Delights at Dalida

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The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.
The showy black cod at Dalida in San Francisco.

There’s no denying that Chef Laura Ozyilmaz is tough, having fought her way back from elimination on “Top Chef’‘ to win “Last Chance Kitchen” to gain another shot at victory.

In the end, she may not have won the overall competition, making it as far as one of the last four competitors standing. But she won over many fans for her gumption and creative dishes. That she did all this while in the midst of opening Dalida in San Francisco, her restaurant with her chef-husband Sayat Ozilmaz, makes it doubly impressive.

Even before “Top Chef,” Dalida was a hard reservation to come by. It’s easy to see why, when you consider that this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant was opened by two chefs with impressive pedigrees.

The open kitchen.
The open kitchen.

The couple met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Sayat, originally from Turkey, went on to work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Le Bernardin in New York City, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, while Laura worked at Cafe Boulud in New York City, Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Del Posto in New York City, and Saison in San Francisco.

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Get Saucy With New Hodo Tofu & Sauce

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New heat-and-serve Hodo Japanese Teriyaki Tofu & Sauce kits offer up a nourishing meal in a flash.
New heat-and-serve Hodo Japanese Teriyaki Tofu & Sauce kits offer up a nourishing meal in a flash.

Always inventing and reinventing, Oakland’s Hodo Foods has debuted a new line of fully cooked tofu & sauce packages that are sure to make meal prep a whole lot easier and faster.

Made with the company’s organic tofu, these convenient, refrigerated kits come in three varieties: Korean BBQ, Japanese Curry, and Thai Red Curry.

I had a chance to try samples of the latter two. Each comes with a package of extra-firm tofu along with two packets of sauce.

Find the new kits in the refrigerator section of select grocery stores.
Find the new kits in the refrigerator section of select grocery stores.

The tofu is not a solid brick, but rather a clump that has been vacuum-sealed. So, unless you take the time to actually use a knife to cut it into bite-size pieces, your dish will not look exactly like the photos on the packages that show the tofu in nice neat bite-sized cubes. If precise pieces are not paramount, just use your fingers to easily crumble the tofu instead.

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Red, Red Wine — As In Brownies

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A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.
A little bit of Merlot in the batter makes these brownies extra delicious.

Have a splash of red wine leftover?

Sure, you could just drink it.

Or you could stir it into the batter of these dreamy, fudgy, rich brownies.

OK, now we are talking.

“Red Wine Brownies” is a recipe from the new “Sweet Tooth” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Sarah Fennel, a New York City self-taught baker, photographer, and creator of the website, Broma Bakery.

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Holidays Mean Lebkuchen

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Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.
Plain or chocolate-covered lebkuchen holiday cookies.

Soft, cakey and a little chewy, they’re fragrant with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. They taste marvelously Old World, too.

Lebkuchen, German spice cookies made with honey, are especially beloved at Christmas time.

For more than 90 years, Lebkuchen-Schmidt has been baking these popular treats in Nuremberg. Now, you can enjoy them in this country, thanks to New Jersey-based European Deli, its exclusive U.S. partner.

They come packaged in various options, including an embossed blue and gold tin ($49.95) depicting scenes from that German city, of which I received a sample.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes Get Even Better With A Little Bourbon

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Whole roasted sweet potatoes get jazzed up with miso and bourbon.
Whole roasted sweet potatoes get jazzed up with miso and bourbon.

Although whiskey can be made anywhere in the world, it can only be called “bourbon” if it’s made in the United States.

Who knew!

That’s because Congress passed a law in 1964 that declared bourbon as “America’s Native Spirit.”

You’ll learn that and so much more in “Bourbon Land” (Artisan), of which I received a review copy.

This “spirited love letter” is by James Beard Award-winning Edward Lee, chef-owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami, both in Louisville, KY, who writes both romantically and knowledgeably about Kentucky’s most famous liquor.

Indeed, since Lee opened his flagship restaurant in 2002 and made Kentucky his home, he’s been passionate about drinking and cooking with bourbon.

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