Green Salad & New Potatoes — With An Emphasis on Green

Posted on by Leave a comment
Eat your veggies -- new potatoes with peas, edamame, and spinach in a creamy, herby dressing.
Eat your veggies — new potatoes with peas, edamame, and spinach in a creamy, herby dressing.

Basic doesn’t have to mean boring.

Nor does it have to be so rudimentary to be pointless.

So, when “Basics Vegetables” (Hardie Grant, 2025) landed on my porch as a review copy, I didn’t dismiss it outright, thinking I already know full well how to cook vegetables.

Instead, I leafed through the pages by Severine Auge, a Paris chef and recipe writer, and found a handy cookbook filled with helpful step-by-step photos for tried-and-true recipes ideal for young, newbie or infrequent cooks or anyone interested in adding more delicious vegetables to their diet.

There are detailed recipes for everything from “Smashed Potatoes” and “Tomato Tatin” to “Veggie Ramen,” “Lentil Shepherd’s Pie,” and “No-Bake Chocolate-Hazelnut Pot de Creme.”

Read more

Fast & Furious — And Super Garlicky

Posted on by One comment
Fish cooked in plenty of garlic -- in the style of shrimp made famous by Hawaiian food trucks.
Fish cooked in plenty of garlic — in the style of shrimp made famous by Hawaiian food trucks.

Soaring airfares may make you think twice about traveling these days.

But transporting yourself to the tropical paradise of Hawaii and beyond is just a recipe away with “Kimi’s Kitchen” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It’s a good bet that you’ve never encountered a cookbook by a national champion freediving and spearfisher. But that’s just what accomplished author Kimi Werner is, along with being a chef and environmental conservation advocate who lives on the North Shore of Oahu.

She wrote it with assistance from Jennifer Fiedler, an Oahu-based food writer; and Nicole Gormley, an award-winning filmaker, photographer and ocean advocate whose lavish photos in the book make you feel as if you could plunge right into the mesmerizing blue waters on the pages.

Werner grew up spearfishing with her father from a young age. More than sport, it was sustenance for the family that grew up in the early years with little. Throughout her life, the ocean has been a source of growth and inspiration. In her cookbook, she takes you along on her dives and inside her kitchen to learn how she prepares her favorite recipes. While many of the recipes focus on seafood, there are others that center around meat or are vegetarian instead.

Read more

Layers and Layers to Admire at Strata

Posted on by One comment
Rockfish crudo -- one of the courses on the $75 prix fixe at the new Strata.
Rockfish crudo — one of the courses on the $75 prix fixe at the new Strata.

In these economic times, bargain bliss is hard to come by.

But look to the new downtown San Jose restaurant Strata, set to open on Wednesday, and you will unexpectedly find it.

Relatively speaking.

After all, when’s the last time you enjoyed an upscale 5-course prix fixe dinner for $75? With a wine pairing for all of $40 for four different pours?

It’s not merely food plopped on a dish, either, but thoughtfully executed and plated with intention.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a sneak peek and taste over the weekend when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant.

The bar-lounge.
The bar-lounge.
The wine bottle display in the lounge.
The wine bottle display in the lounge.

Strata, pronounced “Stray-tuh,” is a geological term that refers to the layers of rock or sediment that form over time. It’s meant to evoke the layers of cuisine, hospitality, and experience that make up the restaurant, says co-owner Dan Phan.

It could also refer to the multi-faceted establishments that Phan, along with co-owners George Lahlou and Johnny Wang, have successfully launched in downtown San Jose over the past few years. Their MO Hospitality is the driving force behind bars Paper Plane, MINIBOSS, Still O.G. and Alter Ego, and the restaurant Eos & Nyx.

Like Eos & Nyx, Strata offers an upscale experience, but in this case, a bifurcated one.

Read more

Chocolate Chip Cookies — But Make ‘Em with Miso-Glazed Walnuts

Posted on by Leave a comment
Loads of dark chocolate plus miso-glazed walnuts make these cookies extra special.
Loads of dark chocolate plus miso-glazed walnuts make these cookies extra special.

Crisp or chewy. Brown sugar or granulated. Softened butter or browned. Chips or chopped chocolate. Baked immediately or from chilled dough.

Chocolate-chip cookies come in all sizes and manners, and we love each and every one.

Get ready to add another fabulous one to your repertoire — this one with miso.

As in miso-glazed walnuts.

“Miso Walnut Double-Thick Chocolate-Chip Cookies” is from “Sift: The Elements of Great Baking” (Clarkson Potter, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Nicola Lamb, a London-based recipe developer and pastry chef, who has trained with superstar chefs Dominique Ansel and Yotam Ottolenghi.

The first 100 or so pages are perfect for bakers who like to nerd out. They’re devoted to the science behind flour, sugar, eggs, and fat — and how they affect different types of dessert recipes.

Read more

Take A Seat At the Sensational Saison Wine Bar

Posted on by 2 comments
Caviar Parfait a la Mina at Saison Wine Bar.
Caviar Parfait a la Mina at Saison Wine Bar.

There are wine bars.

And then there is Saison Wine Bar.

Located in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco, it boasts not only exceptional wines by the glass, flight or bottle, but French fare that’s far more elegant and refined than you might expect.

But then again, it is from the same restaurant group that operates Michelin two-starred Saison and Michelin-starred Angler, both in San Francisco.

No wonder folks are willing to wait up to 3 hours to get in at times, according to its Wine Director Paul Carayas.

Saison co-founder Mark Bright obviously struck gold when he decided to open the wine bar in 2024, along with the Saison Wine Cellar, a members’-only space two doors down that provides private tastings and climate-controlled wine storage.

A helpful sign points the way.
A helpful sign points the way.
The entrance.
The entrance.

I had a chance to finally visit the wine bar last week with my husband. Even on a Tuesday, it was boisterous, with many patrons filling tables and bar seats for the Happy Hour wine and food specials, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Read more
« Older Entries