Category Archives: General

Fried Chicken Sandwich Bliss In A Napa Auto Lot

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The epic fried chicken sandwich at Joella's Deli.
The epic fried chicken sandwich at Joella’s Deli.

Chef Ian Rosenstrauch has a thing for fried chicken. And we should all be grateful for that.

A former line cook at New York City’s Rainbow Room, who then worked for three years as a butcher and gardener at The French Laundry in Yountville, he would go home at the end of his shift and crave fried chicken so much that he’d fry up a batch to eat. Even at 2 a.m. — when he had to be back at work at 7 a.m.

One day, he got the notion to come up with the ultimate fried chicken sandwich. And that was that. He jumped all in, quitting his job a month later, and buying a used food truck that he tricked out, himself, after watching YouTube videos.

He knew he was on to something when he was asked to cater the holiday party for the staff at Michelin-starred Press in St. Helena.

He served the fried chicken sandwich, of course. “They lost their minds!” over it, he recounted proudly. That was no easy feat when you consider that tough crowd included former colleagues of his from The French Laundry.

Chef Ian Rosenstrauch
Chef Ian Rosenstrauch

That’s how Joella’s Deli was born two years ago. He named it after his grandmother, whom he jokes, never cooked anything in her life, but nevertheless whose love had a profound impact on his life.

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A Twist on Chicken Pot Pie

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Creamy, comforting chicken pot pie -- with a different topper.
Creamy, comforting chicken pot pie — with a different topper.

Take your favorite fruit crumble — but skip the apples, berries or stone fruit, and give it a hearty savory filling instead.

That’s just what this chicken pot pie is delightfully like.

That’s because “Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping” swaps out the usual puff pastry or buttery pie crust topper for crunchy, toasty, Parmesan-laced crumbles strewn over the top that act almost like croutons — adding bits of crispiness that also deliciously sop up the creamy sauce underneath.

This recipe is from “The Savory Baker” (2022), of which I received a review copy.

Version 1.0.0

The cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen includes 150 recipes for baked items that lean savory, not sweet, such as “Manchego and Chorizo Muffins,” “Cast-Iron Skillet Calzone,” “Blue Cheese and Chive Popovers with Blue Cheese Butter,” and “Pizza Monkey Bread.”

If all you know is the mass-produced pot pies in your supermarket freezer case, this version will be a huge step-up.

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Messy But Good: Garlicky Roasted Shrimp with Cumin, Ginger & Sesame

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You'll need a stack of napkins to eat these, but they're worth it.
You’ll need a stack of napkins to eat these, but they’re worth it.

Not shrimp boil, but shrimp broil.

That’s what “Garlicky Roasted Shrimp with Cumin, Ginger & Sesame” encapsulates.

Prepare to get down and dirty with this quick and easy dish. That’s because not only do you have to rub seasonings all over and into slit, shell-on shrimp before broiling, but of course once cooked, you have to then peel them to eat.

But like Dungeness crab in-season, these shrimp are well worth the effort and cleanup afterward.

This recipe is from “America’s Test Kitchen 25th Anniversary Cookbook: 500 Recipes That Changed the Way America Cooks” (2024), of which I received a review copy.

Believe me, you’ll get a workout just lifting this 711-page book.

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Europe Meets South America On the Plate At Morella

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Dungeness crab sorrentinos at Morella in San Francisco.
Dungeness crab sorrentinos at Morella in San Francisco.

There’s been no shortage lately of prominent fusion cuisines — born not of confusion, but of history.

Nikkei cuisine originated when thousands of Japanese immigrants settled in Peru at the end of the 19th century. Indian Chinese food developed when Chinese immigrants for work to Kolkata. And Italian and Spanish influences began to flavor Argentinian cuisine in the 19th and 20th centuries with a wave of immigrants from those countries.

Morella, which opened in the Marina District last November, is one of the city’s first of late to celebrate that melding of Argentinian, Italian, and Spanish flavors.

The bar.
The bar.

It is the newest concept from the Proof Positive group that owns and operates such San Francisco establishments as Thriller Social Club and Wilder.

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Zahav’s Braised Lamb Shanks with Sour Cherry & Cola

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Lamb shanks braised low and slow with soda and juice. Yup!
Lamb shanks braised low and slow with soda and juice. Yup!

I am not a soda drinker.

But I am someone who likes to cook and bake with the stuff.

It’s curiosity that draws me, imagining what the fizzy, sweet drink will add to a particular dish or treat.

That’s why “Braised Lamb Shanks with Sour Cherry & Cola” leaped off the pages of the new “Zahav Home” (Harvest, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

The book is by Chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, co-owners of the Philadelphia hospitality group, CookNSolo Restaurants, of which the flagship is Zahav. In 2019, that restaurant became the first Israeli and first Philadelphia restaurant to win the James Beard “Outstanding Restaurant” Award. They now own 23 restaurants in three states. Their Zahav Hummus is now sold at Whole Foods Markets across the United States, too.

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