Dining after Julie & Julia

As I told you in yesterday's post, the first restaurant we had chosen to try after watching Julie & Julia was fully booked. We went a short block from that location to Petaluma's Central Market where the chef greeted us at the door and promised we'd have a treat in store. Yalda and Olivia joined us there too, so we had quite the party.

The bread and flowers arranged on the table portended good things to come.

Yalda and my Dad chose to start with the Creamy Clam-Corn Chowder that included smoked bacon among its ingredients. I tried a spoonful at others' urging, and it was stunningly delicious!

I have been eying recipes for watermelon salad paired with cheese all.. summer.. long! And there it was on the menu, Summer Watermelon Salad. I thought it would be a great idea to sample one first. Wow! It had Greek Feta and arugula with it, and it was lightly dressed with lavender infused honey. This was definitely a great salad.

I followed that with Linguine with Stuffed Squash Blossoms, which also had ricotta cheese, organic mushrooms, fresh corn kernels and sage. It was also fabulous. However, I was disappointed that the blossoms turned into blossom on my plate. I was expecting more than one.

My father Charles preferred enjoying an appetizer as a main, and ordered the Warm Spicy Lamb Cabbage Rolls. He liked it very much, including the preserved lemon flavor surprise.

Yalda ordered this fabulous looking dish, Seared Angus Hanger Steak which came with blue cheese potato gratin, roasted grapes and onions. She said it was great, and took a doggie bag home with some of its generous portion tucked inside.

Linda went for the Red Wine Braised Black Angus Short Ribs which came with fresh horseradish mashed potatoes and root vegetables. Linda said the rib was divine! And she had the same comment as I, her Ribs was a Rib and she could have easily eaten more of this deliciousness!

The only hiccup in our food contentedness, other than wanting more, was that the other audience members of Julie & Julia must have had the same idea as a crowd showed up right behind us. With all that sudden business, the service was a little slow. Even so, I would definitely go back to Central Market again. Slow pace aside, it was friendly, and we loved that the chef came to our table a couple of times to check on how we were enjoying our meal.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 2
Noncritical: 2
Last inspected: 2/4/2009

I saw it!

Julie & Julia that is. The first blog made into a movie - how could I not? Dad & I met our friend Linda at a theater in Petaluma. We giggled like girls and LOVED the movie. Dad said he enjoyed it, but didn't laugh as much. But he stayed awake!

Of course, we had to go to a restaurant commensurate with all that food viewing afterward, and tried Cucina Paradiso at first, which was booked until 8 p.m., so we wandered down the street to Central Market (to be a separate post which I'll back link to later). Yes, I did a little research before we went so we would not be disappointed. And I had to attempt looking up the blog "The Julie/Julia Project" on my cell phone while we were waiting for our food.

Hmmm, what's this? No photos? Well I vowed to look closer when I got home. Indeed, no photos. And a terrible interface for the history, just a calendar to keep clicking dates, one month at a time, with no post titles list. I kept clicking through and reading things randomly. Arrugh. I would have passed this blog by if it weren't for the movie. My friend Jo-Ann and I were talking the other day about the amount of foul language passing for writing on some blogs and comments. I can't stand to read writings full of expletives, it's just not pleasant.

In the movie, Julie says something about her mother perhaps not liking it that she uses the F* work a 'couple times'. That's an understatement. However the movie doesn't go overboard with the expletives, so you get a sense of what she was trying to accomplish and how she struggled to make all those complex recipes. You come to love Julie's quirkiness as well as Julia's effervescence in the face of anything. As she came to the end of her cooking lessons with Julia, she convinced me too that mayonnaise can be made by hand, and you can create new doors and new horizons for yourself. Julie's last post was the day after Julia Child died, where she shared her thoughts about Julia and how she changed her life.

I have a goal for my blog too, although more sanely, I have never given myself a deadline for completion. I do plan to visit every eating establishment in Marin and blog about it. Excepting the fast food chain type places of course. And I'm actually very close to meeting that goal. This experience, 1,294 post strong and ongoing, has enriched my life in so many ways in the last 6 years. Yes, this blog will be 6 years old on August 16th!

The casting for the film was brilliant, Meryl Streep was perfect as Julia, and take a look at this MSNBC article on Julie's book, where the real Julie is pictured and it's obvious why Amy Adams was just the one to tap to play Julie.

Thanks Nora Ephron, for exposing the stuggles and souls of two lovely women in this film! (And by the way, Nora blogs too!)

photo credit: iStockphoto.com

Tasty Traditions

One day it was just time for the Pacific Cafe in Kentfield. At first I thought that it may be closed because the front sign I remember was gone. I found out later that a car had crashed into the front of the building some months ago, and the new sign was on order. However, there is a stained glass sign in the window which identifies the location.

I started with a cup of Pacific Chowder. The waiter said it is basically a clam chowder without the cream. It was quite tasty without.

For the main course, I had the Almond Crusted Halibut. Oh my but it was good! The potatoes were a little 'whipped' and shiny, however the overall plate was great.

I indulged in a dessert, the Lemon Meringue Pie. I was especially tempted when I heard that it was one of the waitstaff's own recipes that had been a favorite for years. The proprietors were very friendly, and the whole staff seemed to have settled into a good service and guest-thoughtful routine. I loved that my server left me a quaint index card with artistic handwriting about the specials. This is a time tested solid seafood place.

Restaurant Inspection Results

This location has not been inspected yet.

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Using what's in the house

So I realized one morning that I had forgotten to buy bread. And well, I have flour, liquid and yeast, so why not make some to go with lunch. And my, why not spike it with the lovely fennel seed that Zoomie had given as a party favor at a food blogger's picnic some months ago? It's hard to give an exact recipe for this, as I have become more like my mother and have a bowl of flour and do some things quite by feel.

That being said, I took about 3 cups of flour plus later at the punch down of the dough and kneading for the final rise 1/2 to 1 cup more. I mix my flours in the bowl, so it had part organic whole wheat, amaranth, oat and unbleached wheat flours. Although I know the rapid rise yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients, I still like to start it in a little water. So I added yeast and a little raw agave nectar for food and sweetness and added hot, not boiling water to about 1/3 cup, stirred and watched it foam. Then I added enough hot water to fill the cup and then add it to the flour in the bowl. Oh, and I added the fennel, seemed about 3 tablespoons, about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of dry milk powder to the flour before adding the liquid. I then mixed and punched and made it into a ball and covered it. I let it rise until about double the size.

At that point I poured some olive oil over the top maybe 2 tablespoons or a little more, and kneaded it in. I learned from my mother and brother (who was a master baker and taught baking in vocational schools) that the bread rises better if you don't put the oil in until after the first rising. I then put it on a floured board and kneaded and beat it up! When I could feel the gluten rise and a springy feeling, I knew it was ready to put on the baking stone, cover and let it rise again. When it doubled, see the photo above, I put it in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10 minutes, then finished it at 375F for another 20 when it looked done.

I didn't wait long enough before cutting, it cuts better when you let it cool even 5 minutes. It had a distinctive fennel taste and went well with the next item that I cooked up for lunch that day. It tasted even better knowing I was using Zoomie's homegrown fennel. Fennel is a wonderful spice, and my friend Mike Ahmadi wrote a wonderful post about home grown herbs, including information about using fennel last week.

What goes better with hot bread than hot soup? Cream of Celery soup. Yes, I had LOTS of organic celery in my refrigerator. The celery that has been delivered from my CSA has been longer, maybe by a third, than what you typically can buy in the store. So again, lots of celery had I. I pulled the strings off the ribs, chopped being sure to include the flavorful leaves. My mother told me that using the celery leaves is a chef's secret! I added some organic chicken broth (pure vegetarians will want to use some vegetable broth). Then I added a cut up potato for the thickener. Once the potato was tender, I poured the entire bubbling, delicious smelling brew into my Vita-Mix and made short work of blending. I added a bit of salt, and as I blended I poured in what goat milk I had left in the carton - 3/4 to 1 cups worth by eyeballing. I returned it to the pot to heat it after adding the cold milk.

Then I ladled it into bowls and served it with the fennel bread for lunch. Dad asked me why we even buy bread - can't you (Anna) just bake it up fresh every day? Nice thing about being older, you forget that one must actually go to work! But actually, fitting it into your schedule with a little planning isn't as difficult as it may seem.

And due to the healthy characteristics of celery, I have decided to make this a post to contribute to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, organized by Haalo and hosted this week by Dhanggit of Dhanggit's Kitchen.

Besides being a source of vitamin C, and even a more significant source of vitamin K, celery includes a couple of other beneficial substances. These are phthalides, which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention. The World's Healthiest Foods has a great write up of celery's many health benefits and nutritive qualities.

"Mom's Home Cooking" Japanese style

There is a mother in the house! The long time hostess of Larkspur's Fukusuke is still serving Japanese home style cooking, personality intact! She makes the place. A soft heart with a commanding exterior, Fukusuke is her domain. She has always been attentive to me and checking up on the food coming out of the kitchen. No worries there, it's always been great.

A delicious set of Cabbage Salt Pickles and Cucumber Salad appears right after your order is taken.

This trip to Fukusuke reminded me of the value of a carefully made miso soup. It often separates, leaving a glass-like top to billowing clouds of tasty miso base suspended in the soup. This one was delicious with depth and complexity.

I chose to have the Teriyaki Salmon Dinner. It was perfectly grilled, and felt, well - meaty! It has a lovely texture and flavor. The Japanese slaw was also fresh, crisp and wispy looking. I enjoyed it. If you like Japanese home cooking, this is a great stop. Don't expect much in the way of sushi, it is not that style of restaurant.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 5/9/2008

Previously reviewed:
December 15, 2007

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Products you miss

Aren't there some products that you love that disappear forever? Soken's Jinenjo Soba is one of those for me. In fact, when I first had difficulties locating it I actually wrote to the company in Japan! I did get a response, however, it wasn't what I wanted to hear. It was no longer available in the US. Now Eden also makes a Jinenjo Soba, but it doesn't have the quality I most appreciated about Soken's Jinenjo Soba. The fiber content. Soken's version has 35g of fiber to Eden's 2g. Yes ,there are plenty of tasty, nutritious sobas out there, but Soken's was great for the Fat & Fiber Diet that was once part of Weight Watcher's repertoire. It worked for me better than their regular diet plans. So I put eating high fiber foods in my diet toolbox. I should check with Soken again.. it's been a couple years, maybe I'll be lucky this time.

Is there a product that you miss?? Leave me a comment about what you are nostalgic for.

Thai on a beautiful afternoon

Dad and I were in the neighborhood one sunny day, and the recommendation of Maxine, on staff with one of Dad's physicians, triggered a recollection of the lovely R'Noh Thai, and recognition that it was quite close by in Larkspur.

We sat on the deck and had an expansive view from under the yellow umbrellas.

There was a $2 add on for a list of appetizers, so we had to add. I chose the Fresh Roll.

Dad was craving the Spring Rolls. Both appetizers were delicious!

Dad followed the Spring Rolls on with BBQ Chicken and Almond Rice. I'm thinking that Dad liked it as he asked "Why don't we come here more often?"

I loved the fresh green salad on the plate with my rice.

The Yellow Curry with Tofu was very smooth and very flavorful and bursting with colorful vegetables. I loved my lunch and was glad that Maxine brought up this place!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 7/24/2008

Previously reviewed:
January 2, 2007

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

How does my garden grow?

The lack of sun this summer hasn't helped, however the brave tomato soldiers on!

Here's what the plant looked like on July 15, 2009. On the home front, I'm a bit worried about my Father as he's been reporting dizziness (without being unstable or feeling like falling) and muddled head feeling in the last week or so. He shakes his head to and fro like that will help. Other than that, he's been doing well and reports have it that he is getting stronger with his treadmill/stretches/pilates routine. I have been tending to him more closely so some times my blog posts are delayed. His birthday present from me, a black leather recliner, was delivered yesterday and he was very tickled. That's how things are here.

Weekend Herb Blogging #194

Well it's my turn again to round up this wonderful week of herbs. Weekend Herb Blogging was started by Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen and is now organized and continued by Haalo at Cook (Almost) Anything (at Least Once). This week there is no lack of intriguing and beautiful things posted about herbs.

Ginger


Hailing from Malaysia, Alice of Bits of Taste, tells us about the natural healing properties of ginger, and entices us to be healthy with some wonderful looking Sweet Ginger Soup.

Tomatoes


Graziana is in Italy, where we all know beautiful tomatoes grow. What to do with this bounty? Well one thing that Graziana of Erbe in Cucina tells us about is how to preserve them in her recipe for Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil.

Tomatillos



Kaylyn, the founder of Weekend Herb Blogging, at Kalyn's Kitchen in Utah offers up an interesting post on tomatillos and a tried and true Cafe Rio style dressing featuring these lovely green globes. In fact, it seems to be a mistake proof recipe! Three cheers for this!

Truffles


Meanwhile, Anh out of Melbourne, Australia who writes A Food Lover's Journey has given us an elegant recipe for a An Extravagant Breakfast -Truffle Omelet. And I never knew there was a truffle season, but of course!

Lemon Balm



Out of New Paltz, NY, Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen excites the chef in all of us with a number of fabulous and unusual ingredients in her Cantaloupe Salad post. Although the interesting lemon balm is the herbal ingredient, mention of lemon cucumber and ricotta salata cannot do anything but evoke a symphony of taste in our imaginations.

Herbes de Provence


Mike of Mike Ahmadi's Gastronomic Musings is still growing the most beautiful herbs in his garden in Livermore, CA. Our event coincided perfectly with documenting his work of preserving the summer's bounty in his post, Drying Herbs and Herbes de Provence. This post is a treasure trove of information about growing and preserving herbs. The finale is the instructions for making Herbes de Provence, and a lovely use for them as a chicken rub.


Okra


Katie of Haslett, MI who writes Eat This has a very unique omelet to share. She, like me, subscribes to a weekly CSA box and was delighted to find some beautiful okra in her box. She promptly makes Stewed Okra and Tomato Omelets. My southern mother would be right over to share one of these.

Batata (Latin Sweet Potatoes)


Susan of the Well-Seasoned Cook in New York features Batata (Latin Sweet Potatoes) in her awesome combo "Batata Chips with Aji Amarillo Crema Dip". This sounds like a match made in heaven, and she also talks about the pleasures of cutting with a perfectly sharp kitchen tool - Achtung! indeed.

Allium

Yes, I wrote about the mighty three ingredients in a 'sauceless sauce' at Anna's Cool Finds this week for this Weekend Herb Blogging adventure. Two of the three mighty three are of the allium family, garlic and onion. The lovely thing is that you can use any two members of the allium family to make this in case you too have picky eaters in your circle.

Blood Oranges


Our Weekend Herb Blogging Organizer, Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything (At Least Once) has a beautiful dessert to share. She is located in Melbourne, Australia and is happy that orange season is now on in her neck of the woods. Her Candied Blood Orange Tart requires unwaxed blood oranges and the finished product not only has eye appeal, she takes you so carefully through all the steps, anyone must be able to make this lovely tart. You may have to wait though if citrus is out of season...

Lita (a Summer Squash variety)


Joanne of Eats Well With Others in New York City made a Summer Squash Casserole for our viewing pleasure. And it was her family's eating pleasure with her father being sure if she cooks this for a future boyfriend it would win his heart. Joanne picked up her squash at the local farmer's market, including an unusual variety, the lita. Be sure to read about its characteristics in her post.

Marasca Leaves


Brii who lives on the beautiful Garda Lake in Italy has made something amazing using Mascara Leaves. You'll have to check out her post on Home Made Sherry and the beautiful photos of mountain climbing near the lake. Brii hosts the blog, Briiblog in English (I see she has several blogs, this one in Italian).

Bell Peppers


Cinzia of Cindystar also living near Garda Lake in Italy has sent in a showstopping summer vegetable dish, Gurguglione. The dish comes from where she has been spending her summers for years, Elba Island in Tuscany. Since there are three types of bell peppers in the recipe, we'll say that is the herb to be highlighted here today. When visiting her site, if you do not speak Italian, just keep scrolling as the translation is in the second half of the post.

Well that's it for Weekend Herb Bloggin #194. Thanks to all who participated. If you think this would be fun, feel free to join in for next week's Weekend Herb Blogging. The host is Dhanggit from Dhanggit's Kitchen. More information here.

Sauceless sauce

Have you ever had a picky eater among your family members or friends? I have a friend that I enjoy that doesn't care for any sauces, without exception, and can't have anything with even the tiniest amount of sugar. Oh, and no 'strange' vegetables. I've found through trial and error that this friend thinks eggplant, parsnips and water chestnuts strange. Not to mention disliking celery and cabbage. Then I have an aunt who only likes green beans, potatoes and spaghetti sauce and no other vegetables. But that's beyond any fix I can think of.

So I use a 'sauceless sauce' to make a sautee all the household looks forward to, and my above mentioned friend. The beauty of this saucing method is that it also works well with just about any vegetable you throw at it. And with a once-a-week 1/2 CSA box to creatively use, this is a good repeater sauce that no one seems to tire of, mostly because the vegetable mix is necessarily different each week.

So what goes into the sauceless sauce that sauteed all these beautiful veggies into deliciousness? The mighty three ingredients are garlic, onion, and mushrooms. Adding to the flavor are both olive oil and sesame oil acting as a flavor carrier.

And here is a good place to note that this is my personal entry into Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by myself this week (the round up will be tomorrow), and organized by Haalo at Cook (Almost) Anything (at Least Once).

Garlic has well-known health benefits, and their is a New York Times Blog, "Unlocking the Benefits of Garlic" which has a great update on recent thinking and studies about garlic. One important thing that is noted in the article, is that to enjoy the greatest health benefit from your garlic, after crushing or chopping, let the garlic sit a few minutes before using in your recipe.

Onions, like garlic, are from the allium family and have many of the same health benefits. The World's Healthiest Foods site has a great write up of the health benefits of onion.

Mushrooms can give you a boost of Vitamin D should you be one in a northern latitude, or wear sunblock or avoid the sun. Mushrooms have a relatively high protein content so as a near vegetarian I use them liberally. Organic Facts has a great run down of the health benefits of mushrooms.

So how do I make this sauceless sauce? First I heat up some organic E.V.O.O. in a large pan, and add the chopped garlic and sliced onions. Red onions are also good as an onion ingredient. In fact I vary the two alliums for taste differences, sometimes using leek or shallots in place of the regular onion. You sautee the allium group until the onion is a bit soft, and the garlic hasn't gotten to burn stage. Then add all the chopped mushrooms. I used brown mushrooms. Continue sauteeing until the onions are nearly as soft as you'd like to eat them, and the mushrooms have reduced in size, leaving their flavorful residue in the olive oil.

Then I add the vegetables starting with those with the longest cooking requirements, and incrementally adding the rest, while drizzling toasted sesame oil. The olive oil and the sesame oil while adding flavor, more importantly transport the tasty nectar from the garlic, onion and mushrooms to coat the rest of the vegetables in flavor. The end result is captured in the leading photo. I use the most colorful combination of organic vegetables in my current CSA box, and refrigerator. No matter the combination, I've always received rave compliments about any of the various organic vegetable combinations that I've used the sauceless sauce with.

If you would like to participate in Weekend Herb Blogging, its not too late. The rules spell out the conditions and deadlines.