SobaAddict70's San Francisco Saga

[Shelby]

I'm glad you got home safely...I know the trip went way too fast for you and you're counting the days to the next one.

[SobaAddict70]

Friday, July 4, 2014:

We started the day by going to Brenda's for brunch.

I want everything on that menu. So hard to choose...

Eggs benedict with Creole hollandaise sauce, fried catfish, buttermilk biscuits and cheddar cheese grits

Sweet potato pancakes, warm butter pecan sauce

Potato hash

[SobaAddict70]

Then we went to Green Apple Books, a/k/a San Francisco's Cookbook Wonderland.

People who love collecting cookbooks might want to take note of this store.

This is high on my "to-get-next" list.

[SobaAddict70]

Then, we went to a store that B and I are calling the "secret Bed, Bath and Beyond of San Francisco".

[SobaAddict70]

Falletti Foods is kinda like what would happen if Trader Joe's and Balducci's got together for some sexy funtime and out popped a baby.

[SobaAddict70]

After buying a few things from Falletti, we decided to take a walk around the Mission. We had originally planned to walk on the Golden Gate Bridge but it was foggy, and GG Park was closed to automobiles. Phooey.

Random food-related pix:

I was hoping to get a shot of the interior, but they were closed.

[SobaAddict70]

Red onion jam recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/86-toasted-goat-cheese-crostini-with-basil-and-red-onion-jam

I used only one red onion for this recipe; it was, as previously mentioned, quite large.

thinly sliced red onion, butter, sugar, salt (for exact proportions, see the recipe I linked to above)

About a few minutes into things, I added some cracked black pepper.

After about 30 minutes of simmering in a covered pot (the contents of which I occasionally stirred), it looked like this:

Add the red wine (we used some merlot from 2012) and a tablespoon or so of red wine vinegar, then simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until it begins to have a jam-like consistency.

Crostini with goat cheese, basil and red onion jam

[Smithy]

Wonderful, simply wonderful: your meals at home as well as in the restaurants, and the virtual tours. The handwritten notes showcasing some of the books in that amazing bookstore were an interesting touch. I love wandering in places like the shops and markets you've shown us. Thanks for taking us along!

[cyalexa]

Green Apple Books, a/k/a San Francisco's Cookbook Wonderland; secret Bed, Bath and Beyond of San Francisco; Falletti Foods

 

I have never been to any of these - that will be corrected on my next trip. Thanks for posting about them.

[SobaAddict70]

Green beans recipe: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/the-temporary-vegetarian-vegan-green-beans-braised-in-tomato-sauce/

There are many ways to make fagiolini e pomodoro. This is one method that doesn't involve blanching/shocking the beans. I adore this dish, however it's made.

Add some olive oil in a saucepan, then the garlic, then warm over medium heat.

Add the shallots.

...and the tomatoes. This is about 3 medium-sized Jersey tomatoes, trimmed and cut up. I didn't bother with removing the seeds and peel as indicated in the recipe. You lose too much "good stuff" that way.

Let the tomatoes break down a bit, then add the green beans. The recipe instructs you to have the juices reduce, but as you can see, I went a different route. Since the beans will be braising in the tomato sauce, you want some liquid in the pot.

Cover the pot and braise on low heat for one hour. This instruction differs significantly from the recipe I linked above; you may decide you don't want the beans to cook that long, and that's perfectly fine. There was a Saveur article that was published a while back about the difference between the way we cook vegetables in the U.S., and how Italians generally prefer theirs. Some people who are less charitable might say these beans are "overcooked", but that's the point of this dish; the beans need to be braised that long in order to achieve a texture I routinely describe as "silken".

Towards the end of cooking, add some chopped basil, then taste for salt and pepper.

Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle the beans with some extra-virgin olive oil, then serve at once.

Fagiolini e pomodoro ("green beans and tomato")

Edited July 6, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Spaghetti con vongole: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1094

This is now my default recipe whenever I want to make it. I find that the addition of anchovy adds that extra layer of "oomph".

Warm the oil and garlic...

...add the anchovy. When the anchovies have begun to melt into the sauce, add the clams and a cup of water. Lidia instructs a ladleful or two of pasta-cooking water but either way is fine. Cover the pot and steam on medium heat or until the clams have opened. Lift out the clams into a bowl with a slotted spoon, discard any clams that didn't open. Cool.

This is what the liquid will look like afterwards.

Add 1/2 the parsley called for in the recipe.

Reduce by 1/3; shuck the clams in the interim. When the liquid has reduced, add cooked, drained spaghetti to the pot along with the clams and remaining parsley. Toss. Cook 1-2 minutes more, then plate and serve at once.

Spaghetti con vongole ("spaghetti with clams")

[SobaAddict70]

Saturday, July 5, 2014

We had breakfast at Kitchen Story.

Kitchen Story

3499 16th Street (Sanchez Street)

The Castro

B and I have eaten here on three separate occasions, the most recent being yesterday -- all on days I have left San Francisco. It's becoming our go-to "bon voyage place".

Eggs benedict with braised pork belly, kimchi, avocado, corn tortillas, and roasted heirloom potatoes and carrots.

Egg white omelette, fruit cup, cream biscuit

There will be additional pix on the blog once I get around to posting them.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in the magical Kingdom of Far, Far Away...

Edited July 6, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[heidih]

The eggs benedict dish at Kitchen Story looks pretty amazing. What are the garnishes over the eggs and in the fruit cup that look like a fried piece of pasta?

Edited July 6, 2014 by heidih (log)

[SobaAddict70]

The eggs benedict dish at Kitchen Story looks pretty amazing. What are the garnishes over the eggs and in the fruit cup that look like a fried piece of pasta?

avocado, arugula, kimchi pico de gallo, spicy guacamole

we thought it was fried pasta but I didn't ask

[weinoo]

We didn't get much in the way of produce -- just a red onion the size of one of B's salad bowls (which you saw a pic of when I posted the apricot and date salad) and some Meyer lemons. I'll dig up the receipt later so you can try to guess how much all of what we bought cost.

I thought it was just a bunch of marketing gimmicks -- for instance, Whole Paycheck says their fish is rated #1 by Greenpeace. Well, that may be true but what if the fish was sourced from southeast Asia? Which might mean that WF is now a party to the issue of enslaved fishermen.

Most of their marketing stuff means nothing to me; as I said elsewhere, if you stopped buying from a supermarket, yes, even from a Whole Foods, none of them would notice that you were gone. If you spent a fraction of that money at a farmer's market, you might help a farmer pay his rent...you might even help save his farm. That's the difference in a nutshell.

 

I don't think it's quite as simple as that, but for another time.  I also continuously argue that, for many items here in NYC, Whole Foods is cheaper than my local "supermarket."  And it's certainly cheaper, for a lot of items, that the green markets tend to be.

 

It's all caveat emptor.

[gfweb]

You are discussing an interesting moral dilemma for city-folk.  Whole Foods and serious "Farmer's Markets" are more or less urban things. For most of the country one or two (shitty) supermarket chains, Costco and Wal*Mart are all the grocery store that we have.

 

I'm not really in the sticks, but the nearest Whole Foods is 45 minutes away at best. The nearest farmer's market worth the drive is an hour away and only open three days a week. H-Mart? Forget about it.

 

CSAs are in the area, but who wants a bushel of veg that somebody else picks out for you? WTF am I going to do with all this frigging eggplant?

[SobaAddict70]

I don't think it's quite as simple as that, but for another time.  I also continuously argue that, for many items here in NYC, Whole Foods is cheaper than my local "supermarket."  And it's certainly cheaper, for a lot of items, that the green markets tend to be.

 

It's all caveat emptor.

That may be, but a lot of what you've just stated is opinion and therefore unimportant to me; it's also not germane to this thread.

As you know, my main objection to shopping at WF stems from something that cannot be discussed on eGullet without falling afoul of the Member Agreement. I really try not to go in there as much as possible; in the instance shown above, it was my partner who spent money. The real purpose of this trip was to spend time with him as much as possible since we don't see each other as often as I'd have liked; otherwise, I'd not have been there.

[SobaAddict70]

You are discussing an interesting moral dilemma for city-folk.  Whole Foods and serious "Farmer's Markets" are more or less urban things. For most of the country one or two (shitty) supermarket chains, Costco and Wal*Mart are all the grocery store that we have.

 

I'm not really in the sticks, but the nearest Whole Foods is 45 minutes away at best. The nearest farmer's market worth the drive is an hour away and only open three days a week. H-Mart? Forget about it.

 

CSAs are in the area, but who wants a bushel of veg that somebody else picks out for you? WTF am I going to do with all this frigging eggplant?

Cook it, of course.

Someone who buys into a CSA knows exactly what he or she is getting into, and if he or she doesn't, well, experience is always a good teacher.

At the end of the day, it's up to the individual to do whatever he or she needs to do within the boundaries he or she sets for himself. I've set mine; and they aren't universal. I think they should be, but I don't get the choice to determine reality for the rest of the planet.

[SobaAddict70]

We came across a few interesting restaurants that we REALLY want to try next time:

Cha-ya

762 Valencia Street (18th Street)

Mission Dolores

Serves "vegetarian sushi" amongst other things.

Sunflower

506 Valencia Street (16th Street)

Apparently, it's one of B's favorite Vietnamese hot spots in town.

Dosa

995 Valencia Street (21st Street)

It's supposed to be a rather famous Indian restaurant with a focus on local, organic ingredients.

Eiji

317 Sanchez Street (16th Street)

The Castro

They make their own tofu and from what I saw of the menu, seems a cut above the usual. Sparked my curiosity in any event. B likes it.

[gfweb]

Cook it, of course.

Someone who buys into a CSA knows exactly what he or she is getting into, and if he or she doesn't, well, experience is always a good teacher.

At the end of the day, it's up to the individual to do whatever he or she needs to do within the boundaries he or she sets for himself. I've set mine; and they aren't universal. I think they should be, but I don't get the choice to determine reality for the rest of the planet.

Actually, none of us gets to determine reality even for ourselves. Reality is not a matter of opinion or preference. It just is.

[Katie Meadow]

I don't mean to sidetrack the discussion, but just a brief word about Whole Foods. Sometimes WF moves into a neighborhood without other large grocery stores or good produce markets and that can be very useful for those in the neighborhood. For instance, the WF near Lake Merritt in Oakland is is very important for the high density neighbors. Many are older people, many may have limited transportation options, many work in the area and shop there. There's nothing comparable near by. The same was true for my mother in midtown Manhattan. The area around her apt at 57th and 6th Ave had no decent large markets for many years. It's a touristy neighborhood, and the only groceries are small and very pricey. When WF opened at Columbus Circle it was a godsend for her, and for me when I visited. 

 

Here in the East Bay I have the advantage of a car, Berkeley Bowl and other great large markets and several farmers markets, so I don't use WF. And I do have some political quarrels with them and how they have run their business over the years. But the one-stop shopping for those in certain areas that WF provides, and the fact that the quality of the meats, cheeses and veggies are high can be a valuable resource for many people.

[SobaAddict70]

Actually, none of us gets to determine reality even for ourselves. Reality is not a matter of opinion or preference. It just is.

That's debatable, but be that as it may, I was referring to the boundaries I set for myself, that it's better for the principles I believe in (which I've stated elsewhere on eG) to food shop the way I do. Other people feel and act differently. Just so we're clear.

Edited July 7, 2014 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[Shalmanese]

Cha-ya

762 Valencia Street (18th Street)

Mission Dolores

Serves "vegetarian sushi" amongst other things.

Sunflower

506 Valencia Street (16th Street)

Apparently, it's one of B's favorite Vietnamese hot spots in town.

Dosa

995 Valencia Street (21st Street)

It's supposed to be a rather famous Indian restaurant with a focus on local, organic ingredients.

 

 

Cha-ya is good but I like Minako Organic just a block down the road more. Sunflower is OK but Mau down the street is amazing. Dosa is great but also check out Udupi Palace a few doors down for amazing vegetarian North Indian food.

[SobaAddict70]

Oh right, I forgot about Udupi Palace. So add that to the list.

[weinoo]

That may be, but a lot of what you've just stated is opinion and therefore unimportant to me; it's also not germane to this thread.

As you know, my main objection to shopping at WF stems from something that cannot be discussed on eGullet without falling afoul of the Member Agreement. I really try not to go in there as much as possible; in the instance shown above, it was my partner who spent money. The real purpose of this trip was to spend time with him as much as possible since we don't see each other as often as I'd have liked; otherwise, I'd not have been there.

Actually, what I stated is not opinion, it's fact.  

 

I have no problem with you not wanting to shop there or not wanting anyone to shop there; I understand your reasons...there are plenty of places I don't go into for my own reasons, that I would just as soon have disappear.

 

But please don't conflate the two - the Whole Paycheck thing is just a bunch of malarkey.