It Takes a Kitchen™

Coronado Brewing, Family Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I realize that many people don’t leap to a brewery or brewpub when they need a family-friendly restaurant, but I think that’s a mistake. It’s not all beer-drinking and drunkenness. In fact, I have been in very few where beer was the only focus. However, I have been in a few where beer was just the trendy gimmick. Coronado Brewing Company in San Diego does not brew as a gimmick, nor just for drinking. They have created a restaurant that really is family-friendly serving quality meals, excellent beers, with an atmosphere and service to make you come back.

We stopped by on a weekday evening around 7pm only to find the place mobbed and a 30-minute wait for a table. Fortunately, CBC is in a lively part of town with lots of people coming and going. People watching can help the time pass quickly. And it turns out that Tuesday nights are kids night and they eat virtually free. Better yet, on this night there was a roving balloon clown. Well, not really a clown. He was dressed like a server, but had a giant tool belt loaded with tools and balloons. He worked for tips only making some of the most outrageous, complex balloon “animals” I have ever seen. And he did them at light-speed. It was incredible! Our 30-minutes flew by and the kids got a couple balloon friends to come along for dinner.

Service was excellent from the start. Any time we eat in a new restaurant we need to ask about nuts; our son has a nut allergy that could be life-threatening. Our server, Matthew, knew immediately what we were talking about and why. He reassured us that CBC is nut free with the exception of desserts which come from elsewhere, but then he offered to double check with the chef to be sure. He returned quickly and cheerfully to reassure us – no nut allergy problems here. In fact, he did everything at light speed with a smile. He looked after every table in his area this way, flying from table to table, giving everyone his undivided attention with cheer.

We got our drink orders in, which of course included beers for my wife and I. There IPAs, both the Islander and the Idiot were excellent. Wish I could have had more than one, but at 7% and 8% ABV, you’re gonna feel this, particularly if you’re already drowsy. Our food arrived just as the crayons and coloring were completed by the kids. Mac and Cheese, Penne with marinara and some Caesar salad for the kids, an Ahi sandwich and Fish and Chips for the adults. I think the Mac and Cheese came from a blue box, but then that’s what makes the kids happy, right? The Fish and Chips were delicious, crisp and a little slice of England for me. If only they had been served on newsprint with mushy peas. The Ahi was cooked just right – just slightly pink in the middle and was apparently delicious; it was consumed with such gusto I didn’t get a bite! Matthew stopped by a couple times to make sure it was all great – and it was.

We were having such a great time on our vacation we figured we had to get dessert. A gigantic bowl of ice cream for only $4.95 pleased us all. And this entire meal can be yours for $10 less than hot dogs, sodas and fries at Legoland. Seriously…this entire meal was under $50. Wrap your brain around that…great service, delicious food and drink for four in a major American city over spring break for under $50!

Coronado Brewing Company, you’re doing something right. Now it’s your turn. Get there for a beer and dinner – with the kids!

The Carnitas Snack Shack - Carnivores' Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:38:00 +0000

The Carnitas Snack Shack has quickly become one of the cool, hip places for carnivores in North Park, San Diego. My wife surprised me with an impromptu stop a few weeks ago, and we were met by a long line and a longer wait. I say that not as a point of criticism, but warning. This place is great. In fact, I want to live within walking distance so I can place an order, do some errands and walk over. I will happily wait in that line, grab a beer, sit on their inviting patio and wait. When my food pops up I will just grab another beer.

Wait…I am supposed to explain the place before revealing my review. Sorry, got excited.

So anticipate a line, and it won’t move fast. That’s ok. You will need the time to check out the menu which changes all the time. In fact, just to make your mouth water, join them on Facebook. They often post pictures of their menu and it’s enough to make a pork lover weep. When you reach the little window you will likely be greeted with cheer. Order a drink and get that part rolling. Great selection of beers, by the way. I ordered something from Green Flash or Stone, as one should do in San Diego. But what to eat amongst all this deliciousness?! I asked for the seared, chili-glazed pork belly with frisee and some fries with bacon ketchup. You’re drooling now, aren’t you? Then I waited. And waited. Waited some more. Enjoyed the patio. Talked to some regulars who assured me the wait was well worth it. Fortunately the patio seems to invite conversations amongst patrons and the time passes quickly. But once my food arrived in a paper bag I could not wait. The fries were crisp and hot. The ketchup had a tanginess mixed with smoky bacon that was really nice. The frisee was dressed with a very acidic dressing that cut the fattiness of the pork belly beautifully. And that pork belly….wow. Tender, flavorful, mmmmm…like butter, but better. This was porkiliciousness at its finest. It is not a large piece. You don’t need that! But it was just right. And the balance of fat and acid…I know this is what Aristotle meant when he discussed the Golden Mean…right?

I wish I had the room and the time to try more, but I will be back. And when I return I hope they have chilaquiles and that Triple Threat Pork Sandwich. I saw one of those, and I think it looked so good, so delicious, I blushed.

Get over to the Snack Shack. Look for the pig on the roof and the line on the sidewalk.

Panificio E Ristorante Solunto? Now Panetteria

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

One Saturday we wandered down to San Diego’s Little Italy and its wonderful farmers’ market. What a great and diverse event. If in San Diego on a Saturday I must recommend you wander up and down, taking in the sounds and aromas, try a sample here and there and see what you want to take home to cook with. But when you are done grab a bite for lunch at the former Panificio E Ristorante Solunto, now Panetteria, on India Street. You can’t miss it; it’s brightly painted a yellowish orange and has tables out on the sidewalk. You will be greeted by a true Italian who will likely invite you to sit where you like, order what you like and take as much time as you like. Apparently the old place, Panificio E Ristorante Solunto, was quite beloved. However, little seems to have changed and under a new name, it will continue to please.

Photo from http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/feast/2011/dec/23/so-long-solunto/

We had a simple lunch. We shared a plate of calamari fritti and bruschetta (and as we all have our ‘things,’ please say ‘brus-ketta’ and not, ‘bru-shetta.’) a great salad with a light, bright, citrusy dressing. The food was delicious, fresh, flavorful and simply perfect for a sunny afternoon. Service was authentically Italian – kind, leisurely and informal, charming and enthusiastic about every food in the place. The special attraction at Panetteria is the pastry and cookie selection. We sampled at least five different ones, and they we were exquisite. Finished off with cappuccino and espresso, and we felt as though we had stroll back through Tuscany to get to the car. And all that Italian joy for under $40!

In the San Diego area?…Make a Saturday of it…. andiamo!

LikeStream - Restaurant Review App in Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I know you get flooded with requests to join apps on your phones and at Facebook, but this one will appeal to you foodies. Like a good restaurant? Need to find one, but need to find a trusted reviewer. Come check out this new app and give it a shot.

-Mark

Some very exciting news from the world of online restaurant reviews. Come check this out...and I look forward to seeing you over there.

Come sign up for LikeStream because you want great restaurant recommendations from the friends and experts you trust and want to hear from. Who better than a passionate local with a point of view, to help you discover more hidden gems?

Please welcome the first of our knowledgeable and adventurous local foodie experts to help you in your quest for new dining experiences.

Michelle Syracuse is the author of a tasteful blog called Gather365. With the motto of "Go forth, Gather, Eat good food", she engagingly narrates her dining experiences in and around Oakland and San Francisco. Best way to describe Michelle's choices and reviews - down-to-earth, warm and thoughtful.

Mark Janda is the author of a thought-provoking blog called It Takes A Kitchen. Mark is a history teacher with a penchant for exploring new food and dining, so you can imagine the learning and adventure that comes from following his reviews around his hometown of Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Europe.

Sign-in, go to our "foodies & friends" page and follow them from our "famous foodies" tab to see their reviews in your search results.

p.s. A local expert foodie yourself? or know of one? Just let us know, we would love to promote you or your friend on our famous foodies page!

La Posta

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Santa Cruz, California has a number of restaurants that inspire people to travel over the hill from the South Bay and San Francisco areas, many open for a long time holding fond memories of family vacations and college days. By nature, these places cannot change or challenge too much. Thankfully there are newer places in the process of establishing new traditions. La Posta on Seabright is at the fore of this, and is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in town for either a nice night out or a serious celebration.

La Posta is called such because it is housed in the old post office. Its neighborhood is ripe for serious development (see a previous post about another of Seabright'sItalian eateries), as it offers a great mix of housing and entertainment and is within a five minute walk to the sea. But La Posta offers something few places in town can. First, there is an attention to detail, quality and overall experience that, I dare say, only comes from a restaurant owned and operated by women. In fact, La Posta is owned by a women, its head chef is a woman and its front-of-house manager is a woman. I honestly think it shows in a most wonderful way.

The dining room is simple with a small bar that has a glimpse into the kitchen. Simple black and white photography of Italy decorates the walls above simple wood benches. Chandeliers over the bar are also decorated with photography. It’s a simple, soft setting. Service on every outing has been spectacular. Rarely has a server not been able to describe each dish in detail including each ingredient. Often they also know the provenance of all ingredients and can describe flavors wonderfully. They also have a good knack for recognizing patrons’ paces and adjusting ordering and plate arrival accordingly. The music is mostly soft jazz, but on Tuesday nights they have live music and a great pizza-and-wine deal. The one time we have been there for the live music it was trio playing folk music, and it fit perfectly with the fun, local atmosphere of Tuesday nights.

What you’re really here for is the food. Inspired by Italy, using as much locally produced food as possible and presented in perfect portions, the food is phenomenal. We have had pizzas, pastas, braised meats, salads, seafood, antipastis and soups, and all have been excellent. The pizzas are always crisp and thin, topped with very light, fresh tomato sauce and top-notch ingredients. The other night I had the special of the night topped with braised pork and chilis and it was great. The pastas are always hand and house made and are worthy of an Italian osteria. Last week we tried a pasta special made with fregula, a small pasta reminiscent of Israeli couscous, topped with mussels and a light, citrusy sauce. It tasted like summer at the sea. We also had a bowl of assorted olives lightly warmed (why don’t we all do this?) and a salad of arugula, radish and fennel with lemon breadcrumbs and green garlic vinaigrette…delicious!

The wine list is all-Italian with samplings reasonable to pricey. They also offer a couple house wines by bottle or carafe that provide a great bargain. One section of the wine list features wines made by women. The beer selection is small, but also all Italian. The real drink treat is their fizzy water. They make their own, but somehow it’s just better. As my wife says, it’s clean, crisp, and “tastes like fresh air.” You can finish your meal here with a small variety of desserts that have always pleased.

We have had some amazing meals at La Posta. Sometimes we just get a couple small plates and a glass of wine and get out for under $30 each. On the other hand, if you go for three courses, a good bottle of wine, and an espresso you could easily spend two to three times that. That’s what I love about it. You can enjoy La Posta for almost any occasion so long as you are in search of great food and excellent service in a casual atmosphere. In my opinion....the best restaurant in Santa Cruz.

Family Night in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Date nights and couple’s celebrations are wonderful, and even better if you have kids; the time alone is golden. But a real celebration needs the kids and family and friends. That’s the only way to really have a festive occasion. And if a couple of the friends are foodies or chefs and the kids eat or will try anything, even better. In San Diego this month we spent a few days with some dear friends who are just as excited about food as we are. We ate like champs throughout the entire trip, but one night had a very special feast, all prepared by a dear friend who is an executive chef and serious foodie. Take a look at these pictures….

A simple salad of butter lettuce and avocado.

Tri-tip roast and roasted veggies.

What I most appreciate about these meals is their simplicity. There are no long processes. No special techniques. No prep aside from chopping. This is simple, fresh food, prepared in a way that allows the food and its flavors to speak for themselves. I could include a long description of how to do a meal like this….but seriously…just find your favorite veggies, chop them for the grill after tossing with some olive oil, or arrange for a salad… cover a roast with seasoning of your choice and through it on the grill.

So gather some friends, open a beer or some wine, let the kids run till they drop, raise a toast to friendship, and eat…simple.

Nature's Celebration

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:47:00 +0000

I really wish I could find the time to write here every day. Between the meals I share with friends and family, articles I read, or even the latest episode of The Mind Of A Chef, I want to share something here all the time. But more often than not, time does not allow it. So after being away for two weeks, I intend to be back more consistently. In the coming couple weeks I have some meals to share, some restaurant reviews, and certainly some random musings. But let's start with a celebration.

My wife and I are concluding a month of celebrating our anniversary. The truth is we celebrate anything. In her family anything is an occasion to celebrate. The sun came out? Celebratory dinner! A birthday? That’s worth at least three days of special meals. Sent an article to a potential publisher? A celebratory toast at the very least. My next few posts will, one way or another, involve some of these celebrations for our anniversary. Allow me to begin with how nature joined in. We visited with friends in San Diego to kick off all our celebrations. For one of our meals nature surprised us with a pair of hearts encased in watermelon.

I have been blessed by a true partner that, I believe, really was destined for me and me for her. We met a long, long time ago, not exactly in a galaxy far, far away, but close. Circumstances separated us, life happened, and then brought us back together. Sparing you the details, our story should have been written by Nora Ephron. And this watermelon is just another crazy way I see us as one another's destiny.

Stamp Out Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

While we have developed the technology and techniques to produce more food than we need – some say as much as 2500 calories per person per day globally – we have poor distribution of this necessity. Too much of this production is going into fuel and high fructose corn syrup and being consumed in excess by the richest few in this world. We must do something to get food to the children – all children – all over the world. We have hunger all around us, just as we have abundance. Changing this takes an effort on the part of all of us.

You can start simply by getting informed. Today…right now…go check out a couple web pages.

The Giving Table at http://www.givingtable.org/

A Place at the Table at http://www.takepart.com/place-at-the-tableand see the movie

Share Our Strength at https://secure.strength.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=113

King Corn at http://www.kingcorn.net/ and see that movie

Then think about what you can do. Do you live in an agricultural region? Find a group that voluntarily gleans and donates their collection to the needy. Work in a soup kitchen or food pantry. Contribute food. Educate your kids. Demand that your representatives – from the school board to DC – act to provide healthy food at our schools. The bottom line - get informed, consider your talents and abilities and then do something with them to help others.

I am sharing the recipe below here and at The Giving Table’s Facebook page today (https://www.facebook.com/givingtable) because I think it is a great example of what can be done with common, inexpensive ingredients. This is a rich recipe high in protein and carbs that could feed 6-8 on about $8 or less using kitchen staples. Throw together a simple salad and you have well balanced, inexpensive and simple meal.

Pasta alla Carbonara, in easy, inexpensive form…

(makes 6-8 rich servings)

1 lb rigatoni.

4 egg yolks and one whole egg whisked together.

8 oz. bacon, chopped.

1 ½ cups shredded Parmesan

1 tbs olive oil

Pepper to taste, coarse ground – The occasional crunch of the coarse ground pepper adds an important heat and texture contrast

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 dance partner. Finishing this dish is easiest with two sets of hands. And dancing while cooking is fun.

1. Bring a lot of well-salted water to a full boil.

2. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into pieces about the size of dimes. This may be easier if it is frozen or at least very cold to start. Fry it in about a tablespoon of olive oil and fry until it is almost crisp. If you have any more than about 2tbs of oil and pork fat, pour some off and discard.

3. Drop your pasta in the boiling water.

4. Blend the egg yolks and whole egg well. Mix in about 2tbs of the cheese and grind in a couple teaspoons of coarse ground pepper.

5. Just before the pasta is done take about 3/8 of a cup of the pasta water and blend this into the egg/cheese mixture.

6. Invite your dinner guests to take a seat. It’s best that they be seated before you’re done. Pour them some red wine. This dish needs to be served piping hot.

7. Now move quickly with the help of a dance partner… Drain the pasta and quickly pour it back into the pot you cooked it in.

8. While stirring the pasta pour the egg and cheese mixture over it, stirring vigorously. The heat of the pasta and the pot will cook the egg. The cheese and water you added, combined with moving quickly will create a creamy texture. Moving too slow or having too much heat will scramble the eggs, creating a lumpy mess.

9. Just as soon as you’ve poured all the egg and cheese mix into the pasta pour in the bacon with its renderings. Give it all a good stir.

10. Sprinkle in some of remaining cheese and stir.

11. Serving Suggestion – Using wide, shallow bowls, place a large scoop of pasta and quickly hollow out the middle. Drop one egg yolk into the middle of the bowl. Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese on the pasta, grind some pepper on the pasta and sprinkle a little fresh parsley. Now it looks like a giant sunny-side-up fried egg and will be extra sensuous.

The Tale of the S'Meeps!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:51:00 +0000

I remember the Easter season as a kid. In New England it meant warming weather, melting snow and hints of green. The week leading up to Easter would mean a vaguely-remembered Rankin-Bass show about Peter Cottontail and the main event, The Wizard of Oz. Good Friday was mournful for some reason I didn’t fully understand. And then came the big day. The Easter Bunny had come the night before leaving behind jelly beans, chocolate and hopefully some marshmallow Peeps. Dinner was always ham , frozen, wilted spinach with vinegar and scallop potatoes. I do remember the potatoes fondly…

This year we added a life-altering dessert to the mix. I am serious... this is big. You are going to hear this, wonder why you haven’t done it, print this, and do it next Spring – or maybe next weekend! Do not continue reading unless you’re willing to increase you sugar intake soon. Do not continue reading this if you’re overly concerned for your health. Absolutely stop reading now if you have kids that get hyper with sugar and you wish they would not. Just stop now.

Still here? Cool. Here’s what we did… and in full disclosure, this was not my idea. This is the doing of my future sister-in-law – all her invention. First, in classic urban fashion, my brother-in-law started a fire in a bucket. When was the last time you did that on Easter Sunday? Want more? Ok…next we got out graham crackers…ok…you might think you know where this is going…but wait. Then we got one chocolate bunny, a hollow one, and busted it on a plate and then, you guessed it, opened a box of Peeps. No…we opened two, one pink bunnies and the other yellow chicks. Yes indeed….we made s’mores and turned them into S’MEEPS!!!! But listen…there’s a real beauty in this. That sugary, colored crust on the Peep caramelizes over the flame like you wouldn’t believe. And it gets so hot that it instantly melts the thin milk chocolate of the bunny. And when you squeeze it all together on a cracker the marshmallow oozes out through holes in the crust of the Peep. This is amazing!

I love s’mores, but this takes it to another level. And now we have a new Easter dessert tradition! Long Live The Easter S’meeps.

The Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:21:00 +0000

What is the world’s most perfect food? Cheese, bread and beer all run pretty high on the list for me. Their simplicity, complexity, variety and sheer joy I get from them far exceed almost all other foods. But the egg? Now that is a perfect food.

Consider that it is produced naturally and comes in its own biodegradable container. Consider the variety….quail eggs are petite, ostrich eggs are gigantic, and they’re all edible. Look at the sheer beauty and simplicity. Slightly white translucence contrasts against the golden brightness of a yolk.

There are fruits and vegetables that could challenge the egg for aesthetic beauty and design, but what of versatility? An egg could be eaten raw if you are careful of its sourcing. (But I am not encouraging that – that’s my legal disclaimer) It can cook quickly and become sticky and creamy as in carbonara. An egg can be fried sunny-side up to create a wonderful contrast between opaque white and golden yolk. It can be flipped while frying to create a white disk centered by only a hint of gold. Scrambled and you have golden happiness. Boil an egg for 7 minutes and get a beautiful, creamy soft one, or go a few minutes longer and see it hard-boiled and get something you can put aside until you need it. You mix an egg with flour and it will help cakes puff up. Mix it with cream and some veggies and get an omelet. Mix it with mayo and make a sandwich. Poach it for clean, stark whiteness and golden deliciousness. Eggs are amazing!

What about texture? An egg can go from sensuous creaminess to slice-able firmness in minutes. Compare a soft-boiled egg to a whipped egg for scrambling to one used for sushi. That’s the same natural resource!

What food has greater historical, cultural, even biological significance? Why Easter eggs? Eggs are symbols of birth and fertility. What is spring but a time of rebirth and fertility, and Easter is ultimately a spring ritual repeated in various forms by faiths and cultures the world over.

So as you gorge yourself on eggs today or anytime this spring, consider this amazing gift from nature as the ultimate packaged food.

I hope your yolks look like sunshine today.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000

I was late in high school or maybe even college before I tried sushi. The thought of it sounded delicious to me, and it sure did not disappoint. In the 25 years since I have had sushi as often as I could afford it. And I don’t mind admitting that I like it all…I am not picky. The stuff at the grocery store? Love it. The places with the laminated placards and checklists? Happy as can be. A fancy place in San Francisco’s Japan Town…thrilled. And I am a bottomless pit when it comes to sushi and sashimi. Some people can eat pizza without ever getting full. Some can consume entire bags of Doritos. Me…I don’t ever remember being satiated by sushi. I just want to keep eating and savoring each and every amazing bite. The only limit for me seems to be cost.

Fortunately, there’s a movie that will allow me to “eat” my sushi as often as I want at low cost. I recently watched Jiro Dreams of Sushito satisfy a craving for a documentary and raw fish. One of the things I have always appreciated about sushi was its aesthetic. Presentation is a priority for all foods, but it seems absolutely vital to sushi. This movie, using music, dialogue and of course visuals really captures the sushi aesthetic and amplifies it. My craving is worse now.

Jiro is an 85 year old sushi chef/restaurateur in Tokyo. He is the oldest Michelin-starred chef in the world. His restaurant is simple, sparse and really nothing at all to notice from the outside. But his methods and care for each and every element are extraordinary. His staff preps the seaweed over hot coals, fans the rice to cool it to just the right temperature, carefully and elegantly slices each piece of fish guided by history, tradition and optimal flavor and texture possibilities. At the counter Jiro preps each individual piece of sushi with grace and delicacy, custom sized for each guest. Caring for each and every element – temperature, texture, even seating arrangements – Jiro has created one of the world’s greatest dining experiences.

But there’s a subplot that ends up emerging as the real story. Jiro’s two sons have worked for him. The younger of the two has struck out on his own, creating his own restaurant. The eldest, however, remains Jiro’s apprentice at the age of 50. His dedication and devotion – or is it obligation? – to his father and his work is the real conflict in the film. By the end it is clear that he loves and admires his father, carries the heavy burden of one day taking over the restaurant, and is, in fact, the current architect of all the ingredients while his father gets the spotlight. It is a fascinating exploration of familial commitment. By the end I was comfortable believing that the son knew his influence and had confidence that he could skillfully take over the restaurant when his father passed. Further, I know Jiro knows it; but Jiro is the sort that will die the moment he gives up his passion, so he continues to work.

For a foodie and sushi lover, there’s much to enjoy and fascinate here. The pictures of Jiro’s creations are stunning. Watching the steps and detail involved in making profoundly wonderful sushi are inspiring. Every element is an art…rice prep, seaweed, fish selection and prep, cleanliness of every plate, arrangements of settings. Jiro has thought of everything right down to how to place the sushi on the dish depending upon whether the diner of right handed or left handed. I found the acquisition of high-quality ingredients intriguing. Jiro has one source for rice and only he gets the rice – the seller sells it to nobody else. The scenes of the fish market in Tokyo are enthralling. I would love to have someone explain the tuna auction to me. The varieties of sea life available were incredible. I want to try all of it.

After watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi I cannot help but wonder what eating would be like if we put such care into all we ate. First, I bet we would eat less. But then imagine the sensory experience it would be. Would it be exhausting? Invigorating? I don’t know, but I love knowing that there are artists out there like Jiro. They make our world a more interesting place.

http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/event/jiro-dreams-of-sushi-2/

New Facebook App for Foodies

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:34:00 +0000

Some very exciting news from the world of online restaurant reviews. Come check this out...and I look forward to seeing you over there.

Please welcome the first of our knowledgeable and adventurous local foodie experts to help you in your quest for new dining experiences.

You heard right. 3 restaurant reviews + 1 creative short bio + 1 profile photo (see example below), and you are in! The most creative bio entry along with the most number of reviews submitted by April 21st will be awarded $250 towards a dinner at one of our many recommended restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Here's what to do...

Sign up or go to the app from your desktop.

For the bio and photo, just go to the "Settings" page and click on "More about you!" to to add a photo and a short bio (six words or less!)

For the reviews, set the "Where" field to the appropriate city e.g. San Francisco and then search for your restaurant by name.

We will review all the entries that meet our criteria by April 21st and come back with a winner. So how about it? It's all pretty straight-forward, but here's the fine print if you need details.

That's it for now! Thank you for supporting LikeStream and keeping those reviews coming.

Don and Shirish (Co-founders)

The Man Who Changed The Way We Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Sometimes in this day of reality television and the internet we can get the impression that everything has changed in the last decade and all before the year 2000 was slow and bland. For foodies we have seen an explosion of websites, blogs, books and television shows about our favorite pastime. But did the food world really begin to change with the likes of The Food Network and Emeril Lagasse? Not even close. Processed food after World War II, public television and inexpensive world travel for people and food alike really started to change the food world more than a generation ago. Most of us can remember Julia Child on PBS. To me she was the symbol of cooking as a hobby. Travel in Europe in the early 80s introduced me to food as a mode of cultural expression. The Food Network just fed the interest. Now I can’t turn on the television without a few foodie shows to choose from. The Food section of the local bookstore is overflowing. Where did it all begin?

I recently read Thomas McNamee’s biography of Craig Claiborne, The Man Who Changed The Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance. Claiborne was the food editor at The New York Times beginning in 1957 and was arguably the most influential voice in the food world, certainly in the restaurant world of New York City. I confess to having little knowledge of him prior to reading this book, but now I wonder how I missed him. Claiborne was a larger than life personality credited with a significant role in popularizing everyone from Julia Child, Paul Bocuse and Paul Prudhomme to Marcella Hazan and foods such as arugula and balsamic vinegar. He was a massive figure in the food world at a time when there wasn’t the cacophony of 400 TV stations and the internet. To be food editor at The Times was to be kingmaker.

McNamee does a masterful job of bringing him to life. The Man Who Changed The Way We Eatis thoroughly researched and cited, and tells Claiborne’s story from birth to death. He was clearly a very complex, conflicted and passionate individual. Claiborne grew up in Mississippi and seems to have envisioned himself near-royalty. Throughout his life he lived beyond his sometimes-considerable means, drank far too much, and indulged most every vice. He held restaurants to unbelievable, Old World standards and would live long enough to see such standards fall way out of vogue. In the process he appears to struggle with self-doubt and a lack of direction in a changing marketplace. In the end he seems quite sad.

I found the book wonderfully readable. Though dense with detail, it reads smoothly. There were many sections I didn’t want to end or in which I just wanted to keep reading. I think that is a great compliment for such a detailed bio. McNanee seems to have left no stone unturned, no detail unreported. In fact, it has moments where it seems rather scholarly…in a good way. By the end I truly felt like I knew Claiborne.

If you are interested in how the food world as we know it came to be, give this book a read.

Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:53:00 +0000

CNN has a mouth-watering article I have to share here. Tell me you don't get hungry looking at these beautiful pictures... America's 11 New Sandwich Heroes.

Salade Nicoise

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:15:00 +0000

When I think about eating outside in the sunshine, I always think of salade Nicoise. On a warm, sunny day just thinking about the smell of the Mediterranean Sea mixed with a whiff of anchovies and olives, and I am transported to the south of France. Is there any better place on earth to have lunch under the sun? Imagine the colors – azur seas, golden sun and egg yolks, dark olives, bright greens, white fava beans, red tomatoes. Sitting under a blue awning on a brick, southern place near the beach, the sounds of French and Italian, the smell of pastis for an aperitif. A summer lunch could hardly be better.

For her birthday, my wife wanted a trip to France. Short of winning the lottery, that wasn’t quite going to happen, so I had to bring some of France to her. I figured nothing could be more classically French than salade Nicoise and steak et frites. A quick online search to find the classic salade Nicoise brought me quickly to David Lebovitz’ webpage. A few posts back I wrote about books about food that I love. It’s a bit ironic that it was Lebovitz’ site that popped up on this search because his book, The Sweet Life in Paris is one of my more recent foodie reads. If you’re into either bread or Paris, I strongly recommend it.

His webpage featured a great essay and recipe for salade Nicoise that I opted to follow quite closely. I opted to do this with anchovies, as opposed to tuna. Do not let that scare you away. I sneak anchovies into many recipes and nobody ever believes me…if I tell them. They’re liked by more people than can believe it. I also had to cheat a bit and bought my fava beans prepped and marinated at the olive bar in Whole Foods. And they were amazing. A word about the eggs…I boiled mine for 9 minutes then doused them in cold water. This left them somewhat soft and not too easy to hold and peel; be careful. But the result? Beautifully bright yolks, just beyond being liquid, still moist.

Some musettein the background, a Cotes de Rhone red, and the sizzle of steak in an iron skillet…and France came to us.

Tramonti in Seabright

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

This past weekend we finally got a chance to try one of Santa Cruz’s newest Italian spots, Tramontiin the Seabright neighborhood. I love the Seabright neighborhood, and if I were a millionaire I would be looking for ways to develop this into a “go-to” spot. Nestled between the San Lorenzo river, the Harbor and Soquel Avenue, it already has a great diversity of dining options, mixed housing, theater, a few shops and nearby grocers. It just needs something – an outdoor event of some sort, a festival in the streets, some more shops, a pedestrianized alley-way, something to make it a destination.

Fortunately, the dining in Seabright is excellent, already with two of my favorite spots, Seabright Brewing and La Posta. Now Tramonti joins the party. It’s a small, simply-decorated, modern space with Ikea-like tables and chairs except for two giant olive-wood tables in the center that are stunning. The dining area can see into the brightly-lit, white kitchen creating one vast, open, bright space. The spaces between tables are huge, perfect for the proprietors’ children to ride tricycles through, adding to the family-friendly charm.

The menu is authentically Italian. Wood-fired pizzas include 4 Stagioni and Capricciosa. Pastas include taglioni and the possibility of a simple tomato sauce dressed with Grana Padano. This place is clearly committed to authenticity.

Service was almost non-existent until they noticed us, but was then excellent. Our waiter was Italian in every way – accent, flair, warmth, humorous – and efficient. Once ordered, our Minabrea birra and Sangiovese wine quickly arrived. Then came our Santa Croce (Italian for Santa Cruz…clever) salad. That was truly great. Kale, mixed greens, arugula, Grana Padano and Feta, and nuts dressed with a citronette (maybe a touch too much) was delicious and large enough to share. Then came the pizza. My standard test for any supposed-Neapolitan pizza place is their Capricciosa – mushrooms, prosciutto cotto (cooked) and an egg in the middle. This was the Tramonti interpretation, but I have also seen this with olives and artichokes, too. The pizza arrived straight from the oven…charred and bubbled crust lent it visual authenticity while the smell was exquisite. The flavors were delicious. The tomato sauce was light and fresh, no tomato paste in sight. The textures were spot on. It may not have been the best I have had outside of Italy, but it did the trick. My lone disappointment was in the prosciutto. I am reasonably sure that the ham was just that…ham…and not a high quality prosciutto. And I really love a thin-sliced prosciutto on my pizza – crudo or cotto.

The bottom line for me…Tramonti is trying to create an authentic Italian experience and not cater too much to an American taste. I appreciate that. And they’re doing a pretty good job. I will return, I will eat more pizza, I will try some pasta, and I will bring the kids. It was delicious and family-friendly for a very reasonable price.

Pissota con l'Oio

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:20:00 +0000

I had the pleasure twice in the past week to make a delicious Olive Oil Cake. I know that likely sounds weird, but it is so wonderfully easy to make and delicious. I first found the recipe a few years ago. Not being a baker by any stretch of the imagination, I needed something unique, but easy. This fit the bill the first time I made it, but this time… well, this recipe should be in everyone’s repertoire.

I found it on Saveur’s website. I find that to be a great source of recipes that are normally easy, authentic and great to eat. But this time I dressed it up. I know, you’re thinking you can’t mess with baking. Improv and baking do not mix. Baking is like chemistry; if you fiddle with quantities and ingredients you risk too much. But risk is fun, live a little.

I followed the recipe carefully, but did the following:

Doubled the lemon zest and used the juice from half a lemon

Included about a table spoon of poppy seeds

Was generous with the booze, in the style of Julia Child. I used Cointreau.

Before I poured the batter in the bundt pan I sprinkled just a little rock sea salt in the pan

When I was ready to serve it I drizzled chocolate sauce over it recklessly, making a mess all over the counter, which I had proactively spread paper towels on. To serve I included a scoop of lemon sorbet and a couple mint leaves. I wish I had a picture, but we were all having too much fun to stop for such a thing. I will do it again, and include a picture then. In the meantime, try this recipe. The kids love it, adults love it, and it’s versatile. It could be iced, served alongside a cup of coffee in the morning, or done as a dessert as I did. Go for it. And when you tell people it’s olive oil cake, most will be surprised and intrigued. And wait till the salt pops in their mouths. The smiles are priceless.

When Food Meets Your Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:38:00 +0000

Sometimes there’s a beautiful confluence of weather, mood, and food. After an early morning bike ride along the coast amidst a gorgeous blue sky, great surf, little traffic, the sounds of gulls and a rising sun I found myself in an unstoppable mood. You know that sense that you can do anything and it would be easy? It was topped by this breakfast…

Small, multicolored potatoes thrown in the frying pan and once heated through, two eggs thrown in and cooked through, yolks still runny and perfect for getting mixed with the potatoes. I took a look at it on the white plate, the sunshine outside still lighting me up and had to snap a picture and share. Nothing starts a day like a great breakfast to match the weather and your mood.

Pizza Night, Movie Night

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Another Friday is here. Fridays are special in my family. We call them “Friday night, Pizza night.” So long as the four of us are all home and there are no parties, practices or other activities we have pizza and a movie. Kids want predictability and routine, even if they seem to butt their heads against it sometimes. But the reality of this routine…our kids love it. In fact, our daughter will try to rearrange potential sleepovers to protect the sanctity of our Friday nights.

Most often we just grab a couple pre-made pizza crusts and top them. Sometimes we will use the dough from Trader Joe’s and once we made it from scratch. No matter the crust option, the kids often participate one way or the other…topping, kneading, mixing…pizza is easy for the kids to jump in and out as they like. Sadly, their favorite…no…their only toppings are ham and pineapple. I am horrified and offended and really struggle to allow such a thing in my house. I’ve tried to explain to them that a true pizza, as defined by the EU and Italy under its Guaranteed Traditional Speciality laws, doesn’t allow pineapple on pizza but they just ignore me. Do they not care about the law? What kind of kids am I raising here!?

Alas…the pizza goes into the oven and the next step of our tradition begins. The kids curl up on the couch and start a movie. This is one element that sees variety. Sometimes they each pick a movie and we watch half of each and finish them on Saturday. Sometimes they agree, then pigs fly over the house, and we watch just one. My favorite nights are when we, the parents, pick the movie and we get to watch what I consider Special Event movies. These have been Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, James and the Giant Peach, The Secret World of Arriety and most recently, The Sandlot. And I have them queued up for the next few years…The Dark Crystal, Spirited Away, Willow, Bridge to Terabithia, and so on.

I’ve noticed that watching these movies with the kids is really interesting. If we are watching Scooby-Doo or The Power Rangers they simply stare, speechless, motionless for hours it seems. Not a peep. But when we watch these richer, more complex movies…the ones we watched as kids and never forgot…they can’t go five minutes without a question or a thought. The level of engagement is all-together different. This speaks volumes for why these movies stuck with us all these years. And frequently the kids ask to watch these again the next day. The first time we all watched The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Labyrinth, and The Neverending Story they must have each been seen by the kids six times in a single weekend. The same cannot be said of the Power Rangers.

As for the adults… sometimes we sauté some veggies and top a pizza, sometimes we just have cheese and crackers, some salad and a couple glasses of wine. Sometimes we sit with the kids and sometimes we have toretreat to the dining room. But we love the Special Event movies and nobody enjoyed The Sandlot more than my baseball-crazed wife.

Now if I can just find a movie that explains the atrocity of pineapple on pizza!

More Foodie Movies From You

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:29:00 +0000

The post Foodie Movies elicited wonderful responses. It only seemed right to respond with a list of the movies you all suggested. I haven’t seen all these, but intend to. And I have no idea how I left Ratatouille off the list. Let’s call that a giant mistake. So, here’s what you suggested we add…

Tampopo

Soylent Green – I have to giggle at this

Waitress – Keri Russell at her best in a beautifully simple movie

My Dinner with Andre

Diner

Julie and Julia

Like Water for Chocolate

In Organic We Trust

Future of Food

Who is killing the great chefs of Europe?

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman

I am in Love
Catfish and Black Bean Sauce
Life as We Know It
No Reservations

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and His Lover

Tortilla Soup

Dinner Rush

I have no doubt there are more to add, so keep them coming.

The Books That Brought Me Here

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Sometimes I like to read about food as much as I like cooking or eating food. Over the last decade or two we have been blessed with a lot of great foodie reads. I thought I would share the ones that inspired me. They have inspired me to eat more thoughtfully, share more openly and are a huge reason I write today and am working on a book.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver – Kingsolver is a great writer. In this one she spends a year on her family farm doing her best to only use food grown within 100 miles of her home…and it isn’t easy.

Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove by Jeff Henderson – An inspiring story of how Henderson went from drug dealer to executive chef. A great example of following your passions and your skills.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the American Meal by Eric Schlosser – When it came out it really had impact, and I still see it as a great place to start for a new food-conscious reader. If you eat fast food you really should read this for the same reason you look at Consumer Reports to buy an appliance.

A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain – Bourdain’s effort to find the perfect meal. And it isn’t just about the food. It’s the atmosphere, the company and the flavors.

Acquired Tastes by Peter Mayle – a collection of short essays about the finer things in life, including escargot and caviar. A deliciously fun, decadent read.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl – the hilarious and absurd of being a famous restaurant critic.

The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean and The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice by Trevor Corson – Corson’s books are informative and entertaining and will tell you more about lobsters and sushi than you can imagine.

The Devil’s Picnic: Travels through the Underworld of Food and Drink by Taras Grescoe – Why are some cheeses and cured meats illegal in the US? What’s up with absinthe? What are coca leaves? Learn the answers to this and more. It is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will either make you book tickets to travel or call your congressional representative.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan – Perhaps the ultimate book for foodies. Well-organized, wonderfully written and so very important.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes – I know it isn’t a traditional foodie book, but the way Mayes uses food to establish herself and her relationships in a new community is so much fun.

Man with a Pan edited by John Donohue – a collection of essays by fathers about how they feed their families and what it is like to be a father who cares about food.

Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford – This book told me taught me that the restaurant business is insane and that the best restaurants with the best chefs have some unbelievable demands. Get to know Mario Batali much better and find yourself inspired to book a ticket to rural Tuscany to visit the greatest, craziest butcher on earth, Dario Cecchini. I did.

There are easily another two dozen I have enjoyed and would recommend, pending your interests, but these are specifically the books that have me where I am.

What books have inspired your appetite?

Foodie Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:40:00 +0000

Movies provide us a great escape, but they can also inform and inspire. Specifically, I love the way art, movies and books can inspire people to cook and eat. When I think of movies featuring food and eating, these are the first ones that come to mind.

Big Night – I loooooove this movie. It is filled with such anticipation of a Big event, all of it revolving around one amazing dish, Timbale. This movie will make you dance, sing and plan a meal….and love your brother.

Chocolat– Any time there’s a discussion of movies that are surprisingly sexy or delicious to watch, this is on the tip of peoples’ tongues. The sensuousness, the accents, the chocolat…wow. This is a movie to see only with someone with whom you are very, very close – or wish to be.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – As foodies sometimes we need to remember the simple love of eating, the child-like joy. Sing Candymanand I dare to get snobby about fair-trade, organically shade grown 73% cacao chocolate. Just enjoy it! And since it inevitably comes up…the old one with Gene Wilder!

Delicatessen– Weird, clever, intriguing and disturbing, but creepily hilarious and it all centers around a butcher who will remind you of Sweeney Todd.

Babette's Feast – Imagine Big Night set in 19^thcentury Denmark. Imagine the power food can have to shake up the most austere. This movie is slow, gentle, and somewhat bleak…until the food changes everything.

Food, Inc.– A must-see documentary. Imagine the effort many of us put into selecting a toaster or a car. Why do so many of us not make an effort to know about our food? I have heard many say, “I don’t want to know.” You don’t want to know what you put inside your body? This film is sure to disturb and provoke. Watch it.

King Corn – This doc is clever, funny, and wonderfully thought-provoking. I think it got virtually no hype outside the documentary film festival crowd (and how big is that population?), but it is quite well-done with a simple idea. It will make you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Super Size Me – This is arguably the movie that brought food consciousness to the masses. It is based on a crazy stunt that proves incredibly dangerous – eating nothing but McDonald’s for a month. Of course, nobody would actually do this, but if you consider the impact, why would anyone eat fast food with any regularity? You will find this entertaining and scary.

What are your favorite food movies?

Po' Folks Eatin'

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:01:00 +0000

Let’s be clear before going any further… the vast majority of us have never experienced true poverty. We don’t really know what it is like to be truly poor. We don’t know what it is like to really not know if there will be food on the table tonight or even tomorrow. Too many people do know this feeling as we enjoy reading about food-inspired travel, expensive ingredients, and elaborate feasts. We need to keep in mind both our good fortune and responsibility to help those in need. As I title this entry “Po’ Folks’ Eatin’” please do not mistakenly think I am making fun of those less fortunate.

While fortunately few of us have experienced true poverty, many of us do remember times when our families were not as affluent or as worldly as they are now. And if we look back on these times we can probably remember a few dishes that made the most of leftover ingredients and created some odd combinations. And if we are really honest with ourselves, we recognize that these dishes remain sentimental favorites. We might tell our foodie friends about them, not will we long for them with that amazing bottle of wine we just found…but we love them just the same. Here are some of the simple, efficient, economical yummy eats I remember…and might still enjoy, not that I would ever tell.

American Chop Suey– this was as standard as anything could be in my family. Spaghetti, some ground beef, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, maybe a hint of cream. It was a wonderfully simple, inexpensive, quick meat sauce or Bolognese imitator. And until living in Europe as an adolescent I knew no different. As for the name…God only knows!

Macaroni and Cheese with hot dogs – yes, Kraft! Have you made it from scratch?! All that cheese gets expensive! Besides, as a kid I didn’t like the “real” thing, only the stuff in the blue box. The crust on the “real” thing grossed me out. Now I get it, it really is the best part. The hot dogs…cut into disks or quartered longwise and heated up quickly in a frying pan…and we called them nickels and worms. Why? Watch the long ones curl as they cook. I still love this with the kids.

S.O.S. – a delicious combination of white bread, topped with turkey, some stuffing, maybe some cranberry sauce and doused in turkey gravy. Wonderful post-Thanksgiving! The name…? Look it up. I think this was the first dish that I knew by a name other than its ingredients. I also seem to remember my dad doing something like this with leftover sauerbraten – a subject for a later entry.

Turkey Mornay – or something like that – This was a creamy, baked combination of turkey meat, broccoli (I think) and maybe some pasta or rice… My memory has been blocked on this one. We seemingly had it once a week from 7^th to 10^th grade. Every guest ate this. If you were a guest more than once, you ate it more than once. My mom is laughing right now – and telling me I am wrong – and that it was delicious.

Elbow macaroni and Hunts tomato sauce – mix together and done. This was pretty standard too. You can feed a family of four on $3 with this unless you insist on a salad. In college I could make this stretch for a couple days, though I used two pounds of pasta! Later I started adding some olive oil, garlic, and pepper and it actually became quite yummy. The thought of this dish automatically makes me feel like I am 8 years old.

Chinese Chop Suey– I actually haven’t had this in years and I think it is best kept in the past. Rice topped with a sautéed combination of a recent roast chopped into small bits, celery, sprouts and some sort of brown sauce. I am pretty sure there’s a good reason I haven’t had this in a while.

There were other possibilities for dinner. Scrambled egg sandwiches, grilled cheese, cereal…you probably did some of these too. I will bet your family has some spectacular creations. My wife’s family has Irish Burritos. What…? Never heard of that? Left over corned beef gets turned into amazing hash and thrown in a tortilla with some hot sauce. Didn’t know the Irish used tortillas, did you? (Actually the corned beef is an Irish-American tradition, but that’s for an entry in March.)

So what were your childhood dishes of efficiency and low cost?

Foods not to eat

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:52:00 +0000

I had to share this provocative read on foods not to eat before I went on with my day. I think it highlights the problems that mass-produced, engineered foods have brought to the market.

A Foodie Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Janda) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:21:00 +0000

This blog is mostly an exploration of the interplay between food and building a family. But as you can see, my love of food is getting expressed here in many different ways including restaurant reviews, special events, and responses to food news stories. In fact, there’s hardly a part of the food experience I don’t want to write about. To that end, I offer my first foodie book review.

I recently read Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton. Before having kids I must admit that I saw parents relegated to meals of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese as rather sad. Why didn’t they make the effort to expose their kids to real food so they could eat real meals? Do as my parents did…make what you’re making, and the kids can eat it or not. If they’re hungry, they’ll come around to eating most anything. And once exposed, taste will follow. As a parent I see now that it isn’t quite that easy. I still don’t believe we have to kowtow to every kids’ desires; we must expose them to variety, quality and diversity. As a parent I want to know how to do this without fighting about food at home. The subtitle of this book, A Food-Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater spoke to me. How can I raise my two to be adventurous and ultimately to eat anything if it’s on the plate, even if simply out of having good manners? How can I raise a couple kids who will eat anything with me as we travel, cook and experiment?

Photo from Amster-Burton's webpage, http://hungrymonkeybook.com/

Amster-Burton has a toddler, Iris, who appears at times to be a foodie-prodigy. She has a vast foodie vocabulary, taste and knowledge of food beyond many college grads I know, and seemingly some kitchen skills. Her father is a stay-at-home dad and food critic/writer. They live in Seattle where they can walk to markets and restaurants and sample the foods of the world. Amster-Burton clearly wants a little foodie buddy from the get go, and most of the time he seems to get that from Iris. But he also humorously and honestly shares the constant flux that are kids’ food tastes. What is their favorite one day is vomit-inducing the next.

I was hoping for more of the actual process of parenting, but instead got a lot about food – recipes, sources, etc. The recipes sound great, and I will be trying a few. The cooking techniques and tool recommendations are equally excellent for any parent who would like to cook with the kids. He also spends much time looking at the parenting advice in mainstream books. This he does with great, snarky humor. His greatest target is Ruth Yaron’s Super Baby Food which he skewers in glorious fashion. In fact, the humor of the book had me laughing out loud pretty often. Both Amster-Burton and Iris are quick with the one-liners and Iris is just precocious enough to deliver the charming, snappy responses and observations that make adults roar.

I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for two things – a great laugh and some foodie-parenting advice, or rather modeling. There’s not a great deal of parenting to glean from this, but a lot of great suggestions for sharing food with the kids. You will have fun reading it without a doubt.