Welcome back to me I say. I've been absent for a while as I had lots going on. I am back though with a whole lot of new information. First port of call in my travels is San Francisco. An absolutely amazing place and truly the culinary capital of America. In terms of food it has a lot to offer. I mean, for example, when you think of sourdough you think San Francisco. It's the best tasting bread and no one does it better. Apart from food, San Francisco has a great cultural scene and a lot of political and social history attatched to it. When I was there recently I heard someone say "San Francisco is the birth place of counter culture". I'll be posting a number of entries in the future about this place and its many gourmet eating establishments.

The one place on my to do list was Cafe Zuni. A restaurant with its own history and its very famous roast chicken signature dish. I had heard so much about this dish. I did not want to miss out. My colleague Louise had smartly made a reservation and asked me to join her. So we made our way over to Market St on a windy Sunday evening. (when isn't it windy there??!!!). The restaurant has huge glass windows facing the street, lots of exposed brick and a labyrinth of mini dining rooms in the upstairs area. My initial impression is "homey industrial" .



We started with fresh sourdough bread and butter. Delicious, scrumptious and very tasty. Louise ordered crostini with a fava bean puree and split peas and I ordered the salad made with frisee lettuce, avocado and grapefruit. It was the best sweet and sour experience I'd had in a long time.




As this medley of photos prove we indulged in the famous Cafe Zuni Roast Chicken. I hate to use cliches but yes, succulent and moist definetly come to mind. The chicken comes to our table all chopped. It sits on pieces of wood fired baked sourdough, tossed with pine nuts and baby red mustard greens. The dressing on the base salad ingredients is a champagne vinigarette. Its almost a salad but not. Its a meal in itself and its highly recommended that two people enjoy it. I cannot begin to describe what an amzing time my taste buds are having. Our very friendly and knowledgeable waitress explains the Zuni chicken secret. The chickens are sourced form a place north of San Francisco called Fulton. They are free range and are fed an organic diet. In the preparation process for this dish, the chickens are tenderised through a salt curing process, for approximately 24 hours (they are covered in saran wrap during this time). Apparently this is what makes them so tender. Hmmm...must try this at home. We finished our meal with some aniseed biscotti and a double espresso.

You must visit Cafe Zuni when you head to San Francisco. All those things you hear about it are true. Great value, good service and fantastic delicious food. Will certainly head back again.

CAFE ZUNI
1658 MARKET ST
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94102
PH: (415) 552 2522

Tags:restaurants San Francisco

I'm often asked about Biteclub by colleagues and other friends. Mostly people like to know the mechanics of it. Well yes, when you're cooking for 13 people it can be hectic. There's a menu to consider, emails to go out for last minute cancellations, seating arrangements etc...For me its about getting together with a group of friends, sharing a meal and a glass of wine and catching up on the latest. We all lead busy lives, so taking out time to catch up is great. This whole phenomenon known as Biteclub will soon be taking off in a different way. Yours truly, is working on a hard cover coffee table recipe book, based on our dinner parties and our favourite recipes. The photo you see here is one I plan on using in the new book. (Its supposed to be a little blurry. I had it set on a high shutter speed for the light. It's a little artistic). Now let's get to the important part. The food!



Mark, Maria and Sal were the latest in the group to hold their Biteclub. I especially love attending when it's their turn. Being of Italian descent, they, especially Salvatore put on a fantastic feast. ( He's from "godfather" territory, Sicily.) The one thing that always stands out with his cooking is the simplicity of his dishes. Simple yet tasty. I can never praise his cooking enough. He always puts in an effort to come up with something traditional yet mouth watering. Mark lends a hand in the kitchen and is an amazing host whilst Maria shops for all the food. Everyone is an important link in the chain.



We began the evening with some olives to whet the appetite. A selection of green marinated olives really gets the taste buds going. Our starter was an Italian classic soup called straciatella. Sal basically made some chicken stock and shredded the meat off the cooked carcass and added it to the stock. To this he added an egg and parmesan mixture and some broken spaghetti strands. The broth is delicate and the egg and parmesan give it a huge lift. It was not too heavy nor too light. Just right!!! (I need to get some new descriptions!!!)



The best way to describe the main course would be rustic. (I love the way that word is thrown around on every menu these days). It was a meat casserole dish with a little of everything in it. Meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, passata and herbs all thrown in a baking dish and covered and put in the oven for a good 3 hours. Everything becomes tender and it's a real taste sensation. Time and a low heat in an outdoor brick oven (ok I made that part up) really are the secret behind this dish. With lots of bread to mop up the juices, no one said a word as this dish was devoured in minutes.



And finally for dessert we supped on Mascarpone cheese with berries and chocolate shavings. I hate to repeat myself but you guessed it. Simple. Soft velvety mascarpone topped with juicy berries. Another great ending. Home made Italian food in Sydney. Simply the best.

Tags:Bite Club

This Thursday Thirteen is about early food memories and experiences and how these helped me continue with my interest in food. Again, some of it is quite light hearted, so enjoy and tell me what you think.

Thirteen childhood food memories 1. I'll never forget the first time I ate Greek Chicken Soup. It provided such calming relief and to this day always conjures up memories of my childhood home. I still cook it once a week in the winter time. 2. I had my first "meat pie" (a classic Australian take away food) in Grade 1. Being of Greek descent I had no idea what it was. To this day, I still love em but prefer to make my own version as the commercial ones have lost their appeal and flavour. 3. Making home made tomato sauce (thats marinara sauce to our US counterparts). Boxes of tomatoes were used to make bottles of this beautiful concoction. It truly was a family affair. While I don't make it anymore, I still use home made sauce that I get from relatives to this day. 4. Dipping your bread in the salad bowl dressing. We were encouraged to dip our bread in the juices of the salad. The dressing almost always used to consist of Olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice. Nothing beats dipping a crusty piece of bread into a pure good quality extra virgin olive oil. 5. Chocolate cake!!! The first time I bit into this I thought all my Christmases had come at once. Nothing beats a good home made chocolate cake. 6. Pizza!!! I still remember the first bite. Baked bread with tomato and melted cheese. The Italians deserve a medal for this creation. These days I make my own and try different toppings. 7. Smelly cheeses. I was exposed to new foods quite regularly but this was one that would not sit well at all. Even though my taste buds have become "mature", I still avoid strong, offensive smelly cheeses. Something about sweaty socks that just doesn't do well with me. 8. Roast Lamb. Greek style of course!!! Olive oil, lemon juice and oregano are the holy trinity of greek cooking and make this dish the taste sensation it is. When you bake one of these, the whole house will undertake a new dimension. Expect the neighbours to be knocking on the door...Again, I cook this at least once a fortnight in the winter time. 9. Olives. Green, black, marinated...whatever. I bit into one of these beauties and have never looked back!!! I love their plump, meaty texture and the strong salty flavours. There is always a tub in my refrigerator. They are truly versatile and they work well with pre dinner drinks. they are a perfect appetite stimulator. 10. Spaghetti. Out of all the types of pastas this is still my favourite. Made with bolognaise sauce and you have another comfort food that screams happy childhood memories. Who can forget slurping long strands of pasta through your lips and getting dirty at the same time. There a packets of this in my pantry always. 11. Garlic. The aroma of this had me anaesthetised almost immediately. It featured in many of my childhood dishes as you can imagine. I still cook with it. It's almost an addiction. And it's good for you. 12. Olive oil. Boxes of this stuff would arrive on our doorstep from Greece almost every year. It still is and always will be the LIFEBLOOD of my kitchen. I can go on about this forever. It's a staple and it will never ever leave the pantry. 13. Spinach and Cheese Pie. Otherwise known as Spanakopita. Again, another comfort food. Always served at greek parties and celebrations. Delicate layers of thin filo pastry brushed with butter, encasing a spinach and cheese mixture. Its the perfect pie. Crunchy on the outside and soft oozy goodness on the inside. Quite a healty dish when you think about it. With all that iron you can give Popeye a run for his money!!! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1.   (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It’s easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Tags:Thursday Thirteen, meme

A busy commercial or household kitchen definetly requires the perfect equipment to operate successfully. Whether you're feeding 3 or 300 you not only want that food to look good, you want it presented on something stylish and sturdy.

It's really important for me I guess, to have the right utensils when I'm cooking. As you can imagine, having a busy food blog requires trying different recipes and new things all the time. I need to have confidence that the pots and pans I'm using are going to do the job correctly. God knows, I've worked in many restaurants in the past where the owners took no pride in the equipment they used. The $$$ they spent were unbelievable!!! If only they had made the correct investment in the first place, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and money.

And speaking of investments. Have you had a good look in your own kitchen lately? Maybe it's time you invested in some great new dinnerware. I like the feel of strong, white dinner plates when I'm serving food. I also like shiny, strong stainless steel cutlery. As a matter of fact, I want my kitchen to have the best tools for all my catering needs. I think we should all want that. Check out instawares. They have all the resources to help you set up that perfect kitchen.

Tags:Sponsored

Well...What can I say? This Thursday Thirteen meme has proved to be a very social event. I have been introduced to people far and wide and I've discovered some new blogs. Here's another one...Please note: while some of the advice offered is useful most of it is very light hearted and tongue in cheek!


Thirteen Tips And Tricks to IMPRESS YOUR LOVED ONE...USING FOOD, OF COURSE!



1. Never ever attempt to recreate that scene from 9 1/2 Weeks. (The one with Mickey Rourke and Kim Bassinger in front of the refrigerator!).



2. Think sensual... Strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar or dipped in a high couverture chocolate to end a meal.


3. Gentlemen, if you plan on proposing to your girlfriend and you go out for a meal please avoid anything to do with beans/brussel sprouts/broccoli.


4. Bake a cake, from scratch preferably, to tell them you love them. However, avoid tacky "I THINK YOUR THE BEST HUSBAND/LOVER/BOYFRIEND/SOUL MATE" pink frosted icing logos.


5. You can never go wrong with a good quality box of chocolates as a gift to a female loved one. Chocolate is the universal language for females worldwide!


6. Cinammon, cloves and vanilla beans are the Holy Trinity of romantic spices. Use these three in a dessert and you will definetly get to home base! This one's a winner


7. Give them breakfast in bed. Good quality coffee, freshly baked blueberry muffins and some freshly squeezed juice is adequate. Avoid bacon, eggs, sausage and hash browns in the bedroom.


8. Impress them with a home cooked meal using simple, seasonal, fresh food ideas. Nothing over the top! (I specifically mean things like Bombe Alaska or a 48 stack hazelnut crepe cake with praline!)


9. Take a cooking class together with your loved one. It's a great way to learn something together.


10. Surprise them with some freshly baked loaves of bread. It's always a winner. Unless of course they have gone over to the dark side of "no carbs".


11. Lick the spoon or bowl AFTER the cake batter has been poured into a cake pan. Preferably together!


12. Ladies, don't insist on going to an expensive restaurant for a romantic dinner.


13. Gentlemen, on second thoughts TAKE her to that expensive restaurant. She's worth it!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Jerry


2. Christine


3. Xilly


4. Malinda


5. Robin


6. Mymsie


7. Gabrielle



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

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thursday thirteen

Tags:Thursday Thirteen, meme

Now here's a dish that conjures up memories of my high school Home Economics class. They were the days when we learnt to make things like "vegetable Soup" and I would wonder "how come there's no olive oil in this dish?". I remember learning this dish in class and thinking it was quite sophisticated. It had a French title and I kept thinking "this is what adults order in restaurants" and "how posh!". I suppose it still is considered a classic and it can be quite a light ending to a big dinner. I love the subtle flavours of the cinammon and cloves. It almost has that "mulled wine in a front of a roaring fireplace with a bearskin rug" kind of warmth.

Pears are considered to be quite a versatile fruit and they do make a lot of guest appearances in a lot of dishes. Grated in bircher muesli (delicious!), baked in the oven as a pear tartin or even sliced and served with arugula and parmesan in a lively Italian salad. Depending on the types of pears you use, the poaching can take anywhere between 1-4 hours. Remember to poach and not to let the heat get too high. Otherwise kiss your pears goodbye and say hello to baby food!!!

INGREDIENTS
4-6 pears, cleaned and peeled
2 cups of water
1 cup of caster sugar
1 stick of cinammon
4 cloves
half a vanilla bean
Muscat / Port / Your choice of red wine

METHOD
1. Create a light sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water. Place it over a very low heat and stir very gently. We want syrupy goodness here not sugary water! Allow the sugar to fully dissolve.
2. Add the cinammon, cloves and vanilla.
3. Mix in your choice of alcohol. I used a Muscat Rouge that was actually quite light in colour and it suited this dish perfectly.
4. Place the pears in the sauce pan and make sure they are immersed until the tips of the pears are just poking out.
5. Place on a low heat and let the ingredients do the work on the pears. Test them ocassionally to test their doneness. We want cooked, firm pears. Not mushy overdone baby food!!!
6. When cooled, serve with drizzled chocolate and double cream and lots of the beautiful syrup.

Enjoy!
Pete

Tags:recipes, desserts

I'm going to sidetrack for a moment again today to explain what is going on here at Souvlaki For The Soul. After my first meme I came across a website that pays bloggers for their opinions. Blogsvertise works like this. An advertiser wants their product/service marketed and they pay approved bloggers for their opinions on the product/service. I like this concept. I mean everyone wins in the end. Sure, we could spend hours discussing the "I sold out" concept but I think there are a lot of other things to worry about in this world. Famine, war etc...don't even get me started.

Here's a pic of me typing away to provide a fun website for people to enjoy. (Burning the midnight oil, with a double espresso in tow. Arranging codes for my site. Organising pictures. Its hard work!) Of course, no one forces me to do this. Yet its a passion of mine that allows my "inner geek" to be incorporated with my gastronomical hobbies. The reality is, that there is no monetary compensation for all this work. Nor do I expect it. ( I can wish it though!!!). And this is where Blogsvertise comes to the rescue. Apart from the fact that they have a cool name for a company, they will compensate me for my opinions. Everyone knows that I'm not shy in offering an opinion. Now I have an added bonus.

You should check Blogsvertise out. Bloggers and advertisers will all find something on their website that suits them.

I expect feedback and comments.
Pete

Tags:Sponsored