Food Blog: Squeat Mungry

[Squeat Mungry]

Hello eGulleteers!

I have been tagged by the delightfully entertaining misgabi for this week's food blog.

Incredibly enough, I am without a stove this week! My dear old workhorse died last week at the presumed age of 77, when she developed a slow leak and her gas had to be shut off. Arrangements are being made for a replacement, but I'm still negotiating with the landlord, and no installation is expected before Saturday, at the earliest.

So join me as I try to wing it with my toaster oven and electric kettle. It will truly be an atypical week for me, foodwise!!

Also, a caveat for those eGulleteers whose eyes grew wide when they saw the words "San Francisco": While it's true that I'm lucky enough to live on what I consider to be the most beautiful street in a gorgeous city filled with beautiful streets, I am not as lucky (or ambitious, I guess) as those who live in the Marina or Pacific Heights and jet to Spain to dine at El Bulli. Don't anticipate vicarious thrills brought on by descriptions of my lunch at Fifth Floor or dinner at Gary Danko or Chez Panisse or the French Laundry. Even though I enjoy fine dining, and have in the past had incredible meals at some of our justly famous restaurants, that sort of thing is simply not in the budget this week (or hardly ever).

That said, I think the stove situation will call for dining out more than usual, so stay tuned for reports on affordable dining in SF!

Let's see. So far this morning I have had a bowl of Total cereal with banana slices, and three cups (typing is a challenge at the moment) of Graffeo coffee. This is some seriously good coffee people, and they ship. Get on it!

Yesterday, as every Saturday, I went to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. This place is amazing. Farmers from all over Northern California show up each week with the freshest, most beautiful produce imagineable. And here I have to tell a little story and thank misgabi and the eGullet food blog for some of the most fun I've had in recent memory!

As I'm leaving the house yesterday morning for the market, my eyes land on a small microcassette recorder I had obtained for another project but never used. I think to myself I'll just take it along and maybe make a few notes to myself to use in the blog. On the streetcar on the way downtown I get the idea of doing a narrated tour of the entire market to give an idea of the incredible diversity of produce and products available there. So that's exactly what I did!

Now, I am normally somewhat shy (although I don't seem to have any trouble mouthing off here on eGullet) and don't like to draw attention to myself in public.

Well, I learned a few things about what happens when you go through a crowded market narrating everything you see into a little black box:

1. You look insane.

2. You feel insane.

3. You hurt yourself when you get back home rolling around on the floor laughing at yourself!

First of all there is my ridiculous voice. I honestly don't know how the many people I talk to every day keep from cracking up. I sound like a cross between David Sedaris on helium and Ira Glass on cocaine, with maybe just a little of Sarah Vowell on Prozac or something.

Then there is the ridiculous narrative itself! Somehow without being aware of it I offered a kind of stream-of-consciousness running commentary on the whole affair. "Oooh, don't those look good?" "What the heck is that?" "Never saw those before..." Conspicuously talking to myself in public had somehow brought out the inner babbling moron in me!

This is some seriously funny shit, and I wish I could post it somewhere so eGulleteers could hear for themselves what a complete jackass I am! Me garbling the names of the French cheeses alone deserves a post on the mispronunciation thread.

Anyway, I am in the process of typing up the list of stalls and their wares, and will post it here if there's any interest. (It's taking a while 'cause I keep falling on the floor laughing!)

Anyway, sorry for rattling on so much. I'll try to be more concise in the future. I've got baby back ribs from the market marinating, and I'm going to slow roast them in the toaster oven for dinner, probably with some apples.

Cheers,

Squeat

[Fat Guy]

Sounds as though Jason needs to send you some Toast-N-Serve Magic Bags!

Unfortunately, it's only in the premium archive, but the wonderful essayist and occasional New York Times contributor Edward Schneider wrote an article several years ago called "Cooking Without Gas: At Home Off the Range." There are quite a few tips in there, including, if I'm remembering correctly, a system he developed for making omelettes in the toaster oven. If you have access to Lexis/Nexis or a service that can get you old Times articles, the date on the piece is October 9, 1996.

Very much looking forward to your blog.

[jackal10]

Fantastic! I really look forward to this, having spent time there at Stanford and various computer companies down the bat.

Please can you talk about the bread - is Acme Bakery still the best?

Edited November 9, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[misgabi]

Morning (here anyway) Squeat!!

Can't imagine anything funnier that your "stream-of-consciousness running commentary". When you listened later did you have any idea of what you had been looking at????

Have fun with the blog!

[bloviatrix]

Incredibly enough, I am without a stove this week! My dear old workhorse died last week at the presumed age of 77, when she developed a slow leak and her gas had to be shut off. Arrangements are being made for a replacement, but I'm still negotiating with the landlord, and no installation is expected before Saturday, at the earliest.

I had something similar happen to me two weeks ago. I had a slow gas leak and they had to turn my stove off for 3 days until the new part arrived and they could install it. Needless to say, we ate a lot of cereal and take-out that week.

I look forward to hearing your comments on the farmer's market. On my last visit to SF I visited the market by the Embarcadaro. It was early spring and the offerings were significantly more substantial than what was offered in NY. Everything was gorgeous and I got to sample lots of tasty fruits and vegetables. As I walked through I found myself continuously saying "I wish I had kitchen here." Plus, the vendors were so friendly. We spent about a half hour talking to one of the guys about greens and with another another berries. I remember the visit fondly.

[ronnie_suburban]

Go Squeat go

Really looking forward to your week...and thanks for the amusing exposition.

=R=

[Squeat Mungry]

Sounds as though Jason needs to send you some Toast-N-Serve Magic Bags!

Fat Guy, I've actually already ordered a set! Which reminds me, I need to go buy a toaster. I'm also going to try to pick up an electric skillet.

Please can you talk about the bread - is Acme Bakery still the best?

jackal10:

Acme is definitely my bread of choice. They have a new baking facility right in the Market Hall that is connected to the Farmer's Market. You should hear the disappointment in my voice on yesterday's recording when they didn't have my beloved ciabatta! Happily, it turns out they were just pulling the ciabatta from the oven. I'm planning on toasting some up and roasting some of the Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon I picked up at Golden Gate Meats (also in the Market Hall) for lunch!

There's a list of everything they were offering on the recording. I'll type it up and post it.

Can't imagine anything funnier that your "stream-of-consciousness running commentary". When you listened later did you have any idea of what you had been looking at?

Hi Misgabi!

That tape is a keeper. I'm keeping it around to play when I feel depressed. I have never laughed so hard!!! I mostly can tell what I was looking at because I'm naming things as I go, but there are some unintelligible spots, and I really mangled the names of some things. (I also crack up completely several times on the tape itself.)

bloviatrix:

The market when you visited was at its temporary location at Justin Herman Plaza while they renovated the Ferry terminal where it is now housed (just across the Embarcadero from there). It is even more fabulous now! And you're right: the farmers are so friendly and informative, and no one ever tires of talking food there, which is one reason I love it so much!

More soon,

Squeat

[Squeat Mungry]

Unfortunately, it's only in the premium archive, but the wonderful essayist and occasional New York Times contributor Edward Schneider wrote an article several years ago called "Cooking Without Gas: At Home Off the Range." There are quite a few tips in there, including, if I'm remembering correctly, a system he developed for making omelettes in the toaster oven. If you have access to Lexis/Nexis or a service that can get you old Times articles, the date on the piece is October 9, 1996.

I wish I did have access to that article! Fortunately, thanks to Alton Brown, I do have an electric kettle with a wide top that I can boil eggs in.

[Suzanne F]

I also hope to see your comments -- preferably by Wednesday, since after that I'll be offline for almost a week; but don't let me rush you. I'll actually be there next Saturday morning, and would love to be able to compare notes.

Would it be cheating for you to get a little one-burner hot plate? The first place I lived in where I had to cook for myself, I had that, a toaster, and an electric broiler/rotisserie that had no motor.

[maggiethecat]

To echo Ronnie: Go, Squeat, Go! Yours promises to be yet another engrossing foodblog. I love the way we're getting a slice of the challenges, personalities and foibles of our fellow fascinating eGulls, from pregnancy to --argh!--iambic pentameter.

If you have a coffee machine with the steamer thingy for milk foam, you can always scramble some eggs!

[melkor]

Acme is definitely my bread of choice. They have a new baking facility right in the Market Hall that is connected to the Farmer's Market. You should hear the disappointment in my voice on yesterday's recording when they didn't have my beloved ciabatta! Happily, it turns out they were just pulling the ciabatta from the oven.

Not only is their ciabatta seriously good, but it's also $2 for a loaf.

[torakris]

no stove for a week?

Can't wait for more!

I don't think I could do it......

[Squeat Mungry]

Okay. Decided against the bacon for lunch, because I'll be having baby-back ribs for dinner. Went with a cream cheese and watercress sandwich (watercress also from the Farmer's Market at one of my favorite stands for greens -- will indicate the name when I get the list ready -- be patient, I was at the market for like 3 hours naming all the stuff! cream cheese the garden variety Philly stuff) with lots of salt and cracked pepper and drizzled with balsamic on the Acme ciabatta. Then 2 medjool dates from the FM from a guy who was only selling dates.

I'm munching on some tortilla chips now.

Sadly, the lady at the greens stand said this was the last watercress of the season. Wah! I love watercress -- I buy it every week during the season. Does anyone else think watercress is underrated/underutilized? Some people say they don't think it's worth all the effort stemming it, but I think anything rewarding is worth a little effort right? But I guess all my greens get a little extra attention. I use the salt-water, ice-water, spin-dryer method on all my greens... just makes them so darn criispy and fresh! (Sorry, but it's my blog and I'll rant if I want to!)

Maggiethecat, I seriously enjoyed your iambic pentameter blog! Unfortunately, my coffee machine is a cone on a pot...

Ramblingly yours,

Squeat

Edited to add: I toasted the ciabatta -- so good!

Edited November 9, 2003 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[Suzanne F]

I use the salt-water, ice-water, spin-dryer method on all my greens... just makes them so darn criispy and fresh!

? ? ?

[fifi]

I am trying to think of a way for you to play that tape back and capture it as a wav file.

That would be really cool, and a new dimension for eGullet.

echoing maggiethecat... These things are fascinating.

[ronnie_suburban]

Squeat I'll be interested to hear your take on the Nueske bacon. Have you had it before or did you buy it speculatively?

fwiw, we used to make eggs/omelettes in the bottom of an "old school" popcorn popper...worked pretty well too.

=R=

[torakris]

Does anyone else think watercress is underrated/underutilized? Some people say they don't think it's worth all the effort stemming it,

you mean your not supposed to eat the stems?

[Squeat Mungry]

Okay I just put the ribs in the toaster oven at 250. I've decided to post the Farmer's Market List in parts, mainly just to get a break from transcribing it. It's really long and I don't expect everybody (or even anybody) to read the whole thing, but I'm having fun with it. I've indicated few of the color commentary bits. I'll paste the first part in at the end of this post. On second thought, I'll make the parts of the lists as individual posts. First part will follow this post.

SuzanneF:

Yes, salted water. I was taught this method by my grandmother and my mother. The bath before the icewater bath is a salt bath. The salt seems to draw out the moisture from the greens, making them more thirsty to drink in the fresh crisp icewater. They really crisp up well! Everyone used to think I was crazy for doing this, but then I got validation a few months ago when I bought Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock's The Art of Southern Cooking. There on page 71, he describes the exact method I use! Guess it's a southern thing, or something. If you like I'll post what he says about it.

Fifi:

Actually when I got this recorder, I made sure with the guy that sold me that I COULD transfer what I recorded to my computer. Unfortunately I have lost the instructions and the jack/cord thingy to do that with. Plus I don't know how. Maybe I'll take it back and show it to them and try to see what I need. But still no one could hear it, unless eGullet were able to somehow host it? (I don't have a website.)

ronnie_suburban:

I actually had some of the Nueske bacon last night for dinner, with some fingerling potatoes roasted in the rendered grease! I liked the flavor a lot, but it seemed a little more chewy than crispy. I don't know if that's because I roasted it instead of frying it, or if it's because the bacon itself is so lean. Do you have experience with it? What's your take?

torakris:

Actually I do eat the stems, if I'm not going for a fancy presentation. On my sandwich I just chopped them roughly in with the leaves!

Cheers,

Squeat

[Squeat Mungry]

Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market List, Part I

Captain Mike's Holy Smoke:

White King Lox

Steelhead Trout

Smoked Salmon

Black Pepper Garlic Smoked Salmon

Essence of Salmon (salmon jerky)

Northwest Style (Sign: "Rivals any lox, anywhere!")

Secret Recipe Smoked Salmon Spread

Alderwood Smoked White King Salmon (Sign: "This doesn't happen every day!")

Smoked Sockeye Salmon

Indian Smoked Salmon (Sign: "Basted with honey and smoked longer.")

Salmon Candy (Sign: "This stuff is dangerous!")

Smoked Albecore Tuna

Alderwood Smoked Sturgeon

Alderwood Smoked Black Cod

Bodega Goat Cheese:

Fresh feta-style goat cheese (Cheesemonger: "I just made it yesterday, so... extremely fresh." Me: "Oh, that's good stuff!")

Aged goat cheese from raw milk

Hayes Street Grill (an outpost of the restaurant):

Crabcake Sandwich $8.50

Salmon BLT w/Tartar $8.25 (For some reason I pronounce tartar "TAR-TAR"...I really do know how to say it.)

Crabcakes w/Mixed Greens $7.50

Hobb's Bacon (Me: "That's good stuff.") and Scrambled Egg on Baguette w/Tomatoes

Hobb's BLT on Baguette

Wild Mushroom and Scrambled Eggs

Oyster Po'Boy

Orange Juice

Crepe Factory:

(Me: "They've got all kinds of crepes, sweet and savory. Pretty reasonably-priced.")

Cocina Primavera:

Huevos Rancheros

Housemade Chorizo and Potato Tostada

Tostadas de Ceviche

Tamale Plates

Aidell's Sausage: (Me: "Which is incredibly good!")

Chicken and Apple Sausage

Burmese Curry Sausage

Maple and Smoked Bacon

Spicy Bier Sausage (Me: "'Bier' spelled the German way.")

Della Fattoria:

??? (Garbled -- sounds like "Coleman"?)

Campagne

Sicilian Semolina

Kalamata Olive

Ciabatta

Seeded Wheat

Little Guys (Me: "Something called 'Little Guys'!)

Andante Dairy: (These are goat and cow cheeses.)

Acapella (Me: "Sold in either a round or a pyramid!")

??? (Garbled)

Rondo

Cadenza

Legato

Pianoforte (Me: "That's neat!" Dork.)

Hoffman's Game Birds:

Fresh Chicken

Fresh Chicken Parts (Me, unable to read sign: "Fresh Chicken Pots? ...Parts!!)

Fresh Pheasant, Quail and Smoked Product

Muscovy Duck

Guinea Fowl

Petaluma Farms Fresh Eggs

Organic Medium $3 for 18

June Taylor Jams: (Sign: "www.junetaylorjams.com")

Pears in Cassis Syrup

Vegetarian Mincemeat

Pluot Butter

Apple and Rose Geranium

Vanilla Butter (I sound very excited by this.)

White Nectarine Butter

Apricot and Almond

Greengage Plum Butter

White Peach Conserve

Blood Oranges and Clementine (??? sounds like I say "Ratachia"?)

Apricots in Almond Syrup

Clementines in Blood Orange Syrup (Me: "That sounds good!:")

Fruit Syrups:

Cumquat

Blood Orange and Clementine

Blueberry

Strawberry

Lemon Verbena

Cherry and Almond Conserve

Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon Marmalade (Me: "That sounds good!:")

Three Fruit Marmalade

Blood Orange Marmalade

Seville Orange Marmalade

Lime and Ginger Marmalade

Plum Conserve

Santa Rosa Plum Conserve

White Crane Springs Ranch:

(Me: "I see some excellent greens and herbs. They've also got berries on branches." This is where I got the watercress.)

Heirloom Organics: (Sign: "A Delicious, Safe Place to Shop!"

White Turnips

Navajo Carrots

German Beer Radishes (Me: "Never heard of those!)

Collards

Mustard

Arugula

Red and Green Chard

Bok Choy

Fennel

Romaine

(??? Sounds like I say, "Something called 'Peen Chard'.")

Sierra Vegetables:

Chiles

Sweet Peppers (Sign: "Survived the first frost last week. The rain will be hard on the few remaining!. Enjoy them now!")

Scotch Bonnets

Jamaican Habaneros

Extra Hot Chiles

Jalapenos

Pablanos

Ancho Gigantia

(Sign: "3 Types of Fresh Anchos")

Chiles and Sweet Peppers

Chile Jam:

Patamia (mild)

Farm Blend (medium)

Rojo (medium hot)

Verde (hot medium)

C. Chinensis (really hot)

Smoky (mild)

[fifi]

Yes, salted water. I was taught this method by my grandmother and my mother.

My grandmother taught me that, too. I always thought it was to run off the lurking caterpillars.

[ronnie_suburban]

I actually had some of the Nueske bacon last night for dinner, with some fingerling potatoes roasted in the rendered grease! I liked the flavor a lot, but it seemed a little more chewy than crispy. I don't know if that's because I roasted it instead of frying it, or if it's because the bacon itself is so lean. Do you have experience with it? What's your take?

I live in the Chicago area and Nueske, which is located in WI, has decent distribution here. I like their bacon just fine but it doesn't blow me away like a couple of their other products do. Their hams, especially the peppered ones, are really nice. I also dig their smoked liverwurst.

=R=

[elyse]

(Sorry, but it's my blog and I'll rant if I want to!)

Rant all you want to. I do.

[Squeat Mungry]

Okay, the ribs are almost done. I've been basting them for the last 15 minutes with some apple cider vinegar. I pulled a chunk off with some tongs and oh boy! The aroma is like nothing I've ever experienced from a toaster oven. I guess you get to brag a little, too, on your own blog.

I forgot to put the apples in. I'm going to enjoy the pork with the rest of the watercress, tossed with some balsamic and chopped shallots (I'm throwing those in the pan with the ribs) and EVOO.

Oh. I've had a scotch and a half (Dewar's -- my standby blend).

[herbacidal]

(Sorry, but it's my blog and I'll rant if I want to!)

Rant all you want to. I do.

yea, you're right. this whole site is one big blog for you, isn't it?

[Squeat Mungry]

I know it's not polite to brag, but these ribs absolutely rock! I'm having them now with the 'cress tossed with the shallots. I am thinking of a sandwich for work tomorrow (this stuff is ripe for pullin'!) with the Acme ciabatta. (Which I have frozen, by the way... I live alone and hate to waste food; when I found out you could freeze bread quite successfully it was a revelation!)

I forgot to mention what else I bought at the Farmer's Market:

Point Reyes Blue Cheese: this stuff is rightfully famous.

At the Cowgirl Creamery, I asked for a cheese similar to Morbiere. They offered (these people go out of their way to please) Harvest Moon from Bingham Hill in Colorado. This is a fantastic washed-rind cheese, and the comparison was not off, though it is closer in my opinion to a reblochon. It is very aggressive and really fills the mouth!

Um, what else? You know about the ribs and the bacon... the dates... the watercress... the Acme ciabatta... Oh! I bought some surprises for misgabi, but can't reveal those in the blog (shh!). Oh yeah I bought some tuberose -- not food I know but they were there at the FM and I like to stock the bathroom with fragrant flowers.

Cheers,

Squeat