Hey there YOU, you eat some Rabbit!

I tell you, Sam, that's a nasty habit


I Am Sam.
Sam-I-Am.
C'mon now, lets get some honey
For a dish of sweet glazed bunny.
That Sam-I-Am! That Sam-I-Am!
I do not like that Sam-I-Am
I will not eat anything bunny,
I tell you, Sam, it's just not funny.
How about some rabbit stew?
I'll make a pot, just for you?
Not stew, not bunny, I told you Sam,
I cannot eat it, Sam-I-Am.
Then I'll bake a rabbit pie,
That's a dish you won't deny?
Deny I will, and deny I can,
I will not taste it Sam-I-Am.
Well, here's a dish, you'll love, I bet.
Share with me some rabbit rillette.
No, Sam-I-Am, I will not share,
You may not, but I do care.
Then let me prepare, for you, lapin
That sounds like a better plan.
Sam, I Am, I can translate,
Please no lapin on my plate.
Sam I am, just leave me be
Rabbit's not the dish for me.
Not in a stew, not with you,
Not in a pie, Not for a guy,
Not in rillette, No, not yet,
Not in a pan, no lapin,
No, no, no, it's just not funny
I told you Sam, I don't eat bunny!
How about I change the name?
And we'll just start this thing again.
If I say Rarebit, will you bite?
I think you will, I think you might?
I know you are so hard to please,
But try this toasted, bubbling cheese,
Its mixed with egg and glug of Ale,
How could such ingredients fail?
English Mustard, onion, sage,
Rarebit on toast is all the rage,
I know you'll like it if you try,
Try the Rarebit before you die.
Say! It's true I like the Rarebit.
I'd even say I like it a fair bit.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Sam!
Thank you, kindly, Sam-I-Am.



This Welsh Rarebit, a mixture of cheese, egg, mustard and Ale, was made using a recipe from Delia Smith who prefers to call it Welsh Rabbit. Read more here about the Welsh Rabbit v Rarebit debate. (Thanks Amy, for the link). The post was written for Jeanne and Anthony's EOMEOTE for August 2005, which required the post be written in Dr Seuss style. Most of the ingredients used were local. Eatwell Farm's eggs and sage, onions from Heirloom Organics, Three Sister's Farmstead Serenita cheese and Acme Pain au Levain.

Today is Blog Day 2005. Here are five non-foodie favourite blogs for you to check out: Qwerty | Potrero Hill | Non Dairy Diary | San Francisco Civic Center | Michele Agnew

Archive Alert! On this day in 2004, I was having dinner at the house of Vinny and my ex roomate D who is originally from New Orleans. We are keeping our fingers crossed for her family. Please think about donating to send relief effort to the stricken area. Thank you.

Food + Eat Local + Farmers Market + San Francisco + Eomeote + Blog Day 2005

Hey there YOU, you eat some Rabbit!

A Farmers' Market Feast

Pot Luck Chez Nous

Last weekend I invited some friends around for dinner. I have never done a potluck before, preferring to usually go to completely to town by cooking everything myself. But I just thought it would be a nice idea to have for my less-food-obsessed friends to think about using local ingredients, so I asked them all to bring along something with that criteria in mind.

My friend Vinny came to the Farmers Market on Saturday. He looked a little bit bored when I kept bumping into fellow food bloggers. We'd be having these conversations, about - you know, food blogging and stuff and his expression would glaze over. Poor Vinny, he must have thought we were speaking double dutch. Luckily he survived and ended up making a very nice pasta salad with swordfish and grapefruit from the ingredients he bought at the market.



Pim, who I bumped into at Dirty Girl, and who, contrary to popular belief, I am not at war with, told me the smallest tomatoes are the best, because tomatoes have to suffer to be good. I took her word for it and picked out the tiniest ones I could find. As I was intending to make slow roasted tomatoes again, removing the seeds from specimens so small turned out to be a little tiresome. That's when I had a brainwave. So this is my tip for any readers who intend to prepare something simalar: A grapefruit spoon with it's pointy end and serrated edges is the perfect implement for the tomato-deseeding job.



My second tip concerns figs. I bought a selection of Knoll Tairwa Farm's plump, ripe green, brown and black figs which I stuffed with Cowgirl chevre, drizzled with Balsalmic and roasted in the oven. The easiest way to get the goat cheese neatly inside the figs, I discovered, was to use a piping bag.



No party would be complete without some food in the Becks & Posh signature colours of pink and green. Watermelon radishes not only look absolutely spectacular, they taste deliciously peppery too. I picked these ones up from Heirloom Organics. I presented them with sliced homegrown cucumbers that an anonymous samaritan kindly left in the kitchen at work last week.



My friend Penny loves Sticky Toffee Pudding so I wanted to surprise her and make some for the party. I picked up these sweet sticky medjool dates from the date guy at the market. I used the recipe in Jamie Oliver's most recent recipe book, Jamie's Dinners. This recipe was a sweet, sugary hit! I highly recommend that anyone who has this book gives it a try. Penny herself made some lovely open sandwiches with local marscapone and figs, contrasted by some prosciutto from a little bit further afield.



I read about a recipe for Peaches Roasted with Brown Sugar and Basil on Gluten-Free Girl's new food blog. They sounded so delicious, I simply had to make some before the peach season came to an end. I used Frog Hollow peaches, Knoll Tairwa Farm's basil and Straus butter. By the time they came out of the oven, everyone had already eaten too much and so I had some leftovers. No worries, they make a great breakfast dish, topped with a little St Benoit yoghurt. (I tried to persuade Mr Benoit to make some clotted cream for me, but he told me he is worried that it won't sell in California becasue everyone is on a health kick. Pah! Maybe I should start a campaign for health through feeding your inner spirit with delicious things. He did tell me, however, that he was thinking about making butter. So shhh, please don't tell the Californians that butter is just as fattening as clotted cream. Benoit butter is something I am now eagerly looking forward to!)

No more pictures, but other good things to tell you about. At last I made perfect gougere thanks to the recipe Brett kindly left in the comments section of my previous gougere post. This time I used the Award winning Bella Sorella/Serenita cheese from Three Sister's Farmstead. Although not the traditional gruyere, this strong, salty cheese made for wonderful gougere, believe me.

My friend Michael kindly bought a huge bagful of pastries made by John The Baker that he picked up from the Civic Center Farmer's Market. John makes the tarts at his home in Twin Peaks. These fruit tarts were all snapped up pretty quickly. I even witnessed some people go back for seconds.

I introduced my friends to the pleasures of the Fatted Calf. For the record, the Chorizo was much more popular than the Mortadella. The Fatted Calf are about to celebrate their two-year anniversary. I am sorry I can't make the party, but I'd like to send them a huge congratulations anyhow. I hope they have many more successful years of providing the Bay Area with delicious handmade charcuterie.

MB & D picked up a piping hot roasted chicken from Wholefoods on the way over to my place. This was gobbled up in no time. Cheeky D, was also seduced by a box of Annie's homegrown totally natural real Cheddar Bunnies at the checkout. They weren't exactly local but they were organic so he thought we'd approve. Shhh, please don't tell the Bunrabs that we ate a handful or two.

Last, but not least, S&D turned up, not only with a bun in the oven, but carrying a large, vibrantly coloured bowl of pasta salad too. The remaining guests, in fact all the guests, (there were 16 of us in total) brought plenty of local wines and drinks which ensured a fine time was had by all. Hey?! Where has all my Hangar One Raspberry Vodka gone? I thought I'd hidden it in the freezer...?

posted in Food + Eat Local + Farmers Market + San Francisco + Dinner Party + Pot Luck

A Farmers' Market Feast

A Global Bunch of Rachael Rays

Around the World in $40 Days
Recently I asked people if they would like to come up with their own versions of Rachael Ray's $40 A Day for the latest edition of Dine & Dish. There was fantastic response with 33 entries from all over the world. Each one of these entries is absolutely amazing. I hope you manage to read through them all. Take your time, you'll need it...



Rachael starts her worldwide journey in Knoxville Tennessee where she manages to spend $37.64 on some delicious sounding food: She starts at the Waffle House for breakfast before heading out for lunch and an unusual but certainly interesting sounding walnut gorgonzola pizza as well as blue chip nachos from the quirkily named Tomato Head. In the evening Rachael heads off for a mildly spicy night out and a tempting thali feast from Kashmir Indian Restaurant.

When Rachael is in LA, California, it's all about what she doesn't eat, rather than what she does eat. It's all about her figure. Less is more. She starts with a simple coffee at Urth Caffé, heads to Porta Via for a half panini and a half salad at lunch time. She saves the evening for rock'n'roll, star spotting, pizzas and martini at Jones Hollywood.

Is it always snowy in Cambridge, MA? Someone living in that neck of the woods probably wouldn't be too sorry if Rachael froze over so she could never open her mouth again. Until that happens, Rachael will be eating very well in Massachusettes: She starts with a slice of Upper Crust Pizza, and follows that with a coffee from Darwins where the hazelnut and other flavoured syrups are gratis. After a lot of walking around and a nap, Rachael pigs out on a decadent-sounding lobster sandwich from Alive and Kicking and fried chicken from the Coast Cafe. What a pig our Rachael is. The only space left, after that mountain of filling food, is for a couple of cocktails at Middlesex. Rachael ends her busy day 35 cents under budget.

Next up Rachael is in the Cleveland area where she starts her day by eating jerk chicken at a Caribbean Hungarian restaurant called Monica's. Fom there, Rachael's off to have fun , popcorn and frozen custard at the Euclid Beach Park where the Beach Boys played in 1964, long before Rachael was born. From frozen custard to Hot Sauce Williams, next stop is for ribs and chicken wings. Rachael has a couple of dollars left in the budget so she heads off to the North Union Farmers Market for strawberry filled Amish fry pie. Now that sounds like a sweet ending.

When Rachael visited Oakland, CA, she was pretty cheap. In fact she could have included a 20% tip and remained in budget. She started her day with a chocolatine from La Farine. For lunch Rachael opted for a Bahn Mi from Cam Huong which she washed down with a drink and dessert in one - Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Pearls from the cutely named Sweet Booth. With her budget almost intact Rachael headed off to Luka's Tap Room for a feast of burger, beer and chocolate cake. By the end of the night, Rachael is still in the money, having only spent $33 total.

Rachael is jumping all over the place these days. West Coast, East Coast, this girl is flying! Next stop is Syracuse, NY where our Rachael starts the day at Lucky Moon Cafe with a delicious sounding breakfast of omelette, tuscan toast and jasmine tea, cooked for her personally by one of the owners no less. I hope Rachael isn't using her position to get preferential treatment! Rachael is a girl after my own heart - she chooses to take lunch at the organic Elderberry Pond Farm where the burgers look amazing. And as if that wasn't enough, she pigs out on a raspberry and almond tart too. You'd think she would have run out of space in her belly and change in her purse, but no! Rachael still room for a catfish burrito, cornbread and salad from Alto Cinco. Wow! All for $39!

Next stop London, England. Rachael is going all international on us and making me home sick at the same time. But, phew, the prices of things in England! It's daylight robbery. Rachael reminds us that to eat well in England, as Somerset Maugham said, eat breakfast three times a day and so she starts with a classic English Breakfast at Café Olympic, E15. As if I wasn't salivating enough already, she then heads to S and M Café in Spitalfields and has Bangers & Mash with gravy. Oh my. And to torture me enough even more, Rachael then heads to Brick Lane, and New Tayyab, for a spicy feast. Oh, how I wish I could be there too, preferably on a different day to Ms Ray and definitely with sterling, rather than dollars, in in my bank account. Rachael spent just five pence under £22.00, the equivalent to $40.

Staying away from the USA a little while longer, Rachael's next stop is Singapore where she can get S$66 for her forty US. Ya Kun is her breakfast stop for a traditional morning meal of soft boiled egg, toast and coffee. At lunchtime she settles for a variety of Japanese food from Ichiban Boshi, including sake head miso soup. (Sake meaning salmon in this instance). Dinner includes no less than four desserts. After both savoury and sweet crepes at Le P'tit Breton, Rachael heads to Bakerzin for raspberry panna cotta, lychee espuma, and hot chocolate shooter with housemade chocolate ice cream. She comes in way under budget, but after all that sugar, do you think Rachael will be able to describe herself as a Skinny Chef and keep a straight face?

Rachael is getting homesick, so she nips back to her homeland and a visit to Portsmouth, VA and Waffle World for a cheap filling breakfast. Lunch is a sandwich, and coffee, at Rachael's friends' place, The Daily Grind. For dinner we have a choice of two. Because I work in the movie business, I'll opt for the Commodore Theater, where I can eat Fish'n'Chips and watch films at the same time!

Rachael is a little bit fond of San Francisco it would seem. She just keeps coming back because she can't quite make up her mind about the Bay Area's best eats. Pastores is a place I hadn't heard of, but will be trying soon. The Huevos Rancheros look so good. There isn't a San Franciscan who hasn't heard about the Bahn Mi from Saigon Sandwich. The only person who hasn't actually tried them, however, is probably me. I am determined to change that as soon as my job moves to the city next week. I tried to go to Isa recently, but they had closed for a vacation. Rachael had better luck when she was in town and she positively raves about the $22.25 Prix fixe. Lots of beau-ti-ful food options, coming in under budget with tips and tax included.

Spokane, Washington. Have you heard of it? The more I read about it, the more I want to visit. I am kind of bummed that Rachael got there before me to sample the delights of the 'Tasty Triangle', an area around St John's Cathedral. Photographic evidence of a dark chocolate and orange scone from BitterSweet Bakery will make you drool. After that, pay your penance with a healthy bright and vibrant mix of salads for lunch at Lindaman's. The indulgent streak is revisited again for dinner, at Paprika, where Rachael manages to squeeze a grilled steak fillet with port wine reduction into her belly and her budget.

For her next call, Rachael decides to try LA, CA again, this time from a wildly different standpoint. She starts at Millie's for an obscenely decadent stack of six pancakes layered with cream cheese and strawberries. Does she really need to eat for the rest of the day? Apparently yes, so she stops off at Label's Table Deli for the best smoked turkey sandwich on rye in the City. Even before dinner it seems Rachael is famished to she stops off at Wholefoods for a little snack of a Spicy tuna bowl. At least it sounds healthy! Finally, before the day is over, Rachael finds room for dinner. Off to Mulholland Grill she goes, to graze on Caesar salad and gnocchi. Oh no! But she's gone over the budge by a few dollars. Naughty Rachael. What punishment shall we deliver her? I'll take votes. Wink, wink.

Next Rachael nips over to Hartford, CT, for some delicious sounding whole wheat flour and wheat germ pancakes. She recommends the chocolate chip pancake with side of home fries and orange juice from Mo's Midtown. As a visiting celebrity, Rachael can't resist taking lunch with former Hartford Mayor, at Mayor Mike's. An oooey-gooey and oh-so-good pesto grilled cheese with lots of trimmings is the thing that attracts her attention. Come the evening, Rachael heads off to Agave Grill for Guacamole, cheese enchiladas and a half-price house margarita on the rocks. A day's worth of fine dining comes to an end exactly on budget.

Back in San Francisco again, just to doublecheck whether or not she made the best choices on her previous visit, Rachael starts her day at the fabulous Tartine for the best damn frangipane croissant outside of Paris and a coffee. For lunch she tries Yank Sing, for the famous but pricey Dim Sum which is so delicious, its worth the spend. A Frog Hollow peach tides her over until dinner when she heads to the Mission and La Taqueria for pork carnitas taco with avocado, a vegetarian bean and cheese taco with avocado and a small sweet-sour tamarindo drink. All of the day's goodies total $38.70 which seems like a bargain for so much tasty sounding food.

A quick flight back down to Los Angeles, this time Rachael has her beau in tow. She wants to see if she can feed two people in the City of Angels without blowing more than 40 bucks. She ends up doing her mom and dad proud, budget wise. They start at Gilbert's for a hangover breakfast of huevos con chorizo and menudo. Not for the faint of heart - Menudo consists of tripe and other cow parts bathed in a spicy red broth with hominy, onions, peppers and other condiments. Lee's Sandwiches serve Bahn Mi, which are proving to be popular wherever Rachael goes. They also have Western-style sandwiches available so everyone is happy. When it's time for dinner, Rachael and her man head for Sam Woo BBQ, for noodles, rock cod, rice and free tea. At the end of the day they still have $3.60 left between them. What excellent house-keeping skills!

Next stop is Berkeley, CA, where two different days of dining options are tested out. Day one starts with a pastry and latte from Caffe Trieste and continues with a Turkish buffet lunch from Bosphorus. For dinner, new kid on the block, Sea Salt, is the destination where Rachael dines on oysters, clam chowder and a pint of Anchor Steam. At the end of the day she is well uder budget with 5 bucks to spare.
On day two in the San Pablo Avenue area, Rachael begins with a Cafe Fanny latte, granola, fresh fruit and yoghurt before heading to Everett and Jones for a lunch of sliced beef and soda. Next Rachael has a Mexican snack at Casa Latina. For her final Berkeley meal she heads back to Caffe Trieste for salad, pizza and a nice glass of red wine. Who would have known there is so much good food to be had in such a small area of town.

After zipping all over the States, Rachael fancies a trip down under, to Sydney, Australia. Because the exchange rate is on her side, she decides to try and eat on AUS$40 which is only about thirty bucks whilst sticking in the downtown area of Sydney. A Big Breakfast starts the day at Una's: Bacon, sausages, eggs, rosti, toast and tomato, oh yes, it sounds totally scrumptious. So Rachael's lunch is a little lighter - Grilled dory fillets with salad and chips plus firm, tasty and achingly fresh sashimi from Peter's. Phew, that sounds sublime. You know me, I love Indian food. Seems Rachael does too. So for dinner she heads off to Maya Masala for pani puri chaat,
onion rawa paneer dosa and a sweet and syrupy Indian dessert. Oh wow, out of my way, Rachael, I'm heading to Oz right this very second.

It looks like Rachael will make room in Sydney for me, by jetting off across the Australian countryside to Adelaide. Phat Coffee is the first stop, for a coffee and a magnificent Ham Cheese and Tomato Croissant. Oh! Sushi is a brief lunch stop and the final meal of the day is The ‘Steed where Rachael indulges in an interesting sounding Pork Puff Pastry Parcel and a jug of Cooper's Ale, all comfortably under the $40 mark.

Rachael just can't keep away from San Francisco for more than about 5 minutes. Yes, she's back again, because she just can't get enough of Tartine. This time round it's a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino that gets her all excited. It's not her first trip to Saigon Sandwich either. I am beginning to think Rachael is a Bahn Mi addict. Rachael's visit coincides with a rare San Francisco sighting. A Ray of sunshine peeps out from behind the fog and so she finds an excuse to go and eat ice cream, from Mitchell's, of course. Where else? But the real reason Ms Ray had to return to my fair city, is to check out Delfina's new Pizzeria. Does she like it? Salsiccia pizza and Montepulciano says she does. She still has enough change to stop at Tartine on the way home and pick up a croissant for tomorrows breakfast. What a gutsy lady.

Rachael still wonders if she has done San Francisco enough justice. She'd like to see it from a Frenchman's perspective. What would he eat? He'd get to Delanghe Bakery at 7am for warm croissants, that's what he'd do. Rachael can't decide between a plain one or a hazelnut raspberry, they both sound sooo good. Next on the menu is a whole black pepper sauce crab from Batavia Garden, yes, a whole one just for Rachael. To end her French-style day in San Francisco Rachael would venture to Chapeau! for the $25 prix fixe. The whole day sounds like one long good idee.

Rachael's plane gets delayed so she has to stay in San Francisco for one more day. What's it to be this time she wonders? Are there still enough options for her to dine well in SF? Instead of pastries, Rachael starts her day with a steaming bowl of clam chowder from Swan's Oyster Depot . It might sound strange, but just remember how foggy and cold it can be here in the Summer. For lunch she heads to one of my favourites, The Helmand, for an all-you-can-eat Afghan buffet. You might think Rachael would be full by now, but Hawthorne Lane is calling where, between 4 and 6pm Happy Hour Bar Bites are all $3.50. Bargain munching options washed down with a G & T. Because dinner was so early, Rachael needs a late night dessert snack which she finds in the form of Black Glutinous Rice in Mango & Coconut Juice with Extra Mango at Creations Dessert House and she still has 75 cents in her pocket at the end of the night.

Rachael finally escapes California for Northern Virginia where she comfirms her reputation as Queen of cheap eats by starting her $40 day with a Royal Restaurant breakfast. Determined not to let her regal status get the better of her, Rachael's next stop is The Italian Store where she'll get a good sub but no niceties whatsoever from the staff. She doesn't really mind, though, because she has an extra special treat in store for the evening. Rachael heads off to what is widely considered one of the best restaunts in NV, 2941, where eating from the Tapas on the Terrace menu means she finishes the day exactly on budget. Bravo!

The sparkling seas and waving palm trees are calling Rachael from Santa Barbara. The D'Angelo Pastry ham and cheese croissants are practically screaming Rachael's name. (She missed out on them last time she was in SB). Rachael already knows about the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company and so she heads there again, for lunch. To tide herself over, until dinner she stops at Anna's Bakery for a chocolate cookie snack. It's been too long since she had any raw fish so Rachael heads off the main drag to dine at Ichiban Sushi finishing her day 15 cents under budget.

It's time for another trip abroad with Rachael jetting off, this time, to Pune, Maharshtra, India! $40 would feed a family for a month in this part of the world so, instead, Rachael decides to meet the challenge on about $4 instead. So much food for so little money: Tasty-sounding Coconut Uttapam from Madhuban, Chelo Kabab with rice and tomatoes from King's Restaurant, and Chicken and naan from the Sardar Tandoori stall. I wish I could go to Indian and learn about real Indian food.

Back in the US, Rachael heads up to Seattle . First stop of course, is the wonderful Pike Place Market and breakfast just opposite at Le Panier. Staying in the market area, lunch is a shrimp cocktail and water from Jack's Fish Spot. Next up on the itenary is happy hour. For this Rachael heads off to Elliott's Oyster House for the cheapest ever oysters and a martini. I am just amazed she still has over $20 left for dinner. For that meal Rachael heads to Brasa for a lamb burger and a glass of wine. A perfect end to a a thrifty day of eating.

I reckon that the day Rachael heads to San Juan Island, Washington, will be the day she loses her job. There are some entertaining people in these parts and our Ms Ray is going to have a hard time competing. She could always drown any sorrows in food. For breakfast, lavender lemonade and cake from the local farmer's market is a good suggestion. Lunch could be spring rolls, pad thai and and beer at the Golden Triangle. The day should end at Madrona Bar & Grill for something thick and meaty. I'll say no more...

Rachael suddenly realises she left something personal in her Seattle hotel room so she heads back to try and pick it up. Whilst there she decides to record another $40 A Day show. This time she gets her breakfast of a roly-poly bun and some coffee from the Macrina Bakery. Bruschettina at Ballard Farmers Market sounds like the perfect lunch stop where they have some interesting sounding toppings, like chickeas and octopus, for their bruschetta. After an afternoon pick-me-up at El Diablo Coffee Company, Rachael is ready for dinner. For this she heads to Chinook’s for a very fancy-sounding alder planked Alaskan silver salmon. Yum.

Columbus, Ohio is the next destination, starting with breakfast from Jack & Benny's. Rachael hasn't had a Bento Box in a while and she is asking herself why not? They are so great, especially the ones from Tyfoon. There is enough money and space left for a slap up dinner at The Burgundy Room. What is there not to like about beef carpaccio and rich cheese tortellini with pulled duck leg confit and a small glass Haven's Bourriquot? Shouldn't that be Heaven?!

After all this hard work, Rachael jets off to Honolulu, Hawaii, for hard-earned vacation. Chocolate cream stuffed Malasadas from Leonard's Bakery are sugary dough balls which are a sweet, cheap deal. A healthier lunch is in order so Rachael heads off to the noisy, local bowling alley where they serve steaming bowls of Oxtail soup spiced with cilantro at the Kapiolani Coffee Shop. For an afternoon treat, Racahel fancies custard with green tea ice and lots of syrup. She finds it at Waiola. The best find of her trip is Sunrise, a Japanese restaurant that serves the freshest fish at rock bottom prices. Rachael could get quite used to this way of life.

It's time to go home, back to New York. After spending so much on her holiday, Rachael decides to find a day of eats under $25. Everything she munches on throughout the day sounds irresistable. The simplicity of a $1 slice pizza bianca at Sullivan Street Bakery, the great value of a vietnamese sandwich from Bahn Mi So 1, the indulgence of piggy pudding from Sugar Sweet Sunshine, it all sounds marvellous. But that's not the end of it, Rachael is really showing her sweet tooth. What next? A chocolate mudslide cookie from Jacques Torres and then a mexican style bun from the Golden Dragon Boat Cafe and Bakery. Something to drink next - how about a bubble tea from Green Tea Cafe? Dumpling might be a word that could be used to describe Rachael after eating all that, but what? She still has room for more? More dumplings that is - so she heads off to Shanghai Cafe for exactly that. Phew, Rachael is so now full she can hardly speak.

She doesn't utter another word until she arrives in Novato, Marin, CA. She's not really in a breakfast mood but she stops of at Skully's for a plain croissant and a coffee, finding it to be surprisingly good. Lunch is just as cheap - at Quezada Market - where she fills up on Tamales and coconut huice. Novato. So far, so good. Kitchen does a Prix-Fixe menu for just $15, so that is where Rachael decides to eat her evening meal. Three courses and a glass of wine, Rachael has discovered how to do Novato quite well, and way under budget to boot.

San Francisco is only a 30 minute drive down the 101, so Rachael figures she can head back in that direction one more time. She stops off at Larkspur on the way and Tabla on the way for soup and corn fritters. Next destination is Liberty Cafe to the South of the city for some of the best Eggs Florentine in town. She ends her day at Ti Couz slurping on a blackberry cocktail and indulging in her favourite cheese mushroom and almond crepe. She's full, but oh so satisfied, if only you could see the smile on her face.

I think Rachael deserves a little time off. It's time to sneak off to LA for some serious partying to celebrate the end of this $40 a series. The next day, even with a hangover, Rachael shows her dedication to food by dragging herself out of bed to get to the farmers market where she starts the rehydration process on free samples of pomegranate juice. Now she's not actually working, Rachael shows where her real priorities lie. She heads over to Casa del Mar for the hair of the dog - a $12 bloody Mary. In need of more liquid refreshment, Rachael hurries to Lula, for their 7-day a week happy hour, and a couple of margheritas at $3 a pop. Yes. I did say two. Finally Rachael visits Blowfish for an animal-style roll which she washes down with an Absolut Citron lemon and soda and the $40 is spent. Lucky Rachael, she certainly does lead a most Delicious Life.

Thanks to all who took part: Stephanie - The Real Rachael - Gloria - Stuart - Fatemeh - Jennifer - Jenni - Mia - Kim - Amy - Jennifer - Cathy - Debra - Brett - Pam - Charlotte Augustus Gloop - Matthew - Joy - Ced - Shanna - David - Deccanheffalump - Culinary Fool - Mrs D & Chopper Dave - Kimberly - Restaurant Widow - Alice - Roboppy - Jennifer - Sam - Sarah

posted in Food and Blogging and Dine & Dish and Restaurant Review and Rachael Ray and Dining

A Global Bunch of Rachael Rays

Grilled Cheese Tease

What is This?



This is a twist on a classic British recipe. Do you know what it is called?
Can you guess whose recipe I used? (Clue: she is the matriarch of British Celebrity Chefs.)
Trust the Brits to put alcohol in their Grilled Cheese: do you know what type of booze they use?

All will be revealed on Wednesday, hopefully in Dr Seuss style.

Archive Alert! On this day in 2004 we made a return visit to the restaurant, Chaya on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Food + Eat Local + slashfood + Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese Tease

Summer's Flying, We've Both Been Frying

Sizzling Recipes For IMBB # 18 hosted by At Our Table



At around nine pm last Wednesday evening, just before I was about to head to the kitchen to rustle up some dinner, Fred suddenly announced "I want some Kartoffenpfannkuchen right now". He asked me if we had any potatoes, onions and eggs. (That was about all we did have). Fred's paternal side of the family is German and he suddenly had a hankering for these potato cakes his grandmother made him when he was a child. He looked up Kartoffenpfannkuchen on the net for a recipe but his German wasn't up to scratch so he searched for "Galette de Pommes de Terre" instead. Funnily enough, and with no prompting from me, he ended up on fellow blogger Estelle's site where he followed the recipe found here.
We served it with a little carton of Apple Sauce I found abandoned in the fridge. I have to say, it was unexpectedly delcious. The only problem being, it was too small. I could have eaten twice as much. I am going to let Fred into the kitchen much more often in the future.


My attempt at making Delicious Days' Antipasto Speciali was a visual disaster when you compare it to their beautiful version. I'll blame it on nightfall and a lack of natural lighting with which to take any decent photos. They didn't taste that great either. They were ok, but a bit bland. I had to add a lot of salt and extra rosemary. Still, there was only one left over at the end of the party so they can't have been all bad.

Archive Alert! This time last year we were having a goodbye party for our dear friend Hans. Funnily enough, we had a party last night, and an unexpected visitor turned up - Hans! Just back from Budapest. He's back home at last. Hooray.

Food + IMBB + Frying + Recipe

Summer's Flying, We've Both Been Frying

Bay Area Blogger of the Week #20

We will not be using any buzzwords here,
but we will be sure to get a buzz on



This week I bring to you Dr Five Pints, who I didn't get to meet properly at the recent Foodbloggers' Picnic and I have since been kicking myself. I had never even really heard of the Dr before the picnic, so I went to check out his blog and see what he was about. When I did, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. He is crazy about Dutch Ovens. Really. It's not a common thing in the Bay Area so I am intrigued by the unlikliness of it all. Dr 5 P's entered a Dutch Oven Contest up in Oregon at the beginning of August. You just have to check out the post titled Oh, oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon is uh... which is currently the second one down the page. (Five Pints' permalinks seem to be broken). Dr Five Pints and his lady walked off with first prize for dessert, second prize for bread and people's choice for cleanliest camp. Overall they won second place. Marvellous stuff. A whole new world of opportunity. Check him out and don't forget to say hello...

Previously Featured Bay Area Food & Drink Bloggers: SF Gourmet - Small Farms - In Praise of Sardines - Life Begins @ 30 - Gastronomie - Confessions of a Restaurant Whore - Bunny Foot - Sweet & Savory - I'm Mad and I Eat - Yummy Chow - Nosheteria - Vivi's Wine Journal - Epicuran Debauchery - Food Musings - Pfiff -Marga's Food Blog - Where the Wild Things Are - Eggbeater

posted in Food + Blogging + Bay Area

Bay Area Blogger of the Week #20

Limon - Valencia Street - Mission San Francisco - CA

Limon 524 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 415.252.0918

This is a copy of my latest article for SFist in which I eat my way around the Bay Area in alphabetical order and then write about it in SFist style using the 'royal we. This week we are on the letter L.'

You know how it is - sometimes you hear so much buzz about a restaurant, you are not quite sure why you still haven't tried it. The more good things that are written, and whispered, about it, the more you wonder how much of it is hype and how much of the adoration is truly deserved. In the back of your mind you keep meaning to get your butt down to the Mission District to try out this talked about place, but you never quite seem to get yourself into the right gear. Eventually you let somebody else take control of your dining choices and the next thing you know, you are off for a girls night out...

... at Limon.

The space, in the heart of the Mission, is open and bright, lively and buzzing. The cool mandarin and lime coloured walls splashed with huge paintings are slick, modern and smart without being overly showy.

It's noisy and hectic downstairs so prepare to be in a lively mood. Our hispanic waiter, who started us off with an intriguing sounding, but too sweet, purple corn juice blended with cinnamon, apple and pineapple was funny, engaging, knowledgeable and charming as he guided us through the menu and answered our questions.

We were almost full before the appetizers even arrived because we couldn't stop eating the oily, irresistable foccacia that kept our mouths from doing any serious girls' night nattering. Expecting a similar reaction to the bread on our second visit a few weeks later, we were disappointed that this time it was dry, pale and lacking the flavour it has previously displayed. Oh well, at least we could catch up on the gossip instead.

So we wondered, does the novelty of 'new' wear off on a second visit to any restaurant? We have often been blown away on an initial dining experience, only to find a subsequent return less exciting. On our second visit to Limon, the tuna tartare, mixed with diced pears, roasted bell peppers, pine nuts and sesame oil aji amarillo vinaigrette, for example, was good, but somehow not quite the strong favourite it had been the first time round. Sometimes we wish we could experience two review visits side by side and compare a forkful of food from one, then the other, just to be sure.

One thing we are quite sure about, however, is that the Lomo Saltado, a traditional Peruvian dish of Top Sirloin slices with onions, tomatoes and fries, served with a side of rice. The succulent meat tastes overwhelmingly buttery, in a very good way. Fries, cut thick so you are in no doubt they are made of potato and not in the slightest bit crispy are not what you might expect. But if, like us, you have any sympathies towards English food whatsover, you'll love the way they are soaking in the tomato gravy, getting all soggy and sopping up the flavours. We would return for this one dish over and over again.

We'd be even more likely to return if they sub us, as they so kindly did on our second visit, the stir fried coconut rice from the side of the Pargo Rojo, a deep fried whole red snapper basket (pictured above). Although it doesn't actually pair in the slightest bit well with the steak, this rice is so sweet and crave-inducing and the accompanying rocoto curry sauce is so mouthwatering, we would be tempted to order this, the most expensive dish on the menu, again, even though the fish itself tastes like fried cardboard. It looks pretty though, so perhaps we could take it home as a gift for a neigbour (or their cat) and simply indulge in the vegetarian components of the dish instead? It would probably be the world's most expensive plate of rice but it's almost good enough to be worth it.



PS This review was Back for Seconds

PPS. What is my problem - I find it much harder to write about a restaurant review when everything is just fine and nothing interesting or out of the ordinary happens. Usually 'things' happen to me which can become a focus of my writing. When they don't, then, well, I think I just get a bit lost along the way...

Mon-Thurs: 11:30-3:00 | 5:00 -10:30
Friday: 11:30-3:00 | 5:00 -11:00
Saturday: 12:00-11:00
Sunday: 12:00-10:00

Other reviews of Limon: Vinography | In Praise of Sardines | Joonblog | Yelp | Citysearch

Archive Alert! On this date in 2004 I went out for my first (and last) Chowhound dinner at Indian Chaat & Sweets in Berkeley.

Tagged in Food + Restaurants + Review + San Francisco + Back for Seconds

Limon - Valencia Street - Mission San Francisco - CA

The Cheese Sisters

A story worth reading

The week before last I featured a locally made cheese called Serena, made by Three Girls Farmstead. I discovered this cheese over six months ago and it made a memorable impression so I wanted to rediscover it for Eat Local month. "I am trying to find this local cheese, a little bit gruyerish, and it begins with an S", I said to the girl helping me at Cowgirl Creamery. "You must mean Serena", she replied, giving me a sample. Yes I did. The 'Cow Girl' went on to explain to me the charming sounding story of a young sister making cheese from the milk produced at her parents' farm. I was intrigued, I wanted to know more, but their website was coy on details about the girl behind the Cheese. I was delighted, therefore, when yesterday The Chronicle ran an article about Marisa Hilarides Simoes, the young cheesemaker who recently picked up a coveted first prize in the American Originals category from the American Cheese Society for her latest cheese, Bella Sorella recently renamed Serenita.

Read the whole article on SFGate here.



PS. After over four and a half years of working in Marin, today is my last day. I am a little sad to be leaving the sunshine for the fog of The Presidio, but I am really excited about working in the City, starting next week. No prizes for guessing where I'll be eating my last ever Marin lunch later today.

posted in Food + Eat Local + Cheese

The Cheese Sisters

Fred and his Speciality: Tartiflette!

Now that's a lot of cheese for two people!


Once a year or so, Fred makes his beloved Tartiflette. He uses a whole Reblochon cheese from the Savoie region of France which melts into the mixture of potatoes, onions and bacon. It's a stinky, rich, delicious, comforting and extremely filling dish. Evenso, it's almost impossible to say no to a second helping.




PS. This is a photo from the archives so it has nothing to do with Eat Local month. It's probably better to save this kind of dish for the Winter. Oh, I forgot, it is Winter in San Francisco. There you go.

posted in Food and French and Cheese

Fred and his Speciality: Tartiflette!

Home Made English Muffins - oh YES!

You won't believe how easy this is!

For this post I am indebted to Barbara of Winos and Foodies who, a while back, wrote a post about how simple it is to make English Muffins. It's true - it's amazing! Check out her recipe here.



The good thing about non-live media is that you can edit out the bits you don't want anyone to see. Hence, when I wrote my Rachael Ray Post yesterday, I missed out the part where I was ill. I didn't mention that when I arrived at Liberty Cafe I had a splitting headache. I didn't share my idiotic response to the pain - which was to take a couple of my friend's Nurofen Plus containing Codeine, on an empty stomach. I kept quiet when my food arrived, because I had started shaking, my tastebuds weren't working and I started to feel nauseous. Despite having my 'big' camera with me, I didn't even have the strength to take a photo, and I had to recycle a picture from a previous visit instead. Anyone reading yesterday's post had no idea, that I barely even looked at the food before having to leave the restaurant, where I promptly threw up over the side walk (as subtly as I could, of course). I had been so looking forward to that Eggs Florentine all week, but in the end I didn't even have the chance to eat it, let alone enjoy it. Instead I dashed home to spend all afternoon in bed recovering instead.



I was so miffed at missing out on my eggy muffin treat, I determined to make some at home on Sunday. It was then I remembered, in the back of my mind I had filed away a memory - a piece of information that recalled Barbara's English Muffin recipe where the mixture had to be made the night before. So that is how, sometime after midnight (and after a cocktail or two), I started making dough. Fred looked at me as if I was crazy. Well, yes, maybe I was. But, remember, this isn't bread, it's a muffin and the procedure is far more forgiving. I popped everything in the Kitchenaid and let it do all the hard work. Once the dough was blended, I covered it with a damp teatowel and retired for a good nights sleep.



The next morning, I excitedly rushed to the kitchen to check out the dough. It was rising nicely, but it was way too runny. It seemed that I'd taught myself a little lesson: Measuring ingredients after an evening at Olive is probably not the wisest idea. I was certain I could salvage it. I just added some more flour until my dough looked like it was the same sticky consistency as Barbara's.



It is quite amazing to think you can cook bread in a skillet over dry heat. It's remarkable. It really did work. My muffins didn't look particularly amazing, but they tasted exactly how a muffin should taste. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Ummm - they were so good with butter and marmite. The were even better with a soft poached Marin Sun Farms egg, a handful of sorrel leaves and a crack of fresh black pepper. I skipped the hollandaise. Afterall, some things are just a bit too much effort for what should really be a lazy Sunday morning.

posted in Food and Recipe and Breakfast

Home Made English Muffins - oh YES!

For Just One Day - I am Rachael Ray!

My favourite $40-A-Day Eats in San Francisco

For Dine & Dish Edition # 4.



I don't know how accurate this quote is that Farmgirl emailed me a while back. Allegedly Anthony Bourdain made this remark on The Late Show:

"Anybody can travel around and eat on $40 a day if they stiff the waiter..."

Disclaimer: No waiter was stiffed in the creation of this post. However cheap you are, please be fair with your tipping.

Last week, for the Rachael Ray Challenge, I revisted some of my favourite spots. Regular readers won't find any surprises. I've written about some of these places many times. The fact I keep returning is testament to how much I like them.

Breakfast $10.25 If a breakfast menu has some kind of variation of Eggs Benedict on it, chances are I won't be able to resist ordering it. Since living in the US I am no longer able to indulge in a a classic English Breakfast, so poached eggs and muffins have become my new favourite brunch alternative to a fry-up. On Saturday, after a visit to the Alemany Farmers Market with a couple of girlfriends, we descended on Cortland Avenue's Liberty Cafe because we think they serve one of the best versions in the City. All three of us had the scrumptious Eggs Florentine, with English muffins, spinach, poached eggs, hollandaise and potatoes $8.50. I had a small glass of freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, too for $1.75. Liberty Cafe support local farms by buying produce directly from the farmers.

Lunch $12.00 After such a rich breakfast, a little bit of exercise wouldn't go a miss. Chances are, if you are a tourist, you are going to want to take a look at the Golden Gate Bridge anyway. If you are driving to the bridge, you may as well cross it and then take an energetic hike or just a little stroll on Mount Tam, just beyond the bridge in Marin, and burn off some of those breakfast calories. Not only will you witness some truly beautiful countryside, you'll also work up a little appetite for lunch. Nestled at the base of the mountain, in Larkspur, you'll find Tabla, my favourite place for a midday meal. On last week's visit I guess I was in a corny mood. I started with a delicious, creamy Corn and Mushroom Chowder, $5.00 and then moved on to one of the daily specials, a Sweetcorn Fritter, $7.00. Tabla are also strong supporters of shopping at the local Farmers markets and supporting sustainable agriculture.

Dinner $17.25. I gave Fred a choice of four places to go for our Rachael Ray dinner. Rosamunde Sausage Grill and Toronado, Chez Maman and The Slow Club were all rejected in favour the place I was secretly rooting for the most too - Ti Couz, our favourite creperie in the Mission District. Counting my pennies, I realised I had just enough money left for my favourite crepe and a cocktail. The Ti Couz 10, $7.00, was created to celebrate this popular restaurant's tenth birthday. It is made from Blackberry puree, fresh mint and lime juice and vodka all shaken straight up. When served, a splash of champagne is added. This drink is fruity, sour, refreshing and not too sweet. I love it. My current favourite crepe is the Mushroom, Cheese and Almond, $10.25. These buckwheat crepes are just perfect. A little crispy on the outside with a soft, gooey, cheesey, mushroom centre given some crunch by the addition of the toasted almonds. I am making myself hungry just writing about it. I didn't ask any questions about use of local products when I was at dinner, but Ti Couz owner Sylvie Le Mer was on a 1996 Draft Group creating a Sustainability Plan for San Francisco which suggests it is a subject she cares about. Organic options are available on the menu for an extra fee. It is interesting that she lets the consumer decide whether or not they want to pay the price of eating more healthily.

Total San Francisco Spend: $39.50 (not including tax or tip)




PS - A big thank you to Sarah for letting me host this, the fourth edition of Dine & Dish. Read all the other dozens of entries from people all over the world pretending to be Rachael Ray on $40 a day right here.

posted in Food and Blogging and Dine & Dish and San Francisco and Rachael Ray and Bay Area

For Just One Day - I am Rachael Ray!

The Alemany Farmer's Market - San Francisco

Established 1943
Alemany Farmers Market,100 Alemany Blvd, 101 Saturdays, 6AM-6PM



Mountain Grown Blueberries from Rainbow Orchards, Camino, Ca.




Because I was on the South side of town, doing some breakfast research for my Be Rachael Ray for the Day Challenge, I asked my Bernal Heights friend, Penny, if she would guide me on my first visit to San Francisco's oldest farmers market, established in 1943, in nearby Alemany.

The Farmer's Market is generally recognized as the greatest single contribution to the betterment of the relationship between the City of San Francisco and rural areas.

You can read more here about the history of Alemany Farmers Market. Although the emphasis at Alemany is not on organic, sustainable agriculture like at the Ferry Building Market, you can be sure that Alemany is supporting small, local farms. I would guess that only about 20%, or less, of the stalls were selling organic produce, but there was a wide variety of both common and unusual vegetables for sale nonetheless. I even bought some rice paddy plant leaves! Sorrel was only 50 cents a bunch ($2 at the Ferry Buidling). Alemany definitely seems to be a cheap, lively and interesting place to shop.



Banana Dates. Taste just like their name would suggest. Full of Fibre, and less sweet when eaten before they are totally ripe. They pucker your mouth up. Our conclusion: "Interesting".



After trying a few Indian nibbles at this East & West Gourmet Foods stall coming from the Concord area, I had to make a few purchases. Now I am the proud owner of some spicy, delicious chilli jam, garlic mint cheese and spinach bolani. Somehow, I don't think they will last too long.



Want to see where your eggs are coming from? Here is the evidence. I spotted this truck, next to an egg stand, just outside of the regular market. The chickens don't look like they have quite the same freedom as Marin Sun Farms...




PS - I liked the Alemany market, but not as much as the Ferry Building Market. Sure, most of the produce is much cheaper, but a lot of it isn't organically grown. The advantage of the Ferry Building is also that I can get everything I need in one place: meat, charcuterie, cheese, dairy, chocolate, etc. After a morning at Alemany I would still need journey elsewhere for fresh meat and dairy produce.

Archive Alert! On this date in 2004 we were in the midst of the Olympic Games, do you remember? In honour of the event I hosted a Greek Feast for 19 friends.

posted in Food and Eat Local and Farmers Market and San Francisco

The Alemany Farmer's Market - San Francisco

Fred's name sake in Los Angeles...

...not worth going out of the way for

Fred 62, 1850 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 667-0062



When we were in LA the other weekend, we went for brunch at Fred 62 in Loz Feliz. It wasn't so much a predetermined choice, more the closest place to where my friend lives and she hadn't yet tried it. If you fancy a smoke and a drink, this isn't the place for you. Sit outside and you can smoke, but not drink any alcohol. Sit inside - and you can drink but, obviously, not smoke.

It was furiously hot for us delicate San Franciscans more used to Summers that look grey rather than blue so we ventured inside where we scored a comfy air-conditioned booth. As it turns out, the drinks menu was laughable. They made a big song and dance show (they had their own plastic stand-up menu) about their Soju cocktails so we each decided we'd try a Soju 'Mojito'.

Blaech! They arrived in pint glasses, tasting of cheap, heavily sweetened lemonade with too much ice. They were undrinkable so we sent them back. The only other drink choices were beer and mimosas so we opted for those instead. If you want a 'real' drink at Fred 62, don't worry about where you sit, just bring a hip flask instead.

The menu was pages long. A typical 'diner' menu. I ordered eggs benedict, Fred had scrambled eggs and my friend had a tofu dish. All of it was unexceptional verging on unedible. My dish tasted particularly awful because they had used some kind of cheap tasting fat, which I suspect was animal-based margarine, to spread on the muffin before assembling the benedicts. Why anyone needs to add even more fat to this dish than is necessary, beats me. It was so bad I couldn't eat my English muffins. Me - not eating my muffins? Muffins are one of those things you can't go far wrong with. They are usually a safe choice, but Fred 62 managed to successfully mess them up.

Our waitress was lovely, charming and friendly. The staff wear cute little orange and green uniforms. They all look very stylish. I was taking some pictures inside, but this guy came rushing over with a horrified look on his face. "Why are you taking those pictures?" I just smiled sweetly and told him "I was just being a tourist". I was taking pictures of the diner, not the food, folks. Believe me, the food wasn't worth photographing. Anyway, I know that original American diners are sensitive about pictures of their interiors getting in to the wrong hands, so even though I have a nice selection, I will refrain from sharing them with you here.



PS This review was a 'First Impression'.

Tagged in Food Restaurants Review Los Angeles First Impressions

Fred's name sake in Los Angeles...