Anyone Want to Build a Pizza Oven?

I wish I had a bigger backyard. I've been wanting to build a pizza oven, but we just don't have the room. The Oz Monsters seem to have it down, and I'm wondering why we don't have a few. There are free plans on teh interwebz, and I'm fairly handy. Just need a sucker with a backyard...

Adventures in Food Processing

Anne's parents really spoiled us at Christmas, and it was a decidedly food-themed spoiling. We are now the proud owners of a 14-cup top-of-the-line stainless steel Cuisinart MP-14N food processor...with all the accessories you can possibly dream up. We also got a couple of cookbooks, and some various other kitchen goodies. You can imagine the damage we're going to do with this thing, alongside our KitchenAid stand mixer. I almost feel obligated to bake, make pesto, or hummus on a daily basis.

The Best Pull I've Ever Had

I picked up some Stumptown Hairbender espresso beans from 4 Barrel to try out in my machine today. I've had inconsistent results from other beans in my Rancilio Silvia machine and Acaso Innova grinder. Trieste beans have been the most consistent, but they're somewhat bitter. At least I can get crema out of them most every pull. Blue Bottle is OK, but I find that I have to constantly adjust the grind...and they too turn out bitter. Ritual beans haven't given me any luck.

The minute I pulled my first shots of the Hairbender today I knew I had something special. Without adjusting the grind at all, I had a very long pull of crema...from start until finish. It never even started blonding, even after 17 seconds or so. The first taste wasn't bitter at all, so I decided to make a cappucino. For the first time, I didn't even have to add sweetener to drink one of my own caps. Incredible :)

Next up: I've ordered a bottomless portafilter for my Silvia. I saw them in use at 4 Barrel, and have been wanting to try one. Can't wait for the UPS guy to show up...

Eating My Way Through San Francisco, Part Deux

More days, more great eats. Big & Rachel treated us to Millenium on Friday night, their way of thanking us for loaning them my truck to go to Burning Man. We had the fixed price sampler with wine pairings, and it was nothing short of amazing. Several courses, inclusing dessert, paired with whites & reds of various types. Their faux Wellington was incredible, as was the chai masala tapioca. Interestingly, they produce their own sparkling water, which is a great idea. It's a hefty price tag for a meal, but the food was incredible.

Eating My Way Through San Francisco

Joe P and Traci spent the weekend visiting our humble City by the Bay, and we managed to eat at some phenomenal places. As do many tourists, we basically ate our way around, interspersing visits to local eateries with trips to interesting destinations. It made me appreciate the culinary excellence we have hear that much more. Joe and Traci's company was very much appreciated, and we spent a lot of time laughing about the somewhat sad state of our nation.

Among the eateries, there were some great highlights:

Ti Couz Creperie
French-style crepes and other dishes in The Mission. We're a bit spoiled here, with this place and Frjtz less than a block from each other. But I'm starting to prefer the smaller portions and more intense flavors available at Ti Couz. I had the Totale (mushrooms, cheese, tomatoes) with a basil pesto sauce...excellent, as usual. And the desert crepes were phenomenal. Add in a good wine list and excellent apertifs (I opted for the Armagnac) and you have the whole package.

Los Rosales
One of my favorites. This small, family-run Mexican place has great breakfasts: nopales, huevos rancheros, chilaquiles...you can't go wrong. And they recently built a juice bar, so it's perfect for a lazy Sunday morning brunch. Plus it's a hundred feet from my front door.

It's Tops
This late-night staple is also very good for breakfast, with 50's diner staples and a few surprises. It's not just for post-binge Zeitgeist trips anymore!

Firenze by Night
I've been here twice, and have been impressed each time. The sund-dried tomato penne was surprisingly good, and spicy. Joe P was happy with the wine selection, and the peach sorbet dessert, served in a hollowed-out frozen peach, was astoundingly good.

Sometimes you have to wonder how people who live hear avoid going broke when there are so many great restaurants to try.