My Name is in the San Francisco Chronicle!!!!!

Although I had no time to see it until late Thursday, I heard while I was insanely and furiously trying to produce a delicious first menu, the Inside Scoop column of the food section of the San Francisco Chronicle had announced I was the new pastry chef at Aziza!!!!!! O the pressure was on. Like a tight fitting lid on a quickly fermenting liquid.

On Wednesday December 20th I was awake for 23 hours and worked 17 of them.

Find the column in the paper here.

Follow the link on the menu page to see my debut menu. Or just scroll down for the dessert menu by clicking on this link.

I will not lie: I am exhausted. Not as young as I used to be. Need to get ready and get back to the kitchen now. My menu is shifting here and there, but I have found a good starting point: 90% seasonal fruit inspired, not too many items, simple plates with clean & direct flavours, and the best part of all: not too difficult to plate.

I'm working every night for a while. So come on in-- but let the reservationist know you know me, otherwise I'll never see you, as I'm barely home, barely in front of a computer right now!

{Sorry about the photos-- they're not going to be great, technically, I just want to have a bit of documentation for the new journey.}

Comments

[Amy Sherman]

Hmm, can you move the laptop into the kitchen? Go for it Shuna!

[Alto2]

Brava on the mention in the paper! I'd like the tasting menu ... 6 courses of dessert, please. All the best to you at Aziza.

[kallen]

shuna, you are brilliant, even under pressure, exhaustion, and the new-ness of it all.

i had it all last night. my favorites --

"fireplace - autumn crêpes, pear soup." wasn't there also walnut ice cream with mesquite flour sprinkled on top? i loved loved LOVED the mesquite flour crêpes! i need to try this again to taste the white coffee foam that topped the pear soup (if i remember that correctly).

"icy bright - redwood hill goat yogurt granité, meyer lemon
sorbet." oh.. my.. GOD. i have said many times, i am a citrus FIEND. this is my citrus ambrosia. i love the punch of the meyer lemon next to the subtlety of the goat yogurt granité. and the leetle candied citrus zests!

"holly's special dessert -
hot cocoa, cardamom chocolate chip cookies, cocoa nib ice cream." but there was also shuna-made marshmellows atop the hot cocoa! it was all soo sooo good. the cardamom in the cookies!!! so yum!

now i'm going to go climb Bernal Hill a couple times to prepare my body for more of Shuna and combat my own high-pressure, tho high-sedentary internet career (ironically enough -- at sixapart ;)

all my love shuna -- kallen

[Ellen Mandel]

This dessert menu looks FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lucky Aziza-ites!!

[sam]

I did notice the mention on Wednesday - would have told you if I'd known you didn't know.

I was in the kitchen, happily baking and cooking away, having custard disasters, having baking disasters, etc, not worried at all that I had a pastry chef coming to eat my food tomorrow, until I took a break (because i needed to remind myself about how to not fail at custard) and then came to your blog and got side tracked by your exciting menu. Everything I am doing seems a little dull by comparison.

Now I am worried.

[Brett]

Yay, Shuna! I saw that mention in the Scoop (and Tablehopper, by the way). I love that your name graces the dessert menu. And I adore the your dessert names. "Fireplace" especially warms my heart. You've found a way to combine your knack for poetry with your pastry making craft. Congratulations again.

[Jan]

Can we tell the reservationist we know you even if we're just huge, huge fans who only "know" you from your website?

I'm coming out to the bay area the end of April, and I think I may have to make Aziza a special destination. Everything sounds delicious.

[avocaboy]

these look lovely. so can i just show up at aziza or do i need to call? i'll check. i'd never heard of it but now it's clear that i need to set an evening aside.

congratulations, shuna!

[keiko]

Dear Shuna - I'm excited to hear that you're back to the kichen again, what a gorgeous dessert menu! I'm already looking forward to visiting the restaurant (oh and your pastry class, of course :)), take care and have a lovely christmas! keikox

[shelly]

Hey, that's exciting stuff! Haven't yet been to Aziza. I now have twice as much reason to go :).

[Garrett]

Congrats darlin! You deserve the recognition!

[Aaron]

Oh boy does everything sound fantastic. I think the crepes and pear soup are calling my name, so it is a good thing I already have reservations!

[maura]

Congratulations!

Your menu is gorgeous. I'll be trying those autumn crepes soon. And the icy bright. And the chocolate.

[Krys]

Just curious where that leaves Poulet? I really enjoyed your stay there.

[shuna fish lydon]

Krys,

Thank you for the sweet comment! Where I left Poulet is this: I left them with a wonderful repertoirte of dessert options I hope they employ. cream puffs with various pastry cream filling possibilities, pot de creme and pudding, a vegan coconut rice pudding, caramel cake, fresh fruit-cornmeal cake, meyer lemon cake, gatettes, a crisp topping without oats, better cookies, a gorgeous chocolate frosting, and more.

It will be up to the kitchen and the customers to desire a higher level of desserts, so that my work there will not be lost.

But consulting is like that-- not all establishments change what needs changing after you've changed it... you know?

I hope you request that these items continue to be made! Maybe I'll see you in there when I stop in for supper or plop down the latest Edible San Francisco magazine...