Staying regular: How about a long, cool drink of dietary fiber? There's nothing quite like getting hammered and scrubbing your colon. Cheers to The Ethicurean for showing us how.
Commander-in-chickpeas: Ever wonder what Obama and Hilary Clinton would look like sculpted entirely out of hummus? Wonder no more, thanks to Obamafoodorama.
Searing memory: Oh no she din't: Did LA pastry chef Nancy Silverton really make Julia Child cry by blistering her palate with hot syrup? LA Weekly's Squid Ink remembers.
Domaine Voarick Crémant de Bourgogne, on sale for $9.99 (originally $16.99) at K & L Wines (638 Fourth St. at Townsend, 896-1734), is part Chardonnay, part Pinot Noir, the two traditional grapes of the Champagne region. Limestone soil gives it a steely backbone, which is softened by the (dry) strawberry tones of Pinot Noir.
At this price, you don't need to wait for a special occasion. Crémant is an alternative to the au courant Riesling recommendations for spicy food, so go Burgundian with that burrito or curry. Tiny bubbles, big enough flavor to stand up to heat.
| Jess the Shoeless via Flickr |
| One of these was free |
Part cocktail-making seminar, part celebration of local drink, the weeklong event once again sought to spotlight local saloon culture, source of such homegrown as Pisco Punch and Irish Coffee. The latest trends skew locavore. Jon Santer, who runs the Bourbon and Branch classroom, said current flavors tend toward the savory -- cloying fruit bombs are a thing of the past, at least for now. The hot ingredients? Açai berry, egg, and jalapeño. Brooke Arthur, bartender at Range, came up with a drink for this year's event that included sea beans. The Rhubarbarella combined vodka with shiso and rhubarb syrup.
Participating restaurants will help you suss out Riesling's nuances. Beltelnut is offering a three-glass flight for $11. At Fifth Floor, you can taste four by the glass, and chef Jennie Lorenzo is engineering her spring menu around the wine. Score other specials on bottles, wines by the glass, and pairing menus -- see the entire list of Riesling-week venues here.
You've heard of Jamie Oliver (the cute Brit who initially marketed himself as the Naked Chef). But howsabout 93-year-old Clara Canucciari, who posts '30s-era recipes on greatdepressioncooking.com? Or the illustration-heavy thisiswhyyourefat.com , which just got a book deal.
Another blog that leapt from Web to bookshelf is orangette,blogspot.com, whose sweet author, Molly Wizenberg, not only found a husband online, but a publisher for A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table. If such news makes you want to reach for a drink, try liqurious.com, one of a number of retro cocktailian sites.
Let's do lunch:
Some days you just feel like crispy. SF Weekly restaurant critic Meredith Brody says seek fulfillment in the fried chicken livers and Brussels sprouts at SPQR (1911 Fillmore at Bush, 771-7779), chef Nate Appleman's Pac Heights osteria that's hotter than a spatter burn to the forearm, where lunches are Mondays and Tuesdays only.
Drink therapy:
Head to the Castro to flaunt your ball-in-hand skills (that's a pool term, we swear): Free pool and two-buck pints Mondays at the Mix (4086 18th St. at Third St., 431-8616), 7 p.m.-2 a.m.
The good kind of nasty: Wallow in Funk in the Trunk night in SOMA, with all-night $5 mojitos and special happy-hour apps at Mercury Lounge (1582 Folsom at 12th St., 551-1582).
