Celebrating freedom this Fourth of July with the incredible bounty of our country! With a nod to the diversity of this nation, flavors were All-American, Mexican and Italian. The American component was a Lemony Potato Salad, a recipe from Epicurious, offering the zing of Meyer Lemon juice and zest, crunchy celery and buttery Yukon Gold Potatoes. Luscious creme fraiche enriched the dressing. Guacamole and chips, a natural segue from the U.S. to Mexico, took a twist with the use of cumin along with sweet red onion to flavor the organic avocado. Primavera Butternut Squash Tamales, filled with corn and Jack Cheese, paired with a new partner -Dave’s Gourmet Roasted Red Pepper Chipolte Hot Sauce. This delicious sauce delivered smoky soft fireworks! Savory Aidell’s Italian Sausages completed our entree and sweet ripe strawberries completed our holiday meal. With a salute to the Armed Forces and my Father, the folded flag was used to adorn the table.
Independence Day!*!*!
July 5th, 2011Skewered
June 25th, 2011
It’s Summer Solstice! As apropos, this evening’s entree featured something grilled – Grilled Oregano Prawns, an inspiration from Epicurious. With fresh oregano from our garden, sweet red onion and succulent prawns (from local market, AK Meats), this first of the season venture was off to a great start. A French Fingerling Potato Salad was the perfect complement with its buttery potatoes from Zuckerman Farms (purchased at the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market) and a piquant sherry, shallot vinaigrette. Warm multi-grain bread from Grace Baking sopped up the dressing as we enjoyed a golden Chardonnay from BR Cohen. Ya gotta have ice cream as your dessert on an occasion like this and Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream was the ultimate choice!
Mother’s Day
May 10th, 2011
Celebrating Mother’s Day with the most incredible, inspirational, creative, strong woman. The menu featured all her favorites, from Caesar Salad, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Rosemary to Lobster Thermidor. This classic recipe, originated in the 1940′s by Gourmet chef Lois P. DeGouy, received a San Francisco touch with Baby Shiiatake Mushrooms from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market. Fire engine red lobster tails, doused in an intoxicating thermidor sauce with sherry, were declared “Most Delicious Ever” by the honored guest. A baguette from Grace Baking soaked up the sauce and the salad dressing as the sun illuminated our celebration. Linens used also encompassed the classic and current with handmade placemats and napkins from Willemstad, Curacao, purchased decades ago on a Royal Viking Line cruise, to a new table cloth from 24th Street. The eternal dessert of choice – a Hot Fudge Sundae – was the perfect sweet ending to our special occasion!
In What Way Do You Find This Night Different?
April 21st, 2011
The leader of our Passover Seder posed this traditional question to the Chosen Family and Friends present. The Wise Son quickly responded with a non-traditional answer: Matzo! The same could be said for the first Italian Seder at ChezHelvetica, “From San Francisco to Siena”. Drawing from archives of classic Italian Passover recipes, together with suggestions from Chef Claudio, the menu came to life. Our first course featured Laura Chenel chèvre spiked with minced garlic and parsley and wrapped in Breseola with Mission figs. A tantalizing Matzo Ball Soup made with matzo meal and ground chicken followed along with Italian Charoset bursting with fragrant spices, orange, almonds and luscious dried fruits. We reclined, thanks to Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio, Pio Cesare Barolo and Villa Antinori Toscana wines. Ah, the main course – Spigola Arrosta, Red Snapper (delivered to Antonelli’s Market that morning) accented with rosemary and anchovies then slow roasted on a grill, Porcini Matzo Polenta enhanced with basil and oven roasted artichoke hearts with garlic. For dessert, beautiful sweet strawberries from a roadside stand in Rio Vista and French Vanilla yogurt from Trader Joe’s with incredible Ricciarelli di Siena, almond and meringue cookies dusted with confectioners’ sugar. An almost biblical journey to freedom and epicurean delight!

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A Lucky Dinner
March 19th, 2011
The luck of the Irish and the fine shops in San Francisco came to the table this St. Patrick’s Day. Shenson’s corned beef from Costco, roasted in a convection oven, brought smiles even to the leprechaun. Or maybe it was the Guinness Draught?! Pureed herb roasted root vegetables and yams, combined with cream cheese, made a wonderful spread for the Irish Soda Bread. Fresh from the ovens of John Campbell’s Irish Bakery, this raisin-studded bread was the best I have ever tasted. A radish, parsley and green onion salad – along with an “artichoke heart four leaf clover” – completed the holiday meal. Yep, feeling lucky!
And Now a Volcano!
March 15th, 2011
With earthquakes and tsunamis on my mind, the flowing Garlic Volcano Bread at Boudin Bakery certainly caught my attention. Happily, this delicious bread proved the perfect accompaniment to Spaghetti And Meatballs Allamatriciana. This recipe from Bon Appétit Everyday Meals provided a new twist on the traditional dish with the use of mouthwatering applewood smoked bacon as the charcuterie of choice in combination with ground beef, panko breadcrumbs aromatics and the spices. Let the truth be known that instead of using the tomato sauce ingredients from the recipe, I used Prego tomato sauce left over from Burning Man. The organic Trader Joe’s whole wheat spaghetti couldn’t have been happier. The Wall Street Journal’s “Off Duty” section inspired our salad. The ChezHelvetica version used horizontally sliced Tory Farms navel oranges, arugula, goat cheese and toasted walnuts with a balsamic vinaigrette enhanced by Italian parsley and fresh oregano from our garden. And ZAP, a tantalizing bottle of Zynthesis Zinfandel quaffed our thirst!
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Vitamin C
March 3rd, 2011
While most people are somewhat cognizant of trying to eat a healthy diet, perhaps even Michelle Obama, Alice Waters and my own Mother would be impressed with the latest dish served at ChezHelvetica. Thanks to Michael Chiarello of Food Network fame, the Arugula Pesto with Pine Nuts recipe called for the inclusion of Vitamin C. So – from the medicine cabinet to the Cuisinart, a half tab of Vitamin C was pulverized, providing a subtle flavor similar to lemon. The pesto dressed whole wheat fettucinne (from Pezzini Farms in Castroville) and seared ahi tuna (from Costco). The aforementioned three women may be less impressed with the health benefits of the dessert – multiple See’s Candies, left over from Valentine’s Day. Life – it’s all about balance, right?!
Under the Tuscan Sun (at Land’s End)
February 17th, 2011
Warm rays of sunshine, interlaced with the warmth of good friends, created the perfect ambience for this Tuscan-inspired luncheon. We toasted our “salute” and long friendship with Prosecco while devouring our delicious appetizer. Chef Claudio’s recipe for Bresaola (an Italian air-cured beef,) stuffed with goat cheese, garlic and parsley, received a special ChezHelvetica touch with the addition of sweet mission figs. Fresh ciabatta and mixed olives accompanied this course as well as our entree.
Fried asparagus wrapped with prosciutto (then quickly roasted) sided the new house favorite, Nude Gnocchi with a Butter Sage sauce. These pillowy Ricotta and Arugula dumplings melted in our mouths as we moved on to samplings of a Pinot Grigio and two different Italian red wines. Pellegrino helped balance our imbibing!
“Torta della Nona” or Grandmother’s Cake, a luscious custard filled tart with raisins and pine nuts, further sweetened the afternoon. And then there was Limoncello, the grand finale!
NB: The resource for most ingredients used in this menu were from Cal-Mart.
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From the Maccabees to Martha, Via Tuscany
December 9th, 2010
Tonight we celebrate Chanukah and Judah Maccabee’s victory in re-dedicating the Temple. (History lesson: The Maccabees found only a small jug of oil, uncontaminated by virtue of a seal, and although it contained enough oil for only one day, it miraculously lasted eight days). After delighting on latkes the first night of the holiday, this seventh night’s menu included Shiiatake Mushroom Fettucine with intoxicating Truffle Oil, creamy Burrata Cheese and Puréed Rutabaga with shallots. Chef Claudio’s recipes inspired this delicious fettucine while Martha Stewart Living provided a new twist on the root vegetables. The recipe specifies the addition of mascarpone cheese, however, I substituted a combination of cream cheese and sour cream. The fine food and wine for our meal were gathered from the wonderful Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and A.G. Ferrari. Zabaione – named “Chef Claudio’s second breakfast” – sweetened this celebration of victory and miracles!
The Wishbone
November 30th, 2010
Thanksgiving ’10, a dazzling clear and chilly day, provided the perfect ambience for creating a feast. Tradition met innovation with the dishes served, from the organic turkey – painstakingly prepared on a Weber grill by my husband – to Green Beans with Blackened Sage, an Epicurious recipe advising “forget that green bean casserole”. Cornbread stuffing with fresh herbs, cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and dried bing cherries and a yam roasted along with the turkey continued the holiday ritual of incredible aromas and flavors. The 7 Deadly Sins Zinfandel and Pecan Pie heightened the excitement of the occasion and fueled us for an after dinner walk under the Starry Night (better than Van Gogh’s). Now there is a wishbone beckoning, filled with hopes of dreams come true!




