Breakfast in Novato. Dad and I went out for brunch Sunday at Finnegan's Marin after a late night holiday celebration with my partners in Groundwork. Definitely an Irish pub, and a friendly comfortable kind of place.

I ordered Earl Grey Tea to start, and was pleasantly surprised by the tea serice with China Mist tea. No, it wasn't in a teapot, but the extra special tea did taste quite good.

Dad decided to live it up and have Eggs Benedict. He loved it, but couldn't finish because of the richness of the dish.

I decided to try something different and tried the Three Buttermilk Pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon. It came with a rich maple syrup and was quite good, although I couldn't finish mine either!

On the way home we stopped at the Bon Air Shopping Center so I could grab some fresh veggies for dinner later on, and it was all decked out for the holidays. Couldn't resist trying out my new camera on these reindeer. This post contains my first try with my new Cannon Rebel. It's nearly more than I can handle with all the options!

Oh and today happens to be my birthday, having dinner in Glen Ellen's Wolfe House to celebrate with my father, Linda, Yalda and Miss Olivia (5 yo) who is singing a solo in the Christmas pageant after dinner. Don't know if I'll snap photos or not, but I'm happy to go to Wolf House anytime as we've had many a successful and joyful occasion there.

Happy and Hopping. I'd been looking for an opportunity to try Cafe Z in Greenbrae for lunch and finishing up with tests at Marin General around lunch gave my Dad and I the perfect opportunity. The last time I wrote about Cafe Z, it was for a celebratory breakfast, and it has been a consistently great breakfast spot, but how about lunch?

Cafe Z is a casual yet stylish place to eat where you order at the counter and pick up your food from the cooking area. The first thing I noticed is how busy it is for lunch, and they've put a 'buzzer' system into place for orders. And the operations manager, Rick, was quite friendly and popped up and handed us our lunches before we could stand up after seeing the buzzer flash.

Dad tried the Turkey and Gruryere with Radicchio, Dijion, and Tomato Pannini with a green salad. Never having had Pannini before, he commented that they had him the heel ends of the bread! I giggled and told him about the joys of Italian sandwiches. He loved the sandwich.

I'm such a sucker for dill that I ordered the Egg Salad with Dill. I tried the curried potato salad, which was a nice twist on potato salad. The dill in the egg salad was a good match as well.

I saw Rick putting out copies of a shiny new book "From Warehouse to Your House" and went to browse. Rick kindly pointed out that the author, one of the restaurant's founders and the person behind the creative recipes at Cafe Z, Sally Simpson is in town, and in fact just outside the door autographing copies. With that title, how could I resist? You'll remember my recipes using 'Costco pantry' items (October 27th, and November 16th posts with recipes) -- could always use a few more ideas for those items where I overstocked. Oh, now thinking of that, I'd best end here and take a read!

Rustic Indeed. Dad and I tried an Italian place I'd been eyeing for dinner. Rustico is on Caledonia Street, and I regularly pass it on my walk to get my veggie stew fix at Sartaj India Cafe. We were greeted promptly and with classic Italian friendliness. The menu reflected not only a classic Italian menu, but a variety of small plates for sharing. There is music every night, so I noted that this may be a great place to come back with some girlfriends to hang out and relax to the smooth jazz over drinks and bites.

Dad and I shared a Caesar Salad to start. Nicely dressed, cool and crisp. Would have been nice if we were given plates (we had to use our bread plate, which we had bread on.), and it would have been nice if the bread had been served with either olive oil or butter, without our needing to request something for the bread long after it was served. Butter was brought out promptly upon request.

Dad felt in the mood for the Lasagna Vegeteriana, Vegetarian Lasagna with smoked mozzarella, roasted tomato and eggplant. It was the smallest portion of lasagna that I'd ever seen served at a restaurant. I guess that's what is meant by small plates. But it was perfect for Dad who doesn't like oversized portions.

I felt in the seafood mood, so ordered Capesante allo Zafferano, jumbo scallops over homemade fettuccine with saffron sauce. The fettuccine was awesome, as was the saffron sauce, however the scallops were definitely off-tasting.

While we were waiting for dessert, the jazz duo started up. The featured artists, "Alex Kallao", played Piano Ballads of Gershwin and Cole Porter with guitar and bass. We were across the room, so the photo is a bit dark.

Dad ordered the Chocolate Mousse Cake, which he enjoyed to the last bite.

I ordered a variation of tiramisu -- lady fingers with bananas and marscapone. What I couldn't finish, Dad did. It was good as well, but the presentation could have been a little cleaner as it looked rather messy on the plate. This place has lots of potential if it can improve its uneven food. It is also my first visit, so it could have been an off-night.

Beauty on the Horizon. What a beautiful day it was in Sausalito! I had been to Horizons several times in the past, but in the evening. Yesterday I lunched there, and it was such fine weather I could enjoy the outside deck seating.

I had to jump up and immediately start shooting the scene. What a perfect romantic spot! It would be great to sit on the benches facing out with a drink and chat as the sun set.

I decided to try their clam chowder, which came out hot and really tasty -- some are creamy without flavor, this one was smooth and creamy but the cream did not overpower the lovely clam flavor.

I had to keep shooting while I waited for the next course. It was a great day for boating.

Next up was an amazingly fresh and crisp Asian Chicken Salad. Doesn't that look just toothsome! I understand that they serve brunch both Saturdays & Sundays from 10:30 a.m - 2:00 p.m. This would be a good place to start out a weekend!

Good Food Gone Bad. Live Science has an enlightening slide show of the top 10 good foods gone bad. If you are reading this, no doubt you already know about most of these, but there may be a couple of surprises.

And if you haven't caught this article in the Economist - "Voting with your Trolley" it's definitely thought-provoking.

For further reading, Sustainable Table is a good place to find out more about voting with your forks.

Hometown evening. My friend Judith and I arranged to meet at the Dipsea which has opened for dinner in the past couple months. I've previously enjoyed breakfasts here, and thought if the quality held through it would be a fabulous addition to this hometown Mill Valley restaurant.

I started with French Onion Soup. The waitress got a little excited bringing it over, so there was a bit of spillage.

Next, Judith enjoyed the Seafood Risotto and invited me to take a bit. Nice! Infused with very complex seafood essences.

I had the Pot Roast with porcini mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. It was delectable, and I took some home to save room for dessert.

Judith had chocolate silk pie, which was rich, chocolaty and smooth.

I enjoyed the lemon tart (no surprise!), which was fresh and just tart enough. The surprising thing about this visit was the emptiness of the restaurant. Maybe the word hasn't gotten out yet about the dinner option, and how good it is.

Hot, Filling and Prompt. That's about the best I can say about the lunch experience at Hunan First with my father. This Greenbrae restaurant looked like a hole-in-the-wall, and so we went in with the hope of being surprised by a new hidden find.

The interior is rather beat up, the tables uneven is some places, and it is small. However, they've tried to make the place cheery with some artwork.

We were greeted promptly and given tea. Often the manner in Chinese restaurants is rather brusque so I was not surprised to find that here. I was pleasantly surprised by the lunch menu - three tiered, depended on the entree (A) for $5.00, (B) $5.59 and (C) $6.00. My father and I ordered off the (C) menu, which had the white meat chicken dishes and prawns.

Dad was served the Chicken, Snowpeas and Mushrooms dish with Fried Rice.

I had the Sesame Chicken dish with Chow Mein. The meals listed an "Appetizer" and "Fruit" as well as a fortune cookie. The fortune cookie was as expected, but apparently the appetizer was the two big pieces of won-ton skin deep-fried (yuk). The "fruit" was two small bites of canned pineapple... huh? Dad said the Chicken, Snowpeas and Mushroom dish was fine, although nothing to broadcast. The chicken in my dish was good, but the sauce was terribly sweet and the chicken was drowned in it. My dish also had smaller pieces of won ton wrappers deep fried and thrown in with the chicken. The chow mein was soft and nearly mushy. This one can remain hidden as far as I'm concerned.

But I have a place to recommend highly - Piazza d'Angelo in Mill Valley. I was there at a social event last night, where it wasn't appropriate to take photos, and it was fabulous! I was invited to a private party, and we had dinner family style with a number of off-menu items like duck meat cannelloni. I've been there many times, although not recently until last night and have never been disappointed. It is in a different class and price range than the above, but since I just went I wanted to note it. I'll get back to it with a full review and photos sometime in the future.

Eating through The Castle. After a rainy and hectic day on Monday, I visited Samurai on Miller in Mill Valley and ordered their signature "Samurai Castle". Usually I share it with another friend, but I took home a doggie bag this time --- lots of food as you will see.

The first Castle course is miso soup, and Samurai's miso was hot and well made. Samurai also serves Tejava as its offering for iced tea lovers. It's nice to have a consistently good tea product.

Following on the heels of the miso is a simmered dish, a couple potato pieces, carrots and onion. It's very typical and quite tasty.

Next up - The Castle! It's really a fun theme. You break apart The Castle to find:

Cucumbers, sushi and sashimi! The maguro sashimi (tuna) was quite fresh and smooth on the tongue. Sorry, my photos this time are a little blurry in low light. I have ordered a new near-professional camera on the recommendation of a professional photographer friend. I'm looking forward to its arrival soon!

When you see this coming, you can't believe it's intended for one diner! Mixed tempura with several prawns, teriyaki salmon, garlic chicken with rice and vegetables.

And the last hurrah, Green Tea Ice Cream. Can you believe all this food comes 'standard' at $20.50??? It's very splitable by ordering and extra miso and rice, or do as I did, take a doggie bag home. They did an unbeliveable job of wrapping it to be secure, putting the boxes in plastic before putting in the bag. Samurai is not an upscale fussy restaurant, but is like a family style restaurant in Japan (although portions are much bigger here). There were several children in the restaurant who were made to feel welcome, and friendly and prompt service. It's a place I enjoy going just to relax and have 'comfort' Japanese fare.

Click to Play

An interesting sustainable agriculture dilema right here in Marin County.

Kevin Lunny, owner of Drakes Bay Family Farms in Marin County, California, and an organic, sustainable farmer, discusses the magic of oyster farming. Lunny is currently fighting a battle to save the historic oyster farm, which is under threat of being turned into wilderness by the National Park Service. Read more about his plight here

Light, bright and delicious. Dad and I visited the Half Day Cafe in Kentfield for breakfast over the weekend, and although busy, our name came up on the list in good time. The space has large windows and high ceilings which can make it a bit noisy, but it is very bright and cheerful.

Dad enjoyed the basic two eggs over easy with hash browns and whole wheat toast.

I was a little more adventurous and went for the Tortilla Scramble with home fries and a bagel. The tortilla scramble had fresh tomatoes, green chilies, green onions and tortilla strips scrambled in it, topped with a dap of sour cream. It also had a scoop of cream cheese for the bagel and a nice slice of sweet orange and kiwi as a garish. It was hot, well executed and good. The menu had quite a few inventive offerings, plus there was a fresh sheet. The parking in the back is also very convenient. To sum it up, the Half Day Cafe is highly recommendable for breakfast.

Supper Club - Spanish Tapas. As those of you know who have been following my blog, I belong to a Supper Club in Marin which creates events on a theme and each chef chooses and executes a recipe. It's a foodie paradise, and there are several professional chefs among the members. This event was celebrating Spanish Tapas. As usual, the chefs were in rare form, and the food was delightful, as you can see in the slide show above. My dish for the evening was Red Onion and Orange Salad.

Red Onion & Orange Salad

6 sweet, ripe medium oranges, peeled
1 small red onion, sliced finely
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1.5 ounces organic raisins
20 black olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons almonds, blanched and sliced thinly

1. Boil some water and soak raisins in the hot water for 20 minutes, removing from heat. Drain and set aside.
2. Remove the white pith from the oranges and cut the fruit crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.
3. Arrange the oranges on a serving platter and scatter over the sliced red onion.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle this dressing over the onions and oranges.
6. Sprinkle with the raisins, olives, sunflower seeds, and almonds.
7. Serve chilled.

Serves 6-8

Sesame Salsify. It's time for Weekend Herb Blogging again, and Pookah of What's Cooking in Carolina is hosting. This week I chose Black Salsify to create my dish around. The basis for flavor lies in getting fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, and I picked mine up at the San Rafael Farmers Market from Orchard Farms.

When it came to Saturday evening, I found myself having Daniel, Kit and my father as dinner guests, so I cooked a full meal of Sage Rubbed Organic Chicken, stuffed with celery and roasted with Yukon Gold Potatoes and Sweet Red Onions, Sesame Salsify, Baby Zucchini steamed in Organic Chicken Broth, and Castella with Organic Crisp-Sweet Asian Pears.

The other necessary factor after having great ingredients, is technique. Daniel mentioned that there is nothing like having a meal cooked by someone for you, infusing it with love which seems to come out in taste that you can't buy. Part of my technique is infusing food with love energy and gratitude as I prepare it. A scientist may say that this attitude causes a more careful handling and devotion to technique which shows in the flavor, a metaphysicist may say that a literal love frequency energy infuses the food and causes a physical change. Whichever you choose to believe, I think the attitude and emotional state that you approach your cooking with reflects in the final product.

First, I picked out a nice bunch of black salsify from the left of this basket. On the right is another variety, called white salsify. Salsify is also called the "Oyster Plant" as some think it has a flavor similar to oysters. I think it tastes like a cross between an artichoke heart and asparagus. Salsify, like the sunchokes I featured last week, has inulin which is thought to aid in blood sugar control. It's also been clinically proven to increase calcium absorbtion.

My WHB recipe can be either a side dish, or a vegetarian main dish.

Sesame Salsify

8 oz shredded carrots
Juice of one lemon
8 pieces salsify, peeled
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 oz. Pineapple-Teriyaki marinated firm tofu
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1. Put shredded carrots and juice of one lemon in a bowl of cool water to soak.
2. Slice salsify in 2" lengths, quarter into matchsticks and add to bowl.
3. Slice tofu into horizontal thin slices.
4. Put sesame oil into frying pan and turn heat to medium high.
5. Drain carrots and salsify and put into pan.

6. Stir fry, turning frequently until nearly done.

7. Add tofu, and continue stirring and frying until tofu is warm and dish is cooked to the vegetable doneness you prefer.
8. Remove from heat, put in serving dish and sprinkle black sesame seeds over the top.

Serves 6-8