marie-louise

Molino Creek's Dry-Farmed tomatoes once again available at the produce store at the Market Hall in Oakland.

I bought a Krup's this morning (FYI, it is the same price at Williams-Sonoma as Amazon.) WOW-does this thing do something great to bread!!! I had no idea. Now I did use a fresh Acme sourdough, but even so, it tasted better! Crispy, crunchy, with the ingredients all pressed together... With Marlena's book for inspiration, we'll be cooking some great quick dinners after work!

Do tell more.

Well, after writing about Jojo's yesterday, I couldn't help it, I had to go there again last night. Wonderful as always-dessert was Santa Rosa plum sorbet AND Santa Rosa plum ice cream. But I digress... I'm looking forward to finally trying Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino this weekend. I'd also like to eat at Piperade. And Manresa. Definitely Manresa. I want to go back to Terra in the worst way-we ate there during our anniversary trip and it was absolutely perfect.

I hesitate to say yes, because there is rarely an empty table, but yes, it is as good as ever. The food is very good, the restaurant is beautifully decorated, but the best part about it is the people who work there: the host always remembers us, everyone says hi when we walk in- from our usual waitress to the woman who is the assistant/busboy, and the chefs/ owners look up from their open kitchen and say hello and good-bye as you walk past. The staff is not overbearing in that mind-if-I join-you kind of way, but they always seem to have time for a short conversation at some point during the meal. As the host seats you, he asks if you'd like to start w/ a glass of Champagne (Agraparte)-which he brings promptly. It is just a completely pleasant dining experience. We've had so many threads about haughty hostesses and snotty waiters, and every time I think I read one I think about this place and think, now why would I spend my hard-earned money to be treated like that when I could come to a place like Jojo's and be treated so warmly! Do save room for dessert. She used to be a pastry chef at Chez Panisse-her ice creams and sorbets are to die for... I've probably screwed myself out of ever getting in there on the spur of the moment, but here is their website: http://www.jojorestaurant.com/story/index.htm

From the East Bay: a soft taco at Cactus on College (too lazy too cook) Naan & Curry on College (again, because neither one of us felt like cooking) Jojo's on Piedmont (an actual planned dinner out) plus some Bun at Pho 84 yesterday for lunch...

Marlena-What do you recommend for home use? A cast iron pan w/ one of those cast iron weights, or an electric panini maker. If a panini maker, which one? Your book is in my Amazon shopping cart, but I know that I am going to want to start making sandwiches the moment it arrives, so I want to be prepared. (Well, actually, I just want to buy something for my kitchen, but you probably figured that out, huh?)

Way to narc, Marie-Louise! What kind of beans should I get tomorrow? RG's Indian Woman beans are amazing. Don't forget to pick up some tortillas (there's a reason his chips are so good!) Hmmm...now that I think about it, the first time I bought his tortillas, my husband & I scarfed down half of a package, just heated them over a gas flame w/ a little butter. You know how that goes, we were just going to split one so we could each have a bite, and then, well, it was so good we each wanted another, and, okay, I guess in hindsight they must have drugs in them as well. Perhaps he only puts nicotine in the tortillas-that's not too bad for you, is it?

Don't say I didn't warn y'all: do NOT eat even one of these chips. They are the best chips I have ever eaten. They must have crack cocaine in them, there is no other explanation for why they called me and called me. I'm proud to say that once I'd scarfed down the bag at all hours of the day and night, I had the willpower to JUST SAY NO to his future offers!!! PS I miss you at the Oakland Market-'cause your tortillas and beans are wonderful... yet not quite as addicting.

Well, I'm glad you picked. It is impossible to choose a favorite, it's like asking you which child you love the most! If you drive down Highway One, do drive back up through the road that will take you through Henry Cowell or Big Basin. I think the redwoods at Muir Woods are a little more spectacular (especially if you go beyond the paved path), but the redwood trees in the south are also beautiful. You cannot come to California without walking through a redwood grove.

Julia died on our 25th wedding anniversary, but I didn't hear about it until a few days later, as we were staying somewhere without a TV or newspaper. So, today, on the last night of our vacation, we made a cheese souffle and ate it on our wedding china. (We even have a souffle dish in the same pattern!) It was terrific...

Good question... I'm around! I'm working way too hard at the moment-especially considering it's summer and I really don't want to work at all-so no time to post much these days. I'm still quietly reading, though (I hate calling it "lurking.") I'm hoping things will quiet down in a few more months, just in time for fall stews and soups... We just got back from a great vacation up the coast, and so as to not to make this post totally off-topic: I stayed in Carmel a month or so ago. I had another fabulous meal at La Boheme. We also ate at Highlands Inn's reataurant, Pacific Edge and it was impeccable (we had some sort of fish tasting menu.) We won a gift certificate to stay there, and I have to say, even at free I didn't like The Highland's Inn. I certainly wouldn't pay for it! The bar and restaurant are wonderful, but take my advice and stay somewhere else. And no trip down there would be complete without a stop at Gayle's. This time we did it right and stopped on the way home so we could buy way too many baked goods!

A few of my main suggestions have already been made by others: - While mise en place is essential for a restaurant, I think it is a huge waste of time in the home kitchen. You are doing the right thing to read through the recipe first and think of what can be logically multi-tasked. Cooking slowly can be fun and relaxing, but only if you're not starving after a long day at work! - I cook in a small kitchen; nothing is more than a few steps away and very few things require opening a drawer or cupboard. My utensils are in crocks in the counters; my spices and ingredients are in a nearby open pantry. My pots and pans hang on a rack. I've cooked in bigger kitchens, and now that I realize how much faster it is to cook in a small kitchen, I wouldn't trade in my little efficient space for ten yards of granite counters. One other comment I didn't see mentioned-teach yourself to cook one or two techniques at a time. Not one recipe at a time, one technique at a time. - Trying a new recipe-or trying to follow along with a recipe period-is much harder than making something familiar. Get a repertoire of things you can make in your sleep. Focus on a single technique or two-braises and pureed soups in the winter, salads and grilled fish or meat in the summer-until you "get it." Mastering basic techniques takes time and practice; trying to learn a new technique or two every night can be overwhelming, plus it's hard to "connect the dots" and "see" that the basic techniques behind the recipe you are making is the same from recipe to recipe.

The Steamboat Inn in southern Oregon does this-but you have to stay there. We passed through on a road trip a few years back-it's on a road called "The Waterfall Highway." It was a nice place to stay. The funniest part was everyone kept asking us, "What did you catch?" and it took US a while to catch on that we were the only non-fishermen staying there!!! We had no idea what they were talking about... We met some really nice people over our meal, but they really just wanted to talk about the day's fishing. Those places in Occidental do a variation of this. You order an entree and then all the other courses are brought out family-style, but just to your table. A third variation is what the delightfully romantic La Boheme in Carmel does: since it is prix-fixe meal, they serve each course family-style, but again, just to your table and it in beautiful dishes, artfully plated. Scroll down .this page to see an example. While the idea of a communal meal sounds fun, the idea of eating food that's been passed back and forth among 60 diners makes me wonder if this is a good idea sanitation-wise

Mexican Chicken-Vegetable Soup (the kind w/ tortilla chips in it.) Cream of Cauliflower Soup.

I have the book, but haven't had a chance to thoroughly read it, let alone cook from it. I'd be interested to hear other recomendations from those of you who HAVE cooked from it. We are starting to have our cool foggy nights-better suited for a long braise than fish on the grill!

From Earth to the Table is on closeout sale for $12.95 at Jessica's Biscuit. Sigh, I tried to do an eGullet link to ecookbooks, but no go. It is book FM452.

Did you get to the Downtown Bakery??? I enjoyed all your pictures, but especially the pictures of the black cat at Sausal. I've been there a few times-and bought a case of their Cellar Cat Zinfandel-but the only animal I've ever seen there is an enormous black lab that sleeps in the doorway and won't move!

Seems like an occasional trip down to the Bay Area would meet your needs-there are probably other things you can't get up in Sacramento that you could pick up at the same time. (And if not, well, at least it gives you a chance to see the ocean and cool off for the afternoon!) I'm not sure where to find this bread, though, because quite frankly, I'm not sure what it is. If you post this on the Caliifornia forum, someone will probably be able to help you.

I had Pernod w/ water. First 5:1, then added a little more water. It did go very well w/ the Feta, but, uh, Pernod is what you would call an acquired taste, eh?

I, too, cooked my first batch of Rancho Gordo Beans last night (Yellow Indian Woman-scroll down for a decription). Incredible. No wonder Thomas Keller uses your beans. They are fresher and tastier than any other beans I've ever eaten-even from your Farmer's Market competitors. Now on to those chips. Sure, they're fresh. Once you've eaten his, you will be able to taste the funky oil taste in the store-bought brands from now on. They're "macho sturdy." Rancho Gordo's chips are much, much better than other chips you have eaten. But be forewarned. I think he puts crack in them. Just say no. (edited because I can't spell before my coffee)

I do have Pernod. I've never drank it-I just use it for various fish recipes I have. This could be fun. Thanks.

I'm serving a spicy Feta cheese/ yogurt dip w/ olives and pita tonight. I'd love to serve a cocktail. Suggestions?

Yes, I think you're right. It's a variation on a theme, like those potato gratins made w/ stock instead of milk/ cream-are they still called gratins? But, as you said, both are "Great way to use leftover bread and various scraps of cheese." I almost always have leftover bread around, usually in the freezer. Plus scraps of cheese, eggs, and at least milk if not cream. I don't know why I don't ever think of making these. This thread has inspired me (and since our cold & foggy summer weather will start any day now-it's the perfect season for them!) Now, what is the difference between a Strata and the others? The layers or the ingredients?

There is a restaurant in Oakland (Jojo's on Piedmont Ave.) that makes the most amazing savory bread puddings. It is always on the menu as their vegetarian entree, so the vegetables vary by the season. I've never tried to duplicate it at home, but I do believe that lots of eggs and cream would be involved! PS Savory bread puddings are AKA Panade-you may be able to find some recipes under that name. For instance: Tomato/ Onion Confit recipe from Zuni Cafe and Panade of Leeks and Mixed Greens with Cantal Cheese from Paula Wolfert's Slow Mediterranean Kitchen