Our favorite morsel from the blogs.
We all know whole wheat, right? Brown, rusky. It bakes up into clammy Birkenstock breads you eat because they're good for you until you develop a taste for them.
Turns out we were tricked: Commercial whole wheat flour is a fake ― a reconstruction, technically, says Beth Hoffman today at Civil Eats:
Most "whole wheat" sold at the supermarket is "rolled," a process of milling that separates the bran, germ and endosperm of the wheat. Only after the wheat is refined are the parts reconstituted, bringing back together the ratio of bran, germ and "flour" desired by the miller.But, Hoffman reports, a revolution in whole wheat has sprouted here in Northern California, centered around Oakland restaurant Oliveto. Oliveto and Certified Foods ― a mill in Woodland, Calif. ― have been experimenting with farmers and bakers to produce honest whole wheat flour from California grain, in a project called Community Grains.
Inevitably, Thanksgiving is a holiday about the act of stuffing: pigs in blanket, bread in turkey cavities, tempeh and wild rice in scooped-out halves of acorn squash. Just like last year, 4505 Meats is offering the ultimate totem of stuffed-item centerpieces: turducken. That's a boned chicken, stuffed in a boned duck, stuffed in a boned turkey, and all of it stuffed with cornbread and sausage. Last year 4505 offered the turducken in two sizes ― big and monstrously huge ― and sold out in two days. This year 4505's dangling only a single monstrously large size, priced at $275 (up from last year), and perched on a mess of root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.
Two pickup dates are available, Nov. 23 in Hayes Valley and Nov. 24 in the Mission. To order, send an e-mail to meats@4505meats.com with your name, number, and pickup date.
Now, $275 is steep, we agree. But boning three birds is finicky work, and nobody says you have to serve turducken in the first place, plus 4505 says one behemoth serves "25+ mouths." On a budget, but still craving something extravagantly stuffed? Consider the DIY cherpumple.
SFoodie's series focusing on San Francisco's up-and-coming stars behind the stick, the Muppet Babies of the shaker.
Who: Kyle and Rachel Ford
Where to find them: Kyle at Rye and 15 Romolo, Rachel at Rickhouse
Background: Although a bartending couple isn't as rare as you'd think, what makes the Fords unique is that they were married right before they both jumped into the bar world, leaving behind corporate jobs in search of creative outlets. "I fell in love with bartending and cocktail culture because of the spontaneity in which every evening unfolds," says Kyle. "The ability to share moments with all those who pull up a barstool and pour them a meaningful drink is priceless."
Why they made the list: Their passion for the business, combined with an eagerness to grow. Rachel: "I hope that our current path affords us opportunities to travel, learn about our industry, and enjoy life." If all goes well, that path should lead the Fords to their very own bar in San Francisco. Someday.
Also on our list so far:
We've become blasé about the endless string of set-pieces chefs build for shows like Food Network Challenge. Fondant-wrapped Disney-themed fright cakes, cupcake towers inspired by Manolo Blahnik heels, sugar glass-molded landscapes with wonky Venetian masks and chocolate fountains that never gush the way they should: Who wouldn't want to see them crash on the teetery climactic journey from work surface to judging table?
Turns out America's NASCAR-tacky pastry mashups have a French ancestor, the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (M.O.F.), sometimes called the Nobel Prize of pastry. A documentary, Kings of Pastry, about three finalists out of 16 in the M.O.F. is finally making its way to San Francisco (it opens Nov. 17 at the Balboa Theater, 3630 Balboa, at 37th Ave.). The filmmakers: D.A. Pennebaker and his wife, Chris Hegedus.
Of course, Pennebaker (Dont Look Back, Monterey Pop; and with Hegedus, The War Room) is one of the daddies of cinéma vérité, and Kings of Pastry slices open the testosterone-heavy milieu of France's traditionally male pâtissier corps.
Today marks the start of Dia de Los Muertos, the two-day Mexican celebration that combines the conquering European traditions of All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls' Day (Nov. 2) with the Aztec festival for Mictecacihuatl, represented today as La Calavera Catrina, queen of the underworld and ruler of the afterlife. Far from being a somber or morbid celebration, Day of the Dead is a fiesta more akin to Thanksgiving than Halloween, with plenty of friends and family, chocolate, food, and drink to satisfy both the corporeal and the ethereal.
You don't have to go to Mexico or the Mission to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. Building an altar requires few items: flowers (marigolds are traditional), candles, skeleton and skull art, and some offerings like chocolates, fruit, or bread. Spirits are frequently added to the spread. But which spirits please the dead?
One of the city's best neighborhood summer markets is going autumnal. The Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association announced late last week that the Wednesday Castro market will continue through Dec. 22. The market began its season in April, and was supposed to have wrapped it up Oct. 27. Now, says the PCFMA, the market will set up again week on Nov. 3 in its regular spot on Noe (between Market and Beaver), and return every Wednesday till just before Christmas. Only difference: The fall market begins and ends an hour earlier than the summer one, 3-7 p.m. instead of 4-8.
The past 72 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene.
Because, well, just because, Eater's Carolyn A. passes along the floor-plan for Potrero Hill's Ecco Caffe (1125 Mariposa), the Santa Rosa microroastery whose owner, Andrew Barnett, has been talking about relocating to S.F. for ages. Of course, chances are you'll forget everything about the design schematics by the time Ecco actually does open, months from now at the soonest. But you can feel at ease right now, knowing precisely where the bathrooms will be.
Inside Scoop's Paolo L. files the Public House/Mijita press release about the mountains of guacamole, rivers of beer, and swimming pools of Bloody Mary mix Traci Des Jardins' ballpark establishments ended up slinging last week during Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.
Happiness is a big tray full of food, and maybe a napkin or two. Can you name the main course on this piece of plastic as well as the San Francisco restaurant where this picture was snapped? Offer a guess in the comments below.
Perennial winner Luis correctly identified last week's Mystery Spot, Hot Spud. We're sure Luis would love someone to challenge his eagle-eyed skills. Any takers?
San Francisco Food Bank has teamed up with Pablo Panda Sandoval of the Giants for a cool timely promotion. Whoever donates the most to the nonprofit by 11:59 p.m. tonight (via this handy donation form) will score a baseball signed by Sandoval. The Food Bank distributes $6 worth of food for every dollar donated, so contributions do go a long way towards hitting home.
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@sfoodie.Monday, November 1, 2010
Gringo-style tacos, pork dumplings with some surprising sourcing, a new barbecue favorite, Oaxacan street food, and a crazy-ass sandwich: Five memorable things we lunched on in October, reprised here as SFoodie's "Eat This" honor roll of recent finds.
1. Tamales La Oaxaquena's mole chicken tamal.
