Rainy Day Fantasy

Saturday morning, Lucia and I awoke to the unthinkable in the Bay Area in September.

Rain!  Wow!  My heart automatically started yearning for the crunch of Fall colors beneath

my feet and the smell of Autumn coming on.

I love the rain.  Especially when I don't have to drive in it! Though it was no where close to 

being cold or even "brisk", we quickly decided to dress quickly and hop on Bart to go to the

Ferry Plaza Farmer's market.  As Lucia commented on the Oakland roof tops and the other 

Bart trains whizzing by, I let my mind wander, thinking that our trip to the market today 

might be blessed with less tourists because of the rain, and that after my business was done,

we might be able to endulge the moody day by sitting under the eaves, watching the grey

clouds dart around the newly reopened Bay Bridge, and sip the amazingly thick, and not 

too sweet warm chocolate from a cup, dolluped with just whipped, not to sweet cream.

Happy Rainy Day!!

Note:  There were less tourists, but the Ferry Plaza is always crowded, and after actually getting

our warm chocolate and watching the clouds, we met up with our friend Alice Waters.  Lucia and

Alice love each other and hugged ardently and with great enthusiasm!  Truly great day!

PS.....Boulette's larder also makes AMAZING English Muffins on Saturday!

Sunday Breakfast

We have a tradition since moving to Berkeley.  On Friday night, to celebrate the end of the week we go out to dinner.  Not usually a fancy affair.....though we usually spend more on food than most families I imagine, we pay for quality and support good, local ingredients.  Neighborhood places, owned by hardworking people who are really focused on the food.  But I digress.

The second part of the weekend food celebration comes on Sunday am, after the Saturday filled with taking the train to the City and spending the better part of the day foraging the best ingredients for my job at Seneca Center, elbowing through the amazing mix of locals and enthusiastic tourists at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.  I love my job, I love the market and all the farmers and local producers that  I have built a relationship with over the years working in the food business....but.....I also really love the chance to relax on Sunday mornings with my sweet Husband and daughter, over a meal that I had to do absolutely nothing for, except drag my hiney out of bed!

Berkeley is an amazing town.  Full of wonderful opinionated folks, a well educated bunch, passionate about their place in society.  It is one of the many reasons that we sought to make this our home.  Certainly, one of the most enjoyable things about Berkeley (Oakland and SF too for that matter!) is the availability of local, sustainably produced food and the hardworking folks that bring it to us everyday.  I am so grateful that on Sundays, I am not one of those people, but a benefactor.  

So on Sunday am we get up and without much thought as to where we will go, we head out the door to partake.  Sometimes I do a little internet research ahead of time, looking at reviews from other folk and Michael Bauer.  Sometimes I have a bee in my bonnet about places that I have had in que and wanted to try.  Most times, Troy and I have a brief discussion and we just go!  

Lucia sometimes has something to say about what she wants to eat, but if we gave her a choice about where to go...she most certainly chooses Cafe Fanny.  Cafe Fanny is one of our old standbys.  The people are so wonderful, always greeting us by name and taking joy in seeing Lucia run around, petting doggies that come with their parents, and sipping on her big girl warm chocolate from a bowl.  Her she has two favorite breakfast selections at Cafe Fanny.  The warm and nutty steel cut oats, served with lovely melting butter and maple syrup. But most often, she chooses a soft boiled egg with Acme toast.  My go-getter, not afraid of anything daughter turns into a real little lady at Cafe Fanny, with her napkin on her lap and her tiny little egg spoon, daintily scooping warm, slightly runny egg from the light green shell.  She usually leaves her toast for last, eating it with cream cheese and their homemade jam. 

Troy and I really like a little and popular French place on Shattuck, I am sure that you will already know of it, it is one of the most popular places for breakfast, it is called La Note.  I always order the same thing.  Softly scrambled eggs with goat cheese and herbs.  It comes with a side of the most delicious oven roasted tomatoes and I suggest that you splurge and get the buttery, crusty croissant or the huge half a baguette instead of the toast.  Leave the butter that it comes with alone, and spread it with the lovely not too sweet raspberry jam that is a house specialty here.  Pure breakfast heaven!!  

We also really like 900 Grayson.  However, we dont get to go here as often as we would because they are not open on Sundays. We usually choose this tiny little heaven of slow food if we suddenly get a wild hair and go out on Saturday morning instead, but as I said before, my Saturdays are usually packed full with the market...so the opportunity does not happen often.  

We really like walking to Bette's on 4th Street. Consistently great food but sometimes the wait is just too much for hungry parents with a five year old.  I have a special place in my heart though for the folks at Bette's because my niece Brittany used to wait tables here.  

Meal Ticket, Cafe M and Leilas are all pretty good but for me uneven.  

Recently on a Sunday am when we decided to venture into the city for a meal, we took a chance and went to the really hipster, upscale Slow Club.  We had to wait more than an hour for a table, and had to really work to keep Lucia occupied for that huge amount of time (thank God for color books and washable pens!) but when we finally got to a table, we had an amazing meal. Lucia was happy with the oatmeal and I ordered a warm flat bread with wilted wild rocket, pecorino and a fried egg.  And...they serve Blue Bottle Coffee. Can you say YUM?  Fabulous is the best word that I can think of.  This place is on our short list for further ventures.

After our meal, we find a nice place to walk some of it off.  Coming prepared with LuLu's pink skitter helps to make it more fun for her, and we get a leisurely start to the end of our weekend. 

I love my job.  I love everything about it.  But I must say, at the end of a busy week being up at 5am, a wife, a mother, a chef and nutritional manager, a housekeeper, gardener, laundress and dog owner....I am most grateful on Sunday morning meals out with my family!

Back to San Francisco Values!

Good Sunday Morning!

A sunny morning here in the North Bay following a cool night. Perfect weather for many winter crops. As my almost three year old watches "toons" on NOGGIN, I drink my Costa Riccan coffee and reflect on the events of this quickly waning year.

In April this year, we moved our little family back to the Bay from Arizona, where two years ago, we thought the grass might be cheaper (if not greener!) with a new home and a new start.

We were on the edge of a dot com layoff, the birth of our daughter, and the deaths of both of my parents. It felt like the world as we knew it was caving in and we needed a fresh start. Life in Arizona was like living in the old wild west, with lots of silicone and spray on tans thrown in.....being from the culturally diverse Bay Area, we soon found it wasn't for us no matter how nice the new house was!

So we traded our new dream home and affordable mortgage in Arizona for our nearly hundred year old, everything needs updating or repair, double the price, city home here in the North Bay. But we are counting our blessings and embracing the San Francisco Values that we took for granted before!

I am overwhelmed as I look around at the cracked plaster, the old carpet, the 50's ugly brown and green electric kitchen and two bath house with no insulation and only one toilet that works, the plumbing that is largely cast iron and the non-grounded two to a room electrical outlets and wonder how we will ever afford to do all this....but somehow, we will. We are not newbies to old houses after all.

And for a Chef to have to deal with an electric stove and just one outlet in the kitchen is a real experiment in patience! I unplug the microwave who's main function is to heat my daughter's "gok-o-witz" (chocolate milk) in the morning...to plug in the coffee maker (a real must for a 5am daily rise) and unplug that to plug in my fancy toaster! Never mind that I have a garbage disposal but no under sink electric to support it.....and even if I did, do I really want to risk adding to the sludge coating the cast iron pipes before we can afford to re-pipe?

As Thanksgiving is past, I am starting to think about the nightmare of trying to do my annual holiday bake with such an arrangement....but somehow, I will manage....I always do. I close my eyes and remember my dual fuel range that I gave up with our new home; and wonder if I will live to regret leaving it. Will my Quarsemali, Christmas Crescents, Date Pinwheels, Mincemeat Stars, Sprtiz and Giandulia Truffles be edible if forged from only electricity? I will let you know.

Every week here, I will update you on seasonal recipes, menus and food related goings on in the Bay Area and Napa Valley. I will also include one or more recipes and will welcome feedback about your thoughts and recipe results. I am also happy to post benefits and happenings for you.

One of my real fortes is to research and find great ingredients and really, I attribute that skill to much of my success in all things culinary. I use mainly organic ingredients and local products whenever possible and will site these products by name and places they have been available to me.

Date Pinwheels

Date Filling:
1# pitted and chopped dates
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Cook and stir first three ingredients until boiling and thickened slightly. Cool, stir in walnuts.

Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, slightly softened
1/2 cup brown Sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, superfine
2 cups all purposed flour, sifted
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together butter and both sugars. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Sift together flour and salt and stir into creamed mixture. Chill well.
Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one part of the dough into 12x8" rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Spread half of the cooled date filling over the surface, being patient and careful not to tear the dough....it is helpful to use your clean fingers.
Beginning at the long edge, roll up like a jelly roll. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in freezer overnight. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Slice each chilled roll into 1/4" thick slices. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool cookies on a wire rack and store in a tightly lidded tin or cookie jar.

Makes 5 dozen cookies