Cooking My Way Back Home, Kokkari & Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food

I always get excited about cookbooks with a connection to the Bay Area. There are so many things that make eating here special. Of course, it's the fresh produce, but it's much more than just that. It's also the vibe, the service and personality of our local restaurants. The latest crop of cookbooks capture much of that.

It may sound odd to say I don't go to Mitchell Rosenthal's restaurants, namely Town Hall and Anchor & Hope (never been to Salt House) primarily for the food. Oh the food is good, some of it is outstanding, but I really go because those restaurants just feel so good and welcoming. It's like a party every night, at both places, not in a rowdy way, in a 'I can't remember the last time I had so much fun at a restaurant' way. At Town Hall I always sit at the communal table, and I love it. You cannot eat there without making friends with your neighbors and chatting over your dishes. Rosenthal's new cookbook, Cooking My Way Back Home, manages to share a lot of the fun through stories and photos, not to mention recipes.

Thankfully my favorite dish from Town Hall is in the new cookbook, it's Faith's Warm Ham & Cheese Toast with Jalapeno Cream as well as my favorite bite from Anchor & Hope, Angels on Horseback with Remoulade. The recipes are a mix of Southern and Jewish/Deli favorites with a few Mexican, Seafood and barbecue recipes and somehow it all works. I'd call it comfort food meets party food. Bookmarked recipes to try include Hot Mixed Nuts with Truffle Honey and Maldon Salt, Sweet Onion and Funky Cheese Fondue, BBQ Shrimp with Toasted Garlic Bread and Lemon Chicken with Olive and Feta.

Kokkari is hand's down the number one Greek restaurant in San Francisco. Of course, we are not a city known for Greek food. What makes the restaurant so successful is a classically trained chef who takes family recipes and elevates them to something even more special. The Kokkari cookbook is a compendium of Chef Erik Cosselmon's refined takes on Greek food and family recipes from the owners of the restaurant, the Frangadakis and Marcus (Moutsanas) families. Recipes you must try include the best Zucchini Cakes (fritters) I have ever had, Spiced Meatballs with Green Olive & Tomato Sauce, Orsa's Flaky Cheese Pastries, Braised Lamb Shanks and Moussaka.

Every food writer I have spoken to lately is excited about Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food. Bi-Rite is one of the most incredible grocery stores you will ever visit. It is tiny and yet every single item that is there is there for a reason. It is the most curated store you can imagine. If you want to eat like we eat in the Bay Area, this is your book. It's not just recipes, it tells you just what you need to know about the ingredients you use. You'll learn how to store persimmons, how to use fresh fennel, how to buy heritage turkeys and where to best store cheese in your fridge. It also highlights many of the most beloved (mostly Northern California) producers and purveyors like McEvoy Ranch, Cowgirl Creamery and Mariquita Farms.

The book is like one of my other favorite cooking reference books, Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, only on steroids because it includes so much more information, specifically about fresh meat, seafood, dairy, wines and a plethora of fresh produce. Read it and become an expert on choosing, storing and using the best ingredients possible. Recipes are really secondary, but some to whet your appetite include Cocoa-Cumin Beef Roast, Lemony Kale Caesar Salad, Spanish Deviled Eggs (to die for!) and Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts with Caper Lemon Butter.

Local Author Events:

On November 17th Mitch Rosenthal of Town Hall will be speaking at Omnivore Books

On November 2nd Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite will be speaking at the Commonwealth Club.

Thursday, November 3rd Erik Cosselmon of Kokkari will be teaching a demo class on rotisserie and roasting at Purcell Murray Brisbane

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

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Just a quick note to let you know we're up in beautiful Dunsmuir, California celebrating my father-in-law Al's 70th birthday. We'll be back at it Monday, so pardon any delays in responding to comments and emails. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and as always, enjoy!

Granola Berry Parfait Recipe

I can eat the same thing for breakfast day after day. Then suddenly I'm on to something else. At the moment, my breakfast of choice is a granola parfait. I bought parfait glasses for ice cream, but use them for breakfast and fruit salad more frequently. I also got those skinny spoons you need to fit down into the bottom of the glass! This is hardly a recipe, more of a technique. But anything that can help 'cereal' sound more exciting is worth doing. The trick to making a good parfait is to layer the ingredients nicely. Start with the yogurt on the bottom because anything else is too hard to get at with your spoon.

I've been using Driscoll's organic berries, Greek yogurt and The Bunnery granola. I recently got some samples of the granola and I really like it. I make my own granola but you have to eat it when it's fresh so I don't always have it on hand. The Bunnery original granola has relatively few ingredients just oats, honey, sunflower seeds, coconut, canola oil, sesame seeds, water, almonds, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. It's light and crunchy and not too clumpy which is best for parfaits.

You can make parfaits with just yogurt and fruit if you like. Or of course, you can also make parfaits with ice cream and fruit or sauces. But I think this is the best way to put a sexy spin on cereal. It's pretty, healthy and easy to make.

Berry Granola Parfaits

Mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
Yogurt, plain or flavored, regular or Greek
Granola

Layer a spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of the parfait glass and top with a layer of granola. Just a little! You want to make sure you leave enough room for multiple layers. Top the granola with one layer of berries. Repeat and end with a dollop of yogurt and a berry on top.

Enjoy!

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

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These are some of the cookies I prepared during the Xmas Holidays. I wanted to try a new dessert...

Get the rest in my blog! See you there!

Chicken Lu'au

I tried this recipe out after we decided to have a Hawaiian Feast for Christmas. It didn't make the cut, but it was a great dish. I think it's the only dish I've made out of my Sam Choy cookbook, but I've marked so many pages I'd like to try. The photos in the book are absolutely mouthwatering! We may have to have a Hawaiian week here. I'll use Sam and my Maui Taco book as well.....Here I come Hibachi Miso Chicken with Peanut Butter!

What I liked most about this dish was that it had spinach in it. I too often turn to my 'staple' vegetables (peas, corn, carrots) and forget about the rest. I haven't had the interest and passion for cooking lately that I used to have and it's been reflecting in my dinner menus.

The recipe in the book calls for young taro leaves, which are to be boiled first, but notes that fresh spinach can be used instead.

Chicken Lu'au

from Sam Choy's Cooking

1 pound spinach

3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed

2 Tb butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan heat butter and saute onions until translucent. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken stock, coconut milk, spinach and salt. Simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

MIXED FRUITS AND VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SPROUTS

I wanted to make a simple , healthy salad with sprouts, mixed vegetables and fruits for a long time. I googled so many basic salad recipes and came out with my version.Here i used grated beetroot .So the color of beetroot dominates here. Otherwise it would be a colorful salad to attract ur kids. Make ur choice of adding or omitting the veggies and fruits given in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

For 1 person

Sprouted green gram - 1 handful Carrot - 1 no(grated) Beetroot - 1/2 no ( grated) (optional) Big onion - 1/2 no (chop finely) Cabbage - Few leaves ( chop finely) Pomegranate - 1 handful Guava - 1/2 no ( Chop into squares) Coriander leaves - A few Lime juice  - Few drops Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - As needed

METHOD

• Take a wide bowl and mix all the ingredients given above. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice. Mix well and serve !!

Variations

1. Add two pinches of chat masala to the above recipe to give a nice flavor. But adjust the salt as chat masala contains salt.
2. U can also add chopped tomato pieces and cucumber pieces when u want to serve instantly otherwise the salad may become watery. 
3. I usually pack the above salad for my hubby's lunch box without tomato and cucumber.