Bye-Bye Bushi-tei

The Picky Eater is bummed. In fact, her response to the fact that Bushi-tei, a San Francisco Japanese French fusion restaurant that we just discovered in March was closing and changing ownership was, "WAAAAAAAHHH!!" My sentiments as well. We had big plans to take her there for a belated birthday dinner when she is home for two weeks in May, and now we have had to reschedule to Green's@ Fort Mason instead. I know, that sounds like a real hardship, but the Picky Eater was swept off her feet by the amazing food at Bushi-tei. First of all, the flavors were delicate, which was perfect for her sensitive palate. Second of all, the flavors made regular Japanese food seem heavy handed, and also avoided the over the top excessiveness of traditional French cuisine. Plus, they even had a Michelin star, and one star restaurants are just what we like- worth a detour for great food without the pomp and circumstance.

Silken Tofu Mousse

So, the P.E. may be in Philadelphia, but I'm not, so I strong armed a good friend with dietary proclivities somewhat similar to my daughter's to head up for one last meal at Bushi-tei as we now know it. And, it was amazing once again!                                                   We had the Omakase, which is a chef's choice five course meal, including dessert, and this is what graced our table:
-Silken Tofu Mousse with Toasted Nori and Wasabi Furikake and Ginger Jus: contrasts of silkiness & crunch
-Smoked Clam Chawan Mushi with Dashi & Sweet Herbs: smoky & custardy
-Almond Crusted Walu with English Peas & Braised Escarole: very buttery
-Broiled Ribeye Steak with Heirloom Broccoli & Smoked Potato Puree: rare meat & sublime potatoes

Smoked Clam Chawan Mushi

Egg Noodles with Browned Butter Cauliflower

-the Vegetarian option, Handmade Egg Noodles with Brown Buttered Cauliflower, Swiss Chard and Hatcho Miso Ragout- deemed outstanding by both avid vegetarians.
And, for dessert- Black Sesame Blancmange with Tuile Shards & Creme Chantilly

Speaking as a non-cocktail person, I also loved my "Roba" cocktail: Sake & Ginger Ale topped off with a soupcon of Lime.

  

Winter Vegetable Chowder

   To round out her one and only meal there, the Picky Eater selected:
   -Winter Vegetable Chowder with Satsuma Sweet Potato, Burdock    and Beech Mushroom in Three Miso Broth
   -Tropical sorbets: Lychee, Guava & Kiwi

Tropical Sorbet

Bushi-tei will reopen with new owners and a new chef later in May. We will hold our breath, and hope that the reviews are satisfactory, with the aim of escorting the Picky Eater there during her August home leave. (Her poor old mother has neglected to mention that the P.E. is spending the summer in a hydrogen synthesis laboratory in suburban Philadelphia, must to her mother's concurrent delight and disappointment.)

BUT!! Just last night, the P.E.'s dad and I rediscovered a restaurant we dined at in St. Helena before she was born- Terra - with a California Japanese fusion multiple choice menu.

Inventory Reduction

The remains of the day- as it were.

No mention has yet been made of the Picky Eater's father's favorite avocation- the study, tasting and consumption of wine. When we were young, fancy free, and sans infant, he regularly hosted impromptu Friday night inventory reduction events that went something like this-

I would drive up to the house after a long week at work and notice a number of extra cars parked in the vicinity. As I insert my key into the front door lock I detect the sounds of raucous laughter within. I step into my messy house to find the sofas overflowing with jolly engineers, who have clearly been quaffing whatever Dr. Hal is pouring for quite a while. Nubs of cheese and salami, and crusts of dry bread rest on the coffee table next to the innumerable empty wine glasses and bottles. I am allowed a corner of the sofa and my own glass of wine, but somehow it doesn't have that special sparkle one once felt as the only teenage girl in a crowd of boys. Eventually we get onto politics and much earnest discussion ensues.

After the advent of the Picky Eater and the landscaping of the backyard, inventory reduction took a more formal turn, and evolved into a Sunday afternoon of wine, food, and bocce, with as many as fifty friends in attendance. In the good years two such events take place, one around tax day and the other on the weekend closest to the Daddy's November birthday. (Here in the SF Bay Area outdoor parties in November are as pleasant as those in May.)

This being tax day weekend, Dr. Hal has been plowing through his wine locker in the garage, digging up those bottles that may be just at their peak, or as sadly is sometimes the case, a touch or more over the hill. I am consumed with getting the house cleaned up and hiding all the junk in the back bedrooms, and, of course, planning the menu. Famous for stressing out and making TOO MUCH FOOD, I am really trying to keep things under control this year, and not go crazy (famous last words.) My mind has been very much in my Paris fantasyland, and as the Picky Eater has recently become a David Lebovitz devotee, I was contriving to base my menu on his blog and books, along with some traditional favorites. Here's my preliminary menu, as of Friday night (keep in mind that guests bring food too):

The food table in all its glory

From David Lebovitz:

Spiced glazed nuts & pretzel mix

Salmon rillettes

Artichoke tapenade

The usual suspect recipes:

Knorr Spinach Dip

A vegetable platter

A pile of strawberries

Le plateau de fromages

Dr. Hal will barbecue up a pile of meat products, and I am still considering adding another recipe from Susan Loomis via  David L's blog, Feta Cheese wrapped with Prosciutto .

A beautifully decorated apple cake

And, of course, we can't forget dessert-

Apple Cake

From a now long gone San Francisco restaurant, Cafe for All Seasons

1 ½ c. vegetable oil  

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

½ t. nutmeg

2 t. cinnamon

3 c. coarsely chopped Granny Smith apples (unpeeled)

1 c. chopped walnuts

2 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Butter & flour a 10” Bundt pan.

Blend the oil and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together. Stir into the egg mixture. The batter will be very stiff. Fold the apples and walnuts into the batter with a spatula. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 1 ¼ hours, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn out and brush with as much maple syrup as the cake will absorb. Allow to cool completely. 

Devil's Slide Cookies

A 1970's recipe from famed East Bay chef Narsai David

Makes 15 cookies

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tb butter

¼ c. flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

¾ c. sugar

2 tsp instant coffee

½ t. vanllla

8 oz. walnuts or pecans, chopped

Melt the unsweetened chocolate with 1 cup of chocolate chips with the butter in a double boiler. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In an electric mixer, blend eggs, sugar, coffee and vanilla until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate mixture, and then the dry ingredients. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and the nuts. Form dough into a 12 inch log, then wrap first  in plastic wrap, then in freezer paper. Freeze overnight.

Cut the frozen dough in ¾” slices; place on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 12 minutes (no longer). Let cookies cool on the baking sheet until they are room temperature.

The Aftermath (the day after)

Wild Mushroom tart-
love the long narrow tart pans

In the end there were a few changes to the menu-  A Goat Cheese & Tomato Tart from David Lebovitz instead of gougeres and the addition of a Wild Mushroom Tart from Epicurious.com.

I also have to give a few thumbs up & thumbs down here:
Spiced glazed nuts & pretzel mix- a little funky, had to remove the pretzels

Artichoke Tapenade- no thumbs, okay but not a huge crowd pleaser

Salmon Rillettes- same rating as the tapenade

Goat Cheese & Tomato Tart- BIG THUMBS UP!!

Wild Mushroom Tart- DITTO!!

Devil's Slide Cookies- Thumbs up

Apple Cake- Double thumbs up when iced and decorated with cream cheese frosting and rainbow sprinkles by visiting junior chefs Sophia & Isabella.

The Picky Eater decided to encourage me to get back in the blogging groove- it has been weeks since I had the free time to rustle up a post- by sending me a guest post (from her). Read on ...


The Picky Eater's Guide to Surviving Ten Weeks on Dining Halls

Hey all! Picky Eater here! As you've probably guessed, I'm off at college these days. Believe it or not, I'm actually doing OK with food at college, but that could be because I go to a place where the dining hall serves mashed parsnips on occasion and has steamed vegetables at every meal.

This summer, though, I'm going to be staying here with only ten meals a week on my dining plan. I won't have access to a stove or an oven. I might have a kettle and a toaster. I am guaranteed a microwave and a fridge, nothing else. Trader Joes and a farmer's market are both two train stops away, and Reading Terminal Market in Philly is only a few more.

This is also a guide for picky eaters to have around if they're not happy with the food where they are. Hey, maybe instead of candy and cookies in a care package, try sending them these!
Bread
Peanut butter
Honey
Good olive oil
Yogurt
Freeze-dried miso soup
Fruit
Broccoli
Cherry tomatoes
Kombu
Silken tofu

If I have time soon, look for the Picky Eater's selection of food blog recipes.
My parents might have to suffer through some of these in the three weeks I get at home before research.

"It's a Theory ..."

My family laughs at my theories on why things are the way they are. As a couple of logic based souls, they get a chuckle out of my explanations for some of the comings and goings of everyday life. Recently, they have found them so amusing that it has been suggested that I should start writing them down. So, here goes ....

Why do the Super Bowl pre-game show(s) consist almost entirely of commercials? - "So that people have time to get drunk and sober up before the game starts."

Why do French people look so grumpy? - "Because their mothers didn't smile at them often enough when they were babies."


"Women who wear pointy high heeled shoes look crabby because their feet hurt all the time."
"Same goes for women who carry really heavy purses."

"Having trouble sleeping? Get some exercise."



"I have big feet because I was supposed to be taller. I was sick a lot when I was a baby, and I think it kept me from growing to my true height, and my feet were made for a taller person."

If you live in an extreme climate hot, humid, etc.) for a long time your body's thermostat adjusts to it. If you then move to a more temperate climate, over time you will lose your tolerance for extreme heat or humidity.

Stay tuned for more excellent theories to unravel the secrets of the universe....

Our Favorites: Lists & More Lists

Family favorites make a meal. 

Back in 2005, the 12 year old Picky Eater & family made individual lists of our favorite films, which hung on the refrigerator for years and were consulted whenever we found ourselves at a loss for "what to watch" on a Saturday night. These lists were updated for 2012, and in a fit of Skype induced boredom, today we launched into making lists of other favorite things that are near and dear to our hearts- foods, artists, book characters, etc.

If you've never made lists of your personal favorites, it is well worth the effort and will prove quite revealing of your tastes, opinions, and style. And, if you do, send your list(s) to me and I will post them on the blog.

Now, without further ado, here are our picks in 3 categories, movies, tv & food-
Favorite Movies
The Picky Eater

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Wall-E
3. Roman Holiday
4. Duck Soup
5. Out of Africa
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7. A Single Man

The Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
1. Godfather (trilogy)
2. Dinner Rush
3. Vicky Christina Barcelona
4. The Departed
5. Love Actually
6. The Queen
7. Casablanca
8. The Social Network
9. Some Like It Hot
10. Ronin
11. Milk
12. Lost In Translation
13. Julie & Julia
14. La Vie en Rose
15. A Single Man
16. The Untouchables
17. Munich
18. Bourne Supremacy
19. Gosford Park
20. Midnight In Paris
21. Ratatouille
22. Casino Royale
23. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
24. Beyond the Sea
25. Hugo
(Don't ask me how this got so long!)

The Daddy
1. Das Boot
2. 42 Up
3. Seven Samurai
4. High Fidelity
5. Citizen Kane
6. Groundhog Day
7. Casablanca
8. Goodfellas
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. Singin’ in the Rain
11. Matinee
12. Spellbound
13. Wag the Dog
14. The Right Stuff
15. Lawrence of Arabia
16. House of Games
17. Dinner Rush
18. The Commitments
19. Dr. Strangelove
20. Cool Hand Luke
21. Grosse Point Blank
22. Standing In the Shadows of Motown

Favorite Television

The Picky Eater

1. Firefly

2. The West Wing

3. Sherlock

4. The Vicar of Dibley

5. Dr. Who

6. Nova

7. The Big Bang Theory

8. Masterpiece Mysteries

9. Game of Thrones

10. Iron Chef

11. Pillars of the Earth

The Chief Cook & Bottle Washer

1. The Sopranos

2. Smiley's People & Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

3. The West Wing

4. Sex and the City

5. Sherlock

6. The French Chef

7. The Sandbaggers (BBC 1977-79)

8. Mission Impossible (1960's version)

The Daddy

1. Brideshead Revisited
2. Jeopardy
3. Antiques Roadshow (BBC version)
4. The Big Bang Theory
5. Danger UXB
6. Wall Street Week
7. Mission Impossible (1960's version)
8. Myth Busters
9. PBS News Hour

Favorite Foods

The Picky Eater

1. Pasta

2. Risotto

3. Udon

4. Carrot soup

5. Whole wheat toast with peanut butter & honey

6. Hot chocolate

7. Chocolate frozen yogurt from Fraiche

8. Croissants (good & plain)

9. Anything caramel-y, chocolaty and salty

The Chief Cook & Bottle Washer

1. Baguettes

2. Sweet butter

3. Shrimp

4. Smoked trout

5. Foie gras

6. Gelato, esp. chocolate, vanilla, caramel & fruit flavors

7. Steak

8. Caesar salad

9. Anything made with good chocolate

10. Salade nicoise

11. Crepes (plain)

12. Champagne

The Daddy

1. Red wine

2. Smoked salmon

3. Dark chocolate

4. Braised short ribs

5. Carnitas

6. Unagi

7. Roast turkey (dark meat only)

8. Turkey stuffing (Daddy version only!)

9. Blueberries

Given my compulsive nature, I have to include a couple of recipes. Add a vegetable to these dishes and you will have a Picky Eater family favorite meal.

A Picky Eater original:

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Honey and Sage

For the pasta:

¾ cup Semolina flour

1 ¼ cup All-purpose flour

3 eggs

½ Tb olive oil

Dash of salt

For the filling:

1 medium butternut squash

1 Tb oil

2 Tb butter

½ cup parmesan

½ cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper

For the sauce:

3 Tb butter

2 Tb honey

5 small sage leaves, cut into strips

1. Halve the squash and remove the seeds and the stringy stuff around them.

2. Rub the cut sides with oil and place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet.

3. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until soft.

4.  Scoop out 2 cups squash and beat with butter, parmesan and bread crumbs.  Flavor with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

5.  Make the pasta dough my combining all the ingredients and kneading until it is flexible but not sticky.  If you need to add more water or flour do so.  If you have another pasta recipe you use that is probably fine.  Let sit for 45 min at the minimum, but longer is better.  Place it under plastic wrap to keep from drying out.

6. Roll out by hand or using a pasta machine.  I used the 2nd thinnest setting on our machine.

7.  Lay out dough strip and place filling along half it’s length.  I used 1 teaspoon per ravioli, with a 2” ravioli stamp.

8.  Fold over the strip of dough and stamp out the ravioli.  Press the edges dough to ensure they are closed.

9.  If there’s a wait between making the ravioli and cooking them, flour a baking sheet and place them in the fridge.  Be sure you flour the sheet or the ravioli will stick.

10.  Start heating a pot of water for the ravioli.  Put the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

11.  Once the butter is hot and bubbling, add the sage.  Wait until the sage begins to give off a strong aroma and add the honey.  Cook over medium heat until the ravioli is done.  If the honey begins to smell burnt add a little pasta water.

12.  When the water comes to a boil add salt and the ravioli and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the pasta casing is tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon, toss with honey and serve.

A Daddy original recipe, which he happily knows, will be left for his solo consumption.

Marinated and Roasted Turkey Thighs

½ cup cheap red wine

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup soy sauce

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dry thyme

½ tsp dry basil

½ tsp ground ginger

4-6  turkey thighs 

1. Bone the turkey thighs by making a cut along the bone and cutting the meat away from the bone.  Leave the skin intact.

2. Place the boned thighs in a zipper bag with the mixed marinade and refrigerate for about 4-6 hrs.

3. Take the thighs from the marinade and tie into a small cylinder with cotton string, with two loops around the circumference and one around its length.  The skin should nearly cover the outside surface.

4. Barbeque (or roast in the oven) for about 40 minutes, depending on the heat, until the internal temperature is about 160F, turning occasionally.

5. Cut off the string, and slice across the grain.

You can be good and eat just one of these little chocolaty gems, or go for the gluttony and eat your fill.

Chocolate Bouchons 

Yummy wine cork shaped confections from Thomas Keller. Buy the special timbale molds from Williams Sonoma, or use mini cupcake pans.

3/4 c. all-purpose flour


1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt


3 large eggs

1 1/2 c. plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar


1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


24 Tb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm

6 oz. quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips


Powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter and flour 12 timbale molds . (Bouchon Bakery uses 2-ounce Fleximolds and serves smaller bouchons. You can also use 3-ounce [2- to 2 1/2-inch diameter] timbale molds for larger cakes, or mini-cupcake pans.) Set aside.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla. 

4. On low speed, add about one-third of the dry ingredients, then one-third of the butter, and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

5. Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, and fill each mold about two-thirds full. 

6. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When the tops look shiny and set (like a brownie), test one cake with a toothpick: It should come out clean but not dry (there may be some melted chocolate from the chopped chocolate). 

7. Transfer the bouchons to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the timbale molds and let the bouchons cool upside down in the molds; then lift off the molds.

8. To serve, invert the bouchons and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired. Also very nice with one end dipped in melted chocolate – like wax on a wine cork. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.)

Makes at least 24 bouchons. 

Book Club Brunch

The Picky Eater is not much of a book club fan- getting together, eating, and talking about a book when someone might not agree with your opinion is risky business in her book. As for the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (i.e. moi), I am a well known book club dropout, mainly due to my lack of enthusiasm for reading books that I might not like, and the potential to be berated for not having read said book. But, for the last two years I have been a member of a compassionate book group- there is never a disparaging comment or even glance if you haven't read the book. The great conversation, multiple cups of coffee and yummy food more than compensate for our sometimes limited book discussion.

Today it was my turn to host, and a most enjoyable time was had by all attendees. With all the great book suggestions that two members brought, we had a tough time selecting our reading choices for the upcoming months. This was almost as challenging for me as it was to put together a menu, due to a couple of constraints, the first being that one member has a dairy intolerance (but, fortunately, butter is okay) and the other was that yesterday  I was out of the house from 7 am to 9 pm.

What was needed was a brunch menu that could, for the most part, be prepared a day or two in advance and didn't include any milk, cream or cheese. A quick cookbook consult reveals that milk, cream, and cheese are generally integral to most brunch dishes . So, out the window go all the usual suspects- quiches, stratas, pancakes, waffles, etc. Taking inspiration from two favorite cookbooks- From Julia Child's Kitchen and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, I came up with a provencal styled "Baked Eggs with Piperade & Potatoes," which was prepped Sunday morning and baked for 10 minutes after my guests arrived. It was accompanied by an old standby, a moist oatmeal cake with a maple syrup glaze,  that was baked at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, and a compote of fresh pears, dried apricots and cherries poached in apple juice that I prepared Friday night. Pretty good and not too much work, if I do say so myself.

Add a fresh baguette, tangerine juice, and coffee and you will have a splendid repast. Oh, and what about the books? For today's meeting we read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (thumbs down for me); and in future months we will read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pursig, Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson (thumbs up!) and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Baked Eggs with Piperade & Potatoes

3 lbs. boiling potatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tsp. Herbes de Provence or mixed Italian herbs
Salt & pepper

3 onions, quartered and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 bell peppers, assorted colors (red, green, yellow, orange), halved, cored and sliced in 2" x 1/4" pieces
1 1/1 tsp. Herbes de Provence or mixed Italian herbs
6 Tb olive oil
Salt & pepper
8 eggs
grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Grease a large rimmed cookie sheet with 2 Tb of the oil. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with the remaining olive oil, herbs, and a generous application of salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake the potatoes in the center of the preheated oven. After 10 minutes, then use a spatula to scrape and turn the potatoes on the cookie sheet. Toss again at 20 minutes, then bake another 10 minutes (30 minutes total) or until the potato chunks are cooked through and some have formed a crispy brown crust. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

While the potatoes are roasting, heat 4 Tb of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add the onions, cover and cook them until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fold in the peppers, garlic and herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Gently combine the potatoes with the onion-pepper mixture.

Use the remaining olive oil to grease a 9 x 13" baking pan or casserole dish. Evenly spread the vegetable mixture in the pan, then use a soup spoon to make 8 indentations in the vegetable layer to hold the eggs.

About 20 minutes before you want to serve the baked eggs, reheat the vegetable casserole for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully break one egg into each indentation, taking care to not break the yolks. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and bake for about another 5-10 minutes, until the eggs' whites are set. Serve immediately using a large spoon to scoop each egg and a portion of vegetables. Pass the grated parmesan cheese for diners to sprinkle on their eggs as desired.

Cider-Poached Fruit Compote
Don’t use ripe pears – they need to be as hard as the apples.

juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 c. apple cider or juice
1 3” cinnamon stick
1 t. vanilla
4 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
1/2 lb. mixed dried fruit – raisins, figs, apricots, peaches, cherries

Combine all the ingredients except the dried fruit in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the liquid is barely simmering and poach the fruit for 20 minutes. Add the dried fruit and poach about 20 minutes more, until the apples and pears are tender, but not falling apart.
Serve warm or cold.
Serves 6.

Spicy Oatmeal Cake

2 c. boiling water
2 c. oatmeal
1/2 c (1 stick) butter , softened
4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 t. grated nutmeg
1 t. salt

1 c. raisins
                                                                                    2 c. chopped nuts
                                                                                    1/2 c. maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Grease & flour a 10 c. bundt pan. Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal and let it stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream together the butter & brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir the dry ingredients together, and stir into the butter-egg mixture. Beat in the oatmeal and then the raisins & nuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 1 - 1 1/4 hours, until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and the top of the cake bounces back to the touch. (My oven is slow, and this takes forever to bake.)

When done, let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then take it out. Brush generously with maple syrup while the cake is still warm, then let cool before serving. This cake is quite moist and keeps well.
Serves 10-12.

3 Italian Favorites (Restaurants, Not Tenors)

The Picky Eater is a HUGE fan of most foods Italiani, with the exceptions of eggplant, the usual meat-type products, gooey cheeses, peppers, etc. But, an Italian restaurant is by and large a safe bet for her, which is a great comfort to her parents.

We recently added a third jewel to the crown of favored local Italian eateries which are conveniently scattered along some of our frequently traveled paths - the newest is in San Francisco, the closest is in Redwood City, and the trendiest is in Carmel.

Located at Upper Grant at Vallejo in San Francisco's North Beach, a meal at Ideale (Eye-de-a-lay - correct pronunciation courtesy of Roberto S.) transports you for a meal at a neighborhood trattoria in Rome, and it is definitely well worth the sojourn. With mustard yellow walls, Italian apertif posters, bustling waiters with lovely Italian accents, and straightforward classic food, Ideale is just too much fun for foodies.

Calamari

On a recent Saturday evening the Picky Eater and family enjoyed a bountiful multi-course repast. Under the watchful eye of the P.E. the parents began with a half bottle or prosecco, calamari e rughetta (grilled calamari with arugala), and zucchine e tartufale, shreds of zucchini and parmesan tossed in truffle oil and accompanied by a crostini thickly spread with truffle paste.

While the Picky Eater waited expectantly for her pasta, we split a primo piatto of gnocci alla ricotta with ragu. Then it was on to the secondi piatti, heavenly homemade pasta with chanterelles for the Picky Eater, a perfectly medium rare bistecca for the mommy, and costoletto di vitello, grilled rack of veal chops. Those in the group who imbibe washed their meat down with an obscure (but tasty) Barolo. For the finish, a complimentary serving of tiramisu left us well sated as we rolled into a cab to head back to our Union Square hotel.
Ideale Restorante
1315 Grant Avenue (@ Vallejo)
San Francisco, CA
415-391-4129
Open daily for dinner. Reservations available through Open Table.

Our go to local restaurant is Donato Enoteca in downtown Redwood City, a neighborhood which has seen a renaissance in recent years as an alternative its overrun counterparts in Mountain View and Palo Alto. Donato's various dining areas offer the potential for three distinct environments. In nice weather you can dine alfresco on their pleasant patio. The front room and bar, with small tables cheek to jowl and a view of the kitchen,  offer the atmosphere of a lively trattoria. The dining rooms at the rear, decorated in dark wood and tapestries and with round tables seating 5 or more, evoke a more formal and leisurely experience. Likewise, the menu allows you to eat formally or informally, with a varied array of appetizers, homemade pastas, pizzas, and main courses.

Oxtail & asparagus pasta

Roasted chicken

But, we do have our favorites. Tops for the carnivores are the Bigoli e Coda, thick homemade spirals of pasta with a sauce of Nebbiolo braised oxtail and asparagus, and a recent addition to the menu, gnocchi with duck ragu.  These are succulent meaty  sauces, with a deep undertone of vino rosso, obviously slowly simmered for hours,  and nothing short of amazing.

The Picky Eater's regular go-to pasta is Foide ai Funghi, homemade buckwheat pasta with wild mushrooms. Actually, with so many delicious possibilities in each menu category, ordering here can be a challenge if you aren't up to a full three courses. Often our solution is to order, pass, and share antipasti like Bruschetta di Cinghale (pulled wild boar) and Fritto di Gamberetti e Sadano Rapa, fried rock shrimp and celery root. Then we might split an oxtail pasta and move on to the secondi- a whole grilled Bronzino fish, roasted chicken, or a thick Costoletta di Maiale, a pork "Porterhouse" steak. While their excellent desserts, gelatos, and sorbets may beckon, but we are usually so stuffed at this point that everyone demurs salvo per me, but I limit myself to a decaf Affrogato ordered off-menu, a decaf coffee with a scoop of vanilla gelato.

With Donato in easy striking distance of our wine locker, we usually bring our own. That said, Donato's wine list offers a wide selection of familiar Italian varietals, many available by the glass, carafe, or bottle.

We feel very lucky to have such a fabulous restaurant just minutes from our house, especially one that bears the seal of approval from my friend Roberto's Italian aunties!
Donato Enoteca
1041 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA
650-701-1000
Open daily starting @11:30. Reservations available through Open Table.

Cantinetta Luca is a regular stop on our annual visit(s) to the Monterey peninsula. Despite the clusters of older men in golf sweaters around the bar, this restaurant has a more trendy vibe than the previous two. Given the decibel level created by said gentlemen, we usually prefer to sit in the back room cum wine cellar.

Salume

It was in that room on one of our early visits that I first laid eyes on (and tasted) an actual timpano, which was being served to a large party of high rollers seated at the next table.. And what, may you ask, is a timpano? Made famous in the Stanley Tucci film Big Night (a must for lovers of Italian food, Louis Prima, or 1950's nostagia), a timpano is an enormous pasta timbale baked in a basin, which is filled with layers of sugo, cheeses, meatballs, salume, and pasta. To protect the innocent (me) and avoid embarassing my family, I cannot reveal the entire story of my role in the timpano tasting, but suffice to say it was both fun and delicious.

Octopus & potatoes

Pumpkin ravioli

Usually we opt for starters off the menu- grilled octopus with potatoes and Calabrese salame, roasted mussels, or the salume (proscuitto, speck, coppa, etc.) many of which are made in house.

The Picky Eater has been known to sigh over a plate of white truffle and wild mushroom risotto or pumpkin ravioli. With her arm wrapped protectively around her pasta dish to prevent poaching,  her parents then tuck into something carniverous. The Daddy has even been known to down an entire bistecca alla fioretina, as is traditional, large enough to hang over the sides of the platter by himself.

While The Mommy usually follows his lead, at Cantinetta Luca I occasionally head for the pesce side of the menu, and have enjoyed the prawns with fagioli and salsa verde, while snitching bites of beef from my spouse's plate.

A nice light plate of shrimp leave lots of room for dessert. the dolci menu at Cantinetta Luca offers some nice cheese options which are perfect with the remains of your bottle of Barolo or Dolcetto d'Alba, as well as a delicious seasonal selection of variations on traditional Italian desserts.
Just hope that your car or hotel room is not too long of a walk as you happily roll out the door!
Cantinetta Luca
Dolores Street between Ocean & 7th
Carmel, CA
831-625-6500
Dinner daily from 5:00 pm. Lunch Friday-Sunday 11:30-2:30.
Reservations available on Open Table.