Say Cheese!

We went upscale Saturday with a visit to the Berkeley 4th Street branch of the Pasta Shop. If you are a food lover, allow a lot of time to peruse the wares of this beautiful shop. What brought us back today was olive oil. We had exhausted our supply and had to resort to supermarket oil. At the pasta shop they have bulk oil which you can sample first. It was a hard choice; they were all good.

You can’t make it to the olive oil without passing the cheese counter. It won’t allow you to not stop and admire the stunning display of cheese. We were lucky enough to have Juliana assist us. Her official title is Manager of Cheese. I would like to bestow upon her a new title, Goddess of Cheese. Friendly and knowledgeable, let her or the other members of staff guide you in your choices. We tasted and purchased St. Agur blue cheese. A super creamy cheese with just the right kick of blue. We also took along the Antique Gruyere. A Gruyere enhanced!

A couple of Acme baguettes and a tub of the house mix olives and we had the appetizers taken care of.

You can’t go to the Pasta Shop and not buy pasta. Lemon ricotta raviolis and creamy garlic sauce, dinner is now complete.

You don’t have to stop there! My brain is on food sensory overload. Prepared foods, sandwiches, and of course desert. I’ve died and gone to food heaven.

Just for good measure we bought the red oil cloth market bag to tote home the goodies.

Meaty Issues

When I read that the Maestro of Meat, Dr. Biggles of Meathenge was going to help staff the Fatted Calf stand, I knew a trip to the Berkeley Farmers Market was the order of the day. We arrived at the crack of 10 am. Many of the vendors were still scrambling to set up their tents. The crowd of shoppers had already begun to swoop down on the displays of goodies.

I am a very visual guy. Normally I buy what looks best. The Fatted Calf stand consists mainly of a chalkboard listing the meat products available that day. It took a leap of faith for me to select the unseen Petit Jambon and receive the white butcher paper wrapped package. It felt almost sordid like ordering a package that comes shipped in a plain brown wrapper.

At home we plopped the Jambon into my ancient Weber fired with hardwood charcoal and some applewood chips. Et Voila! Jump into my tummy little piggy. Sweet, smoky, rich and tasting of old fashion southern style hams. Faith pays off again. For dinner we used slices of the ham stacked on a split baguette that had been dipped into the juices released on the plate. Next day at breakfast - eggs, ham and toast.



It is great to see that farmers markets are going to the next level. Supporting regional farmers, and enhancing the mix by including local artisan food producers. Butchers, bakers, cheese makers and such are vital to our communities’ connection to our food source.

Cafe Albert

In Marin County bargain dining is rare. The fast food joints are priced higher here than in other neighborhoods. So it is with some trepidation I give up the location of this restaurant.

Café Albert (actually more of a cafeteria) is located at 1650 Los Gamos Rd. in San Rafael Ca. The cross street is Lucas Valley Rd. It is really difficult to locate in a Speakeasy sort of way. Go around the back next to Dock C and enter through the glass door that says Café. The rest of the building is locked for the security of the other business tenants. As of this writing it is open to the public. The main purpose of the Café is to feed the high tech workers at The Marin Technology Center.

Mind you this is not haute cuisine. It is on par with a Dennys or I Hop. The hook is the prices kick butt! The place is open Monday through Friday for breakfast starting at 630 AM and lunch starting at 1030 AM. Closing time around 230 PM.

The Morning Special, available everyday, consists of two eggs, two bacon, hash browns and toast for $2.95. Standard breakfast stuff is the order of the day. Two pancakes and an order of bacon will set you back $3.15. A football sized breakfast burrito costs only $2.25.The big coffee is seventy five cents.


Morning Special-Strawberries extra

Sandwiches, soups, salad bar, burgers, fries and other grilled items Oh My! Each day there is a lunch special usually around $4.00. Today’s special was steak soft tacos with rice and beans. Can you believe your standard sandwich is $3.10?


Todays special- beef soft tacos


hot and sour soup of the day


a selection from the self serve salad bar
There is a frequently changing art show in the dining room and a private outside eating area

The above prices are before tax and gratuity. If you get stuck in the Marin 101 parking lot one morning,stop by, they make it to go as well.

Are We Loving it?

Millions of dollars have been spent. Ads in all styles and all languages. McDonald's has been touting their new salads lately and life's a picnic decided to put them to the test.

The premise being we would buy a selection of salads and do a tasting with my crew. That crew would be me, my wife, three daughters and son.

The salads were purchased at lunch time at the McDonald's on Redwood Blvd. in Novato, Ca.

We photographed the salads first as they emerged directly from their containers. Then we added the enclosed garnish, styled them a bit, photographed again and then tasted.

First contender. Apple Walnut Salad

Styled with walnut garnish added


Next up- Grilled Chicken Caesar

Croutons added -Parmesan was hidden under chicken and located on tasting.


Last Victim - bacon ranch - we changed up the dressing and used the balsamic vinegar

A little fluffing of the greens helped the look


The results
The walnut apple salad is a winner.All tasters put this in the good to excellent range of taste.The walnuts seemed to be the big hit.

The Caesar falls into the good category. The dressing and croutons add a lot of flavor.

The bacon ranch is disappointing. The greens are similar to the Caesar, but the bacon is soggy and really tastes nothing like bacon at all. The cheese suffers the same soggy fate.

The crew thought it was nice to have a healthy option for a fast food meal. I think we're likin it.

Novato Farmers Market

Novato Farmers Market

This market has a family feel to it. Tuesday night and it seems like everybody in town is here. Dodge the kids on their way to the bouncing ride. Take a carriage ride or visit Twee-Twee the clown. Loads of things to do.

Twee-Twee


There is also loads of food too. Tonight we only have a limited amount of time so we choose prepared items to go. Franks Barbecue is looking pretty busy so we choose RoliRoti. I like to call this chicken on a truck. If you ever see a white truck with a large plastic chicken on top follow it to a nearby farmers market. Inside the truck is a giant rotiserie twirling yummy chickens before your very eyes. Add some potatoes that rest below the cooking chickens so the dripping schmaltz flavors each bite. I would have preferred the potatoes a little more done, an extra jolt in the microwave saved the day.

Chicken on a truck



Taters


FlourChyld artisan bakery is offering tastes of pure chocolate torte. First taste is free. Now you're addicted. Choco Choco Good!


Rodriguez Farms strawberries


Chocolate and strawberries, makes it more healthy?


A splendid way to spend a Tuesday night.

Reality is Dempseys

I don't know about you, I've had just about enough reality TV. Even PBS is getting into the act with Cooking Under Fire. While the chefs try to be very gentile and humane, the catch phrase "you're 86'd" is a total Trump rip off. If you want to be a chef in Todd English's kitchen, go to culinary school, work your butt off for very little money and apply. It has to be better than being humiliated on Public TV. You're 86'd!

I know the world needs another mean spirited, self-absorbed, Simon Cowell wannabe. Tune in to Hell's Kitchen on Fox. Gordon Ramsay trys his best to be a drill sergeant. They lost me when he decided to humiliate the customers. Not reality!! Frosted hair on a drill sergeant? At ease Gordon.

My new reality is dinner at Dempseys' in Petaluma. Located at 50 East Washington Blvd. in the Golden Eagle Center. Good food, service and beer brewed on premise. That's keeping it real.

The menu is extensive enough to provide my wife with a salad or small plate.

Lemon grass chicken with spicy dipping sauce

I love the Pizza Red Rooster

Special Beer Sausage with Polenta

Don't forget dessert- Chocolate Pudding Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I think my taking photos had them a little worried at first. As you were! Good job soldier.

Citizen Media

This past Saturday I was happy to attend a meet-up of bay area bloggers at Kron4 Television in San Francisco. All kinds of blogs were represented, not just us food bloggers. As if free food and t-shirts weren't enough incentive, there was also serious talk of changes in Media. It seems Kron4 doesn't want to crush the competition but wants to facilitate a working partnership with the new "citizen media". Count me in.

We all got to tour the newsroom and mug for the video guy. Pictures were taken, many pictures! I think I was the only one in the room not holding a camera.

It seems a couple Kron4 employees have food blogs. Brian, a writer, has a photo blog Brians Lunch. Everyday he documents the place he eats. Got hungry scrolling through his photos.

Stanley the videographer has We8there that allows visitors to review restaurants. Two very interesting gentlemen. Thanks for the hospitality. The next lunch is on me.

Got to meet Guy of Meat Henge. He is the one who turned me on to The Fatted Calf at the Berkeley Farmers Market. Anybody who likes pork products that much is OK in my book.

Amy of Cooking With Amy is as charming and knowlegable as her blog.

I got to see my ugly mug on TV. Am I really that fat? Don't answer that! Look forward to seeing the list of bloggers Kron4 will be posting on their site.

Brentwood

Just about this time of year we make a trek to Brentwood to pick cherries. You don't really save money by picking them yourself. Add the cost of gas and time spent picking and you would be monetarily ahead buying at Whole Foods. I think fruit picked off the tree with your own hand not only insures the freshest product but also keeps you in touch with the source of your food.

Harvest Time in Brentwood has a website and brochures showing the growers' locations and seasonal availability of fruit and produce. We normally pick cherries around Memorial Day and go back later in the season for peaches and nectarines. Always check in advance before you travel so you won't be disappointed.

Our first stop is Dwelly Farms. They have an assortment of local produce and some U- pick berries. The French green beans we pay $4.99 a pound are $1.29 here. Fresh corn is 4 for a dollar. This early corn seems a little small and not quite as sweet as you find later in the season.




Our favorite for cherries is Pease Ranch. We picked both red Bing and white rainier varieties. It is a United Nations of languages and people picking fruit. Little kids run around and eat their fill of cherries. Adults chatter and laugh and fill large plastic buckets with red and yellow orbs. This year we paid $2.00 a pound.

Doing a little research before our trip paid off. Online we came across Brentwood Fine Meats, a small butcher shop located in a strip mall at the corner of Walnut and Oak. We stopped by and purchased a couple New York Strips, double cut pork chops, and a boat load of Netos Sausages. All the meats were far and away the best we had tasted in a long time.



A good portion of the products we purchased vanished with great gluttony by descending hordes before being photographed for this blog. However we managed to document double stuffed pork chops with ricotta cheese, spinach, pine nuts, parmesan, provolone and garlic.With side of green beans with vinaigarette and corn with garlic butter.




Cherry Sorbet for desert!!!



Life's a bowl of cherries