Category Archives: Great Finds

Handcrafted Indulgent Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels

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(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry's Handmade Pennsylvania Duch Pretzels.
(Clockwise from top): Dark Chocolate, Regular, Milk Chocolate, and Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels.

When it comes to snacks, I do love a good, crunchy pretzel.

And Uncle Jerry’s Handmade Pennsylvania Dutch Pretzels are definitely some of the best around.

Founded by Jerry Skolnick in 1988 in Lancaster, PA, it took only two years for his family-owned business to win a “Best of Philly” award, the first time that honor had ever been given to pretzels.

His youngest daughter Misty joined the fold in 2008 to help launch the company’s e-commerce sales. And lucky me was fortunate enough to receive some samples recently.

These pretzels are made with a sourdough starter. The dough is rolled and kneaded rather than extruded under pressure from huge machines, and the pretzels are hand-twisted. They are made without oil, sugar or preservatives.

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Shawarma Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions is Pure Ottolenghi Comfort

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Make meatloaf -- shawarma-style.
Make meatloaf — shawarma-style.

Beef meatloaf. Turkey meatloaf. Pork meatloaf. And combos of all three meats in one, baked either free-form or snuggled inside a loaf pan.

You’ve no doubt had all these iterations of meatloaf, and loved every one of them for their nostalgic taste.

But I bet you’ve never had a shawarma meatloaf, smothered in caramelized onions, soft herbs, and pomegranate arils, and baked into a pie-shape in a cast-iron skillet.

This winning dish could only come from the one and only Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born British chef and owner of numerous restaurants and delis in the United Kingdom.

The recipe is from his newest cookbook, “Ottolenghi Comfort” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy. It was written with his long-time recipe developer Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, head of quality at Ottolenghi; and co-author Tara Wigley.

These are recipes definitely designed for an adept home-cook, less complex and lengthy than others he’s written, but no less enticing with plenty of global flavors.

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Japan Eats, Part II: Michelin-Starred Koke

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Playful squid-ink crackers filled with chorizo at Michelin-starred Koke in Kyoto.
Playful squid-ink crackers filled with chorizo at Michelin-starred Koke in Kyoto.

Kyoto, JAPAN — One can eat exceedingly well for little in Japan, and goodness knows that my husband and I did. However, we decided to splurge for one dinner during our recent two-week trip to Japan, and that was to Michelin-starred Koke in Kyoto.

Japan is a dichotomy, where both the ancient and the futuristic are revered. So, when it came to picking a kaiseki restaurant, I chose one that breaks from tradition, one that blends Japanese and Spanish sensibilities in surprising ways.

It serves a 13-course tasting menu with a few of the courses composed of several small bites. You can opt for a regular wine pairing (a total of 700ml) or a small-sized pairing (350ml). The latter is what my husband and I chose.

For all food and drink for the two of us, we paid a grand total of $515 U.S., which is not too bad when you consider that in the Bay Area, many fine-dining tasting menus are easily more than $300 per person for the food alone without gratuity.

The unobtrusive sign to the restaurant.
The unobtrusive sign to the restaurant.
The courtyard that you enter before going inside the restaurant.
The courtyard that you enter before going inside the restaurant.

The restaurant hides behind a wall. On the other side, you’ll find a serene Japanese-style courtyard with a floor-to-ceiling window at one end that has a view into the restaurant’s dining room and kitchen. Koke is the Japanese word for “moss” and you’ll spot patches of it in the courtyard. It’s also a symbol of renewal, resilience, and interconnectedness.

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Japan Eats, Part I: Savoy Pizza

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Seared sushi-grade tuna atop one fantastic pizza at Savoy in Tokyo.
Seared sushi-grade tuna atop one fantastic pizza at Savoy in Tokyo.

Tokyo, JAPAN — I just spent two weeks in Japan, my first time there, in what can only be described as an eating adventure of a lifetime.

Scan my Instagram or Facebook pages, and you’ll get a taste through photos and words of all the fine tempura, sushi, tonkatsu, ramen, pastries, and other specialties I thoroughly enjoyed at a pittance, given the very favorable exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Japanese yen. Today and Friday, I’ll spotlight two very different restaurants worthy of particular mention.

Though I did online research, and solicited recommendations from friends and chefs who travel to Japan regularly, I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong eating pretty much anywhere in Japan, even if all you do is wing it when you’re there.

Head here when you want to try pizza in Japan.
Head here when you want to try pizza in Japan.

Even eating tiramisu or flan or crustless egg salad sandwiches from a convenience store there is a revelation. Each of those items is less than $2 U.S. at a 7-Eleven or other Japanese convenience store — and the quality just phenomenal.

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Savor Hard-to-Find Fresh Soba and More At Leichi

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House-made soba served chilled with warm duck broth at Leichi.
House-made soba served chilled with warm duck broth at Leichi.

After reading a San Francisco Chronicle food story recently, in which reporter Elena Kadvany lamented that there were only three Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area that offered fresh-made soba, my interest was piqued, especially when chilled fresh noodles would hit the spot like nothing else during our recent, week-long heatwave.

Sobakatsu in San Francisco is the latest place to offer the buckwheat noodles, joining Soba Ichi in Oakland and Leichi in Santa Clara.

With only a few tables plus compact counter seating, it pays to reserve ahead of time at Leichi.
With only a few tables plus compact counter seating, it pays to reserve ahead of time at Leichi.

The latter is where I headed, located in a nondescript strip mall. Leichi is a small, mom-and-pop Japanese restaurant that puts such unexpected care into everything it does, including simple yet well thought out presentations coupled with the motivation to make so many items in-house.

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