People who eat seasonally often extol the abundance of summer as the epitome of the fruit and vegetable season. Sure, summer has it's stars: tomatoes, berries, peaches, summer squash. But when it comes down to it, there are some gems of the other seasons that I wouldn't give up for the world.

In the past couple of weeks, one of my biggest addictions of the year came into season: Satsuma mandarins.

Mandarins can be found all over the city -- you can find organic and local mandarins at farmers' markets around town, and less local but cheaper mandarins at Chinese groceries throughout the city. Satsumas come into the market yearly around Thanksgiving and their peak season lasts around five weeks.

At the peak of the season, Satsuma mandarins are easy to peel and segment, each piece bursting with a sweet full-flavored juice balanced with just the right amount of acid to create a delicious snack - I often eat several in one sitting, and about five pounds a week when they are in season.

We are near some great mandarin-growing areas. Like other citrus, mandarins need hot days to grow. But the hot days and cool nights of the Capay Valley and parts of the Central Valley help mandarins develop a full flavor. California is not the primary producer of Satsumas, however. The largest Satsuma industry is in Southern Japan, where Satsumas make up about 75% of all citrus production in the country.

Satsumas have been available in Japan and China for over 700 years, but the first trees were planted in the United States in the 19th century when the wife of the U.S. minister to Japan shipped home orange trees from the Satsuma province, and the Satsuma varietal of the mandarin was born, or so the story goes.

Satsuma mandarins are part of a larger group of mandarins which include Clementine, Tangelo, Tangerine, and Royal mandarins.

Satsumas and mandarins in general have several symbolic meanings in Chinese, which is why you often see them around the Chinese New Year. When leaves and stems are still attached, satsumas symbolize family and friends who will not separate, and a newly married woman is given two mandarins by her new in-laws, which are to be peeled on her wedding night and shared with her husband, symbolizing a happy and full life together. Along with other citrus trees, a mandarin tree placed in the front of the home and full of fruit symbolizes the ripening of good fortune.

Photo credit: flourphoto

Spices for the pumpkin soup--cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cayenne, paprika, cumin, cardamom seeds (not pictured coriander and curry)

I should move out of the country more often. This year I celebrated Thanksgiving not once but three times! That's three turkeys (or really big chickens), three stuffings, three mashed potatoes, and three pumpkin pies, among a few hundred other dishes.

"So what!?" you say...but bare with me here. You see, all these wonderful things that we take for granted in the good ol' U S of A such as sweet potatoes with those little marshmallows, pumpkin puree in a can, cranberry sauce (made with real cranberries!), not to mention turkeys, are far from easy to find here and once you do you might as well just hand them your wallet. Ok, I'm exaggerating but a can of Libby's pumpkin pie mix cost me a whopping 7,50 euros or $9.40! For a can of pumpkin puree! Yikes!

Just last fall France was introduced to the wonders of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice--it made the cover of FUSAC, the local expat magazine--and a friend here was so moved to find real, fresh cranberries last week that she sent out this email:

Blog or No blog, I had to tell....... Well actually I am screaming with excitement!!!! I found fresh, not frozen, cranberries from America at "My Monoprix" Go now!!!!!

You see, it's the little things in life when you live 6,000 miles away from home and the nearest Safeway.

The first Thanksgiving celebration was last Saturday at Kendall and Bob's who are from Ohio. They roasted not one but three turkeys, starting at 10pm the night before (!!!) and no fewer than one hundred people showed up! Like the General Session at the UN, there were people there from all over the world. A couple from India made an amazing pumpkin soup that I tried to replicate a few days later with dismal results. A woman from the UK made two delicious stuffings--one had olives in it which I've never had before in stuffing. There were many Americans of course and more than a few French curious to learn about this strange American tradition eating this strange bird.

When we cooked chez nous (at our house) my flatmate Pierre insisted upon a capon (a castrated chicken--now there's a job for ya'!) rather than a turkey. He considers turkeys a ridiculous bird as do most French people which is why they are hard to find here and the price of a small car when you do. So we stuffed a big capon with foie gras, chicken breasts and port and cooked it in a salt crust. It was delicious and moist but made a horrendous mess in the kitchen when we took a sledge hammer to the crust. After the first bite of foie gras stuffed capon, we declared it worthy of the ensuing clean-up.

the foie gras, chicken breast, port stuffing

the capon, stuffed!

the salt crust -- gros sel (big salt), flour, egg whites, water (you could plaster a house with this stuff, it is so strong!)

Me, breaking the salt crust with a hammer... How do you know when it's done? You don't. We figured when the salt crust turned brown, or in this case, really dark brown, it must be ready... sounded good to me.

Free at last. A perfectly cooked bird. Moist, juicy, flavorful, not dried out or cardboard-y (cardboard-y is an official culinary term).

The mess... note the sledgehammer...

For Thanksgiving #3 this year, I volunteered to make a pumpkin soup. I tried to replicate the Indian pumpkin soup from Thanksgiving #1 with dismal results. Her spices were mixed by then sent from her mother in India and mine were mixed by an American (moi) from a market in Paris. It was at first a disaster but I managed to resurrect it into something edible. My fellow diners showered me with oohs and aahs though I think they were just being tres polite.

Bird #3 this year, Poulet de Bresse (a big, fat chicken from the town of Bresse, near Lyon, which is famous for their chickens), was stuffed with foie gras (do I see a trend?), sauteed ground pork, pain d'epices (spice bread similar to gingerbread), and some other secret ingredients. It was delicious, moist, rich, succulent; sweet from the pain d'epices, unctuous from the foie gras, earthy from the sauteed pork. All I can say is incroyable! A table full of green beans, roast baby potatoes, spring onion gratin, and a good old fashioned apple pie rounded out the evening.

Convivialite with a beautiful, welcoming table

My near disaster spiced pumpkin soup

Poulet de Bresse with the stuffing oozing out. My apologies, we tucked into it before I could get a picture. The carcass was picked clean.

Spring onion gratin with Comte cheese (like Swiss but more flavor, sharper) and...

Good old fashioned apple pie!

I think it will be awhile before I eat turkey, chicken or foie gras again...at least until Christmas!

---------------------------

Poulet de Bresse Farci avec Foie Gras et Pain d'Epices ~ Bresse Chicken stuffed with Foie Gras and Spice Bread

adapted from Elle a Table and my friend Kristin.

3-4 lb (1.5 kilo) chicken
2 red onions
1 lb baby potatoes

1 large white onion, finely chopped
8 oz (250 g) ground pork, sauteed
giblets from chicken
5 oz (150 g) foie gras cut into 1/2" dice
10-12 slices pain d'epices (gingerbread)
1 egg
2 tbsp honey
3 pinches cinnamon
olive oil
1/4 stick butter (optional) cut into small dice
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
1-2 cups white wine (dry, full bodied such as a Savignon Blanc or Reisling. I don't recommend Chardonnay)

1. Heat oven to 400F / 200C.

2. Saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add pork and chicken livers, saute and brown on medium heat

3. Cut gingerbread into 1/2" cubes. Place half of the cut up gingerbread in a large bown and add the foie gras, egg, honey and cinnamon. Mix well. Add the pork/onion/giblets mixture and slowly incorporate the remaining gingerbread in 1/2 cup increments to ensure all the moisture is absorbed evenly.

4. Salt and pepper the cavity. Slide pieces of butter under the skin. Rub olive oil on the skin and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. Stuff the bird with the foie gras mixture, tie the legs together (I've been known to use dental floss in a pinch). Place in a large roasting pan. Add 1 cup white wine to the pan. Cover the bird with foil and seal well. Cook for 45 minutes.

6. Boil the potatoes until about half cooked, maybe 30 minutes. Drain.

7. After the first 45 minutes of bird cooking, add potatoes and onions to the roasting pan. Baste the chicken and add another cup of wine if it evaporated. Reseal tightly and cook for 30 more minutes.

8. Remove foil, baste, and cook for a final 30 minutes. Take the bird out, cover with foil and thick towels and let sit for 30-45 minutes. Spoon out the juices and make gravy or simply skim off the fat and serve the pan juices which are delicious by itself.

9. When it is time to serve, untie the legs and spoon out the stuffing. Slice the meat or as we did, simply place the bird in the center of the table and have at it. Bon appetit!

Potage Epice de Potiron ~ Spiced Pumpkin Soup

This is not how I made it originally. This is how I should have made it originally then I wouldn't have had to put it on life support. Initially my soup came out thin and bland so I ran to the store, bought another chunk of pumpkin and a carrot or two and roasted them (400F, 45 minutes) til caramelized. Then I added them to the original soup with more spices and pureed. Here you go, with the good recipe...

1 pumpkin (approx 2 pounds of flesh) cut into 1" dice
2 carrots cut into 1/2" dice
1 leek halved lengthwise and cut into 1" pieces
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
spices -- cinnamon, curry, cumin, grated fresh ginger, crushed coriander seeds, all spice, chili powder, and whatever else you like...
1/4 cup orange juice
1 overflowing tablespoon honey
1/4 cup cream

1. Select a pumpkin that is firm and bright orange on the inside. Cut away skin and cut the pumpkin into 1" dice.

2. Cut carrots into 1/2" dice. Cut the green part off the leeks. Keeping the root end intact, slice lengthwise and rinse under running water to remove all the dirt. Then slice crosswise in 1" pieces. Chop the onion and garlic.

3. Toss the pumpkin, carrots and leeks in 1 tablespoon olive oil, a shake of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Coat thoroughly. Add a pinch or two of some of the dry powdered spices to give depth and a layering of flavors to the soup (don't add all--more will be added into the pot later to better control the flavor). Place veggies in one layer on foil on a sheet pan and roast at 400F for 45-60minutes until just starting to caramelize.

4. When pumpkin is cooked, add 1 tablespoon olive oil (and 1 tablespoon butter--optional) and chopped onion to an empty pot on a medium high stove. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, saute for another few minutes. Add roasted pumpkin, carrots, leeks to the pot. Pour in enough water to reach the top of the vegetables, cover and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, uncover and simmer for an hour. Add a 1/4 cup of orange juice & a little honey to the pot while it is simmering for a different flavor.

5. If you have coriander seeds, crush a few tablespoons with a rolling pin or the back of a pan, place them in a mesh tea ball, and add to the pot. Keep it there for 15-20 minutes then take it out, otherwise the taste overpowers the soup.

6. Once the soup has cooked thoroughly, take off the heat and blend with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or cuisinart). Now comes the fun part. Add a dash or two of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Blend. Taste. Now start adding spices in small amounts, and an occasional tiny pinch of salt, blending and tasting until you have the desired result.

Salt accentuates the flavor but do this at the end and sparingly as once you go over the salt ravine, it's hard to climb back up. I've been taught to add a cubed potato to an oversalted soup and cook for a while as the potato will absorb the salt but I've never tried it. Take your time and let the flavors meld. And go sparingly when adding cayenne!

7. This is optional but I did it: once you have achieved the desired taste, whisk in a 1/4 cup of cream. For those of you freaking out about the fat content, this gives you about 8 bowls of soup so a 1/4 cup of cream divided by 8 is barely 1 tablespoon per person, so relax and enjoy the food.

Serve in a bowl and garnish with a flat parsley leaf and/or a thin strip of red pepper or something of a contrasting color. Bon Appetit!

Warmest wishes this Thanksgiving holiday from very cold Paris.

Check, Please! Bay Area is KQED's new local series featuring regular people reviewing Bay Area restaurants.

The Check, Please! blog (kqed.org/checkplease) provides restaurant information, recipes and guest reviews of the featured restaurants. You can now watch all episodes online! Check out the new photo gallery to view behind-the-scenes shots.

On KQED TV9 this Thanksgiving, Check, Please! Bay Area's first episode repeats at 7:30pm. The restaurants reviewed are: Old Krakow Polish Restaurant, Incanto and The Hard Knox Cafe.

Please feel free to join the discussion by posting comments about the show and your reviews of the featured restaurants!

I'm always in search of a fabulous sushi bar, but I find that I often end up sticking to my old favorites. So when Wendy's birthday rolled around last week, I had the perfect opportunity to go on a sushi adventure. Now, when it comes to sushi, I tend to go for an educated adventure, rather than just throw myself headfirst into the unknown fishy universe. I did a bit of checking, asked fellow sushi afficianados, and came up with Sushi Ran, a place I'd heard about for years but had never made the trek over the Golden Gate bridge to try.

Located in Sausalito, Sushi Ran is owned by Yoshi Tome who purchased the restaurant in the late 1980s. It has not only become a bustling neighborhood institution, but a Bay Area destination. Sushi Ran was even listed as one of 2006 America's Top Restaurants by Zagat.

Sushi Ran is divided into 2 sections, the dining room/sushi bar and, across a pathway, a cozy wine bar serving a limited menu. We made a reservation for the main restaurant. When we arrived we were shown a small table in the back room. It was perfectly nice, but not my idea of going out for sushi. I asked the host if it was possible to move to the sushi bar when space became available. Apparently the sushi gods were smiling down upon us, because 2 seats had just opened up and we gleefully took our places in front of one of the chefs.

We opened our meal with 2 starters off the main menu: a half-dozen tiny Kumamoto oysters bathed in rice vinegar and topped with tobiko and a tangle of seaweed, and delicate scallop and chive dumplings, perfectly plump, with a light soy dressing. I liked the oysters, but not nearly as much as I loved the dumplings. I was almost tempted to order more, but did want to save myself for the renowned sushi.

Sushi Ran has all the basics on the sushi menu, but what makes them unique are the chef's specials, many of which we ordered.

We started our sushi feast with Negi Toro Maki, fatty tuna rolls (stuffed with tender tuna) with scallions and ginger. These, along with the Rock-and-Roll (eel, cucumber, and avocado inside out rolls) were gobbled up quickly. This was followed by a flurry of nigiri and other delights, including Zuke Shiro Maguro, a house-cured Albacore tuna (smokey and delicious); Kampachi, young yellowtail that nearly melted in your mouth; and Ikura, or salmon roe, which at Sushi Ran is house-cured and only served seasonally.

At the goading of our sushi neighbor, and newfound friend, we decided to order Uni (sea urchin). Our sushi friend insisted that he only orders this at Sushi Ran and this is the true test of a sushi restaurant. If it's fresh, the restaurant is typically top-notch. If not, well, you are in for some nasty uni. If you are unfamiliar with Uni, it's the mustard-yellow mound that looks like cat tongues. Yeah, not something that I find appetizing, but I've heard it tastes like the ocean lapping at your toes. For me, it's the texture thing. Anyway, Wendy had not tried Uni in perhaps 20 years, so she thought it was time for a sushi adventure. We ordered it, but I chickened out. (I know, I know, I am usually really good about trying things at least once, but this is where I had to draw the line.) Long story short, Wendy impressed not only herself, but me, the sushi chef, and our sushi friend by eating both pieces of Uni. And she liked it. Although afterwards she admitted that she probably would not be eating it again anytime soon. Not at all a reflection on the impeccable freshness of Sushi Ran's sea urchin, but more of an acquired taste.

Next, at the recommendation of our sushi chef, we ordered the Monkfish Liver sushi, another Sushi Ran special. Oh. My. Sushi. God. It was my absolute favorite of the evening. Sweet, silky, and oh-so-delectable. It was like fish foie gras, without all the politics. We also tried the cucumber rolls. Sounds boring? Oh no, you just haven't tried Sushi Ran's version. Shards of crisp Japanese cucumbers are rolled with pickled plum and shiso leaves, for a very refreshing, palate-cleansing delight. Order them. I'm serious.

Finally, at the recommendation of our sushi neighbors on the other side of us, we ordered the Wagyu Beef. Beef at a sushi restaurant you say? No, this was Japanese beef tenderloin. Lovingly, thinly sliced and served nigiri style, with a bit of horseradish I believe? Again, heaven. Melt-in-your-mouth beefy fun.

All in all, I would highly recommend this restaurant. It's a fun, friendly, relaxed, neighborhood type place that takes its sushi very seriously. I certainly understand why it's ranked among the great restaurants of the Bay Area.

Sushi Ran
107 Caledonia Street
Sausalito, CA

415.332.3620

Manger! Boire! Vivre! ~ Eat! Drink! Live!

Wise words to live by as well as the theme for this year's 19th Annual James Beard Foundation Holiday Auction and Dinner. French chefs from around the world were on hand for this 'Celebration de la Cuisine Francaise' at The Essex House in New York City.

One of the most rewarding jobs I volunteered for while in cooking school was at the James Beard House. I had the honor of assisting some of the most highly acclaimed chefs in the business including Mario Lohninger (Danube -- just received 2 Michelin stars!), Morimoto (Morimoto and Iron Chef), Mark Franz and Emily Luchetti (Farallon), Jonathan Cartwright (White Barn Inn), Richard Reddington (Auberge du Soleil), Martin Heierling (Bellagio) and Dave Pasternak (Esca). For a new deer-in-the-headlights culinary student, it was quite a privilege.

As I was planning my most recent trip to New York, I realized that my stay overlapped this event so I immediately fired off an email volunteering my "culinary services". I have yet to hear of anyone saying "no" to free labor, however incompetent, especially one with a drop or two of experience, so within minutes I was on the schedule for the evening of the event. It still is an honor and I am still wide-eyed, humbled, and in awe among such culinary treasures.

Michel Richard and Andre Soltner

The Chefs for the evening were: Bertrand Chemel of Cafe Boulud in New York, Luc Dimnet of Brasserie in New York, Daniel Hebert of Le Jardin du Quai in Provence, Andre Soltner of Lutece and the French Culinary Institute in New York, Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington DC, and the fabulous Pierre Herme of Pierre Herme Patisserie in Paris.

The menu was of course amazing as it always is at any Beard event. From wild Scottish pheasant to frog legs to tapioca with truffles to 72-hour braised beef, it was an experience to treasure. There were approximately 20 chefs and at least another 20 volunteer cooks running around trying to help but mostly getting in the way. I spent most of my time with Michel Richard and Pierre Herme's sous-chef Sebastien helping in the downstairs kitchen and then we came up to the main kitchen for service where I helped plate.

Andre Soltner with Michel Richard's sous-chef

Life in a kitchen is nothing less than grueling but the team work, the creativity and the conviviality is what draws me to the fire. And it was heartwarming to see the camaraderie amongst these great chefs. There were no egos, no posturing, just a profound respect for their 'metier' (profession) and for each other. I'm sure you're thinking "Stop babbling and get on with the dinner!" so without further ado...Bon appetit!

The Reception Menu served with
~ Laroche Mas La Chevaliere Blanc 2003
~ Laroche Mas La Chevaliere Rouge 2002
~ Cocktails by Remy Martin and Cointreau

Appetizers from Bertrand Chemel of Cafe Boulud

Une Soupe de Courge Exotique ~ Exotic Squash Soup with a dollop of truffle foam

Faisan Sauvage Ecossaise avec Pate en Croute ~ Wild Scottish Pheasant Cooked in Pastry

Une Salade de Betteraves avec des Pecans Caramelises ~ Beet Salad with Caramelized Pecans

Arancini Champignon Sauvage ~ Wild Mushroom Arancini

Appetizers from Luc Dimnet of Brasserie

Pissaladiere au Blue de Bresse, Figues et Noisettes Roties ~ Blue Cheese and Roasted Fig Tartlets with Toasted Hazelnuts

Cuisses de Grenouilles a l'Escabeche, Compote de Tomates Fumees et Chips d'Ail ~ Frog Legs Escabeche with Crispy Garlic and Smoked Tomato Compote

Note: Escabeche is most often associated with pickled fish, but in this case it was picked frogs legs.

Medaillon de Chevreuil Sauvage, Mousseline de Chataignes et Salade de Celeri ~ Wild Venison Medallions with Chestnut Mousseline and Celeriac Slaw

and my favorite...

Poitrine de Caille et Foie Gras de La Vallee de Hudson, Pommes Fuji Caramelisees ~ Hudson Valley Quail and Foie Gras with Caramelized Fuji Apples

The Dinner Menu

Entree by Daniel Hebet of Le Jardin du Quai in Provence, France

Tapioca Truffe a la Carbonate, Cerfeuil en Salad de Truffes ~ Tapioca alla Carbonara with Truffles, Chervil and Truffle Salad
~ served with Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut NV

Note: This was the most interesting dish of the night with finely chopped ham, finely chopped truffles, tapioca, a dollop of creme fraiche topped with chervil and 2 perfect quail eggs. At the last moment, the chef poured the Carbonara sauce into the bowl and topped the chervil (below) as the waiters whisked the bowls away.

Plat Poisson by Andre Soltner of Lutece and the French Culinary Institute in New York

Panache de Poissons en Feuillete, Sauce Choron ~ Fish in Puff Pastry with Tomato and Tarragon Sauce
~ served with Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaire Brut Vintage 1995

Note: 'Fish in Puff Pastry' doesn't quite do it justice. This was salmon enveloped in spinach mousseline and again enveloped in cod mousseline baked in puff pastry. Everyone dove for the leftovers when the last dish went out.

Plat Viande by Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington DC

Boeuf a la Mode a la Trois Jours ~ 72-Hour-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Carrots
~ served with Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 1998

Note: Yes, you read right. 72 hours! They were cooked 'sous vide', sealed in plastic and cooked in very low temperature water...for 72 hours! To quote Barbra, 'It was like butta!' The meat was meltingly tender, cooked perfectly pink and moist inside.

Bruno Obadia, the sous vide guru, and Michel Richard

Dessert by the fabulous Pierre Herme in Paris

Le Chocolat Noir Valrhona comme un Mille-Feuille d'Orange et Fruits d'Hiver au Vinaigre Balsamique, Jus au Jasmin ~ Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mille-Feuille with Orange Gelee and Winter Fruit with Balsamic Vinegar and Essence of Jasmine
~ served with Remy Martin XO Excellence

Note: Pierre Herme created this dessert specifically for this dinner. You unfortunately won't find it in his stores.

Pierre Herme plating so fast he blurred...

Once this last dessert went out, the cases of champagne poured in and we all grabbed for a dessert and a glass and toasted to the evening.

Chef Daniel Hebet, center, celebrating with his sous-chefs.

Eat, drink, live, indeed!

____________________________

James Beard Foundation
167 West 12th Street
New York, NY 10011
212 627 2308
www.jamesbeard.org

Brasserie
100 East 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
212 751 4840
www.rapatina.com/brasserie

Cafe Boulud
20 E. 76th Street
New York, NY 10021
212 772 2600
danielnyc.com/cafeboulud

Citronelle
3000 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.frenchculinary.com

Le Jardin du Quai
2 avenue Julien Guigue
L'Isle sur La Sorgue
+33 (0)4 90 20 14 98

Pierre Herme
72, rue Bonaparte
Paris 75006, France
+33 (0) 1 43 54 47 77
www.pierreherme.com

Check, Please! Bay Area is KQED's new local series featuring regular people reviewing Bay Area restaurants.

Visit the Check, Please! Bay Area blog to experience the restaurants from Episode 3:

1) Isa: | restaurant information | reviews | recipe |

2) Antica Trattoria: | restaurant information | reviews | recipe |

3) Salang Pass: | restaurant information | reviews |

The Check, Please! Bay Area photo gallery is up now -- view featured restaurant photos and some behind the scenes shots!

Well friends, it's getting chilly in the Bay Area and it's putting me in mind of -- no, actually, it's NOT getting chilly in the Bay Area. At all. And I'm peeved. Stop with all this warm sunshine crap already! I want sharp winds, chunky sweaters, pink cheeks, and hearty foods! If it actually WERE getting autumnal around here I'd be TOTALLY commenting on how it was all putting me in mind of a TRULY delectable dish I had in San Diego. But noooooo!

Two very important things happen this Friday. The first -- and less interesting -- is that I turn thirty-two. The second -- and much more delectable -- is that Region turns two! *Groan* What I wouldn't give to be at that fabulous restaurant celebrating both our birthdays with wine and food and friends and food and...food. After I wrote my initial review, I never mentioned how I went back and gorged myself two more times. Count 'em -- three visits in three weeks. Yes, it's that good. Therefore, given the week and my empty stomach, it's time for a little Region Redux.

The truly delectable dish that would be perfect right now if San Francisco would just GIVE it up and ADMIT that it's NOVEMBER ALREADY is the duck risotto I had on my last night at Region. It was so good that my husband and I scarfed it all down before I recovered my wits enough to take a picture. We may be pigs but we do share. In fact, our dining companions both ordered the duck risotto as well and were astounded that Mathra and I were content to share ours with one another. We were content to share because we also ordered a heirloom tomato salad with arugula and goat cheese. First of all, it was August, so how the hell could we resist tomato salad? "All tomatoes, all the time," is my summer mantra, if you want to know the truth. Second of all, my husband and I are food compatible.

Basically, we both like everything so much that we get double our pleasure when we go out to eat. We read the menu veeeeery carefully and decide on the best two items for starters and mains. Halfway through each dish, we yell (or whisper, depending if there are white tablecloths in the room), "SWITCH!" and trade plates. We are very judicious about it as well, honestly eating only half the food on the plate. (However, I have been known to stab a mushroom or two more than my regimented allotment, but he looks the other way and that's why I married him.) This sharing thing was something our dining companions couldn't understand. Desiree commented that if she tried it with James over a shallow bowl of melting duck risotto, she'd lose a hand. Lucky for us, we still have both hands and we both got to enjoy summer's end tomatoes AND hearty, succulent duck risotto.

Twice at Region we ordered pork chops that had things done to them that I don't believe are strictly legal, but definitely made all of us sigh, "Yeaaah, that's the OTHER white meat!" The first time the chop was grilled and topped with roasted sweet summer corn, and the second time nestled the succulent pork on an oozy pillow of braised apples, peppers, and tomatoes. I really need to make more pork at home, but after we had a Christmas Incident where one of our cats attacked the apple and cherry-stuffed pork loin, wrestled it to the floor, and proceeded to make sure it regretted ever coming out of the oven, I haven't been able to bring myself to bring pig into our house since.

My top three -- no, four. Okay, five -- to-die-for dishes at Region are: the duck risotto, the cork-boiled and char-grilled octopus, the citrus-braised tomatoes, anything they do with scallops, and their homemade pastas. On our final night, those last two faves got combined in a seared scallop and pesto'd pasta dish that was so frickin' fantastic, I cry just thinking about it.

The scallops were juicy, meaty, and ever-so-gently seared, while the pesto-tossed pasta was light on the teeth and happy in the stomach. Again, Mathra shouted down his scallop allergy and sampled that dish -- all for the love of Region.

Region isn't about over-sauced, over-truffled, or overwrought food. Region is simple, honest, pure, and those three things make it one of the best restaurants ever to pass my lips.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Region. Wish I was there.

Region
Farm Fresh Cuisine
3671 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103

Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 6 to 10 PM

When Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were in California at the beginning of this month, they spent a good amount of time in the Point Reyes area meeting with farmers, picnicking, and dining at local restaurants. They couldn't have chosen a better place.

It is surprising how many locals are not aware of the splendor of Tomales Bay and Point Reyes. Forty-five minutes from San Francisco, it is an easy get-away for a day or weekend trip. I feel an almost magnetic pull to the area, and Jason and I go up a couple times a year and stay for a few days at a time.

Dining in the Tomales Bay / Point Reyes area is rarely a disappointment. With a focus on locally and sustainably-grown foods, many restaurants are surprisingly great given the ruralness of the area.

Tomales Bakery. Drive into the tiny town of Tomales at the northern part of Tomales Bay, and the first thing you will notice is a small bakery on the east side of the street. Tomales Bakery serves up sweet and savory pastries that rival the best baked goods that I eat in San Francisco. Their breads are wonderful and come out of the oven all day. My favorites here include their pizza-like pesto twists and whatever cookies are served up for the day.

The Marshall Store. This small store in Marshall bills itself as "an oyster bar, a deli, and a grocery store" all rolled into one. The town of Marshall is well known to oyster connoisseurs as the home of Hog Island Oyster Company. But if you are looking for fresh oysters without doing the work of shucking, the Marshall Store is a good compromise. In addition to impeccable oysters on the half-shell, the Marshall Store also serves excellent barbecued oysters. I come back again and again for the clam chowder -- their rendition is very peppery and chock full of clams.

The service here is almost non-existent. You can walk in, grab a beer from the coolers, serve yourself up some wonderful clam chowder, and then go into a side room to order whatever oysters you'd like. The eclectic room is a comfortable place to relax and spend some time while slurping down oysters.

The Olema Inn. The first thing you notice when you walk into The Olema Inn for dinner is the beauty of the dining room. With large windows that look out on to a small garden, the room has wonderful light and a comfortable feel. Chef Ed Vigil presides over the kitchen at the Olema Inn and focuses on locally and organically grown ingredients. The menu always features the best offerings of the season, and is a culinary tour through the area. I always recommend the pork chop, and Chef Vigil's salads are notable for their variety of ingredients and balance. Monday nights are "Locals' Nights" at the Olema Inn and feature small plates and live music.

Tomales Bay Foods. If you could only choose one place in the area to gather items for a picnic, Tomales Bay Foods would be that place. A large barn right in Point Reyes Station, Tomales Bay Foods features several businesses under one roof: Indian Peach Deli, Golden Point Produce, and Cowgirl Creamery. The Indian Peach Deli at the back of the barn sells wonderful sandwiches, housemade salads, and other essentials such as salami and olives. Anyone who has been to the Cowgirl Creamery Store at San Francisco's Ferry Building will appreciate the relative calm of the Point Reyes Station store. Here you can taste and purchase a wide variety of artisan cheeses as well as watch the cheesemakers make Cowgirl Creamery's cheeses.

Marshall Store
19225 Highway One
Marshall, CA
(415) 663-1339

The Olema Inn
10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Olema, CA
(415) 663-9559
reservations recommended

Tomales Bakery
27000 Highway One
Tomales, CA
(707) 878-2429

Tomales Bay Foods
4th and B Streets
Point Reyes Station, CA
(415) 663-9335

Texas seems to be following me around. I don't mean in a scuffed-boots-wearin, rifle-toting, big-hair, scary kind of way. More like a "howdy, ya'll!" kind of way. Let me explain. About a month ago I returned to Texas for the first time in 12 years, on my very own Texas Tour 2005 (I hit my hometown of Dallas, as well as San Antonio and Austin where I went to college). But those details are for another time (trust me, there's enough fodder there to last a lifetime). Suffice it to say, when I was there I was reunited with a whole slew of college friends, some of whom I hadn't seen since graduation.

You might be wondering what all this has to do with Maverick, the teensy little restaurant in the Mission which opened in July to big buzz. Well, I'm getting to that. When I returned from Texas, my close friend Trey (also a college buddy) had taken it upon himself to plan an SF gathering of a handful of our college friends who lived in the area, something we'd been trying to do for quite some time.

Not only was it appropriate to have a reunion of Texas friends at a restaurant called Maverick, but it also just so happened that Trey had designed and built all of the ambient lighting, which set the warmly colored dining room aglow (you can check out his work here). The most memorable aspect of Maverick's swanky design, in my (completely unbiased) opinion, is Trey's modular map of the U.S., set over the family-style table in the front dining room.

{An aside} What is it with me writing about tiny restaurants? What is it with tiny SF restaurants, are they the new rage? Or just the only thing that is affordable. Don't get me wrong, I really do like them, but the downside to all that coziness is the roar of the packed-in crowd. At a table of 10, it's not only impossible to hear the person at the other end of the table but also the person sitting right next to you. Or am I just getting old? I'm not offering solutions here, merely suggesting that you be prepared to scream at your friends or your date if you come here.

Not to open this on a negative note, because I really was impressed with this place. We arrived a bit late, but were immediately given wine and water (and let me tell you those glasses were kept full all night, a definite nod to the excellent service we received). One interesting thing that Maverick does--and remember, they are not only a restaurant, but also a wine bar--is to "wash" the wine glass with a splash of whatever wine it is that you'll be drinking. It's an interesting idea, apparently something that's done in Europe? I'm not entirely sure of the point, but if anyone can explain I welcome your comments.

But on to the food, because really that's why we are here, right? We started our feast by ordering an embarassing amount of the crab fluffs that I'd heard so much about (Maverick changes it's menu often according to the seasons, but apparently crab fluffs are a mainstay. Thank goodness.) In fact, we ordered one round and they were so good, we had to order a second. Three plump, round, fried nuggets of crabmeat were set atop celery and creamy homemade tartar sauce. At $11 a pop, they are a bit on the pricey side for the amount on the plate (one of my only criticisms of the restaurant, which I continued to notice as they night wore on), but they are so addictive you don't really care. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest ordering your own and not sharing.

Although overshadowed by the fluffs, we also opened our meal with 3 out of the 4 salads available on the short menu. The Maverick Salad was a simple, crunchy mix of English cucumbers, watermelon radish, and mixed lettuces tossed with a light vinaigrette. The seasonal fig salad combined ripe slices of sweet figs with toasted pine nuts and a mound of watercress, all drizzled with a tangy pomegranate vinaigrette. Finally, a medley of roasted beets topped a tangle of tender mache lettuce. Salty shaved pecorino offset the sweet, earthy beets and horseradish vinaigrette gave the salad a pleasant bite. All of the salads were exceptionally fresh.

As with the first plates, the mains at Maverick, which touts itself as an American eatery, are based upon ingredients native to cities, states, and regions across the great U S of A: from Idaho trout and Minnesota wild rice to Baltimore crab and Southern fried chicken. My main dish of roasted pork tenderloin was like autumn in New England met my mouth. Thick, juicy slices of tender pork were topped with tart-sweet cranberry sauce, and served with mashed, spiced yams and a poached seckel pear. The flavors of the dish were nicely balanced, although I kept feeling like it was lacking something, perhaps a green vegetable. (I would have added braised greens to round out the dish and to balance the sweetness of the overall medley with a bit of bitterness.)

A number of people at the table ordered the root vegetable stew, an interesting mixture of slow-cooked turnips, parsnips, celery root, and green lentils, served in a red kuri squash bowl. It was a hearty vegetarian option (the only one on the mains menu), and while it wasn't my favorite dish, those who ordered it seemed satisfied. Southern fried chicken was another table favorite (imagine that, at a table full of Texans!). Three crisp pieces of chicken were balanced atop creamy, peppery mashed potatoes drizzled with brown gravy and braised collard greens. A hearty ode to southern comfort food.

Desserts ranged from pumpkin "whoopie" pies--thick, tender, and creamy riffs on the classic--to warm huckleberry crisp that was rich with flavor.

We closed down the restaurant and then some. Finally, around 12:30, after they turned off the music, we realized we were the only ones left in the restaurant. But it was a fabulous time, with promises to get together soon, perhaps at my house for a good old-fashioned Texas BBQ.

Maverick American Eatery & Wine Bar
3316 17th Street (between Mission and Valencia)
San Francisco, CA
415.863.3061

Chocolate Fashion Show

Bonjour de Nouvelle York! Greetings from New York, the Big Apple, and the Chocolate Show. Yes, the Chocolate Show...again! Two weeks ago, four friends and I hopped the #12 metro toward Porte de Versailles, heading to the south west corner of Paris and the Paris Expo for an indulgence of chocolate the likes of which would make even Willy Wonka himself dizzy with excitement. Yesterday, I took the Uptown (2) (3) express to 14th Street to the Altman Building for the New York Chocolate Show and a continuation of my chocolate frenzy.

I was actually very interested in comparing the two events, to see if they were cookie cutter shows, no pun intended, or representative of the local culture. Both were a celebration to chocolate but in two very different environments and very contrasting styles. I found it dramatically disparate yet very symbolic and representative of our two societies. It was Paris vs. New York, Socialism vs. Capitalism, Product vs. Packaging, Catherine Deneuve vs. Paris Hilton all under the guise of chocolate.

The Paris show celebrated chocolate. Period. The product, the quality, the producer, the passion, and the joy that one derives from chocolate. Chocolate was everywhere. Mounds of chocolate cascaded across spacious, meticulous booths, hostesses circling the floor enticing us with trays of chocolate samples. Everywhere you turned, it was all about the chocolate. Walking into the Paris show was like jumping into a fuzzy robe on a rainy Sunday. Lush brown carpets, intoxicating aromas and dark brown and deep orange signs exuded a feeling of warmth and calm.

Like Penn Station at 6:00pm on a Friday night, the New York show was crowded, noisy, chaotic, cold. Stacks of boxes crowded the small, messy booths. Advertising, commercialism, packaging, SELL, SELL, SELL was the message that screamed from its core. Hardwood floors, cramped sloppy displays, narrow walkways, cranky people. The four people at the ticket counter must have had vinegar with their Wheaties that morning as the ones that "vhelped" me were ruder than anything I've ever encountered in France. Perhaps they trained by a United "customer service" representative. But I digress...

I actually had this exact discussion with the representative from Michel Cluizel, a French chocolatier just breaking into the US market. She wholeheartedly, sadly agreed. I switched on my chocolate radar and went in search of le vraiment chocolat—the real chocolate. Voila...

Samples from Pyramide Tropiques

Mary's Green Tea Ganache -- a mix of white chocolate, aromatic green tea and fresh cream, rolled in green tea powder.

Chocolate Mona Lisa

Wall of Hot Chocolate

A Chocolate Tribute to New Orleans

Anna Shea's Chessboard Chocolates

Chocolate Books -- including one from Berkeley transplant and Paris expat David Lebovitz