foodandwine

You've all heard me whine before - as much as I love San Francisco, summer here leaves something to be desired. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong. Just this morning I went for a jog through Golden Gate Park, the fog settled in low, the streets damp, trees and buildings a block ahead tapered off into a misty haze. Everything was reduced to a moody, muted palette accented by an occasional burst of color from, say, a swatch of confetti-colored dahlia blooms. Quintessential San Francisco. Dreamy, but a summer spent in the low 60°s nonetheless. That said, I'm not quite ready to give up on a proper dose of sunshine yet, and I'm preparing to temporarily flee SF for one of my favorite warm weather get-aways - but more on that later.

Today, I thought I'd share a recipe for the zucchini pickles I've been making all summer - at least we get proper summer crops here ;)...These pickles have gone camping with us multiple times, and I've tried to keep a steady supply of them in the refrigerator. I like them on cheese-slathered crostini, big and small - see the photo up above. They're good these veggie burgers, certain tacos, and simple green summer salads. If you come up with other ideas for them, let me know. The only thing that takes much time here is draining some of the liquid from the zucchini, if you plan ahead a bit, the rest of the process only takes a couple minutes.

As far as flavor and seasoning go, this recipe delivers a bit of spicy bite from the mustard seeds and red chile, coupled with a hint of sweet, but not much. If you like a super-sweet pickle, double the sugar, and go from there. Same goes for the spiciness.

Continue reading Quick Pickled Zucchini...

Hanger Steak Sloppy Joes, potato salad and more fantastic end-of-summer meals http://bit.ly/c7IPS9

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@palmerkristen Glad you love the September issue - what's the best part?

RT @swirlgirldry: Congrats and a big #WineWednesday shoutout to @GramercyCellars - winner of @fandw magazine's Winery of the Year. Well ...

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After eating so much on vacation last week, I really have no desire to eat much of anything this week. I need a breather. So this week I won't be going out to restaurants and you won't see me drinking a drop of alcohol.

But next week? That's a different story. Because it's Nashville Originals Restaurant Week! That means there are 3 and even 4-course dinners at some of Nashville's finest for only $20.10 or $30.10. No way I could pass that up. Now just to make the tough decision on where to go.....

Check out the menus here and make your reservations now before they all fill up!

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@MBNoVa How did the Orecchiette with Veal, Capers and White Wine turn out?

Updated back-to-school classics, like Indian Pulled-Chicken Sandwiches: http://bit.ly/biSJWg

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If you've never been to San Francisco you need to know our Summer starts NOW. Yes, in September. Not only is it pretty and warm and sunny but Summer produce--tomatoes, corn, pepper, and peaches are all ripe and delicious at the moment. It's easy to roll your eyes at our "sustainable, local, organic" mantra, but while you're here, be sure to try some of these bites of Summer.


Around this time of year just about everyone makes a tomato salad, but one that sticks out in my mind as particularly fabulous, is the Heirloom Tomato Salad with mozzarella di bufala, olio verde, basil and olive oil croutons at Scala's Bistro, which is attached to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel at Union Square. It's the variety of tomatoes which are the star of the show, but they share the stage with the milkiest, creamy and moist mozzarella. An interesting addition too is the olive oil croutons which obviously add crunch and body to the salad.


Hapa Ramen isn't exactly like any ramen I have had before. The Slow Cooked Ramen with seasonal vegetables is the one to seek out. The broth is layered with richness and the bits of pork make it a meal. The broth is a little bit sweet and a little bit salty. But it's the fresh and super sweet crunch of corn that really makes this ramen something special. You can find it at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market on Thursdays or at Off the Grid on Fridays.


I don't know exactly when shishito peppers started showing up at farmer's markets but I think I first saw them about 2 or 3 years ago. I had tried them in Japan and was thrilled to see them not just in markets, but on restaurant menus as well. They are typically quickly fried then sprinkled with salt. But at Hog & Rocks in the Mission District they go one step further and add a squeeze of lime. The result is bright and lively, the perfect bar snack. Mostly these peppers are mild and sweet with an earthy green flavor, but every once in a while you will get a spicy one!


My last Summer pick is the sorbet from Scream Sorbet. These surprisingly creamy, dairy-free sorbets made from Summer fruit are an intense blast of flavor. Despite not having a retail location yet, they made 7x7's recent The Big Sweet SF: 50 Treats to eat before you die. Fortunately you can find the sorbet at many farmer's markets around the Bay Area including the San Francisco Ferry Plaza on Thursdays. Try the seasonal fruit flavors like Flavorosa pluot, peach, raspberry and August Fire nectarine. They are not sickly sweet but tangy and juicy in a way that "screams" Summer. And what could be better than that?

Scala's Bistro
432 Powell Street
San Francisco
(415) 395-8555

Hog & Rocks
3431 19th Street
San Francisco
(415) 550-8627

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
1 Ferry Building
San Francisco

Off the Grid
Fort Mason CenterSan Francisco

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As you may or may not know, I am a planner. A researcher. An Excel spreadsheet lover. Before I leave for a trip, I spend hours upon hours devouring every bit of information I can possibly find relating to food and drink in that particular city. I gather. I analyze. I make a list of pros and cons. I budget. I analyze some more.

Hi everyone! I'm finally back from vacation and have been so excited to share my experiences with you, but first I really need to unpack, do laundry, go grocery shopping and work out!! Actually, working out is the first thing on my list because I gained at least 5 pounds while I was gone!

But before I tackle my to do list, I'm going to quickly post some photos! As you know, I was in a few different places last week, the first being San Francisco. This trip was primarily a girls' getaway to the wine country, but we couldn't be that close to the city and not spend at least one night there, so that's what we did. Specifically, we had 24 hours.

Any of you that have been to San Francisco can probably understand how difficult it would be for a foodie like me to decide what to do in that short time span. So, I planned strategically. We would arrive on a Saturday morning, just in time to hit the Saturday farmers' market. The best place to stay if that's your primary focus? The Hotel Vitale, directly across the street from the Ferry Building where the market is held! (The photo above is actually from our hotel room window on the morning we arrived. If you click on it, you'll be able to see the tents and throngs of people to the right of the building. That's just a small portion of the farmers' market)

We had less than two hours before the outdoor stands started shutting down, so there was no messing around. On my last trip a couple of years ago, I stood in the long line at Rose Pistola for breakfast. Well worth the wait, the egg, applewood smoked bacon, basil and mozzarella sandwich was amazing, but since our time was so limited on this trip, we opted to skip the long lines and instead walk the market sampling the fruits, vegetables, dips, cheeses and breads the vendors had to offer.












And that was only the outdoor farmers' market. We hadn't even gotten inside the ferry building yet, where gourmet delights abound!









Unable to resist the allure of the ferry building, we went back the next morning for Blue Bottle coffee and a quick bite to eat before we hit the road to wine country.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 of my 24 hours in San Francisco-- our TWO dinners!

F&W's Taste of Beverly Hills starts tonight! Buy tix at the door 9900 Wilshire or at http://thetasteofbeverlyhills.com

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