Beyond Chicken Eggs

COOKING IN COMMON
- Carissa Remitz, Special to The Chronicle
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

From Passover seder plates to Easter baskets, eggs are everywhere this time of year. In the Bay Area, restaurant customers can delight in a couple of interesting alternatives to the chicken variety that have taken their place on menus.

At sushi restaurants, quail eggs are commonly enjoyed raw over sashimi. Tweaking this formula is chef Mike Selvera at Bar Crudo (603 Bush St., San Francisco; (415) 956-0396). Selvera serves a hard-boiled quail egg alongside a Rhode Island black bass crudo. He uses the eggs for their delicate flavor, which goes well with the spicy tobiko and blood orange reduction, and because of their small size.

Chef Melissa Perello of Fifth Floor (12 Fourth St., in the Hotel Palomar, San Francisco; (415) 348-1555) serves a warm poached Cidre Loche duck egg with a caviar tasting. Perello uses duck eggs because the yolk is richer than chicken egg yolk and provides more depth of flavor.

At Lark Creek Inn (234 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; (415) 924-7766), chef Bradley Ogden serves an heirloom chicory and Arrowsmith duck egg salad. He says it makes sense to incorporate duck eggs into the menu because they are sweeter than chicken eggs, in addition to being free range and hormone-free.

Bushi-tei (1638 Post St., San Francisco; (415) 440-4959) chef Seiji "Waka'' Wakabayashi includes a confit of quail swathed in Serrano ham with a quail egg in the middle that unifies the meat, kumquat compote and almonds.

If you want to enjoy duck and quail eggs at home, quail eggs are available for purchase in San Francisco at Super Mira (1790 Sutter St.; (415) 921-6529). Look for duck eggs at farmers' markets and Asian markets.

Carissa Remitz is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. E-mail comments to her at food@sfchronicle.com.

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Ewe's Blue

Photo styled by Carissa Remitz
Printed 03/30/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Chicken alla Cacciatora

Photo styled by Carissa Remitz
Printed 02/16/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Translating Spain for Home Cooks

- Carissa Remitz
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle

Anya von Bremzen, consummate traveler and food writer, experienced Spain's culinary revolution over two decades, and "The New Spanish Table" is a beautiful testament to her travels.

Von Bremzen offers a comprehensive showcase of the bold flavors of Spain with both traditional and contemporary recipes, paying homage to all areas of Spanish cuisine and their histories.

In addition to recipes, the book includes simple ideas for ways to change them to make them your own. It's a clever way of inspiring readers to use their imagination and go beyond what they read to create original dishes.

Modern Spanish cuisine owes a great deal to Chef Ferran Adria. His restaurant, El Bulli, is world renowned for its innovative dishes and list of kitchen alumni. However, with more than 15 long mentions in "The New Spanish Table," one wonders if the book could reference Adria a little less.

Von Bremzen doesn't attempt to re-create restaurant recipes or classics. Instead, she creates her own based on traditional and modern methods. Often, she focuses on a particular chef, ingredient or technique in the sidebar or introduction to a recipe, then explains how the recipe was adapted.

The rare photograph of a finished dish saves on space, but with some of the more challenging dishes, a picture could give the reader a better idea of what to expect.

The recipes range from extremely simple, such as the Salt-Cooked Shrimp with only two required ingredients, to the very complicated Valencian Paella, a recipe with 16 ingredients and three separate, though not full, pages of text.

Recipes occasionally call for hard-to-find ingredients, such as piquillo peppers and squid ink. Thankfully, "The New Spanish Table" has a helpful section listing online and mail-order sources for these ingredients.

Von Bremzen focuses on using ingredients unique to Spanish cuisine, like the spice pimenton, a smoky Spanish paprika. Pimenton oil tops the velvety and rich Garbanzo Cream with Ham Cracklings, along with crispy pieces of pancetta and parsley oil. The recipe is deceptively simple -- the outcome tastes extremely complex with multiple layers of flavor and texture.

In the recipe for Salt-Baked Pork in Adobo, von Bremzen mentions that traditional pork in adobo is fried in lard. However, her variation using a salt crust leaves the pork succulent, flavorful and devoid of grease.

With more than 300 recipes, "The New Spanish Table" offers cooks an opportunity to explore every angle of Spanish cuisine, and their own imaginations.

"The New Spanish Table," by Anya von Bremzen (Workman Publishing; 478 pages; $22.95).


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Salt-Baked Pork in Adobo
The salt crust acts as a pressure cooker, and seals in the flavor and moisture of the pork and the adobo marinade.


INGREDIENTS:
6 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika

1 teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

3 tablespoons best-quality white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pork loin (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)

3 cups kosher salt

5 large egg whites, beaten


INSTRUCTIONS:
Put garlic, parsley, oregano, sweet and hot paprikas, peppercorns, vinegar and olive oil in a mini food processor. Process to a coarse paste. Put pork in a glass bowl; rub spice paste all over it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Let come to room temperature before baking.

Preheat oven to 375°. Put salt and egg whites in a large bowl; stir until evenly moistened. The paste should just hold together. If it doesn't, sprinkle in a little water. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and put pork on it. Coat pork completely with salt paste. Bake pork until cooked through, about 35 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer through the crust and into the center of the loin; it should register 155°. If it's not quite there yet, bake pork 7 to 10 minutes longer.

Transfer pork to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, tap salt crust to crack it and lift it off in large pieces. Using a paper towel, gently wipe off any excess salt from meat before slicing.

Serves 6

The calories, sodium and other nutrients absorbed from the paste and salt crust vary and are difficult to estimate. Therefore, this recipe contains no analysis.

Carissa Remitz is a student at the California Culinary Academy. E-mail comments to food@sfchronicle.com.

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St. Patrick's Day

Bakeries roll out soda bread
- Carissa Remitz
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle

While many think of St. Patrick's Day as an excuse to drink Guinness my thoughts turn to a hearty, traditional favorite, fresh from the oven: Irish soda bread.

Irish soda bread has a relatively short history, starting with the introduction of baking soda to Ireland in the mid-1800s.

In its most basic form, baking soda is combined with only three other ingredients: flour, buttermilk and salt. Variations exist, but the basic formula remains.

Noe Valley Bakery (4073 24th Street, at Castro; (415) 550-1405) prides itself on using time-honored techniques and a recipe passed down from an Irish grandmother. The bakery makes both a plain and scallion version, designed to accompany the traditional holiday meal of corned beef and cabbage.

Irish soda bread can also be purchased fresh at the following purveyors:

Arizmendi, 1331 Ninth Ave. (at Judah), San Francisco; (415) 566-3117; the Cheeseboard, 1504 Shattuck Ave. (at Vine), Berkeley, (510) 549-3183; Artisan Bakers, 750 W. Napa St., Sonoma, (707) 939-1765; and Bovine Bakery, 11315 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station, (415) 663-9420.

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Artichoke and Potato Frittata

Photo styled by Carissa Remitz
Printed 02/16/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Cafeteria Catering

- Carissa Remitz
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle

Most Bay Area high-tech and bio-tech companies offering food service to their employees rely on catering companies. A few, like Google and Pixar, produce their own food.

Bon Appetit Management Co. Based in Palo Alto, this national on-site cafeteria and catering company serves 23 businesses in the Bay Area. About 20 percent of its food is composed of local, organic and/or sustainable ingredients.

Bay Area clients include Yahoo, Oracle, Cisco, eBay.

Guckenheimer Enterprises, Inc. This Redwood Shores company serves more than 130 businesses in the Bay Area, and 400 nationwide. Guckenheimer uses local, organic and/or sustainable ingredients based on client needs, availability and seasonality.

Bay Area clients include BEA Systems, Broadcom, Genentech, Lucasfilm, Macromedia, Network Appliance, ElectronicArts and Sun Microsystems.

Pixar. The Emeryville animation company owns and runs Luxo Cafe, which serves the company's 850 employees. Head chef Osvaldo Tomatis creates daily specials incorporating a 70 percent mix of local and organic produce.

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Etorki Cheese

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Printed 02/16/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Montasio Cheese

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Printed 02/16/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Mendo Crab Cake

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Printed 02/15/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Openings

Marin's Ora
- Carissa Remitz
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle

Shahram Bijan's Mill Valley restaurant space, which he originally held as First Crush, then Mi Casa, has now transformed into Ora, offering eclectic pan-Asian fare in shared-plate portions.

The cuisine: The menu is divided into categories such as "Beginnings," "Nourishings" and "Land." The first section has sake lobster broth. "Land" offers five-spice duck confit and Madras curry-spiced Colorado lamb chops.

The team: Bijan hired John Nguyen, formerly executive sous chef at Masa's, as executive chef. Cate Hughes, formerly of A16, is wine and sake director.

The vibe: The decor features bamboo ceilings, Art Deco art pieces, and a lounge that screens old Japanese monster movies.

Ora Restaurant, Bar & Lounge, 24 Sunnyside Ave. (at E. Blithedale), Mill Valley; (415) 381-7500. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday. Plates $6-$18; desserts, $5-$7.

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Primadonna Cheese

Photo styled by Carissa Remitz
Printed 01/18/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Tunisian-Inspired Fish Soup

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Printed 01/18/06 - San Francisco Chronicle
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Spicing up snack foods

Photo styled by Carissa Remitz, Article below by Carissa Remitz
Wednesday, January 17, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle

Visit any grocery store, mini-market or vending machine, and you'll notice an abundance of new "hot" and "bold" flavors of snack foods and condiments.

Sunshine brand Cheez-Its has a "Hot & Spicy" cracker flavored with Tabasco sauce. Frito-Lay's Stax will be releasing a "Hot'n Spicy Barbecue" chip in February. The barbecue flavoring tastes familiar, but the added heat definitely changes the impression these chips make on your tongue.

Frito-Lay is also introducing a "Fiery Habanero" Doritos chip. Make sure you have a glass of milk nearby, as these chips pack a pretty heavy punch. The Doritos are available now in the Bay Area and nationally during the next couple of months.

Frito-Lay spokesman Jared Dougherty relates the trend of hotter flavorings to changes in the food industry at large. "When we develop flavors, we take cues from a lot of different areas," including restaurants, he says.

"Hispanic-inspired flavors have continued to grow and reach mass appeal -- not just chips, but on products across the board. The need or desire for heat is growing." Asian flavors, he says, are also increasing in popularity.

Manufacturers point to possible health benefits of the spicy products. Wasabi is believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties, and studies have shown the ingestion of chile peppers, such as habanero, jalapeno and Scotch bonnet, can reduce cholesterol levels, increase the rate at which your body burns calories, and clear up your sinuses.

How much these nutrients are absorbed through processed foods is debatable. Still, Seapoint Farms of Costa Mesa (San Diego County), is coming out with a snack high in protein and low in fat and carbs. Its wasabi-flavored Dry Roasted Edamame is a fiery, crunchy and healthy alternative to more processed snack foods.

Less fiery is Silver Spring Wasabi Sauce, coming out in February. It lacked a true wasabi heat and flavor, and a quick glance at the ingredient list confirmed our suspicions. "Natural Wasabi Flavor" is the third-to-last ingredient, followed only by Yellow 5 and Blue 1.

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