Katie Meadow

It might be worth checking out Golden Gate Donuts and Doughnut Dolly. They are within several blocks of each other on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. GG is traditional and well liked. DD is completely different--artisanal doughnuts are hand-pumped with filling to order. I'm not a doughnut person, but the doughnuts are fresh and the fillings are exotic; I wanted bergamot lemon cream, but it was seasonal and I just missed it. Over the top and pricey, but a new way of looking at doughnuts. Although maybe the point of doughnuts is that they are the old way.

At my new favorite bar I had something called a Downward Spiral: Rittenhouse rye, amaro ciociaro, framboise and orange bitters. I was worried it might be too sweet with the framboise, but was assured that the framboise was very minimal. It was, and the drink was delicious and in no way sweet. It was served with a twist which I suspect was orange (this bar is very dark!) Actually my drink looked exactly like the drink above. Lacking framboise, perhaps a fine drink could be made by just tossing in a couple of bruised fresh raspberries.

Okay, I am about to embark on a starter version of kimchi for wimps, but right out of the gate I trip over the salting / soaking step. Some recipes call for just salting and layering the napa cabbage and weighing it down. Others call for soaking in salted water weighted down. David Leibovitz has two recipes, one for each method. Also the timing for this initial process seems to vary anywhere from two hours to two days. I am going for what I hope will be a crunchy bright kimchi, not overly fermented. Any thoughts about soaking or not soaking in water?

Must have cracker: La Panzanella Croccantini. The plain original is great for any kind of cheese or spread or pate. With various cheeses and spreads I like to serve a mix of baguette slices and these crackers. If no fresh baguette is available, like it's a holiday or something, these are indispensable. The fennel is great too, but I don't usually snack on crackers if I can help it. I am also very fond of various Italian olive oil puffy crackers, but they are a splurge and dangerous if they are in the house. If I was big on cracker snacking croccantini would get pricey.

I like Manhattan bagels, which can be purchased at their store down on Fourth St. Agree that Noah's and Posh are lacking. I don't eat bagels much any more, but if I did I would check out Beauty's Bagels: http://www.beautysbagelshop.com on Telegraph in Oakland. They are advertised as Montreal style wood fired bagels. No doubt pricey. Check out the list of bagel places in Yelp; it's getting to be a crowded field.

That sounds fantastic. I have had Blvd coffee ale and swooned over it, but can't get any Blvd products here in the bay area. So sad!

I often add some bergamot to orange marmalade. Keep in mind that it is a very intense flavor, and straight bergamot curd might be no one's cup of tea. You might try a lemon or meyer lemon curd and add some bergamot juice to it. A little goes a long way, so start out carefully and if you want your next batch more bergamot-y add judiciously.

Either very few eGers live in Portland, or they want to keep their secrets, or visitors from out of town stay with friends and don't go out much. We had terrific food in Portland, and not expensive food, either. We skipped the tony places like Beast and Little Bird and Genoa, although they all looked appealing, but my feeling is that mid-price and lower priced places in Portland are fantastic value. Maybe this sounds weird, but I found the food more fun and way better priced than here in the bay area, although I don't go out all that much. A surprise snowmageddon stopped us from too much activity in the SW, although we did get over there twice, before it became really crazy. Anyway here's a rundown: Lunch day one: Nong's Khao Man Gai SE store. Chicken and rice very good, bottomless gingery tea cup excellent. Fun, crowded, but we got a seat. My vote for tenderest nicest chicken breast ever. Dinner day one. Not overly hungry, decided on drinks and small plates near our guest house, so opted for the Sapphire Hotel. Lovely cozy place, wonderful waitstaff, great drinks. Although I didn't have either, I appreciate that the names of the drinks are funny without being impossibly stupid, such as "Not Your Real Dad" and "Winter isn't Coming." Both our cocktails were outstanding. Then I had my first taste of Bacon Wrapped Dates. In case you have never had them, Portland seems to be ground zero, and almost every place we went offered them. Pitted date is stuffed with an almond, some type of cheese and wrapped in bacon and either grilled or broiled or something. Sapphire's had blue cheese-but not too much, and rated very high. We also had salmon cakes that were delicious. Best of all was our dessert drink: Fernet Jelinek, straight up. Most interesting and addictive aperitif I ever tasted. This a well stocked bar, with generous pours. They seemed to have about 3 different types of Fernet. Day two. Light breakfast of toast provided by the hotel. Worked up an appetite walking in a circle around the river and ended up at Zell's for lunch. Dutch pancake with hot rhubarb, very nice. But my husband and I are not really big on breakfast foods. Dinner day two: Not too hungry, so we ate small plates at Tasty & Sons. I was practically frostbit so I ordered a hot applejack drink which was fantastic. I had two of them. House bresaola with blood oranges, port pate with fantastic toast, smoked trout with pickles, aioli that comes with a shot of aquavit. Really fun. Dessert was unbelievable: chocolate potato dumplings with creme anglaise, crispy on the outside, dense inside, and big enough so that all we needed was two of them for a total of $3. Day three. Over to the SW. No lunch, just an early dinner at Veritable Quandary. Outstanding food! Bacon wrapped dates pretty much scored a ten, although I really don't have a lot of experience here. They were stuffed with almond and chèvre and grilled so they were dark and very crisp on the outside. Heaven. Another hot drink (by this time I was hopelessly chilled), also very good, something with bourbon. Had the rabbit pate and then split a burger. Best burger I have ever eaten, not that I eat a lot of them. In fact the only ones I've eaten have been high quality meat cooked on our own grill, and that's not typical of how we eat anyway. Day four. Bone chilling cold (16 degrees, wind chill -3) and snow predicted, but my husband insisted on a trip to downtown Portland for museums. The snow was sticking, so we decided we needed to get back over to the east side before rush hour traffic, but it was very slow going. I was dead set on a trip to Jade Pearl teas, so we headed to the NE. Bought some terrific teas, including some mini puerh cakes. They brew you a sample of anything you want to try in unlimited numbers, and they are so very nice. By then it was mid afternoon and we hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we decided to have linner and went back to Tasty & Sons, because they have a very nice bar menu from 2:30-5. Had another great hot drink, can't remember what. The Bacon wrapped dates came in third: no cheese and an addition of maple syrup, so they were a little sweet for my taste. Potatoes braves w/aioli very good, radicchio salad excellent and then we split a burger. Also excellent. For dessert we tried a vanilla panna cotta with caramelized blood orange. Not typically my favorite dessert but sinfully good. Harrowing slow ride back to the SE quadrant since the snow was really falling and we aren't used to driving in it and nor are Portlanders. Day five, our last one. Woke to five inches of snow. Wasn't hungry so I skipped breakfast, had to pack and make our way to the airport for an afternoon flight, so we planned our lunch accordingly. Stopped near the airport and a Viet place called Mekha Noodles. My Pho was great, as good as my favorite place in Oakland. We decided that dessert was in order and we didn't think we would be eating until we got back home, so three snowy blocks and we hunkered down at Annie's doughnuts. Bad but familiar coffee, good plain doughnuts. Would have been very good if they were fresh baked and warm, but by then it was 2pm and almost everyone in Portland tucked away at home, except for a glamorous couple with a mama and baby husky who all looked ready for the Iditarod. Our flight to OAK was cancelled and we spent a total of ten boring hours at the airport and finally managed to get onto the last flight to SFO, also delayed four hours. If I could move all my friends with me, I would go live in Portland. Everyone is super polite and friendly and the food is amazing. The bridges are beautiful, the coffee shops are as numerous as the stars and everyone was blown away by the snow, which never happens. Not only is the food great, but many restaurants don't close down completely between lunch and dinner or at least are open with limited bar menus, which suits my weird habits totally.

My typical chicken stock starts with about 3 or 4 lbs necks and backs (or whatever) and 1 lb of feet. I'd rather get a root canal than clip the nails. And it seems ghoulish to skin them, to say nothing of...wasteful. It's a safe bet that anyone on earth with ancestors who owned chickens comes from people that used chicken feet for something.

Never having heard of this cake, the name alone caused me to do a little research. An alternate spelling "medovnik" turns up at least as many recipes, so if you are looking for fillings there are plenty of options, all of them more complicated than just swiping with either creme fraiche or sour cream. None of the recipes I looked at used creme fraiche; about half used sour cream mixed with other ingredients and half used condensed milk, also mixed with a variety of ingredients. But back to the name. As much as anyone in my family agrees (and at this point there are no old olds left) our name used to be Medovnik. True or not, I couldn't be happier thinking my name means Russian Honey Cake. Far more appealing than "Runs With Sabre," though not quite as funny as "Pass the Samovar." Regardless, the cake looks delicious, and I've got to make a field trip to the city and check out that bakery.

Yes, I know the frustration. Getting unique types of beans as fresh as Rancho Gordo's means limited supply; my daughter gave me some of their Yellow Indian beans for xmas, and I was hooked, but they are sold out. For certain beans they don't carry, or when they are out of my favorites, I order from Purcell Mountain Farms. The selection is huge, and they offer a number of organics as well. They have terrific rattlesnake beans (just about impossible to find anywhere else) and the best dark red kidney beans I ever tasted.

Any new ideas? We will be in Portland 4 nights. I've checked out the above recs and it appears you have the high-end dining covered. I know Portland has a ton of food carts and "cart pods" so suggestions for those are welcome. Also mid-priced restaurants. We will be staying in the SE near Division St), and will also spend some time in the SW/ downtown, maybe the Pearl. Also recs for cozy appealing bars, especially in the SE. Not looking for glitz!

I don't see why you can't sub any protein you favor--altho tofu sounds pretty weird for this soup. Since Caldo Verde is mainly potatoes and kale, you could use chicken; in that case I would probably use chicken broth for the soup. If you are wanting that smoky taste, perhaps cook a smoked turkey wing to make the broth. I like that smoky pork taste in a variety of bean soups but I don't like the fattiness of sausage or some other kinds of pork. What I do is make a ham broth, using smoked ham shanks. My husband loves to pick away at the meat after the stock is made, and I can eliminate all the fat in the stock before using. It makes a terrific pot of beans. Smoked paprika might jazz up a totally vegetarian soup, if that's what you are going for.

I just did this yesterday! (I was avoiding a huge pile of filing.) I started with the "junk" drawer and then found myself moving on to the rest, taking everything out, cleaning the crumbs out of the drawers (!), and putting only about half of the stuff back in. Then I moved on to the cabinets. Each object went through the "Have I used this in the last year?" test, and if it failed, out it went. (Now if I could only force myself to do this with my closet!) Then, "Do I really need three of these? Which is the one (or maybe two - I'm only human) that I actually use?" and out went the extras. Some lucky Value Village shopper in Seattle is going to be very happy soon. K Chuck it if you haven't used it in a year? That's brutal. Unfortunately I have a basement, which is really not a good solution in the long run.

My goal is to simplify and declutter. My cabinets are bursting with too many pots and pans and casserole dishes, too many specialty cooking items. I'll never use an egg poacher insert, since I don't even like poached eggs. I have a very nice pudding steamer but I've used it once and that was 20 years ago. My recipe collection needs weeding. Who am I kidding? I'll never make tempura at home. Or home made doughnuts. My kitchen is big, with lots of great storage space, but it's embarrassing I have so much crap I don't use. As it is every year, my one vow is to learn how to make great tamales (hold the lard.) Hope springs eternal.

Growing up on the upper west side--and around the corner from Barney Greengrass--the lox and bagels on Sunday morning was a no-brainer. As for dinner on Sunday, it was likely the only night my family ate out, and yes, usually it was Chinese. There must be a myriad of reasons for this tradition. First of all there were a million Chinese restaurants within walking distance. And they were open on Sunday. Now most restaurants that close one night a week chose Monday, but I think it was very common in the 50's and 60's for Italian restaurants to close on Sunday. Another reason why Chinese might have been appealing to extended Jewish families is that cheese and dairy was not a major part of the diet, so anyone who ate semi-Kosher would have a wide array of beef and chicken dishes that were dairy free. And if, like my family, you were into pork and shellfish but didn't typically cook them during the week, this was a big opportunity. Plus, all children eat Chicken Sizzling Rice soup, right? Oh, and don't forget the value of sharing: no one gets stuck with a plate of food they don't like, since Chinese food is the equivalent of eating off each other's plates, only much more civilized.

For the record I tried this SF Chron recipe last summer when that article appeared. It is very eggy, and I prefer my popovers less so. I don't know if it would have been better with just 2 eggs instead of 3, but I didn't try it again.

Me, for most stuff that isn't baked goods. My husband makes fantastic bread. My SIL's (husband's side) pies and cakes are supreme. My parents were very limited: my dad made great chopped chicken liver and lox scramble, but nothing else. My mother was pretty hopeless, although she did teach me to spread bone marrow on rye bread. I have no idea where she got the bone marrow, but she must have cooked something. She did make a variety of things no one could even eat but I do give her credit for some likes and dislikes that made a lasting impression: Manhattan clam chowder and HoJo's peppermint ice cream for dessert. My grandmother is remembered (by me only) for her gribenes; if she had any other cooking skills they died with her when I was young. I taught myself to cook during a very strange period during my twenties when I spent a fair amount of time alone.

Wow, I'm surprised at how many people can actually answer the op's query. For as long as I can remember toast has been my main breakfast. I grew up on rye toast and english muffins, but just about any kind of bread I buy now is a good candidate for toast. They are all different. No favorites, I love them all: brioche, plain white, sour or half sour white, bagel, baguette, batarde, challah, corn bread, seedy whole wheat, whatever was eaten the day before when it was fresh. Most all slices I prefer with butter and marmalade. A plain white toast is a good vehicle for Nutella. I don't like breads with nuts or olives or fruits in them, fresh or toasted. Luckily I have a sandwich loving man around, so leftover bread is easy to come by. Mmmm....toast!

I make both sizes: large in a 6-cup dedicated pan and smaller in a muffin tin. In my experience if a recipe makes six large popovers it will make approx 9 muffin size ones. I agree you should start with the equipment you have.

Great selection of Asian rice varieties can be found at Tokyo Market on San Pablo in Berkeley. I'm partial to Lundberg basmatti, grown here in CA. I used to buy bulk basmatti at Berkeley Bowl, but the Lundberg is superior, I think, to just about any basmatti I have tried. But of course I've only tried a small percentage. Other places to check out around the East Bay include some of the Indian markets, on University near San Pablo. Or the market that is attached to Vik's Chat House. The most awesome selection I've seen in one spot was Kalusyan's in NY. They do mail order if memory serves.

I remember making gingerbread houses with my daughter when she was little. They weren't really edible, partly because they needed the structure of cardboard to stay up, and because you wouldn't want to eat anything after it sits around for a week or two at room temperature. Are you planning to eat this? If so, I understand your desire for golden syrup. If not, cheap corn syrup might be more practical option.

I've baked clafoutis in a variety of pans and they always come out nicely. Very forgiving type of dessert, I think. I've often used a ceramic deep dish pie pan (glazed) just because it is simple and looks nice and is at least 10" in diameter.

This morning's NYT obit for Zuni chef Judy Rodgers actually features her iconic roast chicken recipe. Awfully nice, dontcha think?

About two years ago I determined to see if I could lower my cholesterol to avoid going on drugs, so I changed my diet by eliminating fatty meats (except as an occasional treat) all dairy except for modest amounts of 1% milk, limiting butter to morning toast, and eating only an egg or two a week. I didn't lose weight, although that wasn't my primary intention, but I did lower my cholesterol by a lot. Then about a year ago I had a terrible stomach virus and I just couldn't shake the after effects. To try and settle my gut, I cut out wheat completely. I still ate lots of rice, corn products, barley and most other grains and in no way limited carbs. I ate fruit, potatoes, etc. I did not cut out sugar, and ate plenty of dark chocolate, because I just had to have something good around. I lost weight steadily for the last year and felt better as well. In fact, I lost a little more than was good for me, without an across the board diet, and only by limiting animal fats and wheat. It may not work for everyone but there is something to be said for not going low-carb, just going wheatless. I'm sure everyone is different, but it may be worth a try if the though of giving up all carbs makes you miserable. Yes once in a blue moon I cheat and have pizza. But restaurants are not hard to navigate if you have Asian options that don't put cheese and bread and wheat pasta on the front burner.