Monthly Archives: May 2013

Joanne Chang’s Brown Sugar-Oat Cherry Muffins

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Cherries and oats galore in these hearty muffins by Pastry Chef Joanne Chang.

Cherries and oats galore in these hearty muffins by Pastry Chef Joanne Chang.

 

These muffins are loaded. With oats, cherries and a whole lot of goodness.

They fill the pan with an avalanche of batter, rising up with bountiful domes.

Joanne Chang, the Harvard grad-turned-baker extraordinare with four Flour bakeries and the Myers + Chang diner, all in Massachusetts, has done it again. If you loved her first cookbook, “Flour” (Chronicle Books), you’re sure to treasure its follow-up, “Flour, Too” “Flour, Too” (Chronicle Books). The second cookbook, of which I received a review copy, includes 100 recipes, not just for sweets, but savories, as well, including apple-wood smoked BLT, “Mama Chang’s Hot and Sour Soup,” and mushroom and leek lasagna.

Of course, having the sweet tooth that I do, I couldn’t resist zeroing in on the pastries first.

FlourTooBook. jpg

“Brown Sugar-Oat Cherry Muffin” is like a nourishing bowl of morning oatmeal — only in muffin form. Which means it’s just a little naughty, as a result.

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Out Goes One Chef, In Comes Another at Campo in Palo Alto

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Huckleberry sorbetto at Campo 185.

Huckleberry sorbetto at Campo 185.

Months ago on a lark, just because I happened to be wandering through downtown Palo Alto on a chilly afternoon, I stopped into Campo Pizzeria to grab something warm for lunch.

At the time, the name of the restaurant included the word “pizzeria.” Back then, the kitchen was also headed up by Chef Sean O’Brien, formerly of Myth, Gary Danko and Zinnia, all in San Francisco. I remember the pizzetta dough as quite crisp and the cup of minestrone truly impressive in the way it maintained the integrity of each and every vegetable.

Fast forward to earlier this month, when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant. Now christened Campo 185, in reference to its address on University Avenue, the “pizzeria” moniker had been jettisoned, though pizzas are still on the menu. What’s more, a new chef now runs the place — Robert Holt, former executive chef of Marzano in Oakland.

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La Boulange Celebrates PRIDE, Santa Clara City Library Card Perks and More

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(Photo courtesy of La Boulange)

(Photo courtesy of La Boulange)

Macarons for PRIDE Month

All through June, La Boulange bakeries throughout the Bay Area will salute PRIDE month with a limited edition box of rainbow-hued macarons.

What’s more, La Boulange will donate $1 from each box sold to the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, which raises funds for AIDS service organizations through the production of entertainment programs.

The limited edition box of seven macarons is $12.50.

Santa Clara City Library Card Perks

And you thought a library card was only good for checking out books?

Not the Santa Clara City library card.

Now, show that library card at participating local businesses to reap discounts such as 10 percent off at Athena Grill, $10 off a tab of at least $50 at Justin’s Restaurant, 10 percent off at Fuji Florist, free coffee with purchase at Stan’s Donut Shop, 10 percent off Mission City Creamery and many more. For a full list, click here.

StarChefs SF Rising Star Chefs

StarChefs will salute its 2013 “Rising Star” award winners  6:30 p.m. June 13 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

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Grilled Corn — Asian-Style

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An easy, delightful way to dress up grilled corn.

An easy, delightful way to dress up grilled corn.

Want to dress up corn on the cob in a whole new way?

Look no further than “Corn with Hosin-Orange Butter” from the new “The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appetit” (Andrews McMeel), of which I recently received a review copy.

It’s easy as can be — just a matter of grilling whole, shucked ears, then smearing them with a creamy mixture of softened butter, hoisin sauce, Chinese chili-garlic sauce and grated orange zest.

Grab a cob with your fingers and take a bite. You’ll be greeted with a delicious smokiness plus the sweet-savoriness of hoisin sauce that complements the natural sugars of the corn so well. The orange zest is really what makes it, though, adding a bright, perky complexity. You know the orange butter you like to smear on cornbread? Imagine that flavor with Asian hoisin sauce thrown in. Irresistible, right?

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Sunday Mornings, Please Do Not Disturb (Sponsored Post)

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CoffeePost

Peace. Quiet.

Two simple things in short supply these days. With weekdays full of honking cars during dreaded commute traffic, ring tones that jolt, emails that never cease and all manner of pinging high-tech gadgets tethered to us 24-7, our lives are assaulted by so much noise – both figuratively and literally.

So, when Folgers recently asked me to write about how coffee and music play into my morning ritual in order to help tout its Folgers Jingle Contest that supports aspiring musicians, I got to thinking. I realized there are few things I appreciate more now than the stillness of an early Sunday morning. I covet creeping out of bed before my husband wakes, when sunlight is just started to seep through the edges of the curtains. The soothing sound of solitude is broken only by the rustling of the pages of the morning’s newspaper, the whistling of the kettle as I make my French press coffee, and the caressing vocals of Adele that emanate softly from the CD player.

Yes, I’m old-school. And I make no apologies for it.

Sure, I carry a smartphone, write my articles on computers, shoot with a digital camera and exercise to streaming tunes. But when it comes to Sunday mornings, I want none of that. I don’t want to read words on a backlit screen. I want to hold a real honest-to-goodness newspaper in my hands, the kind that lands with a thud on the porch. I want to turn its pages, one after the other, joyously discovering story after story just because they happened to catch my eye. In the background, I don’t want a thumping techno beat created by the wizardry of electronics, but a soulful, plaintive voice of a chanteuse that harkens back to another era. And I don’t want the latest-greatest gadget that dribbles out one tiny solitary cup of coffee at the touch of a button. No, I want the civilized ritual of actually pouring steaming water over fragrant grounds until they swell, before I push a plunger down forcefully to release the deep, dark, brooding brew.

To me, that is a perfect Sunday morning. I relish each and every one of them, too. Because like a great cup of coffee, it does its intended job. It relaxes me, then slowly but surely perks me up me to take on the challenges in the week ahead.

Only one thing could make it even better: If Folgers could ever get Adele to croon its jingle. Now, that would make my Sunday complete.

 

Folgers Jingle Contest: Be sure to vote for the best Top 10 finalist in Folgers’ Jingle Contest. Meet the Top 10! Take a look at Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in the Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting. Vote now. Click here for official rules.

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