Washington State University crossed Michael Pollan's anti-big-ag screed The Omnivore's Dilemma off its freshman required reading list, and it's not entirely clear why. The uni says it's all about money (or lack thereof), while just about everyone else assumes agribusiness strong-arming. Grist digs up the controversy here.
FoodGal serves up big-pixel food porn from last weekend's Cooking for Solutions conf at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's an orgy of glistening tobikko and sticky-looking maki.
Don't misconstrue: we love restaurant tipstress the Tablehopper. But a line from her review of Amber India this week made us fidget in our chair: I don't understand why Indian places always have to be cheap and dingy and have buffets and leave you smelling like a tandoori oven when you depart. TH goes on to praise the crossover eateries DOSA and Roti (and counts Amber among them). Still, it made us flash rather uncomfortably on our Great Aunt Kay, who had some very old-fashioned ideas about people she called "minorities." UPDATE: After this post dropped, Marcia Gagliardi (aka Tablehopper) called to complain about what she called our characterization of her as a borderline racist. She said none of her thousands of readers had taken offense at the passage we quoted. We certainly didn't intend to suggest that Gagliardi is a racist, or uncomfortable visiting Indian restaurants. We regret any negative impressions our post might have given rise to. --J. Birdsall
Thursday, May 21 -Spencer on the go-French Take-away will be up and running on Folsom and 7th St at 6:00 pm.
Remember, you'll be able to take your goodies into Terroir wine bar for more dignified (and, if you choose, pinot-irrigated) noshing.
Which is why we're pleased that San Francisco has delivered up at least one solution, in the form of Golden Star Tea. It looks like champagne. It tastes like champagne (the fermentation process involves champagne yeast.) It even costs as much as champagne, so your non-boozing guests won't feel all low-status. (Clarification: it's as expensive as the bad stuff. Compared to the good stuff it's a bargain.) Rigorous testing recently conducted under highly scientific conditions have shown it to be delicious with Indian food. And it's made by locals, so one can feel all smug and carbon-neutral for supporting the region's jasmine silver needle carbonated tea economy. I know. It's a particularly Bay Area kind of smug, and doesn't come easily at first. But it starts to feel natural after awhile.
Find Golden Star Tea at Whole Foods and other stores, and on restaurant bev menus.
Thankfully, five of the city's 'cue joints plan to open on Monday, slinging rib tips, hot links, and chicken halves for the carbon-averse. It's a holiday -- relax a little. That rusted-out Weber will still be waiting for you on the Fourth of July.
Michelle Mah is exec chef at Midi (185 Sutter at Kearny), the Cali-French restaurant in the FiDi's Galleria Park Hotel (read SF Weekly food critic Meredith Brody's recent review here). Mah, as Brody points out, was named a Chron Rising Star Chef three years ago, when she led the kitchen at Ponzu.
Mah met our challenge to distill a recipe down to just 140 characters, the space alotted for a message on Twitter, with a decadent take on fondue. Put that Velveeta away; you oughta be ashamed of yourself.
Goat Cheese Fondue: sm pot: 8oz wwine,shallot,blck pprcrn,bayleaf+1/4c thyme.reduce by 1/2.add cream&reduce by 1/4.strain&add goat chse til crmy&thick. add salt
Brackett calls his company Peko-Peko (rhymes with echo-echo). He takes orders by Wednesday for Friday bentos, which set you back $25 each (or rather, ouch!) -- pick them up Friday afternoon in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, or for $15 Brackett will deliver to SF, Berkeley, or Oakland (deliveries to Marin and the Peninsula require a four-box minimum).
Christine Farren, spokesperson for CUESA, which runs the market, confirmed the current vendor list with SFoodie.
Roli Roti will be debuting a roast beef sandwich, as yet unsampled, and Capn' Mike's SF Style Sandwiches (already at the Saturday market) will offer its ever-popular smoked fish on thin slices of Acme bread with various condiments. (Try the black cod if it's available.) Pizza Politana will be there, too, with toppings scored from the market.
| Disinfected via Flickr |
| The chef had a hunch something was up |
