Category Archives: Bakeries

Delectable Stocking Stuffers and Host/Hostess Gifts

Studded with candied citrus peel, Emporio Rulli panettone is always a treat.

Studded with candied citrus peel, Emporio Rulli panettone is always a treat.

For The Holiday Sweet Tooth

Nothing says Christmas like a fluffy, buttery, sweet panettone.

And nobody makes them as irresistible as the Bay Area’s Emporio Rulli.

Chef Gary Rulli makes this 16th century Italian specialty in the time-honored tradition.

The Panettone Milanese, which I had a chance to sample, is made with plenty of butter, egg yolks, golden raisins, acacia honey, and Italian candied orange and citron peels. It’s yeasty bread meets cake.

Enjoy a big wedge on its own, or toasted and smeared with butter or jam, or as the foundation for an over-the-top bread pudding or French toast.

Rulli only makes them at this time of year. So don’t miss out. A small is $23.95; a large is $29.50.

For The Outdoor Enthusiast

If you thought Patagonia only made outdoor clothing and gear, you’re in for a surprise with its Patagonia Provisions, a line of food products made to be enjoyed on-the-go. I had a chance to sample a few.

The “Wild Sockeye Salmon, Lemon Pepper” comes in a shelf-stable package. The salmon is rich and meaty tasting, and not overwhelmed by a heavy-hand of smokiness.

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Three Things To Make the Holidays Easier and Tastier

http://assembleforfood.com/

Apple-cranberry galette ($32) from Manresa Bakery. (Photo courtesy of the bakery.)

Pre-Order At Manresa Bread Bakery

Yes, Manresa Bread Bakery in Los Gatos is now taking online pre-orders for breads and pastries up to two weeks in advance.

For Thanksgiving orders, you can pick up your items anytime from Nov. 20 to Nov. 25. Just note that the bakery will be closed on Thanksgiving and the day after that holiday.

For those of you in Santa Cruz, you can even choose to pick up your items Nov. 25 at the bakery pop-up at Assembly in Santa Cruz.

The super-sized kouign-amann. (Photo courtesy of Manresa Bakery)

The super-sized kouign-amann. (Photo courtesy of Manresa Bakery)

Items that can be ordered ahead include baguettes, brioche rolls, almond croissants, apple-cranberry galettes, pumpkin loaves, pumpkin pie, and even a giant version of the kouign-amann ($28) that feeds 6 to 8 (or probably one in my case).

Stock Up on Pies and Cakes To-Go at Presidio Social Club

Up in San Francisco, Presidio Social Club is also making it easy to enjoy fresh-baked pies and cakes this holiday season.

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Join the Food Gal and Mayfield Bakery Pastry Chef Samantha Miotke For A Cooking Demo

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It’s guaranteed to be a sweet time when yours truly teams with Executive Pastry Chef Samantha Miotke of Palo Alto’s Mayfield Bakery & Cafe for a delightful cooking demo 2 p.m. Sept. 19 at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara.

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Miotke was hooked on creating sugary treats ever since she was a little girl, playing with her Easy-Bake Oven.

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Step Inside Kristi Marie’s For A Sweet Taste

Pretty tomato tartines at Kristi Marie's in Redwood City.

Pretty tomato tartines at Kristi Marie’s in Redwood City.

 

If you’ve spent anytime in Menlo Park, you know the Borrone name.

As in the beloved Cafe Borrone next door to the equally cherished Kepler’s Books on El Camino Real.

Rose and Roy Borrone opened the European-style cafe more than a quarter century ago.

Their son Peter and his wife then opened the wood-fired pizza joint, Vesta, three years ago in Redwood City in the same location the first Cafe Borrone was established before it moved to Menlo Park.

And just a month ago, following in the family’s footsteps, Rose’s and Roy’s youngest daughter Kristi opened Kristi Marie’s bakery in downtown Redwood City with her husband Zu Tarazi. The couple previously owned Station 1 restaurant in Woodside.

The colorful sign painted on the side of the building.

The colorful sign painted on the side of the building.

Owners Kristi Borrone and Zu Tarazi.

Owners Kristi Borrone and Zu Tarazi.

The slender, shoebox-sized space once housed a hair salon. Now, it’s where Kristi and former Station 1 Sous Chef Alex Avery turn out sweets with Tarazi lending a hand with the savory side.

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A Taste of Korean Walnut Pastry

Discover Korean walnut pastries.

Discover Korean walnut pastries.

 

 

I am drawn to bakeries. What can I say?

So even after gorging one evening on fried chicken at Vons in Sunnyvale (a must-try for the “crispy” chicken, by the way), I still felt compelled to stop in at a bakery steps away in the same strip mall on El Camino Real.

What enticed me was Cocohodo’s sign: “Walnut Pastry.”

Walnut pastries? Korean ones? What could those possibly be?

Why, quite delicious, that’s what.

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