Category Archives: Great Finds

Holiday Goodies For You (Or Others), Part II

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The Perfect Pair gift pack from Ancient Olive Trees.
The Perfect Pair gift pack from Ancient Olive Trees.

Ancient Olive Trees Perfect Pair

Marin County’s Ancient Olive Trees company knows a thing or two about olive trees.

After all, it’s been tree farming full-time since 2007. Its lush olive trees have been planted on the grounds of the Frank Gehry-designed Tin House in Los Angeles, The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, and many wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties.

So, it only makes sense that in 2015, it started crafting its own extra virgin olive oil, as well as balsamic vinegar.

Any cook or enthusiastic eater is sure to appreciate its Perfect Pair ($69) snazzy gift set that features a 375ml bottle of each.

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Holiday Goodies For You (Or Others), Part I

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A peek inside the Ofner Le Cordon Bleu creme brulee panettone.
A peek inside the Ofner Le Cordon Bleu creme brulee panettone.

Ofner Le Cordon Bleu Creme Brulee Panettone

It’s guaranteed to be a sweet holiday with Ofner Le Cordon Bleu Creme Brulee Panettone.

It’s one of the new flavors this season by the Brazilian company, which also manufactures in the United States, that’s been turning out specialty sweets for 70 years.

I had a chance to try the new creme brulee version of the classic holiday Italian bread. Made with a naturally fermented dough, it’s moist, tender, and a little bready in texture.

There are gobs of cashew nut praline and creme brulee within it, and it’s topped with a coating of white chocolate, cashew nut praline, and bruleed sugar. It is quite sweet, so you do have to like your panettone on the sugary side.

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Irresistible Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

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Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.
Plenty of chocolate, hazelnuts, and Nutella make these cookies unforgettable.

Get ready for a cookie that will flat-out seduce you.

Think chocolate chip cookie — but one made extra special with hazelnut flour in the dough, oodles of chopped chocolate, and streaks of creamy Nutella.

If you aren’t smacking your lips yet, you absolutely will when a tray comes out of your oven.

“Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies” is a recipe from the new cookbook, “Zoe Bakes Cookies” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Zoe Francois, the Minneapolis pastry chef, creator of the Zoe Bakes website, and star of her own series, “Zoe Bakes,” on the Magnolia Network.

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Delights at Dalida

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The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.
The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.

There’s no denying that Chef Laura Ozyilmaz is tough, having fought her way back from elimination on “Top Chef’‘ to win “Last Chance Kitchen” to gain another shot at victory.

In the end, she may not have won the overall competition, making it as far as one of the last four competitors standing. But she won over many fans for her gumption and creative dishes. That she did all this while in the midst of opening Dalida in San Francisco, her restaurant with her chef-husband Sayat Ozilmaz, makes it doubly impressive.

Even before “Top Chef,” Dalida was a hard reservation to come by. It’s easy to see why, when you consider that this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant was opened by two chefs with impressive pedigrees.

The open kitchen.
The open kitchen.

The couple met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Sayat, originally from Turkey, went on to work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Le Bernardin in New York City, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, while Laura worked at Cafe Boulud in New York City, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Del Posto in New York City, and Saison in San Francisco.

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Red, Red Wine — As In Brownies

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A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.
A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.

Have a splash of red wine leftover?

Sure, you could just drink it.

Or you could stir it into the batter of these dreamy, fudgy, rich brownies.

OK, now we are talking.

“Red Wine Brownies” is a recipe from the new “Sweet Tooth” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Sarah Fennel, a New York City self-taught baker, photographer, and creator of the website, Broma Bakery.

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