Category Archives: General

Tantalizing Tofu

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A tofu dish you'll be excited to eat.

Yes, I’m well aware that ”tantalizing” isn’t a word that one often associates with tofu.

After all, a brick of white soybean curd is not something that gets a whole lot of people excited. Not like an In-N-Out burger done animal-style, or Ad Hoc’s beautifully crisp fried chicken, or a glorious Red Velvet cupcake.

No, tofu doesn’t elicit that kind of impassioned response. But it should. It’s a versatile, inexpensive protein that’s low in calories that we all would do well to eat more of in these lean and mean times.

To that end, I offer up this beauty: “Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce,” which has got to be one of the easiest dishes around.

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Oakland — The New Culinary Mecca

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The just-opened Bocanova serves up pan-American cuisine, including quinoa salad with shrimp and orange vinaigrette. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Teplin)

If you think you’ve noticed an unusually high number of new restaurants opening in Oakland in the past year, it’s not your imagination.

Much-buzzed-about Commis, Camino, Barlata, Pican, Miss Pearl’s Jam, and Bocanova all chose to locate in Oakland. Many more are on the way, too, including Bracina from Daniel Patterson of San Francisco’s famed Coi.

Indeed, of the 160 new businesses that have opened in downtown Oakland in the past six years, 65 of them have been restaurants.

A throng of diners at Bocanova. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Teplin)

Each week, the city’s redevelopment agency fields requests for tours of available properties by San Francisco restaurateurs contemplating a new project on the other side of the Bay.

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Take Five with Chef Dominique Crenn, the Bay Area Favorite On”The Next Iron Chef”

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San Francisco's Dominique Crenn dukes it out on "The Next Iron Chef.'' (Photo courtesy of the Food Network)

Of the 10 competitors set to do battle starting 9 p.m. Oct. 4 in the second season of the Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef,” only one is from the Bay Area.

With competitor Nate Appleman, late of San Francisco’s A16, moving to New York earlier this year, that leaves only competitor Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Luce restaurant as the hometown favorite.

That’s just fine by this gutsy 44-year-old French woman, too. She’s never been one to back off from any challenge. Indeed, Crenn, who was told early on by French cooking school administrators that she’d never make it as a chef because she’s a woman, has always held her own. Not only did she go on to cook at one of the most illustrious restaurants of its time — Stars in San Francisco — but she also became the first female executive chef in Indonesia.

Tune in to see if she has what it takes to join the ranks of Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, and Michael Symon as an “Iron Chef.”

I had a chance to preview the first episode — albeit without the ending included (say what?) — and all I can say is the production values have really gone up from the first season. There’s even more flash and pomp this time around.

Last week, Crenn and I talked by phone about her experiences on the show, one of the bizarre ingredients she ended up with, and the weird dynamics she experienced while competing with Appleman.

Q: So how did you get involved with “The Next Iron Chef”?

A: When I was in New York, the producers approached me. I was cooking for the James Beard Foundation, and cooking for the press. They flew me to Los Angeles to cook for them. And then they asked me to be on the show.

Q: Why did you want to do the show?

A: To be honest, I didn’t really want to at first. (laughs)

Weeks before that, I was approached for “Top Chef.” I think it was for the “Masters” show.  I don’t really watch TV. “Top Chef” seemed more like a drama, while “The Next Iron Chef” seemed more about food and getting together with chefs who have unbelievable talent. It seemed more credible and interesting.

Q: Had you been a fan of the “Iron Chef” shows before all of this?

A: My favorite is the Japanese “Iron Chef” show. I watched it all the time in the 1990’s. Those chefs were amazing. You really saw their pedigree. And you saw things you’ve never seen before. You saw Ron Siegel (now executive chef of the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco) win. Plus, it was funny.

But no, I had not watched “The Next Iron Chef” before. I just got cable two days ago!

Chef Dominique Crenn gets last minute instructions from commentator Alton Brown. (Photo courtesy of the Food Network)

Q: I know you have a very competitive spirit. Did you also compete in sports when you were younger?

A: I used to play soccer. I used to kick some ass! (laughs) It’s a man’s world again — the soccer world. I used to play soccer with men a lot.

I also did judo for many years. I was a runner; I did the 200-meter. I’m very competitive, but really with myself. I love to win. But it’s more than winning. It’s pushing the envelope. It’s not about failing or succeeding; it’s about trying your best.

Q: On the premiere episode, it looks like Chef Appleman is acting a bit condescending toward you. What’s up with that?

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Spread It On Thick

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A thick, tasty fruit spread loaded with antioxidants.

That’s what you’ll want to do with the new Crofter’s Superfruit Spreads.

The organic Canadian jams are made with Fair Trade sugar, and have no artificial flavors or preservatives. They’re also made with so-called superfruits that are apparently high in antioxidants. Those include yumberries, a subtropical fruit from China; acai, palm berries that grow in tropical Central and South America; and maqui berries from Argentina and Chile.

The jams come in four flavors: “North American” (classic cranberry and blueberry), “South American” (exotic blend of Maqui berry and passionfruit), “European” (Old world pomegranate and black currant), and “Asian” (bright blend of yumberry and raspberry).

What you’ll notice right away is the nice tang they all have. They’re not overloaded with sugar like so many other jams. Because they’re all made of dark red, blue and purple fruits, too, the spreads have a deep, complex berry-like taste. Each small jar contains a whopping pound of fruit.

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Brussels Sprouts Go Chinese

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A perfect accompaniment to steamed rice.

A lot of people harbor a love-hate relationship with Brussels sprouts.

Me? I’ve had more of a love-avoidance pact with this miniature member of the cabbage family.

Growing up in a Chinese-American household, Brussels sprouts just weren’t to be found on our table. Amid a profusion of bok choy, sugar snap peas, gai lon, long beans, and winter melon, they were one green vegetable never prepared by my parents.

Not that I minded. After all, as I got older, the only descriptions I heard about Brussels sprouts definitely weren’t kind. They were lampooned in magazines for smelling up the house something fierce. And don’t get me started on the disgusted expressions my friends would make whenever this cruciferous veg was mentioned.

So I never ate them. If I saw them on menus, I avoided them, armed with the firm knowledge that they were to be shunned as if they were the Bubonic plague of vegetables.

As I got older, though, and more adventurous with my palate, I actually tried them. And what do you know — they weren’t so nasty at all. In fact, they were pretty darn tasty — firm and crunchy in the center, and covered with tender little leaves.

Brussels sprouts too often get a bum rap.

I enjoyed them with their leaves all separated, and sauteed with bits of salty bacon. I ate them, cut in halves, and roasted in a hot oven until their edges browned and caramelized.

But never had I tasted them in any Asian preparation until I had lunch recently with some friends at Straits restaurant in San Jose’s Santana Row.

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