This year's RWA conference took me to the city of San Francisco and I took the opportunity to try out several restaurants.

First stop: Lunch at The Lark Creek Steak House located in the Westfield San Francisco Centre at 845 Market Street on the 4th Floor. Lovely genteel, urban chic decor, and a very fun menu. I had the the jb black truffle steakburger with truffled brie cheese, black truffle vinaigrette, frisee, and caramelized onion marmalade. A nice blend of flavors and very rich, though my medium rare was a bit more rare than I anticipated.

That afternoon, I had high tea at the Neiman Marcus Rotunda. I had been teased by the idea of tea at the Windsor Tea Room in the King George Hotel, but alas it was only available on the weekend and one had to "make do" with the Neiman Marcus, which serves it every day. It came with a lovely assortment of tea sandwiches and tarts, but the tea selection was somewhat limited. I still enjoyed the White Lotus, though. And the view from the Rotunda is impressive.

Late that night, I took in dinner at Michael Mina's, located in the Westin St. Francis hotel on Union Square. Michael Mina has been named Bon Appetit's "Chef of the Year 2005", San Francisco Magazine's "Chef of the Year 2005", and "Restaurateur of the Year 2005" by the International Food and Beverage Forum. The restaurant features an opportunity to create your own prix-fixe, three-course dinner. The restaurant boasts two Michelin Stars. I chose the foie gras appetizer, a selection of three tasting dishes, including sleek cigars with pressed watermelon and serrano ham, a grilled sample with melon compote, and a terrine with a short rib base. All were expertly rendered, of course, though I discovered I wasn't personally fond of the texture in the third part of the dish. I followed this with three slices of duck breast, each accompanied by a complimentary fruit: apricot, cherry, and a tangerine/peach compote. I finished my meal with a selection of cheeses -- monte enebro with tomato compote, malvarosa with dried figs and red onion marmalade, and brescianella stagionata with a porcini syrup and some toasted hazelnuts. Our server - Drew - was perfect. It was an amazing meal. Possibly one of the best I've had in my life. But the meal I had five years ago at Jean Georges in New York still reigns supreme.

The next night I had dinner at Le Colonial, hidden away on Cosmo Place, a small unprepossessing alley. It led to a surprisingly lovely courtyard with open-air seating. The cuisine is French-Vietnamese. I started with Goi Cuon Ca Thu, a seared ahi tuna roll with rice noodles, English cucumber, and cilantro, served with ponzu sauce. It was crisp and wonderful - perfect for summer. For my main meal, I chose Suong Ham, braised short ribs with leeks and shiitake mushrooms and an anise broth. It was a marvelous dish - the beef so tender and full of flavor. For dessert: the mango tart -- sweet mangos sauteed in brown sugar and mango rum, served inside a puff pastry, with coconut macadamia icecream. Decadent, and a wonderful end to a great meal.

My final culinary stop was Asia de Cuba, located at the Clift hotel on Geary Street. I was drawn to this one because of the unusual flavor combination of asian and cuban food. The meal opened with tunapica, a tuna tartare picadillo style with a poignant soy-lime vinaigrette and interesting texture added by the wonton crisps. And then for my main dish I had the calamari salad, with chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory, and a sesame orange dressing. Really enjoyed that one. It was only afterwards that I learned the same group owns a restaurant in New York, which I will have to find an opportunity to try out.

Peach Lambic Sorbet
Recipe adapted from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
3 cups peeled, sliced peaches (about 8 medium)
1 cup peche lambic

Heat the sugar, honey, and water in a small saucepan just until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside and cool completely.

Slice the peaches, being sure to discard the pit and starchy centers. Puree in blender until smooth. Mix in the syrup and the lambic.

Pour slowly into already-churning ice cream maker. After about 25-30 minutes, remove to freezer to firm up. At least 4 hours.

Notes: The version I read online was for a raspberry mix but as peach ice cream had been recently mentioned to me by the same dinner guests for whom this was prepared, I decided to go that route instead. It was just the thing for a hot summer evening, with a creamy, smooth texture and taste that was light on the tongue.

Strawberry Prosecco Jam

4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 package pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup prosecco
6 cups sugar

Bring boiling-water canner, half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot water. Pour boiling water over flats lids -- let stand in hot water until ready to use.

In nonreactive pan, combine berries, pectin, lemon juice and prosecco. Over high heat, bring to a roiling boil. Add sugar. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a roiling boil again. Boil, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately ladle into clean jars. Screw on pre-boiled lids. Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. After jars cool, check seals. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Refrigerate open jam up to three weeks.

Yield: 4 pints

Notes: Picked the strawberries fresh in a nearby patch. There is nothing like picking them yourself - yum. Also, used prosecco instead of traditional champagne because it's slightly sweeter.

Grilled Spicy Citrus Ribs
courtesy of elise.com
adapted from Andrew Schloss' and David Joachim's Mastering the Grill

Ribs
2 racks of ribs (about 4 pounds), St. Louis-cut spareribs or baby back ribs*
2 1/2 cups spicy citrus brine
Oil for the grill grate
1 cup spicy bourbon syrup

* St. Louis Style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed of skirt meat and excess cartilage. More meaty than baby back ribs. Baby back ribs are smaller and leaner than St. Louis Style ribs and may cook more quickly (and dry out more easily).

Spicy Citrus Brine
1 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (1-2 limes)
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Spicy Bourbon Glaze
1 cup bourbon whiskey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tbsp butter

Prepare the brine. Combine the juices and water and measure in a measuring cup. You should have exactly 2 1/2 cups liquid. If you have less, add enough water so that you have 2 1/2 cups of liquid, if you have more, discard the excess. The correct ratio of liquid to salt is important for the brine to work properly. Place liquids in a medium sized bowl, add other brine ingredients - salt, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Stir for half a minute until the salt has completely dissolved.

Prepare the ribs. If you want, remove the thin membrane that lines the concave side of each rib rack. This will make it easier for the brine and spices to penetrate as well as easier to cut and eat when the ribs are done. Insert a dull knife edge between the membrane and ribs to loosen. Grip the loosened membrane and pull away to remove. Cut the racks in half. Put in a plastic ziplock freezer bag. Add the brine to the bag. Squeeze the excess air out of the bag and seal the bag. Massage the brine into the ribs. Place the bag of brine and ribs into a bowl (in case there is leakage) and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate in the brine for 3-6 hours. Note that brining too long can over-saturate the meat with the brine. So stick within the 3-6 hour time frame.

Prepare bourbon glaze. Heat bourbon with sugar, peppers, and salt. Whisk in butter until melted. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Warm before using. You can also prepare while the meat is cooking in the next step.

Prepare the grill for indirect heat. On a gas grill, heat the grill to medium heat 300-325F with the middle burners turned off (if a 3 or 4 burner grill) or one burner turned off (if a 2 burner grill). For a kettle grill with charcoal, use 3-4 pounds of briquets pushed to one side of the grill. An aluminum disposable drip pan set next to the briquets, underneath where the meat will be, will help keep your grill easier to clean.

Remove the ribs from the brining bag. Pat dry the ribs with paper towels. Brush grill grates with olive oil or canola oil. Place the ribs on the side of the grill away from the source of heat, either gas or briquets. Cover the grill. If you are using a gas grill, lower the burners so that you are maintaining a temperature of about 300F-325F in the grill. If you are charcoal grilling, cover the grill so that the air vent on the kettle top is directly over the ribs. This way smoke from the charcoal will waft its way over the ribs on the way out of the grill. Adjust the vents so that the air flow is much reduced. Reducing the size of the air vents is a way to help control the temperature in the grill and keep it low. Fire lives off of oxygen, so if you reduce the oxygen, you reduce the amount of burning and heat. If you close the vents too much, the charcoals will put out too little heat, so the trick is to maintain a balance - enough air flow to keep the coals alive, but not too much or the grill will run too hot and your ribs will overcook. Try to maintain a temperature of about 300F-325F in the grill. If you are using a charcoal grill that doesn't have a built-in thermometer, you can put a meat thermometer through the grill air vent to take a reading of the temp.

After 20-25 minutes of cooking, use tongs to flip the rib racks over. If you are charcoal grilling, shift the ends of the ribs as well so that the end that was facing the coals now faces the edge of the grill. Check for doneness using a meat thermometer after 15-20 more minutes. They are done and ready to pull off at 155F, but you want to get to them 10 minutes or so before they are done to apply the glaze. So at about 145F start applying the spicy bourbon glaze. Brush the ribs with the glaze syrup, turning and basting the ribs until the syrup has been used up. When an instant read thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the ribs reads 155F, the ribs are ready to take off the grill.

Note that depending on the amount of heat in the grill and the size of your ribs, the ribs could be done in as little as 45 minutes or as long as 1 1/2 hours. If the grill temperature stays more at about 350F, then the ribs will be done faster. It's hard to maintain a charcoal grill lower than 350F, though ideally for these ribs you do want the temp lower, closer to 300F. Also note again that baby backs are smaller than St. Louis style and will cook faster.

Notes: I actually used country style boneless pork ribs which increased the cooking time by about 10 minutes both before and after the flip. In any case, these came out really incredibly good. Tender, juicy and full of flavor. And the leftovers got used in Mediterranean Tacos.

Grilled Marinated London Broil
courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

For marinade:
5 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry red wine (or sherry)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey

a 1 1/2 pound top-round London broil (about 1 1/4 inches thick)

Make marinade: Mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt and in a blender blend with remaining marinade ingredients.

In a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag combine London broil with marinade. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and put in a shallow baking dish. Marinate steak, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 4 hours and up to 24.

Prepare grill. [Note: The charcoal grill was used for this.]

Bring steak to room temperature before grilling. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off, and grill on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 7 to 9 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Holding a knife at 45 degrees angle, cut steak across grain into thin slices.

Notes: The holiday weekend means that it's time to really get the grill going. This was a nice variation from my usual marinade (which uses Raspberry Thunder Sauce). It was tangy and really was a nice compliment to the flavor of the steak.

Seared tuna burgers with ginger-garlic mayonnaise
Bon Appetit (January 1998)

Serves 2, can be doubled.

2 3/4-inch-thick tuna steaks (each about 5 to 6 ounces)
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 oversize sesame-seed sandwich rolls, toasted
1 bunch arugula, stems trimmed

Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tuna to skillet and cook until brown outside and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer tuna to plate.

Add ginger and garlic to same skillet; stir 30 seconds. Scrape into small bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread bottoms of rolls with mayonnaise mixture. Top with tuna, arugula and tops of rolls.

Notes: Looking for a variation from the traditional beef burger? This was quick, lite, and savory. Even though I'm generally not a big fan of anything mayonaisse based, I still thought this was a keeper.

Merum Monastrell 2006. Jumilla. : Monastrell 85% Syrah 10% Tempranillo 5%, 90 points from Wine Advocate (2005). Offers up earth, forest floor, and black cherry aromas and flavors along with very good concentration, good purity, and decent acidity. The finish is layered and long. Benefits from half hour or so of aeration.

The Monastrell grape is red and very sweet. It produces wines with a deep colour and considerable alcoholic content. It is mainly found in Murcia (52%), Alicante, Albacete and Valencia.

89 points from Wine Spectator. A creamy texture carries orange, guava, almond and light vanilla flavors in this polished white, which has lively acidity and wears its weight with grace.

100% Verdejo, one of the best white varieties in Spain. It makes very aromatic, glyceric, soft wines with body. It is plentiful in Valladolid (69%), Segovia and Ávila. It is considered a main variety of Rueda DO.

On the occasion of my sister's graduation from college, my family and I had the opportunity to visit The Old Library Restaurant to celebrate. It really does stand at the site of a former library and is a national historic site, as well as boasting a decor that features walls lined with book shelves. Our little alcove had several old law tomes to peruse.

The menu was varied traditional American. I ordered a special -- a filet stuffed with crab with a lemon buerre blanc sauce. Others at the table had a roast half-duckling with a plum sauce. I stole a few bites and thought that the better dish of the two. For dessert the table split the very berry tart and a piece of chocolate chocolate torte. It seemed as if everyone left with their appetites satisfied.

fried shrimp with chili and lime leaf
from Vatch's Thai Street Food
AKA chu chee gung

2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 TBSP red curry paste
2 TBSP stock
16 extra large shrimp (31-40 count)
2 TBSP fish sauce
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1 long red chili, finely slivered

Heat oil in wok or frying pan, add the garlic, and fry until golden brown. Stir in the curry paste and cook together for a few seconds. Add the stock and mix thoroughly. Toss in the shrimp and stir-fry for a few seconds until opaque.

Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice, lime leaves, and chili, stirring after each addition. Cook together for 2-3 seconds, then turn onto a serving dish. The dish should be quite dry.

Notes: The original recipe calls for 6-8 king tiger shrimp, so I estimated based on number per pound sizes. Other than that, this recipe was served as above, and it was H.O.T. -- Very Spicy. I think if I make it in the future, I might actually take the chili paste back to 3/4 TBSP and only use half the red chili pepper. Served with spinach vermicelli.

Middle-Eastern Meatloaf Roll

I was never a fan of meatloaf despite its regular appearance as a staple meal while I was growing up (sorry, mom). The tomato paste or ketchup sauce congealed in an unappealing way and the texture of the loaf itself was often mealy and heavy. I don't think that was mom's fault. I had it at a variety of church potlucks and friends' homes as well and it never became a sought-after meal for me.

So, when I saw the challenge for Recipe Remix for April, in which participants were invited to take an old standby recipe from their list and attempt to apply some creativity, I decided it was time to take advantage of how my own cooking skills have developed over the last few years and also of my food interests that now range into various ethnic cuisines that I never sampled as a child. And, so, I present a new and original recipe: Middle-Eastern Meatloaf, garnered from the review and use of types of kibbeh and other similar dishes.

Photo by: Michael Curry

Middle-Eastern Meatloaf Roll
a Jennifer original

Meat:
1/3 cup bulgur, rinsed in cold water
1 lb. Ground lamb
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 shallots, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
salt, pepper to taste

Filling:
4 oz wilted baby spinach
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled

Mix all ingredients for meat mixture together. If possible, do one hour before baking and allow flavors to meld.

Saute the spinach in a non-stick pan with a splash of olive oil. Spread meat on sheet of foil in large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover the surface with the pine nuts, then feta, then spinach, and use the foil to roll like a roulade or jelly roll. Brush the top with melted butter. Bake it on a broiler pan at 350 until thermometer reads 160 degrees F, about 55 minutes. Let set 10 minutes before slicing and serving with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp allspice
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 TBSP water
Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Can be done 4 hours ahead.

Notes: There were actually three versions of the yogurt sauce: (1) with 2 TBSP tahini paste, which did not work, and then (2) as above, but without the allspice, which was fine but needed something else, and so (3) the choice above came to be. I liked the seasoning of the meatloaf as well as the filling. Will very likely make this again sometime.