Monthly Archives: June 2011

Cherries for the Fourth — and Beyond

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Rasberry-Cherry Crumble Bars. You can't eat just one. Trust me.

Fourth of July might be the ideal time to celebrate the last of the season’s fresh cherries with a bang.

Those sweet, crunchy orbs come and go all too soon, don’t they?

But Payson Fruit Growers has a way to let you enjoy them all year-round.

Founded in 1964, the farmer-owned business processes tart cherries that are grown on local farms in the Payson, Utah area. Recently, I had a chance to sample some of their products.

Some of the tart Montmorency cherries are turned into Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate ($18 for 1 quart). The thicky, syrupy concentrate is fabulous for adding to smoothies or to pan sauces for duck, pork or chicken.

Make your own tart cherry soda.

I stirred two tablespoons into 8-ounces of carbonated water, then garnished with fresh cherries and a rosemary sprig to make a refreshing summer soda. It’s super fruity and not overwhelmingly sour. But if you like it sweeter, you can add a tablespoon or two of simple syrup.

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Scenes From the Food Gal’s Cooking Demo At Macy’s Union Square

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Yours truly with Chef Earl Shaddix of All-Clad. (Photo courtesy of Barry and Eva Jan)

It was an unbelievable standing room-only crowd a couple of Saturday afternoons ago at Macy’s Union Square San Francisco, when I did my first cooking demo ever.

Chef Earl Shaddix of All-Clad was on hand to act as host and assistant, when I demonstrated how to make my late-Mom’s one and only tomato beef chow mein.

The event was crazy fun. It was a blast. And it was downright exhausting. I was so pooped that I joked to some of my cookbook-author friends afterward that I don’t know how they do these all the time without keeling over.

The day was a total whirlwind. The event started at 2 p.m., but I got there two hours earlier in order to make two batches of the dish ahead of time to ensure there was plenty for samples and to prep for the third batch, which I would make in front of the audience. From the second I got there, it was non-stop chopping, peeling, stirring and talking — until I finally left the store at 4 p.m. to go back home. Whew!

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Home-Grown Sorbets

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French Press sorbet made with agave nectar and no dairy products.

With searing temperatures of late, why not reach for some new sorbets to beat the heat?

Especially when they’re made right here in the Bay Area in small batches with locally sourced ingredients and without any dairy.

Garden Creamery, which is made in Marin County, is the brainchild of Bay Area residents, Erin Lang and Natalie Parker. Recently, they reformulated the sorbets to make them even smoother in texture. Additionally, they added two new flavors: French Press Coffee and Thai Iced Tea.

All the sorbets are made with coconut puree to add body and sweetened with organic agave syrup.

Recently, I had a chance to try the new flavors.

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Mighty Tea and a Mighty Food Gal Giveaway

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Mighty Leaf Iced Tea blends. (Photo courtesy of Mighty Leaf)Iced Tea pitcher to make quenching your thirst a breeze. (Photo courtesy of Mighty Leaf)

Might you be getting just a bit parched on these toasty summer days?

Then, you might very well enjoy a glass of quenching iced tea, wouldn’t you?

Mighty Tea makes it a snap with its hand-blended, whole-leaf tea leaves in eco-friendly pouches.

Enjoy a sip of Sunburst Green Iced Tea (with low caffeine and the burst of orange flavor), Ginger Peach Iced Tea (made with black tea), Calypso Mango Iced Tea (with tropical fruit flavors and South Indian black tea), and Organic Black Iced Tea.

Contest: One lucky Food Gal reader will win samples of each of those iced tea flavors plus a 50-ounce Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher with a removable infuser to hold tea pouches or tea leaves.

Contest is open only to those in the continental United States. Entries will be accepted through midnight PST July 2. Winner will be announced July 4. How’s that for a Fourth of July bonanza?

How to win?

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Rose Pistola Still Blooming After All These Years

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Asparagus and lamb pizza at Rose Pistola.

There’s no denying that North Beach has to be one of San Francisco’s most touristy neighborhoods.

But it’s also full of enough charm, vivacity and quality Italian food to continue draw locals, as well.

That’s one reason why after 15 years Rose Pistola, a short hop from the Hilton San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf, is still going strong.

The Ligurian-inspired restaurant recently got a face-lift with a new, softer color scheme in grey, burgundy and brown. The tile floors have been restored and the rich mahogany gleams.

Last month, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant to try the updated menu by new Executive Chef Mark Gordon.

All around me, tables were full of locals, as well as out-of-towners carbo-loading for the next day’s spirited Bay to Breakers race through the streets of San Francisco.

We started with stuffed calamari ($13), tender soft tubular bodies stuffed with seafood mousse, then grilled until smoky.

Tender, charred stuffed calamari.

Grilled, crusty bread spread fava bean puree and lusty olive-oil preserved tuna.

Next, the simple yet sublime bruschette of chunky, mashed favas and tuna conserva ($12). With a glass of racy, white wine, you could make a light dinner of these alone. The creamy, sweet favas were a wonderful match to the the rich, silky tuna preserved in olive oil. It’d be a great nosh to make at home, too.

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