Before you make a reservation at Haven, the latest addition to chef / restauranteur Daniel Patterson's growing restaurant group, be sure you are hungry. Very hungry. Once you enter the beautiful wooden door that leads into the dining room, you'll have to put your New Year's fitness resolutions temporarily on hold. Your resolve will most likely waver once you scan Haven's menu and start eyeing the roasted bone marrow and braised lamb.

Located in Jack London Square opposite Bocanova and right next to Heinold's First And Last Chance Saloon, Haven settled into its space in mid-December of last year. In the main dining area, you can take in the view of the waterfront through its large wall of windows, or tuck yourself away in a more intimate corner of the bar.

Dark brown linen coasters, miniature tableaus of air plants, candles and ceramic salt cellars along with Heath dinnerware are the small formal touches that enliven the warm, natural decor of the rustic-modern space.

The ample wooden bar extends the length of the dining room and flanks the kitchen. If you enjoy a more theatrical dining experience, aim for a seat that affords you a view of the chef and her staff busy at work. We arrived early on a Monday night and were able to sit directly in front of the kitchen humming along with activity.

Executive Chef Kim Alter (with the purple head scarf) and her staff at Haven

I mentioned earlier that it's important to be as hungry as possible when dining at Haven. This is absolutely necessary if you choose the "Let Us Cook For You" option -- as my husband and I did -- and allow Executive Chef Kim Alter to spoil you with her 4 or 5-course family-style menu that's available for a table of two or more ($55/person for 4-courses, $65/person for 5). We elected to go with the decadent 5-course meal as this would give us a broad survey of Haven's offerings.

The meal began with a simple and delicious amuse bouche of a white anchovy on a crostini with celery root puree. This was followed by a light, creamy fennel soup made with Meyer lemon preserves and pearl onions. The server poured each portion into our bowls tableside, which had been "washed with absinthe" for additional hints of anise.

I hope the housemade Parker House rolls that arrived in between the next course remain a staple of the restaurant, as they're probably the best ones you'll ever sink your teeth into. Salty and toasted on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, they were the perfect accompaniment to the Little Gem salad tossed in a gorgonzola dressing with celery, jalapeno peppers, and sprinkled with fried chicken skin. A small galvanized bucket filled with deep-fried caramelized Brussels sprouts seasoned with lime, mint and garlic had a delightful sweet and sour tang that reminded us of British "chips" with malt vinegar.

Following these three delicious renditions of classic comfort food was a twist on pasta carbonara. Haven's version with housemade fettucine noodles uses a thick-cut bacon that imparts a deep smoky flavor to the sauce.

Next up was a bowlful of clams with seared turnips and garlic toast, which we used to sop up the rich bacon and bourbon broth. A side of crispy, mildy spicy fingerling potatoes with seaweed, shiro soy, miso -- an unusual combination that worked well -- completed this course.

Here's where we began to feel quite stuffed, but there was more to come. The best dishes of the evening were served to us personally by Chef Alter: a sous vide and confit-prepared chicken (a mix of breast and leg/wing, respectively) with a generous portion of wheat berries and roasted parsnips and carrots in a sweet Banyuls-foie sauce, along with a whimsical reinvention of shepherd's pie prepared with ground pork, topped with a delicate rutabaga-derived foam and fried fingerling potatoes. And there was a savory baked cauliflower dish (garnished with a few raw florets) made with cheese from Andante Dairy and served in a cazuela.

Chef Kim Alter plotting to fill our stomachs to the limit with dessert

We had barely recovered from our main courses when the magnificent dessert courses arrived. The intermezzo was a grapefruit sherbet atop a tarragon custard, but the show-stopper was the baked California. Swirled with airy fennel meringue, filled with vanilla ice cream that rested on a lemony cookie crust and served with dollops of citrus and avocado, it was a sweet homage to native flavors.

When we finally put our forks down and savored the last bite of baked California, we had that same, blissfully full feeling as if it were Thanksgiving in January. Our hearty 5-course meal would have been plenty for three, so next time we'll sample some small plates or bring back a group to share in the bounty. And hats off to Chef Alter for a fine meal; I'm looking forward to the ongoing evolution of Haven.

Haven
Address: map
44 Webster Street
Oakland, California 94612
Phone: (510) 663-4440
Facebook: Haven Oakland
Twitter: @havenjacklondon
Hours:
5 pm - 10 pm
Friday & Saturday
5 - 11 pm

The Bay Area has been at the forefront of a coffee renaissance in recent years, and local boutique companies like Blue Bottle, Ritual and Four Barrel are now spreading their roasting philosophy -- and their coffee beans -- across the country. KQED's Forum talks to some of the entrepreneurs behind the so-called "third-wave" coffee movement.

Original Broadcast: Mon, Jan 9, 2012 -- 10:00 AM

Host: Scott Shafer

Guests:
• Eileen Hassi, owner of Ritual Coffee Roasters
• James Freeman, owner of Blue Bottle Coffee
• Jeremy Tooker, owner of Four Barrel Coffee

Related BAB posts:
3rd Wave Coffee Roasting in the Bay Area
Bay Area Coffee Roasters: Food & Wine This Week

The Bay Area's foodie culture has gone mobile in recent years, as food trucks offering everything from creme brulee to empanadas to curry-filled burritos have proliferated. But in San Francisco, some restaurant owners say the carts are cutting into their business and are asking City Hall to step in. Meanwhile, food truck vendors complain about the red tape and confusing permit process. Both sides are unhappy with the current rules, and they have come to the table to hash out new regulations.

Original Broadcast: Thu, Jan 5, 2012 -- 9:00 AM

Host: Scott Shafer

Guests:
• Ken Cleaveland, director of government and public affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco (BOMA)
• Matthew Cohen, founder of Off the Grid
• Rob Black, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association
• Tim Volkema, co-owner of the Kasa Indian eatery and the Kasa Indian food truck

Peter Temkin. Photo: Sarah Logan

Peter Temkin brings a decade of experience to Show Dogs and specializes in charcuterie from pates and whole-cut dry-cured meats to fresh sausages. Peter began working with Chefs Gayle Pirie and John Clark six months ago as Show Dogs’ in-house Charcutier, and recently introduced five new specialty sausages to the menu including: Merguez, Wild Boar, Chicken Curry, Chicken Boudin and Maple Bacon. Each sausage is made with locally sourced meats but incorporate seasonings to mirror the regions from which the sausages are inspired.

Peter was introduced to the culinary world in his youth while growing up in New York City -- his mother was a catering chef and his father was a book publisher for MCA/Universal's book division, now known as Putnam Books. This upbringing, coupled with travels to France and Italy, instilled an early appreciation for food and cooking traditions. He began his culinary career as an apprentice at Florio restaurant in San Francisco. Here, Temkin says, Chef Rick Hackett set his foundation for cooking -- learning everything from practical skills to the art of cured meat. Since then, Temkin has been instrumental in the opening of Nopa, Spruce, and Cavallo Point’s Farley Bar, where he developed comprehensive charcuterie programs. He lives in South City.

What’s new at the restaurant?
Things are great and the in-house sausages are really singing. We're in the process of developing several new charcuterie offerings as well, which is very exciting. At Foreign Cinema, the housemade program is starting to hit its stride, now that the salumis are beginning to show. My chefs are so supportive and generous with their talent. I'm very lucky to work where I do.

What are your favorite 2 spots to shop for food?
Avedano's on Cortland and Olivier's Butchery in the Dogpatch. I also keep my eye on anything Good Foods Catering does. Chef Dontaye gets it done!

Tell us about meeting your wife.
My wife is Melody Mitchell, who is a certified sommelier and the lead server at The Village Pub. We met through mutual friends after a catering event. I went up to her and kissed her, and we've been together ever since. That was about 6 years ago, and we've been married for over a year and a half. My sun rises and sets with her.

What are your favorite date night spots?
Slow Club because the combination of the ambiance, the decor and Chef Matt Paul's food are just devastating.... My wife and I always order his flatbread, and I know he just put his short ribs on the menu. We'll have to get those, since I've heard they're just amazing. We also love Flower Lounge in Millbrae and, well, our house! We cook quite a bit together and the food's getting better all the time. My friend Jon Reitz just opened his first place, Cedar Hill Kitchen + Smokehouse, so we're looking forward to eating there as well.

What is your favorite meal to have with your family?
My wife's chicken thighs, braised greens and scalloped potatoes.

Guiltiest food pleasure?
Stouffer's French bread pepperoni pizza

As a teacher, what are the “musts” of making charcuterie?
You have to keep your proteins clean, cold and covered. Don't let the fancy words intimidate you -- a pate is just a meat loaf that's had a couple of cocktails. Finally, patience and passion -- you'll need both to do charcuterie well.

Do you have plans for the holidays and/or a favorite dish/recipe?
Eat, drink and be merry!

Salumi Paradiso - Sausage Knot. Photo: Elisa Cicinelli

Recipe: Salumi Paradiso

20 lbs of boneless pork butt, large cube, lean and fat separated
9 oz of kosher salt
3 tsp of DQ#2 curing salt (Butcher & Packer is a fantastic source for curing salts, starter cultures and casings.)
125 g of dextrose
2 cups of non-fat dry milk powder
4 oz of dry white wine
Two large pinches of saffron
10 g of crushed chile de arbol
15 g of minced fresh ginger
15 g of minced fresh garlic
4 g of starter culture

• Place meat on a full tray sheet for 20 minutes or until very cold.
• Grind lean and fat pork separately through 3/18" plate-make sure to chill all grinder parts for at least 20 minutes before grinding.
• Place ground pork, separating the lean and the fat, on a full sheet and keep refrigerated until all ingredients are assembled and ready to be utilized.
• Bring white wine to a boil and then off heat, crush the saffron between your fingers to release the essential oils of the saffron and then, put the saffron into the white wine and let steep into liquid is cool.
• Remove meat from fridge and combine lean meat with all seasoning and spices, by hand, break the fat into small pieces and incorporate into meat mixture.
• Mix white wine/saffron liquid into meat along with several glugs of ice water.
• Place starter culture into 3 oz of room temperature distilled water and vigorously incorporate solution by hand into meat mixture, make sure mixture is tacky.
• Stuff mixture into 34-36 mm hog casings, form sausages into 1/2 foot links, tying off links with double knots on both ends.
• Prick sausages with sausage pricker and hang on dowels and place in fermentation chamber for 48 hours.
• Place in drying room with a temperature of 58 degrees and an ambient humidity of 65-70% for 4-6 weeks or until sausages have given up approximately 40-50% of their water weight.

"There's a new sheriff in town. She has a smoker and she's not afraid to use it."

So says the Twitter description for B-Side BBQ, an excellent new barbecue restaurant in West Oakland. But the "new sheriff" is already a neighborhood favorite. Chef / owner Tanya Holland is the seasoned veteran of the nearby successful soul food restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen, and her new restaurant is the "flip side" to her popular flagship establishment. She and her husband, Phil Surkis, have lived and worked in West Oakland for seven years and are helping to bring more great eats to the community.

My husband and I stopped by three days after their official open to visit the newly renovated space. The former home of Yardie Jerk, B-Side BBQ now has a warm, country-and-western feel with whimsical touches.

Tanya commissioned local artist April Banks to create artworks for the restaurant that will make you do a double-take. Look closely and you'll see Tanya and Phil making cameos in these classic western scenes.

They were already out of their smoked brown sugar rubbed brisket by the time we placed our order, so we chose the pulled pork sandwich ($8) and the St. Louis Ribs ($10 half-order / $18 full order). Sides come separately, and we went for the day's seasonal vegetable (collard greens with garlic, $4) and spicy coleslaw ($4). The "Dark and Stormy" sauce (made with molasses and honey) I chose for my barbecue was a perfect complement to the crunchy coleslaw heaped on my tasty sandwich. The ribs were juicy and hearty; be sure to grab some of the complimentary wet nap towelettes to help clean the smoky, saucy aftermath off of your fingertips (unless you go for the finger-licking route, which I highly recommend.) And definitely try the housemade lemonade ($3) if you're looking for a sweet refresher to accompany your meal.

Tanya and Phil currently split their time between B-Side and Brown Sugar. She was busy in the kitchen and the dining room, with Phil helping her and her staff serve her customers. Stay tuned for the next iteration of B-Side BBQ. More items are on the way for the menu, and they'll increase B-Side's hours over time. Phil also mentioned they'll be expanding the existing space to accommodate more seating and lengthen the bar. We'll definitely be heading back for the brisket and cornbread.

Tanya Holland, Chef / Owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ

B-Side BBQ
Address: map
3303 San Pablo Avenue (at 33rd Street)
Phone: (510) 595-0227
Hours:Tuesday-Saturday 11-4
Facebook: B-Side BBQ
Twitter: @BSideBBQ

No need to cross a bridge to go holiday shopping, all you lucky folk in Marin: you've got lots of great gifts right here at your local farmers' markets. Here's a few favorite seasonal treats for sale at the Sebastopol and Marin Civic Center markets this week.

Newcomers Joel and Carleen Weirauch of Weirauch Farm & Creamery are already generating a buzz about their small-batch cow's-milk cheeses. Now, you can serve them in style on the handmade, one-of-a-kind oak cheeseboards they're selling this month. The boards are made from oak salvaged from a 100-year-old Kentucky tobacco barn, finished satiny-smooth with olive oil and beeswax ($35-55). Get to the market early enough, and you might be lucky enough to pick up a block or two of their flower-embossed soap, made from sheep's milk and local olive oil in scents like rose geranium, lemongrass, lavender, and star anise. The Weirauchs are raising a herd of dairy sheep in Petaluma; come next spring, once lambing starts, they'll be making their own farmstead sheep's milk cheeses, too. Find them on Sunday at Sebastopol and Thursday at Marin Civic Center.

Also at the sweet Sebastopol market: Terra Savia's bright, peppery new-crop olive oil, made from organic olives grown along the Mendocino/Sonoma border and pressed just last month at Terra Savia's olive press in Hopland. This luscious olio nuovo is a Tuscan-style treat that's perfect for dipping into with a chunk of fresh, crusty bread. Terra Salvia also offers several single-varietal olive oils as well as wildflower honey, olive-oil soaps and a soothing botanical salve for moisturizing winter-dry skin.

And while you're there, don't miss the snappy, poinsetta-red boxes from Sonoma Chocolatiers, filled with handmade, chocolate-dipped salted caramels ($20). You can also put together a chic assortment of truffles ($2.25 each) in nifty flavors like fig-cardamom, holiday spice, smoky chipotle, and tequila-lime, or pick up a stocking-stuffer bag of crunchy chocolate-covered organic almonds, sugared or cinnamon-spiced.

Feeling a little DIY? Believe it or not, you can still turn out a few gift jars of homemade, local strawberry jam using Tomatero Farm's late-crop, Watsonville-grown organic strawberries ($3.50/pint), sold at the Marin Civic Center market. Or pick up a mix-and-match assortment of low-sugar, big-flavor berry jams made by Swanton Berry Farm, in flavors like tayberry, olallieberry, strawberry, and blackberry ($7-$9). They're all made using the farm's organic, union-grown berries.

Tea drinkers take their brews seriously, but they're often outnumbered by the coffee geeks. Show your tea-drinking friends that you respect their cuppa with a gift from Sky Tea at the Marin Civic Center market. Tea lover Jeni Quigg started her luxury tea company a little over a year ago, travelling around the world to source rare, small-batch, artisan-grown teas--what she calls "legendary teas." Her personally blended masala chai, which she also sells brewed by the cup, has a bright, clean spiciness to it, thanks to cardamon and peppercorns that Quigg picked herself on the Malabar coast. Even decaf drinkers can find something to love here, thanks to several blends made with rooibos or decaffeinated teas, including a rooibos chai and a seductive cinnamon plum sprinkled with saffron, flax seeds, and marigold petals.

Known for their rustic, rough-hewn hearth breads, Della Fattoria bakery also has a popular side line of pastries, including gift bags of biscotti and chocolate-chip cookies ($6) sold at the Marin Civic Center market. This year, they're offering an Italian holiday specialty, panforte ($16). Dense with dried fruits, honey, nuts, and spices, this chewy confection has a history stretching back centuries. "It was the Crusaders' little powerbar," says owner Edmund Weber. It has a deep, winter-spiced taste, lovely with a cup of Sky tea or a glass of dessert wine, the perfect reward for shopping local this season.

A note to shoppers: Both the Sebastopol and Marin Civic Center markets will be operating this Sunday, December 18. The Marin Civic Center market will be operating on Thursday, December 22. Both markets will be closed on Sunday, December 25.

Temescal's Telegraph Avenue in Oakland is becoming quite the coffee-lovers' hot spot. There's a Peet's Coffee, Remedy, Good Bellies, Aunt Mary's Cafe and The Mixing Bowl. And now there's a new cafe on the block, Arbor, which has taken over the former kid-friendly spot SadieDey's as of October.

Arbor is owned by DNA Lounge manager Christopher Marquez. When my husband and I stopped in for brunch on a chilly Sunday morning, we were looking forward to a good hot cup of coffee and a warm breakfast.

The decor reflects the retro-vintage chic that's all the rage right now, with wood floors and mismatched tables and chairs filling up the space. But there's very little artwork up on the walls, so the space doesn't quite have the same warm, lived-in look as its furniture. It would be a great venue for a rotating gallery featuring local artists, so hopefully they'll utilize Arbor's spacious room for small art openings.

The indoor bicycle rack was filled to capacity -- a nice touch to help attract cycling-friendly clientele -- and Arbor brews java from the local Bay Area company Bicycle Coffee as well.

Their daily menu is written up on a chalkboard perched on an easel: granola with yogurt and fruit ($5); egg and cheddar sandwich with salad ($6); poached eggs with toast and salad ($7); prosciutto, poached eggs and toast ($7) and strawberry and Nutella (we're presuming on toast) ($6). There were also an assortment of pastries for sale. They were out of the egg and cheddar sandwich when we arrived just before noon, so my husband ordered coffee while I decided to try their prosciutto special. There were only two friendly staffers behind the counter, so service was a little slow as they prepared the drip coffee and meal. But they were cheerful and attentive, and we didn't mind the wait as they apologized for the fact they're still smoothing out the kinks.

The prosciutto plate was rather plain; two slim slices of buttered baguette were topped with poached eggs and meat, and the accompanying mixed green salad was simply dressed. While the breakfast was a bit on the underwhelming side, I'm hoping Arbor will continue to evolve and expand their offerings. Judging from the number of tables occupied that morning, it's building a loyal community following and is another welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Arbor Cafe
Yelp: Arbor Cafe
4210 Telegraph Ave
(between 42nd St & 43rd St)
Hours:
Tue-Fri 9-5PM
Sat-Sun 10-7PM

June Taylor Fruit Syrups

Summer's peaches and tomatoes may be gone, but the farmers' markets in winter still offers myriad delights. These past few weekends, we've had crisp, nippy mornings and sunny skies giving a bright-blue backdrop to the crazy-colored squashes, brilliant orange persimmons and gold-stemmed chard. So far, the rains have held off but the temperature's finally gotten Bay Area-wintery, making a cup of hot chocolate a festively necessary hand-warmer for strolling from stand to stand.

And this season, while you're buying your pastured chicken and dry-farmed potatoes, spaghetti squash and sourdough bread, you can do your holiday shopping, too. At the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, there are lots of excellent and delicious treats on hand to provide a wonderful taste of our local terroir for friends and family near and far. And if you can't decide what your local pals would like best--lavender honey or cider syrup? quince cheese or goat cheese?--the market is offering its popular gift coins again. Each wooden "coin" is worth $1, and can be redeemed at any market stall. They're available in any amount, but you can get a cute, ready-to-go brown box filled with $25 worth of coins from the information booth. (A good trick to know if you run out of cash at the market: use a credit card to buy coins instead of waiting in the long ATM lines inside the Ferry Building.)

Is Dad finally upgrading to a new crock pot? Give him a little inspiration with Rancho Gordo's heirloom bean box ($50), a selection of five one-pound bags of organic dry beans (including, naturally, Christmas limas), plus a sturdy fabric totebag and a copy of Heirloom Beans: Great Recipes for Dips and Spreads, Soups and Stews, Salads and Salsas, and Much More from Rancho Gordo. The best stocking stuffer? Forget the Old Spice; grab a sheaf of Fatted Calf's awesome beef jerky instead. Fatted Calf also has a great selection of holiday gift boxes for the carnivores on your list; you can check out their selection on their website or at their retail shops in Hayes Valley and the Oxbow Public Market in Napa. If you want to pick up a gift box at the Ferry Plaza market instead, just give them a call at their Napa store (707-256-3684) to make arrangements.

Salty or sweet? Whichever way your pals' tastes swing, Eatwell Farm has a fragrant seasoning to match. They've expanded beyond their original (and still much-adored) rosemary and lavender salts; now, choose from smoked chili salt, thyme salt, dried heirloom tomato salt, and dried lemon salt ($6, or 5 for $25), all heavenly sprinkled over grilled lamb or steak. Got a sweet tooth? Add a few pinches of smoked chili sugar to fire up your hot chocolate, or make your Christmas cookies a little more grown-up with a sprinkle of citrusy-herbal lemon verbena sugar ($9).

Didn't get around to pickling this summer? Dirty Girl Produce has plenty of dilly beans ($8/jar) on hand, along with summer-bright tomatoes in quart jars. Put the two together, add some Square One organic vodka, and you've got a Bloody Mary brunch kit for your favorite morning-after buddy.

The Apple Farm has a stylish, all-American treat for those of us with Champagne taste but no bucks for French fizz: sparkling hard cider, made from biodynamically farmed apples, priced at just $8.50 a bottle. It's dry rather than soda-sweet, and makes a wonderful aperitif or festive toast.

In the more than a decade that I've been a fan of this wonderful organic apple orchard and kitchen up in the Anderson Valley, I've found any number of uses for their elegantly bottled apple-balsamic vinegar ($16), with its label hand-written in gold ink. To round out a holiday morning breakfast-in-bed basket, pick up a pint jar of rosy Pink Pearl applesauce ($14) and a jug of tart-sweet cider syrup ($16), perfect for pouring over gingerbread pancakes or eggnog French toast.

Jam maker June Taylor is back with her unsurpassed, brandy-soaked English Christmas cakes ($50), along with dense, sliceable, beautifully molded fruit "cheeses" ($18-$24) in quince, quince-rose geranium, Santa Rosa plum, and damson plum, perfect accompaniments to a cheese platter. Taylor also has a shimmering selection of all-natural fruit syrups ($10) great for all the SodaStream fanciers in your life. Boost their bubbles with flavors like raspberry, Summersweet peach-white sage, Dapple Dandy pluot-rosemary, or Meyer lemon-peppermint.

Conveniently for your party planning, the pretty goat, sheep, and cow cheeses of Andante Dairy are right at the next stall; don't miss the Pastoral, rolled in green herbs and topped with pink peppercorns. The only challenge? Getting all (or any) of these treats wrapped and given away before you make rather merry and find a home for them all right in your very own pantry.

Next week, Bay Area Bites heads north to find local food gifts from the Sebastopol and the Marin Civic Center farmers' markets.

With a full contingent of Eastern European ancestors, I haven’t a Scandinavian gene in my body. But after two trips around Denmark and Sweden, I bonded so deeply with the food that I’ve been compelled to feed my addiction to herring, lingonberries and dark rye bread ever since. Mange tak (many thanks) to Berkeley’s Nordic House, for their steady supply of edible treasures from these far northern realms.

On a recent foray to their spacious San Pablo Avenue store, the festive atmosphere was evident, as Scandinavians of all stripes were stocking up on special foods for the holidays. Pia Klausen, whose father, Peter Caroe, started Nordic House in Oakland in 1962, was busily filling the shelves with cans of fish balls and jars of lingonberries. The elder Caroe, now 81, is still at the store helping out his daughter. In 2000, Pia and her husband took over the Oakland shop that shared the block with the now defunct Neldham’s Bakery. Last May, the couple bought and moved into this cheery, light-filled Berkeley space, where they offer made-to-order deli sandwiches, a selection of cheeses, house-made sausages, liver pate, meatballs, pork and lamb roll, as well as scores of imported foods from lefse (a Norwegian potato tortilla) to licorice candy.

Of course, they also carry the infamous lutefisk, the gelatinous, lye-cured, pungent Norwegian staple. DIY lutefisk-ers can even buy their own stockfish at Nordic House to make it at home.

But the friendly crowd of shoppers on this early December afternoon was focused on Christmas-themed comestibles. This basically translates to meat and that meat is most often pork. Each country has a specialty that is enjoyed for Christmas dinner and throughout the season: Norwegian pork ribs, Swedish brined ham and Danish pork with crispy skin. With a book of pre-orders growing longer by the day, Pia has had 100 Swedish hams brining in barrels in her back room since November.

Danish pork with crispy skin

Other traditional meat dishes include Norwegian cured, dried and salted leg of lamb fenalår (akin to prosciutto) that is placed on a table for passersby to cut off a little chunk everyday, and pinnekjøtt – dried, salted lamb ribs that are soaked in water for a day and then steamed over birch twigs.

On this Saturday, Pia’s husband, Arve is in the kitchen with assorted cousins spending the day butchering and tying the special Danish pork roasts which are prized for their crackly skin. Arve, who works for Otis elevator in San Francisco by day, is Norwegian. He and Pia met when his mother worked for Pia’s father at the store in Oakland. He is quick to point out that the wrappings on his fingers are not because they are cut, but to protect him from the effects of hand-tying strings around 100 pork roasts a day. These will be frozen, and then shipped across the country in dry ice to Danes as far away as Florida. In weeks to come, they will produce more pork roasts for local customers to buy fresh.

Pia, who speaks fluent Danish and spent a year in the old country after graduating from school, tells me about one of the most beloved holiday rituals involving the classic Christmas dessert, fluffy rice pudding made with whipped cream and drizzled with warm cherry sauce. While slivered almonds are mixed into the pudding, there is only one whole (blanched) almond hiding somewhere in the serving bowl. The lucky diner whose portion contains the whole almond wins a prize, usually a marzipan pig.

rice pudding photo courtesy of Malene Thyssen, wikimedia commons

Many Nordic House regulars are older, first-generation immigrants, but now younger family members are taking over the cooking responsibilities. Second-generation Dane, Sandra Pedersen, drove in from Concord with her husband, but was on the cell with her father who wanted to make sure she was buying all the necessities, including: brown gravy, liver pate and the rice pudding mix.

“Yes, we always hid the almond in the pudding,” she says smiling. “It was a big game. Everyone in the family would make a show of pretending to find the lucky almond and hide it in their cheek, or try to talk without opening their mouths or feign secreting something in their napkin. This is the first time I am making the dinner for my parents, who are getting older now.”

My last trip to Stockholm was a couple of Decembers ago and I still remember the eerie sensation of the sky going dark around 4pm. But instead of pouring tea, my hosts handed me a cup of another warm libation, with a welcome kick: glögg, spiced mulled wine and other spirits. The hot crimson liquid also holds a handful of raisins and almonds. Glögg (or gløgg in Danish) does not have a single recipe but varies among families, usually containing some combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, orange peel and cardamom. The red wine (Pia says not to use your best vintage -- her family poured from a big Gallo jug) can be empowered with the addition of brandy, vodka or aquavit. Heat the liquid, but don’t boil, as you wouldn’t want to lose the “warming powers” of all that alcohol.

To make it easy: Nordic House sells a bottled glögg mix to get you started, and my Danish friend Kim’s secret is to soak the almonds and raisins overnight in a mixture of vodka and port.

Gløgg parties are common throughout Scandinavia during the entire the month of December. In Denmark, the typical snack to accompany gløgg is æbleskiver -- spherical popovers made in a special cast-iron pan with rounded indentations. The moist egg-y orbs are unsweetened and traditionally eaten sprinkled with powdered sugar and dipped in strawberry jam. Nordic House sells both the pan and a packaged dry mix to which you add eggs and milk. Another traditional gløgg accompaniment are thin flower-shaped ginger cookies, sold under the brand-name “Anna.” Wait a minute…maybe I could be related after all.

NORDIC HOUSE
2709 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
1-510-705-1932 or
1-800-854-6435

San Francisco's Bi-Rite Market aims to be more than a neighborhood grocery. It's a community hub focused on food and learning about local farms and sustainable eating. The owners have just released a cookbook called "Eat Good Food," and they've recently expanded a space in which they offer food-centric classes and more. KQED's Forum talks with Bi-Rite's owner and produce buyer about how to find the freshest produce and what to cook this season.

Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:
• Sam Mogannam, owner of Bi-Rite Market
• Simon Richard, produce buyer and in-house farmer at Bi-Rite Market

Original Broadcast: Thu, Dec 8, 2011 -- 10:00 AM

Eat Good Food Recipe 1

Eat Good Food Recipe 2

Eat Good Food Recipe 3