A Day in The Bay

Iced Tea

My favorite part about living in San Francisco currently, is hosting guests who have never been to this city, and heading around town feeding them my favorites. This presents a bit of a delicate problem for my expanding waistline, but I figure that I’ll burn off “most” (cough* a fraction of*) of the calories if we attempt to walk to as many spots as possible.

Last week, my dear friend Caroline came, on a quick break from her graduate studies at Haaaahvahhhd, for her cousin’s destination wedding in wine country, which meant that I had only one day to take her around! What to choose from!

After picking her up at the airport at 11:30 pm, we came back to my little apartment in Noe Valley, and fell right asleep, so we would have energy for the upcoming excursion. Once morning came, we headed out early, taking the J over the big hill by Dolores Park (I didn’t want to kill her before noon), and stopping briefly on 18th street for a cup of Mocha Tesora at Philz, no extra sugar, dash of cream, with a mint leaf on top. If you haven’t had it before, it’s heaven in a cup. Philz makes your cup of coffee one at a time, and is one of the best that I’ve had in this city. I’m equally torn between the one on 18th street, and the one down on 24th in the mission.

We then walked through the Castro, taking a brief stop into Cliff’s Variety mostly so I could note how wonderful it was that they really do have a little bit of everything! And to marvel at their collection of kitchen wares, and note how I could really use a Norpro Ceramic Compost Keeper, in order to properly follow the new San Francisco law of composting. Alas, Given was closed, so I couldn’t show her all of the things (art, home ware, jewelry, furniture, trinkets) I would like to own. We headed up the street and turned on market, picking the J back up at Church and Market, and headed over to the Ferry Building.

CarolineBridge

As things were just starting to open, we went to badger the hostess at Slanted Door, to see if she would give us a reservation for two around 11:30, enough time to walk through each of the shops before we became famished. She kindly obliged, and we went off to take “San Francisco Photos”. I managed to take a “San Francisco Photo” of her with the Bay Bridge, and then a portrait of a native seagull, in the same pose.

Seagull Bridge

Stately fellow, isn’t he?

After this, we walked around, although, this time, Miette wasn’t open quite yet, so we didn’t have one of their lovely Macarons (I like pistachio), and it was a little too early for a sandwich or Meat Cone at  Boccalone, although that usually is one of my favorites. My brother is still over the moon about his “Tasty Salted Pig Parts Water Bottle” he picked up there. We did step into Sur La Table, which stocks well and has nice sales, and an particularly pleasant assistant manager, John, who I met at Omnivore yesterday.

CaroPortrait

This is my favorite photo of Caroline, which I caught right before she broke out into a giggle. I like making my subjects laugh right before snapping their photo.

We sat outside at the Slanted Door, it was perfect weather, and the tourist watching opportunities there are prime. While people often make comments that the Slanted Door is overrated, I have never had anything but lovely food and service there. It’s a nice place to sit, eat, and people watch.

She had milk tea, and I had their iced tea. We shared a bowl of their shrimp and pork wonton soup, which has a lovely broth and egg noodles, then we had the beautifully presented Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna) collar, some of the most tender parts of fish, which came with these grilled pineapple that were so, so good. We finished with the highly fragrant chicken clay pot, and no room for dessert.

Hamachi CollarAfter lunch, we set back to walking, heading towards Union Square, where we took a brief pause at the very large Williams Sonoma to watch a pasta making demonstration, and discussing the merits of the city of Boston versus San Francisco with a lively little audience.

We finally headed over the bridge to Berkeley, on what I affectionately refer to as the “Soviet Disney Monorail” (aka the Bart) to walk around the campus, take a brief pause at Games of Berkeley, where I was astounded to find the board game “Quelf” which I immediately purchased. For those unaware (I’m assuming most of you, because most board game stores have never heard of this game), Quelf is a lively boardgame that is to be played with a group of people who are not afraid of acting like complete oddballs together. It is impossible to play without laughing hysterically.

Next, after checking out the “reduced price cheese basket” at the Cheeseboard cheese store, and scoring on a blue cheese and a goat cheese for about $2.50, we headed next door to get in line at Cheeseboard Pizza, my favorite spot for pizza in the bay area. Cheeseboard features one pizza a day, of which you can order slices, a fraction of, or the whole pizza including tax for $20. This is a steal for what you are getting. The pizza is always chock full of local vegetables, and specialty cheeses from next door. It’s vegetarian, but no omnivore would be missing the meat here. The line is long but quick, and I’ve never been let down by the selection. On Fridays they have jazz.

We were there for a most delicious pizza with gruyere and potato, and the salad of the day, and made sure to get some for Devon, who most generously picked us up in the car to take us back over the bridge.

A pretty wonderful day, for sure.

Although, if you are thinking of coming to San Francisco, best visit for a week!

Smoked Salmon for Breakfast

Smoked Salmon Breakfast

Smoked Fish. I love it all. Smoked salmon, smoked trout, smoked whitefish, smoked sable… I’m the type of girl who would rationalize a one day trip to New York City – as long as I could pick up some smoked fish at Zabars before heading home.

This adoration started early. Growing up in New Hampshire, my parents and I would frequent Seaport Fish every week to get all our seafood needs. I was always on board for this trip, because from the age of about one, the staff at seaport fish started bribing me with smoked salmon. Honestly, I must have gotten an entire salmon’s worth of smoked salmon for free over my childhood.

While I generally interchange the terms smoked salmon, nova, nova lox, and lox, there is technically a difference between them- here’s a simple breakdown:
Nova or Lox are usually what we see when we order the platter from the deli, or on the bagel – the fish has been cured in a liquid brine and cold smoked.
Scottish style salmon is cured in a dry brine, and then cold smoked.
Nordic smoked salmon is salt cured and then cold smoked.
Gravlax is generally cured in a mixture that has more herbs and spices including dill and juniper berry.

These are not to be confused with hot-smoked salmon, which you may see in packages by the fish counter – hot smoking makes the fish feel like cooked fish, whereas cold smoking makes it a little more like the consistency of sushi.

Side of Scottish_ Unsliced

(Photo: Russ and Daughters)

Where to find good smoked fish:

If you live on a seacoast, particularly in New England, you would be in luck. Most local fish markets will carry good quality salmon. If you are near a city, you might try going to an old style Jewish deli. When buying packaged, I like Ducktrap,  particularly the “Kendall Brook Variety” which comes from Maine. I find that packaged however are sort of luck of the draw – I like being able to taste a little bit before I buy it, to make sure it’s not too salty for my taste.

I picked up mine for breakfast at our new Whole Foods in Noe Valley, so if you live near one of these you might check out their fish department, and see if they will give you a little sample.

If all else fails, you can just order it from either of the two golden sources – Zabar’s fish counter, or Russ and Daughters and they will ship it to you, right quick. While you are at it, order a jar of salmon caviar from either of these guys and you won’t be disappointed.

A few things you can do with smoked salmon:

:: The composed breakfast (see above) – toast, dry farmed early girl tomatoes, and ripe avocado – spreads like cream cheese.

:: Smoked salmon on a bagel (or brown bread, or rye bread, or seedy bread ie: anadama) with *full fat* cream cheese, and slices of onion if you are so inclined. *Please note, unfortunately, I spent several years of my life with nothing but fat free cream cheese in my refrigerator. Don’t make the same mistake.

:: Smoked salmon pinwheels – great for the lunchbox (either just salmon and cream cheese, or wrap style in a tortilla)

:: Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.

Any brilliant salmon ideas? I’m always looking for more!

You Say Tomato…

EarlyGirl Tomatoes

While we were growing up, my dear friend Julia hated tomatoes. This was always completely perplexing to me, as there is nothing in my mind as perfect or as wonderful as a tomato. Who could possibly hate such a thing? Sweet, just slightly tangy, with multiple textures as you bite through a fresh one. And don’t get me started about sun warmed tomatoes fresh off the vine. My mother always kept them in her garden, and I remember fondly summer afternoons at my CSA picking them off the vine and eating them almost as fast as I picked them.

It’s with great sadness that I can’t grow my own tomatoes here on the third floor. Julia, at least, has since found pleasure in tomatoes, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.

Over the past few months I’ve been eating tomatoes almost every day, taking full advantage of these summer beauties before the season is completely over, and we are forced once again to give them up for the winter. Before the summer ends, I implore you to head out and try my newest tomato obsession – Dry Farmed Early Girl tomatoes.

Now, the Early Girl tomato is… gasp! a hybrid tomato!

While I do believe that choosing an heirloom vegetable over hybridized versions is important for continuing on longlasting varietals, I don’t exclude choosing hybrid tomatoes that are sustainably farmed. Early girl tomatoes are just too good to pass up, and are perfectly suited for dry farming – a technique that requires less water for farming. After transplanting, the tomato is no longer watered, which causes the roots to grow larger to attract more moisture, and in consequence, the tomato ends up with a more concentrated tomato-ey flavor. In this neck of the woods, Dirty Girl Produce happens to be championing the dry farming of early girls, and I’m so happy to support them.

After reading about these for weeks – and finally picked up some of my own at farmers market. Oh my goodness. How have I lived without them? These beauties I picked up from Dirty Girl Produce – I’ve been getting them at the farmers market, and when I needed a midweek fix I was so excited to see them at the new Whole Foods in my neighborhood.

I think I’m also smitten because Joe Schirmer, who owns Dirty Girl, is on this years reader’s choice “Farmers Under 40”, alongside Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer. Novella made us all giggle incessantly when she came to visit Omnivore Books for a signing last month. I’m a big fan!

Roastingtomatoes
Just a few things I’ve been doing with these tasty tomatoes:

:: Sliced up for breakfast with a cube of cheddar, some turkey bacon and Turkish tea.

:: Oven- Roasted – with some olive oil and rosemary and thyme (see above). I don’t have an after photo, because, ahem, I forgot and then ate them all. I’m going to do another few batches soon and preserve some in olive oil, and puree some for the freezer.

:: “Just tomato” soup: Blended raw with basil and a little bit of chicken broth, and heated up over the stove, seasoned with salt and pepper and a swirl of peppery olive oil.

:: The Lazy Salad – Sliced up tomatoes, tossed with frisee and Whole Foods marinated gigante beans from the antipasto section.