Category Archives: General

Comforting Indonesian Kecap Manis-Braised Pork

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Syrupy Indonesian soy sauce flavors this saucy pork dish.
Syrupy Indonesian soy sauce flavors this saucy pork dish.

After indulging in so many mammoth feasts this holiday, I always long for simple comfort dishes come January.

“Kecap Manis-Braised Pork” fits that bill with tender chunks of pork and potatoes simmered in sweet, aromatic Indonesian soy sauce known as kecap manis that gets spooned over fluffy white rice.

This simple, homey dish is from “Mortar & Pestle” (Weldon Owen, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Patricia Tanumihardja, a Virginia food writer who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and grew up in Singapore; and Juliana Evari Suparman, who was born in Bekasi, Indonesia and now lives in Seattle where for many years she operated her own restaurant and catering business.

Because Indonesian cuisine is not nearly as well known as many other Asian ones, the two were inspired to write the cookbook to shed light on their native country, which consists of an astounding 18,110 islands, forming what is the largest archipelago in the world (3.8 million square miles) to form a single state.

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Dining at Violetto at the Alila Napa Valley

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Smoked sturgeon and cauliflower rillettes with caviar at Violetto at the Alila resort.
Smoked sturgeon and cauliflower rillettes with caviar at Violetto at the Alila resort.

The resort now known as Alila Napa Valley (formerly Los Alcabas) has always been one of my favorite properties in St. Helena for its striking juxtaposition between old and new.

In 2021, the Alila hotel group took over the property with its oversized, minimalist, gray-toned rooms with spectacular vineyard views, with the vines so close to the ground-floor rooms that you could walk out your terrace to touch them.

In May 2024, it completed its transition by debuting its new restaurant, Violetto, housed in the property’s beautifully ornate 1907 mansion.

Chef Thomas Lents serves a French-Italian menu with thoughtful options for a 7-course tasting menu ($145) with optional wine pairing ($85), four-course prix fixe ($105) with optional wine pairing ($65), or a la carte. There are also supplemental items you can choose to add.

Violetto is housed in a 1907 mansion.
Violetto is housed in a 1907 mansion.
The main dining room.
The main dining room.
The bar-lounge area.
The bar-lounge area.

Recently, I was invited as a guest of the property and restaurant to stay overnight and to experience the new menu.

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Napa Meets Kansas City At Stateline Road Smokehouse

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(Clockwise from top): beans & greens; burnt ends, baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and mac & cheese.
(Clockwise from top): beans & greens; burnt ends, baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and mac & cheese.

Darryl Bell has known he wanted to be a chef since he was all of 8 years old, when he was already stirring up pots of lentil and hot water-corn bread at his family’s stove in Kansas City, MO.

He more than made good on that dream, cooking in such illustrious kitchens as Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, Alinea in Chicago, and Press in St. Helena.

This summer, he finally opened his own restaurant, Stateline Road Smokehouse in Napa, named for the major thoroughfare that divides Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS.

Chef-Owner Darryl Bell.
Chef-Owner Darryl Bell.

It was an endeavor that took a long two years to turn a former auto repair shop into a casual, welcoming restaurant, which I had a chance to finally visit a couple weeks ago.

Even at lunch time on a Friday, the place was packed with folks chowing down on trays heaped with smoky tender meats.

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Winter Was Made For Charred Tangerine & Herb Salad

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An easy, vibrant salad that makes the most of winter's juicy, sweet tangerines.
An easy, vibrant salad that makes the most of winter’s juicy, sweet tangerines.

Everyone needs a light, bright, and sunshine-y side dish that can be prepared on the fly in no time flat, especially at this time of year.

“Charred Tangerine & Herb Salad” is just that dish.

It’s even more appealing because it’s vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, so it can be enjoyed by a wide variety of eaters.

This easy-peasy recipe is from the new “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” (Ten Speed Press).

It was written by Joe Yonan, the two-time James Beard Award-winning food and dining editor of The Washington Post.

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