Category Archives: Enticing Events

A Chicken Stew with Lovely Riesling & Winners of the Mark Bittman iPhone App

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I never need an excuse to uncork a bottle of Riesling.

It’s one of my favorite varietals because it goes splendidly with sweet-spicy-tangy Asian dishes, boasts a relatively low alcohol percentage compared to many of today’s fruit-bomb wines, and is downright easy to quaff.

But if I ever did need a reason to break open a bottle of this lovely, flowery, aromatic white, this dish would do the trick.

“Chicken in Riesling” is a recipe (see below) from the dearly departed Gourmet magazine.

Think of it as a quicker, lighter version of the classic coq qu vin, which is fortified with red wine and typically takes far longer than the hour needed to make this Riesling-based one.

I think of it as the ultimate in satisfying chicken stews. It’s got a comforting quality about it, what with the whole, little red potatoes (I left them unpeeled, too) and large chunks of carrots bobbing in it. But it also has a slightly luxurious nature from the mere 1/2 cup of creme fraiche or heavy cream that you stir in just before serving.

The result is a pot of tender chicken in a pool of brothy, creamy sauce.

And best yet?

Even after adding the Riesling to the pot, there’s still plenty left in the bottle to enjoy a glass or two with this dinner.

And now, without further adieu, the six winners of the Mark Bittman “How to Cook Everything” iPhone app:

As you recall, for this contest, I asked readers to name the one thing they wished this gifted New York Times food writer, known for his no-nonsense approach to cooking, could make easier in their life. Here are the winners who had the best responses:

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Orlando: Backstage Eats at Epcot and A Restaurant Called the Ravenous Pig

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When I wasn’t eating my way through 27 sweet treats as a judge at the recent Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, I was — well — eating still some more.

You see, the Pillsbury folks wanted to make sure none of the 12 Bake-Off judges were ever in danger of having the slightest hunger pang. Perish the thought.  So we were fed. Then, fed again. And on it went, calorie after lovely calorie.

Here are the highlights:

We were treated to a welcoming party at Epcot, where six of the theme park’s restaurants had set up cooking stations inside a large kitchen area. Epcot Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann was on hand to greet the judges and members of the media.

We mingled as we enjoyed sips of wine and tastes of cute little lamb sliders with tomato marmalade, shrimp in green curry sauce with fragrant basmati rice, duck two ways — smoked breast and leg confit with tomato and egg fettuccine, porcini-dusted beef tenderloin, and a fab fisherman’s stew by “Iron Chef America” Cat Cora’s Kouzzina restaurant.

My favorite nosh, though, had to be the martini glasses of spicy sashimi-grade tuna tartare with cucumber, daikon and pepper salad, and avocado-wasabi sauce and crisp lotus root chips. That dish, from the Hollywood Brown Derby at Epcot,  was so good that I even went back for seconds. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.

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New Eats in San Francisco

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Will it be sushi, Spanish, Mexican or California cuisine tonight?

When you’re hanging with a group of friends with varying cravings, it’s sometimes hard to settle on one eatery to satisfy everyone. The new Art’s Tapas & Sushi Lounge in San Francisco’s Marina district, a short drive from the Fairmont Heritage Place at Ghirardelli Square, makes it easy.

At this hip lounge, consulting Executive Chef Taka Yamaguchi, formerly of the Bay Area’s Blowfish Sushi restaurants, serves up a mix of small plates and libations that span the gamut of all those cuisines and more.

Enjoy grilled tofu ($7.50); Japanese-rice paella with vegatables and squid ink ($14); carpaccio with wasabi aioli on a bed of arugula and capers ($9); sushi, including “build-your-own” rolls; and crema catalana ($6).

There’s also a full bar with draft beers, wine, sake, sangria and signature cocktails. During weekday “Happy Hours,” 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing, indulge in 99-cent oysters, too.

Friday nights also just got even more delicious and fun at Show Dogs in San Francisco, the gourmet sausage eatery that’s a short walk from the InterContinental hotel.

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Mark Bittman’s 10-Minute Asian Salad and iPhone App Giveaway

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New York Times food writer Mark Bittman has a way of making cooking effortless.

Take his “Watercress and Sesame Salad,” for instance.

Many times before, I’ve made a similar dressing using soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds, but never thought to pair it with delightful, peppery watercress like this.

It’s a light, bright little salad that comes together in 10 minutes for a quick first-course for any type of Asian meal. You could even make it more substantial by adding sliced cucumbers, carrot slivers, radishes, cherry tomatoes or even poached shrimp or seared tuna.

The recipe (reprinted at the end of this post) is from his classic book, “How to Cook Everything” (Wiley). This weighty, 944-page book is front and center on my bookcase. It’s a handy reference, because its plethora of recipes forms the basics of just about anything you’d want to make.

Now, there’s another handy way to enjoy this massive book — the “How to Cook Everything” iPhone app.

All 2,000 recipes from the book now are available with just a touch of your snazzy phone.  The app even helps you jot down a grocery list.

Five lucky Food Gal readers — located anywhere in the United States — will win a “How to Cook Everything” app, courtesy of John Wily and Sons, and Culinate. Here’s how:

Just tell me what you wish Mark Bittman could make easier in your life. Your answer can be food-related or not. The best five answers win the iPhone app. Deadline to enter is end of the day May 1. Winners will be announced May 3.

Here’s my own answer of what I wish he could make easier for me:

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Ferry Building Happenings, Glam Foodie Fund-Raisers & More

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In San Francisco:

The offerings at the Saturday farmers market at the San Francisco Ferry Building just got a whole lot sweeter.

The Arlequin booth, manned by Luis Villavelazquez, executive pastry chef of Absinthe restaurant in San Francisco, will now be a regular fixture at that Saturday market, just steps from the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, beginning May 1.

The booth, which already had been up and running at the smaller Thursday farmers market there, will be selling the likes of malted cupcake with banana cream and Oreo frosting; strawberry and tobacco-infused scone with creme fraiche; spiced ramp and provolone biscuits; and milk chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

Find the Arlequin booth next to Blue Bottle Coffee’s exterior stand,  8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday.

If luscious libations are more your thing, you won’t want to miss “Berries, Citrus and Rhubarb,” a fun cocktails class at the Ferry Building, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 7.

Master mixologist Scott Beattie will conduct a hands-on class to teach you how to make market-fresh strawberry margaritas, classic mai tais, and gimlets.

Master distiller, Lance Winters of St. George Spirits in Alameda, will talk about micro-distillation.

The Ferry Building’s Il Cane Rosso also will serve up cocktail-friendly noshes. Additionally, participants will get to take home a recipe booklet.

The class will be held under the North Arcade of the Ferry Building. Tickets are $45.

City College of San Francisco invites you to its 12th annual “Wok on the Wild Side,” a benefit for its culinary arts and hospitality studies department, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 26.

Participating in the star chef-studded affair are Staffan Terje of Perbacco in San Francisco, Bruce Hill of Picco in Larkspur, Laurence Jossel of Nopa, Jennifer Biesty of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco, and Mauricio Sibrian of John’s Grill in San Francisco.  They will be honoring City College alum, Tom Sweeney, the famous Beefeater doorman who has been welcoming visitors to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel for more than 30 years.

The chefs will be cooking up their specialties and being assisted by the students and faculty of the program.

Tickets are $150. For information, call (415) 239-3152.

You won’t want to miss another gala chefs gathering, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. April 29, when “Taste of the Nation San Francisco” rolls into town on the Club Level of AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The benefit for Share Our Strength, will feature tastes from more than 40 top San Francisco chefs, including Dominique Crenn of Luce, Mark Sullivan of Spruce, Hoss Zare of Zare at Fly Trap, and Matthew Accarrino of SPQR.

Live music and a silent auction will add to the festivities, which will benefit one of the nation’s largest organizations dedicated to alleviating childhood hunger.

Regular tickets are $85. VIP tickets, which get you into the event an hour earlier, are $140.

Monday, April 26, dine at a Pasta Pomodoro in San Francisco or elsewhere in the Bay Area to do a good deed.

That night, the restaurant chain will donate 25 percent of profits from every “Cena di Familia” meal to local food banks to help families in need. The three-course, family-style meal, which feeds four, comes with choice of salad, pasta and dessert for $35.

Around the Peninsula:

Take a taste of more than 100 wines from all over Italy in one spot. You can at “Enoteca 100 Primavera,” an Italian wine tasting at Donato Enoteca restaurant in Redwood City, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 1.

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