Tuesday, December 24, 2013

San Francisco Ferry Building

San Francisco Ferry Building
The San Francisco Ferry Building is one of my favorite places to visit when I am in the Bay Area. It's a good place for lunch, a quick snack, and just a stroll. The building was transformed into a retail space filled with bakeries, seafood stalls, plant shops, and food vendors. It's similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle and Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. In short, if you love food, this is a must visit in San Francisco!

If you really want to experience the space in all of it's glory, I recommend visiting during the farmer's market hours. The farmer's market happens three days a week. The smaller markets are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM - 2 PM. The Saturday farmer's market is the largest of the three days. The space occupies the front of the Ferry Building as well as the backside. There are lots of tables to enjoy your purchased food and coffee all while overlooking the San Francisco Bay Bridge. You can even watch the ships and sailboats pass by. The Saturday farmer's market happens much earlier in the day from 8 AM - 2 PM. Get there early to avoid long lines. You can park along the Embarcadeo or in one of the nearby lots. You can also take BART or the streetcar to Embarcadero.
Streetcar to Embarcadeo
Once you are at the Ferry Building, enjoy! Remember to sample all the fresh fruits and veggies. Don't double dip. Use a fresh toothpick each time.
Community Supported Agriculture!
Eat up!
Kale Chips
Falafel and Dips (tahini, hummus, baba ganoush, etc.)
The best pie ever from Frog Hollow Farm
Shishito Peppers
Squash Blossom Recipe
Hybrid Fruit
Rainbow Chard
Lobster Mushrooms
The best brittle ever from G. L. Alfieri
San Francisco Ferry Building
One Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111

Monday, December 23, 2013

California 2013


We ate burritos, experienced the fog, walked along the Redwoods, and spent time with the newest member of the family Baby Ella.

Photography Credits: Roxwriting and Desmond Chow

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Whole Foods Cooking Class- Small Budget, Big Flavor

Whole Foods hosts a variety of cooking classes at The Bowery Culinary Center in the Lower East Side. The Bowery Culinary Center is located inside Whole Foods on the second floor behind all the beauty products. It is a private room complete with a kitchen and television screens to broadcast the cooking demonstrations.

Most of the cooking classes offered are for a fee. Once a month, they offer a free cooking course entitled Small Budget, Big Flavor. There are only 20 slots available for the course. Everyone can bring a guest. I felt like I won the lottery by getting a spot in this class, especially in New York City.

Small Budget, Big Flavor focuses on what is on sale during the week of the class. It encourages people to shop at Whole Foods and use Whole Foods products to create a tasty meal while keeping to a budget.

This particular cooking class was not hands on experience. It was more seminar like. Seating was bar style in the front. If you didn't get a seat in the front, there were individual tables set up classroom style. They have tv screens with cameras positioned so you can watch them cook. This is actually a better view since it is difficult to see what food is in the bowls, etc.
Whole Foods Cooking Instructors
Cooking Demo
We learned how to make spicy sweet potatoes, bread dressing, and Salmon Wellington. They jazzed up the meal with hot sauce, a wine sauce with butter and shallots, and chai tea with almond milk. It all turned out very good and tasty. Best of all, easy enough to make at home.
Thanksgiving Sides
I left inspired to cook and was very impressed. Over Thanksgiving, my sister and I made the Salmon Wellington. It was a success and simple enough.

Salmon Wellington Recipe

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets
defrosted frozen puff pastry
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
thyme
pepper
salt
1 shallot
1/4th lb. mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, add the mushrooms, shallot diced finely, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, and a sprig of thyme. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add in the spinach and heat over the flame until the liquid of the ingredients have cooked off.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into two rectangles (7 x 8 inches). Place the salmon fillet in the middle of the pastry, top with mushroom and spinach mixture, then fold the pasty around the salmon completely covering the it like a package and press to seal. Place on the baking sheet and chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Top the salmon with spinach and mushrooms like so.
Fold the puff pastry over like you are wrapping a present.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the top of the puff pastry with an egg wash. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!   
Baked to golden brown perfection.
Salmon Wellington with Red Wine Sauce

Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center
95 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002