Category Archives: General

Mushroom Udon with Honey? You Bet!

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Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?
Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?

Admittedly, when I first laid eyes on this recipe for “Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon,” I was initially a little skeptical.

Mushrooms with honey? Really?

But James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon has never steered me wrong in any of her other recipes that I’ve made.

Ditto for this one. Not only was this recipe quick and effortless, but it showed me just how honey could further deepen the caramelized taste of sauteed mushrooms.

First published in the New York Times, this recipe calls for boiling frozen or fresh udon noodles, then rinsing well to remove excess starch.

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Coconut Rice with Greens Made Even Better with San Francisco-Made Artisan Miso

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San Francisco's artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.
San Francisco’s artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.

When the heat is on, food deliberately goes very simple.

Because the last thing you want to do is crank up the oven, ignite all four burners, or linger one moment longer than necessary in a hot kitchen.

Still, that doesn’t mean you have to settle.

On the contrary, a dish like “Miso-Coconut Rice with Greens”may be a cinch to make in one pot on the stove or in a rice cooker, but it’s also soulfully satisfying.

The recipe is from the cookbook, “Cook Simply, Live Fully” (Harper), of which I received a review copy.

You just have to love the philosophy of that title, written by Yasmin Fahr, a New York Times recipe contributor and veteran cookbook author who spends most of her time on the Spanish island of Menorca.

The book includes 120 recipes that are wittily — and conveniently — arranged by your mood. There are recipes for “Lap Dinners” when you need nourishment but barely feel like making anything; “Coffee Table Dinners,” when you have a bit more time and energy; and “At the Dinner Table,” when you want a proper sit-down meal.

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Ofena Fits Like A Glove

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A special of porchetta to celebrate Ofena's first anniversary.
A special of porchetta to celebrate Ofena’s first anniversary.

Tim Humphrey’s Ofena restaurant is a passion project if there ever was one, filled with meaningful touchstones from his life.

Located on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco’s Lakeside Village, the building sat empty for a dozen years before the the chef-owner and his business partner, Tan Truong of San Francisco’s Ju-Ni and Handroll Project, took it over.

Named after the town in Italy from where his great-grandparents hailed before immigrating to the United States, Ofena the restaurant just celebrated its first anniversary last month. When he was 30, Humphrey took his mom to that town. After she passed away, he found her travel journals about that trip. Now, her handwriting is immortalized in the lettering for “Ofena” on the menu, as well on the neon sign on the front of the restaurant.

The script used for the restaurant's name is from the handwriting of Chef Tim Humphrey's late-mother.
The script used for the restaurant’s name is from the handwriting of Chef Tim Humphrey’s late-mother.
Executive Chef Tim Humphrey, who has cooked at a legion of well-known Northern California restaurants.
Executive Chef Tim Humphrey, who has cooked at a legion of well-known Northern California restaurants.

When you get to the dessert menu, you’ll find an especially sweet tribute to another longtime friend of Humphrey’s, a server who worked at many of his previous restaurants who passed away from leukemia. More on that later.

It’s all characteristic of the warmth you’ll find at this restaurant, which was packed last Saturday night when I was invited in as a guest of Humphrey’s.

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Understated, Utterly Delicious Caramel Slices

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A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.
A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.

Like biscotti, these cookies are baked in flattened logs of dough, then sliced after emerging from the oven.

But unlike those Italian classics, these Scandinavian beauties are baked only once and end up crispy all over and chewy at the center.

They also taste profoundly of caramel, despite being made with only white sugar and corn syrup.

And best yet, they require only a few basic ingredients.

When I started seeing people rave online about “Caramel Slices,” I knew I had to try baking them, too.

The recipe for these cookies, also known as “Kolasnittar,” is from “Scandinavian from Scratch” (Ten Speed Press, 2023) of which I received a review copy.

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Chef Carlos Altamirano Opens Eponymous Restaurant in San Francisco

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A whole fried diablo "devil fish'' at Altamirano.
A whole fried diablo “devil fish” at Altamirano.

He may already have seven restaurants in San Francisco and the East Bay, but when Chef Carlos Altamirano opened his eighth one two weeks ago, he made this one stand out that much more by anointing it with his own surname.

Altamirano debuted in San Francisco’s Nopa neighborhood to serve contemporary Peruvian fare with California sensibilities. It’s quite the achievement for the Lima-born chef who upon immigrating to San Francisco, talked his way into his first restaurant job as a dishwasher, then quickly rose to line cook.

I had an opportunity to check out the new spot when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant last week.

The entrance to the restaurant.
The entrance to the restaurant.
The large bar area.
The large bar area.

Wood warms up the restaurant with its driftwood sculptural pieces and live-edge host stand, while an angled glass wall the bisects the bar and dining room is meant to evoke an aerial view of Peru’s ancient ruins. Custom restroom doors are laser-cut with designs of Inca masks. There’s a stylish covered outdoor dining patio, too.

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