Want to shake up your weeknight routine? Head to San Francisco next Tuesday night for a unique foodie outing! I’ve recently become acquainted with Brad Lev, the mastermind behind Studio Gourmet SF, who will be hosting a live cooking demonstration and interview with Chef and Partner Mark Dommen of the highly acclaimed ONE MARKET restaurant in San Francisco.
According to Brad, the reason why Studio Gourmet was created was to give audiences the opportunity to hear the real stories behind the chefs. In a world where culinary entertainment is in the spotlight, Studio Gourmet claims to be “the first culinary event that shows you all the sides of the chef.”
Chef Mark Dommen led ONE MARKET to four consecutive Michelin stars in the 2011 Guide and will be demonstrating one of his signature dishes: Apple-Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Dandelion and Apple. In addition, the ticket fee includes a welcome cocktail and appetizers before the show and a variety of bites from ONE MARKET including their Dungeness Crab Cakes with a Saffron Aioli.
Event details are below; let us know if you plan to go check it out!
Studio Gourmet SF with Chef/Partner Mark Dommen of ONE MARKET
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
5:30 p.m.
For tickets, click HERE (cost: $25/ticket).
Archives for 2011
Greek Panzanella
For 21 years, I have lived my life under the “those who don’t cook, eat” mantra. I possess absolutely no culinary skill, instinct, intuition, ability—call it what you want, I don’t have it. That’s not to say I haven’t had my fair share of noble attempts, but after setting off the fire alarm on multiple occasions, I’ve come to the realization that my cooking is a health hazard in more respects than one.
That is, until I discovered Greek Panzanella on Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa. Panzanella is a Florentine salad that contains vegetables and bread soaked in a vinaigrette dressing. This recipe is simple — minimal slaving over the stove and a very low prep time of 35 minutes. Simplicity aside, anything with feta cheese and carbs has my seal of approval. It is the perfect quick fix for an amateur cook such as myself.
So, savor this delicious Greek Panzanella, which will surely have your whole family screaming “Opa!” until the last bite.
Recipe courtesy of BarefootContessa.com
Ingredients
Good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
For the vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Directions
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.
Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Suppenkuche, San Francisco
Little known fact: there was a time in my life when I could speak German nearly fluently. In sixth grade, when all of my classmates flocked to the sign-up lists for Spanish and French, I scribbled my name under the header “Deutsch” and ran home to proudly tell my Großvater (grandfather) all about it. Grandpa Boris had promised that if I took German, he’d help me with the homework and it would be a breeze. Done deal. About three classes in, I learned that the German he spoke as a young boy during WWII was not even remotely similar to the German we were being taught, and was unfortunately left to my own devices.
Eight years and just as many German language courses later, I had picked up on the basics and could hold my own in a conversation with the grandparents. So you can imagine my disappointment when I recently sat down proudly at Suppenküche, a renowned German restaurant in San Francisco, intent upon ordering in my best German accent, and opened the menu only to realize I could no longer make out a single word.
Language barrier aside, Suppenküche lived up to its reputation and proved to be a wonderful German experience (eine wunderbare deutsche erfahrung!).
Upon arrival, I was immediately struck by the authentic ambiance. The walls were covered in German signage and the bench-style seating made you feel that you were at a true Oktoberfest. I was with a group of five others, so we played musical beers in order to allow for everyone to taste a wide selection.
My beer of choice was George Schneider’s Wiesen Edel-Weisse, which was light enough to enjoy but hearty enough to stand up to the reputation of hearty German beer.
Selecting my dinner entrée was not easy. With potato pancakes, bratwurst and a whole host of other favorites on the menu I was torn.
In the end, I went with the Käsespätzle mit Zwiebel-Buttersoße und gemischtem Salat (Cheese Spätzle in Onion Butter Sauce served with a small Mixed Salad). If you’ve never enjoyed Spätzle, the best way I can describe it is this: it’s like Macaroni and Cheese, only better. It was among the most satisfying comfort food dishes I have ever tasted. Ever.
There are few things more “fall” than Oktoberfest, and although October has come to a close, I’m just not quite ready to let go of the Schnitzel, Spätzle, German beer and celebratory spirit that comes along with the season. If you feel the same, head out to Suppenküche in San Francisco and let us know what you think!
Suppenküche
525 Laguna St., San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 252-9289
Wordless Wednesday: Cafeteria 15L
and Jenna Buhagiar
Skillet S’mores: Triple chocolate brownie, marshmallow, graham crackers and Hershey’s chocolate. Warm. Enough said.
Alchemy Market, Murphys
When the hubster and I need to get away and turn off the world – or more realistically just step away from the cell phones and the Internet – we drive 45 minutes southeast of Sacramento to the town of Murphys.
This little California gem is nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and here, life moves at the pace of wine. The small, six-block downtown strip is home to many small wineries whose doors are open for tasting. All the shops are run by locals – you will find no chain stores or restaurants here! We enjoyed the day by walking down the strip where we took our time to rummage through the used bookstore, chat up the local antique sales person, hunt down some culinary treats, and taste the local wines.
We never forget to eat (of course) and my favorite place in Murphys to settle in for a relaxed dinner is at Alchemy Market.
Specializing in creating classically American dishes with a global twist, Alchemy captures the relaxing essence of Murphys by offering a menu that combines simple ingredients in some surprising ways. I recommend you try some of their must-haves: the fried calamari with a spiced aioli and hints of salt and jalapeño or the seasoned and smoky sweet potato fries that are the best I have ever had.
For entrées we tried something a little different with a seared ahi tuna salad that featured some spanakopita. Being Greek, I tend to be overly critical of anything attempting to be Greek food at restaurants, but these little pockets of cheese, phyllo and spinach made me so happy. We also tried the unique scallop and shrimp cakes with local veggies and pilaf.
One of the charming things about Alchemy is it focuses on keeping things local – an insider clued us in that Alchemy does not charge you a corkage fee if you bring in a local bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. The attached market is also a great resource for picking up a couple of yummy gourmet cheeses, local produce or components for a picnic.
You won’t regret making Murphys a destination for your next weekend adventure, and don’t pass up the opportunity to visit Alchemy Market while you are visiting. You will find that the slower pace of life can be contagious!
Alchemy Market
191 Main Street
Murphys, CA 95247
(209)728-0700
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