Loss of Appetite

I have lost my blogging appetite and I don't know when it will come back. When I return, I hope I'll have some of that jam left to share with you. Thank you all in the meantime for having been such a supportive audience.



PS - Thanks for all the emails - I am absolutely OK and fine - it's just that currently something about blogging itself has gotten me down. I hope to get over it in time.

© 2007 Sam Breach

Loss of Appetite

Jammed if you do, Jammed if you don't

I'll be Jammed, We'll All be Jammed



I bet I am not the only one. I have too much jam in my fridge. I don't know what to do with it all. I would love to compile a list of 101 things you can do with jams, jellies, marmalades and preserves. Can anybody out there help me with suggestions? Sweet, savoury, cocktails, easy, intriguing, unusual, daring, anything-at-all-to-use-up-jam recipes. If you feel so inspired, please leave any ideas in the comments and in a couple of weeks I'll post the results with full credits (and links where applicable) to the authors of every idea. If your recipe idea is longer than a comment then post it on your own blog, let me know and I'll make a link to it when I prepare the ultimate list of things to do with jam.

Example #1: Rub a piece of pork belly with salt and pepper and plenty of Chili Jam. Douse with a slug of Chipotle vodka and roast for just 30 minutes at 425F to crisp the edges then turn the oven down to 350F for another hour or so until the meat is cooked through.

Example #2: Make a classic Victoria Sandwich.

Example #3: Crown your favourite oozy melty cheese with a dab of jam you like, wrap in puff pastry, seal well and bake until golden. Serve hot - but remember jam can burn your tongue!

Only 98 more to go, Thank you for any more ideas, Jam-I-Am!

© 2007 Sam Breach

Jammed if you do, Jammed if you don't

Blogathon 2007

Cheering on Mrs D from Belly Timber


Last year I took part in the Blogathon. An event where I blogged for 24 hours non-stop to raise money for local charity Food Runners. It was amazing day. Not only did my efforts, along with the support of my readers, help raise over $2500, I had a great time following Food Runners in action as they picked up excess fruit and vegetables from my favourite farmers' market and delivered them to shelters in San Francisco.

I was delighted when I heard that Mrs D from Belly Timber had decided to give it a go this year. Her attempt is nothing to do with food, but I think she's got a great angle. Please, please please, go and give Mrs D your moral support by leaving lots of comments for her today, I know she'll need them especially in the wee hours of Sunday morning PST. And why not sponsor her too? She is supporting something that is important to everyone who reads the internet and dedicating her efforts to people she has loved and lost.

Good luck Mrs D!

© 2007 Sam Breach

Blogathon 2007

On Speaking English

Trader Joe's probably shouldn't launch Trader Mings in the UK

(Warning. Do not follow any links in this post if you might possibly be offended.)



But I suppose we can't have TK's for trade description - these Wonton Chips live up to their brand name. They are quite disgusting. Minging in fact.

© 2007 Sam Breach

On Speaking English

MT. MEENAO

What a Come-On!


A couple of weeks ago I think I might have mentioned that Hangar One Alchemist Lance Winters cracks me up. And at that point I hadn't even noticed the label on his late harvest viognier. Cheeky boy!

Archives
2005 | Liberty Cafe in Bernal Heights



© 2007 Sam Breach

MT. MEENAO

English Butter in America: Devon Double Cream

Ingredients: Cream & Salt



If you were an English person who had only just moved to the United States, you might be forgiven for thinking that it is easy to buy English Butter in America. This is not actually true. Had you been living here, say, for six or so years already, the closest you ever could have come to this perfectly-formed, smooth, dense slab of salty, creamy goodness would have been when reflecting on delicious English memories of thick pats of salty butter melting into warm pools on a slice of toasted white bread, leaving cool little buttery islands on the surface.

Dreaming's for dreamers, it's time to take action. Now you can try this at home here in the US too. Made by The Devon Cream Company, I first spotted this butter at the Fancy Food Show and publicly stated that if it went on sale "you've got your first customer in me, guaranteed."

I can't really condone English butter's purchase, of course, it is distinctly un-local. There is little comparable on the market here (the salted Spring Hill can be fantastic, on a good day, but they have been inconsistent and I reluctantly threw the last stick away simply because it tasted awful and I can't afford the calories for "tastes awful"). I think there is no harm in indulging in a little treat from time to time. Butter freezes well so I divide the stick into little half inch slabs and store for those times when the day dreams and memories of toast past aren't quite enough...



I bought this butter in the SoMa branch of Wholefoods in San Francisco.

Newly Discovered Local Food Blogs/Sites
Dinner Party
Caroline Carter's San Francisco Foodie
Italian Food By The Bay
Taste Tests
Cooking with the Single Guy
Clean Scores - Digging up the real dirt on local restaurants
Cheap Ass Food I don't really get the notion of purporting to support little mom & pop joints at the same time as trying to pay the smallest amount possible for food. How will that help mom and pop? Huh? I don't think Americans spend enough on food so this site isn't really up my alley.


Other Resources & Further Reading
I loved this post about first posts from Tea. Check it out!
Also - today Michael Bauer blogs something quite interesting.

Archives
2006 | Dumb Design
2005 | More Food Memories from England



© 2007 Sam Breach

English Butter in America: Devon Double Cream

Where and What to Eat in San Francisco?

My biased eating guide for Foreign Visitors, especially Brits

Watching sea lions in Fisherman's Wharf is hungry work for a San Francisco tourist - you have to eat sooner or later - but where?

Enidd asked me to recommend eight restaurants to which I’d take my foreign foodie visitors when showing off the tastes of San Francisco whilst her neighbour Delphine asked me about some of my favourite Summer things. The following lists aim to answer some of those questions. It is me-centric and Brit-centric in tone. Don't expect anything more or less...

A Text Book Kind of Answer to 'Showing off the tastes of San Francisco':
1) *Zuni Cafe website
2) Tadich Grill Map
3) Swan Oyster Depot Links
4) Somewhere in the Mission for Cheap Mexican Food or Burritos. Taco Crawl
5) *Mama's in Washington Square for breakfast
6) Boulevard website
7) *The Ferry Building and Farmers Market website
8) In and Out Burger (Bonus: it's in Fisherman's Wharf where the tourists like to congregate) website
(I am sure readers will correct me on this or point out paces I have missed. Those with *stars are ones I do regularly, and I don't eat enough Chinese food to make a recommendation for that.)

My current personal top three favourite Places to Eat as of today (I am fickle. This list could change tomorrow.)
1) Coco 500 website
2) Pizzeria Delfina website
3) Scott Howard website

Eight other places I like to return to when I have the chance:
1) Piperade website
2) Boccadillos website
3) A16 website
4) Ti Couz
5) Belden Place (outdoor Euro atmosphere on a warm evening)
6) Bar Crudo website
7) Oola website
8) Zuni Cafe website

Drinking Places (Brits like those):
1) The Alembic Bar (my new favourite, only bring cool tourists to this one, thank you) website
2) The Ramp (great view, industrial, weekend afternoon favourite)
3) Yield Wine Bar (ok - its in my hood so most convenient) website
4) Carnelian Room website (for a drink and the view)
5) Tosca Cafe (for prohibition hot chocolate with brandy) map
6) Where Girls and Good Friends Meet (crazy) on Yelp
7) Specs (can be crazy) on Yelp
8) Vesuvio (sit upstairs) website
(item's 5 through 8 make a great bar crawl within a one block distance)

Places I have taken or suggested to English Visitors in the Past with much success:
1) Boccadillos website
2) Coco 500 website
3) Mama's in Washington Square
4) The Ramp
5) Zuni Cafe website
6) The Foreign Cinema website
7) Incanto website
8) The Slow Club website
9) Boulevard website
10) Gary Danko website
(For a San Francisco dweller like me, Boulevard and Gary Danko are a bit on the pricey side but the Sterling-Strong Brits seem to find them a bargain. Let these restaurants be the ones you allow your out of town guests to treat you to!)

Places you should probably not take Visitors to unless, of course, you are trying to get rid of them:
1) Cafe Gratitude (Great for when you would like to see your English friends looking aghast.)
2) Suppenkuche (I was persuaded to give it another try last night and the food was still 'not my cup of tea'. The German wasn't impressed either)

New Food tips I care a lot about:
1) English Devonshire Butter is now available in SoMa Whole Foods.
2) Poco Dolce Chocolate Sesame is now available at Whole Foods in SoMa. (I just let Fred have one and he described it as "the Rolls Royce of chocolate". Really, he did.)
3) Fizzy Lizzy Soda is still not available at SoMa Wholefoods.

Further afield but worth the travel. Think about taking your visiting foreigns to some of these places too:
1) Hangar One for a tasting (this is a must-do for Brits) website
2) Best ever fancy, but not too up-its-own-arse, dinner at Manresa in Los Gatos. Your Brit guests just won't believe they can get a 15+ course 2-Michelin star incredible dinner for less than about 60 quid per person. (NB Price denotes food only, alcohol bumps up the cost quite a bit). website
3) L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. My other favourite restaurant in the US. I've returned there since I wrote about it last year and now I have fallen totally in love. website

That's all I've got for now, but readers, please butt in with any other suggestions in the comments you think Enidd or Delphine might find useful. I hope to learn something new and delicious from you all myself...

© 2007 Sam Breach

Where and What to Eat in San Francisco?

A Tale of Two Memes

in San Francisco


Last week I met new-to-San Francisco Brit, Enidd, for dinner. I thought she was a nice person but it seems she has since tagged me for a meme and I don't like being tagged for memes. A few days later my friend Delphine also tagged me for a meme and now I am trapped. You see, the thing is, I have found out that Enidd and Delphine, by some stroke of bizarre coincidence, happen to live just a mere block from each other. They haven't met yet, as far as I know, but they have already been scouting each other out... Enidd: "Ah, that must be the French couple I saw with the baby". Delphine "Are they the couple with the two dogs who live in the grey house?"

What I want to know is - are Enidd and Delphine already ganging up on me? If I don't do their respective memes, the chances are that they might be in cahoots already and my ears could soon start burning. "Hey, you know that girl Sam don't you? She used to be my friend but she didn't take part in my meme and I haven't been bothered with her since". "She didn't do your meme? I can't believe it. She didn't do my meme either and I thought she was my friend too. Hmmmph, let's forget about her and go and have coffee together instead."

It kind of sucks, but I think I am going to have to attempt some version of their respective memes but I just hope they'll forgive me if I don't quite stick to their stringent meme rules...

© 2007 Sam Breach

A Tale of Two Memes

Sprint Makes Good

About Time...

You may remember that last week I posted a non-food related piece about the saga we were having with Sprint. I am not sure whether it was the result of blogging it or whether they finally got the message from the increasingly irate emails I was sending them, but Sprint finally sorted out our problem. I'd like to thank that person at Sprint for finally dealing with the situation but would suggest that in future they nip these problems in the bud instead of letting them drag on for so long. Here are excerpts from the mail they sent:

"I have reviewed this correspondence and made the following changes to your Sprint account.
I have corrected the spelling of your first name on your Sprint account.
I have credited the following:
- Reconnect from Suspension Fee XXXX
- Shipping charges were already adjusted on XXXX
- Monthly recurring charges of XXXX for two months
- prorate of MRC of XXXX
Total credits are XXXX leaving a credit balance of XXXX
I have suspended service on the Sprint Phone Numbers ending in XXXX and XXXX so they will no longer be billed.
There may be suspicion of fraud here but that is not for Customer Care to determine. You have every right to cancel within 30 days of activation regardless of how the phones ended up on your account, and I am satisfied that you tried to do so. This, of course, is now well past the 30 days; but, because you were migrated to the new Unified Billing Platform on XXXX, there may very well have been a time period when you would have fallen between the cracks. I would give you the benefit of the doubt. If you have any further issues let me know.
Sprint appreciates your business. Have a great day."

© 2007 Sam Breach

Sprint Makes Good

San Francisco's Farmers' Market is not Perfect

Sometimes Unnecessary Things Happen there



I was part of the following conversation last week at the Madison Growers stand at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market. Please note that the basil in question was already sitting in one of those plastic sheaths like the kind they often put plants in at a florists...

Mr. Atallah: "Here, have a [plastic] bag."
Me: "No thank you, I don't want a bag."
Mr. Atallah: "You have to take a bag."
Me: "No, I don't."
Mr. Atallah: "You can't buy it if you don't take a bag."
Me (putting the basil back on the table): "OK, I won't buy it then."
Mr. Atallah: "I don't want to be held responsible for messing you up, with the dirt on the pot."
Me: "I think that's my choice."
Mr. Atallah: "No, it's not."

You might think I am perhaps bending the truth a little here, or exaggerating for comic effect, but I had bumped in to my friend Sean Timblerlake just seconds before this conversation occurred and he'll confirm what I am reporting. That Sean was witness is particularly apt since he runs a series called Eatsdropper on his blog, Hedonia that publishes a weekly listing of overheard foodie funnies in the Bay area. You should check it out if you don't already.

I think I will be giving Madison Growers a wide berth from now on!

In other local news, here are some other food blogs and internet resources I have come across recently:
Zoomie Station
Six By 10 Tiny Kitchen
i might be wrong
The Yummy Scoop
Foodhoe's Foraging
Local Forage

© 2007 Sam Breach

San Francisco's Farmers' Market is not Perfect

The Alembic Bar - Haight - San Francisco

Love at First Sip

This morning I woke up (in my own bed, thankfully) to find myself still dressed in yesterday's wardrobe. I am not implying I wear old-fashioned clothes although these days I probably do, I am simply sharing with you the embarrassing piece of news that apparently I fell asleep last night without first disrobing. I blame this squarely on the influence of The Alembic Bar.

The Alembic Bar was love at first sip. True love. You know - the kind of love that will probably kill you in the end. Hangar one raspberry vodka, Brachetto and Nocino anyone? How did The Alembic Bar know to put all my favourite things in one two glasses? A while later The Alembic was bewitching me with something tall and refreshing containing Elderflower liqueur. To be absolutely certain I wouldn't forget how good it tasted I had to have a second glass. Then for a brief moment I tried something less memorable from their official menu before The Alembic Bar finished me off with Sexual Chocolate (our her name, not theirs), a burning potion containing Creme de Cacao, Makers Mark and Tabasco. One certainly wasn't enough, it was extremely moreish. It's all The Alembic Bar's fault.

To help mop up the liqueur The Alembic Bar offer several small plates of delicious food too. Everything I tried was bar food beyond compare. The spaetzle with bacon, rabbit and other good stuff was my favourite, but the stout braised oxtails and the local wild salmon cured three ways were excellent too.

The last thing I recall about yesterday evening is me bending the ear of the poor bartender who had come around to the customer side of the bar to sit down and enjoy a quiet bevvy, no doubt. Instead he had to suffer me gabbing on about who knows what, England I expect, and I am pretty certain I was talking absolute rubbish by this point. He was very polite, I think, maybe he didn't mind humouring me for a second there, probably because I was, after all, living half-comatose evidence that he is extremely good at his job.




This review was a first impression.


The Alembic Bar
1725 Haight Street)
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 666-0822

© 2007 Sam Breach

The Alembic Bar - Haight - San Francisco

Food Photography Tips from Pixar's Sharon Calahan,

Director of Photography on the movie Ratatouille
This Ratatouille made using the Thomas Keller recipe for Confit Biyaldi that was behind the dish in the movie. Ok - mine doesn't look as good as the one in the movie but it tasted really great!
Yesterday I published Part One of an Interview with Sharon Calahan, the woman responsible for lighting the stunning computer graphics for the Pixar movie Ratatouille. Today Sharon shares some of the techniques they used on the movie and suggests some Food Photography tips for enthusiasts at home.

In general, what elements do you think constitute really great food photography?

"Great food photography celebrates the food and tries to make its intrinsic characteristics palpable in the image. Find one aspect about the food that you want to showcase and eliminate distractions. Is the photo about the fuzz on the peach? Is it about the glisten on the cut surface? The plating or other props in the image support the food as a frame does to a painting. Variety in the surfaces in the image helps to create lustre and richness. Light that isn't too frontal helps to bring out the color and translucency of the surfaces. And, like a beautiful woman's face, soft lighting doesn't hurt."

The strongest recommendation I hear given to budding food photographers is to shoot in natural light. But in a CG movie you have no natural light! What techniques do you employ digitally to make your lighting look as realistic as possible?

"One thing that really helps is that I'm not trying to make anything look realistic.
I'm trying to make things look like the best memory you have of something. Memories, like Ego's flashback to childhood, are reductive to essential elements. They are stylized and simplified and glamorized. There obviously needs to be enough detail and accuracy for it to be believable, but I stop there. It is more effective to let the imagination of the audience fill in the rest than to show them every wrinkle. Light properties in the computer are extremely limiting, and even with the best of illumination models much needs to be massaged and faked to arrive at something that looks natural. This is probably the most challenging aspect to CG lighting. Again, this is where a goal short of reality is a good thing."



What new lighting techniques did you employ on Ratatouille that you haven't used on previous movies?

"I used less color in the illumination and in the shadows, and instead tried to enhance the local color of surfaces themselves. We also wanted to have a rich patina to the reflective surfaces and needed to develop new ways to simulate accurate soft reflections."

What would be your top three tips for people who want to create mouth watering food pictures with little more than a digital camera and a lot of enthusiasm?

* ask yourself what the photo is about, be specific, and eliminate distractions that compete with your goal.
* use depth of field as one of the tools to help you.
* modulate the light in some way or use the surface characteristics to modulate the light response.
* have fun and experiment, oops that's four!

Do you have any composition tricks that you used to really help show off the chef's plating?

"These are concepts that apply to any image making process. A plated dish
is very similar to a painting...
* Creating a focal point, use size and position.
* Playing with contrasts/similarities in shapes and colors and surfaces.
* Create accents
* Create interesting negative spaces"



I heard that Thomas Keller consulted on Ratatouille. Did you get to interact with him and how did he help bring the magic of the kitchen to life?

"I would have loved the opportunity to meet Thomas Keller, but our paths did not cross. He is a true genius and his passion for cooking did help infuse the film with magic."

Did you start dining out more than usual when you started working on Ratatouille and did you find yourself looking at food with a different eye? Was your enjoyment of dinner spoilt by the work study aspect?

"The biggest challenge was looking at images of food and wine all day and not
being constantly hungry and eating!"

What are your favourite restaurants are in the Bay Area?

"I am a bit challenged because I eat a vegan diet. Fortunately it is possible in the Bay Area to be both a foodie and a vegan, but you have to work at it, and you have to enjoy cooking. I recently spent Memorial Day weekend foraging for morel mushrooms in the mountains of Eastern Oregon. We took a break at lunch, sauteed a generous quantity in garlic and fresh herbs with a backpacking stove, loaded up a baguette and completely pigged out. It was heaven, you can't do that in a restaurant."

And finally what is your favourite dish of all time - camera be damned - you'd be so eager to indulge, this dish would never last long enough for a beauty shot.

"Anything with white truffles shaved on top would have to be at the top of my list."

A huge thanks to Sharon for taking the time to answer my questions. I was tickled when I found out she was a Vegan and that the main dish in the movie is Vegan too. I love it when Vegan food hits the mainstream and nobody even notices. Did you notice? I bet you didn't. I don't know about you, but now I can't wait until the weekend when I hope to try out of some of Sharon's tips to make my food photographs more interesting. Also thanks to my friend Ian who works at Pixar and put the steps in motion to help make this interview happen for me.

Local Resources
Vegan Recipes for Appetizers
Vegan Recipes for Main Courses
Vegan Recipes for Dessert

Archives
2006 | A Recipe for Summer Pudding
2005 | The Five Cookbook Meme



© 2007 Sam Breach

Food Photography Tips from Pixar's Sharon Calahan,

On Food Photography and Ratatouille

with Pixar's Director of Photography, Sharon Calahan

Ingredients for Ratatouille

Whether you have seen the movie, or not, by now (you really should), you must have spotted some of the images from Pixar's charming movie about the Rat that becomes a Chef, Ratatouille. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask the movie's Director of Photography, Sharon Calahan, some questions about her job, food, working on the movie and what inspirations and methods she drew upon to create the beautiful imagery in the film. This is a post in two parts. Today we find out about Sharon's career, her creative influences for Ratatouille and what she thinks about people who photograph their food...

Tell me your career path - how did you get to be DP (Director of Photography) on Ratatouille.

"I feel like I'm a bit of a fossil in the CG (Computer Graphics) industry. Ratatouille is my fourth film as a DP at Pixar (A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille). I have an art school background in design, illustration, painting and photography from which I draw heavily. CG didn't exist yet when I was in school!"

If female chefs are rare, female DPs are like gold dust. Do you see any similarities between what you do and the job of a chef?

"I think that all artists see similarities in other creative disciplines, many of the thought processes are the same. Having a passion for creating and pushing boundaries is something that inspires me, no matter the art form. I'm not a musician, but I love opera music because I feel the passion the artist is imparting to the material. Besides being a fossil, I do feel like a bit of a pioneer of sorts in the industry as well, since I was the first person to have a DP credit on a CG film, and being female at that. There were very few women in CG when I was lucky enough to get into it. The business has changed and grown dramatically since then. There are also many more female live-action DPs than even a few years ago. It is probably easier to become a female DP now than it is to become a top female chef."

Before you started working on Ratatouille - did you ever feel the temptation to take pictures of your food?

"I do love to cook and occasionally my husband would take photos of some of my
more memorable creations, but usually when I get to that point, I want to eat it instead of studying it. I do feel that I take mental pictures of nearly everything all of the time. It is a bit exhausting when I have trouble turning it off."

And what do you think about people who do take pictures of food - not a a job - but for a hobby?

"Food evokes such strong associations, emotions and memories, and it is beautiful as well. It is no wonder that food is subject matter of so many forms of visual arts. And it is easily accessible which makes it fun experiment with and do something unexpected."

Where did you go, what did you look at for reference when you found out that you would be lighting food for this movie?

"The production designer, Harley Jessup, and I spent a week in Paris studying everything we could. We also spent a lot of time pouring through every cookbook we could find looking at photographs. The internet is also a wonderful resource for looking at stock and amateur photography, there is so much available."

What and who were your main influences in preparing for lighting this movie?

"I wanted a lush, rich, seductive look to the film as a whole, not just for the food. There were many films that were inspirational to me. Anything shot by Caleb Deschanel, Conrad Hall, Dariusz Wolski were of particular interest to me, but there were many more films and DPs who inspired me.

In the next post, Sharon will share her thoughts on lighting, composition and food photography as it relates to the Ratatouille with added tips for enthusiasts at home who want to take great food pictures. We'll also find out whether Sharon met Thomas Keller and what she most likes to eat? Come back tomorrow, there might be some surprises...

[READ PART TWO HERE]

Archives
2005 | Life Begins at 30
2004 | TSE, Paris, France


© 2007 Sam Breach

On Food Photography and Ratatouille

Hangar One Open House 2007

No better way to spend a Saturday afternoon



Browse our pictures above, but find a much better set over on friend (pictured above) TShane's Flickr Hangar One Set. He has some stunning snapshots of the afternoon and other Hangar One occasions.

A few observations:

-Hangar One's Lance Winters should change his name to Lance Wittier. He is one of the funniest men I have ever had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with. He cracks me up.

-Lance Winters also makes incredible imbibements. I know that's not a real word but he suggested I should not call them drinks.

-My friend Brian makes killer furniture. He recently finished work on the upstairs bar at Hangar One and he did an amazing job. I think it might have been Fred who literally christened the bar yesterday afternoon.

-Absinthe is no longer illegal in the USA.

-Have you ever taken the Mexican Bus? It makes you smile!




Thanks to Lou at Hangar One for kindly comping Fred and me tickets to the event, to Brian for letting us be part of his entourage, and to the lovely Lance for inviting said entourage upstairs for private tastings.

Archives
2006 | Culinary Muse
2005 | Imperial Tea Court, The Ferry Building
2004 | Galere de Rois, Paris


© 2007 Sam Breach

Hangar One Open House 2007

Cherry Clafoutis - Not For The Frenchman

A Happy Bastille Birthday to my favourite Fred!



The other evening I was in a baking mood and as I had some cherries that needed to be used up I decided (among other things) to make a Clafoutis. Home from work before Fred, I had already started on my culinary projects when he arrived. He asked me what I was doing. "I am making Clafoutis", I replied, hoping he would be a little excited. Instead he wrinkled up his nose and pulled what I shall politely call a 'negative face'. I was surprised. "But you have been telling me for all these years that your mother made the best Clafoutis in the world", I announced, desperately. "She does", he replied, "That's what everyone says, but I never actually liked it."

Now he tells me.

Thank goodness for hungry work colleagues, that's all I can say.

Bon Anniversaire Fred!

Archives
2006 | To My Favourite Frenchman
2005 | Bon Anniversaire & Joyeux Jour de la Bastille!
2004 | Fred's 40th in Paris

PS I just found a birthday Message to Fred from my mUm


© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh",

Cherry Clafoutis - Not For The Frenchman

Sprint's Customer Service is a Joke

I don't know about you, but I had a business and I could see all the frustration one of my customers was going through. I would kindly call them and take it upon myself to do something to try and help them sort it out.

Check this out:

MAY 27th: Extracts from Email One: "I was sent two Sanyo phones I never ordered. We spent approx 4 hours on the phone to Sprint on the evening of Wednesday May 16th trying to contact someone to help me sort out this unsolicited phone delivery to no avail. We passed on from one department to the next, none of them could help. My girlfriend spoke to 6 different people in the space of an hour before being cut off. On the morning of Thursday May 16th my girlfriend spent another hour trying to get through to the fraud department but every single time she tried to get to the fraud department she was cut off. Eventually she spoke to JOSEPH ISAAC on this number 8662898375. Joseph Isaac was the most helpful sounding person who promised to help - he promised to send us a prepaid envelope so we can return the phones which we never ordered in the first place. The prepaid envelope has not arrived as promised. It has been over a week. In the meantime I was sent a bill which I paid not realising that it included a charge for the phones that I never even ordered. I want you to arrange to pick up the phones I never ordered (check your records you will find we spoke to many clueless people trying to return these phones), and I want you return the money I paid for these lines in error. Please, please can you help - help me return the phones, help me get my money back, just help resolve this issue which is not even our fault but is putting a lot of stress on us and wasting a lot of our time."

MAY 27th: Extracts from Email Two:
date May 27, 2007 6:41 PM
subject Sprint has received your email
THIS IS AN AUTO-ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL.
Thank you for contacting Sprint together with Nextel Online. Customer E-Care has received your email and will respond to your request within 24 hours.

JUNE 5th: Extracts from Email Three:
Thank you for emailing Sprint. My name is Nicole and I will be happy to help you.
I have noticed that it has been over 24 hours since you first contacted us regarding your concerns. On behalf of Sprint, I sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to you. I am very sorry to hear of the difficulties you have faced in attempting to contact our fraud department. Due to the sensitivity of this issue I am unable to assist via email. You are able to print off the fraud packet online and mail in to our Fraud department. You just need to visit us at the following link:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf
(Note: this link doesn't work for us)
I am sorry that I could not be of more assistance. If you have any other questions or concerns simply reply to this email with your concerns as well as the Sprint PCS Email Address for verification.
Thank you for your time and Sprint greatly appreciates your business. Have a great day!
Nicole H.
"Where our customers come first!"
Refer someone to Sprint and get $25.

JUNE 5th: Extracts from Email Four:
Dear Nicole
Over 24 hours is an understatement, that was over a week and is
unacceptable. And to say "I am sorry I could not be of any further
assistance" is a cop out. I asked several questions and you didn't
answer any of them. I can not afford to waste any more time on the
phone trying to track down the right person to speak to. Please give
me the direct line of someone who can help me without my being cut off
or transferred or put on hold for hours.
I am not under the impression that any fraud has been committed, but
am simply suffering from the fact that your company has mistakenly
simply sent me two phones I never ordered or requested and I want to
return them to you and have any money I have overpaid returned to me.
I can't fill out a fraud affidavit when no one has informed me that
fraud has been committed. As far as I am aware it has not. It seems
unlikely.
You have produced absolutely no evidence to suggest that anyone even
ordered the phones at all, let alone fraudulently. I already had an
account with you and you added the phones to my account. At whose
request? Who ordered this? What evidence do you have that these phones
were ordered by someone in my name and added to my account? It could
as easily be an error on your company's part. No one has contacted me
to explain how this might have happened.
How do I return the phones?
Where is the prepaid envelope I was promised by Jospeh Isaac who
assured me all I had to do was return the phone and everything would
sort itself out?
How do I get my money back?

JUNE 13th: Extracts from Email Five:
date Jun 13, 2007 2:12 AM
Thank you for contacting Sprint. I am delighted to assist you with your questions.
I apologize for the delay in my response. We recently upgraded to a more enhanced billing system to better serve our customers. We realize your time is of value to you and we truly appreciate your patience during this upgrade process.
If you would rather to speak with a representative, you can call Customer Care at 1-877-541-5705.
Order
*****
This order was placed over the phone through our Sales department or online. This order was able to be placed as the proper verification was given when the order was placed.
Return
******
In order to return the phones, you will need to call Customer Care to request a return kit. Unfortunately, I am unable to send out a return kit. This must to processed over the phone.
Refund
******
Once we have received the phones, you will receive the adjustment for the phones within one to two billing cycles.

JUNE 25th: Extracts from Email Six:
Dear Nicole
re "In order to return the phones, you will need to call Customer Care
to request a return kit. Unfortunately, I am unable to send out a
return kit. This must to processed over the phone."
You will notice from my previous communications with you that I did
get my girlfriend to call Sprint and after several hours of being
given the run around she eventually spoke to JOSEPH ISAAC on this
number 8662898375 on the morning of Thursday May16th (at around
6.30ish am PST). Joseph Isaac promised to send me a prepaid envelope
so I can return the phones which we never ordered in the first place.
The prepaid envelope has never arrived as promised by Joseph Isaac in
your customer services department.
Re the order that was placed by telephone, apparently fraudulently - I
find this difficult to comprehend that this would be the case given
the number of hours I and my girlfriend have spent on the phone to
various departments trying to find someone who we could actually speak
to in order to solve our problem. Given the hoops you have sent us
through in order to just try and get a bit of assistance I find it
incredulous to accept you would just allow someone to order two phones
so easily and readily. I find it hard to believe that anyone would
have the patience to sit long enough and wait to speak to someone in
order to order a phone. And if they were committing fraud - why would
they send the phones to us - it doesn't make sense. I have seen no
proof that anyone tried to order the phones in my name. Where is the
evidence to support your claims?
[...] Please please please help me get this resolved.

June 27th: Extracts from Email Seven:
Jun 27, 2007 2:50 AM
Thank you for contacting Sprint. My name is Will and I would be happy to assist you with your service concerns today.
I do apologize for all the aggravation you have been going through. I have reviewed your email history and account notes to gain an understanding of the issue. I would just like to clarify a few points with you.
In regards to the return kit being sent to you, this is a prepaid return shipping label that is sent to your email address. When you receive this email it will have a link to the prepaid shipping label. After accessing the link to view the label, it is to be printed and placed on the box that is mailed back to us. If this email has not been received then our Order Support department is the only one that can resend these labels. If you do not have this label you will need to contact our Order Support department at 866-404-1335. A representative will be able to resend the label.
As far Fraud is concerned, any order that is placed without the knowledge or authorization of the account holder or authorized contact. If as you have stated you knew nothing about the order of these two phone this would be a case of Fraud and you would want to speak to our Fraud department about it. I do apologize however, this must be done over the phone by dialing 888-788-0788.
Again I do apologize for any inconvenience or frustration you have experienced. If you have any further question or concerns about this please reply to my email and I will be happy to look into the matter further for you.
Thank you for being a part of Sprint, we appreciate your business. Have a great day!
Will S.
E-Care
Sprint together with Nextel
"Where our customers come first!"

JULY 12th: Extracts from Email Eight:
William
Are you sure this number:
Order Support department at 866-404-1335 is correct?
I call it and all I get is fuzzy music playing infinitum. I am trying
now and it has been 16 minutes of nothing. Why don't YOU try calling
that number and see how frustrated it makes YOU.
No one ever picks up the phone.
Whenever I have tried the fraud department I just get cut off.
I cant ever believe fraud was committed in my name since Sprint
spelled my name completely wrong on their records.
Also - what fraudster would wait this long on hold to order some phones?
Why can't you just send me an address label and I can be done with
this misery your company is causing me?
Sprint has the WORST customer service I have ever encountered.
I am going to start looking into switching my services to AT&T Cingular instead.

JULY 13: Extracts from Email Nine:
Jul 13, 2007 10:48 PM
Thank you for emailing Sprint. My name is Shane and I will be happy to help you.
I would first like to apologize for you receiving the old number for our Order Support department, their new number is 1-866-289-8375. As for the Fraud department their number is correct (1-888-788-0788).
Thank you for your time and Sprint greatly appreciates your business. Have a great day!
Shane M.
E-Care
Sprint Together with Nextel
"Where our customers come first!"
Please feel free to respond to this email if you have any further questions or account needs. I would be happy to continue serving you.

MAY 27th: Extracts from Email Ten:
Jul 14, 2007 7:33 AM
Dear Customer Service
I will repeat myself, again! Every time I try and call the fraud
department I get cut off!
I spend three minutes on the phone listening to all the introductory
messages. I press all the correct buttons BUT, at the end when they go
to connect me to the fraud department I get a message which bizarrely
announces "The Finance Department is Currently Closed". The thing is I
am trying to get to the Fraud department, using the number you gave me,
not the Finance Department, and the introductory messages at the time
of calling suggest the Fraud office is open at the time I am calling.
Why don't you try it.
You'll see it doesn't work
Why do you think I have been writing you emails for the last two
months to try and get this sorted? Well, because I can't actually get
through to anyone on the phone, that's why. Perhaps you could get
someone to call me instead. Is that too much to ask from a phone
company?


Update: July 22nd Sprint Makes Good

© 2007 Sam Breach

Sprint's Customer Service is a Joke

Whole Food boss Mackey's Big Internet Mouth

Oh, I see. Now I know why Wholefoods forgot to restock Fizzy Lizzy. They've got their minds on MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.

PS - thanks to a tip from my dad in the comments - here is a more in-depth hi-brow report of Mackey's shenanigans. I haven't seen anything about this in the American press - have you?

Whole Food boss Mackey's Big Internet Mouth

Where to Buy Fizzy Lizzy Soda in San Francisco?

SoMa's Wholefoods have stopped stocking my favourite soda, Fizzy Lizzy



So, according to information Lizzy sent me when I wrote her an enquiry about this worrying state of affairs, here is a list of other local spots in the Bay Area that sell Fizzy Lizzy just in case, like me, you start to get withdrawal symptoms...

- 'wich craft
- Delessio
- Lucca Deli
- Market Bar Cafe
- Speedy's New Union Grocery
- Nabilas
- Zarzuela
- Canyon Market
- Cheese Board Pizza, Berkeley
- Genova, Napa
- Daniel's Pharmacy
- Sam's Wines & Liquors
- Yali's Cafe, Berkeley
- Mr. Hana
- I.B. Hoagies
- Crema
- Chef's Table
- Tom's Cookies

Lizzy also told me this: "You can special order Fizzy Lizzy even from Whole Foods stores that no longer carry us, though you'd have to order it by the case. Just go to customer service."

Why do I love Fizzy Lizzy so much? Because it's all natural fruit juice and sparkling water with no added sugar. It's the only soda I crave. Plus it's great with Campari! It also contains plenty of pulp ("body", as Fizzy Lizzy themselves explain it), which in my mind places it one notch above its competitors.

I googled all of the links above from a list of stockists Lizzy sent me. I hope they are all correct. Either way - it was an interesting exercise because I have discovered quite a few places I'd never heard of before.

Local Resources
I first made a verbal complaint in the SoMa Wholefoods store about their decision to stop stocking Fizzy Lizzy. They told me it was not an in-store decision, but a decision that came from above. So I wrote to Wholefood's Head Office who told me it wasn't their call - it was a local decision. So I went back to the SoMa store and wrote out an official complaint form. I haven't heard back but I might still - if I do I will let you know.

Archives
2006 | Restaurant Review Ratings System Launch
2005 | Monte Cristo Cafe

© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Where to Buy Fizzy Lizzy Soda in San Francisco?

Served on a Pretty Nasty Plate...

Tierra Chipotle Chile Jam Batch #2 Dribbled on Cowgirl's Creamy Panir with Acme bread



Everything pictured is very good...

Local Resources
Pretty Nasty Plate a gift from good friends
Pretty Nasty Plate available at Rose & Radish
Tierra's wonderful Chile Jams, available at the Ferry Plaza Saturday Farmers' Market.
Cowgirl's website doesn't even mention the Panir. Maybe it's meant to be a secret?
Acme Bread - How many more years will their website be under construction?
Tierra Smoky Chile Jam, Circa 2005

© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Served on a Pretty Nasty Plate...

The Father, The Son or The Bombolini?

Boriana's Corner -it's not just for Ceci anymore..



I used to feel sorry for Boriana and her little corner full of Italian imports tucked inside The Holy Name of Local Foods Temple in San Francisco. She didn't attract as many worshippers the other stores. Occasionally I would wander in and pay my respects to the Ceci, but I confess, I wouldn't stay long. One day Boriana set up an altar dedicated to Bombolini in the aisle and then the believers came flocking. Some preyed on the chocolate, others prayed for custard, but me? I bow down before you, oh Raspberry Bombolini, anointed with sugar. I bow down before you, Raspberry Bombolini, yeasty, chewy and oh lordy. Forget second comings, I want thirds and fourths and infinitums... Raspberry Bombolini, you are my chosen one, you are greater than any god, you are the BEST DOUGHNUT IN THE WHOLE OF AMERICA!



PS - Spell Checker told me to spell it 'worshipers' so I told it to bog off.

Archives
2006 | Blogathon announcement: You can take part in 2007!
2005 | The Simple Joys of Summer
2004 | Afternoon Tea at Laduree, Paris


© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

The Father, The Son or The Bombolini?

Killing Me With Caramel

Found Guilty: Fred & David Lebovitz


It's now 14 days since I had dinner with David Lebovitz. It's now 14 days since David let me reach into his box of goodies and pick out two of what he describes as the best caramels in the world. Caramels that even money can't buy. Caramels from some secret location in Paris. It's now 14 days since I let those sticky, buttery, ethereal caramels melt on my tongue. It's now 14 days since David handed me two more caramels to take home for Fred, who wasn't well. It's now 14 days since I am not sure I was entirely trusted by my friends to make the delivery. It's now 14 days since I put the caramels in the fridge for Fred to enjoy. It's now 14 days that those caramels have been staring down at me every time I open the fridge. It's now 14 days since I started slowly going crazy...

Local Resources
Here's a new demi-local food blog: Lawyer Eats - out of San Francisco and LA, two lawyers will be sharing their food experiences.

Archives
2006 | Allez Les Bleus!
2004 | Chez Pierrot, Meudon, France


© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Killing Me With Caramel

Carless in America

Goodybye my lovely little S2KUTE...


The lease ran out on my beloved car and so I walked out on her. I handed in the keys and turned away without looking back, trying to wish the welling tears away. I am now ready to test America's public transport system and take the train to work. And before you think me too brave, Fred has a car so I can always beg use of his out of work hours.

If you are wondering what on earth this has to do do with food, when this picture was taken, there was actually a picnic of Scharffen Berger-dipped Dirty Girl strawberries, the fixings for homemade bread salad (which don't travel well, by the way), and rosemary and garlic Marin Sun Farm lamb chops sitting in the boot (trunk).

And in Blogosphere news, fellow bloggers and food friends didn't mind S2KUTE either. On one more than one occasion this little car has even managed to ferry three of them at a time across San Francisco. Not bad for a two-seater.

Archives
2006 | Mama's on Washington Square

© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Carless in America

Paris, Vegas: Mon Ami Gabi

Top People-Watching Lunch Spot


Our new must-go-to lunch spot when we visit Vegas is Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel. Did you read David Lebovitz's recent post entitled Is American Food Better Than French? It's apt he should have written it now because when I was thinking, over the last few days, about Mon Ami Gabi I was planning to point out that the food there is quite French in one respect (meaning 'not that great really', just the standard level of fare you would find at a typical Parisienne bistro.)



Mon Ami Gabi's Vegas location is perfectly acceptable for lunch. On the last visit I had an open face shrimp sandwich with avocado that was bright, fresh and tasty, but then it wasn't trying to be French. Fred, on the other hand, is always searching for that little piece of home. The Frisée & Bacon Salad (ziz is way too sweet) and the Croque Monsieur (awfooole) did not hit the right French spot with the Frenchman, but he did go mad for the super-rich Macaroni & Cheese, á la Française with ham on a previous visit. Whatever you end up with, you'll certainly have a lot of fun choosing from the large and varied menu.

Anyway - that the food is not perfect can be irrelevant. You don't come here just to eat. You come here to waste some time people-watching the freak show that Vegas can be pass by. For this you'll need an outside table. Our tip is to book on Opentable and then ask for an outside seat when you arrive. You shouldn't have to wait to long and there is always the bar and champagne availability to help you while away the minutes until a prime people-watching table is ready. If I were you, I would avoid the C'est si Bon because Ce n'est pas bon, (a cocktail that is way too sweet), but the Bloody Marys are another good option if bubbles aren't your pick me up.

Service at the Vegas outpost of Mon Ami Gabi has always been exemplary and although I am not 100% sold on the food, I am sold on the location, the friendliness of the staff, the view of the Belaggio's fountain display and the chance to rest my strip-tired feet and watch other tourists do the walking.



We visited Mon Ami Gabi twice before writing this post.

Other Resources & Further Reading
Tribute to the Chef who gave us Mon Ami Gabi via Hungry Magazine
Becks & Posh Restaurant Rating

Archives
2005 | Soleil @ the K, San Diego
2004 | Thornbury Castle, Gloucestershire, England


© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Paris, Vegas: Mon Ami Gabi

Lettuce & Lovage Soup

I first made lettuce soup when I was a teenager. A friend of mine happened to come around and visit whilst I was meddling in the kitchen and I gave her a spoonful of it to try. Whilst she was sampling that early example of my fledgling culinary artistry, I informed her that what she was eating was lettuce soup. I wasn't actually prepared for what came next. She thought I was weird. She ran across the kitchen squealing and spat it down the sink.

Perhaps some people think that lettuce shouldn't be cooked?

Why ever not? Lettuce soup has a lovely and unexpected, natural, creamy quality that when paired with lovage, a less commonly used herb that has hints of curry and celery, is perked up with a dash of intrigue and mystery. Lettuce soup. This one 'aint for spitting down the sink, believe me.

Lettuce and Lovage Soup
- I finely chopped an onion and sauteed it in a knob of butter until it was soft and translucent.
- I roughly chopped up a beautiful, vibrant green, frilly Galisse lettuce that I had bought from Green Gulch Farm and wilted it together with the onion and butter. (Despite its extreme prettiness which suggested to me it would taste as good as it looked, I actually found the raw Galisse a little too bitter for my taste which is what prompted me to cook it.)
- I added what was probably about a pint and a half of homemade stock I'd made up from the carcass of that chicken and its uncooked extremities.
- I simmered all the ingredients together just for 5 minutes.
Then I added just five lovage leaves from White Crane Springs Ranch. Go easy on the lovage leaves. They are pungent.
- Next I poured the soup into a blender. I was impatient and I didn't let it cool down enough so, even though I was holding down the lid, it managed to escape my grasp and next I knew, the kitchen, a new recipe book and I were all splattered with soup. Great. Some of it went in my eye. Pah.
- I like my soups to be silky smooth, but because something I once read made a lasting impression, I prefer not to strain out all the goodness, so I simply blended it like crazy.
- This soup works either hot or cold and I had a bowlful of it each way, but since I am the type of girl who drinks even water hot instead of cold, you'll undertsand why my preference is for the heated version more than the chilled.

If you want more official, professional sounding instructions for making Lovage and Lettuce Soup, then check out the Mr Hugh Fearnly Whittingshall's recipe instead of mine.



PS - The same friend who spat out the lettuce soup also heated up my gazpacho, another of my teenage experiments, in the microwave.

Archives
2006 | Thank Goodness for the French
2005 | End of the Month Eggs on Toast

© 2007 Sam Breach at "Becks & Posh", becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Lettuce & Lovage Soup