Monthly Archives: August 2011

Steven Raichlen’s Chinatown Ribs

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Ribs to make you go "wow.''

These are the ribs of my Chinese-American childhood — only way better.

You’ll recognize them by their deep, shiny red color of candied apples. They’re the sweet, sticky ribs so often enjoyed on appetizer platters at Chinese restaurants. I remember them as the ribs my late-Dad would pick up by the pound at a Chinatown deli, wrapped still warm in a foil-lined bag, which he toted home to enjoy for our weeknight family dinners with plenty of fluffy steamed rice alongside.

Barbecue-meister Steven Raichlen one-ups those with this recipe for “Chinatown Ribs” from scratch in his “Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs” (Workman). Their flavor, reminiscent of char siu or Chinese barbecued pork, is so much more vibrant than the ribs you can buy in Asian delis. There’s a far deeper complexity, what with the notes of ginger, garlic and star anise, plus the bite of fresh scallions strewn over the top. They’re also far juicier.

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Chez Panisse 40th Anniversary Public Lunch on Maiden Lane, Oyster Time & More

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The Alice Waters-designed T-shirt by Levi's. (Photo courtesy of Levi's)

Chez Panisse Joins With Levi’s For A Special Event in San Francisco

Make a lunch date at 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24 at San Francisco’s tucked-away Maiden Lane (between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street) to enjoy locally sourced, organic box lunches from Chez Panisse and the launch of a cool new T-shirt collection by the iconic restaurant in collaboration with Levi’s.

It’s all to celebrate the 40th anniversary of  the landmark Berkeley restaurant.

Proceeds from the sale of the all-organic T’s will benefit the Edible Schoolyard Project, the organization that Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters established to integrate kitchen and garden education into grade-school curriculum. The T’s feature designs by such celebs as Waters, herself, as well as Sofia Coppola, David Byrne, Dave Eggers and Maira Kalman. Beginning Aug. 24, the shirts also will be available in select Levi’s stores around the country and online at Levi.com.

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A Fine Wine Time at Enoteca La Storia and a Food Gal Giveaway

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Petite carrot cakes made by the mom of one of the owners at Enoteca La Storia.

I always loved the camaraderie and goofball spirit of the ol’ “Cheers” bar on TV.

But Entoteca La Storia in Los Gatos is the kind of bar I really want to spend time in.

And I’m glad I finally got a chance to experience it when I was invited to be a guest there recently.

The wine bar and wine shop opened in a strip mall on N. Santa Cruz Avenue in 2010. Not unlike Sam Malone in “Cheers,” Enoteca La Storia was founded by two guys who have a knack for welcoming folks to their establishment with warmth and humor.

Co-Owner Joe Cannistraci, a New York native who moved to Aptos more than 20 years ago, has a background in construction and contracting. But a childhood friend who grew up to become an accomplished New York chef and restaurateur got him so interested in wine that Cannistraci ended up taking a part-time job at the Wine Club in Santa Clara. Cannistraci, of Sicilian heritage, worked his way up to assistant manager and the store’s Italian wine buyer before leaving to help found the Vintage Wine Merchants in San Jose’s Santana Row.

He later met his fellow Co-Proprietor Michael Guerra, a third-generation San Jose native of Calabrese heritage, who for years was a mental health clinician, before deciding to pursue a passion for wine. Guerra worked at the Wine Club in Santa Clara, too, before also joining the team at Vintage Wine Merchants.

A glass of prosecco, emblazoned with a corkscrew insignia.

Cannistraci’s construction skills came in handy when he opened Enoteca La Storia. He designed the industrial-meets-vintage interior, which has an inviting, long, wrap-around bar in the main room along with high tables for more intimate seating near railings old pipes, their worn patina adding a lived-in look.

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Time for a V8 Pasta Sauce

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Pasta made with V8. Seriously!

Would you believe that’s the secret ingredient in this lusty pasta sauce?

Yes, V8, the canned and bottled deep-red vegetable juice that’s been around since 1933.

Normally, I might pooh-pooh the idea of pulling the tab on a can of mass-produced tomato-enriched juice to toss with pasta for dinner, especially since I rarely even quaff the stuff straight .

But this recipe for “Spaghettini with Tuna and V8 Sauce” comes from none other than esteemed chefs, Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani of award-winning Terra restaurant in St. Helena. And it was published in the cookbook, “A Twist of the Wrist” (Alfred A. Knopf), written by equally revered Pastry Chef, Nancy Silverton, famed for founding La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, as well as for her restaurants there and in Singapore in conjunction with Mario Batali — Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza.

Keep a few in the pantry to make this dish on the spur of the moment.

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Glam Dining For A Little Less: Lunch at Michael Mina in San Francisco

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Pasta of my dreams -- for lunch at Michael Mina.

I’ve always fantasized about what it must be like to be one of those ladies who lunch.

I’d be decked out in my smart little Chanel suit, carrying a Gump’s shopping bag in one arm and an obscenely expensive handbag in the other. I’d meet my dear friend, Bitsy, for a most civilized lunch on a weekday. It would last for hours and include many elegant courses at a serene table set with proper silverware and crystal glasses. The waitstaff would be attentive to every need yet unobtrusive. And the food would be thoroughly graceful and refined.

Minus the high-end wardrobe and the socialite-friend, I actually had such an experience recently. At Michael Mina in San Francisco. For lunch.

Dinner at this glam, high-end establishment may get all the buzz. But you’ll fork over $115 per person for the tasting menu in the evening.

At lunch, though, you can indulge in three courses for $49 or four courses for $59 in the dining room. Or for even more of a bargain and a quicker nosh, enjoy the a la carte menu at the bar.

Lunch at Michael Mina has gone through a few incarnations since it started up earlier this summer. It started out only served in the bar area. But then, expanded into part of the dining room. Now, 15 tables are devoted to lunch service. It’s purposely limited in scope so that the waitstaff can still maintain a high level of service even at an hour when most folks are accustomed to grabbing food on the go. Because only a portion of the dining room is used, it also makes for a quieter environment, where you can actually converse in measured tones with your dining companions, whether it be for business or for pleasure.

When I was invited to be a guest of the restaurant to try out the new lunch service, I chose the four-course option with each course having at least two different dishes to choose from.

A quite generous portion of oysters on the half shell for my first course.

Two housemade, non-alcoholic beverages also are available, including a fun and zingy “Pacquiao Punch” ($5), named for the world-champion Filipino boxer and made with pineapple and Filipino calamansi lime.

For my starter, I had oysters on the half shell. Six oysters of three different varieties, all bracing and sweet of the sea, arrived on ice with traditional horseradish-cocktail and classic mignonette sauces. I was amazed at the portion size, having expected maybe half that many. But lunch here is not dainty that way. The courses are all substantial.

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