Honkman

Pan seared cod with sauerkraut (cooked in apple juice with bay leafs, cloves, juniper and grated apples and finished with a little bit of cream) and mashed potatoes

If there is one thing I miss from not living in Germany anymore it is not having easy access to great bread all the time - in the US it’s either laughable bad quality or good quality but at insane prices compared to Germany (and having a places with good Fleischsalat, Krabbensalat and Fischsalat would be also great)

Pearl barley, butternut squash, mushrooms, broth, apple cider vinegar and a hint if cinnamons - more of a fall dish but the temperature last night was below 5C - that counts as a cold wave in SF

Gnocchi with mushroom (cremini, shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane) ragout in a cream/vegetable broth

Potato and Eggplant Tortilla Espanola

Variation on Ropa Vieja - as with any “famous” dish there tend to be as many various/recipes as there are cooks. But this one was interesting as normally the rice is cooked and served separately but here the broth used to cook the beef was also used to cook the rice and ultimately everything was mixed together. The flank steak was cooked in a mixture of beef broth, celery, onion, garlic, sherry vinegar, soy sauce, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika which later gave great flavor to the rice.

Asian inspired stew with baked tofu, butternut squash, bok choy, eggplant, green curry paste, garlic, ginger, chili, makrut lime leaves, lime juice, coconut milk, vegetable broth and thai basil

Pork and Pinto Bean Tostada Bowl - Oven roasted pork tenderloin, pinto beans, tomato sauce, ancho chili, chipotle chili, cumin served with radishes, jicama, avocado, cilantro and crumbled tortilla chips

Salad with baby arugula, oven-roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, avocado and sautéed chorizo with a simple olive oil, sherry vinegar and sherry vinaigrette - finished with a fried egg

Indian inspired lamb stew with lacinato kale (half of it braised with the meat, the other briefly sautéed and added at the end). Sauce included turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, coriander and cinnamon and was finished with yoghurt and a little bit of lemon juice. Served with some freshly made whole wheat chapati

Linguine with crab meat, spinach, arugula, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, sauteed garlic and chili for some heat

Lomo Saltado

Pasta with pesto alla Trapanese

Cottage Pie - ground beef, peas, corn, cream, mashed potatoes and parmesan

Play on Minestrone with carrots, asparagus, kohlrabi with porcini ravioli in a tomato juice, garlic, fennel seed sauce.

Orecchiette with pork sausage, kale, cannellini beans, garlic, oregano

Mbahal - Very interesting and tasty stew from Senegal, Gambia. Small amount of lamb shoulder, okra, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, black-eyed peas, jalapeño and jasmine rice cooked at different stages in a sauce made of beef broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, fish sauce, tamarind paste, All cooked to a consistency not unlike risotto- the combination of peanut butter, fish sauce and tamarind is great and addictive.

Veal Meatball Pizza with veal meatball (made from ground veal, potato and thyme), caramelized onions, olives, fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. Using the dough from Jim Lahey and a home oven is tasty but it is tempting to think about an Ooni Kona.

Jansson’s Temptation - Swedish casserole with potatoes, a lot of anchovies, onions and cream.

Moroccan inspired vegetable stew with eggplants, red pepper, sweet potato cooked in sauce made with ras-el-hanout, cinnamon, tahini, harissa, coconut milk, honey, sirarakhong chili (recent gift which adds a great spicy, smokey flavor), diced tomatoes and raisin - served with couscous

Looking on their menu they have “Doener gross” and “Doener big” - both are with salad and sauce - so is the “gross” German size big and the other one “American” size big ?

Yep - spring really has started here in the Bay Area

Pasta with green vegetables stew - made with asparagus, snap peas, baby frisee lettuce, celery, peas, onion, garlic, lemon zest and pancetta. Pasta wasn’t cooked separately but in the stew which gives the sauce a nice texture

Couscous salad with sautéed diced chicken breast, dates, red onion, garlic, pine nuts, feta, fresh mint, lemon thyme, cinnamon, harissa and white balsamico

Daube Provencale with Spaetzle