Honkman

Burger with cheddar cheese - onion, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder in the patty and a maple syrup, aceto balsamico, mustard glaze. Served over arugula and with bacon and truffle aioli.

Soba Noodles with oven roasted eggplant in a sauce made of oyster sauce, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, toasted sesame oil and some sugar.

Pork sausages baked in the oven in a mixture of apples, onions, mustard and maple syrup (which created a great sauce) and finished with some blackberries - served with minted mashed potatoes

Savory Morning Bun with Breakfast Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Fontina (would be too filling for breakfast for us but perfect for dinner). The yeast-based dough also includes spelt flour which gives it a nice nutty flavor (From the Grains for every Season book)

Simple Pasta Frittata with roasted red pepper, Italian sausage, parsley and parmesan

Produce is getting better and better here in the Bay Area - time for a vegetable soup after going through the produce department. Soup included cauliflower, green beans, kohlrabi, carrots, corn, green onions, celery, tomatoes, Swiss chard and fennel. Added some spelt to make it more substantial. Finished with some pistou to get some extra flavor.

Chickpea-zucchini patties with parsley, garlic, panko and eggs. Dip made with yoghurt, feta and basil. Served with oven roasted eggplants (herbes de Provence, honey, cilantro)

What was the prize ?

Okonomiyaki - batter made with AP flour, corn starch. dashi, shredded napa cabbage and green onions. Topped with ground pork (cooked with ginger and soy sauce), green onions, mayonnaise, hot sauce, shredded nori and bonito flakes

Tortellini with fennel, peas, spinach, prosciutto and garlic in a chicken broth and cream sauce

Another good option is The Cook’s Book

Chinese inspired beef stew (made with bone-in beef shank) with Chinese five-spice, ground Szechuan peppercorns, soy sauce, star anise, scallions, chickpeas. Served with braised kale and leeks over rice.

I see it as seafood often needs some acidity - sauerkraut can give the acidity but as it is cooked in apple juice it isn’t overly sour and doesn’t overwhelms the fish

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