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Today's Farmers' Market Cocktail. Take the ends off and quarter a key lime. Drop into cocktail shaker. Halve 2 Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) and scoop the pulp into same cocktail shaker. Add 1 tsp sugar and muddle together. 2 ounces Cachaca, a Cane spirit from Brazil. If you don't have Cachaca, use a light rum or silver (blanco) tequila. Add ice, cover and shake to chill. Strain into cocktail glass.

Wow! Cool. Thanks for setting me straight. They sound intruiging, I'll have to give them a try if I see them again.

Michelle, Is there a recipe for the chicken and quince stew available anywhere? Sounds really intruiging. A great idea for a fall dish.

They have all sorts of honeys. Some have such strong flavors, I can't use them for general purposes. I usually stick with the wild flower, sage, raspberry, orange blossom, or wooly blue curls. They have a Eucalyptus honey that is very strongly flavored. Another I tried was the Star Thistle. I didn't think the Star Thistle wasn't that strongly flavored when I tasted it at the market; but, by the end of the weeks of having it in my oatmeal, I felt like there was some artichoke-like bitterness that I didn't care for. The Tarweed was very strongly flavored.

Shoot, I didn't ask. I'll try to find out. As far as I know most of Far West Fungi's products are local. Far West Fungi Website Personally, my favorites are their Chanterelles and Black Trumpets.

I've seen recipes for quince liqueurs and actually have wanted to try making one some time. Shoot, I should have gotten some. I always intend to do something with quinces; but, the local season flashes by so quickly, I usually miss my opportunity. These were particularly gnarly looking specimens. Does that mean they are extra tasty?

The other liquor stores I usually frequent are John Walker & Co downtown and the Plump Jack Wine Store in Noe Valley. But Janet (JAZ) visited Plump Jack in her Foodblog and it's a pain to park downtown. I recently discovered Weimax Liquors on Broadway in Burlingame, and was pretty impressed with their selection of dusty bottles. This dusty line of DeKuyper Geneva Gin bottles in particular intruiged me. So I returned today to pick one up. Closer inspection reveals that this gin was made in Canada and actually appears to contain cane spirits. Interesting. This is for the It's It fans in the audience. Unfortunately, they don't offer tours of their facilities.

More shopping... Beverages and More is a California chain of stores that sell, well, Beverages and more. I do most of my beer, wine, and liquor shopping here at the Bayshore branch. It's Holiday season so the aisles are packed with booze related gifts. The Domestic Beer aisle. My spoils. This years' Anchor Christmas Ale vertical tasting to be. Every year they use a different recipe, so it is interesting to taste them and compare. So far, 2002 usually ends up being the least favorite. Not sure if we'll get to this on Sunday. If not, will report on it in the Beer Forum.

Hmmm... It's possible. They seemed a bit different in shape and stiffer than long beans. Maybe they are just older long beans? Though, there was a group of shoppers who were quite fascinated and interested in them. If they were just long beans, unless they were particularly cheap, I don't think they would be of that much interest. There are plenty of people selling long beans at the market this time of the year.

For lunch, I had a Pork Mole tamale from All Star Tamales.

Alemany Farmers' Market Pt. 2 My wife likes to buy flowers here. They are quite reasonable. This nice gentleman sells bread and pastries. Mmmm... Bush Berries. A bunch of prepared food places have sprung up lately, like this crepe place. Spring Hill Cheese. They actually sell cheese curds! Spicy firehouse cheddar also tasty. Persimmons, oranges and tomatoes. These folks specialize in exotic potatoes. One of my favorite booths is this one which sells Asian Pears. It is an older Asian couple and they are only there in the fall and winter. Very tasty! Satsuma Mandarins are back! The nice folks from Far West Fungi sell their wares at our market as well as the one down town. These people specilize in dates. They come up from Palmdale every week. You can buy shelled black eye peas and limas. And we have entertainment for the children. Sugar Cane. Jan C. Snyder from La Honda has the best honey. Along with a lot of native wild flower honeys, he sells propolis, royal jelly, and all sorts of other odd things. My favorite honey name is, "Wooly Blue Curls". Today I tried a new one I'm not sure I liked called, "Tarweed". Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) are also in season now. And Quince! Pomegranates. There are several orchid vendors, as well as the other flower vendors. And of course, Kettle Corn.

Alemany Farmers' Market Pt. 1 The first thing you likely see when you get to the Alemany Farmers' Market is this truck. We like to think of it as the mobile chicken adoption facility. If you don't want to save a chicken, you can just save an egg or two. Bunnies and hamsters. I'm pretty sure the hamsters are for actual pets. There is also a pretty big fish market stand that sets up every week. I've never bought anything from them, so I can't vouch for quality. Dungeness Crab Season started this week! I get the dried fruit I use in my oatmeal from these folks. Ferrari Farms. Twin Hill from Sebastapol is also here every week with apples and juices. These people have the best kiwis. I don't believe I had really tasted a good kiwi until I had one of theirs. Plus, you can get a deal on the mis-shapen ones. Persimmon season is in full swing. Have gotten really tasty squash from these folks. Tiny thin eggplants! The Bariani folks are usually there. I think these are winter melons on the right? Chayote on the left. These people's booth is always really busy. They sell Guavas, Persimmons, Calamansi, and other citrus. We get our eggs from the Haney Farms booth. Lots and lots of sweet potatoes. I think these are some sort of bean. Anyone know what sort? All Star Tamales! Yummy! There is also a booth that sells huarachas (sp?) which are quite tasty.

Oops! I was cleaning up the photos on the camera and didn't export today's porridge! Sorry about that. Today was Scottish style Oats with walnuts, dried Prunes, dried figs, and yoghurt.

Ah Leung, The Presidente Vincent is a Rum drink, making it more like a dressed up Daiquiri. It has light rum, dry vermouth, sugar, and lime. They serve it here with a sugar rimmed glass. Cocktaildb recipe link

crouching tyler, Sorry to torture you with a week of oatmeal! I use the term porridge generically. I guess it could be grits or kasha or whatever. So far this week, it's been all oatmeal. For the Scottish or Irish style oats, I would: The night before, toast the oats in a dry pan until they smell like popcorn. Put them in a bowl and cover them with the amount of water you will use to cook. I usually use 1/3 cup of oats and 1 cup of water. Put saran over them and stash them in the fridge. The next morning, put the bowl in the microwave and cook on Medium. Microwaves vary, so I can't tell you exactly what will work for you. It pays to experiment with an oversize bowl, as over flow is no fun. I do 5 minutes for the first cook. Take them out, stir in the sweetener and dried fruit. Some people like to add a pinch of salt. Microwave again, this time on Medium Low. 7 minutes works for me. Stir in Yoghurt and serve.

There are a number of Vietnamese style noodle places right there at 19th and Irving. A bunch of them start their names with P.P.Q. I often wonder if they are all related, or if that means something else. There is also the P.P.Q. Dungeness Island over in the Richmond, which I have yet to visit. There's usually some sort of spicy Curry Chicken soup on the menu in Vietnamese noodle places, and this was actually a very tasty example. Coconut Milk, lots of tasty seasonings, potatoes, and there had to be more than a quarter of a chicken in the soup. I chickened (haha) out and didn't get the "Chicken & Innards Noodle Soup".

I'm not normally a big Haight Street fan; but, it does have a very good brew pub, a new bar I like, and the best beer bar in San Francisco. Of course, it also has the San Francisco outpost of Amoeba Records. When we first moved to California, far too much of our disposable income was spent at the Berkeley store. First stop is this non-descript store front near the Red Vic Theater. Inside you'll find a nice long wooden bar (made from recycled wood from Kezar stadium seats). The Alembic was opened a couple months ago by the same folks who own the Magnolia Brewpub. Its high quality cocktails, friendly staff, and great selection of booze have made it a regular stopping place for me on the way home from work. I tried a Presidente Vincent tonight. It's quite tart and delicious. My wife meets me, and we toddle on down to our dinner destination. The Magnolia Brewpub has been around for several years and makes several outstanding beers. Their pumpkin beer this year was one of the best I've tasted. (Sorry, couldn't get the picture taken fast enough! Some of the beer disappeared!) Onion rings. Salmon special. Wild Mushroom Pizza. I think the chef has been tweaking the menu lately, and none of this is quite as outstanding as we remember on previous occasions. The beer, however, is still very good. Then we're off. Nice people sitting in their candle lit doorways, drinking wine, and playing the accordion (quite competently, I must say). Beautiful old homes. Sometimes the Haight isn't so bad. And The Toronado. They have an amazing list of draught beers. And an even more amazing list of bottles from around the world. Some sort of excitement at the bar catches our eye. These people have ordered the most enormous beer I have ever seen. I'm glad I won't have their hangovers tomorrow! Local color. Again, some of that beer got away before I could snap a photo! We stick with old favorites, Russian River Blind Pig IPA and a Moonlight Brewing Reality Czech. Eventually, all things must end, and we walk down to Church and Market to catch a J train home. Walking down Cortland Avenue, I snap a photo of our local watering hole. Wild Side West is a nice bar with a great patio and garden out back.

At 9th and Irving, near work, there are a lot of lunch options. We're spoiled for choice, really. Hotei has tasty Japanese food. Noodles in soup, that sort of thing, as you can see from their window display. Their sister restaurant, across the street, Ebisu, has pretty good sushi. There is also Hahn's Hibachi. I'm not an expert on Korean food, so I can't tell you if it is authentic or not. It is tasty, though. But, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco is Chow. This is the Park Chow outpost. There is also another Chow near Church and Market and another in Lafayette. Inside is warm and inviting. If you are by yourself, you can sit at the bar. Much of the food is cooked in a wood oven. They also have a rooftop area for eating, with a spiffy retractable awning for when the weather is nice. They have a small-ish menu, which is adjusted seasonally, and is served for lunch and dinner. They also do a brunch, which I have never tried. Produce and meats are sourced locally or organically. It centers around the wood oven pizzas, grilled items, and pastas. Eclectic wine list, tasty beers on tap (Russian River, Moonlight Brewing, Anchor Steam, Speakeasy), and well made fresh juice coolers. Pomegranate Cooler. Sandwich of the day is Sole with some sort of avocado mango salsa. For high quality, reasonably priced food, it really is hard to beat Chow.

You know, I had absolutely no hope that anyone would get that. Just threw it out there to entertain myself. You, mizducky, have earned at least several delicious manhattans should you choose to enter the geographic area near San Francisco.

Yes, absolutely, the oats are cooked, and the yoghurt not added until after the whole has cooled down enough to be consumed.

!!! I've been searching for this! Has a method or recipe been here on eG somewheres all along? Local poms are cracking ripe. I like your local market... it is an incomparable gift, one's local market being a good one. ← The method I used is the following: --- 1 Cup Pomegranate Juice (Knudsen Just Pomegranate) 1 Cup Sugar 1/4 Cup Pomegranate Concentrate 1/4 Cup Vodka Combine sugar with juice and shake until dissolved. Add Pomegranate Concentrate and Vodka. --- I know there is some more complicated method involving actual pomegranates on here some where; but, the search function is failing me this evening. Will try to follow up with proper method.

Kathy, I actually use the microwave. My wife doesn't care for Oatmeal. So, since it is just for me, it is easier that way. Plus, less dishes to wash. 5 minutes on medium, go do some stuff. Stir in the nuts, honey and fruit. Then 7 minutes on medium low, go do some more stuff. And breakfast is ready. My rice cooker doesn't have a porridge setting or timer (I wish I'd splurged for the one that did).

fridge... right: left: Freezer drawer: Freezer shelf: (Vodka, Charbay key lime vodka, Aquavit, home made grenadine, home made limoncello, and a pumpkin pie.)

Chris Cosentino at Incanto is a big offal fan. A while ago I ordered a stew dish there and they mentioned some grilled something or other in Italian would be included with it. Anyway, there was this grilled, rich, liver-like substance on my plate that was pretty tasty. I knew it was some internal organ; but, had no idea which. After I finished, I asked what it had been, and the waiter told me it was spleen. I read a chowhound post from someone that had been at Incanto the same week who was furious he had been fed "dog food".

The kitten sisters. Clementine: She's the sleepy, cuddly sister. Sweetpea: She's the spazzy, crazy sister.