Sunday in the Man Cave
It is time to acknowledge my friend Lou Lesko for his role in getting My Kitchen My Table up and running. For without Lesko there would be no MKMT. It all started at the Ferry Building Wine Bar where we meet frequently to dish and drink. One topic led to another and the idea was born.
Lou was instrumental in helping formulate the idea, held my feet to the fire with deadlines, gave me assignments, made me commit to deliverables, and was one of my biggest cheerleaders along the way. When it came time to launch, Lesko was under the gun with his own deadlines. I received the coveted invitation to his office, made the drive across the Golden Gate and entered The Man Cave – the clandestine place he goes undercover to be brilliant. After a crash course, I was live and here we are today.
My heartfelt thanks and cheers to you, Lou, I wouldn’t be here without you. xoxo ~ L.
mkmtLIVE | Comment (1)A Trip to the Flower Mart
I have a dream that some day I will have a cottage in the wine country with a garden that will be devoted to growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. Until then, I enjoy my urban loft life without a stitch of outdoor living and a view of the hi-rise next door, the billboard of the next Disney blockbuster and the Bay Bridge view when craning one’s neck out the window – but I have a view!
While there is nothing better than being able to walk into the garden and snip the herbs that will be used in tonight’s dinner or pluck some lettuce out of the ground for tonight’s salad, I am a true believer that fresh flowers turn a house into a home. Unfortunately, something as simple as picking flowers from the garden – or in my case – taking a trip to the flower mart – is often a task that is relegated to the bottom of the list.
Yesterday I went to the mart and after browsing through several shops decided on sunflowers, lavender, and white lisanthius. I was shooting for summer, Provence, fresh and wild – mission accomplished – well, maybe not the lisanthius but I’ve had an affection for these flowers since discovering them 20 years ago at the Hollywood Farmers Market and just can’t resist.
Upon returning home I selected the perfect vases and removed the flowers from the paper they’re wrapped in. Now comes the creative part…. cutting the stems and placing each one in the vase until they’re pleasing to my eye. I always keep a few stems aside to make smaller arrangements to place in bathrooms or next to the kitchen sink. Once arranged and placed around the loft I can’t help but smile! Not only do the flowers offer a creative outlet but they add a special feeling of home and comfort to the loft.
mkmtLIVE | Comment (0)Mother Felice's Potato Salad
My Italian mother-in-law has been perfecting this recipe for the past 60 years. It is a staple at family barbecues and picnics and a frequent summertime request of my husband. I like to make it a day in advance as it becomes more flavorful after sitting overnight.
4 lbs russet potatoes
4 eggs, hardboiled
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Boil the potatoes with skins on in salted water for 30-35 minutes. Peel the skins and cube potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
Slice hardboiled eggs in half and separate the yolk and the whites. Crumble the yolks and coarsely chop the whites.
In a large bowl, add potatoes, egg whites and yolks, onion, and celery. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss until all ingredients are combined. Sprinkle paprika and season with salt and pepper tossing again until seasoned.
Refrigerate overnight and serve with a sprig of parsley as a garnish.
mkmtCOOK | Comment (1)Al Fresco Wine Dinner
Not long ago I attended a special wine dinner at Masque Restorante in El Dorado Hills. While I had become skeptical of the restaurant during the 3 years I lived in the Hills; actually I had fired it, the combination of getting together with good friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time over a wine pairing dinner – as advertised by the restaurant featuring a special menu that the chef and winemaker had collaborated on – sounded like a fun way to spend a Friday night and worthy of the 3 hour drive in traffic from SF.
Upon arrival we were shown to our table in a side courtyard. It was 90+ degrees outside and the sun was shining directly on our table. We sat down and were presented with our check that included a 20% gratuity and a line to leave additional gratuity – all before our waiter greeted us, our first glass of wine was poured, and our first course was served. Now I have a question, what restaurant asks you to pay the bill before the meal and asks for additional gratuity before any form of service is rendered? I am all for being a generous tipper if the staff is worthy, but a mandatory 20% already added on and the assumption that I would want to leave more before even seeing the mug of my waiter – they have to be kidding!
After signing the check and leaving the mandatory 20%, there was an announcement from the sommelier that the winemaker was running a little late and he should be there soon. Were we becoming victims of the ol’ bait and switch?
Another 10-15 minutes passed before the waiter arrived and asked if we’d like a glass of wine. By this time we were wilting on the vine and put the first glass down.
Forty-five minutes after dinner was supposed to commence there was still no sign of the winemaker and the first course was served. Parmesan Basket with Proscuitto and Tuscan Melon was expertly paired with the Sauvignon Blanc. The courses that followed included a trio of raw seafood featuring an oyster, a scallop, and Branzino drizzled with Arugula Puree; it was paired with a Chardonnay. The third course was home made Gnocchi with Scamorza ans Sun-dried Tomato Basil Sauce – the gnocchi was melt in your mouth and the smokiness of the scamorza divine. It was served with a Pinot that was a favorite of the table. Our entrée was Pan Roasted Wild Boar with Humboldt Fog Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and Whole Grain Mustard Veal Sauce. The men at the table devoured the boar straight from the bone reminiscent of medieval times complete with juice dripping down their chins.
While the meal and the wine were well prepared and paired not once did the chef, the waiter, the sommelier, or the wine maker – oops, he couldn’t because he never showed up- talk about the menu or the wine pairings. We were ready for some insight and were instead served dinner with wine for a bigger price tag than if we had eaten from the menu in the restaurant. We also enjoyed a couple of the wines that were served and were ready to make some purchases but this was not an option either.
The following Monday I called to express my displeasure that we didn’t get what we were expecting, as well as offer feedback for future events. My concern was met with an indifferent and arrogant attitude and I was told that they never intended for the wine maker to be there and we got what was advertised – never mind the sommelier told us the wine maker was on the way. I hung up the phone and quickly realized why Masque had been fired several years ago….
mkmtEAT | Comments (2)Cookbook Club – Mediterranean Fresh
The revival of the SF Cookbook Club is coming. On August 3rd, we will meet in my kitchen and gather around my table to discuss and cook from Joyce Goldstein’s Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix and Match Dressings. In fact, Joyce has graciously accepted our invitation and will join us at the table!
MF was selected because I personally need to enhance my repertoire of salads and one dish meals. And what a better time to do so than the heart of summer where so many of the ingredients can be found fresh at the farmer’s market. In addition to the ubiquitous ingredients, Joyce is not afraid to add some that are hard to find and available only at the farmer’s market or very specialty grocers. I encourage you to seek out the recipes that include these ingredients and be not afraid…. Go forth and try something new, talk with the grower, taste and learn, then take it home to your kitchen and make something fabulous.
Following are the questions that we discuss at my table when we talk about the books and recipes that are made for the cookbook club. I encourage you to keep them in mind and post your feedback.
COOKBOOK CLUB CHECKLIST—read list of questions before you read through the cookbook or begin cooking! Be honest with your feedback— it will make for spirited discussion when we meet on August 3rd.
Name and page # of recipe:
Were you able to find all of the ingredients you needed (without hassle)?
Did everything in the ingredient list make sense (anything you would have changed)?
Were the instructions easy to read and make sense?
How long did it take to prepare (active work time/prep time)?
How would you rate the taste on a scale of 1-10?
How would you rate the difficulty on a scale of 1-10?
Would you make this again or recommend to a friend? Why or why not?
Were there any parts of the recipe that were frustrating? Any pleasant surprises?
How were the portion sizes/quantities of food?
When reading through the book, did you find any misspelled words or peculiar grammar?
What did you think about the recipe’s “headnotes”?
How did you present the dish/garnish it?
What reviews did the dish get from others (OK to fill out during meeting)?
Were there many recipes that looked good to you?
What was most appealing to you about the book? Least appealing?
Any additional comments on how the book is structured, the quality of the writing, whether or not it held your interest, etc.
mkmtCOOK | Comment (1)