'wichcraft

Ahhh the hunky, bald genius that is Tom Colicchio. He and Padma make me look forward to every episode of Top Chef. It just would not be the same without their clever little back-and-forth quips each week. I am someone who loves sandwiches, especially pressed, hot ones, that are smothered in interesting spreads and sauces... pestos, aiolis, it's all good. These past four months, I have had no fewer than 5 sandwiches per week. Hey, they are portable, delicious, and always a good balance of carbs and protein.

This is why I was super ecstatic that Colicchio had opened a 'wichcraft here in SF, just a few blocks away from us. Mr.S took me to see what it was all about, since he had gone by himself once, and was shockingly disappointed, and wanted to get my opinion. The menu reads like a farmers market lover's dream, all types of veggies, smoked meats, delicate spreads and rustic breads. There seemed to be a great amount of potential here for success. There are cool and warm sandwiches, breakfast foods served all day, salads and soups, and brownies and cookies. And to boot, the interior design at 'wichcraft is clean and streamlined, modern whites and brushed stainless steel.


My sandwich was filled with plump, marinated white anchovies, a soft cooked egg, roasted onion, salsa verde, and frisee greens. Does that not sound slightly off? Salsa verde? Well it sure wasn't a light and fresh green salsa. It was much more like an overly greasy pistou, made with way too much olive oil, which soaked into the bread, turning it into an oily mess. The anchovies and egg were gorgeous, but that was really the extent of it. The roasted onions were not soft and caramelized, but rather, fried to a stringy toughness, altogether unpleasant. Frisee is usually hit or miss as it is, it's good sometimes, but it just does not belong in a sandwich, it being tough and extremely bitter. All in all, this was not a hit with me.


Mr.S ordered the grilled cheddar, with smoked ham and pear and mustard. It could very likely have been a large sandwich, but after being pressed, it arrived at our table, looking very anemic and flat. I skipped taking a picture of it, because it just looked plain pathetic.

Taking a second look through the menu, I realize that many of the combinations are just off. Perhaps in theory they work together, but reality proves that hmmm... maybe not.

I did end my meal on a high note.


The house-made peanut butter 'creamwich was out of this world. It was a large soft sandwich cookie, with chunks of peanuts, crispy edges, and filled with a smooth peanut butter ganache spread that I would probably eat by the spoonful. And it was only $1.

I really had high expectations for 'wichcraft, since I'd heard from friends who have eaten at Craftsteak and Craftbar of how fabulous the food is, and how on point the service is. I feel like 'wichcraft could do much better if it simply just pared down their sandwiches to 3-4 ingredients, rather than trying to use 5-6 different complex ingredients that perhaps do not complement one another successfully. In the end, 'wichcraft did not wow me, and I would have to say given the choice, I would not go back, but rather go next door to the fantastic food court at Westfield...

stacks

Hayes Valley is one of our favorite neighborhoods to explore; some of our most loved eateries are here... Absinthe, Suppenkuche, Stacks, and Christopher Elbow for chocolates and hot cocoa so thick and creamy (it is pretty much liquefied chocolate).

I love a good, hearty brunch, the kind where mimosas and bloody Mary's flow freely, and eggs are always fluffy and smothered with cheese. Is there any other kind? Stacks is one such hotspot serving up hefty portions of fresh, traditional brunch dishes, famous for their, what else... pancakes.


One of my brunch go-to's is huevos rancheros, and Stack's version does not disappoint. I think the thick layer of melted cheese really helps.... and I'm a big sucker for canned black olives... mmmm.


Mr. S had a short stack (2) of the pancakes with wheat germ. There's even a version with banana macadamia nut and coconut! Just to show how generous the size was, I had him put his hand next to them to compare.... They were good, light and fluffy, with specks of wheat germ for a nice texture.


Our friends had another order of the huevos and the crab crepe, with melted Jack, avocado and hollandaise. All that food, and a whole bagel, plus hash!

No pictures of this, but Mr.S also had a fresh fruit smoothie: the Jitter Bug, made super thick with espresso, vanilla yogurt, bananas, cream, and hazelnut syrup.

The prices are appropriate here, and the portions are more than overwhelming. Stacks is the real deal. No messing around here.

tartine bakery

Ooof. That was the sound of my heart sinking. Perhaps I had such lofty expectations of this beloved bakery, famous for its trays of doughy, chocolaty treats. I fell in love with Tartine even before I had ever set food inside. I remember flipping through the pages of the cookbook, from my tiny kitchen in Baltimore, mesmerized at the pictures of gooey brownies, which I made right away and were honestly, daaaaamn good. Mr. S will TESTIFY to that.

So a few weekends ago, we made our way over to the Mission, stomachs growling for some croissants and Tartine's famous quiche. We saw the line first. A line of fellow hungry morningers, literally around the block. I get grumpy in the AM on an empty stomach, and now a crowd of people, stood between me and a flaky croissant. Not even sure we were going to get a table, I started to "hover" over other people's. Oh I'm sure I was annoying as hell.

The cakes and morning pastries looked fantastic, so naturally I wanted one of everything, but we finally settled on a sticky bun, a plain croissant, ham quiche, vegetarian quiche, a pain au chocolat for the road, and a cappuccino and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Sounds like a lot, but we were running on empty.


First thing I noticed is Tartine has a tendency to overbake everything to a dark golden brown. Which is alright if a crunchy buttery flake is what you prefer, rather than a softer golden, more pliable dough. All technicalities aside, both the croissant and the morning bun were quite finger-licking good. There also happens to be a generous drop of almond extract in everything. The morning bun was fine, nothing to write home to mama about, but Mr.S sure was not a fan of the orange flavoring.


One of the only shining moments of the morning was my cup of cappuccino. The perfect ratio of foam to espresso to steamed milk, and a beautiful finish of foam art to boot. The espresso machine is set separate from all the food, a way smart idea, so the barista can actually focus on making drinks instead of being barked at by the hungry sugar-crazed morning crowd. Which definitely was apparent in her mood, as she was certainly the cheeriest of the staff that day.

Quiche is everything I love all in one bite. Buttery crust, eggy custard, cheese, and BACON. I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer here by seemingly berating everything on the menu, but I'll just say that I've had better. Tartine's version is made with creme fraiche rather than a savory, salty Gruyere, so it turns out bland and slightly runny. The crust is made using a puff pastry dough, instead of a crispy short pastry dough, which gave it a chewiness that was rather unpleasant, despite the amount of butter used.


There are 2 daily selections, one veggie, and one with slivers of Niman Ranch smoked ham. My veggie that day was sparsely dotted with mushrooms and artichoke, lost in a sea of wet custard. There was no depth of flavor that a strong and ripe cheese would have imparted, had one been used. Sigh. Because it was so rich and heavy, I only managed to make it halfway through my slice while Mr.S picked at his.

Lastly, on to the scene. A word to the wise, if you want to fit in, throw on a pair of super-skinny jeans, a flannel shirt, and wait 3 days without washing your hair before you go. Having worked for many years in a similar-type bakery and cafe, I am usually appalled when I see the staff handling my soon-to-be-ingested goodies, sans wax paper, gloves, aprons, hats, or even a bandana. Alright, so it's ok to have a 'tude and all, but would it be such an unreasonable burden to run a comb through your hair and hide half of it under a hat? Seriously, it's common courtesy, and really, personal hygiene is pretty hip these days.

Our experience could have been more pleasant, had there not been other customers breathing down our necks, eyeing our table and food, asking us if they could steal a chair or have us scooch our table over an inch. We certainly could have done without the loud indie rock as well, and the waitress who harassed us for our receipt over a pain au chocolat. All in all, I felt a little battered and bruised upon leaving, with a heavy stomach.


I tore into the pain au chocolat later that afternoon. The dark Valrohna chocolate was fantastic, but the rest was too doughy and soft. Yes, the flavor was rich and buttery, but the mouth feel was worlds away from the light, airy croissants I remember from Parisian boulangeries.

I always try to give a business the benefit of the doubt because I truly believe a one-time visit is never enough for a basis of final judgment. For this reason, and for the fact that I have a sweet tooth that leads me through much of my decision-making, I will most likely revisit Tartine, on an off-day, maybe for a loaf of their daily fresh-baked bread, and a brownie or two. The optimist in me would like to believe that it's gotten so many rave reviews for a reason....

I absolutely adore pumpkin pie, or as Mr.S calls it good ole punkin pie. I probably don't have to describe its silky and lush creaminess to anybody, as most probably everyone and their uncle has eaten a slice (or three) around this time of year. But buyer beware. Do not, and I repeat, do not fall into the trap of buying a glossy, prebaked, boxed pie from the bakery section at the grocery store. When really, all it takes is a couple of cans of shelf stable ingredients, lots of cinnamon, and a pre-baked pie crust. Trust me, because I just spent almost 4 hours baking "the perfect pumpkin pie" from scratch, and in a double-blind taste test, it sure didn't beat a Libby's pumpkin pie that took only 15 minutes prep time.


Why Libby's recipe is heads above the rest...

1. no messy pumpkin cleaning...all those seeds, skin and stringy slime
2. the total cost of ingredients is less than $4.50!!
3. I can prep one of these babies while cooking 2 other dishes, writing a paper, and with 1 eye closed... ok so i exaggerate...
4. ...but yes, it is that easy!
5. the finished product is a bright golden orange that sure beats a dusty looking brown thing, made from scratch
6. it tastes like heeeaaven

So instead of posting a less-than-perfect recipe for pumpkin pie, here is Libby's, a tried and true favorite, with a few touch-ups made by yours truly.

"Touched Up" Libby's Pumpkin Pie
yields 8 servings

1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 15-oz. can Libby's pumpkin puree
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie shell

1. Heat oven to 425F. Pre-bake pie shell for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside, on a baking sheet (for easy transfer into the oven later).

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients until well blended. Pour into the pie shell.

3. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F. Bake for 25-35 minutes more, or until given a light shake, the center does not jiggle but is set. Remove and let cool for 2 hours.

4. Serve chilled or at room temperature, with fresh whipped cream.

halloweenie cakes

I stayed in this Halloween. For the first time in years. Didn't have a costume planned... didn't really want to. (And maybe had a law school text open for a few minutes here and there throughout the night....shhh! don't want to let it leak I'm actually a gigantic nerd.... GASP) All I wanted was to stay in, watch a movie and get my shoulders rubbed by Mr. S. But most important... stuff my face with FUN-size candy bars. Which btw, are not really fun for anybody. They are too small for anyone to actually enjoy them, unless you fit no less than 5 in your mouth at one time. And, such a waste of wrappers! There's too many, which make me feel like a complete gluttonous pig. By the time my sweet tooth is somewhat satiated, I already feel a zit the size of Montana growing. So seriously, no fun for anyone. Hand me one of those king-size bars anyday.


To add to this weeklong sugar fest, my friend and I volunteered for a Halloween bakesale. Normally, I probably would have gone all out, hell yea, 8-layer cake with pumpkin buttercream and all the works. But folks, I am now a first year law student, and thus submitted to becoming a slave of The Duncan Hines cake mix and frosting duo. Which is not to say I don't, on occasion, love to dip a finger in a jar of whipped sugar fluff, or cut into a no-fail, over-vanilla-ated, piece of "yellow cake." I'm definitely not too good for these convenience go-to's. And they were super fun to make (honestly FUN in this case) and decorate and then sell at 3x the price of the ingredients to starving law students. Mwahaha. How eeevil.

They were hella good. We made some mini cupcake size versions, so I've decided to name them HalloWEEENIE cakes. That was supposed to be funny, but considering as how I am probably on a sugar high, maybe it wasn't. Anyway, enjoy the pictures...

bounty of the midwest: slow food nation

Slow Food Nation held this year's exhibitions in SF. What was it exactly? In the simplest of terms, an orgy of food and festivities that drew in thousands of eaters passionate about the foods with a story and people behind them. Basically a weekend of non-stop eating and gratuitous tastings of the nation's finest new developments in food. Lucky me. And thanks to FoodBuzz, I got to attend a Taste Workshop I'd had my eye (and stomach) on since the schedule of events was first announced, as a Foodie Correspondent.

The tasting featured heritage foods that hail from the Mid West, namely from Michigan. The big draw for me was Zingerman's, just about the most kickass purveyor of regional, wholesome, and novel foods and products there is. They've expanded over the years from just a small deli to a now a large family company that covers baked goods, charcuterie, cheeses and dairy products, artisanal breads, and fresh meats and produce.

Feast your eyes on this tasting menu...


Zingerman's Bakehouse Red Fife Bread (Ann Arbor). This breed of wheat was once cultivated all over the plains of Michigan, but was over-harvested and was at one point, almost extinct. With the help of regional farmers, the hearty Red Fife wheat has been brought back. The bread was dense and sweet, and as heavy as rocks. Mmmm filling.


Pickled Asparagus from Maulbetsch Farm (Ann Arbor). This little delight was the single most refreshing dish of the tasting, at least for me, and begs the question, what else can you pickle? Well, gosh, just about everything! And if you put your heart into it, it might taste just as good as these crisp stalks.

Cold Smoked Salmon from Durham's Tracklements (Ann Arbor). Durham's does a dry cure on all its salmon, as opposed to a brine-cure, which is a much more commercial and mechanized process. With dry curing, it's all done by hand and every filet is treated differently depending on the flesh, size and thickness. Learning about the cold smoking process was seriously fascinating (more interesting than anything I'm learning in law school presently... ahem) This piece was cured in a slurry of maple syrup, juniper, cinnamon and salt.


"Twigs and Berries" Salad from Zingerman's Delicatessen. The wheat berries were harvested from Washington Island, WI, just across lake Michigan. Chewy and hearty, the salad was a simple recipe of wheatberries, dried cherries, red onion, purslane, and parsley tossed in a light vinaigrette.


Cured Berkshire Pork from The Henry Ford (Dearborn, MI). The pork is from pigs raised on Almar Orchards in Flushing, MI. Orchard, you ask? Well yes, this makes sense if you think about it. The apples that fall to the ground attract ground larvae, which little piggies absolutely adore. They eat their weight in a natural source of protein and carbs, all the while producing meat that is lean and sweet. The tenderloin here was smoky and salty, nicely paired with an apple and cherry chutney, also from Almar Orchard.


Cheeses from Zingerman's Creamery, paired with Preserves from American Spoon (Petoskey, MI). The speckled one in the back is the "Bridgewater," a double-cream, cow's milk cheese, flavored with ground black pepper. It was brilliantly tangy and spicy (my favorite of the three cheeses served) and paired well with a sweet peach preserve. The creamy white cheese toward the front is "Lincoln Log," a Bucheron-style, goat's milk cheese that was salty and smooth, and paired with elderberry preserves.


Fresh cream cheese! If you think cream cheese comes spreadable, from a plastic tub like I did, then you are seriously missing out. This was fresh, double-cream, cow's milk that had been acid-coagulated with a minimum amount of rennet. Light and extremely milky, it was paired with a thimbleberry preserve.

All 3 cheeses are available at Cowgirl Creamery (yes, I made sure to ask!).


The last treat of the hour was Paw Paw Gelato from Zingerman's Creamery. Paw paw is an actual fruit (which I never knew) that is a relative of the mango. It retains a custard-like flesh, and has a grassy, sweet taste. The gelato was dense, even though it is made with less cream than regular ice-cream, due to the fact it's slow-churned, and thus has less air content. (This is why a pint of gelato may weigh more than a pint of ice-cream.) The paw paw fruit was grown locally in Palmyra, MI.

I walked away a much happier, fuller, and more knowledgeable foodie. Michigan is the second largest agricultural producer in the country, and most of its milk is shipped directly to Vermont for cheese. Next time you eat a piece of Vermont cheddar, you might ask yourself where that really came from....

Much more to come from my adventures at the Taste Pavilion.... stay tuned!

bong su

The mouth-watering smells that float up to our apartment from Bong Su every night had us thinking...why hadn't we eaten there yet?? So Mr.S and I scrambled downstairs last week for a little Vietnamese pick-me-up of "shaking beef", and all kinds of delicious fare.

Bong Su feels like a lounge; there was no shortage of servers and hostesses walking around in backless tops. (I felt overdressed in a sweater and jeans!) It was a predominantly older crowd that night...a possible sign of wisdom and experience when it comes to knowing good food? Who knows, but I was ready to dig into one of the restaurant's famous appetizers, the Duck Mustard Wraps.


For an app, these rolls were a hefty size, filled with lean and flavorful shredded duck meat, alongside strips of mango and cucumber. And all wrapped up neatly in a leaf of mustard green.

It was served chilled, but now I'm wondering if it would have been better warm... The dipping sauce was certainly a crowd pleaser.

Mr.S's Hoi An Chicken arrived much to my confusion. It looked like a chicken melt (with cheese) which upon tasting, we found it to be a delicious coconut sauce. The mashed plantains were greasy, but had great flavor.


I came for the Shaking Beef, to compare it with the version at the Slanted Door.

Verdict? Definitely less sweet and the portion was more generous here. The flavor was spot on. What it lacked was the char on the meat, that crispy caramelization that occurs when meat hit an insanely hot wok. The version at the SD had this which imparted a great smoky flavor to the dish. Here, I really enjoyed the heavy seasoning on the beef, especially the black pepper, fish sauce and lime juice.

Bong Su's a bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. All the dishes are served family style, so there's no room to skimp. And the flavors are a homerun. Before I forget... my Mekong Martini sealed the deal for me. It was playful, delicious, and not overly sweet like many Jolly Rancher-style cocktails are now. It was a combination of lychee vodka, mango puree, pandan syrup, and what do you think is there a the bottom of the glass?

That's right, boba! Black tea tapioca pearls.

I'd come back for this alone....

the elusive sticky bun

Yes, this sticky bun was 1)sticky and 2)came in the form of a bun, but any reasonable breakfast pastry eating person knows that a good sticky bun is, but not limited to, all these things. They should also be large (in my opinion), somewhat soft yet chewy, and slathered in gooey caramel. My favorite are the ones that use a flaky croissant dough instead of a yeasted bread dough, but that's sometimes hard to find.


I dropped by Citizen Cake patisserie this morning for some sweet treats after brunching at Absinthe in Hayes. I suppose my first deterrent should have been the sheer size of the sticky bun. It was puny, but my craving was anything less, so I gave in and bought one. (It was about the size of a tennis ball.) I have to say, it was an overall disappointing experience. The dough was overly dense and meaty, like it hadn't risen properly, and maybe had just been sitting there all night and morning. The caramel was nice and sticky and rich. However, it left me wanting more. (My fingers were no where near sticky and messy enough after eating it!) At $3 a pop, I felt a bit pastry-cheated. Even my cherry ginger scone, at $3, was on the underdeveloped side.

Lately, I've been finding that the sticky buns and cinnamon rolls at Whole Foods are quite tasty. At only $2.19 apiece, they're right up my alley.

chocolate fungus

Mr.S and I breezed through Westfield shopping center, but not without a stop at the Sanrio store, and the specialty chocolaterie, CocoaBella. This lovable little chocolate mushroom is made of Michel Cluizel chocolate and hazelnut praline. Almost too adorable to eat, but it didn't take much to convince me....

CocoaBella Chocolates
2102 Union Street
San Francisco, Ca 94123