San Francisco Days San Francisco Nights
It was a whirlwind weekend of Fun, Family, and Food.
And what fun we had. We landed early Saturday morning and, unlike all of our previous visits, stayed at the wharf instead of one of the many hotels dotting El Camino Real in San Bruno. The Wharf?!? The Tourist Trap of San Francisco?!? Yep! And what fun it was!
My sister Phoebe suggested it. For the past 10 years we've stayed down the peninsula because it was convenient to the family and, was close to the senior housing where my father was living. With Pop no longer there, it was time to have fun and play tourist.
It was pouring rain - the forecast was for rain the entire time we were to be there. Oh well. I grew up in the city. Rain wasn't about to dampen my spirits in the least. Besides, a rainy day in San Francisco is still better than sunshine and blue skies almost anywhere else!
We started the eating frenzy at Pompei's Grotto at the wharf. My sister, Judy bartends there, and it was the perfect excuse to see her and get together with some of the siblings and offspring. We only had about 18 for dinner. Pompei's Grotto is an old-time wharf restaurant. Unpretentious with great food. My kind of place.
It was noisy and raucous and I didn't take a single picture. Great cioppino, oysters on the half-shell, and other seafood. The bill was just under $700.00. Being that we were there for hours, it wasn't too bad. It was just a couple of blocks back to the hotel. We were soaked when we got to the room. I didn't care. I was home.
Sunday dawned wet and drizzly, but we headed out to brave the elements. We were still on east coast time. After a croissant at Peet's and a bit of playing tourist, the weather cleared.
We drove through the city and stopped by our first house on Kirkham Street. We moved in in early 1995. It still looks the same. And still could use a paint job. It was a great house.
We then headed over to The Tennessee Grill to meet my brother Mike and his family for a real breakfast.
I've been going to The Grill since forever. Besides being a few blocks away from where I went to high school, it was right down the street from Pirro's where I worked for many years. It's been owned by the Duenas family since the '60's and Johnny Duenas and I were roommates for a while circa 1974. The food is unpretentious and good, great portions, and great prices.I had corned beef hash and eggs over-easy with sourdough toast. Perfectly cooked.
It's going home every time I walk in the door.
We headed back to my brother's and then down the peninsula to my sister, Eileen's for a few hours of hors d'oeuvres with almost the whole family.
Unbeknownst to us, they were really throwing us a bit of a wedding party since no one could make New Hampshire last October!
Champagne and cake - and presents, too. I have to admit I got a bit misty-eyed. It was so much fun.
The food was never-ending. Tray after tray of goodies kept coming out of the oven, including the family favorite - my mom's Olive Cheese Balls. No gathering is complete without them.
It's still difficult to realize that all of those nieces and nephews are 21 and older! Where does the time go? I was changing their diapers not that long ago and now they're doing shots of Patrón and actually carrying on intelligent conversations. It was a great time. I got to meet my newest great-nieces, Isabella and Gloria, and spend some fun time with the others. It's great to have a house full of little ones. And even better to give them all back.
Stuffed with hors d'oeuvres and cake, we headed to Celia's for dinner.
We've been dining at Celia's forever. While everyone would really love to go elsewhere, it's a guaranteed table for 30. There just aren't that many places where we can take over. One day, perhaps.
I actually has a tostada salad for the first time, ever. My usual combo plate was just too much after eating all day.
Uncle Victor had fun with Madison.
Her daddy just left for Afghanistan last week for six months. Don't even get me started on that %$#@& war. No one has heard anything, yet. It's pretty nerve-wracking.
The drive back to the hotel was fun. I got turned around a couple of times south of Market. I've been gone for 10 years and the place has changed dramatically. I used to work directly across the street from Pac Bell Park on King Street back in the mid-'80s. There's not two streets that are the same. Oh well. Native Navigation kicked in and we made it back safe and sound.
Monday dawned clear and sunny. What was supposed to be a Pacific storm drenching us all weekend went north and south of us. Perfect weather to take a trek to the zoo!
This was the official portrait when the majority of us first arrived. More caught up with us as we wandered the trails.
We grew up two blocks from the zoo and listened to the lions roar from our bedrooms at night. It was part of our backyard and we knew every inch of the place and every way to sneak into the children's zoo and Story Book Land. The '50s and '60s were a great time to be kids in San Francisco.
It's changed dramatically in the past 15 years and the whole layout has been reworked. It was pretty much a new experience for me. Not bad.
The little ones had a great time but it was approaching yet another gathering at my sister, Judy's in Pacifica.
Barbecue Time.
More food. Judy had the grill going in back for chicken and picked up racks of ribs from her friend at Gorilla Barbecue down the street from her. AWESOME ribs. Totally awesome. And homemade potato and macaroni salads, baked beans, sourdough bread... And then five different pies for dessert! I didn't get any pictures of this food, either.
Talk about slipping!
I really was having so much fun with everyone that the food was secondary. Everything we ate was fantastic - and not a picture of any of it.
Oh well. It's San Francisco. There's no such thing as bad food out there. It was late when we finally headed back to the city to pack and sleep for a few hours.
The trip ended way too soon and way too early Tuesday morning we were at the airport.
We had the most horrific time with United Airlines that I will never - ever - fly with them again.
Ever.
The worst customer service I have ever had in my life, waiting in a line for 55 minutes and paying a total of $125.00 to check one suitcase that was six pounds over their weight limit was just part of it.
But even the nightmare of dealing with them couldn't dim the fun we had.
And we've already made plans to visit again in October. Hopefully we'll have more time and actually get to see all you San Francisco friends we missed this trip!
And maybe I'll remember to take some pictures of the food!
And... Maybe I'll be having too much fun to even think about it.
The Kitchen Is Finished
Done.
Well... other than a bit of hole-filling and minor detail work on the trim, it's done. And to paraphrase Billy Chrystal, It Looks Mahvelous!
I really couldn't be happier. It's one of those things I never thought we would do, that I (ten years ago) didn't want to do. But it has made a huge improvement in the room. Everything looks better.
I am going to have all sorts of fun making messes in here!
Since we had our corned beef and cabbage on Monday and sandwiches on Tuesday, I decided to marinate pork chops in soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, sesame oil, and sambal oelek. While they were marinating, I was putting up the final trimwork.
Out to the grill I went, cooked up a bit of baby broccoli and some rice.
One more dinner and it's off to San Francisco!
There are going to be LOTS of great meals coming our way.
CAN'T WAIT!
Counter Culture
Phase One. New countertop installed.
After disconnecting the gas cooktop, the sink, garbage disposal, et al, my job was to RE-install all of the above. In and of itself, it's not a difficult job. That, of course, is assuming that everything just falls into place as it should.
It never does.
The drawer nearly sent me over the edge yesterday. Today, it was the plumbing.
We had to wait 24 hours to install the plumbing, which was a good thing. I probably would have take a sledge hammer to everything yesterday.
I came close to it, today.
Hooking up the faucet itself was relatively painless. I had my plumber's tape, the right wrenches... I got everything connected. Turned on the water, and voila! no drips!
I turned on the faucet and Yosemite Falls magically appeared. Actually, Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Two leaks. Disconnect, reconnect, water back on and we're down to one leak. I take care of that one and we're done.
Now for the disposal.
Those of you who know me well know that I have the patience of a Saint. NOT! While it generally takes me a while to work up to sledge hammer mode, once it hits, it's not a pretty sight.
I had my plumber's putty and everything else I needed. Ready. Set. Stop!
It seems the new sink drain is towards the back of the sink and everything was plumbed and set up for it to be in the center of the sink. The supply pipes are in the way. The drain pipe is in the wrong place.
I am not amused.
I finagle things a bit and figure out that there is enough room to get it in there, but it's going to be a tight fit. What should be a relatively painless job is causing me much pain. It's now been three hours since I started the project. I'm getting tired, cranky, and hungry.
I stop to cook dinner. I have everything but a drain.
I needed quick. Did I mention the cranky part? I put some rice on the stove and chicken breasts on the grill. Roasted corn in a pot. Cranky.
When the breasts were cooked, I covered them with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese and stuck them under the broiler to melt the cheese.
20 minutes.
I semi-cleaned up, and feeling better, went back at it. The disposal was hooked up in 5 minutes!
I hooked up the drain pipes, turned on the water, and... yes, you guessed it, a huge leak! I took off the trap, put it back, and perfect. Dry as a bone. It was just one final little "gotcha" from the gods of water and home repair.
And the sink?!?
All ready for lots of cooking!
Thursday 3/17 the back splash arrives. We already took off the moulding and trim around the bottom of the cabinets and I have to remove the undercounter lights before they can install the backsplash. At least with the undercounter lights, I'm not laying on my back shoved inside a cabinet.
Working standing up is so much more civilized.
Counter Attack
May 2001.
The first thing we did when we bought our home in 2001 was to gut the kitchen. It was the original 1950 (rusted) metal cabinets and formica counters. It was pretty awful.
We did the layout and design. Our contractor really wanted us to do pot lights in the ceiling and granite counters. I said no.
The house is a 1950 ranch and I didn't want to walk from a 1950 living room into a 2001 kitchen. I wanted a bit of continuity. So, while we did get some pretty high-end cherry cabinets and a great floor, we opted for ceramic tile counters and back-splash. Classic black and white.
March 2011.
After ten years of cleaning grout and watching HGTV, the tile has got to go.
It was really evident after painting and cleaning the wood that the counters really had outlived their usefulness. There were pits and chips and the grout was never going to come clean. For half a moment I almost semi-considered cutting out the grout and redoing it. Fortunately, that idea didn't stick around.
In the past 10 years, the cabinets have darkened to a rich, deep, cherry color. They really do look sharp and could only be enhanced with a decent counter.
Victor had seen an ad for granite at Colonial Marble in King of Prussia, so we crunched the numbers and went to see them.
Things worked out well. Without them knowing, they hit our budget perfectly. Two days later the template-maker came out and did the template.
It was really happening!
Unfortunately, that meant I had to get to work.
The sink, garbage disposal, cooktop, and dishwasher all had to be removed for installation. Tim's Friendly Contractor Services were put into action.
Ugh.
It's not that I can't do any of this stuff, but if I don't have to... you get the idea.
First ting was to take out the garbage disposal. And yes, the cabinet under the sink really was that clean. I attacked it two days before our wedding during my "I'm not nervous" phase.
It came off with relative ease, as did the sink itself.
The propane line to the cook top was a bit of a challenge only because of tight quarters to work in, but that came off, as well.
But it was all done in a couple of hours.
Off to the diner for dinner. No dish-washing in the bathroom.
to be continued...
Orange Chicken and Fun Surprises
There is just nothing better than walking in the door after a crazy Saturday to the sumptuous scents of dinner cooking away in the oven.
And what a dinner.
Victor marinated chicken breasts in fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bit of olive oil all day. He drained them, breaded them with homemade bread crumbs and toipped them with parmesan cheese. Into a 425° oven for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, he cubed a couple of red potatoes, chopped a couple of carrots and a red bell pepper and roasted them in the same 425° oven.
The chicken really had a pronounced orange flavor that was both unexpected and totally delightful. I really liked it.
It's definitely giving me some ideas for Spring!
In the meantime, I received a couple of real treats at work today! Before Christmas I had been speaking with a customer about our Christmas cookies and, as she is German, was mentioning the Springerle cookies I had made. She said she had a spice cookie that was excellent and would bring me in the recipe. Today, she brought in the recipe for Anisplätzchen - the anise cookie, plus a short dough Butter cookie, and her mother's Kraftkuchen - a spice cake!
I am psyched!
Tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day, so I may just have to make a spice cake!
There are just so many foods and so little time!
The second treat came in the form of a woman I have emailed with for years - my counterpart from Batavia, IL! Finally, after all these years, I finally got to meet her in person! Anne and I traded recipes and ideas back in the good ol' days and she has contributed several recipes to the "Quick and Easy" section. She's even more fabulous in person!
A great day, indeed!
Back in the Saddle, Again!
Four days of cleaning, painting, rearranging, tossing, and redoing are over.
We have a new kitchen. Well... a newly painted and sparkling clean kitchen.
Our kitchen hadn't been painted since we remodeled 10 years ago. 10 years. That's a long time for a kitchen to get dingy. And ours was getting dingy.
It's amazing what you don't see when you look at something every day. But I had started looking and wasn't pleased with what I was seeing.
Actually, dingy was putting it mildly. I knew it had to get cleaned and painted but Victor hates painting even more than I do.
When I found out he was going to be in Dallas for four days, I started plotting and planning...
Unbeknownst to him, I took a few days off while he was gone...
He took off early Monday morning and I put my plan into action... First was to the grocery store and to the bank for his mother - acting like it was any other Monday. She has his cell number. I didn't want her calling him.
I then hit the paint store.
$142.78 later I was on my way home.
Next was to start. Everything off the walls. Once the stuff starts coming off the walls, you know how bad it really is... It was not a pretty sight. If it was going back up it needed to be washed. Curtains came down and right into the washer. And then the furniture had to come out. And the plants and the stuff. The fan, the light fixtures, plate covers...
The dog was having a nervous breakdown. Her food and water bowls were moved to the dining room.
She was not amused.
Everything took two coats. When we paint together we tag-team. One does the corners and cutting in, the other works the roller. It's really different when you're working alone. Up the ladder, down the ladder, paint brush, roller, paint brush, up the ladder...
I took my time with the painting - two days.
When the painting was done, the real chore began - washing the tile floors. The only way they would come clean was hand-scrubbing. They're a stone-look ceramic with a million-and-one indentations that all catch dirt. They're actually great because they don't show the dirt. But dayum, they can hold the dirt! And are they pretty when they're clean!
And then it was time to start putting things back. Every single thing in the room was washed. The dishwasher ran non-stop and the big stuff was hand-washed and dried.
I knew I wasn't going to put the same things all back in the same places. A lot of stuff wasn't going back up, at all.
Like Leslie's mom's picture. It went from a far wall to a smaller wall above the phone. I absolutely love the picture and it now has more prominence in the room. Other things were moved and highlighted. A perfect example of less is more.
I'm thinking that it may be time to break out the sewing machine and make curtains. I've done it, before...
And all of those beautiful cherry cabinets were cleaned. Another all-day job. But it was worth the time.
I must admit my eating habits suffered a bit while I was doing all of this.
The counters and island and every horizontal surface was covered with something.
I had made chili on Sunday and that became my mainstay. I had chili dogs, chili burgers, chili fries... a fried ham sandwich at some point - and LOTS of M&M Peanuts.
It was great to actually get into the kitchen tonight and make real food!
Chicken soup.
It was the perfect first real meal.
It's snowing outside...
Pork, Peppers, and Pasta
Let's see...
Change the peppers from green to red, the polenta to pasta, the pork chops to pork strips, and it's just like the dinner we had the other night!
Okay. Not quite.
But it does show how changing a few things can totally change the dish. And that, I think, is really a big part of how I cook in the first place.
The mind works in mysterious ways, and my mind - especially when it comes to putting food together - is definitely one of the more mysterious. I read a recipe and I'm immediately changing things as I'm going down the list. Changing ingredients, changing cooking methods... A recipe for a salad can become a soup without any effort, at all.
There are just so many different combinations of things that it's difficult to say that this one is "it." At any given moment, any number of things could be "it." And with very few exceptions, it's why I rarely ever make the same thing twice - or at least, twice the exact same way!
I'm sure it drives Victor crazy at times.
I could be asked by two different people within 60 seconds what to do with a pork tenderloin and odds are I would come up with two vastly different ideas.
Ideas.
Precise ingredients, measurements, cooking times and/or temperatures elude me. As many who have read this blog over the years can attest, I'm horrible at writing recipes. I'm good at giving ideas. Not that good at telling you how to precisely execute them.
I guess I kinda figure that you're supposed to take the idea and make it your own, too.
Making something for the two of us is different than you making it for the two - or six - of you.
Funny, though, because I have done menu and recipe development professionally and was very good at it. But when you get me out of a professional kitchen, I just don't have the same focus. Of course, there's also the part about someone else paying for everything and paying me, as well.
I can focus really well for the right salary!
So tonight I had a couple of boneless pork chops. We had chops a couple of nights ago so I wanted something a bit different.
I also had three red bell peppers.
And lots of pasta.
I sliced the pork chops into strips and sauteed them in a splash of olive oil. I added half an onion, and the three peppers, sliced into strips. And a clove of garlic, minced.
I added one 15oz can of diced tomatoes in juice, brought everything to a boil, covered the pan, reduced the heat to simmer, and let it all stew for about 90 minutes. Added a bit of salt and pepper.
Served over pasta.
I thought of adding a bit of cayenne or chili flakes but decided against it at the last minute. The peppers were really sweet and they worked well as they were. Some spice would have been nice, but tonight it was unnecessary.
Italian seasoning, fresh basil or other herbs, all sorts of things could go into this.
See?!? Always thinking of a different way to do something.
I think it's cooking ADD.
New Year Breakfast
You just know it's going to be a great year when the first meal of the year fills the kitchen with billowing clouds of smoke. I think my first task of the new year should probably be clean the oven.
New Year Breakfast - and billowing clouds of smoke - are traditions at our house. Not necessarily at the same time, but traditions, nonetheless. Breakfast is one of my most favorite meals and billowing clouds of smoke just seem to be a natural with me.
The billowing smoke is almost always a result of a dirty oven. [That's my story and I'm sticking to it!] It only takes a small spill, and a well-used oven is often rife with small spills. At least, ours is. Well... are. Both of them.
At least the Fire Department wasn't involved, this time.
Breakfast this morning was very basic. Bacon, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, toast, cinnamon rolls, sparkling cranberry, and the last of our Christmas coffee. The perfect way to usher in 2011. It would have been better if the camera battery had been charged, but 30 seconds on the charger gave me enough juice to shoot a couple of pics and breakfast was still served hot.
2011.
It doesn't seem possible. Then again, 2000 didn't seem possible. Turning 50 didn't seem possible. And they happened a long time ago.
The years do pass quicker as we age. The theory is that the brain processes new and novel things differently so - as youngsters doing something for the first time - it seems like it took forever. Older and wiser, the brain processes the same thing quicker - like putting it in cache. It doesn't need to reprocess the whole thing - been there, done that. Time flies.
And 2010 did fly by.
- Last year started with bacon-wrapping cheese-stuffed dates. They were so good.
- We revisited Debbie's Chicken in February. I hadn't made it in forever. It's a really simple and really flavorful dish.
- And in March I made my first loaf of no-knead bread. I've been making it ever since.
- April Peeps at Easter. Peeps. Gag. But they made a fun presentation. It's going to be fun figuring out what to do with them this year.
- Green Rice from Atlantic Spice arrived in May. Bamboo gives it the green color - and tea-like flavor.
- June saw the arrival of Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce from our friend, Luigi. It is currently my favorite bottled sauce.
- And then we got a deep-fat fryer! The July Birthday Boy had made an off-hand comment about cooking equipment. It's not for every-day use - and fried Snickers bars are vastly overrated - but it's fun!
- And Pasta Monday Began! Bless that August issue of La Cucina Italiana magazine! This has been one of the best culinary adventures, ever!
- September saw us stuffing tomatoes from the garden. We had a great crop this year.
- And then in October we got married. The honeymoon included seafood night at Dana's on Cape Cod.
- November was my first real attempt at candy-making in years. It actually came out.
- December brought us another over-the-top Christmas Eve with Joanna and Tom. Food, family, and fun. Who could ask for anything more?
So here's to another fun-and-calorie-filled year.
Create a few memories for yourself and your family. Make something new and different; explore a new flavor or cuisine.
Experiment and don't worry about screwing up. The very worst thing that can happen is you throw it all out and call for pizza.
Ham Steaks and Potatoes
Early in my hotel career, I worked with an Executive Chef named Peter Koenig at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe. Peter initially hired me as a cook at the gourmet restaurant Hugos Rotisserie on the lake, and then brought me up to the main hotel restaurant. Peter was an exacting and demanding chef - but not in the temperamental and egotistical manner that seems so fashionable today. Peter just expected things to be done the right way. He took the time to teach and show you how to do it and how he wanted it done and then expected you to do it correctly every time you did it. I was a quick learn. I just knew it wouldn't be wise to piss him off.
It paid off. Peter actually hired me twice. First as a cook and then after a brief interlude back in San Francisco, to run the short-lived Ponderosa Buffet off the hotel casino. It was from the Ponderosa that I went to Alpine Jack's and started managing the restaurant I once cooked for.
I learned a lot from Peter from cooking and technique to presentation and management. How to nit-pick on the seemingly minor details because the minor details were what were actually important. Or when to come down heavy on an employee for screwing up and when to create a "learning experience." We butted heads now and again but it always was a learning experience.....
He was good.
Really good to be remembered 35 years after that initial hire!
But I remembered him today because of a ham. A Cure 81 Ham. I really don't recall the exact scenario, but it basically had to do with us getting the wrong ham. I think that at one time Cure 81's were pretty much only available to the industry and they were the top "deli ham" of the day. They could be shaved thin for sandwiches or sliced thick for ham steaks. For whatever reason, we got the wrong ham and Peter was not amused.
Fast-forward 30-whatever years and I'm at the grocery store, look down, and see a Cure 81 ham.
It's amazing how something as simple as a ham can trigger such a flood of memories. It was (still) not cheap but I had to buy it.
A dozen recipe ideas were running through my mind. But the first one was the simplest and most appealing. Fried Ham Steak.
The ham steaks tonight were simply fried in a pat of butter. And fried ham needs potatoes and peas. But not just any potato... A thin-sliced-soft-in-the-center-and-crispy-on-the-outside potato.
I sliced the potatoes nice and thin using a mandoline (go buy one - they're fantastic!) and layered them in a small skillet. I drizzled a bit of butter on them as I built the layers and added a pinch of salt and pepper now and again, as well.
When I got to the top I sprinkled them with dill.
They went onto the stovetop for about 5 minutes and then covered, into a 375° oven for 45 minutes.
The last three or so minutes were under the broiler to crisp the top.
I inverted the pan onto a cutting board and sliced in half. They came out just as I wanted - crispy on the outside and nice and soft and buttery on the inside.
I think Peter would have approved.
Planning the Christmas Baking
It's November 11th. The perfect date to start planning the Christmas baking!
Christmas cookies have been a tradition with us since Christmas One. We have baked thousands of cookies a year. Tens of thousands since getting together. It's been a lot of butter, flour, and fun.
But the past couple of years it hasn't been as much fun. It's been almost mechanical. The bright spot has been having Gino and Elizabeth come down and help with the special family cookies, but the others have been... well... The Same.
We've just made the same cookies for too many years.
So this year, we're doing something completely different.
First is, we're not baking as many cookies as we have in the past. We're doing the family traditions with Gino and Elizabeth but everything else is going to be fresh and new.
We have a recipe for German Springerle cookies. They are cool. Made with carved cookie forms that are pressed into the dough and allowed to dry over night before baking. They're leavened with Hartshorn - bakers ammonia. I have it in the cupboard.
And we're making Torrone - Italian nougat. I've just ordered the edible rice paper. We also have a recipe for a chocolate version. And we're going to make a trio of Italian nut brittles. And authentic English Plum Pudding. And German Stollen. Pinenut Pie. Spiced Nut Tart.
We're going to make a goodly amount of candies - something that I've always wanted to do, but have always shied away from.
Candy-making is just outside of my comfort zone. It's just not something I've done as much of or done as well as other things. It really is the least-forgiving of all cooking.
But what the hell. We're going to go for it! This ain't brain surgery. The absolute worst that can happen is we screw it up and throw it out and start over again. I did that the first time I made the Stollen. Totally screwed it up. And remade it perfectly. I'm getting pretty psyched about the whole idea!
As the new recipes are finalized I'll add them to the Christmas Cookie pages. And we'll take pictures and blog about them as we make them.
I can't wait to start!
Pasta Paraphernalia
After years (and years) of rolling gnocchi off the tines of a fork, Victor went out and got a real, live gnocchi board. Just in time for Monday's Pasta Feast.
He's going to be making Malloreddus con Saliccia.
I can't wait.