Bi-Rite Creamery

I have two words for you—salted caramel. I know, you are probably thinking, salted caramels are -so- last year. But until you have had a scoop of this particular salted caramel ice cream at the Bi-Rite Creamery in SF, then you just haven't lived. Your whole life until this point has been an utterly meaningless, complete waste of time. Stop screwing around. This ice cream is important to your development. It is buttery, soft, and creamy with the perfect balance of sweet and salty. If they need a new name for it I suggest: A Good Reason to Live.

Oh, they have other flavors, and I know they're good, because Beta Wife tries them. So I know she would want me to say something about the delicious roasted banana or the zingy ginger. But every time we go I end up with one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of salted caramel. Maybe chocolate is boring, but it's my default ice cream flavor setting. That's why I'm always stealing some of hers if I want to try something new. So maybe it's a good idea to bring someone along for the trip.

BTW--Bi-Rite ice cream is made in small batches using local, organic ingredients. Be prepared to stand in line on weekends, but know that it's well worth the wait.

3692 18th Street (@ Dolores) San Francisco CA94110

415.626.5600

Making the Perfect (fancy) Grilled Cheese

The grilled cheese sandwich is maybe one of the world’s most amazing culinary inventions, next to cheeseburgers and alcoholic beverages. And they can be made so many different ways, swapping out different breads and cheeses, adding extra ingredients like veggies or meat, though purists might argue that when you start adding anything you feel like it ceases to be a grilled cheese. I am of the school that believes the addition of one extra ingredient does not strip the sandwich of the grilled cheese title.

Now for the prep. The secret to a good grilled cheese sandwich is patience. Use low heat and walk away for a few minutes. Heat the sandwich too fast and the outside will get brown before the cheese has properly melted. This is especially a problem if you're using a cheese other than good old yellow American slices. I personally like my bread to turn out golden, but not too brown. The outside should be lightly crisp and buttery, but soft after the initial crunch. The inside should be gooey and melty. Last, don't put the butter in the pan and put the bread in. Instead, put a few little pats of butter on the bread, then move the bread around on the hot pan to evenly distribute. This will also save you some trouble when you flip the sandwich over.

Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
makes 2

4 pieces of rustic white bread or sourdough
4-5 (very) thin slices of Raclette
4-5 (very) thin slices of Fontina or ¼ cup shredded
3-4 oz speck, Prosciutto, Mortadella
or
your favorite cured meat that I didn't mention
quality salted butter such as Kerrygold

Assemble the sandwiches beforehand if you like and put in the fridge for later. Sandwich the slices of meat in between the two cheeses.

1. Pre-heat (on medium) a pan large enough to cook the sandwiches both at the same time. Put a few pats of butter on each of the sandwich bottoms. Place in the pan moving the sandwiches around so that all of the bread is coated with butter. Make sure you turn the heat down low immediately after the sammies are nestled in. Let them cook for about five-six minutes.
2. Flip them over, repeat. After a few minutes check the bottom to ensure it’s not getting too brown. Remove from pan after golden brown, cut in half. Enjoy cheesy, gooey goodness.

Apology Post

but I brought you these flowers

I know what you're thinking.

WTF?! Where do you keep going? You're gone, you're back, you're gone again. And excuses, always excuses.

Yes, it’s true. I've abandoned my post once again. But I swear, I have a really good reason. Really good. I got one of those job thingies eveyone's been talking about. Believe it or not, getting a job in the service industry in the Bay Area has been more difficult than one would expect. That’s because of a little thing called the Recession. So I've been a little busy bringing home the bacon lately, or more accurately, the pressed ham. I am once again a contributing member of the household, if only on retail wages. I must also admit that I have come out of barista retirement. I know, I said I was done, swore I was done. I am the Brett Favre of the coffee world. Except that, well, I still have something to offer. So anyway, there is your excuse. I expect no more complaints.

Say Hello to Reynaldo

Our first garden tomato of the season, an Early Girl, was not so early. But totally perfect.

Meet Reynaldo. He was the biggest tomato of our 13 plants, and we've been waiting for him to turn nice and red for weeks. Finally, satisfaction. At least for us. Unfortunately for Renny, it was the end of the road.

Reynaldo's last appearance before being invited to breakfast.

Mixology Monday: Vodka is Your Friend

Felicia claims that vodka is your friend. Now typically this is not a statement I would make, but if Felicia says it is so, then it must be so. After all, Felicia has never lied to me. At least not recently anyway. So for this Mixology Monday we will all humor her and say nice things about vodka. My drink of choice representing the category of this defamed spirit is *cough* flavored *cough* vodka—Stolichnaya Blueberi in particular (yea, spelled just like that.) One of my favorite summer beverages is in fact, a Vodka Collins made with Stoli. I am not ashamed.

Blueberry Collins

1.5 oz Stoli blueberry flavored vodka
½ oz fresh lemon juice
simple syrup, to taste
soda/seltzer water

Fill a Collins glass (it’s the tall, narrow one) with ice and add vodka, lemon, and simple. Top with soda and stir gently. Garnish with a cherry and slice of lemon.

Note: If you're using a sweeter lemon such as Meyer, you'll want to add more juice.

Make sure to visit Felicia’s Speakeasy blog and the Mixology Monday homepage.

Carne Asada Tacos

One of the perks of living on the left coast is the endless supply of taquerias. So I'd like to think with all of my hands-on research in the field of taco consumption, I have learned a thing or two. The perfect meal for having guests over, you can put out the fillings and let people assemble their own. Serve with a side of seasoned black beans, and you'll be in business. Of course a margarita or two also won't hurt.

Carne Asada

1 lb flank steak
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 habanero pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp lime juice
½ tsp lime zest
2 tsp olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

Marinade:

About four or five hours before grilling time, place the steak in a Tupperware or large freezer bag, adding all remaining ingredients. Every couple of hours, agitate the meat to make sure it’s getting coated evenly.

Grilling:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill flank steak about 6 minutes on each side, uncovered. Let the flank steak rest 5 minutes before cutting into it. Meat should be slightly pink in the center.

Seasoned Black Beans

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Heat onion in a tsp olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add beans through salt, cook on medium/low heat until beans are warm. Add cilantro. Serve as a side, or as a topping for the tacos.

Making the tacos:

I used corn tortillas, heated in a skillet with cooking spray. Essential taco toppings include but are not limited to:

chopped onion
fresh cilantro
salsa
cheese ( I prefer cotija or Monterey Jack)
avocado or guacamole
jalapeno slices
sour cream
seasoned beans

Assemble and enjoy with a margarita and/or a cold beer.

Note to vegetarians: You can also use this marinade on thick slices of zucchini for grilled veggie tacos. And it’s a great way to get rid of your zucchini now that its probably taking over the fridge.

Summer Squash Overload

There is no recession in the garden--there are no layoffs or pay cuts. Just a lot of squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and soon-to-be-ripe tomatoes. And more squash. Between our garden supply and the veggies from our CSA, we've got squash and zucchini up to our ears. There are only so many times I can eat steamed squash with cheese and still be excited about it. Here are few ideas to keep you interested in your summer harvest.

Summer Squash Soup
serves about 6 people (great for leftovers)

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried tarragon
2 cups farfalle (bowtie) pasta, uncooked
about 4-5 cups thinly sliced summer squash
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
¼ cup fresh basil
fresh black pepper
parmesan cheese for topping

1. Saute onion and carrot until just tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add oregano and tarragon, stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add water, chicken stock, pasta. Simmer until pasta is cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Add squash, additional veggies if desired*, simmer for 5 minutes or until squash is tender.

5. Stir in fresh basil and black pepper. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

*Note: Throw in zucchini, beans, spinach or any other veggies you find hanging around. I threw in a cup green beans that were feeling lonely in the crisper.

I served this soup with Zucchini Pancakes with Basil Cream, a recipe I found on Epicurious. I highly recommend it, and the pancakes will disappear quickly.