Category Archives: Chefs

Alexander’s Steakhouse Gets In the Porky Mood

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Mangalitsa pork terrine at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino.

Alexander’s Steakhouse of Cupertino may be famous for its princely Wagyu steaks and playful puffs of cotton candy.

Now, it’s adding another lure: Mangalitsa pork.

The heritage breed pig with the distinct wooly hair is originally from Hungary. It is known for its lush fat. So much so that it was once raised for its lard, which is supposedly very clean and pure tasting.

Executive Chef Gerardo Naranjo already has been playing around with various cuts from the half pig he got in a few weeks ago. He can barely contain his excitement about the whole 400-pound Mangalitsa that the restaurant will be receiving this week.

The Mangalitsas are from Csarda Haz, a family-owned farm in Davis. The free-range pigs are nourished on a diet of cover crops of peas and oats, as well as English walnuts from trees on the farm that are nearly 60 years old.

Look for the Cupertino restaurant to feature nightly specials of Mangalitsa in various preparations, including a 12-ounce loin chop for $80. With the restaurant set to get regular shipments of Mangalitsa (also known as Mangalica in Hungary), the artisan pork also is expected to be featured eventually at its sister restaurants, Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco and The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse in Palo Alto.

The dining room.

Last week, I was invited in for a sneak peek and taste of this fabulous pork in a few preparations Naranjo has been playing around with.

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Chef Daniel Humm to Visit San Francisco, Beer Tuesdays at Boxing Room, and More

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Daniel Humm (right) and Will Guidara (right). (Photo by Francesco Tonelli)

Meet Chef Daniel Humm at A Book-Signing

Daniel Humm, acclaimed chef of New York’s Eleven Madison Park, will be appearing at 7 p.m. April 3 at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.

Humm will be in conversation with the restaurant’s General Manager Will Guidara, with whom he collaborated on the cookbook, “I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes” (Ten Speed Press). The cookbook, which will be released in April, fuses innovative dishes with New York classics like smoked fish, egg cream, and black and white cookies.

A culinary treat is promised to attendees at the reception and book-signing afterward.

Tickets are $15 to $25, and available by calling the box office at (415) 292-1233.

DIY Dinner Kits at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza has introduced weekly Farmers Market Chef Baskets, which come complete with recipes to make dinner, along with all the fresh ingredients needed as sourced from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Each basket has been curated by a particular chef. For instance, Chef Joanne Weir’s market basket dinner includes the makings for fennel soup with Meyer lemon creme fraiche, and fresh spinach and shaved root vegetable salad. The $29 basket serves 2 to 3. All the recipes are gluten free, and can be made vegan, too. If you have hungrier appetites at home, you can opt for the Joanne Weir basket that adds a 1/2 chicken from Mountain Ranch Organically Grown to the mix for a total of $39.

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Sate Your Thirst and More at The Abbot’s Cellar

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A generous plate of pork osso bucco -- part of the nightly tasting menu at The Abbot's Cellar.

For a hip, happening and sudsy time, head to the very beer-centric The Abbot’s Cellar in San Francisco’s Mission District.

I admit I tend to be more of a wine gal. But experiencing a tasting menu of this caliber with a different beer paired with each course was one of the most fun and palate-tickling experiences I’ve had recently.

The Abbot’s Cellar was opened seven months ago by the same team behind Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco, which was established six years ago.

Both are temples to the art of craft beer. But The Abbot’s Cellar is even more ambitious. It even has a two-story stone cellar to hold a range of beers and wines at their optimum temperatures. There’s also a dramatic back-lit wall of every imaginable glassware for beer and wine. And just for fun, a few cookbooks are propped up on the bar for patrons to peruse.

An eye-catching back-lit wall of beer and wine glassware behind the bar.

About 100 beers are available by the bottle and another 20 on tap, with each characterized by intensity, style, flavors and alcohol percentage. The beer list conveniently slides out of a nook built into the side of each wooden dining table for an added dose of cool.

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Valentine’s Day Treats, Chocolate Dinner & More

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Make Valentine's Day especially sweet with these boxed macarons. (Photo courtesy of La Boulange)

La Boulange’s Valentine’s Days Offerings

From now through Feb. 15, your neighborhood La Boulange is offering three sweet treats especially for Valentine’s Day.

Choose from a box of raspberry and vanilla macarons for $12.50; a box of chocolate and raspberry macarons for $12.50; or a gorgeous heart-shaped raspberry fruit tart ($9.95).

Find them at any of the Bay Area La Boulange locations.

Chocolate hearts filled with raspberries and strawberries. (Photo courtesy of La Boulange)

Sent Sovi’s Savory Chocolate Dinner

Who says chocolate is only for dessert?

Not at Sent Sovi in Saratoga, where Chef-Proprietor Josiah Slone will be hosting his third annual “Savory Chocolate Dinner” at 7 p.m. Feb. 28.

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Jamie Oliver’s Quick Portuguese Custard Tarts for the Lunar New Year

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Eggy, warm custard tar.ts are perfect for the Lunar New Year or any other occasion.

There are many symbolic dishes that will grace the table when folks celebrate Chinese New Year on Feb. 10.

A whole fish and whole chicken for family togetherness. Candied melon seeds as a wish for a sweet new year. And long-life noodles to foster many more years to come of such celebrations.

For me, though, it’s all about the custard tarts.

OK, custard tarts may be more associated with dim sum outings, rather than necessarily any Chinese New Year festivities.

But can you blame me for hankering for them? Who doesn’t love a warm, eggy custard tart with a crust so flaky that shards of pastry cascade all over your clothes when you bite into one?

Leave it to an Englishman to come up with a brilliant version, too.

That would be Jamie Oliver, whose cookbook, “Meals in Minutes” (Hyperion), I received a review copy of last year. The book is set up in a unique style: Recipes are grouped into complete menus that are designed to be cooked and on the table in about 30 minutes. As such, the ingredients are listed all together for all four dishes that make up each menu. And cooking directions have you moving back and forth from one dish to another, just like you would in your own kitchen when preparing a holiday meal made up of many dishes.

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