May 14th, 2012
Celebrating my wonderful Mother with an elegant springtime tea follows in the “Tea for Two” theme prevailing at ChezHelvetica. From a Kohler soaking tub to beautiful art created by Jennifer Roberts, this occasion surmounts them all. Inspired by the recipes from the May issue of Bon Appetit Magazine, our feast included Shaved-Radish Finger Sandwiches with Herb Butter on Baguette and Curried Egg Salad (sweetened with Granny Smith apple) on Pita. With Spring Onions and Asparagus purchased the day before from the sun-drenched Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, we delighted in A Savory Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart. Rather than using the Scone recipe in that issue, I opted for a Lemon Walnut recipe from the archives. Delicious Glashoff Farm’s Lemon Curd frosted the warm, earthy Scones. Peet’s Yunan Fancy Tea accompanied our meal in this sitting, replaced later by a DeLoach Chardonnay as we grazed throughout the evening. The secret ingredient to this celebration was unequivocally my incredible Mother. It is her strength, creativity and love that made this all possible. Thank you Mom!
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Tags: Bon Appetit Magazine, DeLoach, Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, Peet's
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April 17th, 2012
With the happy lightness and warmth of Spring, a casual Sunday supper delighted all at ChezHelvetica this evening. Grilled Portabello Mushrooms (brushed with minced Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil) with Grilled Onions and Cheddar Cheese topped LaBrea Multi-Grain bread for an easy-to-eat entree, accompanied by roasted yellow, red and purple Potatoes accented with Rosemary. Our salad boasted the “queen of vegetables” – Endive (a member of the chicory family) and Pink Grapefruit, Avocado and Walnuts, dressed in a luscious Honey, Citrus dressing. Thanks to a recipe from Martha Stewart Living, our delicious dessert featured Meyer Lemons in a heavenly Lemon Custard Cake crowned with fresh Strawberries. Celebrating the present with loved ones!
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Tags: Endive, La Brea Bakery, Martha Stewart Living
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April 10th, 2012
The chosen theme for our Seder this year reflects the rich and exotic Jewish culture that flourished for many centuries on the Iberian Peninsula, from the exotic and delicious cuisine to the colorful customs practiced at the Passover/Pesach Seder table. While guests to a Sephardic Seder customarily wear white, our table was set with vibrant yellow and red in keeping with the colors of the Spanish flag. A delicious Leek Soup replaced the traditional matzo ball soup as our starter followed by Charoset Truffles bursting with apricots, dates and cinnamon. “Huevos Haminados” or eggs turned a beautiful light brown from slow cooking in onion skins with coffee grounds replaced the ritual hard-boiled eggs. With fond memories of the Paella I saw cooking on outside fires while living in Spain, this dish took center stage at our meal with a Kosher Paella recipe. Using chicken wing drummettes, sausages, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and green beans, a savory smoked salmon embellished our fragrant saffron-infused dish. Exquisite wine from the Ribera Sacra region of Spain accompanied the meal as we said our blessings with one glass after another. An amazing Spanish Walnut Cake with Syrup “Tishpishti” was the sweet ending to our Seder and beginning of this year’s exodus to freedom!
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March 22nd, 2012
It’s a weekday. It’s lunchtime. Outside, it’s dark, cloudy and cold. Like magic, the burst of candlelight, vivid colors and warm food transform the day. Grilled stovetop, whole wheat and corn tortillas, avocado, baby spinach, cheddar cheese and salsa (embellished with Campari tomatoes) become Veggie Burritos. A Green Bean Salad (Food Network chef Ellie Krieger’s recipe) accompanies our entree. Trimmed and steamed green beans, fragrant toasted walnuts, vibrant parsley and a mustard vinaigrette burst with flavor. A happy union. BTW – the matchbook used to light the candles reads “Kathy & Freddy June 5, 1981″. More than 30 years later, the matches still ignite immediately.
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Tags: Ellie Krieger, Food Network
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January 23rd, 2012
The magical elixir of Spicy Chicken Sausage & Chickpea Stew proved the perfect potion for warming stomachs and souls. Thank you Amanda Gold of the San Francisco Chronicle for the soulful connection! Aromas of browning onions and sausage filled the air as the stew simmered and chickpeas danced in the broth, garnished before serving with fresh rosemary and Parmesan cheese. A recipe from my archives, Gourmet Magazine’s Date, Goat Cheese and Mesclun Salad, with its juxtaposition of creamy, sweet flavors and sharp red-wine vinegar and soy sauce dressing, sided beautifully with the stew. Warm, multi-grain La Brea bread quite literally pulled it all together as a Bogle Zinfandel provided even more comfort. Delectable Chocolate Pecan Bars concluded the meal at ChezHelvetica. An evening of simple indulgence and deep love!
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Tags: Amanda Gold, La Brea Bakery, San Francisco Chronicle
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December 16th, 2011
With a tablecloth from Cabo San Lucas, plates handcrafted by the unparalleled Rose Kahn and glassware taken from a photo shoot, the colorful tabletop was set and ready to receive the lively cuisine at ChezHelvetica tonight. Fittingly, Foodbuzz provided the recipe for the Black Bean Tostadas. Instead of using sour cream, luscious Crème fraîche with organic chives and dill dressed the romaine and black beans with salsa – all cradled by Trader Joe’s organic wheat and corn flour tortillas. Mushrooms al Ajillo, a recipe from Cesar Tapas Bar, accompanied the Tostadas. Rather than using chiles, Dave’s Gourmet smoky chile salt seasoned the shiaitake mushrooms to perfection. The velvety texture of the Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Saffron (a recipe found in Epicurious) proved an excellent counterpoint to the spicy dishes. Almost like finding buried treasure, tawny Victoria Beer paired with our food. ”In Mexico it’s a very important beer, because it’s very traditional and historic because this is the oldest beer brand in Mexico,” said Cesar Martinez, Victoria beer brewmaster. With the holidays upon us, See’s premiere candies were the fun ending to our meal as we selected one delectable gem after the other. As Forrest Gump quoted - My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
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Tags: Cesar Tapas Bar, Dave's Gourmet, Foodbuzz, See's Candies, Victoria Beer
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November 28th, 2011
Black Friday dinner, the counterpart to a Thanksgiving feast, featured Sage as the wise choice to bridge both occasions. The Salvia officinalis (from Three Bees Nursery) used in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce was almost sweet, deliciously bathing Monterey Bay Organic Spinach and Cheese Ravioli. But let me digress, this meal began with a wonderful Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Bananas, an “autumn in a bowl” recipe from Food & Wine magazine. A LaBrea Bakery Whole Wheat Bread, baked right before our meal, filled the air with the fragrance of its nutty taste, serving as the perfect accompaniment to sop up sauce and eat with soup. Piquant Kalamata Olives from Haig’s Delicacies and Smoked Salmon from Bryan’s Market rounded out our main course. An excellent Klinker Brick Zinfandel brought black magic to the Black Friday celebration, as did a ChezHelvetica favorite dessert – Lemon Squares from the Neiman Marcus cookbook. So here’s to being grateful and thankful, still, for the love of family and all the bounty life has to offer!
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Tags: Food & Wine magazine, Haig's Delicacies, Klinker Brick, LaBrea Bakery, Three Bees Nursery
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September 15th, 2011
With all of the recent press celebrating Alice Waters and her recipes from the past 40 years, I was inspired – in “Julie & Julia” fashion – to create some of her signature dishes. Pulling from the San Francisco Chronicle Decade 2 recipes, a delicious Baked Goat Cheese With Garden Lettuces served as a combination salad and cheese course. Goat cheese disks soaked up extra virgin olive along with fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden, then rolled in bread crumbs made from a whole wheat walnut sourdough baguette. These were baked and placed on a bed of arugula, dressed with sherry and red wine vinegars and oil. A “Thyme In” feature from the Wall Street Journal captured my attention with a Chicken with Garlic Purée and Zucchini Salad recipe. Raw summer squash from the Fillmore Farmers Market came alive in a marinade of Meyer lemon juice, basil and parsley. The savory roasted garlic purée electrified succulent grilled chicken breasts accented with sage, oregano and thyme. A perfect wine pairing was found with Husch Vineyards Mendocino Chardonnay made from sustainably grown grapes. A toast to Alice and her legacy of fresh, simple food!
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Tags: Alice Waters, Fillmore Farmers Market, Husch, Husch Vineyards
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August 29th, 2011
It’s time once again for a Bon Voyage meal for those headed to the Black Rock Desert, embarking this year on their “Rite of Passage”. The meal highlight for My Burner was a Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad with Avocado and Parmesan, a recipe from Real Simple magazine. Kosher chicken from Trader Joe’s and organic white corn from the Fillmore Farmers Market were grilled stovetop, along with a baguette brushed with oil infused with basil. This dish was delightfully simple to make, thanks in part to some knowledge just learned from Food & Wine magazine about removing corn kernels from the cob. Using a bundt pan, you place the ear in the center hole and then slice off the kernels; they fall weightlessly right into the pan. Luscious red strawberries from Medina Berry Farms (also found at the Fillmore Farmers Market) were the Sweet Send Off.
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Tags: Fillmore Farmers Market, Food & Wine, Medina Berry Farms, Real Simple
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August 17th, 2011
Food & Wine’s September 2011 issue promised Sicilian flavor with a fresh Garlic-Tomato Sauce using orange zest and saffron. Let the vicarious travel expedition begin! Early Girl Tomatoes from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, first softened with garlic and red pepper then simmered with precious saffron and oregano, filled the air with sensuous aroma. True Wild Cod fillets (discovered at AK Meats on Clement Street) nestled in the sauce topped Arborio Rice scented with fragrant orange zest, bay leaves and cloves. Grilled Eggplant, roasted walnuts and ricotta cheese on arugula was the perfect accompaniment. With the season’s bounty of Meyer Lemons and Blackberries, the ChezHelvetica dessert this evening featured a Williams-Sonoma recipe for Lemon Bread. A sweet lemony syrup with blackberries drenched the bread for a fitting end to our journey!
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Tags: Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, Food & Wine, Williams-Sonoma
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