Jack Boulware came to San Francisco in 1983, where he started a small magazine and "washed dishes in exchange for room and board." He later founded The Nose magazine, and worked as writer for San Francisco Weekly, Playboy, Wired, Salon, and the New York Times. Boulware is the author of the book Sex, American Style, and co-authored the punk rock history book Gimme Something Better with Silke Tudor. He lives in the Mission District with his girlfriend, Christie Ward.

Boulware is also widely known for helping create one of the most successful lit events in the Bay Area. In 1999, he and Jane Ganahl co-founded a literary festival that eventually became known as Litquake while drinking beer at The Edinburgh Castle. Today, Litquake has grown into the largest fest of its kind on the West Coast and will feature more than 500 authors during a nine day run that starts on October 1st. Programming includes local and international writers and poets, youth programs, and topics ranging from science, religion, surf lit, "Hollywood Hell," and the intriguingly titled Fairy Tale Noir. There is a lunchtime "delicious" event called Litquake Bites on October 7 at the Book Passage Store in the Ferry Building, starting at 12 noon. Sarah Billingsley, Gordon Edgar, Steve Sando and Amy Treadwell will discuss local food and books.

Boulware shared his picks for food spots, while asking folks to not visit his favorites:

"I cannot stand waiting in line. Who does, really? So if you are reading this, please, please do not frequent the places I'm listing. Or we'll both have to wait in line." He lives near the Liberties Pub on Guerrero and 22nd, and says he goes there "because they’ve got the mighty Smithwick’s on tap." Edinburgh Castle Pub has been home to many Litquake meetings and events, and Boulware also appreciates it for “the Scotch selection, of course.” Also in the Tenderloin, Boulware favors “Chutney on Jones St., reasonably priced Indian food without the tourists. Again, do not go here."

His assessment of Peruvian Limon Rotisserie on South Van Ness is funny and frank: "The roasted chicken will make you take off your clothes and run naked down the street." For a more upscale dining spot, Boulware heads to Tadich Grill because it is the "oldest restaurant in the city -- your basic surf n turf and baked oysters, but the benefit of an old-school staff of scowling Eastern Europeans."

Julia Child also loved Vietnamese dive Tu Lan, which Boulware says is "in the hellish Market/6th corridor. Excellent spring rolls and lemon beef salad, accompanied by random schizophrenics and cockroaches, and an 89-year-old man upstairs, carefully making the rolls by himself." When shopping for ingredients, Boulware checks out Bombay Bazaar, which is "a great place to buy spices in bulk, even if you don’t know how to use them. Plus there’s the stacks of 1980s Bollywood VHS tapes. And the cardamom ice cream next door." Boulware’s guilty local food pleasure is "The infamous heart-clogging Mission burrito, carnitas and super, of course, but only once in awhile. Gotta let the arteries recover." Note he would not share exactly where he gets his belly bombs.

Date night is an order-in affair, with Zante’s Indian pizza in the outer Mission. "But get it delivered and order extra meat. Also their chicken korma is really great." This writer has spotted Boulware at Beretta/The Last Supper Club for weekend brunch. Boulware also is partial to Farmer Brown, for "Sunday jazz brunch buffet. What else do you need to know? Superb bloody Marys also." Cheers to that.

Mary Ladd has volunteered and done event work for Litquake, and has a husband who is on the Advisory Board.

Photo Credit: Silke Tudor

Sticky Rice Bowl

This is my idea of Chinese comfort food. Naw Mai Fan is a dish of sweet sticky rice and a number of dried Chinese ingredients -- shitake mushrooms, goji berries, dried scallops -- that have been rehydrated and stir fried fragrant.

Ingredients for Naw Mai Fan

This rice dish is often served at dim sum restaurants, but it is easy to make at home as well. The hardest part is finding all the ingredients, but one trip to Chinatown can take care if that -- look for a grocer that has packages or bins of dried goods on the shelves, and you'll likely find everything you need there.

Secret Ingredients

For the rice, I like using a Sho-Chiku-Bai Premium Sweet Rice by Koda Farms. It cooks up nice and soft with a wonderfully chewy texture. The other secret ingredient here is Maggi Seasoning. It is a kind of distinctly flavored soy sauce...we always had a bottle of this in the pantry growing up, it's like the ketchup of the Chinese household.

I love all the different flavors and textures in this Sticky Rice Bowl. The mushrooms add an earthy meatiness to the dish, the scallops bring in some savory saltiness, the goji berries a touch of sweetness, and the rice is just so satisfying.

This meal takes a little planning ahead because of the time it takes to soak the dried ingredients, but after that, it's a quick stir fry in the wok and it's done. Serve with some kailan greens or bok choy and you have yourself a satisfying, homey, authentic Chinese meal.

Sticky Rice Bowl (Naw Mai Fan)

Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:
¾ cup Sho-Chiku-Bai Premium Sweet Rice (recommended brand: Koda Farms) -- this is a sticky glutinous rice
2 sticks cured Chinese sausage (lap cheung), about ½ cup when cut up
½ cup dried shitake mushrooms
¼ cup goji berries
4-5 pieces dried scallop
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning (or more light soy sauce)
White pepper

Preparation:
1. Rinse rice a few times. Place in rice cooker with about ½ inch water sitting on top of the rice. Place sausages in with the rice and steam all together until rice is cooked. Lay the rice out on a foil-lined sheet pan and let sit for 30-45 minutes.

2. Soak mushrooms, goji berries, and scallops in hot water for at least 1 hour, until softened. Drain water.

3. Remove stems from the mushrooms and slice the caps into small pieces. Break apart the scallops into chunks. Stir fry mushrooms and scallops in a hot pan with oil. Add soy sauce and Maggi seasoning.

4. Cut up the sausage into small pieces and add to the stir fry mixture. Add rice and goji berries, stir to combine. Add white pepper to taste.

5. To plate, spoon into a bowl, pack it down. Place a plate on top and invert the bowl so you end up with a nicely molded round of rice on your plate.

When the weather reaches the 90s, I crave homemade ice cream. But as cool and refreshing as this cold treat can be, making ice cream custard is a bit of a hot and steamy affair. Normally I wouldn't flinch from standing over a pot on the stove while I whisked eggs and cream together, but this week I just wanted the chilly result of creamy ice cream without the fuss.

Now I've made ice cream using only heavy whipping cream and fruit before, but I wanted something with more substance. Remembering some lovely cannolis I had at Stella's a few weeks ago when my mom was visiting, I began to wonder what ricotta ice cream would taste like. After all, cannoli filing is rich and luscious and doesn't contain eggs that need to be cooked. I contemplated adding in a crispy cone of some sort to mimic the pastry shell, but figured those would have to be made from scratch and so quickly abandoned the idea. Seeing a quarter bottle of Muscat in my fridge, I remembered the peaches in wine my parents would make on hot summer days when I was a kid and thought it would be the perfect topping for my cannoli ice cream. I confess that I slowly simmered my wine and peaches -- yes, I did end up using the stove -- but this basically meant simply sticking the fruit and wine in a pot and simmering for 10 minutes with the cover on (no standing next to a hot stove or stirring).

To mimic a cannoli filling, I added vanilla, orange zest and some flecks of chocolate to the ice cream, but you could easily leave out the zest and use chocolate chips if you don't want the citrus flavoring. After churning away in my ice cream maker, the dessert was creamy and rich. Topped with the peaches in Muscat, my bowl of ice cream was the perfect way to end a sweltering Bay Area day.

Cannoli Ice Cream

Makes: Enough for 4 large bowls

Ingredients:
1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from 1/2 orange or 1 tangerine
1/4 cup shaved semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Preparation:
1. Whisk ricotta, simple syrup, cream, vanilla and orange zest until completely creamed together.
2. Add mixture to an ice cream maker and then freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.
3. When the ice cream seems thick but not quite ready, add in the shaved chocolate.
4. When ice cream is ready, serve with peaches and wine (recipe below).

Note: Ricotta ice cream freezes hard, so if you're making this dessert ahead, be sure not to let it sit in your freezer for more than a few hours before eating.

Peaches Simmered in Muscat

Makes: Enough for 4 people to eat with ice cream

Ingredients:
1 large or 1 1/2 medium peaches (you can use nectarines, plums, figs or grapes instead if you’d like)
1/2 cup Muscat

Preparation:
1. Place ingredients in a medium pot and simmer covered for 7-10 minutes or until the Muscat is syrupy.
2. Cool and serve with Cannoli ice cream.

Photo by Chris Hardy

Half Moon Bay is home to writer Jane Ganahl, who has nearly three decades of journalism experience. Ganahl is also widely known for her hand in helping create one of the most successful lit events in the Bay Area. In 1999, she and Jack Boulware co-founded a literary festival called Litquake over beers at The Edinburgh Castle, in the Tenderloin. Today, Litquake has grown into the largest fest of its kind on the West Coast and will feature more than 500 authors during a nine day run that starts on October 1st. Programming includes local and international writers and poets, youth programs, and topics ranging from science, religion, surf lit, "Hollywood Hell", and the intriguingly titled Fairy Tale Noir.

Ganahl wrote the novelized memoir, "Naked on the Page: the Misadventures of My Unmarried Midlife" (Viking), which Elle magazine described as "[Ganahl's] dating escapades are daring and delicious, but also emotionally profound." She has also covered City Hall, pop culture for both the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner newspapers, and is currently a freelance writer who is considered an expert on the field of single life. She edited the 2009 anthology "Single Woman of a Certain Age: Romantic Escapades, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes… and Serene Independence" (New World Library), which featured writing from Joyce Maynard, Merrill Markoe, April Sinclair, Wendy Merrill, and others. A radio show is in the works, and the "Naked" book was optioned for a TV series. She grew up in the town of Woodside, and has lived in Half Moon Bay for years. Her picks for eating spots were shared via email interview.

In Half Moon Bay, Ganahl likes Chez Shea, for "great regional ingredients and international dishes. Inexpensive. I love the hummus and vegetables." When the craving for sushi hits, she heads to Sushi Main Street, which boasts "fabulous decor, reasonable prices. This place has become a destination spot for my friends from SF. Their Half Moon Bay roll (artichokes and avocado) is awesome." For drinks, Ganahl enjoys San Benito House, which she describes as an "old cowboy bar with comfy booths and good beer." As a busy freelance writer, Ganahl cheers New Leaf Community Market in Half Moon Bay. "I shall say that my life was much improved by [New Leaf's] opening a couple of years ago. WOW -- fabulous organic and local foods, and a great deli and to-go bar. I'm so busy that the to-go bar has become a good friend. Their turkey meatloaf and risotto and butternut squash cakes are to die for."

Date night options make for some tough decisions for Ganahl, who says, it's a "tie between Cetrella for their weekend live jazz in their bar (I order their vegetable fritto misto, which is excellent), and an afternoon at Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society in Miramar, also for jazz and a fabulous ocean view!" For a guilty local food pleasure, Ganahl goes to an oldie but goodie: "Sitting at the counter on weekend mornings for avocado benedict at Main Street Grill -- open for only breakfast and lunch. A plus is that the cook sings at top volume, often frightening the tourists."

Mary Ladd has volunteered and done event work for Litquake, and has a husband who is on the Advisory Board.

Tartine Bread Cookbook

Living in San Francisco, you're bound to have a love/hate relationship with Tartine Bakery. Love for all of the obvious reasons: most amazing morning bun, fabulous fruit tarts, and decadent chocolate desserts. Anything lemon. Almond croissants to rival Parisian patisseries. Strong coffee. So what's to hate? Weekend crowds and tourists--the fact that it's tough to squeeze in for that morning bun on a Sunday in any kind of sane manner.

Thankfully then, for weekend mornings when you can't muster the energy to elbow your way through the lines, we have the Tartine cookbooks (the first of which is aptly named Tartine). Now I very rarely write to publishers directly asking for a review copy of a book, but I did for Tartine's newest cookbook, Tartine Bread. I'd been awaiting its arrival ever since I heard that co-owner and bread master, Chad Robertson, was working on it. Chronicle Books was kind enough to send over a copy, and I stayed up and read it from cover to cover that evening. It's absolutely lovely. It's informative, it's inspiring, it's visually stunning. Chad gives you step-by-step instructions, guiding you (in pedestrian terminology) through the process of making his Basic Country Bread and Eric Wolfinger (who used to bake bread at the bakery) walks you through each step with his almost tactile, moving photos. It is as I knew it would be: a very special book.

From the get-go, Chad knew that the photos would be a critical part of the book because "traditional, intuitive bread making does not lend itself naturally to a written recipe." In addition to written instructions, someone needed to show readers how to make the bread--Eric Wolfinger has succeeded ten times over. Of the visual nature of the book, Chad notes, "Learning a craft is as much about copying as it is about understanding, as much visual as it is intellectual." From a quick glance at the cover of the book, you're already in Eric's world and as you flip to the first page, Chad takes your hand. You're now ready to bake bread.

The first 87 pages are devoted to a brief history of the bakery, the evolution of making and selling bread, and the detailed recipe for Chad's Basic Country Bread. In broad terms, he notes that "the goal of making bread with a satisfying depth of flavor, a good crust, and a moist, supple crumb is a constant." In more specific terms, the recipe for the Country Bread begins with a natural yeast starter, often called sourdough, although Chad promotes using a "younger" leaven which gives the bread much more of a subtle flavor. He explains that the concept dates back to before the 1930's when French bakers would use natural leaven in their baked goods--before the days of commercial yeast. Now if you tend to be one of those bakers who feel yeasted breads are a big enough leap and can't imagine making your own leaven, heed Chad's words: "The substantial gains in savor, keeping qualities, and versatile uses with the natural leaven justify the time it takes to build and care for one."

And he should know. Chad spent over two decades apprenticing with artisan bakers in France and in the United States, and experimented with his own ovens out in West Marin and in Mill Valley. In 2002, he moved to San Francisco with his wife (and other half at Tartine Bakery), Elizabeth Pruitt, to create the legend that is now Tartine Bakery. The rest is history. And readers get a glimpse into that history with each page of Tartine Bread. After Chad's basic bread recipe, the book branches off into interesting variations (olive bread, walnut bread, pizzas). And the last half delves into other recipes mainly using day-old breads such as French Onion Soup, Meatball Sandwiches, and Tartine's Baked French Toast. While I haven't yet had time to make Chad's Basic Country Bread, I wanted to dive right in, so I made the Panade using rustic bread I had lying around the house.

If you're not familiar with Panade, the headnotes for the recipe explain that it's a basic french preparation similar to the Spanish sopa seca, or "dry soup." Or if you're familiar with the Italian ribollita--same thing. The foundation is always dry bread moistened with water or stock and any combination of vegetables, greens, and cheese you have on hand. While it sounds a lot like bread pudding, the recipe doesn't call for any eggs so it's actually best after setting and retaining its shape two or even three days after it's made. You slice it in wedges to serve and reheat it.

Making Panade from Tartine Bread

The Panade recipe is straightforward and relatively quick to put together. I've reprinted it here with permission from Chad Robertson and the folks at Chronicle Books. At the end of the recipe, you'll find a few personal notes and words of advice for a successful panade. Next time I want to make it with Chad's bread--that is, if there are any day-old slices remaining. Which, somehow, I doubt.

Slice of Panade

Panade
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped
6 cups whole milk
salt
4 slices day-old Basic Country Bread, cut about 1-inch thick
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
1 bunch black kale, stems removed
1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pound fontina cheese, thinly slices
Heavy Cream (for reheating), optional

Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the milk, the remaining 5 tablespoons butter, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and them remove from the heat.

Cover the bottom of a deep, heavy, 5-quart pot with 2 or more slices of the bread. Arrange the squash slices in an even layer on top of the bread and pour in 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Top with remaining 2 bread slices and then with the kale. Arrange the cauliflower slices over the kale. Press the ingredients down to compact them if they don't quite fit in the pot.

Pour the remaining 4 cups milk mixture over the vegetables and bread. Stop adding the milk when the level is almost to the rim. Season with salt. Cover the pot with the lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the cheese over the top. Cover, return to the oven, and bake until the liquid is absorbed and reduced, and the cheese has melted and browned, about 20 minutes. When the panade has cooled, it should appear dry.

Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cut the panade into wedges and put on individual ovenproof plates. Pour 1/4 cup cream over the top of each wedge and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 F.

Serves 4-6

My notes: I used a bit more bread than the recipe called for just to cover the width of my pan. I also found that the panade needed an extra 15 minutes in the oven and I ended up taking off the lid for the last 30 minutes. I found this helped the top crisp up nicely.

Photo credit: Barry Zigas

Caleb Zigas is the Acting Executive Director of La Cocina and lives nearby on a block that he says "used to be called the Mission. Now it's Noe Valley." He organizes the programming for the business incubator, and is often called upon for media interviews. Among Zigas' favorite foods are chicken soup, steamed pork buns, molletes (a bread roll popular in both Mexico and the Andalusia region of Spain) and nearly anything with miso. Zigas has been working in the food industry since a starter job at his all time favorite spot, Ruppert's Restaurant in his native town of Washington DC. He is fully fluent in Spanish, which was strengthened by a brief "nightmare" vegan macrobiotic cooking job in Costa Rica. Other culinary stints have included weekend work as a butcher, as well as waiting tables and managing the front of the house. Zigas answered questions about his favorite eating spots from Bay Area Bites via email and phone interview.

The thirty-year old Zigas likes Zuni, but "only after 9 PM. I like to go with a good friend, or a couple, and start with a half-bottle of white wine and some oysters. Next, go with a full bottle of red and either a burger or the chicken. It's quintessential San Francisco. Right in the middle of the city, big glass windows looking on sincere urban space, a beautiful open kitchen, and a couple of real steals on the wine list. And the food's always just what it's supposed to be."

Also on the list is Yuet Lee: "It's in different hands now, but they're still holding it down. I've been going there since I moved here and worked for Isa Restaurant and Luke (Sung) would take us there for staff meals. It's open late, and the food is always great. And the North Beach scene adds some sincere color. I don't miss the salt and pepper shrimp (eat the heads) and the calamari is some of the best in town. Otherwise, I always let the staff order, they know it much better than I do."

For Mexican/Salvadoran dishes, Zigas heads to El Zocalo, on Mission Street. "It's 2 blocks from my house, which helps, but they're an institution. Burn-your-mouth fresh pupusas for those kind of nights, bowls of caldo de pollo or res for when it's cold and foggy. And cold beer too. I like the post-Rocapulco crowd and the old-school service. I always get the plantains too, just because it's awesome that Salvadoran plantains come with cream and beans too." As a back-up, or alternative, El Gran Taco Loco up the street "is probably my favorite taqueria; open until 2, brightly lit with some real Mexican dishes hidden in the menu and great carnitas."

For shopping options, Zigas confesses that: "I'm going to cheat, but do it honestly to start.” (Several La Cocina vendors sell products there.) He likes to go to Alemany Market, because "it's the most sincere Farmers' Market I've ever been to. A great mix of organic and non-organic, of all kinds of farmers and then people making a living selling food. I love the Italian farmers in the back where you can get cardoon when it's in season, the oysters and Dungeness crab vendors and the produce is just so varied. It feels like what we all talk about farmers’ markets feeling like; a community space, a real space, and a space where people make a living. The folks selling the Afghani dips are the best salespeople in the city. Though it's probably worth revealing that the following are all La Cocina program participants, it's also easy to say that we pushed to get into Alemany because we believe in it, and not the other way around. El Huarache Loco does some of the best Mexican in town, and she's always got handmade mole. Sabores del Sur's alfajores are ridiculous with coffee to start and if you can make Estrellita's Snacks smile, you can probably consider it an awesome day. I like Good Foods Barbecue too, so don't miss it there."

La Palma on 24th Street is another culinary find on Zigas list. He says, "It's the real deal. It's in San Francisco. They're making masa. What more can you want out of a place? Legitimately delicious tortillas, fast service and now they've got seating outside? Done." Another store with ethnic treasures of a different vein is Semirami's Imports on Mission St. "The hookah display in the window is what got me there the first time, but it was the olives, the spices and the service that has me coming back. The man knows everything about food, he's kind and the olives are off the hook. Best place in the city for pine nuts too."

Going to Dennis Leary's Sentinel is a family affair for Zigas. "My grandpa, after 30 years in SF, has decided two things: 1) if people walked like they walked in NY, everything here would be better. 2) Boudin's has the best lunch deal in town. The only way I can get him to change his mind is if I buy him lunch at Sentinel. Every time he tells Dennis about the deal at Boudin's and every time Dennis smiles. It's awesome. I love what he can do out of such a small space, It's inspirational."

His favorite 3rd date night spot is Noe Valley's La Ciccia. "It's probably not a first-date spot, maybe more like 3rd. But it's got that right mix of nice, but not overdoing it, you can stay forever, or just share a quick meal. I'm a sharer on a date, so I like to move through all of the courses. Probably the octopus to start, unless there's something else ridiculously delicious looking on the menu, and moving on from there. I'm a notorious over-orderer, but I always seem to make it through. I let them (Lorena or the servers, not my date) pick the wine for me, and they always do an awesome job of it. And I can walk home. That's important on a good date. :)" For a first date spot, Zigas likes to try out Katana-Ya Ramen, because, "You have to love the Ramen."

Mitchell's is where Zigas goes for an ice cream fix. He says, "I only feel guilty because of how much/ how often I go there. And even then it's more of a gym-related guilt than my normal Jewish-mother induced guilt. I just can't believe what an awesome mix of San Francisco that place is. Taking a number and standing outside on a cold foggy night goes against everything East Coast in me, but I do it at least once a week. I'm into the Chocolate Caramel Crackle. If you can put it in a waffle cone and chocolate dip it, well, do. Otherwise, have the ice cream sandwich." A runner-up guilty pleasure for Zigas is the bacon-wrapped hot dogs, found throughout the Mission. "But only do I feel guilty when I order two at once." He also loves Henry's Hunan on Church Street because, "It's always good."

Even a pie therapist needs professional development. Or maybe there's just no nicer way to spend a Sunday afternoon than bumping along in the back of a pickup truck, perched on a hay bale, out to pick fresh apples for a pie.

Tipped off by a friend who lives in Petaluma and knows my fondness for (one might say obsession with) pie, I headed out to the rolling hills of rural Sonoma last weekend, joining 19 other local pie enthusiasts for Two Rock Ranch's Orchard to Oven Pie Workshop, a three-hour event hosted by ranch owner and orchardist Kathy Tresch and taught by chef, caterer, and blogger Meloni Courtway.

Two Rock Ranch has been in the Tresch family since 1905, when the family of Kathy's husband Joe started it as 300-acre dairy farm. Over the years, they added to the farm piece and piece, and it now stretches across some 2000 acres. The dairy was certified organic in 1995, the second (after Straus) organic dairy in California. Straus Organic Creamery has kindly donated the butter for all the classes, making our pies truly local, since the Tresch dairy supplies nearly two-thirds of the milk processed by Straus.

Kathy's pet project now is Olympia's Orchard, 8 acres of fruit trees spread out over several fenced-in parcels throughout the farm. Since 2004, she's planted some 500 trees, with over 50 varieties of apples alone. Many of them are hard-to-find antique and heirloom types, such as Cox's Orange Pippin and Kidd's Orange Red, along with newer varieties like Freedom, Pink Pearl, and Gold Rush, all chosen especially for the area's mild climate, so unlike the icy winters that many of the more common East Coast varieties (Macintosh, Macoun) require. The trees, planted on dwarfing rootstock and farmed organically, are charmingly petite, laden with fruit that all but drops into our hands. Pick 10 each, Kathy tells us, and it's nearly impossible to stop plucking the fat bright-red Jonathans, tart-sweet and perfect for pies.

Before we start, Kathy tells us a little of the history of the place, its beginnings as a land of plenty for the native Miwoks, then as a farm homestead for Charlie and Lena Hall. They plowed with horses, ate their dinners off dishes brought West by covered wagon. Kathy holds up Miwok mortars and pestles, horseshoes and bits of blue-patterned china that she's found in the dirt over the years.

Once our bushel baskets are half-filled, we pile back onto the hay bales for the bumpy ride back to the ranch. There, we find a long table on the porch lined with bowl after bowl, bags of flour and sugar, and Meloni, smiling in a white chef's jacket.

Meloni, a California Culinary Academy grad who was dubbed the "Best Baker in America" by no less than Martha Stewart, thanks to killer recipes for Pumpkin Scones and Persimmon-White Chocolate Bread Pudding, says this is her very favorite job ever, talking and making and eating pie. She tells us that those of us with chilly hands are born pie makers; the warm-handed ones need to make sure they use cold butter, very cold ice water, and a good pastry hoop to keep their dough light and flaky, not oily-warm.

Another tip? Ignore all those recipes that reference "small peas" in describing the perfect texture of pie dough. Don't think peas, think oatmeal, says Meloni. This is a surprise to me, since I've always leaned towards the rough and nubbly to get maximum flakiness. Use short, sharp downward strokes of the pastry hoop, she says, and turn the bowl as you go.

I keep going, farther than I usually would, until my butter and flour are as sandy as quick-cooking dry oatmeal. In goes the water, and the dough is patted into shaggy mounds, then set aside to chill.

Now it's onto the apple-peeling and slicing, and soon we're rolling out our doughs and piling them high with cinnamon-sugared apples. The pies go into the outdoor brick oven that Kathy has been tending.

Photo by Stephane von Stephane

Rinsing the sugar and butter from our hands, we wander into the great room at the lodge, where a fire is burning in the fireplace under a massive, glowering mounted buffalo head and there's Baletto Russian River Valley gewurztraminer to sip, delectable apple-arugula-bacon-cheese flatbread and blue cheese, apple, honey and walnut crostini to nibble, and half a dozen different types of apple to sample.

When the platters are reduced to crumbs, we head back outside, to see all our beautiful pies--each so different, though we all used the same ingredients--laid out on the porch, hot and steaming with the scent of autumn.

Register for the season's final Oven to Orchard Apple Pie Workshop on Sunday, Sept. 26th at 10am. $48/person includes orchard tour, pie class, apple tasting, wine and apple-inspired snacks, and your own apple pie to take home. Workshop lasts approximately 3 hours.

The author's pie

Music permeates restaurant kitchens and occasionally even ends up on plates. We've found that it's no different in the world of sweets, an influence that goes far beyond opera cake.

The first local dessert/music mash-up we can remember experiencing goes back to San Francisco in 1991, a memory shrouded in some deep Outer Sunset fog. That year, Polly Ann Ice Cream introduced O.P.P., a flavor inspired by Naughty By Nature's rap song of the same name. Listen to the song to hear and understand its polyamorous proclivities, but here O.P.P. stands for something far more innocent: Orange, Peach, and Pineapple!

We still love going to Polly Ann, where O.P.P. is occasionally available to this day. It's still fun to spin the wheel of ice cream fortune, which is there for the adventurous, indecisive, or merely the patron who wants a shot at a freebie. But we head to the Mission to the two-year-old parlor Humphry Slocombe to get a sonic rock fix in frozen form. The Gabba Gabba Hey sundae is named after a song by the late great New York band the Ramones. A fat chocolate brownie mimics Dee Dee Ramone's bassline, there's balsamic caramel ice cream for Johnny Ramone's guitar, and sugar-enhanced Amarena cherries stand in for Joey Ramone's vocals on top.

Humphry Slocombe's Gabba Gabba Hey sundae

Only outrageous sinkers reside at Psycho Donuts in Campbell and San Jose, so it's a natural extension that some would be named after explosive musical personalities. There's Headbanger's Evil Twin (raised, filled custard), Michael Jackson (chocolate cake dipped in powdered sugar), and Bananarama (raised, filled custard topped with chocolate and freeze-dried bananas). The shop even created three limited-edition donuts in honor of Lady Gaga, including one with cherry champagne custard filling and a sparking cherry on top, and sold them the week she brought her Monster Ball concert tour to San Jose's HP Pavilion in August.

At Orson in San Francisco's SOMA area, Maria Muldaur’s 1974 hit "Midnight at the Oasis" is rendered in dessert form, with a chocolate fudgesicle, Devil's food cake, and milk pudding scattered with a streusel made with cacao nibs. Nearby, the Cups and Cakes Bakery takes its whole name from a Spinal Tap song with sweet lyrics: "Cups and cakes, cups and cakes/Please make sure that nothing breaks/The china's so dear and the treacle so clear/And I'm glad that you are here/Milk and sugar, bread and jam/Yes, please, sir and thank you, ma'am." Musical influence also shows up at Cups and Cakes Bakery in the Elvis-winking Viva Las Vegas cupcake (banana bacon cake and peanut buttercream topped with banana chip and bacon). And north of the Panhandle (Nopa to some), Candybar has constructed an ode to the catchiest Internet-era ditty you'll ever hear. Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!! (exclamation points theirs) is a peanut butter tart with salted peanuts, blackberries, and chocolate crust. Sweets taste better when you’re in tune with the music that runs through it.

24 lbs of Early Girl Tomatoes

I have a confession to make: I've been on a bit of a tomato bender.

I just can't help it. They are just so irresistible. I've been popping cherry tomatoes like pills, sneaking slices and dices of heirlooms into every meal, and lusting after Early Girls.

I recently came across this Mario Batali clip, and learned that there is a word for my ailment. The Italians call it Scorpacciata.

It means, essentially, a feeding frenzy…specifically, on something that is in season. In Batali's words, it's when something comes into season, and you "go at it with a vengeance." You have it in every way that you can, you commit to it, you gorge on it, eating as much of it as possible, because in the real world, that one shining item is only available, in its prime deliciousness, for a small window of time.

Ah, see? The Italians have been doing it for so long, they have a whole word for it. That makes me feel better.

To help feed my feeding frenzy, I turned once again this year, to the Ladybug Truck, Mariquita Farm's bulk buying club. I showed up early at the drop-off point (a.k.a. Piccino), and indulged in a lovely brunch al fresco to take the edge off.

Brunch at Piccino Cafe

Roasted Fruit Bruschetta (chewy, crispy slices of house-made bread, slathered with honey butter and topped with roasted strawberries and pluots, basil, and a drizzle of crème fraiche) and Salsiccia Pizza (house-made sausage, red onions, mozzarella, topped with two perfectly soft-baked eggs) got me feeling pretty good.

The Ladybug Truck

And then my supplier came. Score. I procured my 24 pounds of Early Girl gold and got my canning underway. There is nothing in the world like pulling out a jar of canned fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter, and getting a little jolt of summer again.

Peeled tomatoes

I couldn't wait to taste my loot and made a batch of sauce right away for that night's dinner. A simple and utterly satisfying meal of angel hair pasta and Early Girl Tomato Sauce. This sauce is made with four ingredients: peeled Early Girls, a clove of garlic, a spoonful of sugar, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cross my heart, that's all you need. And here's a secret: add a little cream at the end and you've got Tomato Soup!

You may recall another recipe for Tomato (Butter) Sauce I shared not long ago...well, I'm not saying that one tomato sauce is better than the other. I love them both the same, in different ways. Like jeans. There are skinny jeans, and there are comfy jeans. There are work jeans, and there are going-out jeans. I could carry this comparison on for a while, but I think you get the idea.

What I'm saying is…sometimes you need a little butter comfort in your life. And sometimes you need pure, fresh, healthy, goodness.

So, what are you waiting for? Farsi una scorpacciata! Quick, before it's too late!

Spaghetti with Early Girl Tomato Sauce

Early Girl Tomato Sauce
As Bay Area gourmands like to say, it's all about the ingredients. These dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes are so intense and sweet, they make for an incredibly simple, utterly delicious tomato sauce. I've also been known to add a splash of cream at the end and turn this into Tomato Soup!

Makes: Enough to coat ½ pound spaghetti

Ingredients:
About 1 quart container of peeled Early Girl tomatoes *
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
1. Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and add the minced garlic. Sautee to soften the garlic, making sure not to brown/burn.
2. Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor
3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and balsamic vinegar to the saucepan. Let simmer until sauce thickens.

* If you are working with fresh tomatoes, remove the skins by dropping the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and run under cold water. You should then be able to easily peel the tomatoes.

KQED celebrates master chef Jacques Pépin's 75th birthday with a series of events, benefiting KQED and the production of his upcoming new TV series The Essential Pépin.

Thursday, September 30
Celebrate Southern France's cuisine with Jacques Pépin and Chef Roland Passot at Left Bank Brasserie in Menlo Park. A wonderful time is guaranteed when these two French friends get together both in and out of the kitchen. Join KQED for a Bonne Fête Dinner and Live Auction with KQED host Greg Sherwood. Auction items include dinner with Jacques Pépin, seats to watch the taping of his show in the KQED studio, two pieces of Jacques' original artwork and a farmers' market tour followed by brunch at Chef Roland's home.

Left Bank Brasserie view menu (pdf)
635 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park
6pm Happy Birthday Dinner and Live Auction
$150 per person
Get Tickets

Saturday, October 9
Join Jacques for "Fantastic Food, Terrific Techniques and a Tempting Taste" and be present for a taping of a special TV fundraising show. Experience all this in the enchanting underwater fantasy setting at Farallon Restaurant. Jacques demonstrates recipes, chats with Chef/owner Mark Franz and KQED's Greg Sherwood. You can sample the food and join in the toast with mimosas and a surprise birthday cake for Jacques.

Farallon Restaurant
450 Post Street, San Francisco
10am to noon OR 1pm to 3pm
$95 per person
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Thursday, October 14
Wine and Sustainable Seafood Hors d'oeuvres Reception
Toast and sing happy birthday to Jacques Pépin in San Francisco while basking in the panoramic views of the Bay at this spectacular setting. Chef/Owner Mark Franz, Executive Chef Parke Ulrich, and Executive Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti will be there to help celebrate.

Waterbar*
399 The Embarcadero South (between Folsom and Harrison)
6pm - 8pm Wine and Sustainable Seafood Hors d'oeuvres Reception
$125 per person
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*Waterbar will also be offering a Jacques Pépin Inspired Special Menu on October 14. For dinner reservations, call 415.284.9922

Reservations for Jacques Pépin's 75th Birthday celebrations are available through City Box Office at 415.392.4400 or cityboxoffice.com