Chefs Jeff Banker and Lori Baker + Jackson Banker. Photo credit: Craig Lee

The savory and sweet finds at San Francisco's Baker & Banker quickly catapulted the space into a must-visit for food lovers. Opened in late 2009 in Pacific Heights, the bakery slash restaurant is in an old apothecary and is the lovechild of husband and wife team Chef Jeff Banker and Pastry Chef Lori Banker, who together have over thirty years cooking experience and have been married for ten years.

San Francisco Examiner's Patricia Unterman noted Baker & Banker's "small, changing menu of gently imaginative dishes characterized by big, voluptuous flavor," and the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer gave the restaurant a three star review in 2010 and included it in the Chronicle Top 100 List of Restaurants that same year.

Lori Baker has worked at EOS, Home restaurant, Slow Club, Gordon's House of Fine Eats, Bizou, Postrio, Bix and Fifth Floor. Chef Baker also staged at Hotel Metropole in Brussels as well as L'Angolo Dolce in Lucca, Italy. She was most recently a professor of pastry at The California Culinary Academy and is a graduate of Johnson and Wales.

Jeff Banker's early stints include Patina Los Angeles and Postrio--more on the Postrio love connection in a bit. He worked at Acme Chophouse, Bix, Home and staged at Lucas Carton in Paris while attending Le Cordon Bleu on a scholarship awarded by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). The couple said they both have also filled in at their friends’ restaurants NOPA and Delfina. Bay Area Bites caught up with Jeff Banker just in time for Valentine's Day. They live in the Sunset District.

What are you baking and serving up for Valentine's Day?

We are creating some unique bakery goods special for Valentine's Day including: Mexican hot chocolate crackle cookies, raspberry Linzer heart sandwich cookies, strawberry Champagne cupcakes, which are champagne-soaked yellow cake with strawberry frosting, red hot red velvet cupcakes and handwritten "Hostess" cupcakes with salted caramel.

Valentine's Treats from Baker & Banker. Photo credit: Craig Lee

Also on the sweet menu is: vanilla bean cheesecake, with a chocolate wafer crust, and raspberry hearts swirled in; and conversation heart cakes that are Devil's food cake with Grand Marnier ganache.

Hugs and Kisses Heart Cakes. Photo credit: Craig Lee

And… Passion fruit cheesecakes with guava caramel, champagne cake truffles, jalapeno caramels and chocolate covered bacon.

What are your Valentine's Day restaurant favorites?

It’s hard to find a more romantic dining room than Fleur de Lys -- the food is decadent and very Valentine's Day appropriate -- the French do romance best! Bix is also a great space with an amazing menu.

What are your favorite spots to shop for food?

Fatted Calf is an awesome place to get fresh meat. We also religiously shop at the Marin Farmers' Market for ingredients for the restaurant -- the produce is so fresh and there is such a great selection of goods. I actually visit there every Thursday. Finally, for something a bit more exotic, the Richmond New May Wah Supermarket, an Asian Market on Clement and 7th, is an amazing source to find unusual ingredients.

What are your favorite eating and drinking spots?

I have to admit, having the bakery, restaurant and new baby takes up a lot of time, but when we do go out we love to stop by Flour + Water or Pizzeria Delfina for some amazing pasta and pizza.

What are your favorite local Mom & Pop joints?

We love the modern spin of Mom & Pop joints that are taking off here in the city. For example, eVe restaurant in Berkeley is also a husband and wife team who are doing it all themselves. They have a really artistic touch to the dishes on their menu and we love the intimate setting and food. Also, Sons & Daughters in Nob Hill is an interesting place -- the chefs/owners Teague and Matt are two young guys living the dream of opening their own restaurant. It's inspiring to see fellow chefs venturing out on their own and having full autonomy to create and share the food they love.

What are your favorite date nightspots?

At the moment, our favorite date spot is home. Since Jackson's arrival, there is something truly wonderful about being home and making a home cooked meal for the family in the house. We are at the restaurant or bakery nearly seven days a week -- so to be able to stay at home and use the kitchen is a treat!

What is your guiltiest food pleasure?

The foie gras duck stuffed sandwich at Naked Lunch. Amazing.

How did you two meet, and how long have you been together, etc.?

We both worked at Postrio around the same time. We had a mutual friend who worked there and he set us up on a blind date. He is the pastry chef at Bix now and is still our best friend. We have been married for nearly ten years. [Our baby] Jackson is 4 months old and his name is Jackson Banker.

Does Jackson have any favorite foods yet?

He’s still a bit too young -- breast milk is still his favorite but we're expecting him to be quite the foodie growing up in a bakery and restaurant.

Where are you from?

I am from Orange County and Lori is from Cincinnati.

What's new on the horizon?

This past weekend we had the crew from Unique Sweets come and film us for a day. It was an amazing experience. You’ll be able to see Lori's tantalizing desserts have their close up on the Cooking Channel this spring.

Valentine's Day is almost here, and if you're planning on spending a small fortune on chocolates for your sweet, hold up! Consider making your own chocolate truffles -- in addition to the "OMG, you shouldn't have" look, you'll get bonus points for having taken the time out to make something by hand.

Ok, so I know I've lost some of you already. Hear me out. "But truffles are soooo haaarrrrrd to make," I can hear you sighing. "I could never do that." Au contraire, mon cheri. Despite the fact that stores charge big bucks for these little balls of chocolate love, truffles are actually one of the easiest candies to make. Within an hour you'll have a few dozen handmade chocolate truffles, and a one heck of a fabulous Valentine's Day gift. And if you're sweetie is of the vegan persuasion, I've got you covered with a vegan truffle recipe as well.

First things first: You'll be melting chocolate, which means you'll need to chop it first. Like, chop it as finely as possible. It's easy to chop the long, flat bars you get from the baking section of the grocery store, and I recommend you use a large chef's knife or my weapon of choice: a meat cleaver. If all else fails, don't fret. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips without suffering any dire consequences.

Second: You must use a double boiler to melt your chocolate. Any other means of melting will burn the chocolate or turn it into a seized up lump of concrete. If you don't have a real double boiler, never fear. Find a pot and a large bowl that will snugly fit in the pot without slipping into it. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't rest in the water. Rather, you want there to be a good inch or two between the bottom of the bowl and the water in the pot. Also, be sure to not get any water into your chocolate mixture, lest it seize up. If this happens, you'll need to dump it out and start over. Sad panda. For more information, check out this guide on melting chocolate.

Now, let's get our hands dirty!

Basic Chocolate Truffles Recipe
Yields about 24 3/4" truffles.

Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Possible Coatings:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup chai spices
1/4 cup of whatever fun, powdery thing you'd like to roll your truffles in
Small foil cups for packaging (available from your local craft store)

Instructions:
Fill the bottom of your double boiler with a few inches of water, set it over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Have the chopped chocolate waiting in the top of your double boiler but not yet set over the heat.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just until you see bubbles start to fowl around the edges of the pan. Immediately pour the cream over your chocolate. Set the bowl over the waiting double boiler, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the cream. Stir in vanilla and Grand Marnier, then cover and refrigerate until firm enough to handle (about 4 hours).

That's it! Seriously! And in case you weren't aware, you just made a chocolate ganache, one of the most delectable substances in the dessert world. Go you!

After your ganache has firmed up, line a cookie sheet with parchment. Scoop about a teaspoonful of ganache and then, working quickly, roll it into a sphere shape with your hands. Set the rolled truffles on the lined cookie sheet, and keep going until you've finished all of your chocolate mixture. Your truffle may look a little sticky at first. That's fine, we'll smooth them out in a second.

Note: Try to make sure your hands are as cool as possible or your truffles will melt as you roll them. It might be a good idea to keep a paper towel or two nearby, so that if your hands get caked with chocolate you can wipe them off. It also helps to stick the bowl of ganache back in the refrigerator for 5 minutes if you notice it getting super sticky.

Coatings
Let your chocolate truffles sit for about ten minutes at room temperature, or stick them in the fridge if it's a warm day (say, above 70 degrees). Add cocoa powder (or hazelnuts, or powdered sugar) to a small round-bottomed bowl. One at a time, pick up your truffles and roll them between your hands for a few seconds to barely warm the surface, then drop them in the bowl of coating. Toss the bowl a bit until the truffle is completely covered in coating, then set it back on the cookie sheet. If you end up with a too much coating on your truffles, don't shake them off until after they have firmed up again.

Once you're done, put the cookie sheet full of truffles in the fridge for half an hour. Once they're firm again, shake off any excess coating and put them in little foil cups for decoration.

These chocolate truffles will keep in the fridge for two weeks, but can be kept at room temperature for a few days. I like them a little softer, so I pull them out of the fridge a few hours before serving.

For a little variety, check out these other truffle recipes:

• Peanut Butter Crunch Truffles
• Mint Chocolate Truffles
• Mocha Truffles
• Raw Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles

There's a lot about this post that feels a little self-indulgent largely because I'm writing it and it's all about my new baking business, Marge. I've been waiting for the right time to announce it here on Bay Area Bites, and now seems as good a time as any. Although really this post is more about launching a small business without a storefront in the confusing (and expensive!) world of health permits, legal documents, licenses and occasional slammed doors. So without further ado, meet Marge.

The idea for Marge began last spring. I decided I'd open a bakery. I've always loved baking, had signed up to study at San Francisco Baking Institute and mentor at Comforts in Marin. I was already baking for private clients at the time and knew that what I really wanted out of a career was to work for myself. It wasn't important to me to have enough expendable income to fly to Hawaii every Christmas, but being able to support myself selling pie sounded pretty darn good. So begins the fun part. Real estate! Vintage wallpaper! Pretty display cases with distressed wood! And that lasted all of three weeks. Three glorious weeks, but three weeks nonetheless. And then reality hit. Those of you who have built-out a kitchen from scratch (or know someone who has) know how expensive it is. And for those of you who have ever looked for a charming, affordable retail space with a lovely pre-existing kitchen all ready and waiting for you-- you know they're a rare (read: almost never) find. So I regrouped.

I decided I needed a business license. It seemed like a good logical step and you basically just fill out a form, write a check, and 'Bam' you've got yourself a business. Perfect. Or so I thought.

My visit to City Hall went something like this:

Clerk: Ma'am we're confused about the category of your business.
Me: It's a baking business. We'll have a storefront someday, but right now we're going to do pop-ups, deliveries, catering--you know, keep it casual.
Clerk: Ma'am, there's really no category for "casual."
Me: Look, I don't know. Call it whatever you want.
Clerk: Ma'am you need to choose a category.
Me (flustered, confused, wishing I could coerce him with pie): I understand. I just need a business license in order to get a health permit in order to get my commercial kitchen in order to get my business bank account. Can you just help me out a little here?
Clerk: Well we need a physical address.
Me: O.k....
Clerk: Why don't you put down the location where your accountant and bookkeeper do the books.

I stood there smiling and thinking to myself, "If you only knew that you're staring right at the accountant and bookkeeper, the owner and the baker."

And so began all the legal/totally unfun stuff. It's all very cart before the horse: you need one document before you can get another but the timing doesn't work and none of the agencies talk to each other and you lose a little sleep. And some nights, a lot of sleep. This was nothing like picking out vintage wallpaper. Instead, it involved health inspections and a lot of bureaucracy. Even for a small business like Marge, inspectors often come to check out your kitchen, where you store your ingredients, and your processes for packaging. It's daunting when you're not quite sure what all your processes are yet. And it all seemed a little odd because I still wasn't quite sure how I was defining the business. I now had all of these forms in place but nowhere to actually sell my product.

Then I decided that I may not have a storefront, but people have got to try what I'm baking at Marge or the word will never get out. I brought around samples to businesses, farmer's markets, and folks in my neighborhood. I got a business cell phone. When it rang two days later, I literally dropped it in the sink and missed the call. Orders started coming in around the holidays despite my temporary website. I did the SF Underground Farmer's Market in December -- our first public event-- and it was awesome. The pop-tarts and apple pies sold out, lots of friends came out to support Marge, and I met some great food folks starting their business in a similar fashion. And then I got a call from the new Marin Country Mart farmer's market (a quick ferry ride from the city, by the way) that they'd love to have Marge as a permanent staple on Saturday mornings. I can't tell you how thrilled I am: my weekends are now one big ol' bake sale and I can't imagine anything better.

So my strategy for now: get out there in other farmer's markets throughout the spring and summer and do local events that I'm excited about. Start getting Marge products out in local coffee shops and cafes and spreading the word about old-fashioned pies and nostalgic desserts. Make new friends. Meet new people. Forget all about vintage wallpaper (for now). And see where that takes us. Who knows? Maybe I'll be back here in the fall chatting all about our cute storefront. But for now, it's all good.

To get the latest on Marge, sign up for the newsletter and check out the website for the seasonal menu, contact information, and the full scoop on Marge. You can follow Marge on twitter @MargeBakery and on Facebook to learn about new events and markets we're doing. Come and visit us at the Marin Country Mart Farmer's Market, and of course, we deliver and cater as well. Pie is good. Having someone make it for you is even better.

Poster designed by Megan of Say It’s Not Soy

Get ready to have your preconceptions about vegan desserts knocked down in a very delicious way. This ain't your elementary school's bakesale.

The SF Vegan Bakesale, sponsored by Vegansaurus.com and VegNews Magazine, is a tradition that started in 2009 and is organized by Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Every few months the vegans of the Bay Area band together, hold a sale and donate all the proceeds to various charities, mostly animal welfare organizations.

The next one takes place this Saturday, January 15, 11am-3pm, in front of SpeeSees at 1415 Valencia Street with over 30 home bakers participating, as well as several professional ones, including Cinnaholic, A Fire Inside, Scarlette Poppy, Por Vida, Sugar Beat Sweets, and Fat Bottom Bakery. Proceeds from this sale are going to MickaCoo Bird Rescue and Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. SpeeSees is also offering a 10% discount on their organic kids clothing to all bakesale customers. Follow updates on the bakesale on twitter @SFVeganBakeSale.

But none of all this good-doing would be possible without those two lovely vegan ladies who work their butts off each time for an event that is truly about nothing but helping animals.

Laura Beck pretty much has her hands in every vegan event or animal-rights-related initiative in the Bay Area and is a founding editor of SF-based vegan lifestyle guide Vegansaurus.com. She has worked for several animal rescue, welfare, and rights organizations and is the community manager for vegan recipe site VegWeb.com. She is also a columnist for VegNews Magazine and has contributed to SFist, Huffington Post, The Bold Italic, Crazy Sexy Life, SF Weekly, San Francisco Magazine, and Eater SF, among others.

Karin Olsson has volunteered with various animal groups. She was one of the organizers for California’s Prop 2 campaign, which passed in a landslide victory in 2008 and outlawed the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant pigs. For her day job, Karin works with schools and restaurants to adopt corporate policies that improve animal welfare (such as ending their use of eggs from caged hens and adding more meatless menu options).

Laura Beck and Karin Olsson. Photos by Mark Shrayber of Legally Blind Photography and Walker Phillips

Here, Laura and Karin tell us a little about how the SF Vegan Bakesale started, their thoughts on a vegan lifestyle, and what animals share their homes with them.

How were the SF Vegan Bakesales started and what do you hope they'll accomplish?

Laura: We were inspired by the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale and grew from there into a more regular event in San Francisco. We want to spread the joy and awesomeness of vegan baked goods and show the world that veganism is fun and tasty and should always involve cake.

Karin: After the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale, Laura and I got to talking about doing a sale to benefit a local cat rescue that was in desperate need of funds. Thanks to a bunch of wonderful volunteers who donated their time and baked goods, we were able to raise nearly $3,000 for the cat rescue in just a few short hours. We realized what a great tool this was to raise funds for local charities and decided to make it a regular thing. The bakesales are such fun events that bring so many people together for a good cause. Plus they’re an excellent excuse to stuff your face with cupcakes and brownies!

How do you choose the beneficiaries of each bakesale?

Laura: We choose local organizations that the money can hopefully really impact. We've done everything from bunny rescue to programs that help kids from low-income families get bicycles. If you know of any organizations that could use our help, please let us know! We're always taking ideas.

Bunnies up for adoption at previous Vegan Bakesale

What is the most delicious pastry you’ve had at a bakesale?

Laura: Uhhh... that's REALLY hard. Davey from A Fire Inside makes these tremendous cinnamon rolls called "Weekend Ruiners" that are mind-blowing. Cinnaholic also makes amaaaaaazing cinnamon rolls with a variety of crazy delicious toppings. Fat Bottom Bakery makes killer baklava. And Sugar Beat Sweets has the greatest brownies on earth. And that's just the beginning. We've had such luck with tasty treats, from Bike Basket Pie's delicious hand-held pies to homemade sea salt caramels. Seriously, it's out of control.

Karin: Oh man, there have been so many… Some highlights for me have included strawberry shortcake, chocolate croissants, and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. Oooh, and of course Pepples Donuts’ glazed raised donuts, Idle Hands Baking Company’s cookies n’ cream cupcakes, In the Mood for Food’s bialys with cashew cream cheese, and Fat Bottom Bakery’s savory hand pies are all out of this world. And ditto on Sugar Beat Sweets’ brownies! I’m getting hungry just thinking about this!

Pastries at a previous bakesale

When did you decide to be vegan and what led you to that decision?

Laura: I became vegan after reading Diet for a New America by John Robbins. I'd been vegetarian previously because I didn't want to eat animals. Why should I hug my dog and eat a pig? A pig is smarter than my dog! But my reasoning didn't go much beyond that. Reading Diet for a New America really drove home all that's wrong with the way we raise and slaughter "food animals." I mean, it's beyond screwed-up from any perspective. I figured the best way to fight back was with my wallet since all animal-product-producing companies care about is money.

Karin: I’ve always loved animals, and even as a young kid I couldn’t bear the thought of eating them. My folks were very supportive of my vegetarianism, and my mom used to make her own tofu burgers (which was pretty unheard of in the 80s). Once I began to learn more about factory farming and the abuses that occur not only in the meat industry but also in the egg and dairy industries, I went vegan.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about a vegan lifestyle?

Laura: That we don't eat and enjoy delicious food. The opposite is true; the people I know who love food the most are vegans. Honestly, Karin and I are two of the most food-motivated people you will ever meet. Over the holiday break, we both went on eating tours of other cities. Karin even had all of her meals planned out on an Excel spreadsheet!

Karin: It’s true—I did plan an epic eating tour in Excel. I have to second what Laura said—vegans do eat amazing flavorful food, and yes, we do get enough protein.

If a friend were visiting the Bay Area for just one day, where would you take him/her out to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Laura: Breakfast: brunch at Souley Vegan in Oakland (biscuits and gravy!). Lunch would probably be falafel at Old Jerusalem or a vegan cheesesteak at Jay's Cheesesteak. Dinner would either be Saha or Millennium. Only one day? That's hard!

Karin: For breakfast I’d have to go with the soyrizo breakfast burritos or vegan french toast from Sun Rise Restaurant in the Mission. Then I’d do a quick trip over to the East Bay for cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic and a vegan milkshake at Saturn Café, followed by lunch at Cha-Ya [Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant]. I’d definitely pick Millennium for dinner, and if we needed a late night snack, I’d take them to get vegan pizza at Beretta!

What is your favorite vegan dish in the Bay Area?

Karin: I always crave Ike’s sandwiches. There are so many amazing vegan options to choose from, but my standby is the Meatless Mike. Ike’s is now at Lime, so you can grab a drink (or three) to go with your sandwich! [Rumor has it that Ike’s in SF is moving again to a new permanent location of their own soon.]

Laura: The Toasty Crispy at Souley Vegan!

What is the one ingredient you couldn’t live without?

Laura: I'm gonna be totally lame and healthy and say kale. But also, chocolate chips for baking. And Gardein Buffalo wings. Uh, I could go on.

Karin: Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. It bakes up just like butter! And soy yogurt—it’s delicious on its own but also works as a super easy egg replacer in cakes and muffins.

Do you have any companion animals? What are their names/hopes and dreams?

Karin: I have a wonderful rescued cat named Sweetie Pancakes whose favorite pastime is to sit in the bathtub and drink water out of the faucet.

Laura: I have an adorable pit bull from Rocket Dog Rescue. Her name is Hazel and I think one day she'd like to be a professional eater. We have that in common.

So, grab a wad of cash and hit the SF Vegan Bakesale this Saturday for scrumptious treats, and adorable dogs and pigeons. I mean, frankly, if charity isn't a good enough reason to gorge yourself on pastries, then I don't know what is.

To pump you up for the sale, we’ve included a recipe from bakesale volunteer baker Robin Means of ieatcupcakes.com for vegan cupcakes that will be making an appearance at the sale. Based on vegan cream-filled chocolate-glazed donuts that are offered at two favorite vegan-friendly donut shops (Ronald’s Donuts in Las Vegas and Voodoo Doughnut in Portland), these sweet treats are her take on the donuts in cupcake form. It is a reimagining of a recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes featured in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. We figured you’d want this, in case you go to the sale, taste them, realize you can’t live without them, and decide to make a batch everyday for the rest of your life.

Enjoy!

Voodoo Ronald's Donut Cupcakes

Makes: 22 cupcakes with icing

Ingredients:

Cake:
3 c unbleached white flour
½ T baking soda
½ T baking powder
2 T cornstarch
½ t salt
1 ½ c sugar
2/3 c sunflower oil
1 ½ c soymilk
½ c water
1 T vanilla extract
1 T apple cider vinegar

Filling:
1 c soymilk
1 t agar powder
3 T arrowroot powder
1 package silken tofu
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 T vanilla extract

Icing:
1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
½ c soymilk
3 T agave nectar

Cake Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line muffin pans with paper liners or set up silicone wrappers on baking sheets.
2. Combine vinegar and soymilk and let sit. In another bowl, sift the flour, soda, powder, cornstarch, and salt.
3. Mix oil, sugar, water, vanilla, and the soymilk mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until smooth.
4. Fill the baking cups about 2/3 full.
5. Bake for approximately 18 minutes. When you insert a toothpick into the center of one, it should come out clean. Cool for 2 minutes in pan, then remove and put on a cooling rack.

Filling Preparation:
1. Boil half the soymilk and the agar. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the agar dissolves.
2. Whisk half the soymilk and the arrowroot. Add mixture to pot and whisk for 3 minutes over heat. Remove from heat.
3. Blend tofu, sugar, and cooked mixture until creamy. Add vanilla extract and blend more. Transfer to Tupperware with lid and chill for 2-3 hours.

Icing Preparation:
1. Boil the soymilk and then remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth.
2. Dip the top of each filled cupcake into the ganache and set on a cooling rack to harden.

Shaker Lemon Pie from A Sweet Spoonful

You've probably heard. The New York Times and NPR are both saying pie is the new "it" dessert. In her piece for the New York Times, Julia Moskin writes "Pie had been lurking below the radar in recent years: taking cover during the ice cream trend, perhaps waiting to see which way the macaron tide would turn." Perhaps you disagree. Perhaps you have another vote. Or maybe you're tired of food trend predictions altogether. Maybe, you simply like to poke fun at them as Cheryl Sternman Rule has done in her witty post, The Most Superlative Food Trends List Anywhere.

Trends aside, you've got to admit you've been seeing some major pie love lately. For her piece "Cupcakes are Dead, Long Live the Pie," Bonnie Wolf writes, "Texas and New York restaurants offer pie happy hours. Pies are showing up at weddings, and pie shops are opening in a neighborhood near you. Pies come in sweet and savory, maxi and mini, deep dish and deep-fried." Reading and musing on pie this past week got me thinking about my two very favorite spots to grab a slice. One is here in San Francisco. The other? Brooklyn, New York. Judging by what these neighborhood shops are baking each day, I'm thinking pie is here to stay.

Mission Pie: San Francisco, CA

If I lived in the Mission, I'd eat a lot of pie thanks to Mission Pie. They have a seasonally rotating menu of pies and source their fruit and produce from local and organic farmers. If you are even a distant fan of banana cream pie and haven't had a slice of theirs, your New Years Resolution has been written. I also love their Black Walnut which is not, as is often the case, too, too sweet. And they have a fabulous savory line with everything from pot pies to quiches and galettes. With their buttery walls and big communal table, this is a great spot to enjoy a flaky piece of pie and some peace and quiet right in the heart of the bustling Mission.

Mission Pie
2901 Mission St. (at 25th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-1500

Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Brooklyn, NY

Four & Twenty Blackbirds has been getting its fair share of press lately. It seems like everyone from Ready Made Magazine to The New York Times is chatting about this charming pie shop in Gowanus, Brooklyn run by sisters Emily and Melissa. They're known for their Salted Caramel Apple pie and fruit pies made with aromatics and bitters. When I visited over Thanksgiving, we tried the Maple Custard and that infamous apple. I'm not sure if I was more smitten with the pie or the space itself. Emily and Melissa have done an amazing job of creating a very old-fashioned yet modern and breezy space that you just want to linger in for an entire afternoon. It feels good in there. No one's rushing to get to their next meeting or yammering away on their cell phones (at least when we were there--I'm sure it probably happens). The sisters do savory items as well and make one mean cup of coffee. When in Brooklyn, eat this pie.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 3rd Avenue (at 8th Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Park Slope / Gowanus
(718) 499-2917

Comfort food, gluten-free recipes and vampire prevention appeared to be peak areas of interest for BAB readers in 2010.

Here are the top thirteen stories and recipes most visited on Bay Area Bites during the year:

#1 Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole by Denise Santoro Lincoln

"The casserole is undergoing a resurgence in popularity. After years of being maligned as a tasteless and gloppy suburban dish made with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, it is finally coming into its own. Blame it on the economy and the rising cost of food, but high-end cuts of meat seared faultlessly and served with the perfect wine are passé in this environment: extravagant and unseemly amidst layoffs and foreclosures. Comfort foods are the new at-home gourmet chic, and there's nothing more heartening and reassuring than a chicken casserole."

#2 Giving Up Sunday Gravy: A Lost Food Tradition by Denise Santoro Lincoln

Have you ever given up a long-held family food tradition? I have. Years ago I gave up Italian Sunday Gravy, which is basically manna for Italian Americans. Although I stand by my decision, I often regret it as well.

#3 Hachiya Persimmons by Denise Santoro Lincoln

Hachiyas are the misunderstood fruit of winter: although they are sweet and wonderful when baked into cakes and puddings, many people are afraid to eat them because they are truly awful when immature. A firm Hachiya is extraordinarily astringent and inedible. I admit that taking a bite out of one is sort of like eating an unripe bitter walnut while suddenly having all the moisture sucked out of your cheeks and tongue. But there's a very simple way to avoid this: don't eat Hachiyas until they're ripe.

#4 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes by Stephanie Stiavetti

Slowly, as I learned to bake using a completely new set of rules, I discovered that gluten-free baked goods can rival their wheaty counterparts. I learned how to make a gluten-free version of Thanksgiving stuffing, a fantastic butternut squash pie, and everything else that a normal person would sit down to enjoy with their loved ones. Sure, at first my family balked at my "weird" cornbread, but once they came around, they discovered that what I was making tasted good. Actually, I'd venture to say that my from-scratch versions tasted better than a lot of the prefab, processed stuff that my family normally layed out on the table during the holidays.

#5 Caramel Cake, The Recipe. by Shuna Fish Lydon

Shuna's famous CARAMEL CAKE with Caramelized Butter Frosting

#6 Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes by Kim Laidlaw

On Sunday mornings, especially when the weather is rainy and cold and grey, I love to make a decadent breakfast, like brown butter waffles, a full English, or, one of my all-time favorites: delicate, soufflé-like ricotta pancakes. The first time I ate them was at the much beloved neighborhood restaurant, Rockridge Café, located on College Avenue in Oakland. I was hooked immediately.

So, with a bowlful of Meyer lemons, I decided to make some extra-lemony fluffy ricotta pancakes. You can make these for breakfast but they're also perfect for dessert.

#7 Froyo: How to Make Homemade Frozen Yogurt by Denise Santoro Lincoln

Frozen yogurt is going through a bit of a makeover. Soft serve that tastes like ice cream is out while creamy swirls that burst with the flavor of real yogurt are in. Shops serving cups of froyo that burst with yogurt's innate natural tartness are opening everywhere. Forget my favorite college flavor of orange, which tasted more like creamy ice cream that had been melded with baby aspirin. Today's frozen yogurt highlights sweet fruit flavors and is enticingly tangy.

#8 Vampire Pantry Preventatives by Stephanie Lucianovic

If you want to keep vampires at bay, you should stock your kitchen with the following vampire-fighting ingredients...

#9 Dacquoise & Meringue. A Detailed Instruction by Shuna Fish Lydon

Traditionally, dacquoise is defined as nut meringue. These edible architectural details can usually be found demurely hiding in between layers of buttercream as they start out crunchy but softly melt into a layer of sweet nutty unctuousness.

Easy on paper, the meringue (French, Swiss or Italian) is a component which can frustrate even the most seasoned baker. When recipes rely on egg whites or meringue as their main leavener, the workings and instructions of the recipe are very important. Few cookbooks can afford to take the time to explain thoroughly what I am about to here.

#10 Wheat Berries by Denise Santoro Lincoln

If you've never heard of wheat berries, you're not alone. When I mentioned to a few people that I wanted to write about them, I received some quizzical looks. So, for anyone not familiar with this whole grain, let me end the suspense: wheat berries are simply individual kernels of wheat. They are what King Arthur and other grain companies mill to produce baking flours, from whole wheat to cake and all-purpose. And, just as there are many different types of wheat, there are just as many types of wheat berries, with their color ranging from light tan to a reddish brown. But the most important thing about wheat berries, at least as far as this post is concerned, is that they are scrumptious.

#11 Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Denise Santoro Lincoln

Tangy barbecue sauce dripping over slow-cooked pork on a bun. Yum. I freely admit that I am a fan of all things pork. I love pork chops, bacon, and roast loin, not to mention all those sausages. But there's something astonishing about taking one of the least expensive cuts of pork you can buy and turning it into one of the tenderest and juiciest sandwiches you can eat. Ah -- the miracle of pork.

#12 Recipe: Apricot Jam by Stephanie Rosenbaum

Apricots, while more accessible, still have a certain forgotten-fruit quality to them. Just as quince gets described as apple's tough, weird older sister, so apricots are often just a placeholder for peach-lovers, something sweet and orange with a pit that will do until the real goodies come along.

But apricots are good for cooking in a way that peaches aren't, their flavor intensifying into an ineffable tangy sweetness that leans just right against a crumbly, buttery short crust or a piece of whole-grain toast, especially one spread with mild fresh chevre.

#13 Rich as Rockefeller by Michael Procopio

Today, I wanted something rich. Something that would make me feel like that big shot I will more than likely never become.

So I up and made myself a dish named for America's first billionaire-- Oysters Rockefeller.

There are many foods that are said to be lucky. Of course during this week right before New Year's Day, folks begin preparing for simple meals of pork, fish or black-eyed peas to bring about a little luck and start 2011 off right. Well I have this friend who insists that really any food is lucky so long as you think it so. She's convinced it's all just a nice longstanding tradition and that we should all create our own in the case we're not big fans of the hearty two-toned legume.

So this year I'm deeming Buckeyes lucky. And why not, really? They're basically the best most adult Reese's you've ever tasted except without the cloyingly sweet aftertaste. They're cloaked in rich dark chocolate and are a cinch to throw together as there's no baking involved. We made these on Christmas Eve at my house and they were an instant hit: they're an old Southern recipe and many people remember them fondly from their childhood. Others just can't stay away from a good old-fashioned peanut butter ball. So for this week leading up to New Year's Day, I encourage you to deem a food that you love lucky, whip it up, and enjoy it wholeheartedly. Whether you're a traditionalist or a maverick peanut butter lover, go to town. Life is short. Eat Buckeyes.

Buckeyes
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 35-40 tablespoon-sized candies

Deb's recipe is from Baked Explorations, one of my favorite cookbooks of the year. And I love this version of Buckeyes because it cuts way down on the sugar you'll typically see and adds graham cracker crumbs which give them a nice texture. I've gone even further with my adaptation using chunky peanut butter and cutting back on the sugar even further. To make your own graham cracker crumbs, just throw your whole grahams into the food processor and pulse until fine.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 graham crackers)
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 ounces dark chocolate (I use 70%), chopped coarsely

Method:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and cream cheese until just combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and beat again until just mixed together. Next add the butter and sugar and start mixing slowly so the butter doesn't slosh around. Mix for ten seconds, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then mix again until the mixture is sturdy and looks like a dry cookie dough. Set aside.

2. Make the dark chocolate coating: Use either a double boiler or a heat-safe bowl nestled atop a pot of boiling water to melt you chocolate. Stir the chocolate continuously so it doesn't burn and so that it remains smooth. Once melted completely, let it cool enough so that you can dunk your finger in it (around 100 degrees) -- this is the optimal temperature for coating candies.

3. Assemble the buckeyes: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop out a small ball and use your hands to form it into a perfect ball. I used a kitchen scale and measured each ball out to be 1 oz. This way they were all consistent. Place the balls on the prepared sheet with just a little room apart from one another.

4. Using a toothpick or a skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate and roll it about so that almost the entire candy is coated. You'll inevitably have a few that fall off completely in the chocolate. Practice with a few and you'll get it down. Dip quickly and at an angle. You have a little hole at the top from your skewer which you can quickly push back into place with your fingers.

5. Chill the buckeyes until they are set, about 30-40 minutes.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Cloris Leachman and Mel Brooks are almost entirely to blame for this week's post. Or to thank, depending upon your point of view.

I was curled up in bed one evening, enjoying a scene from the film Young Frankenstein in which Frau Blucher (cue whinnying horses) offers the good eponymous doctor first brandy, then warm milk, and finally Ovaltine before he goes to bed, much to his increasing irritation.

Ovaltine. I hadn't thought about it in decades. The next several scenes of the film played to a distracted audience because I was too busy (falsely) reminiscing about a malty, vitamin and mineral-infused powder and how delicious a hot, milky mug of the stuff would send me off to sleep at night.

So I went out and bought some then next morning.

When I returned home with my prize (secret decoder ring sadly not included), I heated up some milk and stirred in three heaping tablespoons, just as I was told to do in this commercial. I took a sip and remembered something important:

I didn't like hot Ovaltine as a kid. Thirty years later, I still felt the same way. Rather than spend the morning being a Sulky Sue, I poured myself a cup of hot coffee instead and remembered the way I truly enjoyed the official beverage of Captain Midnight: cold.

Really, really cold. I'd save my heaping tablespoons for sprinkling over vanilla ice cream and stir them in-- essentially making myself Ovaltine ice cream. More correctly, I was making myself an Ovaltine shake in a bowl because I'd stir it so much that it would soften and melt enough for me to ladle it into my mouth like cold soup.

Highly caffeinated and momentarily filled with energy, I decided to go ahead and make myself some Ovaltine ice cream then and there so that I could save precious time and energy later when I'd return home, brain-fried and exhausted from work, looking for something sweet and comforting when I no longer had the will to heap or stir.

And I thought it would make a lovely little Christmas treat to share with my readers. Something special that wasn't another god damned Holiday Cookie. I made the ice cream in no time, but I let it sit covered in my freezer between the half-finsished bottle of limoncello and 2-lb. bag of pecans to languish uneaten and un-photographed.

Why? It seemed too simple to share. It wasn't enough. Almost reflexively, I felt that, since this was the Holiday Season, it needed a little extra oomph. I needed to deck this ice cream's halls with boughs of something. But what?

Marshmallows were the first things that came to mind. It stood to reason that, if one would drink hot cocoa or Ovaltine garnished with cute little marshmallows, why not ice cream? It would make for a nice little trimming.

I thought about swirling marshmallow fluff into the ice cream, but I wanted the option of not having every serving marshmallow-laced.

What about a dollop of marshmallow fluff on top? For no discernible reason, the idea left me as cold as the ice cream shoved in my freezer. Instead, I thought I would make a marshmallow fluff whipped cream. I thought I was being brilliant, but I just wound up giving myself an ice cream-induced headache.

Or, rather, an ice cream garnish-induced headache. I went through five batches, each one better than the next, but still not right. Too sticky, not flavorful enough to match the ice cream, too absolutely irritating. I couldn't get my dessert spectacular enough. Or pretty enough. I was spending so much time, money, and energy on this whole marshmallow business that I was beginning to wish I'd never made the ice cream in the first place. I just wanted the whole thing to go away. I was stressing myself out over a dessert. I felt ridiculous. And I've never been a huge marshmallow fan to begin with.

Then I made an important connection:

The way I was feeling about my Ovaltine ice cream was precisely the way I felt about Christmas-- what was initially a simple, delightful, and comforting idea had transformed into something complicated, annoying, and stress-inducing. This little exercise in making a malted ice cream became, in it's own way, an unexpected gift-- I realized that it wasn't Christmas (or my ice cream, for that matter) that I had grown to loathe, it was all the other stuff-- the irritating marshmallowy fluff-- that gets in the way:

The wish lists; the awful sweaters; the cheesy and inescapable Christmas music; the garish decorations; the wasted money; the expectations; the enforced Holiday cheer; the sappy, sticky, saccharine sweetness that has fixed itself to the holiday. What was once a season of good will has transformed itself over the years into an overblown marshmallow world in the winter.

And anyone with sufficient marshmallow experience can tell you that marshmallows are hard, tasteless things when they get cold.

And then I realized another important thing: I'm being terribly hard on the poor old marshmallow. I had burdened an essentially innocuous piece of gelatinous poof with all the evils of Christmas Present. And I'm okay with that because this whole exercise has made me understand what is and is not important about both Christmas and desserts:

a) They should both be sources of comfort and joy.

b) They should both be shared with those you love.

c) Neither of them need an excess of trimmings. They are both at their best when approached simply.

All the rest is just fluff.

In apology to the marshmallow and to show that I bear it no true ill will, I give you a little, fluffy bonus of holiday goo: Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra mincing about together singing "Marshmallow World." If these to Italians don't take it seriously, why on earth should I?

Oh, and Merry Christmas. Really.

Ovaltine Ice Cream

Though I thought up this ice cream on my own, there are several other people in this world who thought of it before I did. However, the recipe is my own, with a special thanks to my go-to vanilla ice cream base, courtesy of Mr. David Lebovitz, who seems to know a little something about ice cream making. So I've heard. The method for making this recipe I got from him. And I like it very much, thank you.

And p.s. As noted, I do not recommend using mini marshmallows for garnish for reasons already mentioned. They are placed in the photo for purely contrary reasons.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cups light brown sugar

A heavy pinch of salt (think "big man fingers")

2 cups heavy cream

5 large egg yolks (think "big chicken [insert body part of choice here]")

1/2 cup Ovaltine

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, and salt long enough to dissolve sugar. If the mixture looks a trifle curdled, do not panic, just blame the brown sugar and move on. There is straining involved later in this recipe and all will be fine.

2. Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl and set a fine mesh strainer on top.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually add some of the warm milk mixture to the eggs and whisk constantly. Pour the now-warm yolks into the sauce pan with the rest of the milk and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan with a spatula as you go. When the mixture looks like custard, it is precisely because that is what you have made. When it is thick enough to coat the back of your spatula, remove from heat and pour custard through the mesh strainer and into the awaiting cream. Stir in the Ovaltine and vanilla extract. Feel free to add or subtract the amount of Ovaltine recommended. It's your ice cream, so make it as intense or feeble as you dare.

4. Set your bowl of ice cream base into a larger, ice-filled bowl and stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, then go ahead and freeze it in your ice cream maker (provided you have an ice cream maker. If you do not have an ice cream maker, return custard to your refrigerator until you have purchased one, then proceed) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

5. If you insist upon garnishing, I suggest adding a light dusting of both cocoa powder and Ovaltine powder for the finish. I do not recommend adding the mini marshmallows as seen in the above photograph. They are to be avoided for reasons twice mentioned or alluded to. If, however you still insist upon using marshmallows, I suggest placing your Ovaltine ice cream in a microwave for 90 seconds on high. When the ice cream is fairly bubbling, add marshmallows, then take a moment to seriously reconsider your priorities.

It's no secret that the Bay Area has a bounty of food artisans and purveyors. But did you know that we also have no shortage of innovative premium chocolatiers? From small shops like Sôcôla, Chocolatier Blue and Coco Delice to larger and more established San Francisco companies like Recchiuti and Charles Chocolates; the Bay Area abounds with locally-made, hand-crafted truffles and chocolates for every taste and preference.

It's not surprising that our home-grown chocolate shops all seem to use the highest quality ingredients, with many utilizing organic local creams and butters alongside fruits and nuts purchased from nearby farmers. And, as all truffles should be, these confections are also made with trained and sure hands, often artistically sculpted or topped with elegant etchings. Overall, the chocolates and truffles produced locally use the finest ingredients, are superbly made and are lovely to look at.

So if you're shopping for a little chocolate indulgence this holiday season, keep it local. You won't be disappointed.

Following are my top-ten picks for local holiday chocolates.

Photo credit: Emiko Taki

Sôcôla
And if you're in the mood for some familial holiday warmth this season, Sôcôla offers a hearty dose. Susan and Wendy Lieu are two charismatic local sisters who live and breath chocolate. And just to keep their product really local, these sisters purposely use other Bay Area family-owned products to make each handmade truffle, including organic Strauss Family Creamery products and E. Guittard chocolate.

This holiday season Sôcôla is showcasing four special treats in their By the Fireside Holiday 2010 collection:

• Chai Baba Chai -- an exotic blend of Assam tea with cardamom, cloves, black peppercorn and cinnamon
• Hazelnut Praline -- sort of a refined Nutella
• Hot in Hia -- a delicate champagne truffle made in honor of the Lieu sisters' grandmother Hia
• Pumpkin Burnt Caramel -- a blend of holiday pumpkin pie spices, burnt caramel, Hawaiian sea salt and a splash of brandy

You can buy Sôcôla online or at various locations, including:
San Francisco: Bi-Rite Market; Whole Foods Potrero Hills and SOMA;
East Bay: The Pasta Shop; Market Hall

Coco Délice Fine Chocolates
If you're in the mood for a truly French-style traditional truffle -– chocolate filled with ganache that is hand-rolled and finished with cocoa powder -– you'll want to seek out Coco Délice. In addition to making extraordinary chocolate, this Emeryville company also works to find a balance between business and environmental conservation. Dedicated to using local ingredients, Coco Délice uses fruit and nuts from Bay Area farmers in their ganaches, cream from Berkeley Farms, and wine from the Sonoma Valley in their Wine & Spirits collection.

I spoke with Chef Dennis, who says his favorite holiday treats this year are:

• Bittersweet Cognac and Bourbon Pecan Truffles
• Peppermint Bark -- made with dark and white chocolate, peppermint oil, candy and cocoa (which is sold exclusively at Andronico's Market)
• The Holiday Cube assorted gift box that contains hand-rolled truffles, caramelized chocolate covered almonds, and set of dark chocolate disks with cocoa nubs

Coco Délice can be purchased online or at various Bay Area locations, including many Whole Foods and Andronico's stores.

TCHO
TCHO is making its own batch of high-quality chocolates this year. Always fair trade and always first-rate, TCHO offers various holiday gifts for the obsessive chocolate lover and/or baker in your life. A few holiday offerings are:

• Holiday gift boxes wrapped in designs by Dutch graphic artist Max Kisman
• Hot and Cold Drinking Chocolate -- which is made to be prepared as a thick and luscious European-style drink
• TCHO-a-Day -- a no-nonsense container filled with lovely little chocolate bars

TCHO is available for purchase online, at their factory store in San Francisco (where you can also take a tour), and at various Bay Area locations including: Berkeley Bowl, Bi-Rite Market, various Whole Foods and Real Foods.

Recchiuti Confections
One of my longtime favorite chocolate companies, I have always relied on Recchiuti during the holiday season. The elegant etchings and drawings on their truffles are the first clue to how exquisite these confections really are. Yet as often happens with a favorite restaurant, I think I've gotten stuck in a rut with their truffle menu. So instead of getting my tried and true Fleur de Sel Caramels or Peanut Butter Pucks this year, I think I'll try some of their seasonal selections:

• Caramels to the Third Power -- salted caramel, butterscotch salted caramel, and chocolate caramel
• Peppermint Thins -- a spin-off of Junior Mints, these peppermint thins are made with organic peppermint leaves from the Willamette valley and peppermint oil
• Pairing Boxes (four types of chocolates created specifically to pair with with whiskey, wine, beer and spirits for your holiday celebrations

Recchiuti is available for purchase online, at their Ferry Building store, and at various Bay Area locations including:
Andronico's, Draeger's, Bi-Rite Market, Rainbow Grocery, and Village Market in Oakland.

Chocolatier Blue
Trained in the intricacies of French chocolate making, Chris Blue is dedicated to making French-inspired chocolate truffles at a local level. With an emphasis on classical truffle-making, Chocolatier Blue uses Domori and Amedei chocolate, Five-Star organic butter, and seasonal fruits from the Berkeley Farmer's Market.

Chris Blue has come up with a few holiday flavors this year using various flavors, including gingerbread; sugar cookie; eggnog; rum-soaked currents; and holiday spices.

You can purchase Chocolatier Blue truffles online, at their stores in Berkeley and Mill Valley, or at Palio D’Asti in San Francisco.

Michael Mischer Chocolates
I have a soft spot in my heart for Michael Mischer Chocolates as my family and I like to walk there on hot summer nights for cups of Mr. Mischer's creamy gelato. My husband also usually places a few truffles from this Oakland store in my stocking each Christmas (and I end up eating at least one as part of my holiday breakfast). Made with single-origin chocolate of Grand Cru quality from Venezuela or Ecuador, these truffles have an elegant chocolate taste that if full of nuance. Each is also hand sculpted so they are quite pretty.

In addition to its full range of truffles, Michael Mischer Chocolates is also offering three holiday flavors:

• Gingerbread Caramel -- made with a spice blend that tastes like a gingerbread cookie
• Advocaat -- made with a Dutch egg liqueur
• Mint Marshmallow -- filled with a homemade marshmallow flavored with mint oil

You can purchase Michael Mischer Chocolates at Mr. Mischer's store on Grand Avenue in Oakland, at Cocoa Bella, Fog City News, or Bi-Rite Market. You can also purchase directly through emailing the company (through their web site) or calling the store directly.

Charles Chocolates
A long-time local favorite, Chuck (Charles) Siegel has been making local truffles in San Francisco since 1987. Beautifully crafted, with both sculpted shapes and etched drawings, Charles Chocolates offers various assortments and selections that are perfect for a holiday gift.

This year Charles Chocolates is offering a:

• Winter Collection Collection -- Fleur de Sel Caramels with images of snowflakes and raindrops decorating the top of each
• Holiday Collection Edible Chocolate Box -- an assortment of their most popular confections set in an edible chocolate box

You can purchase Charles Chocolates online, at their flagship Westfield Shopping Center store, and at various Whole Foods locations.

The Xocolate Bar
Located in North Berkeley, Xocolate Bar creates both classic and vegan artisanal chocolates amd truffles using organic, seasonal and local ingredients whenever possible. With new flavors presented weekly, they make sure that at least half their selection is vegan.

Some holiday flavors include:

• Gingerbread Truffle -- made with black currents
• The Salted Chile Makeout Truffle -- made with chai and maca root (an aphrodisiac)
• The Tamarind Mango Agave -– their most popular vegan option

The Xocolate Bar is also offering a Community Supported Chocolate program where can sign up to pick up a monthly box of handmade chocolates at a designated neighborhood location. Each box will contain handmade chocolates made with seasonal, sustainable and/or organic ingredients.

You can purchase Xocolate Bar confections at their store in North Berkeley, or on their site through Foodoro.

Barolovento Chocolates
Peter Bryden started making chocolates after tasting the dried cherry of his dreams from Smit Ranch. He imagined the moist plump fruit encased in chocolate and it was so good, he started Barolovento Chocolates to sell them. Barolovento now sells many different types of chocolates using single-source Venezuelan chocolate at Bay Area farmers' markets. This holiday season Peter has a few specialty items available in addition to his normal selection of shaped chocolates and truffles.

• Chocolate-covered Almonds (from EGB farms, these are panned in chocolate for even coating and sold in tubes)
• Holiday truffles (flavors include gingerbread, Fresh Mint (made by infusing cream with fresh spearmint)
• Meyer Lemon Zest truffles (which are created using fresh local Meyer lemons); and Kirsch Liqueur truffles.

Barolovento Chocolates accepts email and phone orders by calling (510) 238-8787. You can also purchase their chocolates at the following farmers' markets: Marin Civic Center, Grand Lake in Oakland, and Palo Alto. The Pasta Shop in Rockridge and Berkeley also sells their fleur de sel caramels and small logo bars with sea salt.

Because Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, Barolovento Chocolates is opening their kitchen for sales December 20 - 24 from 9am-4pm. Stop by at 638 2nd street Oakland to pick up some holiday treats.

Alegio
Located in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, Alegio makes classic French truffles and chocolates. Panos Panagos, a very charming Frenchman, and Robbin Everson, the talented chef, work together to bring hand-crafted truffles made on site to their little neck of the Bay Area. Alegio also sells truffles by Enric Rovira's and Claudio Corallo. Vegan and organic confections are available and all chocolate used is fair trade.

A few truffles worth checking out for the holiday season are the:

• Sea Salt Caramel Truffle -- a consistent best seller
• Habanera -- which has won a few awards
• Grapefruit Caramel

Alegio chocolates can be purchased online or at their store at 1511 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

Beautifully decorated cookies are a high-point of the holiday season for me. This year, I wanted to do a post on tips and strategies for creating gift-worthy sugar cookies at home, and I thought to myself, who better to turn to than the experts at Miette? Lucky for me (and you), Miette holds monthly classes on decorating sugar cookies. In class, you'll learn about necessary equipment, how to make and color royal icing like a pro, how to make parchment icing cones, and techniques for flooding and embellishing cookies. Owner Meg Ray and instructor Jeff Gosche were kind enough to let me sit in on the most recent cookie decorating class, snap some photos, and learn how the Miette elves create their stunning holiday cookies. Today, I'll share those tips with you.

Jeff was our trusty instructor and the man behind the sugar cookie magic at Miette. Jeff doesn't have any formal training or culinary instruction, but he's always been passionate about baking and decorating. He started helping Miette with cookie production solely around the holiday season and then about one year ago, Jeff was asked to stick around more frequently as a regular staple. After spending the afternoon with him, I can see why.

Jeff began class with a discussion on planning out your project and equipment. In terms of planning, it's important to be aware of baking times, cooling times, and setting times for frosting. Jeff recommends taking the entire project into account when thinking about how much time it'll take from Point A to Point B, especially if you'll be gifting or delivering the cookies. The last thing you want to do is rush the process! As far as equipment, a stand mixer, rolling pin, Silpat mat, and cooling racks are important for actually baking the cookies. For decorating, small metal bowls are handy for mixing up numerous different colors of frosting, good quality food coloring, parchment triangles to make your piping cones, and a spoon-spatula to spoon your icing into the bag. If you'd rather not deal with raw egg whites in your royal icing, Jeff recommended meringue powder as an easy and just-as-good substitute.

After we talked equipment, we set about making our own royal icing. Jeff did a demo using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, turning it up to high (an 8 on a Kitchen Aid) and allowing it to mix for 3-4 minutes. The important thing to know here is that the icing should be quite thick--thicker than you think it should be on an actual cookie. You'll spend time later thinning it after you add the color, not now.

Jeff Gosche talking royal icing & our attentive class

After the demo, students all went back to their stations to add the egg whites and powdered sugar together and begin mixing away.

Learning how to mix up the perfect royal icing

Once everyone had royal icing down, we discussed the art of coloring the icing. Now anyone can throw green food coloring into a bowl of royal icing and call it a day, but it's often very difficult to get more subtle, interesting tones. This is where Jeff's icing tips come in handy:

• It almost always takes more than one color to get the shade you're going for, and Jeff gives an example of the infamous "Miette pink" used on so many of the in-house cookies. How to achieve that perfect pink? Add a little brown to the icing! Jeff explains how adding just a little brown to most colors of royal icing will just tone it way down and add more depth to the color.
• To achieve more warmth in any one color (Christmas red, for example), add orange. Orange is a miracle worker.
• When adding color to your icing, you may want to put the drop of color onto your spatula and work it in slowly. That way, if you add a little too much, it's easier to swipe off with a finger rather than having to scoop out color from the icing itself.
• When you're mixing up bowls of different colors of icing, you also want to cover each bowl with a slightly damp dish towel so the icing doesn't dry out.
• Don't thin out the icing until you're completely done with the color.
• To thin, just add a tiny amount (1/2 teaspoon or so) of water at a time. Ultimately, you want the icing to flow right off your spatula back into the bowl but leave a noticeable ribbon inside your bowl. So it shouldn't be liquidy, but it shouldn't be too thick either.

The Art of Royal Icing

After the icing was made and colored, it was time to get piping! Jeff showed the class how to form parchment piping bags and discussed how nice they are because you can just throw them away. With nicer piping bags, the royal icing can stain and they can be tough to clean.

Learning How to Make Parchment Piping Bags

Parchment cones are tough to describe in print but it turns out Wilton has a handy video so you can learn at home! With piping bags in hand, it was time to decorate the cookies.

Students decorating their Christmas cookies

Jeff's tips for decorating cookies were relatively straightforward and really involved a little planning and practice. He had templates on hand so students could practice their lines and shapes before really committing to a cookie. The gist of it? Outline the cookie first with the royal icing and then you flood (or fill) the cookie in a back-and-forth motion with the tip of the bag slightly immersed in the icing itself (this helps it flood more evenly).

Flooding Cookies

Then you can add sprinkles, add another color to do some blending, or wait around 15 minutes for the icing to dry so you can layer in another color. It does help to do a little planning and thinking about what you're going for with your design to ensure you have enough of each color and don't sit there stumped (as I did) seeking out inspiration while your icing is slowly drying out.

I can't recommend Miette's classes enough and thank Jeff and Meg for letting me tag along. The classes are sold out through February (so get on the March bandwagon!), but they're thinking about possibly adding additional cookie classes and, of course, there are other classes as well if you're ready to dive right in to the pastry/confection world. Happy baking and royal icing making!