Author Archives: foodgal

Pumpkin Plus Nutella For Double the Goodness

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It's the great pumpkin Nutella bread, Charlie Brown.
It’s the great pumpkin Nutella bread, Charlie Brown.

October heralds everything pumpkin, of course.

Add in rich, creamy Nutella, and you have a combo that can’t miss.

That’s what this gorgeous, moist “Pumpkin Nutella Bread” is all about.

The recipe is from the new “Dolci!” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Renato Poliafito, founder of Ciao, Gloria bakery and cafe in Brooklyn, and former co-owner of Baked in Brooklyn; with assistance from with Casey Elsass, food writer and cookbook author.

It’s a collection of treats that take influence from his Italian, American, and Italian-American heritages in everything from “American Cinnamon Rolls,” “Sicilian Sticky Buns,” and “Triple-Chocolate Biscotti” to “Honey-Ricotta Black and Whites,” “Limoncello Pistachio Tart,” and “Cannoli Cake.”

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The Fine-Dining Anomaly

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This is how they do shrimp and grits at Anomaly.
This is how they do shrimp and grits at Anomaly.

When Mike Lanham was a young cook, he’d dress up in his one set of nice clothes and use his meager savings to dine at a two- or three-starred Michelin restaurant. Admittedly, as early as 2 hours beforehand, he’d find himself getting nervous, anxious that he’d fit in properly or commit a dining faux pas.

So, when it was time to open his own restaurant, he knew he didn’t want his diners to feel the same jitters.

“Fine-dining should be fun,” he explains, “and well thought out.’ But certainly not intimidating.

His aptly named Anomaly aims to deviate from the expected stiff formality one sometimes associates with highfalutin dining.

The tasting menu-only restaurant started out as a pop-up before opening its own brick-and-mortar in San Francisco’s lower Pacific Heights neighborhood. Last week, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant, which received recognition from the 2024 California Michelin Guide.

Executive Chef Mike Lanham in the open kitchen.
Executive Chef Mike Lanham (right) in the open kitchen.

The restaurant has two dining rooms, the front one right behind a lounge-space where diners can enjoy glasses of sparkling wine before they are escorted to their tables; and a second main dining room that affords a bird’s eye view of the open kitchen.

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Mushroom Udon with Honey? You Bet!

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Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?
Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?

Admittedly, when I first laid eyes on this recipe for “Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon,” I was initially a little skeptical.

Mushrooms with honey? Really?

But James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon has never steered me wrong in any of her other recipes that I’ve made.

Ditto for this one. Not only was this recipe quick and effortless, but it showed me just how honey could further deepen the caramelized taste of sauteed mushrooms.

First published in the New York Times, this recipe calls for boiling frozen or fresh udon noodles, then rinsing well to remove excess starch.

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Coconut Rice with Greens Made Even Better with San Francisco-Made Artisan Miso

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San Francisco's artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.
San Francisco’s artisan-made Shared Cultures miso gives this coconut rice exceptional flavor and depth.

When the heat is on, food deliberately goes very simple.

Because the last thing you want to do is crank up the oven, ignite all four burners, or linger one moment longer than necessary in a hot kitchen.

Still, that doesn’t mean you have to settle.

On the contrary, a dish like “Miso-Coconut Rice with Greens”may be a cinch to make in one pot on the stove or in a rice cooker, but it’s also soulfully satisfying.

The recipe is from the cookbook, “Cook Simply, Live Fully” (Harper), of which I received a review copy.

You just have to love the philosophy of that title, written by Yasmin Fahr, a New York Times recipe contributor and veteran cookbook author who spends most of her time on the Spanish island of Menorca.

The book includes 120 recipes that are wittily — and conveniently — arranged by your mood. There are recipes for “Lap Dinners” when you need nourishment but barely feel like making anything; “Coffee Table Dinners,” when you have a bit more time and energy; and “At the Dinner Table,” when you want a proper sit-down meal.

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