Using the Whole Carrot

Posted on by 16 comments
A delightful tabbouleh made with the part of the carrot most of us just throw away.

A delightful tabbouleh made with the part of the carrot most of us just throw away.

When I buy a bunch of carrots at the farmers market and am asked if I want the long, frilly, green tops snapped off, I usually say “yes” without a second thought.

But not any more.

Thanks to food writer Tara Duggan, I’m going to hoard these from now on.

That’s because she’s taught me to use them in this wonderful version of tabbouleh that I’m now addicted to.

Her “Quinoa-Carrot Tabbouleh” is featured in her newest cookbook, “Root to Stalk Cooking” (Ten Speed Press), of which I recently received a review copy.

From now on, keep the green tops when you buy carrots.

From now on, keep the green tops when you buy carrots.

Duggan, a long-time staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle’s Food section, has created a most noble book that implores us to stop throwing out perfectly good bits of fruits and veggies that we could be putting to delicious use instead.

Read more

The Debut of Chef David Kinch’s “Manresa” Cookbook

Posted on by 11 comments
Chef-Owner David Kinch of Manresa stands in front of a display of his new cookbook, hot off the presses.

Chef-Owner David Kinch of Manresa stands in front of a display of his new cookbook, hot off the presses.

 

David Kinch, the supremely gifted. Michelin two-starred chef-owner of Manresa in Los Gatos, has wanted to do a cookbook for more than seven years.

But the timing was never right.

Until now.

His first cookbook, “Manresa” (Ten Speed Press), will debut Oct. 22.

Like all that he does, it was meticulously thought out beforehand. So much so that the concept and artistic look were nearly fully formed already when he finally sat down to commit to doing it.

The book was 14 months in the making, but years in the thinking.

The book was 14 months in the making, but years in the thinking.

For instance, the measurements for the ingredients in the recipes are listed first and foremost in metric weights with imperial quantities following in parenthesis. That’s because that’s the way that chefs cook for greatest efficiency and precision.

Kinch spent 14 months crafting the book, which focuses on dishes served at the restaurant over its past 13 years. Almost all of the gorgeous photos in the book were taken in the Manresa dining room, with photo shoots once a month of a dozen dishes each time.

The result is a stunning book that’s quite personal, too, with stories about how Kinch took the advice of Thomas Keller of the French Laundry to buy the building he opened Manresa in, rather than just lease it, in order to cement a future there. Kinch also writes about how his relationships began with Love Apple Farms, which supplies exclusively to Manresa, and hobbyist farmer Gene Lester, a retired IBM engineer who now grows some of the most illustrious citrus around that’s spotlighted in a multi-course dinner each year at the restaurant.

Read more


Dog Days of Summer at SusieCakes, Alcatraz Prison Fare & More

Posted on by 6 comments
SusieCakes salutes man's best friend during August. (Photo courtesy of SusieCakes.)

SusieCakes salutes man’s best friend during August. (Photo courtesy of SusieCakes.)

SusieCakes Salutes National Dog Day

Throughout the entire month of August, SusieCakes bakeries in the Bay Area will be hosting the “Dog Days of Summer.”

Just donate any new pet accessory during that time-frame and receive 2-for-1 cupcakes (limited to two dozen).

The bakeries will be accepting donations of items such as dog toys, dog beds, leashes, collars, unopened bags of dry dog food, blankets and towels. They will all be given to local pet shelters.

LYFE Kitchen Offerings Available on New Delta Airlines Route

If you’re a fan of LYFE Kitchen’s healthful fast-casual dishes served at its Palo Alto restaurant who flies to Los Angeles regularly, you’ll be glad to know you can satisfy your cravings on the new Delta Shuttle service that starts up Sept. 3.

Read more

A Peach of A Salad

Posted on by 15 comments
A colorful, crunch-a-licious summer salad with shrimp and -- yes -- peaches.

A colorful, crunch-a-licious summer salad with shrimp and — yes — peaches.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of biting into an heirloom peach grown by the Masumoto Family Farm just south of Fresno, you know how life-changing it can be.

And if you’ve ever read any of farmer David Mas Masumoto’s books about farming life, you know how deserving he is of the title,  “poet of peaches.”

Now, the family that’s endeavored to grow the consummate peach has written the aptly named cookbook, “The Perfect Peach” (Ten Speed Press), of which I recently received a review copy. Included are stories and recipes by Mas, his wife Marcy, and daughter Nikiko, who has taken over the 80-acre organic farm, which has been owned for four generations.

the-perfect-peach

Of course, a wonderful peach can be enjoyed just out of hand, eaten over the sink as the juice drips down your chin. But the Masumoto family has provided a wealth of recipes that make inventive use of over-ripe, gushy peaches (make a Peach-Rosemary Bellini) and firmer peaches in dishes such as “Peach Day Pickles” and “Shaking Beef with Peaches.” There are plenty of sweet treats, too, including “Peach-Date Bars” and “Blackberry-Peach Bread Pudding.”

For those who know the major sweet tooth that I have, you may be surprised to learn that the recipe I zeroed in on was a savory one. Yes, imagine that! But “Summer Thai Shrimp and Noodle Salad” (With Peaches) sounded like the perfect one-bowl meal to tuck into at this sunny time of year.

Read more

Get A Taste of Jose Andres’ New Food Products

Posted on by 8 comments
Plump, wonderful mussels -- Galician-style -- by Jose Andres.

Plump, wonderful mussels — Galician-style — by Jose Andres.

 

Would you pay $18 for this tiny tin of canned mussels?

You just might if they carry the stamp of approval of renowned Chef Jose Andres.

With glam restaurants around the world, including The Bazaar in Beverly Hills, this Ferran Adria protege has introduced his own line of food products, Jose Andres Foods, that speak to his Spanish heritage.

Recently, I had a chance to sample a few of the products.

Spain takes its canned seafood seriously. Unlike in the United States, where tinned seafood is often thought of as a cheap pantry staple, Spaniards treat their canned seafood with reverence because the quality is high enough to serve in the best restaurants.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »