are perfect as a starter with drinks. (Thought this originated from the area of Venice) I'm glad to also find out about this version with salami. Any tips to share on removing the olive pit while keeping the olive intact enough to stuff?