Bouchon Bakery’s Incomparable Blueberry Muffins

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Just try to resist these perfect blueberry muffins.

Imagine a muffin that’s moist through and through, tender and fluffy rather than dense, filled with plump blueberries, and crowned with a majestic halo of crunchy, nutty streusel.

Leave it to one of the world’s best chefs, Thomas Keller, to elevate the humble blueberry muffin to a work of art.

I’ve had these many a time at his Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.

But with the publication of his “Bouchon Bakery” (Artisan) with his Executive Pastry Chef Sebastien Rouxel of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, I can now make them happily at home. The cookbook, of which I recently received a review copy, includes 150 recipes for pastries and breads. Some like the Pear Feuilletes, made with homemade puff pastry, are geared to the more skilled baker. But there are plenty of others such as the Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies that novice bakers will embrace.

The “Blueberry Muffins” are quite simple, too. Keller writes in the book that the key to a great muffin is resting the batter overnight in the refrigerator. This allows the flour to absorb all the liquid, resulting in a very moist muffin. Plus if you make it the day before, it’s all set to go for baking in the morning. What a way to wake up.

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A Taste of Shanghai on Upper Market St. in San Francisco

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Angus beef stir-fried with mushrooms at Shanghai restaurant.

Shanghai-native Francis Tsai has had a most eclectic life.

He’s a former ballroom dance instructor. He opened the first discotheque in Hong Kong. He once ran the food division of Pan American Airlines. Years ago, he operated the Wu Kong restaurant in San Francisco’s Rincon Center. His daughter, Melody, who was born deaf, opened her own pizza place in the Mission last year called Mozzeria.

Tsai may be 83 now. But he’s far from ready to retire just yet. In fact, this summer he opened his own restaurant in San Francisco in the former Mecca location — Shanghai.

The 60-seat restaurant, done up in burgundy and beige with roomy banquettes and a commanding bar in the center of the dining room, serves modern Shanghai cuisine. Recently, when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant, I had a chance to try the creations of Chef Leo Gan, former opening chef of Shanghai 1930 in San Francisco.

The dining room, which looks out on to Market Street.

The stone-topped bar that's the focal point in the center of the room.

The decor is definitely a step up from most Chinese restaurants. The prices are, too, with dishes ranging from $4 for a dumpling dessert to $40 for a special that night of a whole crispy duck with spiced salt and chili.

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Middle Eastern Spinach Turnovers and A Food Gal Giveaway

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Golden turnovers filled with sumac-flavored spinach for your holiday entertaining.

Forget the old-school cheese balls and tired crostini concoctions.

This Christmas, when I welcome guests with a palate-awakening nosh before dinner it will be with these: “Spinach Turnovers.”

They’re the creation of Faith Gorsky, whose An Edible Mosaic blog I’ve enjoyed poring over for her beautiful photos and enticing recipes. It’s from her new cookbook, “An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair” (Tuttle), of which I recently received a review copy.

Gorsky became immersed in Middle Eastern cuisine when she married her Syrian husband and lived in the Middle East for the first six months of their marriage. The book is filled with specialties she’s learned to cook from her mother-in-law, as well as creations all her own, from “Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley Dressing” to “Spiced Shawarma Chicken Wraps” to “Sesame Fudge.”

Being the carb lover that I am, I’ve always had a soft spot for yeasty, flat Middle Eastern breads, especially ones imbued with spices that take me on a journey the moment I smell or taste them.

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Italian Sweet Treats From Emporio Rulli

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A fruitcake even fruitcake haters will love. A holiday specialty from Emporio Rulli.

After stuffing ourselves silly on Thanksgiving, it’s hard to fathom attacking more sweets.

But the Bay Area’s Emporio Rulli makes it so very hard to resist.

Especially when it comes to Italian specialty confections such as panforte and cialde wafer cookies, of which I just received samples of both.

I remember years ago during the winter, getting in line at a bakery in Siena, Italy, where panforte is a specialty. I had no idea why everyone was queued up, but I fell in behind everyone, hoping something wonderful awaited at the front. When my turn finally came, I bought what everyone else was buying — panforte. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I unwrapped it and took a bite. My expression fell immediately as I realized I had just spent money on a dreaded fruitcake. Not my fave, to say the least.

But Emporio Rulli’s version just might make a fruitcake believer out of you, as it did me. Unlike the one in Siena that was sticky, gooey soft, the Emporio Rulli one is extremely chewy and crunchy — more along the lines of a hard nougat. You’re hit with the unmistakable fragrance of oranges the minute you unwrap the round that’s studded completely with almonds, hazelnuts, apricots, candied orange peel and citron.

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Coffee with A Molecular Twist at Lavazza

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Ferran Adria's memorable Espesso Macchiato at Lavazza in Santana Row.

After braving the long, chaotic lines at all those Black Friday mega sales, you’ll surely be in need of a pick-me-up.

Why not make it one with a little molecular gastronomy thrown in to boot?

At the newest coffee cafe in San Jose’s Santana Row, Lavazza Espression, you can indulge in exactly that.

The artsy Vespa-red Italian cafe is the first of its kind on the West Coast by the famed Italian coffee roaster. More locales are expected in the near future around the Bay Area.

Lavazza's slogan.

Last week, I had a chance to sample the goods as a guest at the grand opening party. Scoops of vanilla gelato, samples of focaccia sandwiches, and arugula salads stuffed into crisp, lacy Parmesan cups made the rounds.

The San Jose cafe, which features artwork by top fashion photographers.

A striking wall decoration.

The tiramisu and chocolate tortes tasted fresh and classic. They’re flown in daily from Italy.

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