Bay Area Bites | Nov 22, 2009

Posted by Stephanie Rosenbaum

I'm here to tell you: there is NO magic about making pie crust. It takes four ingredients, about 20 minutes or less of hands-on time, and the results are so flaky, so buttery, so sublime, you will amaze your loved ones (and yourself) for life.

books and magazines | Nov 21, 2009

Nora Ephron and Mashed Potatoes

Posted by Stephanie Lucianovic

So, I'm reading Nora Ephron's 1983 novel Heartburn -- I think I'm the last person in America to realize that Ephron was a foodie long before Julie & Julia, Ephron was a foodie -- and the book is filled with love and longing and heartbreak and food. Lots of food.

cooking techniques and tips | Nov 20, 2009

Cesare's Salad: Tossing My Own.

Posted by Michael Procopio

I'm a sucker for a great Caesar salad. Call me old school, but there are few things that can beat it in my book. Garlicky, lemony, cheesy, and anchovy-y, if there is such a word. If there isn't, there should be. Sadly, a great restaurant Caesar salad has eluded me in this city of ours.

baking and bakeries | Nov 19, 2009

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Pecan Shortbread Crust

Posted by Denise Santoro Lincoln

But pumpkin pie can be more than the standard fare of pureed pumpkin mixed with cream, sugar, eggs, and spices in a butter or graham cracker crust. I mean, honestly, do we all need to make the same pie every year? So this holiday, after a lifetime of eating traditional pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, I decided I was in the mood for something a little different.

asian food and drink | Nov 18, 2009

Vietnamese Coffee: In Pursuit of the Perfect Cup

Posted by Stephanie Im

Like espresso, Vietnamese coffee is deep and rich, and a little goes a long way. What makes it really stand out though is its incredible buttery aroma and flavor. Add a generous drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and you have a habit that will be hard to shake.

food and drink | Nov 17, 2009

Chilaquiles in the Mission District

Posted by Andrew Simmons

Sometimes, the homiest dishes -- foods without pretense or artifice -- are most revealing about the cultures from which they spring, and inspire the most debate amongst their devotees. However, from countless regional Mexican renditions -- like white sauces in Sinaloa and Guadalajara's polenta-like cazuela cook-downs -- to American adaptations that echo Tex-Mex migas, all chilaquiles aim to soothe -- regardless of a particular variation's provenance and claims to authenticity.