Meyer Lemon Biscotti

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Biscotti abundant with walnuts, lemon zest and lemon juice.

When life gives you Meyer lemons, why make lemonade when you can make “Lemon-Walnut Biscotti” instead?

Yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about when winter rains give way to a backyard tree full of ripe, juicy, sunshine-y lemons — finally.

Sure, you can make these crisp, crumbly cookies with regular Eureka lemons that have a sharper tang. But make them with the more floral Meyers and you’re really in for a treat. My husband’s colleagues tried some and thought for sure there was rosemary or some other herb in them. But nope, it’s just the complexity of the Meyers coming through loud and clear.

The recipe is from the hefty, new “Bon Appetit Desserts” cookbook (Andrews McMeel) by Barbara Fairchild, former editor-in-chief of that magazine who just stepped down now that the publication has moved its offices from Los Angeles to Manhattan. The 686-page tome, of which I just received a review copy, contains more than 600 recipes to keep you baking to your heart’s content.

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Michael Mina Comes Full Circle

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Rib eye with bone marrow and pommes fondant at Michael Mina.

When San Francisco top toque, Michael Mina, opened his flagship, eponymous restaurant in 2004 in the Westin St. Francis on Union Square, it was in a hushed, luxe space all done up in elegant white and pale blue, with crisp tablecloths, elaborate china and one-of-a-kind serving pieces.

Then, when Michael Mina Restaurant moved late last year to the California Street location once home to Aqua restaurant, where Mina first made a name for himself, along with it came a new incarnation of the restaurant. Out went the tablecloths; in went unadorned dark walnut tables. The gleaming china was replaced by rough-hewn, handmade Japanese plateware. And the tempo of the restaurant went up decidedly with the now-lively bar with pop music audible throughout the dining room.

Just don’t call the ambiance “casual,” jokes Ryan Cole, general manager of the restaurant. Chef Mina, he notes, prefers the term, “relaxed,” to reflect the less fussy attitude that today’s diners want in a fine-dining restaurant.

The redone dining room.

Just before Christmas, I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. Just months before, I’d also had the opportunity to dine as a guest at Mina’s new Bourbon Steak, which took the place of Michael Mina Restaurant in the Westin St. Frances last year. The food at both was top-notch. But interestingly enough, if I had to choose one of the two to return to on my own dime, I’d most likely give the edge to Bourbon Steak. It’s slightly cheaper, with more options, and food that provided a bit more “wow.”

The evening's amuse bouche.

Right after we were seated at Michael Mina, just steps from the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco, a gourmet version of a homespun classic arrived. The amuse that night was a tiny cup of beluga lentil soup with a dainty grilled cheese-prosciutto sandwich.

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Fruit and Veggie Delivery Made Easy

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Organic dried black eyed peas for the new year.

That’s just what San Francisco’s The FruitGuys does.

The 12-year-old company delivers boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables — grown by small family farms — to offices and homes nationwide. Think of it as a convenient way to bring a taste of the farmers market right to your door.

Three years ago as a way to give back, the 12-year-old company also launched its Farm Stewart Program to support sustainable family farming. The company donates 88,000 pounds of fresh fruit annually to non-profit groups and regional food pantries.

Its gift boxes, which start at $39, make thoughtful presents for anyone who appreciates gourmet eats. The boxes can include items such as handpicked apples, pears, citrus, honey-roasted cashews, cinnamon pecans, regional honey and the Philo Apple Farm’s apple cider vinegar.

A sample of The FruitGuys' new TakeHome box.

Just before New Year’s, I had a chance to try a sample of The FruitGuys’ new TakeHome box, which starts at $24 and is filled with farm-fresh, regional organic produce. Choose from all fruit, all veggie or a mix of both.

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A CSA That’s A Cut Above

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Baia Nicchia's unusual varieties of fall/winter squash.

If your New Year’s resolution includes eating more healthful, you just might want to make good on that by joining a CSA.

For a community supported agriculture program that’s a cut above the rest, look no further than Baia Nicchia’s. Fred Hempel, a geneticist turned farmer who owns the 9 1/2-acre Baia Nicchia Farm in Sunol, provides a weekly box of his fresh fruit, veggies and herbs to you. You pay $30 a week, but end up getting $35 or more worth of produce.

Recently, I had a chance to sample a couple of boxes and what a culinary treasure trove they were. Included was a brilliant rainbow of winter squash — from the deep orange-hued French Potimarron to the dusty peach-colored Kikuza (an heirloom Japanese variety) to the large pale creamsicle Terremoto to the haunting pale blue Australian Triamble that can be stored up to two years. Additionally, there was a bunch of my fave lacinato kale, as well as sweet Scotch Blue kale, peppery Dutch arugula, spigarello (a broccoli rabe relative), baby turnips, sprigs of pungent orange balsam thyme and fragrant yuzu.

Baia Nicchia supplies to top Bay Area restaurants (including Marché in Menlo Park), so Hempel will often include some fun, unusual items in his CSA boxes that he grows primarily for chefs, such as edible chrysanthemum and amazing finger limes. Because he operates a nursery, he sometimes includes seedlings as well, such as mustard greens that you can pot in your backyard and snip all winter long to enhance salads and stir-fry dishes.

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My Fave Eats of 2010

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I’ve eaten a lot this year. Let’s just get that out of the way at the start.

So, you can imagine my dilemma in coming up with a list of a mere 10 dishes or items that were my ultimate favorites this year. I limited the list to meals I ate out at restaurants, rather than made at home.  They also had to be so great as to have me still longing for a taste even now.

Here, in no particular order, are my top eats of this year:

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