Potato Chip Cookies for Fools

Posted on by 9 comments

The ''before'' picture of Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips.

You’ve heard of  “Girls Gone Wild”?

Think of this as “Potato Chips Gone to Hell.”

This is the story of when bad things happen to good potato chips.

Or the tale of a thoroughly foolish recipe for April Fool’s Day.

You see, when I spied a recipe for Potato Chip Cookies in a new cookbook, I got all intrigued. I mean, who wouldn’t at the thought of something as unlikely as potato chips being incorporated into cookie dough?

I’ve decided to let the cookbook go unnamed, since it’s not fair for me to judge the entire cookbook by only one recipe. I’ve also decided not to print the recipe here, because I’m never making it again, and I sure wouldn’t want any of you to.

The "after'' photo of the first bad batch.

The cookies are described in the recipe as being like Mexican wedding cake cookies. I tell ya, look at these photos. Do these look anything like Mexican wedding cake cookies? I think not!

Read more

Fruity, Chocolate-Dunked Meringues

Posted on by 23 comments

Blueberry CocoaBerries.

Sound pretty good?

Then, meet CocoaBerries — the newest treat from Rubicon Bakery.

If you don’t know Rubicon Bakery, you should. For more than a dozen years, it has created baked treats that are sold at many Bay Area stores, including Andronico’s, Costco, Zanotto’s, and Whole Foods, as well as Rubicon’s online site.

It is part of Rubicon Programs, Inc., a non-profit that provides training, employment, and housing to those in need. The bakery offers work-skill training and entry-level jobs for those who are homeless, or suffer from mental disabilities or addictions. All revenue from the bakery, minus costs, are donated to the agency.

The CocoaBerries are available in two flavors: Strawberry and Blueberry. Each 2.7-ounce box is about $5.50.

I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money” far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some” middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” supreme ranking.

Read more


Book Signing, Dinner & A Show, and An Auction

Posted on by 13 comments

Meet Curtis Stone at Santana Row.

Meet Aussie chef, Curtis Stone, 2 p.m. April 11 at Sur La Table in San Jose’s Santana Row.

The chef, who has cooked at top London restaurants, also stars in the Learning Channel’s show, “Take Home Chef.” He will kick off the day with a cooking demo in Santana Row Park. Then, he’ll head over to Sur La Table to sign copies of his new book, “Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone” (Clarkson Potter).

The cooking demo is free; cookbooks to be signed can be prepurchased at Sur La Table starting April 7. Call the store at (408) 244-4749 for more information.

Santana Row has another enticing offer for you: Enjoy a two-course, $24.95 prix fixe dinner on any Sunday through April 16 at one of 12 participating restaurants, and receive two tickets to the world premiere production of “The Kite Runner” at San Jose Repertory Theatre. Just take your receipt to the Santana Row Concierge office to receive a voucher for the tickets while they last.

Read more

A Dreamy Meal of Pizza and Soft-Serve

Posted on by 24 comments

Pizzeria Picco's Margherita.

We came for the pizza. We stayed for the soft-serve.

After all, when no less an authority on Italian cuisine than Mario Batali declares in a national food magazine that the Margherita pie at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur is the best in the country, well, one must high-tail it over there to try it pronto.

My hubby and I finally did (hey, it is a hike from the South Bay).

A cyclist, my hubby got a kick out of how so many of the pies are named after bikes, including the “Specialized” (Hobbs’ pepperoni, house-made sausage, tomato, mozzerella, and basil), and the “Seven” (oyster mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, and oregano). Since his nickname is Meat Boy, he opted for the “Cannondale” (house-made sausage, roasted peppers, spring onion, mozzarella, and basil; $13.50). I, of course, went for the Margherita (tomato, basil, house-made mozzarella, parmesan, and De Padova extra virgin olive oil; $10.95).

Vanilla soft-serve with olive oil and sea salt. Unbelievably good!

Since the pizzeria itself is teeny-tiny and it was a beautiful, warm evening in Marin County, we sat outside at a wrought-iron table. The Pizzeria is adjacent to the larger Picco Restaurant, which has a more expansive menu. Both were started by long-time Bay Area Chef Bruce Hill.

Read more

Sisterly Sweets

Posted on by 14 comments

Socola truffles

Wendy Lieu sports a degree in managerial economics from the University of California at Davis.

Younger sister, Susan Lieu, holds a degree in social studies from Harvard University.

Besides brains and aptitude, of course, the two siblings share something more — a passion for entrepreneurship and for all things chocolate.

In 2001, they combined those interests to create Socola Chocolatier in Oakland, a gem of a truffle business, where the confections are hand-made with Scharffen Berger chocolate and Straus Creamery dairy products. Wendy, who also graduated from the pastry program at Tante Marie’s Cooking School, is the chief chocolatier. Susan is chief cheerleader and marketing whiz for their company, the name of which means “chocolate” in Vietnamese.

Sisters, Wendy (left) and Susan (right) Lieu, of Socola Chocolatier.

Sweets have a long history in their family. Their grandfather helped feed his large family by making pastries that were sold every day at the market in Vietnam. And it was her grandmother’s recipes for chocolate confections that Wendy first experimented with before starting Socola.

The two sisters proudly displayed their chocolate wares and handed out samples at this past weekend’s San Francisco International Chocolate Salon. If you missed that, no worries. The chocolates can be ordered online or found at such stores as the Alameda Natural Grocery in Alameda, and Daily Delectables in Oakland. Later this month, Whole Foods in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood also will begin stocking them. A box of one dozen chocolates is $25.

Guiness truffle

I’ll use my patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money” far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some” middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” supreme ranking.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »