Category Archives: General

Dining Outside at Nick’s Cove

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A splendid rendition of a Louie salad at Nick's Cove.
A splendid rendition of a Louie salad at Nick’s Cove.

On a clear day along the shimmering blue waters of Tomales Bay, nothing makes you appreciate even more how lucky you are to live in this region than an al fresco lunch at Nick’s Cove in Marshall.

If it’s been a while — or if you’ve never visited — now’s the perfect time to spend some time at this 92-year-old coastal landmark. Not only have its charming cottages been newly refurbished, but celebrated San Francisco chef Chris Cosentino was brought in to refresh the menu.

On a recent trek along the coast, my husband and I took a seat outside on a weekday, after placing our orders at the bar and receiving a pager. When your order is ready, the pager vibrates, signaling it’s time to pick up your tray.

The entrance to Nick's Cove.
The entrance to Nick’s Cove.
The view.
The view.

We indulged in a half dozen Nick’s BBQ’D oysters ($25), which arrived on a hot cast-iron pan, tasting sweet, smoky, and plenty garlicky.

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A Visit To The Newly Refurbished Sea Ranch Lodge

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Petrale sole in broth at the restaurant at Sea Ranch Lodge.
Petrale sole in broth at the restaurant at Sea Ranch Lodge.

Sea Ranch, CA — For those in the Bay Area longing for a serene staycation, look no further than the newly refurbished Sea Ranch Lodge.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the Sonoma Coast just 100 miles north of San Francisco, this 53-acre property is the perfect place to unplug, unwind, unravel and thoroughly revel in the beauty of nature.

That’s just what I experienced when I was invited as a guest overnight recently.

The look of the property is all Scandinavian chic, punctuated by clean lines and exteriors the calming color of driftwood.

Pomo Native Americans once gathered kelp and shells from the shores. Early settlers established sheep ranching in the 1800s, which is reflected in the eye-catching ram logo of the property.

In 1964, a master plan was forged for the community that would preserve its natural beauty while allowing for the construction of 2,200 homes. Walk the trail above the beach and you’ll spot markers with more information about the community, including how the homes were built around a central meadow so that each one is afforded an unobstructed view. Some of the houses still sport the original Scandinavian-inspired sod roofs, too, with native grasses sprouting from them.

The newly refurbished Sea Ranch Lodge main building.
The newly refurbished Sea Ranch Lodge main building.
The lodge features 17 rooms.
The lodge features 17 rooms.
A fire pit steps from the accommodations.
A fire pit steps from the accommodations.

Sea Ranch Lodge, built in 1968, is one of the oldest buildings, which originally served as a community hub with post office, general store, and later a hotel.

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The Easy Way To Zucchini and Herb Fritters

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These zucchini fritters are so golden and crisp, you'd think I'd slaved over a hot frying pan making them. But I didn't.
These zucchini fritters are so golden and crisp, you’d think I’d slaved over a hot frying pan making them. But I didn’t.

Standing at the stove, frying latkes, small Korean scallion pancakes, or any other kind of veggie fritters can be not only a royal pain and time suck, but a real splattering mess.

This clever, alternative technique eliminates all of that — and seems so obvious, you’re sure to think, “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”

The solution is oven-frying. Yes, letting your oven do all the heavy lifting by heating up a sheet pan with a generous amount of oil before dropping spoonfuls of your batter onto it, then returning the pan to the oven to cook and crisp up everything.

That’s the method behind these delicious “Zucchini and Herb Fritters.”

It’s a recipe from the new “The Secret of Cooking” (W.W. Norton), of which I received an early review copy.

The cookbook, which comes out on Sept. 26, is by By Bee Wilson, a British food writer and co-founder of TastEd, a food education focused on giving children more opportunities to experience fresh vegetables and fruits.

As the title implies, it’s filled with enticing, doable recipes that just might teach you a new, easier or faster way to prepare something.

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Let’s Hear It For Wrinkles

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Creamy roasted eggplant gets dressed with yogurt and Calabrian chili.
Creamy roasted eggplant gets dressed with yogurt and Calabrian chili.

Like many women, I bemoan the fine lines around my eyes and forehead that have come with age (and wisdom, I might add).

While I may not be fond of them on my face, I rejoice in wrinkles whole heartily when it comes to cooked eggplant.

Specifically, long-cooked eggplant that gets a little shriveled, signaling the interior has taken on that coveted custardy texture.

That’s exactly what “Whole-Roasted Eggplant with Calabrian Chili Crisp” delivers.

The recipe is from the new cookbook, “Let’s Eat” (Union Square), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by New York’s Dan Pelosi, who calls himself the “Italian meatball” behind the popular Instagram account, GrossyPelosi, and Food52’s YouTube video series, “The Secret Sauce.”

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Sustainable Tinned Salmon to the Rescue

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Safe Catch Wild Pink Salmon with summer tomatoes and chive blossoms.
Safe Catch Wild Pink Salmon with summer tomatoes and chive blossoms.

With fresh wild Alaskan salmon a pretty penny and California’s commercial salmon fishing seasoned cancelled this year because of dwindling wild stocks, what’s a salmon lover to do?

Open up a can.

Canned salmon has come a long way since my childhood, when my economical mom would pry open the top of a tin and plop out the contents, bones and all that were soft enough to actually eat, but perhaps not the most attractive looking.

Sausalito’s Safe Catch takes canned salmon to new heights, First, it sources sustainable salmon from the Alaska Salmon Fishery or northern Pacific Ocean, following the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guide. Second, every salmon is tested for mercury, with Safe Catch accepting only those that are 25 times lower than the FDA action limit. Third, each can contains no fillers, just salmon and salt.

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