Cork & Spoon

Week in Review: 5/6-5/19

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:55:05 -0700

Hello friends! What did you eat this week?

Clockwise from top left:

Beautiful produce at home, including little gems my dad brought me from the Green Gulch farmers’ market.
Tofu & black bean stir fry. Tasty!
Veggie Japanese lunch at work.
Spring salad.

Clockwise from the top left:

Beautiful levain bread from the Green Gulch farmers’ market, courtesy of dad :)
Bratwurst at the Giants’ game. GO GIANTS!
Vinho verde from Trader Joe’s - perfect for a spring evening and perfect for my wallet at $3.99 a bottle.
Stiegl grapefruit/beer soda (I know, right?!) from Schmidt’s in SF.

Clockwise from top left:

Leftover udon from Noodle Theory.
Perfection in a dinner: veggie masala burger on tandoori naan with a fried egg and avocado.
TJ’s Maryland-style crab cakes are insanely good. Plus spinach and sauteed mushrooms, and a delicious shallot lemon vinaigrette.
Incredible salad at Maestro’s in Saratoga Springs, NY - lobster with asparagus, spring peas, arugula, lemon-chive vinaigrette.

What did you eat, lovelies?

Another hiatus (reorienting) - back soon! And this is sev puri -...

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:03:40 -0700

Another hiatus (reorienting) - back soon! And this is sev puri - highly recommended. xo

Week In Review: 4/29-5/5

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:54:00 -0700

Hello friends! Lots of yummy food and adventures this week. xo!

Clockwise from top left:

Homemade marinated tofu spring rolls with leftover brown rice and lots of veggies.
Beautiful steamed bok choy at work - love the sheer amount of produce that is everywhere right now!
Banchan at Pyeong Chang Tofu House.
Dumpling & beef soondubu at Pyeong Chang Tofu House. Bliss.

Clockwise from top left:

Ingredients for sev puri: sev, chaat masala, mint chutney.
More ingredients: puris, potatoes, red onions, cucumber, chickpeas, and cilantro.
An assembled puri. So delicious.
The setup - for more info see here.

This Week’s Food Lessons:

Make stuff ahead of time that is easy to grab and go. When I’m tired or in a rush, the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time assembling something.
Always check for product preservatives & dyes. Don’t want that stuff in my body!

This Week’s Food Successes:

Making pani/sev puri!! The kids loved it.
Sticking to a menu plan, for the most part.
Getting excited about cooking more from unfamiliar (to me) cuisines - Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican/Hispanic.

What did you eat this week?

Trying out a new format. Click through for photos and...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:05:11 -0700

Creative scallop ceviche at Commonwealth, SF. #artfood

I've been cooking up a storm, mostly rice bowls. This Vietnamese-inspired concoction contains brown rice, cucumbers, chopped snap peas, carrots, TJ's turkey meatballs, cilantro, lime, lemon, salt

Roasted root veggies at work. Beautiful.

Chinese food from Shan Dong - oof, I ordered too much, as always.

Mise en place - I'm getting good at this!

@ Whole Foods

Using an immersion blender to make smoothies is the best. I recommend mine: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76W-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGC9SG

Using leftover Chinese food to make something new - only moderate success but at least I tried :)

Trying out a new format. Click through for photos and captions!

Food Lessons:

Order way less Chinese food than you think you want.
Freeze leftover Chinese food if it’s tasty.
Taste any pre-cooked protein *before* adding it to a salad of perfectly fine veggies and beans. A protein like fish may not look moldy but it may taste like it. *sigh*

Food Successes:

Rice bowls are super easy and tasty and customizable. I’ve made Vietnamese- and Mexican-inspired versions just this week.
Salsa is amazing and wonderful. I love it.
Dining out at wonderful places means more when it happens slightly less frequently - and when your dining partner feels the same way about food that you do :D

What did you eat this week?

Tuesday Newsday: Do you have skillz?

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:31:20 -0700

Lotsa stuff happening this week. See below for more, especially an awesome gif tutorial of some essential knife skills :)

News

Restaurants across the country talk about what they do about no-shows [Eater National]

Bay Area Happenings

Oakland North (which, by the way, is a UC Berkeley School of Journalism project) has a great photo essay on Oakland’s Chinatown [Oakland North]
The Oakland HUB launched a Kickstarter - I suppose this is startup- more than food-related, but foodies with entrepreneurial tendencies, take note! [Oakland North]
OH NO!! Berkeley schools may lose funding for cooking/gardening programs! :( [Berkeleyside]

Bay Area Restaurants

Heirloom Café gets a cross-national thumbs-up [Grub Street]
La Boulange pastries debuted at NorCal & SF Starbucks Apr 16! [SF Chronicle]
East Bay beer gardens popping up like daisies! Gilman Biergarten (not yet open), Moxy Beer Garden (opened Apr 17), and Lost & Found (opening spring). Each has a unique twist - check out the links for more.
Coi is coming out with a cookbook, plus the meaning of the word [Grub Street SF]
The refresh at Frances is complete! [Grub Street SF]
New Trueburger location confirmed on Broadway, near Kaiser in Oakland - coming winter [Grub Street SF]

People

Neato knife skills tutorial in GIFs with Henry Molina of Mission Chinese [FirstWeEat]

Tumblr & Blogs

Game of Thrones cocktails - you’re gonna need one, the third season is gonna get real, real quick. [The Kitchn]
50 Drinks from 50 States - CA’s is from Trick Dog! [Grub Street NY]
DIY Alcoholic Dippin’ Dots - this is the only thing I have ever wanted ever [Gizmodo]
Interesting piece about cocktail prices - how high is too high? [The Kitchn]
I totally do this! Hangover = drink soda with bitters = tummy healed [The Kitchn]
For my sis - 6 Caesar Salads in SF [7x7]

Lolz

Second breakfast isn’t just for hobbits [Textfromdog]
Wait a second, those aren’t real roses… [FoodGifPorn]
LOLZ - fake restaurant pranks [Eater SF]

Week in Review: 4/15-4/21

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:20:00 -0700

Good morning! Here are this week’s foodie delights courtesy of yours truly.

The Eats:

Clockwise from top left:

I can’t get enough of spring’s fresh berries.
Edamame and beef coconut-lime udon (not pictured) at Noodle Theory.
Homemade chicken tacos.
I found my new favorite soondooboo haunt - Pyeong Chang Tofu House. Get the beef and dumpling tofu stew, mild. And take your leftovers home ;)

The Dranks:

Clockwise from top left:

Happy hour at work to celebrate a friend’s new home purchase. Mazel tov!
Passionfruit ice boba at Sweet .
Rum punch by Miss Suzanne at The New Easy (every Sunday!).
Homemade sangria - this shizz is BANANAS.

What did you eat this week that knocked your socks off? Let me know over on Facebook!

Tuesday Newsday: I Should Be a Location Scout

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:05:36 -0700

Hello readers! Lotsa links this week.

A note for the links: I’ve linked the actual sites where possible, and you can read full articles by clicking on the source link in brackets.

News

Tilted Kilt (Hooters with plaid) coming to Northern California [Grub Street]. Is it bad that I want to go??
Food Crimes 101 - Cheese is the most stolen food product! [Alison]

Bay Area

Guys, I CALLED this - vacant spot in Temescal/Auto Row becoming the newest Blue Bottle outpost. I literally drove by last week and thought, “Dang that would be a great spot for a cafe or small restaurant.” They should pay me for these things. [Grub Street]
Homeroom is publishing a COOKBOOK! Eeee! [Grub Street]
49 Square Catering Launched by SF Food Lab people - neato! [Grub Street]
West Oakland to FINALLY FINALLY lose its food desert status and get a real supermarket in Fall 2014 [Lettuce Eat Kale / Edible East Bay]
Check out the restaurant at the new SF Exploratorium location [Grub Street]
Outerlands starts taking reservations - reaction to Michael Bauer’s complaints? [Grub Street]

People

Talk about inspiring - Melissa Danielle is reinventing local grocery purchasing at Bed-Stuy Bounty [Gastrognomes]
Olga Massov of Sassy Radish dishes about her blogging start, being a cookbook author, and making the switch from corporate finance to full-time foodie creative [Pantry Confidential]
Jennifer Goggin, founder of FarmersWeb, talks about her first real “good food job” and how she made the switch from finance to food distribution maven (am I sending a trend here?) [Gastrognomes]

Tumblr & Blogs

Joy the Baker’s shrimp n grits and her compadre’s Cucumber Blonde Bloody Mary both sound pretty great albeit a bit belly-busting.. [Joy the Baker]
Bicycle Bar Cart: Best Idea Ever. [The Kitchn]

Food Lolz

Week in Review: 4/8-4/14

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:28:09 -0700

Good morning! A little break felt really good last week. Whew.

Things I’m currently obsessed with:

Cooking with Dog. I love this cooking show! Must find takoyaki somewhere.
Getting cookbooks from the library. Check your local branch - they probably have lots of amazing cookbooks if you want to test drive them before buying.
It’s All Good. My copy is already plastered with post-its and penciled notes, ready to cook some recipes this week.
Fish tacos. I made some last night with tilapia and avocado but was so excited I forgot to take a pic. Such is life.

Clockwise from top left:

Giants’ game with my coworkers. Of course I got garlic fries, although we almost unanimously agreed that they were not garlicky enough. Next time I want whole cloves of roasted garlic on there, you hear me AT&T Park??
I’ve been cooking a LOT at home in the effort to save money and connect a little more with my home. Here I made roasted veggies; salad with strawberries, walnuts, & lemon anchovy dressing.
Annual Tomales Bay oyster picnic with Miss Morgan & co!
Frittata with turkey, edamame, and leftover roasted veggies (TJ’s 21-spice salute seasoning is MAGICAL); kale salad; pilaf.

The weather has been beautiful this week - definitely looking forward to more spring produce and cooking a lot this week! On the menu: chicken skewers, kale salads, red quinoa, eggs. Welcome, spring!

Taking a break for the rest of the week, it’s been a long one...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:39:47 -0700

Taking a break for the rest of the week, it’s been a long one already. See you Monday!

Tuesday Newsday: SPRANG

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:49:07 -0700

Good morning! Here’s a weekly dose of food news, recipes, and lolz.

Peroni @ Hot Italian last July - love this time of year leading into summer!

News

Bay Area

Farmstand makes farmers’ market journeys even easier - check out more about this app and a video tour here.
Coqueta from Michael Chiarello opening Apr 13 in SF!
Hot Heat Sauce Shop opens in Berkeley

People

Jennifer Lawrence loves food and is kind of my Spirit Animal/ideal BFFL.

Tumblr & Blogs

Who wants a cheese wedding cake? I DO!
Use washi tape to label stemless wine glass.
Nutella Banana Bread (whaaat?!)
How to make classic egg salad, from the Kitchn. I personally add pickles to my egg salad, and paprika, but this is a pretty good recipe for the beginner.
Two words: Oh. Shit.
New favorite blog. (Warning: lots of profanity)

Food Lolz

Happy reading! xoxo

Week in Review: 4/1-4/7

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:41:59 -0700

Good morning! I’m enjoying the sunny weather in the Bay today. It feels like spring might actually be showing up, and with it my favorite season for veggies. New potatoes, avocados, peas, asparagus, lots of new tender greens - April and May are two of my favorite months for produce, simply because the abundance of locally-grown produce is a relief after the grey, rainy months of January and February. (March is an in-betweener, I guess.)

Right now, I’m loving homemade lemon-anchovy salad dressing, smoked salmon, La Brea french bread toast with Earth Balance, and blackberries (it’s too early for them but I cheated and bought some from Mexico, eek).

I’m also FREAKING OUT because this amazing cookbook will be in my mailbox tomorrow!! I have been super skeptical of Gwyneth Paltrow’s celebrity-cook image so far. And I’m still skeptical of a lot of her rave reviews of fad diets. But I flipped through the cookbook yesterday and was so inspired by the beauty of the book, the joy expressed in the photos, and the simplicity of the recipes (none of which include any cow milk products!) that I had to order it from Amazon immediately. I can’t wait until it arrives! It is exactly the kind of food I like to eat and make. I’m trying to reduce my dairy intake to make my tummy happier, and saving my dairy karma points for doing things like going on creamery and ranch tours with my dad ;)

Clockwise from top left:

Monday I spent at San Pedro Market Bar hanging out with my coworkers and doing a pub quiz. This tri-tip sandwich from On a Roll was divine!
OK, don’t laugh, but I think one of the best fish tacos I have ever had is the grilled tilapia taco with guac from Rubio’s. I know it’s a chain, but damn they make good fish tacos.
Fruit plate - mmm spring/summer fruit.
Chocolate tartufo cake from Rulli - happy birthday to my little cousin turning 4.

Clockwise from top left:

Beer list at Stein’s Beer Garden in Mountain View. Yum!
Spice rack at Monterey Market - my happy place.
Red Russian kale salad with avocado & lemon anchovy dressing. So excited to learn how to use a new ingredient! (anchovies)
Perfect light dinner - avocado toast with O&co sea salt (my go-to coarse salt for seasoning), fried egg, berries.

I’m really feeling the love for food this week, especially fresh, bright, colorful, and homemade foods. It’s a change from how unenthusiastic and sick I’ve been feeling and I LOVE IT!

What foods make you feel GREAT? Tell me on Facebook, I’d love to know.

Pub Quiz: San Pedro Market Bar, San Jose

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:26:00 -0700

I have never really done a pub quiz before (except at Sports Page and that doesn’t really count because we left halfway through) and was talked into it this week by my dear friend Liz. Liz is doing some work for Brainstormer and was substituting as Quizmaster this Monday night at the San Pedro Market Bar in San Jose. Some coworkers and I got together to go out and support Liz’s awesome quiz-hosting and music selection skills. It was definitely a very Bay Area experience, and it was awesome.

The pros:

The food. San Pedro Market Bar is in a sort of gourmet food court down near the Shark Tank, and the whole space was surprisingly uncrowded for a game night. This was a tri-tip banh mi from On a Roll, and it was delicious.
The quiz! Super fun, not too difficult but definitely challenging.
Our quizmaster :) It was nice knowing the person who was running the quiz, although she definitely didn’t pad our score. What’s the deal?! :P
The space. Usually pub quizzes are super crowded and in dark, low-ceilinged, smelly bars - but the San Pedro Market Bar is in what looks like a converted firehouse, with tall ceilings, lots of light, and lots of space.
Delicious beers. We tried: Stone Pale Ale, Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, and Boont Amber.

The cons:

Our group held our own but we would have done better with some folks from other generations :) This would be a great pub quiz for people to bring their parents and grandparents to see if they could donate some old-timey knowledge.
Easy to get a beer, and a great selection, but no pitchers available. Sad day.

All in all, I will definitely be back! Hopefully when Liz is hosting ;)

Do you like pub quizzes? What are your favorite pub beers?

Cheese Wednesday: A Cheeseboard by Yours Truly

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:45:00 -0700

Hello fellow cheese freaks!

I had such an amazing Easter dinner on Sunday with Morgan - you can see a few highlights in this week’s Week in Review post. It reminded me of another party at Miss Morgan’s house, back in January, this one a birthday party! She and Kelli planned and executed the whole thing themselves, with some cater-waiter help from another friend. It was a beautiful night, and I was so happy to be able to contribute one of my marketable skills to make their night even better.

What is this marketable skill, you may ask? No, it is not wearing boots with style, or making terrible jokes. I know, I know, those are great. But this skill in particular is EDIBLE - I love to design cheese courses, plates, and boards!

For Morgan’s party, which was around 40 people with plenty of other food, I went with 5 good-sized wedges of assorted cheese. This is a nice balance with lots of options while not being too overwhelming.

I had a LOT of fun with this cheeseboard - I made all the little signs by hand so people would know what they were eating.

About the cheeses:

Brillat-Savarin, cow’s milk, soft-ripened, Normandy. Buttery, rich, lemony tang.

Truffle Tremor, Cypress Grove, goat’s milk, soft-ripened, California. Earthy, silky, mushroomy.

Ewephoria Gouda, sheep’s milk, gouda, Holland. Butterscotch, nutty, firm.

Black Butte Reserve, Pedrozo Dairy, firm, California. Salty, crumbly, rich.

Bay Blue, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co, blue, California. Fruity, cheddary, salty.

The winner of the night was definitely the Ewephoria. Almost everyone who came by to graze and nibble raved about the chewy texture, the butterscotch notes and the sharpness that lingered on the tongue. My favorite is a toss-up between the Bay Blue and the Brillat-Savarin, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges.

Like what you see here? Interested in having yours truly design a cheese plate for your fancy party, wedding, bar mitzvah, etc? I’m thinking of doing a little consulting work so let me know if you think that might add some pizzazz to your event.

What cheeses do you like to put on your cheese plates? Let me know on Facebook!

Tuesday Newsday: Sunshine Everywhere, Happy April!

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:58:39 -0700

News

In equal-rights-marriage-meets-food-world news, Aziza chef Mourad Lahlou stands up for equality!
Your weekly dose of cheese history - monuments to cheese should be installed in more places, methinks.
An Illinois man was caught and charged for stealing 21 TONS of cheese.
How to choose good eggs

Bay Area

Check out the latest about Straw, a carnival-themed restaurant that this eater thinks is mighty good for such a tiny space. Cheesesteakadilla? Whaaat?
New restaurant: Crab Yard, Berkeley. Mmmm I love me some crab.
Hilarious SFist commentary on the James Beard award nominees. “If fetch were a San Francisco restaurant, it might be Mission Chinese Food.” LOL
Welcome to the many diets of the Bay Area. Love the graphics in this post!

People

Janet Fletcher writes about cheese for the SF Chronicle, and taught the cheese class that cemented my love of blue cheese. Check out her column here.
Anthony Bourdain’s Twitter is my new fave source of food/travel porn. Also his job description is “Enthusiast.” Yes please!

Tumblr & Blogs

Huff Post wins at life: Greek Salad Sandwich. I used to get this sandwich in college from the sandwich place in Lower Sproul! Feta on sandwiches = best.
I’ve recently seriously fallen in love with Joy the Baker. I want her to be my best friend and us to make grilled cheese together.

Food Lolz

Enjoy!

Week in Review: 3/25-3/31

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:14:05 -0700

Good morning friends! I have some yummy week in review photos to share with you, and some exciting news for the direction of this blog.

I will be devoting an entire day of this blog (Thursdays) to blogging about tapirs. These wondrous creatures, so long unappreciated, will find popularity and fame through the pages of my blog. The noble tapir inspires me to be lazy, to take long naps, and to eat berries off the ground.

baby tapir - cute and weird!

Without further ado, here’s the week in review! (Oooh I rhymed. Sweet.)

Clockwise from top left:

Green tea from Pacific Bay Coffee & Micro-Roastery.
Roasted veggie assembly line at Tender Greens in Walnut Creek.
Veggies, toast and mashed potatoes at Tender Greens, Walnut Creek. Perfect gentle food for my tummy.
Oysters galore at Lake Chalet, Oakland with Miss Kelli. They have a great happy hour every day of the week: 3-6p and 9p-close. Drink & food specials here.

Clockwise from top left:

Morgan’s beautiful Easter table. The one year I have to miss out on Passover, I get to celebrate Easter. Win!
Her caprese skewers - always a fan favorite.
Tulips blooming just for Easter!
The feast: israeli couscous & arugula salad, leg of lamb with mediterranean spices, roasted veggies, amazing rolls and a terrific spring salad (not pictured). Also strawberry rhubarb pie and lemon tart (not pictured).

And… get ready guys.. I know this blog is called CORK & Spoon so it’s time to live up to that.

Weekend Wine:

En Garde Rosé, 2011 is a really rich, full-bodied rosé, almost a ruby color it’s so dark. Dry enough to not knock out your palate, with fabulously fruity, overtly grape-y notes.

What did you eat (or drink!) this week that knocked your socks off? Let me know on Facebook!

Simple Food

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:48:00 -0700

I’ve spent the last two weeks fighting stomach flu, and although I don’t want to jinx it, I’m hoping I’m out of the woods at this point.

It’s been an interesting lesson in mindfulness, in noticing what makes me feel ill and what doesn’t, and what feels satisfying and what doesn’t cut it.

Chicken matzah ball soup at Wise Sons Deli in SF - must get a fix soon!

Here are some foods I’ve discovered to be both “bland diet”-friendly and not god-awful:

Toast with cream cheese
Chicken soup
Pears
Stacy’s pita chips
Mini or regular bagels with cream cheese
Brown rice
Matzah with peanut butter

What do you eat when you are sick? Let me know on Facebook.

Cheese Wednesday: Cheese That Made Me Love Cheese, Part III of III

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:51:00 -0700

This is the third part of a three-part series. You can find Part I here and Part II here.

Those of you who know my family know that for a long, long time we have all avoided blue cheese like the plague. The degrees of dislike of this cheese run the mill from slightly miffed to deep and unabiding hate. I never liked the damn stuff and neither did anyone else around me.

When I hit college, the onslaught of blue cheese propaganda began. “You don’t like blue cheese??” incredulous classmates and friends and teachers and everyone asked. NO! I didn’t! It looked AND tasted like mold! Leave me alone!

Fast forward to a few months ago.

Being the stubborn, contrary person I am, and loving cheese as much as I do, it didn’t sit right with me that a whole family of cheese was beyond my grasp. So I set out to train myself to love blue cheese. It seemed like a daunting goal, but *SPOILER ALERT* I prevailed.

The first way I could tolerate blue cheese was in salad. Vinegary, crunchy, sweet mixed greens made me appreciate the tanginess and butteriness of a good blue cheese. But not too much at first. My palate started to recognize the taste of blue cheese, and I’m convinced that it was that familiarity with the aroma and flavor (coupled with my drive to succeed) that eventually brought me into the fold. Now I can nibble on bits of blue cheese by itself, but I prefer it in perfect little gem salads or on top of chickpea bruschetta.

Where the change really crystallized (haha cheese pun) was at my first cheese class at the Cheese School of SF. Taught by Janet Fletcher, who writes about cheese for the San Francisco Chronicle, this class enlightened us as to the relationship between champagne and cheese. It was the last cheese in our cheese clock that cemented my love of the blues.

La Peral
Lopez Leon Family, Asturias, Spain

La Peral is a pasteurized Spanish cow’s milk blue cheese, with added sheep’s cream for extra fat and sweetness. The flavor profile is made up of tangy, caramel, and buttery notes. It’s really a lovely cheese, and has some similarities to a good white cheddar, if you’re looking for ways to ground your tasting/comparison experience.

Culture Magazine has a good profile on La Peral, and Di Bruno has some good tasting notes as well. Plus another profile here on Asturias Cheese (a site cataloguing cheeses of the region). This cheese comes in a number of different sizes and can be a little difficult to find; check out Artisanal Cheese or ask your local cheesemonger for more information.

The moral of the story here is: I truly believe you can train yourself to like something if you have enough motivation. And I was grateful for the motivation that pushed me to adapt to the presence of blue cheese in my world. It has opened doors for me with tasting and thinking about cheese that had previously been closed; I do feel like I get a better picture of the cheese world as a whole because I understand more about the flavors and social context behind blue cheeses.

Other favorite blues:
Pt Reyes Creamery Bay Blue
Rogue River Caveman Blue

Do you like blue cheese? What do you think of this miniseries of blog posts? Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on Facebook!

Tuesday Newsday: Happy Passover!

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:20:56 -0700

Hi guys! I’m going to try out a new feature called (you guessed it) Tuesday Newsday. Bringing you the best of the internet in food every week, curated by yours truly.

News

Bay Area

Event: Check out the Japantown Cherry Blossom Festival 4/13-14, 4/20-21

People

Anthony Bourdain working on an episode of his new show in Peru.
Good Food Jobs profiles Kira Montagno, Swarthmore Co-Op - this gal is so inspiring!

Tumblr & Blogs

Lox Matzah - Happy Pesach! (from What Jew Wanna Eat)
Ready for spring but no space to garden? What about a window box?

Food Lolz

When someone says nothing tastes as good as skinny feels
When I’m craving fresh sushi
SFMOMA - Toast Art by Ida Skivenes
HuffPost’s Favorite Food Gifs - love the marshmallow and the bread rising. Bonus: Charlie displays how I feel about cheese

Week in Review: 3/18-3/24

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:46:00 -0700

Hello friends! It’s been one of *those* weeks. I’ve been fighting off the stomach flu with varying levels of success, and have been mostly staying in bed the past few days. I did get to sample a delicious thing or two earlier in the week, and I’ve added to my list of things and places to try when I’m all better. ;)

Clockwise from top left:

Vegan pita pizza with salad and roasted root vegetables; from Slice Cafe at work.
A trip to Hog Island Oyster Co with Natalie; check out my review here.
Potato pancakes and lox at Esther’s German Bakery; a rare off-site lunch adventure with Melina.
Boquerones at Barlata, a long-time favorite dish. Pears, olive oil- and garlic-soaked sardines, and Idiazabal sheep’s cheese. Check out my last visit here (click image for slideshow).

What did you eat this week that knocked your socks off? Let me know on Facebook!

Restaurant Review: Hog Island Oyster Co

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:36:25 -0700

Happy Friday, food nerds - let’s get this show on the road!

On Tuesday I revisited Hog Island Oyster Co for the first time in almost a year, and it was exactly the same as I remember (except a shorter wait.. weird). It is high times for oysters here in the Bay Area, as the oyster season is well underway and the weather is starting to warm up. I’ve learned that the prime time for oyster-eating is any month with an R in it (September-April). Months without Rs (May-August) actually make up the breeding season for oysters, during which harvesting traditionally tapers off. And if there’s one thing we like here at Cork & Spoon, it’s seasonal eating.

Seasonal salad - perfect little gems

Hog Island is a Bay Area-wide enterprise, with oyster bars in Napa and San Francisco, plus a gorgeous farm in Tomales Bay for harvesting oysters and hosting happy picnickers. I have yet to visit the Tomales spot, although I’ll be going in a few weeks with Miss Morgan and will be sure to tell you all about it. But the oyster bar in SF’s famous Ferry Building has been a safe haven for me on a number of occasions, when I just wanted a glass of wine and some damn good seafood.

This last time, we sat at the bar, watching the shuckers shuck with great diligence and minimal injury; I’ve also sat at tables inside which are lovely, especially by the window. There is indeed seating outside, but with the wind coming off the bay it can be a bit chilly. My experience of the service here has always been mixed - everyone is so pleasant and kind, and food arrives quickly. However, water glasses don’t seem to stay filled and checks occasionally get mixed up. Definitely forgivable errors, when the food is so good.

Clockwise from top: Hog Island Sweetwater, Hog Island Cliffside, Blue Pool, Kodomo, Glacier Point, and Sewansecott. Hogwash in the middle.

A couple of times now, I’ve ordered a dozen of the mixed oysters, which is really fun if you’re with one other person and you both like what I’m going to call “active tasting.” Much like my shochu experience with Melina, tasting a variety of oysters was fascinating. When you really pay attention, what you expect falls away and you can taste the nuances and differences in two different oysters, much like different cheeses or different wines.

Gotta love that they use Acme pain d’epi - keep it coming!

Oysters Casino (left & bottom) and Rockefeller (top & right)

This last time, my favorite was the Pacific Kodomo oyster from Washington state, which was tangy, plump and chewy. The rest of the menu is lovely as well - I’ve had great salads, a terrific steamer clam dish, and the baked oysters (Casino especially) are to die for. And of course, my favorite part of the whole thing is Hog Island’s trademark Hogwash, a mignonette-esque sauce made from rice vinegar, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime. I could drink it straight I love it so much.

Manila clams, chickpeas, Spanish chorizo, and leek tops with white wine broth.

Don’t miss a trip to Hog Island next time you’re at the Ferry Building - once in a while, anyway, it’s worth the price tag.

Many thanks to my intrepid oyster dining partners: Natalie, Morgan, Kelli and Anneka. You gals making dining so much fun!

What are you ladies and gents up to this weekend? Any exciting dining adventures? Tell me all about it on Facebook!