Yotam Ottolenghi’s Chickpeas Cacio e Pepe

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All the buttery, cheesy, peppery goodness of cacio e pepe pasta -- but with chickpeas instead.
All the buttery, cheesy, peppery goodness of cacio e pepe pasta — but with chickpeas instead.

All it takes is copious amounts of butter, freshly ground black pepper, and grated Parmesan to create a dreamy-creamy mouthful.

You know it best as cacio e pepe, that Italian classic dish of spaghetti whose strands get coated lavishly with that velvety amalgamation.

But for those eschewing gluten or grains these days, you’ll be glad to know you can get that same beloved taste in “Chickpeas Cacio e Pepe.”

This clever recipe is from the cookbook, “Ottolenghi Test Kitchen” (Clarkson Potter, 2021) by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi. The latter, of course, is the acclaimed London restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author; and the former is the head of his Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.

Yes, garbanzos stand in for the noodles. And the bean cooking liquid for the starchy pasta water that usually acts as the glue to emulsify everything.

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In Tribute to Sally Schmitt: Portuguese Duck and Sausage in Rice

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A Portuguese-inspired dish of roasted duck legs, andouille sausage and sun-dried tomato rice, all garnished with duck cracklings.
A Portuguese-inspired dish of roasted duck legs, andouille sausage and sun-dried tomato rice, all garnished with duck cracklings.

Before it was Thomas Keller’s Michelin three-starred French Laundry, the old stone building in Yountville was variously a bar, laundry, brothel, and rooming house, that languished in decrepit condition for years.

It took Sally and Don Schmitt to see its potential, and to pour heart, soul, and untold hard work into transforming it into the original French Laundry in 1978, a cozy, one-menu per night restaurant. Sally did all the cooking, while husband Don greeted guests and poured the wines. It was a beloved institution that drew such acclaim that it attracted the likes of Robert Mondavi, Marion Cunningham, and Julia Child to dine.

When it came time for the Schmitts to retire from the taxing grind of restaurant life, they put the French Laundry up for sale in 1990. It took three years to sell it, as chef after chef deemed it too small or the area too rural. That is, until a down-on-his-luck chef named Keller came by, took one look, and fell hard for the place. The Schmitts generously gave him 18 months to raise the money necessary, because in their hearts they somehow knew Keller was the perfect successor.

As Sally Schmitt once deadpanned in an interview with me years ago about choosing Keller, “That worked out pretty well, didn’t it?”

Last month, Sally Schmitt passed away at age 90 — following her husband who died in 2017 — and just one month before the debut of her cookbook, “Six California Kitchens” (Chronicle Books), of which I received a review copy.

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Dining Outside at Pomet

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Smoked Half Moon Bay black cod at Pomet.
Smoked Half Moon Bay black cod at Pomet.

Second-generation farmer Aomboon Deasy admits she never harbored fantasies about owning a restaurant.

After all, being a part of a family-run farm, K&J Orchards in Winters and Yuba City, was work enough. But when the owners of Homestead restaurant in Oakland — longtime buyers of the farm’s produce — approached her about taking over the space, she thought it over for a few weeks, then decided to dive in whole-heartedly.

“It was another challenge, another chapter,” she told me.

And one she obviously couldn’t resist.

The result is Pomet on Piedmont Avenue, which I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant to try last weekend. The cozy establishment takes its name from the Romanian word for “orchard,” a fitting choice for the farm, founded by her parents, whose pristine fruit can be found at farmers markets around the Bay Area, as well as incorporated into dishes at some of the region’s most respected restaurants.

Chef Alan Hsu and Proprietor Aomboon Deasy.
Chef Alan Hsu and Proprietor Aomboon Deasy.

Pomet represents farm-to-table cooking — beyond.

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Adana Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses Barbecue Sauce

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A tangy-fruity pomegranate molasses barbecue sauce finishes these juicy lamb-beef burgers.
A tangy-fruity pomegranate molasses barbecue sauce finishes these juicy lamb-beef burgers.

Each Friday night, those of Jewish faith around the world come together with family and friends to revel in time together around the table.

It is the purest TGIF, a pause to acknowledge and appreciate life and relationships.

And of course, an occasion to share scrumptious eats with gusto.

“52 Shabbats” (The Collective Book Studio) makes that a breeze, too. The new cookbook is by Faith Kramer, a Bay Area food writer who writes extensively on Jewish customs and cooking.

You needn’t be Jewish, either, to appreciate the more than 50 recipes, arranged by the seasons, that showcase global flavors and contemporary flair. Make “Pomegranate Molasses Brisket,” then turn leftovers into “Brisket Fried Rice.” Braise a batch of “Spicy Beef Tzimmes,” and turn some into “Friday Night Tamales.” Take a loaf of challah and transform into “Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce.”

I took advantage of last week’s mini heatwave to dive into the “Summer” section of the book early by trying my hand at “Adana Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses Barbecue Sauce.”

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Raspberry Amaretti Cookies With A Fun Surprise Center

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Freeze-dried and fresh raspberries make these amaretti extra special.
Freeze-dried and fresh raspberries make these amaretti extra special.

Like the best Easter confections that tempt at this time of year, these cookies are adorable, colorful, and sport a surprise filling sure to delight.

What’s more, “Raspberry Amaretti Cookies” are also gluten-free.

Made with almond meal, egg whites, and sugar, its dough gets fruity tang and a smidge of pink from pulverized freeze-dried raspberries mixed in. And at the center of each cookie hides a single fresh raspberry that you don’t see until you take a bite.

This fun recipe is from “Nadiya Bakes” (Clarkson Potter, 2020), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Nadiya Hussain, the season 6 winner of “The Great British Baking Show.” The cookbook is a companion to her BBC and Netflix series of the same name.

The U.K.-based baker emphatically calls baking her true first love. This book includes both sweet and savory treats. Her recipes take influence from both her Bangladeshi heritage and her British upbringing in creations such as “Matcha and Kiwi Hurricane Roll,” “Scotch Creme Eggs,” “Rainbow Veg Pakora Picnic Pie,” and “Cherry Chelsea Buns.”

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