Burritt Room in Union Square

Everyone likes being in the know, especially when it comes to cool places to drink. And in a small, well-informed city that LOVES to get its drink on, knowing the bars that are somewhat hidden gives people some serious bragging rights. That’s why, when I came across this article in Pinchit by Ryan Boyle I had to mention it in honor of Friday!

The article is fun to read and though I’ve been to 15 Romolo, love Bourbon and Branch and been meaning to try the Hideout, I was not familiar with The Burritt Room, which I will be sure to put to the test the first chance I get. I am also very excited to add Spec’s Twelve Adler Museum Cafe to my list of “Sunday Funday” (North Beach walk around tipsy days) places, my other favorite being The Saloon.

Thanks for the story Pinchit, and for reminding me yet again of what a great city we live in. Happy Friday everyone. Get your drink on!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Pho noodles and mint

Being a Bay Area resident and having spent time in San Jose, I have eaten a lot of Pho. (For those who don’t know, Pho is a Vietnamese soup dish made with various parts of beef including the shank, the bones and, if you really want to lick your chops—filet mignon.) It has a lot of ingredients and I have always been too intimidated to try and make it although I can think of little else as delicious on a wintry day. This past weekend, under the guidance of my beautiful, very pregnant friend Annabel, I tossed intimidation aside and participated in making the best Pho I’ve ever had. The recipe is from Steamy Kitchen and I am very grateful to Jaden Hair for creating and posting it!

A whole lot of spices!

Ingredients

More ingredients

This green is called "Mexican" cilantro

Ingredients:

THE BROTH
2 onions, halved
4″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
1 lb of beef meat – chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices [optional]
6 quarts of water
1 package of Pho Spices [1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 whole star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag]
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (halve if using regular table salt)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) – or 1oz of regular sugarTHE BOWLS
2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh)
cooked beef from the broth
1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible.
big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
2-3 chili peppers, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha hot sauce

Directions:

Onions and ginger

Char: Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.

Clean the bones: Before boiling the bones, make sure to rinse them thoroughly until the water runs clear.

Clean bones

Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.

Annabel’s variation: Annabel had two pots of water, the large one for the soup, the small one to clean the bones. To get rid of the maximum amount of scum, we first briefly boiled the bones in the first pot then transferred them to pot number two.

Spice ball

Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef meat and set aside (you’ll be eating this meat later in the bowls) Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning—this is a crucial step. If the broth’s flavor doesn’t quite shine yet, add 2 teaspoons more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon of regular sugar). Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.

Annabel’s variation: Annabel has a great “spice ball”, which makes adding spices very convenient. It’s like what you would use to steep tea leaves in, but much larger. They are widely available in most Asian markets.

When she said thin, she meant THIN!

Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible – try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Remember the cooked beef meat that was part of your broth? Cut or shred the meat and set aside. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will “assemble” their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of noodles—there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that’s needed.

Annabel’s variation: Annabel and I went all out and used a beautiful cut of filet mignon, which made the soup all the more rich and buttery-tasting. It may take a while to get the meat-slicing just right, because when Annabel asked me to slice it thin, she meant paper-thin and I couldn’t quite do it. A more practiced friend had to take over for the sake of time, but I’m sure I’ll get it with a bit of practice. The meat has to be thin in order to cook properly in the soup. As far as the noodles go, the ones that we got were delicious, but I was warned that they had to be eaten that day or they would start to stick together. Before boiling them for a few seconds, Annabel separated them all.

Delicious noodles

Ladling: Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles, shredded cooked beef and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.

All the ingredients are in, now we just have to wait 3 hours!

The best Pho ever!

This was a very fun day and I highly recommend that you get a few friends together and make this on a blustery day. There is enough activity for several people, and the three hour wait ensures that you’ll have plenty of time to snack, drink wine and just hang out. Happy Pho making!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Yuzu oyster shots with uni

Tokyo Go Go has been pouring sake and rolling hand rolls on 16th street in the Mission since 1998. As one would expect from a 14-year old restaurant, (restaurant years are like dog years), it’s not looking as fresh as it once used to. The movies are still being projected on the wall and the staff is still hip, but the interior is looking a bit scruffy. It’s one of those places that really shows best when it is full on a Friday or Saturday night and gets a little depressing if you look too hard when it’s empty. It’s a place that I’ve been to and will keep going to again and again when I don’t feel like having super authentic Japanese food, but crave something sushi-like.

Must-order kobe beef tataki

The kobe beef tataki is always delicious and one of those foods I have an insane craving for once in a while. And while all the other food is decent, I feel like the effort is not quite there anymore like it used to be.  Dinner last night was absolutely delightful because of the company, but somewhat lackluster in terms of food. The beef was insanely good as always, but the fish didn’t sparkle with freshness the way it sometimes can, and the usually yummy marinated miso black cod was a bit dry.

Miso marinated black cod

Goma Ae

Cucumber takes the place of rice

Still, Tokyo Go Go is always fun during crowded happy hour (M-Sat 5:30-7, Sun 5-6:30), when they serve an array of great hand rolls for $3.50 (I recommend anything with a quail egg on top), and beer and sake for $3. So if you feel like some creative sushi surrounded by hipsters, check it out.

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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With the New Year, everyone is on a diet or cleanse. Everyone.

Not me. But this Bon Appétit’s 2012 Food Lover’s Cleanse looks totally doable. Just look at the pictures above! Drooling with hunger yet?

Omelet with Fennel-Meyer Lemon Relish, Braised Greens with Leeks, Pumpkin-Shrimp Curry…yes, yes, yes! I can eat like this everyday!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Bacon and Peas Carbonara
(My new favorite pasta carbonara recipe from http://www.food52.com/recipes/214_daddys_carbonara)

1 pound dried spaghetti
1 pound bacon
10 ounces frozen peas (1 package)
4 eggs
1 cup fresh grated parmesan
black pepper

Start cooking the pasta (I have long subscribed to the less-water method Harold McGee addresses here).
Ask the hotline about this step!

Take the bacon out of the package, cold out of the refrigerator, and cut across the slices into 1/2″ wide blocks. Cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the blocks with a wooden spoon.

Dump the peas into a Pyrex bowl with a little water and microwave 3-4 minutes, until they are warm, stirring halfway through.

While all the cooking is going on, Mix the egg, parmesan, and pepper (to taste – it’s best to use a lot, but for kids, maybe less) in a large bowl. It should have the consistency of thick batter.

When the pasta is done, drain it quickly. Don’t linger, as it’s good to capture some of the water. Dump the steaming spaghetti into the egg mixture, and agitate well to cook the egg. Add the bacon with a slotted spoon. Mix in the peas, and you’re done.

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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When you are a food and fashion blogger, it is rare that an event comes your way that spans both passions. This is why we got so excited when we heard about Le Dîner à San Francisco—a glamorous, flash mob picnic for 2000, requiring that all participants dress in all white. The tradition began in Paris in 1988 when a stylish Parisian decided he wanted to celebrate his birthday by picnicking in the Bois de Boulogne. So that he and his friends would be able to spot each other in the dark of the wood, he requested they all wear white. The dinner was so much fun that he decided to do it again the following year and then again and again. Each year more people came until it became an event for thousands, held in prominent Parisian locales such as in front of the Notre Dame. It has since grown globally and been held in several European cities and Canada. 2011 marks the first year Le Dîner came to both New York and San Francisco.

Vicky, Liza and Billy

I first heard about the picnic in July (in an email from Urban Daddy). Luckily, it was within hours of the event’s announcement and I was able to RSVP and snag a table. There was only room for 250 RSVPs although the party ended up growing. I was told when the picnic would take place (Friday, October 14th), but did not learn of the secret location until 3pm the day of. After weeks of planning and anticipation the date finally arrived and at 3pm I checked my email with a 12-year old’s Christmas morning excitement. I learned that the picnic would be taking place in Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse, a gorgeous area with fountains and the breath-taking De Young as backdrop. This was impressive but what impressed me most was the weather; it was a balmy 80 degree day which turned into an incredible 70 degree evening without the usual San Francisco wind chill or fog. The weekend before it had rained and I was worried the event would be characteristically bone-shivering, but the warm evening (a San Francisco rarity) was a true gift.

Kimberly Ovitz dress

We arrived well prepared and had no trouble finding a table facing one of the fountains. I was in charge of the food and my friend Billy, the tableware, ensuring that we had one of the most luxurious and in my opinion glamorous tables there. The rules of the picnic are simple-everyone dresses in white, brings a white tablecloth and a sumptuous meal. Only one bottle of alcohol is allowed per person and there is to be no open flame. Everyone arrives at more or less the same time, sets up, eats, drinks, makes merry and then cleans up and vanishes as if no picnic ever took place.

Setting Up

The Ever Glamorous Billy

Billy did not disappoint and brought white linens, vintage Limoges china, real silverware and gorgeous thoughtful accents like a champagne bucket, salt and pepper dish, tea cups and saucers and hot tea for the end of the meal. All this was lovingly packed in bubble wrap and brought in several vintage suitcases. Dinner consisted of pates and cheeses, spaghetti bolognese, corn salad, tiramisu and enough champagne to keep us from getting thirsty.

Sugar Bowl

Salt and Pepper Style

Being among several thousand people dressed in white made us feel like we were on the set of a movie and the whole evening was both magical and as glamorous as we hoped for. Everyone behaved and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the incredibly rare warm San Francisco night, gorgeous setting, lovely company and an event that we all hope we will be attending year after year after year.Thank you to the people that helped put on an evening of pure elegance and fun for no other reason than the pleasure of enjoying life.

Kate and Billy

Hope to see everyone at the next Le Dîner à San Francisco!

Movie Set White

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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My latest obsession is Israeli couscous. These pearls of pasta provide a pop of chewy goodness that are as healthy as they are delicious. Israeli couscous is extremely easy to prepare (similar to how you would prepare regular couscous) and in my opinion, tastes much better. You can add whatever you want to it. In the photo above the dish has tomatoes, basil, cilantro, green onions, cucumbers, olive oil and vinegar. Give it a try!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Pizza man hard at work

Local halibut with sungold tomatoes and treviso

Lasagnette alla bolognese

Agnolotti da plin

Lemon ricotta doughnuts

Say cheese!!!

Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave
Oakland, CA 94611

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Photo courtesy of Yekaterina Bowyer

Well we did it. We bought, stored, dressed and spit roasted a whole pig. Outcome? I wish I could remember parts of the evening better, but overall I’m pretty sure everyone had a blast. We bought the pig from an awesome new butcher shop in Berkeley called The Local Butcher Shop which sells things that come from a maximum of 150 miles away and carries whole or parts of whole animals. Our pig weighed 70 pounds and originally came from Hudson Ranch in Napa.

Picking it up

Anticipation was high in the weeks leading up to the roast as a collective of friends researched various tips and methods online, and by the time we arrived at The Local Butcher the night before the party we were giddy with excitement. We picked up the animal and carried it to the trunk of our car, which eerily felt like dumping a body. The short walk prompted stares and questions from passers—by a few of whom asked if the pig was plastic or rubber.

Storing it

When we got Paula Dean (the name was decided upon in a hot debate) home we had to store her in the bathtub overnight. It took 5 large bags of party ice, but soon Paula, generously salted on both sides, was covered with a blanket of ice. Besides the fact that it felt creepy to have a body in the tub, it was additionally eerie to have to get up in the middle of the night to pee only to hear faint stirs and crackles from Paula as the ice melted. Notwithstanding, we got a good night of pre-roast rest.

The cooking contraption

In the morning we woke up at 8 and had the coals hot by around 10am. For the occasion we had purchased a giant motorized spit aptly named “Party Q” . The Q holds up to 40 pounds of coal (we ended up going through about 80 pounds over the course of 6 hours) and its 1 inch thick spit claims to hold 100 pounds, although it sagged dangerously during the first hour of cooking. We knew that we were maxing out the weight limit, but after all is said and done the pig got roasted, the motor held and the spit is back to being straight and ready for more action.

Getting it ready for the fire

Getting the pig ready for cooking was probably the most challenging and time consuming part of the whole roast. After salting it overnight, we decided to stuff it with rosemary, thyme, sage, lemons and whole heads of garlic. The first step was to skewer the pig, which took us about 15 minutes. Once we had it securely in place we stuffed it (the fun part) and sewed up the belly with a giant needle and thread. This took another 25 minutes. Proudly surveying our accomplishment we realized that we had forgotten to attach the spine hooks and had to reopen her back up and try to find the spine through a tangle of herbs and lemon. As a result the spine hooks were too close together and we ended up putting them in backwards. So here’s a little checklist for next time:

step 1—skewer the pig.

step 2—attach the spine hooks (the sharp parts are inserted into the outside not the inside of the pig), and secure them around the metal skewer. Make sure they are far apart from each other.

step 3—stuff the pig with herbs, rice, beans or whatever else your heart desires.

step 4—sew it up with a needle.

step 5—massage the outside with olive oil, salt both sides.

step 6—lightly score the skin on both sides so that it does not burst, but make sure not to make the slashes too deep.

Photo courtesy of Yekaterina Bowyer

Into the flames

Finally at around 11:30am, having already burned through half a bag of coal, we got Paula onto the spit. The first 45 minutes was a nail biter; we watched the loaded down, sagging spit turn unevenly as the motor struggled with its load. But as the pig cooked and became lighter the spit straightened out and the motor seemed to grow happier. We had to readjust several times by reinforcing the metal coal pit with wooden beams and buying a clamp to keep the pig in place when it started to slide. It wobbled a bit throughout the entire roast. We also learned that while it is important to score the skin to keep it from bursting, it is also important to keep the slashes light, not reaching the meat because the skin needs to keep the rest of the pig together and if it is slashed to ribbons the whole pig will wobble as the meat starts to fall away from the bones. All lessons learned.

Photo Courtesy of Chester Rosal

Photo courtesy of Chester Rosal

Photo courtesy of Chester Rosal

Photo courtesy of Chester Rosal

Photo courtesy of Chester Rosal

Photo courtesy of Chester Rosal

The best part

Six hours is a long time to drink beer (and a few sneaky tequila shots) without eating much and as a result I honestly remember little of the actual eating or carving of the pig. That’s what photos are for. But I can say this: the pig was carved and eaten, although we had two large trays left over afterwards. It is four days after the big event and I finally feel ready to start enjoying pork again. As for doing this again? I am ready tomorrow. Well maybe not tomorrow but soon. We are armed with new knowledge and understanding, a renewed faith in our motor and a reinforced coal pit. The Local Butcher Shop is close and accommodating, the tub is clean and ready to cross dress as a fridge again and there’s no better excuse to invite  friends and drink beer although for me this time maybe minus the tequila shots.

The moral of the story? Go out and roast your own pig or goat or lamb. It’s not as hard as it seems and as fun as you imagine!

Stats for one 70 pound pig—

Bags of ice to store: 5 large ones

Coal to cook: approximately 80 pounds

Cooking time: approximately 6 1/2 hours

Feeds: 40 generously, but can feed up to 60-70 depending on portions

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Since I’ve started working in the city, my lunch choices have increased dramatically and perhaps the most exciting part of my new-found food options are the food trucks in the vicinity. With all the hype surrounding Bacon Bacon Truck as San Francisco’s first bacon truck, I was excited and also a little skeptical about the bacon-everything-menu, because this could easily be one of those too-good-to-be-true kind of things.

We arrived at the Bacon Bacon Truck 15 minutes into its lunch serving hour, wary of the long wait and the reviews about disorganization on Yelp. Barely 20 minutes into their opening hour, they announced that they had ran out of the fries with pork belly trimmings. Not because they ran out of pork belly, but because they ran out of fries! Seriously?! In spite of everything, they seem to be getting the disorganization thing under control. We ordered the pork belly sandwich with arugula, fried egg and caper aioli; bacon bouquet; chocolate covered bacon; and a root beer float.

The chocolate covered bacon tasted like the bacon and chocolate ratio was a little off; I would have preferred more bacon. The bacon bouquet was incredibly cute and delicious: perfectly cooked crispy bacon with some chives in a floral-like arrangement. The draft root beer float was good, but for the size of the cup, the price and the amount of liquid that ends up being foam, I’m not sure if I would get it again. But the most anticipated and STAR of the meal, the pork belly sandwich, was AMAZING! After my first bite, my initial thought was that it was sooooo worth the hour wait (1/2 hour to order and 1/2 hour to get the food). The spiciness from the arugula and the caper aioli was a perfect contrast to the fat from the pork belly, the fried egg was the added cherry on top, and the brioche-type sandwich bread they used was flaky and buttery. My only slight complaint is that the pork belly could have been cooked a little longer, but it was by no means a deal breaker.

Will I be visiting the Bacon Bacon Truck again in the near future? Absolutely!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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