eggbeater

Slow Food Nation, SF. Your Thoughts?

So you live in this city and you start to hear rumblings about a major food event happening there. It has roots in some good, maybe even great, ideas. Passionate people are spearheading the event, and before you know it, this thing, which is not yet named or fleshed out, gets National coverage. Soon people are a-buzz everywhere and people from all areas of your life are telling and asking and directing your towards it.

What is this thing?

And why is it coming to your city? And who is behind it? And why does it sound like tens of thousands of people will descend on your city without a map or a goal or anything but an empty stomach?

Why, why, why why why why why why, WHY?

When, where, how, what, who?

Perhaps Slow Food Nation is a gathering of surrealists for whom food is their medium of the moment.

Perhaps Slow Food Nation is a mystery and you have to be here to experience it.

Perhaps Slow Food Nation IS RADICAL.

Event Calendar by Spongecell

Perhaps Slow Food Nation is a Be In.

Perhaps Slow Food Nation is like nothing you've ever:

                           known, seen, tasted, smelled, experienced, discovered, loved, despised,                             enjoyed, partook in, rebelled against, participated in, protested, ventured into, been skeptical of, took a stand for,

      rallied against, felt nothing for, knew nothing of, loved, hated, liked, didn't care one way or the other, paid or volunteered for, got behind, said No to, inquired about, organized, thought about, thought nothing about,

took a preemptive strike against, shat on, made fun of, laughed at, laughed with, took pride in, changed your life for, took time off for, ignored, were invited to, knew nothing of, couldn't give a rat's ass about, looked forward to your whole life of, couldn't wait for, wished you'd never heard of it?

I don't know. I have no idea how you feel.

And you know what?

Slow Food Nation doesn't know either.

And it's possible they don't care. And it's possible they do care.

Slow Food Nation

is going to happen. with or without your excitement and participation. will not please all the people all the time. will make history. is going to be insanely broad and disorganized and frenetic and overwhelming and educational and too much and not enough and not exactly right and not perfect and.

so what if it's not perfect? is anything perfect?

Oh San Francisco, I beseech you!

Look how rich our land is, how deep our American, as well as Californian, privilege stretches. We are so jaded, so spoiled, so damned lucky! Why so much moaning and complaining? Sure, I'll agree, this SFN thing is disorganized and I wish it weren't. I would much rather a neat little package were delivered to my doorstep so I didn't have to change out of my pajamas to walk out of my door and retrieve it.

This is the first one of it's kind. It means you can be a part of it. And next year, or next time, you can say, "I was a part of that crazy wonderful insane fantastic frantic overwhelming delicious disappointing amazing frightening event." I can't believe I survived it's wondrousness. ZOW.

Will you go? To any of it? Why?

Will you leave town? Will you avoid it all? Why?

Any other musings, complaints, hopes, desires, disillusions, epiphanies, rants, etc? Please feel free to place them in the space provided below. P.S. This is a venue for discussion, which may include disagreements, but it is not a place for attacks or anonymous insults.

The Last Course, by Claudia Fleming, Has Been Reprinted!

It appears to be my year for exciting emails. You never know what little notes will be tucked away and unfurled as the days and months progress.

This one just in today:

Claudia Fleming: pastry chef extraordinaire, ex boss, mentor, friend, colleague, author and now owner, has done something one might only wish for with eyes clenched tight and hope pressed into elixir by will and might:

she has re-printed {<---- that link , if you click on it, will let you know how to get one} her incredible, hard to find out-of-print book, The Last Course.

And now,

you can buy it. Again.

-----> Want to tell her how you feel about this amazing hope of hope she's pulled off? Leave your comments here-- I'll be directing her to our words in a few days.

summer garden. late july farm sitting.

some people's summer garden a little snippet of a thing with a few tomatoes and a peas and one melon that takes it's time growing all summer long.

for others, their summer garden is the size of a small plot, a tiny farm.

this summer garden is about an acre. it sits between the napa river and the levee. there are melons and squashes and tomatillos. tomatoes abound, row after to-the-horizon row. peppers will most likely be jalapenos and there may even be eggplant.

all the pears have arrived at once, and santa rosa plum carcasses are underfoot. apricot pretend as though they've never produced a fruit and the fig church whispers amongst itself. here at the farm, i am nibbling my way through the trees and plants.

the little people have finally been planted. they are growing up to be fruits of all shapes and flavors.

Bocuse d'Or Semi Finalists Announced!

Bocuse d'Or.

Remember when I put a call out to you? Or did you listen more closely to Michael Ruhlman?

The Bocuse d'Or Competition is not Top Chef. Or TV. Or Kitchen Confidential. Or a new Godiva candybar. Or HBO. Or an after-school special. This is not a joke. Or a media stunt. It is the real deal. Long before the media made a mockery of chef competitions, there were real ones. We have the Olympics for bread, and pastry. There are people for whom these competitions mean everything for career advancement. Those who become leaders and captains, go on to mentor, teach and inspire countless cooks who may go on to be chefs. And they all know the difference.

The semi finalists are in, with only a few commis missing or TBA. Take a look here on the StarChefs site. Who will you root for? Know anyone on the list? Know anyone who applied?

Shuna fish Lydon Interviewed, On Video!

Last weekend I spent 3 continuous days at BlogHer, a conference for all bloggers everywhere, with a focus on women's voices. From 8 am until around 6 pm there were continuous panels and discussions. It was intense. To say the least.

10 am UPDATE: BlogHer in the NY Times today.

On the first day I sat in on one of the best discussions* I was privy to hearing. Afterwards a few people came up to me in the hallway to ask if they could interview me about a concept I had spoken to in the discussion. The concept was about redefining success so that one does not feel like a failure at every turn when attempting to set and achieve goals, in whatever field or life path one is on. *Susan Mernit is my new hero.

There should be 3 videos of my interview but I'm only seeing 2. I think the last one is best, and the most fun, because I'm talking about Heat, the Bill Buford book.

Take a look, if you have a dash of time. Video 1 6 minutes, Video "3" 4 minutes. Video 1 gets cut off and there's a lot of background noise. Just so you don't think I'm sending you something perfect... and, you know, you don't have to look. I'm sure you have something better to do with your ears and time.

Dynamo Donuts, San Francisco. Just Opened!

Doughnuts and me go way back. I have always known them, loved them, and accepted their round fried selves for who they are, not who I want them to be. I have rarely met a doughnut whose merits I could not find, even if they were the wallflower kind, or still wore high-waters in college.

Every doughnut counts is what I say. And every doughnut is a snowflake: unique.

Not every doughnut is created equal. This we can all agree upon. But why should they be monotone? Stagnant? Bla? Jaded?

A doughnut is round. It's movement, dynamic, a three dimensional sculpture, to be appreciated from all sides. There's  hole in the middle, or a whole, depending on how you look at it.

Doughnuts are exterior, interior and the balance that makes them unique lies in their creator's vision. How hot should the oil be? What kind of oil? How much baking powder? Will the dough rest or sleep or be seared fresh from the mixing bowl? A million ideas, possibilities! Flavors, sizes, combinations! Colored sprinkles or double glazed? Too sweet or just right? A tad salty? Crispy? Tender? Melt in ones mouth or give a fight?

O Doughnut, we love you.

So when I read, when I heard, when I knew, a doughnut shop like no other, was on the way, coming to a  counter near me, I waited and slowed my breath, like a hunter, in the San Francisco quiet. Ears alert, mouth watering, I pounced when the news came in!

DYNAMO DONUTS

is here, my friend. Go. Now. Get your morning fix. Afternoon snack. Late afternoon treasure. Or do what I did-- get some to go and mete bites out as the hours pass by, or expose one to a friend the next day. What delight! What deliciousness!

Now I warn you: these come with a heavy price tag. They are served alongside Stumptown espresso via Jermy Tooker's not yet opened Four Barrel Coffee. This may not be your doughnut & coffee of yesteryear, but it's a nouveau treat worth trekking for.

PS: Dynamo Doughnuts are produced and conceived by Sara Spearin, pastry chef extraordinaire. I met Sara @ 2001 when she worked at Stars and I was at Citizen Cake. I absolutely thrilled for her! Yeah pastry chef owners!

DYNAMO DONUTS
2760 24th St, between York & Hampshire 415. 920-1978

chef pick-up lines.

we don't get out much, but when we do, watch out. fuego!
am looking for suggestions on how chefs can pick up those in the greater public.
sure i could date a waiter or a host, but i don't want to look like i believe my own hype. it's so 5 minutes ago. it's been done. and done. I am not a Food Network star. but i want to look beyond the doors of a restaurant.

what do you think of these:

"Need your knife sharpened, baby?"
"Looks like you need a little extra seasoning in your life. I got the right kinds of salt."
"How about we quit this crazy service and pass out at my place?"
"Want to learn how to truss with me?"
"Wanna see my meat walk-in?"

"Do you know how to dance the Meringue?"

"I'm like a slow braised protein. A tender, succulent animal."
"Can I call you up again after midnight?"
"Mmmmmm, you smell like brown butter. Delicious."
"Wanna get together on my next day off, next month?"

"Meet your parents? Sure, show them the kitchen after dinner. I'll be there every night this week."
"You're the best thing I've seen all year."
"Damn! You dance like a headless chicken! I can't wait to pick your feathers!"
"Oooooh the insides of your arms are so smooth."
"You make me smokin' hot, like 220 all day."
"Maybe we could see that movie you were talking about next year?"

"I'll bring my knives, saute pans, stock pots, wet stone, side towels, roasting pans, balloon whisk, tasting spoon, ceramic honing steel, Maldon and grey salt, chinois, tamis and first press olive oil. You? Just watch. And clean up your house tomorrow."

"Let's trade: Your voracious for my rapacious."
"You make my highly sensitive palate water."

"How 'bout I cook dinner, and eat you for dessert?"

let me know if you come up with anything.
    I'm open to suggestions.

-----> These recently in from the comments section:

"I can eat anything that you can put out" vincent mack
"Hey baby, fries come with that shake?" guy "Biggles" prince

and the one that made me fall out of my chair this morning (also from Biggles):

"Wanna do me for lunch?"

San Francisco Health Care Initiative "Surcharges"

In politics there are those who support and defend causes and those who fight them. There are those who like to complain into the ether and those who like to speak to the source. And then there are the whiners.

There are also those of us who are foolish enough to think we can make change.

We think people want to be good, better, and even fair. We think that by speaking up and asking questions and opening our hearts and arms, all of those who disagree with us will, at the very least, open their own minds to the possibility of hearing us. And maybe even making a turn around.

I hear there are some Republicans who might vote for Obama.

No matter what your stance, I'm sure you will agree with me when I say that some arguments are stickier than dried molasses on elephants. Take Northern Ireland for example. Or Israel. Better to leave those arguments for those more equipped.

How Restaurants, diners, city government officials, professional organizations that represent restaurants, restaurant critics, bloggers, chefs, cooks, waiters, minimum wage service workers--- (the people who make your:
    lattes and copies and change at the gas station and sandwiches and floors clean and ice cream scoops and car clean and...)
are reacting to San Francisco's Health Care Initiative bill is dreadful and confusing, to say the least, and it feels seemingly impossible to take a clear stance.

As a cook I love that someone has finally forced restaurant owners to Do The Right Thing. G-d  knows they didn't think of it themselves!

As a chef who thinks managing and being in charge of people is not something to take lightly I think it's a crime that restaurant owners are doing all sorts of whining about having to take care of their employees-- who, by the way, make it possible for them to have a business at all.

As a person who does not come from money, I find it annoying that a business owner would make a non- statement by passing on a charge to me. If they can't afford to make a dent in their own pocket, why should they get any of my business or hard earned money at all?

As a friend to many a restaurant owner who is also a chef, I empathize with their diminishing, and in some cases nearly zero, take home monies.

As a person who can often see both sides to an argument this issue poses quite a quandary. I am not saying I have the simple answer, or answers, but I do find it interesting to see Michael Bauer addressing it on his blog. Good for him to say what everyone is saying anyway, under their angry breath. The thing is this: Michael Bauer had to say it because restaurants forget to listen to the people who keep them in business. And in this horrible economy it's more than important that they do.

I found what Mr. Bauer had to say by catching up with Eater SF. If you visit the Eater SF link you'll see my response to the whole affair.

These are just a few of my sentences:

"If more restaurants had found a way to pay for health insurance for their lowest paid and untipped workers already, this law would not have been necessary.

For being one of the wealthiest, most expensive cities to live and survive in, San Francisco has a lot to whine about.

I say squeeze restaurant owners a bit so they understand that just loving cooking and eating does not a sustainable business model make."

Post Script: This law hopes to cover 82,000 people in San Francisco. It is not merely a restaurant issue, it's a people issue. The San Francisco Chronicle July 3, 2007 article.

Blue Bottle @ Mint Plaza, SF: I have been kissed by g-d.

My bank account and I have a psychic connection. It knows when I have wandered into the realm of danger. Various colored flags appear on my radar. There is orange for big alert like Garnet Hill and one-of-a-kind old school Adidas, and there's baby blue for the more innocuous butter sale. Purple is saved for subtle spending. A purple flag might go up if Mangosteens or Candy Cots or Mas Masumoto's peaches show up at Monterey Market. {Which they have, by the way, so go soon. Amazing, and worth the credit card dent.}

Today a red flag flew so high and so frantically it threatened to put all bullfighting in Spain out of business.

I walked into the Mint Plaza Blue Bottle Coffee for the first time this early foggy San Francisco morning.

And I will never be the same.

It was better when I was ignorant. When the NY Times knew things three thousand miles away that I didn't.
It was better before I saw those Tate Modern-esque orange chairs myself.
It was denial. Labotomized, nodding-out bliss when I never saw and drank and tasted manna from a discreet grey & sleek space in the elbow of a street that is no longer.

My psychic colored flag alert service had lain dormant until today, when a wail so fierce, so loud, so preposterously high pitched and electrically charged it scared even the San Andreas faultline.

Do not go here if you think the coffee you're drinking now will do.
Do not go here if the pastries you eat now are made by a baker who has had their butter license taken away.
Do not walk into this coffee bean laboratory if you think Silicon Valley has patented the word Geek.

Do. Not. Go. Here.
If your g-d is a threatening force, jealous lover-type, list-maker or task master.

Do not go here if you are following the tweets of my psychic connection. {It will crash your server and shatter all your (glass) windows.}

Blue Bottle Coffee in the newly minted bright and clean green Mint Plaza, across Mission Street from the San Francisco Chronicle, at the corner of Jessie and Mint streets

will serve you,
if you can pay up,
exquisite
delicious beyond reason
mocha. we had today and boy what balance! perfect pitch! sanded to perfection! color! sound! leaps! aroma captured!
drip coffee
espresso

and some crazy insane double breasted tie me up and cart me away
brioche, so buttery i was transported to Paris,
with musky speckled hazelnut heroin hiding inside, so as not to alarm the authorities.

Am I speaking in tongues?
I have been touched. Dancing with rattlesnakes.

But I might never be able to go back.
    will it ever be the same?

Maybe not. But I'll need to, you know, just try it again, not too soon, wait a few, um, hours, days, Weeks, before trying it out again. I'll let you know when I do.

Today's NY Times Sunday Magazine: Shuna, Raspberries & Labne

A number of months ago I received an email I thought was a practical joke. It wasn't funny. Amanda Hesser was right there, in my inbox. Plain as day, scary as all get out.

I had no idea what she was asking of me but I said yes like a sobbing future bride looking down at her soul mate.

There ensued much talking on the telephone, (secret ) recipe testing, sleepless nights, comparative labne tastings, note scribbling and brow furrowing.

Today, right now, by the power vested in technology via this mysterious box I write to you from, you may see the formulation of a collaborative effort by two people living a few thousand miles apart, who have never met in person. Amanda Hesser has long been a heroine of mine. To have had the opportunity to talk about food and recipe testing and the crazy minutiae that I get off on when it comes to flavor and texture and the alchemy of baking, makes me tingly all over.

If you're not able to buy the Sunday NY Times in paper form, here you go. From the Magazine ~

Food: Recipe Redux
1980: Raspberry Flummery

Labne & Ricotta Cheesecake with Rice-Nut-Raspberry Relish.

Thank you for all your amazing words on the piece, my work and and eggbeater. I am on an amazing journey and I thank you for allowing me to put you all in my pocket.

 

if i were a summer squash.

i would make promises i couldn't keep

i would be prickly and soft

unapologetic

for neither. for both.

if i were a summer squash,

i would play hard to get

and easy to eat

and proliferate like mad

mad mad mad mad mad mad mad mad mad

~ the mad hatter!

if i were a summer squash

i would be beautiful

and plain

both.

i would go on and on

attracting honeybees

unfurling at dusk and dawn

untwisting

and revealing

myself

orange, delicate,

expand    e x  p   a    n      d

until i could reach no more

create a blossom you could fill

but never satiate.

and then i would disappear

and leave you with someone long, smooth, elegant

and also down-to-earth

plainspoken.

and then

when summer washed into fall

like a deep sleep after swimming in the tumbling ocean

i would swim away,

tiny silver fishes,

and leave you

wanting

for summer

again.

BlogHer Conference Weekend!

Just in case I seem like I'm ignoring
                you and sleep and questions and comments and eating and baking and home and my dishes and the telephone and breakfast and                             flirtations and possible jobs and the chilly weather and my side of the bay,

I am.

Starting right now, BlogHer 08 begins
and won't end until Sunday evening.

Remember last year? This year I don't have to go far (unfortunately)-- it's in San Francisco.

p.s. if you blog you can go. and be any gender you want! it's the largest blogging conference there is and it's a big hit of inspiration and learning and meeting people and getting perspective.