Syrian Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Sumac

A simple chicken with sumac, onions and pine nuts, for the times.

A simple chicken with sumac, onions and pine nuts, for the times.

 

I know this may sound sexist and simplistic, but I truly believe if more women were in charge there would be fewer wars and conflicts.

Women just have a natural tendency to want to talk it out — rather than use their fists or other weapons — to resolve situations.

Just imagine if a woman were the head of state of Syria rather than the long-standing brutal male president whose crimes against humanity have left this once beautiful country devastated beyond imagination.

Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi know only too well the tragedy that has befallen the country. Azzam was born in Syria and moved to the United Kingdom in 2011, where she’s produced theater productions with refugees, as well as the Peabody and BAFTA-winning documentary series, “Exodus: Our Journey to Europe,” which chronicles the migration crisis.

Mousawi, who grew up in Baghdad, produced and directed “Terrestrial Journeys,” a theater piece devised with Syrian women living in Beirut’s refugee camps.

OurSyria

Through their nonprofit theater project, avid cooks and friends, Azzam and Mousawi met dozens of Syrian women refugees. As they got to know one another, the conversation naturally turned to food.

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Join The Food Gal and Chef R.J. Subaba of Viognier For A Cooking Demo

MacysViognierJoin yours truly and Executive Chef R.J. Subaba of Viognier restaurant for a delicious cooking demo, 2 p.m. June 9 at Macy’s Valley Fair Santa Clara.

Subaba has cooked at such illustrious establishments as the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, Murray Circle at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, Madera at the Rose Wood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, and the Village Pub in Woodside.

At Viognier, located on top of Draeger’s market in downtown San Mateo, he’s bringing an approachable elegance to the fare.

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Crepe Cake Perfection at Anton SV Patisserie

Anton SV Patisserie's tiramisu crepe cake.

Anton SV Patisserie’s tiramisu crepe cake.

 

It is a different kind of Silicon Valley engineering feat.

Slathering delicate crepes with a luscious cream filling, then placing them perfectly level, perfectly straight, one on top of the other until the stack rises a majestic 20 layers or higher in complete precision.

Anthony Tam not only possesses the skills to do this, but the business acumen to have turned this into a delectable phenomenon.

The former supply chain manager at a Fremont tech firm started his Anton SV Patisserie just over two years ago out of a Milpitas commercial kitchen.

Anthony Tam traded tech for cakes.

Anthony Tam traded tech for cakes.

Now, his handmade $88 crepe cakes have become a sensation, gracing special events at some of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies. He now even offers delivery of whole cakes to select Bay Area cities. The crepe cakes also can be enjoyed for about $10 a slice at six cafes in the South Bay and San Francisco.

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Now’s The Time For Crostata Di Marmalata

Apricot squared -- with apricot jam and fresh apricots.

Apricot squared — with apricot jam and fresh apricots.

 

Last week at the farmers market, when I spied baskets of ripe apricots with the intense orange-red glow of a tropical sunset, I couldn’t contain myself.

Then, I just had to bake.

These beauties were destined for “Crostata Di Marmalata,” an easy apricot jam-filled tart that I took the liberties of blinging out by decorating it with halves of these early stone fruit.

The recipe is from master baker Jim Lahey’s newest book, “The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook” (W.W. Norton, 2017), of which I received a review copy.

Sullivan+Street+Bakery+Cookbook_978-0-393-24728-2

You probably know Lahey for the phenomenon he created with his revolutionary no-knead bread recipe a decade ago. Lahey, who opened his Sullivan Street Bakery in New York in 1994, is known far and wide for his way with bread, made with wild yeast he hand-cultivated in Italy.

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Psst — There’s A New Secret Burger at Bird Dog

Presenting the new burger at Bird Dog (conveniently cut in half for the two of us to share).

Presenting the new burger at Bird Dog (conveniently cut in half for the two of us to share).

 

It might very well be the best burger you’ve ever had.

But it’s not listed on the menu. At least not yet.

The only way you can try the sublime double-patty creation at Bird Dog in downtown Palo Alto is to know about it and ask for it.

So for those of you reading this, go for it. You won’t regret whispering this order to your server.

What makes this burger so special?

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