Monthly Archives: November 2009

Gawking at Goat Cheese

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The unusual rind on Capricious goat cheese.

Take a close look at this rind. Come on. Closer, closer.

How can you not gawk at a cheese with an exterior that’s almost burlap-like in color and texture?

Have you ever seen the likes of this before? I know I haven’t.

Capricious is the name of this wondrous goat cheese.

And I have cookbook authors Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein of the RealFoodHasCurves blog to thank for this discovery.

The duo were in San Francisco earlier this year, when they stumbled upon this glorious cheese sold at the Cowgirl Creamery shop in the Ferry Building that’s made by Achadinha Cheese Company of Petaluma.

The milk for the cheese comes from the Pacheco Family Goat Dairy that’s been around since 1953. Five years ago, owners Donna and Jim Pacheco, started making cheese, too, from the milk from their 1,400-goat herd. After Mark and Bruce raved about it to me, the Pachecos were kind enough to send me a small sample of the cheese to try.

A different kind of goat cheese -- dry, crumbly and aged.

The Capricious sells for $29.95 a pound. That may sound pricey, but not when you realize all the love and work that’s gone into it.

The cheese is completely handmade and hand-rolled. Each wheel is turned daily to endure even mold coverage, then washed and rubbed down with olive oil to protect the interior of the cheese as it ages anywhere from three to 10 months, depending upon the time of year and the amount of butter fat in the goats milk.

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A Peek at Palmetto Bluff’s Lowcountry Celebration in South Carolina with Tyler Florence

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Tyler Florence holding court on stage at the food festival.

Six hundred food fanatics turned out last weekend in Bluffton, S.C. for the third annual “Palmetto Bluff Lowcountry Celebration.”

Yours truly was among them, having been invited to partake in the feasting of all things Southern.

After all, who could pass up a chance to watch Food Network star Tyler Florence and a bevy of the South’s top chefs prepare oyster stew, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, fried chicken, fried shrimp, tater tots fried in duck fat, pulled pork sandwiches, and a mountain of crawfish.

Um, did I mention a lot of the food was fried? Hey, it’s the South. Don’t even bat an eye.

The grand Inn at Palmetto Bluff.

This was the third year of the festival, which is held at the posh Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a residential and recreational community on 20,000 acres, about a third of that set aside in perpetuity to remain undeveloped. Once home to 21 grand plantations, the area, about 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Ga., now boasts an inn with 50 upscale cottages, as well as rental homes and permanent homes.

You might already know that Florence is from South Carolina. What you might not know is that he owns a home at Palmetto Bluff, got married here, and that his brother, Warren, is the tennis pro here.

The food festival tent, set among the ruins of a mansion on the property that burned down years ago.

Praline angel food cakes to sample.

Chef Tom Condron of the Liberty in Charlotte, NC prepares seared salmon with warm potato salad.

Sizzling salmon.

The festival included a day of cooking demos and tastings by chefs such as Donald Barickman and Donald Drake of Magnolias in Charleston; Chris and Idie Hastings of the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Ala.; Frank Lee of Maverick Southern Kitchens in Charleston; and Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill in Charleston.

Manning the fire pit full of oysters, mussels, shrimp and crawfish.

The highlight for me was the finale — a bonafide oyster roast in a very secluded, woodsy spot on the property, where an elaborate fire pit was constructed.

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New Bakery, Gourmet Turkey Sandwich, Pastry Chefs Event & More

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Whup it up for Whoopie Pies from Susiecakes. (Photo courtesy of Susiecakes)

If you’re already drooling over those Whoopie Pies, you’ll have to wait until January 2010 to try them.

That’s when Susiecakes will open its first Northern California location in Marin at the Bon Air Shopping Center in Greenbrae.

Owner Susan Sarich opened the first Susiecakes in Brentwood in Southern California three years ago. Three others followed suit in other SoCal cities.

The home-style desserts include everything from a best-selling apple pie to Susie’s Famous Southern Red Velvet cake to homemade banana pudding to assorted cupcakes.

Cherry pie. (Photo courtesy of Susiecakes)

If you’re starting your holiday shopping bright and early tomorrow, San Jose’s Santana Row will be offering a bevy of discounts and deals. Puripan Tea Garden will offer 20 percent off all teaware and accessories. Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub and Restaurant will start Happy Hour at 11:30 a.m. with half-off appetizers, and $2 off pints, well drinks and select wines. Roux Louisiana Kitchen joins in with house wine, champagne, mimosas and draft beer for $3 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Yankee Pier will extend its Happy Hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and feature $1 Skokum oysters.

Thea Mediterranean will discount your tab 15 percent if you show a receipt from any Santana Row shop or restaurant that day. Vintage Wine Merchants will serve up $3 mimosas. And the Santana Row location of Starbucks will open at a crazy 3 a.m. for caffeine-desperate early shoppers.

"Plymouth Superbird'' sandwich. (Photo courtesy of the Naked Lunch)

If you’re missing out on turkey this Thanksgiving, no worries. The Naked Lunch, the fun, fast-casual eatery in San Francisco’s North Beach has a sammie that is sure to satisfy.

Available Nov. 27-28, the “Plymouth Superbird Sandwich” ($9) features Fra’ Mani’s new turkey galantine, made of both white and dark oven-roasted meat. The sandwich comes complete with cranberry mostarda, sweet potato aioli, Hen of the Woods mushrooms and shaved celery — all on an Acme green onion slab.

Chef Doug Keane and his staff at Cyrus in Healdsburg typically have the day off on Thanksgiving.

But this holiday, they’ll be working in a different capacity. Keane, his wife, and his crew will prepare and serve a traditional Thanksgiving feast today for 120 residents of Catholic Charities Homeless Service Center, a local organization that helps homeless families.

Chef Doug Keane (center) and his staff. (Photo courtesy of Cyrus resaurant)

Guests of the shelter will enjoy a sit-down meal at Healdsburg Bar & Grill with all the trimmings, including cornbread, and apple and pumpkin pies.

“Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and giving back,” Keane says. “Rather than simply volunteering our time or donating our food to the shelter, we want to welcome these families as guests of what is, essentially, our home. We hope to provide a memorable and special dinner out- one where we can all give thanks together. ”

Meet some of the Bay Area’s top pastry chefs at “The State of Pastry in SF,” a 6 p.m. Dec. 1 program hosted by the San Francisco Commonwealth Club. They’ll be giving baking tips and talking about the latest dessert trends.

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Holiday Cookies to Bake

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Bring it on -- "Feisty Ginger Cookies.''

Still hunting for the perfect cookie to make all your friends and family members thoroughly worship the ground you walk on and the kitchen you bake in?

Look no further than today’s issue of East Bay Express, where you’ll find my story on holiday cookies.

I sweet-talked three well-known East Bay bakers into parting with their favorite holiday cookie recipes.

Learn how to make “Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheels” from Oakland’s Montclair Baking; “Feisty Ginger Cookies” from Teacake Bake Shop of Emeryville, Lafayette and Corte Madera; and gluten-free ”Viennese Crescents” from Mariposa bakery in Oakland.

For good measure, I also included my own favorite Christmas cookie — “Italian Macaroons.”

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Take Five with “Top Chef” Contestant Kevin Gillespie, On the Impact of TV Fame

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Chef Kevin Gillespie of "Top Chef'' grills up succulent pork belly in South Carolina last weekend.

Only four remain.

As Season 6 of Bravo TV’s wildly popular “Top Chef” show winds to a close, Atlanta’s Kevin Gillespie still remains standing. Executive chef and partner of Woodfire Grill, the poised 27-year-old has held himself above the dramatics and hi-jinks exhibited by some of his other competitors. He makes no apologies for his food being simple. Indeed, his longevity just shows that food needn’t be fussy to be spectacular.

I caught up with Gillespie this weekend when I was invited to attend the third annual “Tyler Florence’s Palmetto Bluff Lowcountry Celebration” at the serene, sumptuous Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina.

Clearly a fan favorite, he was mobbed by well-wishers as he manned the grill, where he was turning out smoky pork belly served with pickled apples and a pureed peanut sauce. Talk about a succulent dish with true Southern twang.

Kevin's grilled pork belly with pickled apples and a zippy peanut sauce.

Everyone wanted to ask him if he ended up winning “Top Chef.” But he remained mum. You’ll just have to keep watching to find out how much farther he gets.

Q: Kevin, how did you get involved with “Top Chef”?

A: They came to me about it. I had to really think about it. I had not really watched the show before, and I feared TV would cheapen what I was doing, that it would add this novelty aspect to it.

Q: How has being on the show changed your life?

A: It’s made the restaurant significantly busier. We’ve had a 330 percent increase in revenue. We didn’t even think that was possible.

The celebrity part is crazy. I was surprised how much people like the show. People really care, and it’s nice to see how much they want to see someone who believes in food succeed. I think it’s also spurred a lot of people to be interested in something they had long forgotten. Television has given people like myself a vehicle to say what they think about food. You have to use it as a vehicle to help shape young people.

Q: Do you like the way you’ve been portrayed on TV?

A: I had a generous portrayal. They didn’t create a person who didn’t exist. I’m not a person who talks negative about others. I’m very purposeful. I think it’s given me credibility on the show.

Q: What surprised you most about doing the show?

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