Category Archives: Meat

Lamb-Spice Lamb Chops That Are Kismet

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A quick spice mix gives these lamb rib chops incomparable flavor.
A quick spice mix gives these lamb rib chops incomparable flavor.

Dare I say that smoky, juicy, and flavorfully spiced little lamb rib chops are your destiny?

They definitely are if you follow this recipe from the new “Kismet” cookbook (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

“Lamb-Spice Lamb Chops” is one of more than 100 mouthwatering recipes in this book by the chef-owners of Los Angeles restaurants, Kismet and Kismet Rotisserie. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson were named among the “Best New Chefs” in 2017 by Food & Wine magazine.

You have to love a cookbook that states from the get-go: “Yes, we’re restaurant chefs. No, this isn’t a restaurant book. Why? Because we want you to actually cook these recipes.”

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A Visit to the New Il Mercato de Che Fico

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La Mortazza fociaccia sandwich, sold by the pound, at Il Mercato de Che Fico.
La Mortazza fociaccia sandwich, sold by the pound, at Il Mercato de Che Fico.

If you’re a fan of the food at Che Fico in Menlo Park and San Francisco, you’ll be glad to know you can now easily tote some of those same specialty Italian dishes home to enjoy.

That’s thanks to the new Il Mercato de Che Fico by owners Chef David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer, that opened last month across the way from Che Fico Parco in Menlo Park’s Springline mixed-use development.

Chef Chris Timm, who oversees the market, was kind enough to show me around and let me sample some of the goods on a recent afternoon.

Chef Chris Timm.
Chef Chris Timm.
The entrance on El Camino Real.
The entrance on El Camino Real.

The gourmet market’s entrance is right on El Camino Real, so it’s easy to access, especially if you snag street parking or opt for the development’s underground garage that’s patrolled by a robot sentry no less.

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In Praise of Curtis Stone’s Spiced Barbecue Lamb Ribs with Labneh

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Sink your teeth into juicy lamb ribs flavored with warm spices.
Sink your teeth into juicy lamb ribs flavored with warm spices.

If you love pork ribs or beef ribs, you really ought to give lamb ones a go.

Because they boast even more flavor and tenderness, along with an incomparable juicy, fatty richness that’s a pure guilty pleasure.

“Spiced Barbecue Lamb Ribs with Labneh” is a sure-bet introduction to them. The fool-proof recipe is by celebrity chef Curtis Stone, and comes from his acclaimed Hollywood restaurant, Gwen, which he operates with his brother, the restaurateur Luke Stone.

And despite the recipe name, you don’t even really need a barbecue grill to make these. They can be made entirely in the oven, if you like.

It’s from the book, “Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes” (Abrams, 2023), of which I received a review copy, which was written by Eater’s restaurant editor, Hillary Dixler Canavan.

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Nutty Braised Beef Short Ribs

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Short ribs get gilded with plenty of orange peel, sticky dates, and crunchy pistachios
Short ribs get gilded with plenty of orange peel, sticky dates, and crunchy pistachios

Yes, these succulent, fall-off-the-bone short ribs sure are nutty — thanks to a final flourish of rich and crunchy pistachios.

“Braised Beef Short Ribs with Orange Peel, Dates, and Pistachios” is from “Pistachios Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by World Cuisines” (Cameron & Company, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

The book is by veteran cookbook authors Barbara Bryant of St. Louis and Palm Beach; and James Beard Award-winning writer Georgeanne Brennan of Winters, CA, who is also a co-founder of the wonderful aperitif company, L’Apero les Trois.

Pistachios may be native to to Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, but their appeal now reaches far and wide. The United States is the leading producer of pistachios, with California having bragging rights in producing 99 percent of them.

They are good for you, too. A handful of pistachios (about 50 kernels) has as much protein as an egg and more fiber than an orange, according to the book. Pistachios also have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and potassium.

And don’t toss those pistachios shells. Mix them with wood chips, bark or leaves to make a handy mulch that will slowly break down over time to release nutrients into the soil. Just be sure to use unsalted shells; or rinse salted shells and allow them to dry beforehand.

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Dining At the Newly Revamped Izzy’s On the Peninsula

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The whole trout with Meyer lemon butter sauce at Izzy's on the Peninsula.
The whole trout with Meyer lemon butter sauce at Izzy’s on the Peninsula.

After a 7-month renovation, the venerable, 20-year-old Izzy’s on the Peninsula has reopened this month with an clubby, sophisticated look befitting a beloved steakhouse, plus a more expansive menu to satisfy wide-ranging appetites, and a new outdoor dining patio (set to open sometime in February).

When I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant last week, it had been open less than two weeks, and was already packed with diners — on a Tuesday night no less.

The family-owned, 7,500-square-foot restaurant, not far from the San Carlos Airport, is an institution that was opened by restaurateur Sam Duvall after he opened the original Izzy’s Steakhouse in San Francisco in 1987. That flagship is also undergoing renovations, including the addition of a new parklet, and is expected to reopen this summer.

The restaurant's namesake Izzy Gomez.
The restaurant’s namesake Izzy Gomez.
The entrance.
The entrance.

Daughter Samantha Duvall Bechtel became the CEO of the restaurant group after her father passed away in 2020. He had named the restaurant for the bootlegger Isadore “Izzy” Gomez, a Portuguese immigrant, chef, and San Francisco North Beach restaurateur who infamously was jailed for 30 days after violating Prohibition, but was later pardoned.

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