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Model Bakery English Muffins

Gracing the front cover of the Model Bakery cookbook are the Napa bakery’s famous English muffins. I’ve made muffins before but they look authentically like store-bought ones versus these golden puffy pillows that sell out every morning at the downtown St Helena shop.

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When I tasted my first Model Bakery muffin it was unlike anything I’ve ever had – this is how it’s supposed to taste? – I thought. The muffin had been in the freezer for about a week and I placed in a toaster oven to re-crisp. It was so flaky, crisp and buttery. Thank goodness for the book, because I had to have them, at any time I wanted. Lucky for me, shortly after my experiment I got to meet the owners of the bakery so I could see firsthand how the muffins were made and get some tips in the process. So here we go, my muffin adventure!

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HOC-tober Fest

Autumn is my favorite season to visit Napa. Of course here in California, this time of year  still feels like summer but that means I can enjoy dining alfresco just a bit longer. A few weekends ago we did a Bouchon Project day trip to Yountville for ad hoc restaurant’s Oktoberfest celebration at Addendum, the outpost behind the restaurant that serves Thomas Keller’s famous fried chicken on weekends. Pretzels, beer and friends. Have a look!

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Beer and brats, Oktoberfest staples.

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Making Macarons with Aran Goyoaga

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Aran Goyoaga surrounded by trays of macarons in the Williams-Sonoma demonstration kitchen

Aran Goyoaga, food photographer and stylist shares her life in food on her award-winning blog, Cannelle et Vanille. Not only is the blog a visually stunning food diary, it also provides recipe inspiration for eating gluten-free, something Aran has had to adjust to since discovering her intolerance in 2009. In the fall of 2012, she released her first cookbook, Small Plates & Sweet Treats which contains gluten-free recipes organized by season.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting Aran when she made a stop at Williams-Sonoma Union Square in San Francisco to sign her book and demonstrate how to make macarons. It is such a finicky pastry to get right so I am always interested in seeing people’s variations on the technique. I’ve jotted down some great tips from Aran and I have to say her macarons tasted delicieux.

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Killed by Dessert: San Francisco

Some of the country’s best pastry chefs from the east and west coasts have come together to raise money for Share Our Strength through a series of “Killed by Dessert” events. The founders Lincoln Carson, Bill Corbett, Brooks Headley, Michael Laiskonis, Francisco Migoya & Christina Tosi held events in New York and Texas before making their way to the Bay Area.

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