Those who can, make their own dough.

Those who can’t or are short on time? They welcome a little help.

Enter Star Dough to the rescue.

Made in small batches from unbleached wheat flour, sweet butter, creme fraiche, baking powder and sea salt, this frozen, prepared dough is a lifesaver. It comes already rolled out into rounds sized perfectly for making pies and galettes. Or use cutters to make little tarts or canapes or whatever your imagination dreams up. Just thaw, then unroll the rounds and they’re ready to use.

Read the rest of this entry »

“Kettle Whistle” Pop-Up Tea Times

Those of you mourning the fact that Pastry Chef William Werner won’t be opening his Tell Tale Preserve bakery/cafe on Maiden Lane in San Francisco after all will rejoice to hear that you can still enjoy his innovative sweets in a new concept now.

He has teamed with Naivetea, an artisan tea company in Burlingame that was started by husband-and-wife, Lawrence Lai and Ann Lee, which specializes in oolong teas.

They will be presenting “Kettle Whistle” afternoon tea seatings at various locations around the Bay Area each month. The first will be June 25 at the Burritt Room at the Crescent Hotel in San Francisco. There will be two seatings: 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The three-flight, prix fixe menu is $55 per person. It will feature an array of Naivetea’s hot and iced premium Taiwanese  oolong loose-leaf teas paired with Tell Tale Preserve’s savory and sweet pastry creations.

For reservations, call (415) 643-4894 or email: events@telltalepreserveco.com

Free Burgers for Dad on Father’s Day at The Counter

Bay Area locales of The Counter want to treat Dad in meaty style on Father’s Day by giving the big guy to a free burger.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oftentimes, burgers leave you wanting.

They turn out to be a little dry. Or not so flavorful. Or just kind of ho-hum.

Not so with this baby.

“Grilled Pork Burgers” from “Sunday Suppers at Lucques” (Alfred A. Knopf) is everything you want in a great burger and more. The recipe is from Chef Suzanne Goin of the wonderful Lucques restaurant in Los Angeles. Its Sunday Suppers are legendary for how fresh and vibrant the dishes are, as well as what a deal they comprise at $45 for three impeccable courses.

Lucques’ pork burger is far more complex than your average beef one.  It’s more like a fabulous pork sausage shaped into a hefty disk.

Read the rest of this entry »

How cool is this handy wine pouch?

It’s made by St. Helena’s Clif Family Winery, the founders of whom also invented Clif Bars. So, they ought to know what works and what doesn’t in the great outdoors, right?

It’s light, unbreakable, and supposedly has an 80 percent lower carbon footprint than two glass bottles, and 90 percent less waste and less landfill space than two glass bottles.

There’s even a built-in handle so you can hang it from a tree when you’re out camping or just wanting to free up table-space in the backyard.

Each pouch holds the equivalent of two 750-ml bottles and keeps the wine fresh for as long as a month after opening. Each pouch is a bargain $16.99, too.

Read the rest of this entry »

1300 on Fillmore will transport you to another time, another place.

The glamorous San Francisco supper club greets you like a contemporary Southern belle with attitude from the moment you step inside its massive, heavy doors.

All warm, chocolate brown leather and polished wood, the lounge features a dramatic wall of back-lit black and white photos of the historic Fillmore Jazz District that surrounds the restaurant, a short drive from the Hotel Kabuki San Francisco.

Indeed, there’s live jazz in the lounge regularly, and even gospel performances during Sunday brunch.

Recently, I was invited to be a guest of the four-year-old restaurant to try Executive Chef David Lawrence’s singular take on Southern specialties. Lawrence owns the restaurant with his wife, Monetta, who greets guests in the dining room as if welcoming them to her own home.

He is English-born, of Jamaican heritage, and French-trained — all of which shows on his plates. The food has the comforting quality you want in Southern cooking, but here it’s done up with far more flair and refinement.

Read the rest of this entry »