Tastebuds

Welcome to Tastebuds!

Thank you for visiting our new blog, Tastebuds.  Tastebuds presents a Taste Catering perspective on a variety of topics having to do with food and entertaining.  As with everything we do, Tastebuds focus is on quality, creativity and excellence.  We expect to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously.  While I provide the overall direction for the blog, expect to see input from all of the "tastebuds"  as the fancy takes them.

We talk about food and menus, entertaining and gadgets decor and flower arranging, local restaurants and unique beverages.  We use photos and videos when words are not enough. We hope that you enjoy our eclectic approach and that you will join us in our on-going discussion.

Thanks,

MeMe Pederson
Co-Owner & CEO
Taste Catering and Event Planning

Frances - Happy Birthday MeMe!

Wow, finally a restaurant that lives up to all the hype. Frances. Located on 17th Street in between Noe and Sanchez. The occasion? MeMe Pedersons birthday.  We experienced nearly everything on the menu from Bacon Beignets, Semolina Gnocchi, Seared Scallops, to fresh crab salads. We also enjoyed two white wines from Greece and a gorgeous red from Sicily. 
The servers were attentive and always there when needed but never overbearing. With nearly everyone at the table being intimately involved in the food industry, I would say that we were a discerning crowd but Frances made for a delightful evening in every way. Happy Birthday MeMe!

Mongeta del ganxet

A couple of years ago, in September of 2007, I had the privilege of going on a culinary tour of Spain organized by CUESA.  One of the more unique places we visited was the Gallecs, a small agricultural region just 15 kilometers outside of Barcelona.  This area truly represents an oasis in the midst of what seems like endless urban sprawl.  In fact, some 20 years ago, the Spanish government prepared to turn this historically important region into just that, a series of suburban condominium complexes interspersed with malls and other like institutions of capitalistic avarice.  Fortunately for us, and most importantly, the hardworking local Spaniards who were to be displaced by the new government urban plan, the project languished in red tape for years and was eventually scrapped.

The region now represents the largest area of organic farming in all of Catalonia. In 2006, a consortium in cooperation with 11 farmers created a model in which the farmers would diversify away from solely growing wheat and begin growing unique value products that they could then market with their own brand.  It stands as an agricultural business model that will hopefully be replicated throughout Spain.

I now must embarrassingly admit that the most unique product that I brought home from this region has sat on a shelf in my pantry for approximately 2 years.   Last week I finally got around to cooking these ancient Catalonian heirloom beans, Mongeta del ganxet.  As you can see from the photo, they are medium sized white beans with an extremely pronounced “kidney” shape.  As my purpose was to evaluate the taste and texture of the beans, I cooked them very simply in plain water and added salt about 75% of the way through the cooking process.   I planned on taking the texture of these beans with a grain of salt (pun intended) as I expected the texture to have deteriorated somewhat due to the fact that I left them on my shelf for the aforementioned two years.  The skin of freshly dried beans will typically remain tight when cooked, allowing the meat of the bean to cook evenly until it reaches that creamy custardy state.
Much to my surprise, the texture of the “aged” beans was perfect – a true testament to both the skill of the hard working farmers of the Gallecs region as well as the quality genetics of this most regal heirloom bean.  But the taste of these beans truly set it apart.  What a rich, earthy bean flavor!  Absolutely fantastic.

 
I am not sure if these beans have been imported and available in the United States yet, but I will certainly keep my eyes open.  I suggest everyone doing the same.  And by all means if you are traveling to Barcelona and/or Catalonia, I highly recommend purchasing these beans – look for them in specialty shops or farmers markets.  Two years later, I hope that the business model has been a success and the beans are easy to find.  I for one will not let another 2 years go by before I enjoy the SECOND BAG of Mongeta del ganxetes I brought home!

Eng and Chang…Kiwi?

I saw these mutant kiwi at a market on Irving and 23rd a few weeks ago.  Somewhere, these kiwi are local, and, quite possibly, sustainable.   But would you buy them?

 

Creating a Successful Holiday Dinner

These Holiday entertaining tips are from my segment with Lisa Quinn on ABC's View From the Bay. 

Organization, this is the time of year for list making.

Create your holiday menu.

• Create your shopping list in advance at least one week in advance
• Look at the menu and decide what items can be prepared ahead of time
• Create a schedule of when to prepare each menu item
• If guests have asked to bring something let them know what to bring. It is essential to let them know what you are preparing so that you don't have overlapping menu items

The day before your dinner set the table.

One of the biggest holiday dilemmas is space: especially if you have decorated and have a tree in your house

• At the very least you may have to move some furniture around
• Maybe you will need to move some furniture out of the room such as a ottoman or a chair to open up some space

Think outside the "room".

• Do you have a spare bedroom? Possibly this could be emptied for the day and a table set-up for dinner
  
• It's a good way to clean a room too. Nothing like having guests over to clean out corners

Perhaps a sit down dinner is not the way to go.

• You can always set up a buffet
• Just make sure everything is easy to eat and does not need a knife if guests don't have a place to sit

Thanks to the following Bay Area rental companies for their help:  Hartmann Studios, Classic Party Rentals, Blue Water and Wine Country Party & Events.

Tales of New York…Speakeasy’s, Thanksgiving & Idiot Savant!

I ♥ NY!

Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday for so many reasons… the one that stands out most for me is that it allows people in the catering industry a slight reprieve before the onslaught of the Holiday events leading up to Hanukkah, Christmas & New Year.

For this reason my partner Jill & I took off to New York for the whole week. We wanted to experience NY from a casual ‘je ne sais quoi’ platform….. without much preparation, without the nightly plan of decadent meals, without guide books, theatre line ups or the obligatory charted shopping plan but rather with a mysterious approach that we negotiated daily by ear or happenstance – admittedly somewhat challenging for me given that I am an obstinate and obsessive event planner in all aspects of my life. I will say that I gave it my best shot and mostly prevailed with my un-planning. Here are some of the unplanned New York highlights we came across…

Les Ambassades Patisserie-Café in West Harlem, a vibrant warm & cozy little café that lit the whole street up on Frederick Douglass Blvd near 119th, serving delicious croissants, eggs, espresso & more.

 

Wall Street 2 Filming in Tommy Guns Salon on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side near our hotel…
We were told that Ludlow was briefly transformed into a London Street for the scene. Street signs & propping confirm. Michael Douglas was to arrive but alas NY was calling us…. We will see the movie!

 


Thanksgiving Day: Our friends DeDe & Hal gave up their Boathouse Central Park reservations and joined family in Long Island. We totally scored on this front because neither one of us had ever been to the Boathouse, let alone be handed a reservation confirmation for Thanksgiving Lunch… I might say thee most coveted seats for Lunch in NYC on that day. I knew the location would meet with our expectations for the occasion but I was not sure that the food would. We were pleasantly surprised. It was a lovely menu, beautiful surroundings & exceptional service. 

The long walk back to our hotel was perfect.

It was such a fantastic mild and beautiful day in Central Park….

OK So let’s talk about Coffee. ‘Abraço’ is the short answer. I cannot say I stumbled upon this tiny coffee joint as I would never take the chance of going without fine coffee for even a short period of time. Living in San Francisco has spoiled me rotten in this arena. I was told about this delightful joint from my friend Richard. No coincidence one of the former partners in San Francisco’s Bluebottle Coffee runs this place on East 7th at 1st avenue on the Lower East Side. It is exceptional. The coffee could not be more perfect. Only 7 blocks from our hotel I must say this was a daily ‘walk of joy'.

Speaking of Beverages…. Try sleuthing out the really unique and over the top speakeasy’s in Manhattan. These are some of my favorites:

1.  Madame Geneva. Beautifully crafted specialty cocktails know for their ‘Jam’ concoctions, this speakeasy is located on Bleecker between Bowery & Elizabeth Street but one has to enter through the secret door in the adjoining Double Crown restaurant. The nice thing about this establishment (unlike most of the others) is that you do not need a reservation and it opens early should you want to have a special beverage of the adult nature before dinner.

2.  Milk and Honey (718.308.6775) text this no. to make reservations. This started the speakeasys or so they say…Neighborhood: West Village 22 7th Avenue S / between Carmine St & Leroy St)

3.  PDT (212.614.2728) call to make reservations. Go through the hot dog shop and the red phone booth. Neighborhood: East Village 113 St. Marks Pl / btwn 1st and A (between 1st Ave & Avenue A). This place is tiny and reservations must be made the day of the visit, it's almost impossible to get a table. It is hidden behind the phone booth at Crifdogs. It is a "speakeasy" style bar with very tight confines, interesting old-school based libations.

And one of my favourites:

4.  Raines Law Room- new spot, but super old school feel. Neighborhood: Flatiron 48 West 17th St / between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas). Slightly hidden entrance on 17th street. Beautifully appointed speakeasy, excellent drinks & service. The only negative was that when leaving we were charged $2 each to retrieve our coats. The host asked us on arrival if he could hang our coats (as do most establishments in NY without charge that I know of) and did not mention a fee until we were leaving. Nonetheless, I would return for the expertly made drinks & the atmosphere.

Some other interesting tidbits from my trip:

Reality check! Classic Party Rentals cruising around Manhattan.

The beautiful St Regis Bar… home of the original Bloody Mary. We stopped in here on the way to the Boathouse on Thanksgiving Day for - you guessed it, a Bloody Mary. Delicious.

Bryant Park near 42nd. This is a real find in the middle of Manhattan. Unique shopping & restaurants, Ice skating or just taking a break from the hustle bustle.

Favorite word of mouth restaurant:  Degustation Wine & Tasting Bar, 5th St. (Second Ave.) We loved this unpretentious tiny restaurant with only about 18 counter seats, beautifully executed Spanish food with exceptional service & amazing wine list.

Most unique Play I have ever seen: Idiot Savant.  It’s a wild 80 minute ride featuring Willem Dafoe that leaves you wanting to visit the aforementioned Speakeasy’s rather promptly. Exhilarating.

Something we did plan – our hotel. Thompson LES. It was perfect for two reasons…. 1. It’s proximity to everyplace with the subway across the street. We really felt that the location was excellent & 2. Our view. It doesn’t get better in NYC. Check it out:

Homemade Hostess Gifts

Many people have asked where to find the hostess gift items that I discussed in my ABC's View From the Bay Segment on creating Homemade Hostess Gifts.  Many of the ideas that centered around fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses and herbs can be found at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market or at many of the other fine Farmer's Markets that have cropped up around the Bay Area.  Specifically, the wonderful peaches used in our Peach Chutney came from Blossom Bluff Orchards, the blackberries used in our Blackberry Syrup came from Yerena Farms, the Tamari Almonds from Lagier Ranches, the Mt Tam Cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and the assortment of fresh organic herbs from the Kingdom of Herbs.  You can find recipes for our wonderful Peach Chutney and Blackberry Syrup on the View From the Bay Hostess Gifts segment.  As a tasty alternative to our Peach Chutney, you might try June Taylor's lovely Quince Paste.  It is fabulous with the Mt. Tam!

In our business, presentation makes all the difference.  The same is true for gifts.  Often what makes a gift special is the container in which it comes.    With a little hunting, you can find unique, fun and inexpensive containers everywhere.  The under $5.00 bamboo box I used came from Dandelion on Portrero Ave. in San Francisco.  Dandelion is one  of my favorite places to find unusual,fun and rich looking (yet inexpensive) containers to really finish a gift, giving it that special feeling.  Also wonderful is The Gardener at the Ferry Building where I found the the great baskets used on the VFTB segment.

The main thing to remember when considering a host or hostess gift is that it need not be expensive but it will be more memorable if you put some of yourself into it.

From Farmer to Dessert: CUESA’s Annual Sunday Supper

Every year, through Taste, I get to be involved in one of my favorite events of the year, CUESA's Annual Sunday Supper which helps raise money for CUESA (generally known as the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building.)  Each year, some of San Francisco’s top talents donate food, their time and above all their love, to support an organization that helps us chefs do what we do best with the highest quality of product.

From Farmer...

I recall what the farmer’s market used to be like before I moved to NYC in 2003, back when it was just a dirt parking lot, not too far from where the Ferry Building is now.  Even then, it was a marvel to behold in comparison to New York’s "green" market, which could never compare with everything that California has to provide.  Working at Daniel in New York, when I would ask of organi c  and sustainable fruits, they would for the most part roll their eyes, thinking “tree hugger”, a mentality even New Yorkers are slowly moving away from, thankfully.  When I first returned to San Francisco in a trip in 2005, I was in awe of the new Ferry Building and the Saturday Market.  In fact I think I nearly had an overload su rge of serotonin burst through my system.  This feeling still persists when I go to the Saturday Market, especially early morning before the crowds rush in.  During the summer I especially like Lucero Farms' strawberries, Zuckerman’s Blueberries, Blossom Bluff’s Persian Plums, the organic lavender, and one of my favorites, Tory Farms' which produces the tastiest stone fruit and grapes.   I recall a morning in late June when Tory, with a grin on his face, cut a piece of his first harvest of white peaches for me, and our Chef Chris, was when I thought “summer is here”.  The natural sugar content of the peach was like chewing on a honeycomb. One piece turned into eating two peaches in a row, as it dripped across my chin, all over my shirt, which is always a good sign of great stone fruit.

Tory Farm’s is owned by Tory and his wife Rebecca, who will never let me leave before giving me a bag of their favorite fruits to take home, on the house. I don’t know about being a tree hugger, but I want to hug these guys every time I see them!  These people love their fruits like their kids.  In fact, there have been times he’s made me convince him that I would do his fruit justice, in requesting them before their “prime”.   I’d like to think, with our dish at the Sunday Supper, we’ve done them more than proud. 

...to Sunday Super Dessert

My good friend and assistant Carol helped in producing and plating our final dish, which was “Slow Cooked Tory Farm’s Flavor Treat Pluots, Japanese Genoise, Pluot Confit and White Ale Sauce”.   We sous-vide the pluots with a hint of Tahitian Vanilla and Green Cardamom for 3 days, before cooking them in a slow water bath at 75^c for 12 minutes.  At this point they had just a hint of fragrance, and were firm yet tender.  The white ale from Hitachino Nest, which we used in our ice cream base, and “sauce” which was a light custard foam which we served right over the cooked pluots.  This beer is one of my new obsessions. It has such a delicate and gentle flavor, that lends itself to plums and pluots beautifully, which are very common in Japanese cooking.  The light genoise we made with a Japanese Pastry Flour from Japan Town that lends a soft almost cloud like texture to the cake.  These were then soaked in a secret sauce, coated with California pistachios, and filled with our house made pluot confit.  All these we served on a bed of Santa Rosa Plum Sauce.

I gather from the standing ovation from our guests that they were all pleased with their meals, which is always a gratifying feeling.  But it’s hard to go wrong when you work with such beautiful ingredients, and live in a city that appreciates good food and its journey to their plate.  CUESA also works to educate and promote sustainability in agriculture which, from what I can see, has come a long way in the last decade.  If you weren’t there this year, please come join us in 2010!

Macy's Passport 2009

Macy’s Passport 2009 Benefit Night reception was a design challenge this year, incorporating not only a  VIP reception but also a multitude of sponsors with individual branding needs.   Macy’s "Come Together” theme combined the notions of “Fashion + Compassion” for the fashion show fundraisers for HIV services and prevention, as well as their  September campaign, “Hunger Action Month.”  (See http://social.macys.com/cometogether/ for more information on this fun project, whose goal is to provide 10 million meals through Feed America!)

To sharpen these ideas for the purposes of the gala reception, we expanded them to encompass local community and sustainability.   Once MeMe decided on a farmer’s market concept for the theme, I set to work to design an event that would reflect her vision of showcasing the bounty of the bay area and the strong sense of unity, health, ecology and economy that results from “coming together“  in support  of local non-profits working in the HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment arenas. 

Once I had this strong concept to build on, design of an urban plaza farmers market came quickly.  I was able to sketch out layouts for over-all guest flow, food/beverage service and sponsor participation.  I chose props, furniture, linens/fabrics, and lighting to design vignettes complete with produce, plants, flowers and an abundance of trees and hedges.   After only a few weeks, I was able to finally put together my budget and encapsulate my vision in a slideshow presentation.  Macy’s thought MeMe’s concept was a perfect fit and that my design was fabulous.  They decided to have us implement it in San Francisco, and Penny Barr of Along Came Mary in Los Angeles.

Needless to say, the original design took many twists and turns over the following months (it does with almost every event!) but as you can see in my snapshots, the results were just as we all hoped.  Beneficiaries of the event, corporate sponsors, volunteers, various event production teams, farms and entertainment from the San Francisco Ferry Plaza market, all with Macy’s as the host came together as a community.

SAN SIMEON GETAWAY

With Labor Day comes the end of long lines at California’s best attractions.  So Tom and I decided to spend a couple of days at Hearst Castle and the area surrounding San Simeon.  The Central Coast weather is great in September—clear and temperate, just perfect for touring this incredible museum.  We chose the Garden Tour, available between May and October, with a focus on the horticultural aspects of the mountain top complex.  You can choose from five tours.

 The wide variety of trees, bushes and flowering plants is truly impressive since every single plant needed to be brought in as well as tons of top soil.  Fruit trees ring the estate and, notably, they retain their fruit until the fruit drops naturally—one of the rules that Hearst established during construction.  The garden tour emphasizes Hearst’s vision of the castle as a museum framed with trees visible from the highway below.  He wanted to create a lush garden environment typical of European estates but retain the awareness of the 80,000 acre working ranch that surrounds the castle itself.  All food was raised on the ranch including prize-winning grass-fed beef that still graze, free-range today.  See www.hearstranch.com for more information and history of the ranch.

 Hearst used the castle for entertaining but he kept the guest count to no more than 20 so that he could get to know those he invited.  He was particularly concerned that the artwork would survive houseguests.  So Hearst restricted the consumption of alcohol to such a point that David Niven once commented that the “wine flowed like glue”.  Well, you can’t please all of the people all of the time . . .

The town of Cambria is about 6 miles south of San Simeon and has a number of good restaurants.  I was particularly interested in finding one that served Hearst Ranch grass-fed beef.  Linn’s Restaurant fit the bill.  The entire meal was excellent and memorable because of special house-made items.  The Linn Family has been farming successfully in the Cambria area since the 1970s when they built their farming future on the Ollalieberry.  As we made our dinner selections, we enjoyed fresh baked bread served with the Linn’s house-made Ollalieberry preserves and sweet butter.  Yum!  Visit their website (above) for help with directions and reservations.

There are a number of good hotels in San Simeon just a couple of miles south of the Castle’s visitor center.  This area of the Central Coast is sparsely populated with no intrusive highway noise so you can leave your window open and let the surf lull you to sleep.

We drove home along Highway 1 with one last notable stop very early in our trip.  Just seven miles north of San Simeon is the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas Beach.  Here you see numerous elephant seals on the sand below.  These huge, bulbous creatures are fascinating to watch.  There are volunteer docents who answer questions and entertain the tourists with stories about these seals.  Check out their website (above) for information on the seals’ activities throughout the year.  Moving on, we enjoyed the ride north, winding in and out of redwood studded coves with the Pacific crashing on the rocks below.  We’re already planning our next trip back to San Simeon.

TASTE TOMATO: THE VIDEO

Check out this fine video that describes the Taste Tomato and how it came about.  Taste Tomato on YouTube.  This makes me very proud of our Tastebuds!