25 Days of Christmas- Pizelle cookies

Every Christmas I make pizelles for my family, friends and neighbors. I make dozens and dozens using the pizelle maker I have had for gazillion years.  

 You have to stand there and make and remove the cookies as soon as it is cooked which can take anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds and you don't want it getting too brown.

after I make it I put them into the large cellophane bags I got from Stampin Up years ago - I knew I would use them so bought a bunch when they were available- they were perfect for bread and large items.

I tied the double stitched real red ribbon and a piece of silvermetallic mesh ribbon with a tag I made in my class and a gorgeous gift which does not cost much but just takes some effort and time which is the greatest gift of all.  

Luce San Francisco

I married well. Not money- but rich. Rich in tradition, rich in love, rich in interest. I also married into a foodie family. Whenever my BIL Rodney from NYC get together with us we try to find a new and fun place to go and have a foodie experience.



On the drive into the city for dinner last night my MIL gave me an article in the NY times about an ice cream store in the Mission district that makes unusual -to say the least with lots of meat and liquor items- ice cream flavors that they wanted to try this weekend. We were discussing how Chris Cosentino was trying to make a foie gras flavored vodka. Obviously not your usual driving conversation

We were emailing each other months before he came out to visit this time as to where we wanted to try. Chef Dominique Crenn's Luce in San Francisco had just earned their first Michelin star and we wanted to try it out. It is on corner of Howard and 4th avenue inside the Intercontinental Hotel. (Just around the corner from the Mission and 5th Avenue garage-hint for parking)

They have a tasting menu which we decided to try and it did not disapppoint. It started with an amuse bouche of corn soup with a whimsical popcorn in the center and basil oil.

The courses are laid out from sun rise to sunset. The "Dawn" course was Kumomoto oysters with beet and passion fruit. It was served on a long bed of salt which was visully stunning and the passion fruit was surprisingly good with the fresh sea flavor of the oyster and lingered nicely on my tongue. This was paired with an australian wine Leng's Cooter Riesling which was really nice. (I am usually the designated driver so only get to taste a teeny sip- but would like to have had a whole glass of this.)

This is followed by "Soil". Summer vegetable garden with parsnip and carrot puree- with baby beets, marinated carrots, squashes, and crunchy bits of "soil" that my kids would have loved.

"Herb's garden" was for me the biggest surprise. Celery leaf sorbet- which was amazing on top of roasted quinoa- did I hear that right? - little bits of crunchy goodness- I had one of those- I have to try to make this at home-moments with this one. Sorrel chips were to die for.

The "Wilderness" course was rare venison, bulgur wheat, kumquat and cranberry salad. It was perfect, tender, flavorful without any gaminess at all- althought the curly toast on the side seemed more showy then necessary.

This was Coconut snow- shaved frozen coconut milk- really clean and refreshing- but alas just one big spoonful.

The "Sea" course was Lobster tail and foie gras on israeli couscous and sea urchin foam. So absolutely delicious- I would not change this dish in any way- although I could have eaten three of these because I have such a great appetite- the portions were quite generous for a tasting menu.

The "Farm " course was Beef cheeks with gigantic beans, chantrelle mushrooms,, citrus salad with rhubarb foam and watercress.

It was really tender and incredibly rich. The ESCA cabernet souvignon paired with it was really well balanced and cut the richness really nicely- the little I had to taste- the designated driver thing does get to you at these delicious moments...

The " Winter sky" that followed was hard to photograph in all its whiteness. Pineapple tapioca, lychee gelee, goat cheese, macaroon and coconut foam in a white dish.

The "Fromage" was Epoisse- a really stinky soft cheese- the kind that this adopted family just loves- served with mojave raisin clusters, kumquats in honey over hazelnut soil served on a long slate "plate".

The last serving was chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. Even the white thing in the center was cocoa nibs ice cream which despite its whiteness had chocolate essence. It was all served with little dollops of passion fruit puree. Not my favorite (because- gasp!- I am not a big chocolate fan) but still a decent end to a spectacular meal.

The tasting menu was $85 per person with wine pairing extra but for what you get and great service not bad at all compared to other places where I had less than stellar service and food for much more.

I think it is unfortunate that this fine restaurant is attached to the Intercontinental hotel. As a destination restaurant for a leisurely meal with good company, I thought it was fantastic. The service was great. When we arrived my MIL mentioned that the seat she had was too well air conditioned and they promptly responded to adjust it. It was somewhat empty for such a great restaurant and I had read widely mixed reviews so had some reservations before I went. If you are traveling and looking for a quick inexpensive meal this would not fit your bill and I can see why some people did not rate it so well. There were many single diners who seemed to be enjoying their meal though and I, myself, certainly would not hesitate going there again- even with my finicky eating friends.

I had a lot of friends ask about other places I have been to and I really enjoy new and sometimes what many would think "odd" tasting and eating experiences. Some of these places I write about may not be a place that suits everyone but I think Luce's menu is fun, perfectly executed, and although some combinations are unusual I think it would still be pleasing to most people- unless you have issues with foie gras but I am sure they can accomodate you. I would give Luce a hearty Lynda thumbs up- WAY UP!

Manresa

If there was a living definition of a foodie it would be me and my DH. We are palate adventurers and although with young children, our experiences had to be definitely toned down to the more mundane

we still love having our tongues titillated. We are trying to get our kids to expand their reportoire but it is a struggle.

I remember watching Babette's feast with interest and have been watching Iron Chef way before the American version- in Japanese even- who needed translation?- you can see how amazing it all was.

In celebration of our 17th wedding anniversary- how quick the time passes.... my DH took me to one of our favorite restaurants- Manresa. It is nestled in a little street off of the main street in Los Gats California and as always it did not disappoint.

We did the tasting menu- a selection of different items from the menu that the Chef chooses for your tasting. Never mind that the dinner for two may translate to a week's wages for many especially if you do the wine pairing but it is an amazing experience to be had.

It started off with a savory amuse bouche of red pepper gelee and black olive madelines served on a piece of slate. Such delicious morsels!

It was followed by strawberry gazpacho with marcona almond to add a bit of crunch served in a shot glass. My only regret was that I did not have a long enough tongue to get to the bottom to get every sweet drop.

Next came a poached oyster with seaweed and seawater gelee. It was the essence of the sea. Served on a bed of salt in a very organic rock plate. The dinner is a feast for all senses including that of visual pleasure as you can see.

David Kinch, the chef at Manresa just received the coveted James Beard Foundation award for best chef Pacific region. Although he was not physicially there this night, his philosophy and cooking style was still present in all that we had.

The oyster was followed by my favorite tidbit - the Arpegge egg served in its own sheel with sherry and chives- I was so eager to have it, alas, forgot to take the picture before it was delightfully consumed.

Japanese cuttlefish grilled with fig cream served with pickled and unripe strawberries followed. I have eaten in a lot of places- and I mean a LOT- even at Manresa itself many times- and I have never tasted anything like this- I would have liked to have a whole bowl of it and I am sure I would have licked it clean.

But my favorite dish of all was a simple asparagus dish. Delta asparagus, shaved thinly and julienned cooked with bonito butter and roasted seeds which were so sophisticated in flavor, my DH who is not much of an asparagus fan wiped the plate clean with the fabulous home made bread to sop up every drop.

I have been a fan of snout to tail cooking which means to use every part of an animal who has been sacrificed to give us sustenance and I saw Dr Kinch on Martha Stewart where he used the leaves, stems and the flower of the nasturtium for a fabulous soup and I just love that philosophy. This dish was called Into the Garden - hand picked vegetables, steamed baby carrot, broccoli, purple cabbage with variety of greens and even some "edible dirt" on the side- made of roasted chicory, almonds, parsnip and potatoes- a venerable garden. He has a local farm "Love Apple Farm" in Santa Cruz Mountains where they grow sustainable organic products to be hand picked daily for their previleged diners.

The dinner continues to their savory courses starting with the pil-pil Cod - cooked Basque style, in an emulsion of the cod's gelatin and olive oil- served with watercress and artichoke hearts as well as bell pepper tears and artichoke chips. Bell pepper "tears" is such an evocative name- and the artichoke chips were so delicious I know I could get my kids to eat it... if I can only figure out how they did it....

This next dish was a small abalone with porcini mushroom on apple puree and dashi to finish.

This was another interesting dish of veal sweetbread with morel mushrooms and green garlic served with sweet onion broth enriched with beef marrow. The green on top was crispy and delicious- how they got it so crispy is a mystery.

Roasted lamb and roasted tongue confit followed. My DH made a face when he heard "tongue" but after tasting it found it super tender and flavorful and even thought my pickiest of the boys would have liked it as long as they did not know what part it was.

The chickpea panisse was really good- makes me want to make some at home for my boys. It was served with nasturtium flower petals and puree of pinenuts which was also delish!

The desserts were to die for- seriously. The black pepper toile cookie in a ring with roasted strawberries ( which were really intense in flavor ) inside with yuzu sorbet which was the perfect complement.

The final dessert was a chocolate sorbet with vanilla meringe, cashew nut cream, which was amazing, and white chocolate.

A sweet selection of strawberry gelee and chocolate madelines closed the evening - very alliterative!

The wine pairings were also amazing -2008 Domaine de Salvard Sauvignon Blanc Cheverny was absolutely delicious but I have no pictures to accompany the wines- only our satisfied palates and memories to keep us going for hopefully another 17 years!

Cherimoya

Julie brings me the most interesting stuff to try. I have seen cherimoya at the stores but had never know how to eat it so never bought it to try but she brought me one and I had to check it out.

The name origninates form the Quechua word chirimuya, which means "cold seeds" because the plant
grows at high altitudes and the seeds will germinate at higher altitudes. The indigenous inhabitants of the Andes say that althought the cherimoya cannot stand snow, it does like to see it in the distance.
It is cultivated in many places throughout the Americas, including here in California where it was introduced in 1981 and in Hawaii.


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The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some characterize the flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. Others describe it as tasting like commercial bubblegum. I tasted a hint of sweet ripe pear I thought. The texture is like that of a soft ripe pear and papaya. Similar in size to a grapefruit, it has large, glossy, dark seeds that are easily removed. I am told that the seeds are poisonous if crushed open and can be used as an insecticide.

This is a little excerpt from Wikipedia on how to buy and store it:
When ripe, the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure, similar to the avocado.When shopping, one should look for large fruit which is uniformly green. Avoid fruits with cracks or mostly browned skin. Ripe fruit may be kept in the refrigerator, but it is best to let immature cherimoyas ripen at room temperature, until it yields to gentle pressure. Different varieties have different characteristics of flavor, texture, and fruit shape contours. If the skin is allowed to turn fully brown, yet the flesh hasn't fermented or gone 'bad', then the texture can be custard-like. Often when the skin turns brown at room temperature the fruit is no longer good for human consumption. Also, the skin turns brown if it's been under normal refrigeration for 'too long' - a day or two maybe.

Julie, you are opening up the world of culinary goodies to my family. Thanks again!

Lynda

Rambutan

Julie is trying to get the people at my office to try some new things and brought in this spickly "thing" that she got at the farmer's market called the rambutan.

The one that we had was kind of reddish with these spiny " hairs" on the outside. We carefully cut down the center.

and inside was this sweet juicy fruit- which Tyler describes as " a cross between a jelly fish and a grape"- he says this because we actually picked up a small jelly fish on the beach and it had a similar feel on the surface.

The fruit easily pops out and it reminded me of a fresh lychee. Inside was a nut that had the texture of a almond but slightly bitter- I wonder what it would have been like to roast it but alas, I ate it.

Checking out a little history behind it I found out that Rambutan
(IPA: [ramˈbu.t̪ɑn], Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae, and is the fruit of this tree. It is probably native to Southeast Asia, although its precise natural distribution is unknown. It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including ( as I thought) the Lychee, Longan and Mamoncillo. It is believed to be native to the Malay Archipelago. Rambutan in Indonesian or Malay literally means hairy caused by the 'hair' that covers this fruit. In Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, it is known as mamón chino. There is a second species regularly for sale at Malay markets which is known as "wild" rambutan. It is a little smaller than the usual red variety and is colored yellow.

I am always trying to get my kids to try new things and I am always excited to learn something new- In all of my 40 plus years this WAS totally new to me- I hope when you find these things ar the market that you give it a try- you may like it. Thanks Julie!

Ubuntu in Napa

One of my husband's favorite restaurant is Manresa in Los Gatos. For his birthday every year we have been trekking there for their incredible tasting menu which is like a party in your mouth with every delicious morsel where you wish you could have just one more lick. Well, when his brother came to visit from New York he had one request- to go to Ubuntu, a vegetarian restaurant cum yoga studio in Napa. It was rated as second best restaurants in America by the New York Times and he really wanted to go. Reservations were made and arrangements for babysitting and we were all set to go. Mind you I had some severe doubts- a vegetarian restaurant? yoga studio? You've got to be kidding me!

I tried to be a vegetarian once and I know the health benefits
but made it only a week before I gave in to my midwest girl cravings. The restaurant sits kinda quietly on a street just next door to a steakhouse which I thought was really funny. The day we were there we all decided to have the tasting menu. We started out with these really tasty lavender almonds which reminded me a little bit of potpourri but after that my doubts were given way to visual and taste delights that blows your mind and makes you think you really COULD be a vegetarian!



The tasting menu started with an amuse bouche- a cool carrotty soup with a beautiful edible johnny jump up on top. Then "leaves and things with burrata" grown in they own biodynamic garden. The "english peas in shell consomme" was so delicious with macadamia, white chocolate! and mint.

One of our favorites were the tasting of courgettes and succulents with little cubes of polenta squares that were so good that I forgot to take a picture before I dug in to its hot melt in your mouth taste explosion.

There was toasted dumplings with morels in their natural broth with something called milk skin that was really like tasting a fresh forest at its best- I would have picked it up and licked the bowl if I could have.


Next was a deep fried domaine de la chance egg with rice grits and okra - so delicious- I can still taste it-mmmmmm.

Then the desserts started with raspberry sorbet with watermelon granite and rose geranium.

It was followed by Brioche French toast with roasted apricot and blueberry ice cream, peach and honey.

The meal finished with vegetable petit fours and this tiny carrot cupcake that redefines cupcake. I think my kids would have really liked it would we have not eaten every last crumb.

Jeremy Fox the chef and Deanie Fox the pastry chef worked at Manresa before their venture into Napa and David Kinch's influence is evident. And to disappoint the nay sayers there was no sight of tofu or brown rice any where to be seen...... Two thumbs way WAY up!