Some grocers offer recipes and coupons. Others offer recipes for a socioeconomic-savvy food system and a mean pear skillet cake.

For the food shopper who thinks, the positively indispensable Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food: A Grocer’s Guide to Shopping, Cooking, and Creating Community Through Food by Sam Mogannam and Dabney Gough (Ten Speed Press) released this month is the holy reference guide/blue book that clues consumers in to the real value of what’s on the grocery shelf. At a time when so much is being written about atrocities in our broken food system, consumers looking for sound, actionable advice on making grocery store purchasing decisions will appreciate this neatly compiled background check on everything from canned tuna to flour, fresh meat, fish and milk, and every manner of produce under the sun.

And note that this cannot be dismissed as a mere starter’s guide. As a veteran food nerd for decades, I thought that I knew a something about eating mindfully, ecologically, locally, and sustainably. But a primer on avoiding genetically modified organisms, and a full list of foods that are most commonly GMO? I am edified (sugar, milk and dairy, oils, corn and soybeans -- page 12). The pleasures of the texture of bronze die-cut pasta? I had no idea how this aspect of artisan pasta production can be essential for clinging sauce (page 37). And a list of all of the product acronyms on European foods that signify it is a product of protected origin (such as true, regionally-specific Champagne as opposed to methode champenoise) -- AO, DO, AOC, DOC, DOP, PDO, and IGT, page 47. And that’s just chapter one, people.

Just as one pushes the cart down the grocery aisle, the uber-brainiac education rolls through every department, well-captured in France Ruffenach’s bright, busy photography that conveys what it feels like to shop in Bi-Rite on a sunny Saturday afternoon or at the 5pm dinner rush. Mogannam and Gough give faces to food throughout the book as well, introducing readers to the likes of his brother Raphael, grocery buyer; farmer for the store’s self-grown produce and produce buyer, Simon Richard; and a smattering of farmers that are enmeshed in Bi-Rite’s business and mission -- some, like Drakes Bay Family Farms, purely as retail partner; others, like Soul Food Farm, pet investments to help propel local and sustainable agriculture.

The Eat Good Food shopping information stands alone as a necessity for any kitchen bookshelf. But the tome is also comprised of recipes from the Bi-Rite deli and beyond which, while well written to induce drool and craving, they feel awkwardly placed and difficult to find plunked at the end of each chapter. As a frequent Bi-Rite shopper, I was excited to finally crack the code on their addictive Mujadareh (see recipe below), and their heavenly and rich deli counter summer staple, Sergio’s Gazpacho. Even Delfina’s spaghetti makes a cameo, simple and delicious and part of the book’s neighborhood charm. And thumbing through I quickly found a new favorite, Mom’s Pear Skillet Cake from, you guessed it, Sam’s mother, which yields results that far outshine the effort, and is the perfect thing to be doing with pears right now.

Another challenge of the book is that it’s so much information, it’s nearly impossible to remember the essentials when you’re actually cruising down aisle six. Seafood shoppers striving to do the right thing really benefited from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s wallet card guides to sustainable seafood and then later, their mobile apps. But when pondering the entire grocery store of everything from coffee to celeriac, tri-tip to crème fraiche out in the trenches -- well, we could really use an app for that.

In my favorite cookbooks, encyclopedias, or reference books, I turn down page corners and make notations freely, and my copy of Eat Good Food is already remarkably dog-eared. Essential as a shopping list, I’ve no doubt that it will continue to serve as reference and advisor. And that’s far more valuable than a coupon.

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Recipe: Mujadara

Serves: 4 to 6 as a main course, 
or 6 to 8 as a side

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked black or green lentils
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium or 2 large onions, diced (about 41/2 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice, such as jasmine 
or basmati
2 tablespoons mild curry powder

Instructions:
Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones or foreign objects. Put in a bowl, add water to cover by 1 inch, and soak for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Drain the lentils and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add half the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent and golden on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the lentils, rice, curry powder, 
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add 3 cups water, increase the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the rice and lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, it’s okay if there’s still a tiny bit of bite to the lentils; they will continue to absorb water. Remove from the heat and let rest with the lid on for 10 to 
15 minutes.

While the rice mixture is cooking, caramelize the remaining onions: heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as you go, until the onions are soft and almost at the brink of burning, 9 to 11 minutes (lower the heat if the browning seems to be progressing more rapidly than the softening).

Set aside.

To serve, fluff the rice mixture with a fork and transfer to a serving platter.

Top with the caramelized onions.

Serve hot or at room temperature. You can make this up to 2 days ahead. If desired, reheat in a covered, shallow ovenproof dish in a 350°F oven for about 
30 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food by Sam Mogannam & Dabney Gough, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Photo credit: France Ruffenach © 2011

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Full disclosure: Karen Solomon is the volunteer host of the Jam It Salon at 18 Reasons, the non-profit art and food organization that is part of the Bi-Rite family of businesses.

18th Street has turned into a gourmet outpost in no small part due to the efforts of Bi-Rite Market, Bi-Rite Creamery, and 18 Reasons' Sam Mogannam. He grew up in San Francisco and lives here with his wife Anne Walker and daughters Zoe (age 8) and Olive (age 4). Mogannam told BAB that his Eat Good Food book (pre-order for $25) is due out October 18, and "18 Reasons should be in our new space end of August/beginning of September. We've expanded our programming to include more youth-focused education and we are rolling out our first summer camp for kids. We also have a barn dance fundraiser scheduled for August 13 in Sonoma on our farm."

Mogannam shared his favorite places to eat and drink:
The Sonoma Garden Park on 7th Street is a favorite spot to buy eggs from Nix Chix and veggies grown by Rebecca and her team of students as part of the Sonoma Ecology Center. Great pastured eggs and great veggies. My girls love to chase the chickens and we love to hang out in their 'fig forest'—a magical hide-a-way of tangled figs branches that is just amazing on a hot day. Any farmers market, anywhere, any time of year.

Just visited the small farmers market in Peoria, Illinois and got talking to a farmer who taught me about the different tractor implements he uses to be more efficient. I love buying food directly from the person producing or growing it.

We love going to Vella Cheese in Sonoma for their Toma—both my daughters love it.

Sonoma Market and Whole Foods are spots we often go to when we need something while in Sonoma. Sonoma Market has Della Fattoria bread, the Meyer lemon rosemary is a favorite of ours.

Off-night food & drink spots?

• Pizzeria Delfina is a favorite for all of us. We always get a few of the small plates and a couple of pizzas. The margherita is a favorite for the girls. Anne and I love any pie with egg on it.
• El Toro Taqueria is another favorite, mainly because the girls love it.
• Hotei for noodles
• Foreign Cinema for anything
• Delfina for calamari and a bowl of spaghetti
• San Tung for Chinese—the wings are awesome
• Slanted Door for their cocktails

Favorite date spots?
We love bar NOPA, Bar Agricole, Delfina, Bar Jules and order whatever looks most interesting and seasonally inspired. We are not creatures of habit and generally try to taste new things.

What is your favorite meal to have with your family?
Delfina Pizzeria is the favorite spot to go out to as a family.

At home, any meal that my mother cooks when we eat at my parent's house.

Guiltiest food pleasure?
I feel some guilt every time I eat meat now. We have greatly reduced our consumption, but have not eliminated it from our diets completely.

Where do you live?
In the West Portal neighborhood of San Francisco. Five blocks from the house I grew up in, where my parents still live part time.

How did you and Anne meet?
We met in 1990 while working at Market Hall in the Rockridge District of Oakland. I worked for the Pasta Shop, she for Grace Baking. I would trade her pasta salad for carrot cake. We were friends for 9 years before becoming a couple in 1999.

What do you your daughters love to eat?
Zoe loves cookies and cream and choc/vanilla soft serve swirl. Olive loves anything chocolate, as well as the cookies and cream. They both love seaweed, Have'a Corn Chips (soy flavored tortilla chips) and cornichons. Zoe loves fruit, whereas Olive won't touch fruit.

Any fun updates?

Divis [Divisidero] is under construction and the hope is to open in February. The neighborhood is very excited to get a market and creamery combo. 18 Reasons should be in our new space at the end of August/beginning of September. We’ve expanded our programming to include more youth focused education and are rolling out our first summer camp for kids. We also have a barn dance fundraiser scheduled for August 13 in Sonoma on our farm. Our farm has expanded to 1 1/2 acres and we have started harvesting squash, potatoes and greens already.

Disclosure: Mary Ladd has worked as a freelance cook and caterer for Bi-Rite.

Aida Mollenkamp. Photo by Julie Michelle

Recently named one of the eight sexiest women on TV cooking shows, Aida Mollenkamp also happens to have a wealth of culinary expertise and knowledge in addition to being a hot TV food personality.

The host and co-creator of the television show “FoodCrafters” and “Ask Aida” she attended Cornell University and then the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris where she studied culinary AND pastry arts. She ended up in San Francisco when she became one of the editors of the online food magazine, CHOW. Currently, she’s working on her first cookbook, tentatively titled, “Keys to the Kitchen,” due out in 2012.

She recently took some time out of her hectic schedule to tell me about her love of food and the top spots in the Bay Area she'd recommend for food fiends like herself (that aren't restaurants).

Elaine: You call yourself a “long-time food fiend.” Where does your love of food come from?

Aida: Oh, that’s a hard one. It’s like asking me why I like to dance (she’s a former classical dancer) -- it’s just the way it is and always has been. My family showed me to respect food and through gardening and shopping with my mom, I also learned where my food came from. But, I guess there was this kismet moment in my teen years where I realized that food was like a cipher to understanding various cultures. From that moment on, I’ve looked at cooking as a means of traveling through my tastebuds.

Elaine: Where did the idea for your show “FoodCrafters” come from?

Aida: My friends would say the show is just an extension of how I naturally live as I’m constantly hunting down new tastes and food stories. The real story is that it is a creative collaboration with a producer I worked with on “Ask Aida.” We shared a passion for good quality food and would constantly trade stories about the latest tastes she hunted down in Brooklyn and those I had found in San Francisco. “FoodCrafters” became this natural fit of a show where my passions could be explored while giving the small guy the spotlight as we uncover foods, flavors, and stories from around the nation.

Elaine: You’ve lived in some of the best food areas in the world: Los Angeles, New York, Florence, Paris, and now San Francisco. How is the Bay Area different from all of them, food-wise?

Aida: Each city I’ve lived in has its own culture, and with it, its own food personality. San Francisco’s food scene is integrated into our daily lives in a way that I’ve only seen in Europe, but it’s also decidedly Californian as we’re simultaneously playful, respectful, and creative.

Aida Mollenkamp. Photo by Julie Michelle

Elaine: What are the Top Eleven places in the Bay Area that you'd recommend for food lovers?

Aida: Here’s my list:

1. The Pasta Shop -- 1784 Fourth St., Berkeley
   I don’t remember the first time I went to The Pasta Shop, but I do recall that I liked the selection so much I considered convincing them to let me live there. Everything from 4505 Meats' chicarrones to sodas I’ve never seen this side of the Atlantic, they do a marked job curating their food and everyone on the staff is highly knowledgeable.
2. Cheese Plus -- 2001 Polk St., S.F.
   When I first moved to SF, I lived in Pacific Heights and would walk to work and quickly got in the habit of making a detour to Cheese Plus. As the name suggests, there’s not just cheese and I’ve also discovered instant favorites like crackers from The Fine Cheese Co. I’d spend the majority of my meager start-up salary on all the treats in there and have my friends laughing that instead of buying designer shoes, I was splurging on rare cheeses.
3. Bi-Rite Market -- 3639-18th St., S.F.
   It’s a 5-minute walk from my place to Bi-Rite Market, so I have become a regular there. In fact, I credit my many trips to Bi-Rite -- where I discovered new foods and their backstories -- as the source of my idea for FoodCrafters.
4. Miette Confiserie -- 449 Octavia St., S.F.
   With décor right out of the pages of a Roald Dahl book, Miette is as aesthetically pleasing as it is tasty. I lived in Hayes Valley when the confiserie opened and was immediately drawn to the carefully selected sweets, including chocolates from all over the world.
5. City Beer Store -- 1168 Folsom St., S.F.
   I arrived in San Francisco a wine drinker, but have been versed in the world of cocktails and beer thanks to knowledgeable places like City Beer Store, where there are always new beers to discover.
6. Nest -- 2300 Fillmore St., S.F.
   When I first moved to the Bay Area, I was over in Pacific Heights and would longingly walk by the eclectic boutique, Nest, everyday. When CHOW went from print to online, I treated myself by buying a set of hobnail glasses that I’ve kept to this day.
7. Heritage Culinary Artifacts -- Oxbow Market, 610 First St., Napa
   The Ferry Plaza is unparalleled -- except perhaps by downtown Napa’s Oxbow Market. There’s an antique store there, Heritage Artifacts, that I became addicted to when we filmed in the market for last fall’s FoodCrafters.
8. Heath Factory Store -- 400 Gate 5 Rd., Sausalito
   Heath has a cult following among the food and prop styling crowd, but it’s not all that affordable unless you go to the factory store. When I first found out about it, I headed over in an absurdly large van thinking there was no way I needed all that space. But a few dollars and a couple of hours later, I filled the van to the brim with boxes and boxes of discounted, yet still gorgeous plateware.
9. McEvoy Olive Oil Ranch -- 5935 Red Hill Rd., Petaluma
   There’s moments when you travel somewhere and the environment has just as much impact as the food. The McEvoy Olive Oil farm in Sonoma is one of those places. But be warned: by the end of their tour, you may be considering olive oil farming as a new career.
10. The Marshall Store -- 19225 California 1, Marshall
    Definitely the farthest I’ve ever driven for oysters, The Marshall Store is as out of the way as it comes but is worth the trek. Fresh oysters, tangy BBQ sauce, and cold beer -- need I say more?
11. The Tourist Club -- 30 Ridge Ave., Mill Valley
    It’s the hidden gems of the Bay Area that make it ever more interesting and Tourist Club is one of those very places. A few miles deep into the Muir Woods, the Tourist Club is a century-old German brauhaus that is closed to the public, except for a few hours each weekend. After an exhausting hike of Mt. Tam, there’s nothing better than pitchers of draft beer with friends on the Tourist Club’s sunny deck.

Jake Godby and Sean Vahey. Photo credit Todd Selby of theselby.com

Humphry Slocombe’s Jake Godby and Sean Vahey are known nationally for their cutting edge ice cream flavors and massive Twitter following. The two are both remarkably trim even though they “taste everything” made at the Mission District shop. Many eating and drinking favorites make both Godby and Vahey’s list. Vahey seemed amused that there is also a strong showing of their clients on the list.

JAKE GODBY'S EATS
Jake Godby said, “I eat out every night but try to cook (at home) at least one night.” Because he lives by Delfina, that is “my go to restaurant.” Vahey said to him: “You're a duck fiend” and Godby nodded and smiled. He shops at Bi-Rite Market and that "they have great meat there." He favors the morning bun from Tartine Bakery and has “no guilt associated with food.”

Godby will eat “any of the pastas at Flour + Water. They're both a client and friends."

“I try to limit myself to one burrito a week,” said Godby. This limit must be a challenge given the Humphry Slocombe Mission location is heavy on taquerias.

For drinks, Godby likes a barstool at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge: “It’s a dicey, old school drag bar.” He goes to the Ramp because city living can make one “forget that you live by the water sometimes.” For simple, good food, Godby checks in at farm:table café: "It’s tiny and communal. There's one salad, one sandwich, one soup, and coffee."

One routine eating destination is the famed Vietnamese eatery Tu Lan: “I’ve been here fifteen years and I still go once a week. Order the #37 'Vietnamese Style' dish. Tu Lan is near my gym and I'm downtown a lot.”

GODBY & VAHEY’S FAVORITES
Vahey said that Godby “pretty much named my favorite places.” Sebo, Frances, and Flour + Water came up as joints that both men enjoy.

Godby offered two scenarios for where he likes to go for date night. First was Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack and Nap’s Bar. For Emmy’s: “I’ve never had a bad meal here.” His other date night choice is Blackbird and Frances. “Blackbird has a great Old Fashioned. At Frances, I order anything lamb." Godby admitted, "I was fired by Melissa (Perello)" when he worked “at Charles Nob Hill.”

Blackbird is also Vahey’s favorite bar. “If you put a gun to my head, I’d say Frances is my favorite restaurant. I can remember every single bite of every single dish there.” Vahey favors Chez Spencer for romantic dining outings. “With the outdoor lights, it’s a perfect area for gazing into someone’s eyes.”

SEAN VAHEY'S PICKS
“I love going out to Sea Breeze Café in the Sunset. It’s run by a husband and wife and is quaint. They are so kind. The food is really simple. They have the best pancakes on the planet, that reminds me of the way my Mom made pancakes.” He also likes Starbelly, and said, “I go there often.” Hogs & Rocks is another Vahey favorite.

The Little Star Pizza, Valencia location, has “the best pizza restaurant next to Flour + Water in the City.” For lunch at work, Vahey said, “Pal’s (Takeaway) is our lunch spot.” Nearby bar Shotwell’s also gets a shout out. Vahey is excited about newcomer Commonwealth: “What they’re doing is new, and has given a breath of fresh air to the dining scene. They have phenomenal service.”

NEWS
Vahey & Godby told Bay Area Bites that they just signed the lease for their new parlor location and that “it’s just dirt right now.” Expect to see something completed by late summer next year for this project. Bring on the Secret Breakfast ice cream.

2008 Block Party. Photo by Calvin Tsay

Two years ago, Bi-Rite and Delfina threw a large birthday block party on 18th Street. Many have labeled the block as a blossoming Gourmet Ghetto, and the party was a mix of gourmet food and the desired "community building" fundraiser that has people chatting and hanging out over plates of food. Getting the block to close down required planning and permits, but the attendance levels were boisterous, meaning a lot of people showed up. Spit-roasted Niman Ranch pork shoulder was on display and for sell, and adults sipped in a beer garden while kids dug in to sundaes and ate farm fresh corn or Fulton Valley brick-grilled chicken. It was a warm weekend day, and seemed to match the ideal of a San Francisco summer day.

The Whole Hog at the 2008 Block Party. Photo by Calvin Tsay

The prep work for the 2008 block party was for multiple days made up of cooks from Delfina and Bi-Rite. It turned out to be a party with major organizational effort that led to months of planning. Eaters camped out in Dolores Park, drinking aguas frescas and mulling over plates of pig. This blogger participated as a prep cook for the 2008 event, and learned that the costs and details for the Block Party may have provided a challenge that was tough on the organizers, who are in the business of selling food rather than putting on street events. Hence what led to a two-year wait for a repeat performance.

Post-event analysis got the organizers (mainly: Bi-Rite's Sam Mogannam and Delfina's Craig Stoll) thinking it was a great idea, but one that should happen every other summer. "We'll make it a bi-annual thing," said Mogannam. This year's 18th Street Block party happens on Saturday, August 28, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mogannam said, "We want to create some fun energy and bring people together. That's what we're all about." The uniting factor will be food, as well as beverages of all stripes. Regalito will offer suckling pig carnitas, and Delfina will have porcetta pork loin for sale; no whole hog to ogle this time.

The SF Brewers Guild has been brought in to do craft beer. Products from Out the Door, Regalito, La Cocina, Kasa, Unti Vineyards, and Earl's Organic Produce will also be used and highlighted. All proceeds will benefit the neighboring Women's Building, as well as the BuenDia Family School, literacy org 826 Valencia, Next Course, and Pie Ranch.

There is also a pie contest for the first time. Mogannam said, "We want it to have a county fair feel. So folks can make pies, and be judged based on flavor and appearance. There will be one judge, who is a non-professional, chosen as a raffle prize." Bakers need to fill out an online entry form, and the rules are:

• Entry Fee is $20 which will be donated to Pie Ranch (paid on day of contest).
• Entrants will be chosen on a first come/first served basis.
• Entrants accepted into the contest will be notified via Email by August 23rd.
• Entrants are required to supply two 8 inch pies (same) on August 28th (location to be announced to accepted entrants)
Pies must be able to be served Cold or Room Temperature

Event Information:
Women's Building events: Party on Block 18
Women's Building newsletter: Party on Block 18

2008 block party coverage :
SFoodie -- Tamara Palmer: Party on Block 18 This Saturday
Jalapeño Girl (aka Mary Ladd): 18th Street Block Party this Saturday afternoon

Dear readers, for the first time ever, I am writing a recipe. The dish is green garbanzo soup, a real seasonal palate-stunner. I invented it last weekend, when my girlfriend and I elected to have some friends over for dinner. Since we both were going to be busy during the day preceding the occasion, we shopped and did much of the cooking the night before. After drinking a few beers at the 500 Club and watching the wurst (Germany) come up short against the hams (Spain), I strolled down to Bi-Rite to rustle up ingredients: for the soup, a huge bag of garbanzos in their fuzzy green shells, a quart of chicken stock, a head of garlic, a leek, and way more hazelnuts than I needed. I had butter and good olive oil at home. I’d also stumbled across a few threads of tired-looking saffron tucked away in a cupboard.

I was all set. We had lots of dishes to prepare, of course, but the night before I was focused on crafting an enticing, verdant elixir with which to prime the appetites of our guests -- prior to the impending assault of assorted cheeses, breads, olives, pickled peppers, octopus and tomato salad, roasted corn relish, watermelon with salt, and two bastardized briks -- one with ancho-and-roasted tomato-stewed heritage pork, currants, and cilantro, and the other with morels, thyme, feta, beet greens, chard, and kale.

From green garlic shoots, to slender asparagus, to sweet early-season cherry tomatoes, I have, with regard to the realm of edible vegetation, a tendency to prize fresh young things. When I saw the green garbanzos nestled like weird little grubs in a big basket in the Bi-Rite produce case, I was consumed by the desire to harness their youth, pea-like flavor, and agreeably grassy pallor, and express them fully and vigorously in a simple yet well-calibrated dish. To work such magic, I began by chopping the leek and letting it slowly fall apart in a pot glazed over with a half-stick of butter. Meanwhile, I roasted four unpeeled cloves of garlic on a hot, dry cast-iron skillet, just the way Rick Bayless taught me. When the peels were flaking off, the exterior blackened in places, and the cloves delectably squishy to the touch, I turned off the burner, let them cool, peeled them, and stirred them into the pot with the creamy, cooked-down leeks. I added the stock, about a quart of water, and the saffron. Then, I realized I had forgotten to separate the beans from their pods. Cursing, I turned off the other burner, grabbed the bag of beans, and got to work.

About an hour, two beers, and two-and-a-half episodes of Eastbound and Down later, I shelled the last bean and headed back to the kitchen. When I heated up the pot again, I realized I’d severely misjudged the amount of beans I’d need. Each relatively large pod contains just one or two tiny pellets. I would have required a wheelbarrow to haul the quantity of beans I truly needed, and an entire television series to make shelling so many bearable. Cursing, I flung open the fridge. I would have to improvise. I spied half a head of cauliflower. The beans would, I thought, dance prettily with such fair white curds as a partner. I hacked the cauliflower up rather brutally and tossed it in the pot with the beans for a steamy dip. Fifteen minutes later, after a nice simmer, everything was tender. I turned off the heat and added salt and pepper.

That’s when I started -- as Dave Chappelle would say -- f**king up. Using a small, lidless blender better suited to smoothie-making instead of a food processor (ours fell prey to mold a few months ago), I tried to do the soup in four or five very small batches, covering the top with a plate. This was happening after 11:00 p.m., around the time I become capable of doing nothing besides sleeping, drinking, or watching movies requiring little intellectual investment. I should not have been cooking really, much less handling hot liquids. I accidentally pressed the “liquify” button instead of “puree”, and a surge of pale green came bubbling up, rattling the plate, sending a steaming froth cascading out and across the table and floor. I screamed like a small spoiled child, clutching my seared right forearm with my left hand, also incidentally very badly burned. Sickly drops flecked the wall next to the blender. I suddenly realized the front of my shirt was hot, wet, and green. Cursing, I dived for a towel. After mopping up what I could see in my exhausted haze, I limped off to bed.

I awoke to find a trail of ants the size and shape of a patch of body hair churning around the area of floor I’d soiled with soup and failed to properly clean. On the other hand, once strained, the soup -- now cool and the appealing color of green tea ice cream -- tasted fantastic -- rich and lively, with depth provided by the roasted garlic and the chicken stock, texture courtesy of butter and my hapless blender, the beans and cauliflower intertwined in a nutty, herbaceous, harmonious embrace. Later that night, we would serve it in tiny to-go espresso cups with toasted hazelnut crumbles, finely chopped parsley, and neat drizzles of olive oil. I botched the first cup by accidentally dumping in about a shot or two of oil -- and cursed -- but the rest turned out fine -- once I let the lady handle the pouring. Out in the dining room, conversation paused. Everyone was quiet, sipping away. My hand and forearm throbbed a little bit. I was sweating under my apron. So much shelling, so much spilling, so much cursing -- and yet the soup managed to hold. It was good, the way I’d wanted it to be. Things don’t always fall apart. The process of creating something so simple and easy might have been unnecessarily tortured and chaotic, but the result, blessedly, was pure and refined, even serene -- swirling green peace in the bottom of a soup spoon.

San Francisco residents Ryan & Cesalee Farr are the self described "Mission rat" couple behind 4505 Meats, producer of popular meaty products as chicharrones and Spicy ‘Zilla Dogs that buyers freely gobble at events and the company's Ferry Building booth. Working at the Ferry Building has its advantages; Cesalee said, "We buy all of our vegetable, fruits, eggs, and crackers and any other goodie we may need here."

Ryan is the butcher/chef/teacher and front man of the 4505 venture, and his wife Cesalee does much of the administrative and logistical work. The two also have an eight month old son, named Tanner, who may soon try Fatted Calf liverwurst (more on that later). Cesalee & Ryan Farr answered Bay Area Bites questions via email and phone interview. Comments have been edited and condensed for clarity.

THE WORK TOGETHER
Cesalee Farr said, "I run the (Ferry Building) Farmers market booth, work in the office. I try to take care of all details on outside events." She also manages "the kitchen flow… you name it, I do it." If you book a spot for Ryan Farr's pig butcher classes at La Cocina, Cesalee is the one answering the phone, and processing credit card info. Her imprint can also be found on the the 4505 Facebook page, which is regularly updated with market menu, product and class information. Her husband of nearly four years is the main chef, as Cesalee clarifies: "I don't make sausage, but I don't mind getting my hands dirty. I help out if needed."

THE RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE

Cesalee: "We met in Calistoga, which is my hometown. I moved home from school and we happened to be working at the same restaurant, All Seasons Bistro. I was the front of the house, and he was back of the house. Our first date was skydiving. On the second date, Ryan picked me up with tomato dripping down the front of him. I was like 'this guy is weird' but he kept saying he 'never knew what a real tomato tasted like till then….' It’s been love ever since. That was 2002, 8 years together and we’ll be celebrating our 4 years wedding anniversary in August."

DATE NIGHT

Cesalee: "Our house for date night has been the case a lot lately with us having a new baby and a crazy work schedule. We try to make it special, by having caviar & Champagne, but some nights it’s a roasted free range chicken and homemade beers from a friend."

ON ART MADE FROM DEAD ANIMALS
Ryan Farr mentioned that his wife makes and gifts bone/skull related art to friends and families. She makes her art from the bones and skulls of "deer, cows, goat, lamb, rabbits. But mostly, I do pig skulls, since that's what we have most of…" Each skull is individually handcrafted in San Francisco. (Email cesalee@yahoo.com for more information.)

Cesalee: "(The) skulls are sourced from local farms in the Northern California area. It's a small production of handcrafted skulls, bones and more. Created solely for my own passion, with my love for nature and science it all came together."

THE ART PROCESS

Cesalee: "It depends if I get the animal with or without the fur, skin and meat on them. I de-face/de-skin the animal. I know that sounds kinda crazy. Then (I) boil them, changing the water often. I de-meat the skull/ bone, boil it some more, til I have a meatless/ skinless piece. Drying it ideally in sunlight, boil it some more and then in a bath it goes… hair peroxide works best about a 20vol with water. It can't be hydrogen peroxide from a drug store. I found this out by trial and error, I also may have read it somewhere. I also do hair so it works out perfect. (I'm not practicing hair right now, other then for friends.) After a long 36 hour or so soak, it's time for more drying, when the bone is no longer wet, I seal it with a clear kind of epoxies spray. (Then it's) ready for painting or paper mache. I style it out with swarovski crystals, crystals/rhinestones, eyelashes, colored paper, bright colors, etc… Each skull is totally different."

BABY FOOD, THE 4505 WAY
So far, Tanner has been out to eat with his parents to Hana, Starbelly, Tartine Bakery, and Delfina. For eating at home, this baby has meaty options:

Cesalee: "Tanner's 8 months old, and yes, we're looking into what kind of liver he'll be eating. I was thinking Fatted Calf liverwurst, it's to die for. Our 3-year-old niece loves it! She eats it with our chicharrones and doesn’t share. It's smoked with a little garlic and herbs so I haven't actually given it to Tanner yet. I bought some for the last two weeks to give to him and I've eaten all myself. We started buying it for our friend's son when he was about 10 months old.

We make all of Tanner's food. He gets fresh ground lamb from his Dad, fresh egg yolks, strawberries & bananas, pears, apples, avocado (his favorite) and yams. He's not a big fan of asparagus. Meat is our next step. I'm thinking liver mousse and pate is what I want to start making for him next."

THE FOOD FAVORITES

Bi-Rite Market
3639 18th Street (between Dolores Street and Guerrero Street) Map
(415) 241-9760
Hours: Daily 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

Ryan: "The staff is so helpful. We love that. Sam is definitely an inspiration, in many different ways. The small businesses they support, and the selection that they have… it’s where you go." (Bi-Rite was one of the first to carry 4505's chicharrones)

Cesalee: "I shop here at a lot, I grab cheese, a free-range chicken for dinner to roast, a loaf of sweet baguette, ice cream from their creamery or whatever else I may need for the house."

SanJalisco (Formerly known as Los Jarritos)
901 S. Van Ness Avenue (between 20th Street and 21st Street) Map
(415) 648-8383
Hours: Open daily from 8am to 10pm

Ryan: "I love Los Jarritos. The chicharrones con huevos. Anything there is spot on."

Pizzeria Delfina
3611 18th Street (between Dolores Street and Guerrero Street) Map
(415) 437-6800
Hours: Monday 5pm to 10pm
Tuesday-Thursday 11:30am to 10pm
Friday 11:30am to 11pm
Saturday 12pm to 11pm
Sunday 12pm to 10pm

Cesalee: "It's small, amazing food and I love the staff and the fact it's blocks away from the house it's bad either. Our normal order: Salsiccia pizza, special pizza usually one with an egg on it…., salad of, and if (it's) in season, the fries with eyes. Ryan will have a beer and Cesalee a glass of rosé."

Elixir
3200 16th Street (at Guerrero) Map
(415) 552-1633
Hours: Monday-Friday 3pm to 2am
Saturday 12pm to 2am
Sunday 11am to 2am

Ryan: "Elixir is our neighborhood bar. They're always great to us. We started grilling there on Sundays; (grilled) all last year, in the summer."

Cesalee: "Usually it’s a beer and shot of bourbon whiskey for Ryan and vodka, soda for me."

Avedano's
235 Cortland Avenue (at Bonview St.) Map
(415) 285-MEAT
Hours: Monday – Friday 11am to 8pm
Saturday 9am to 8pm
Sunday 11am to 6pm

Cesalee: "I grab pasta or meat that we may not have at our own kitchen, or if I’m heading to a friends for a BBQ, I’ll stop here."

Hana Japanese Restaurant
101 Golf Course Drive (near Double Tree Dr.) Map
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
(707) 586-0270
Hours:
Lunch: Monday - Saturday 11:30am to 2:30pm
Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5pm to 9pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm to 9:30pm

Cesalee: "Hands down, Hana Japanese Restaurant in Rohnert Park has the best sushi outside of Japan we’ve EVER had!!!! We’ve tried a lot of places. Sometimes we go for lunch and end up staying for dinner. It’s that good."

Dynamo Donut & Coffee
2760 24th Street (between Hampshire St. and York St.) Map
(415) 920-1978
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 7am to 5pm
9am to 4pm Sunday
Closed Monday

Cesalee names Dynamo Donuts as her guiltiest food pleasure, "hands down. I can eat at least four in one sitting."

Where does Craig Stoll like to shop and eat in the Bay Area? Stoll cued Bay Area Bites into his top picks via a recent email interview. He is the chef-owner of Delfina and Delfina Pizzeria(s), a growing mini-empire of San Francisco based Italian restaurants. He and his wife Annie Stoll live in the Mission in San Francisco with their eight year old daughter, Lucy. Stoll said,

"(We) love to be part of the neighborhood in which we work and own a business and where most of our staff live." He added that as a family unit, the Stolls like to hang out at home "when we can find the time," and that "family dinner is the best."

Speculation on the Stolls next restaurant venture continues to fuel the chatter; and the Twitterverse went into high alert mode when Craig tweeted "Waitin here at SFO for our flight to Mexico for a little R&D...Did I say that? I meant R&R" on April 3rd. It was later revealed on various outlets that the Stolls are definitely taking over the Ramblas space on Valencia, for what may be a Roman food concept, expected to open in late spring or early this summer.

The Stolls opened Delfina together in 1998, and have attracted prime time crowds, as well as later adding two Delfina Pizzeria locations. Chances of getting a coveted sidewalk table or even parking spot in front of the 18th Street Delfina Pizzeria vary wildly, but the promise of a gourmet Napoletana (tomato, anchovies, capers, hot peppers, olives, and oregano) pizza pie with a side of greens in a Insalata Tricolore salad with Grana Padano cheese generally make it a worth the effort. If you can't afford that trip to Rome or the East Coast, this is a nice staycation meal City option. The service and Italian fare are a combined effort for the couple, with Craig running the food and kitchen operations and Annie handling everything else. This blogger does occasional catering for Bi-Rite Market, and prepped with some of Stoll's cooks for the 18th Street Block Party in 2008.

Here are Craig Stoll's picks for where to shop and eat. His main source for food may be the one with the easiest access. Stoll confessed that "I often shop out of the walk-in cooler at Delfina," which sounds like as good a FIFO (first in, first out) inventory system as any. Stoll's comments have been edited for content and brevity.

Shopping Spots: Bi-Rite & La Palma.

Bi-Rite Market
3639 18th Street (between Dolores Street and Guerrero Street) Map
(415) 241-9760
Hours: Daily 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

Stoll: "Unbelievably vibrant. Best market anywhere-across the board; meat, fish and produce. (It's) constantly evolving, improving, expanding. (I’m) always blown away."

La Palma
2884 24th Street (between Florida Street and Bryant Street) Map
(415) 647-1500
Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am to 6pm
Sunday 8am to 5pm

Stoll: "We live down the street and stop in for ingredients or prepared food."

Eating Spots: Thep Phenom, Bistro Aix, (Anonymous) Mission Taco Trucks, Swan Oyster Depot, Nopa and Nopalito, Out the Door, Sunflower, Saigon Sandwich, Limon Rotisserie, Spruce and Zuni.

Thep Phanom
400 Waller Street (at Fillmore Street) Map
(415) 431-2526
Hours: Daily 5:30pm to 10:30 pm

Stoll: "When we come back from a family trip we always go to Thep Phanom or Bistro Aix. We have a taco truck at either end of our block. (I) don't want to admit how often I eat there."

Bistro Aix
3340 Steiner Street (between Chestnut Street and Lombard Street) Map
(415) 202-0100
Hours: Monday - Thursday 6:30pm to 10pm
Friday - Saturday 5:30pm to 11pm
Sunday 5:30pm to 9:30pm

Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk Street (between California Street and Sacramento Street) Map
(415) 673-1101
Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am to 5:30pm

Stoll: Swan Oyster Depot is "classic and timeless, irony-free."

Nopa
560 Divisadero Street (at Hayes Street) Map
(415) 864-8643
Hours: Monday - Sunday 6pm to close

Nopalito
306 Broderick Street (between Oak Street and Fell Street) Map
(415) 437-0303
Hours: Monday - Sunday 11am to 10pm

Out the Door Ferry Building
1 Ferry Building (Stall #5) Map
(415) 321-3740
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:30am to 6pm
Closed Sunday

Stoll: "Daughter Lucy is a pho/spring roll fanatic. (We go to) Out the Door, (or) Sunflower in a pinch."

Sunflower
3111 16th Street (at Valencia Street) Map
(415) 626-5022
Hours: Monday - Friday 11:30am to close
Saturday - Sunday 12:30pm to close

Saigon Sandwich
560 Larkin Street (between Eddy Street and Turk Street) Map
(415) 474-5698
Hours: Monday - Saturday 6am to 6pm
Sunday 7am to 5pm

Stoll: "(I go to) Saigon Sandwich whenever I can."

Limon Rotisserie
1001 S. Van Ness Street (between 21st Street and 22nd Street) Map
(415) 821-2134
Hours: Sunday - Thursday 12pm to 10pm
Friday - Saturday 12:30pm to 10:30pm

Stoll: "(We get) take out from Limon Rotisserie."

Spruce
3640 Sacramento Street (between Locust Street and Spruce Street) Map
(415) 931-5100
Hours: Monday - Friday 11:30am to 2:30 pm
Monday – Thursday & Sunday 5pm to 10 pm
Friday - Sunday 5pm to 11pm

For date night, the Stolls go to "Spruce when we want to feel coddled. Zuni's up the street. We always have a list of new places we want to try."

Zuni Café
1658 Market Street (between Franklin and Gough) Map
(415) 553-2522
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:30 am to 11 pm
Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to midnight
Sunday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | Closed Monday

Today's food-scape is a rich tapestry woven from a multitude of little ideas and small stories: tradition, history, science, art, and human ingenuity colliding on plates at the intersection of major political and social issues. The individual strands of this loom-y metaphor are people. They aren't always clearly visible until you look closely. People need food to survive, and in ancient times, communities were endlessly preoccupied with finding things to eat and figuring out how to cook them. Civilizations would form and thrive around the domestication of a single species of animal. Proud eating traditions have sprung from time-honed preparation techniques born of necessity. Great celebrations still honor the harvest and hunt. For evidence, look no further than Thanksgiving and the Gilroy Garlic Festival. There's a gulf between pounding poi in Polynesia and nudging a grocery cart through Whole Foods, but the parallels persist even amid changing times and circumstance: we have always been defined by how we eat -- as individuals, families, neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries. Food used to be seen as fuel; now, it's a mirror, and everything we stuff down our face-holes shows us more about ourselves and the way we live.

The view of Guerrero from inside 18 Reasons

18 Reasons, the Bi Rite-affiliated gallery space on Guerrero near 18th Street, has made such conscious, well-examined consumption its mission, offering exhibitions, lectures, tastings, and classes to draw clear bright lines between food, people, and place, existing essentially as the embodiment of its intention, as a local meeting spot for people who love food and want to talk about it, share what they know, and learn from others. The gallery has received some local press love but this summer's offerings deserve special mention.

Morgan Maki starting on the lamb

Last week, I attended the second part of a Lamb Butchery and Sausage Making class taught by Bi Rite butcher Morgan Maki, the same guy who schooled folks in Stock Theory and Knife Skills a few months ago. The first session saw a 5-foot-long 45 pound lamb broken down and whittled into chops, roasts, and other cuts for cookery. I missed that one due to illness but the pictures tell enough of the story for you to get the basic idea. It came in whole and left in chunks. Maki dropped some anatomy knowledge. Everyone ate cheese and drank wine. When I arrived at the second session, the students were chopping the trimmings from that depleted carcass, sleeves rolled up, ties tucked, and jewelry removed. It was a Tuesday night, and most had clearly come straight from work and were dutifully taxing the bottles of merlot making the rounds. The gallery's clean white walls were bare, awaiting the summer show (Julie Duffoo's semi-gristly Meatpaper photographs of local butchers). The only exhibit on display was the whirl of activity, something like a party happening around the sturdy wooden table in the center of the room: sausage as social sculpture.

Gathering around the grinder

As Maki spoke, some of the attendees frantically scribbled on yellow legal pads. A few people hung back against the walls, silent, literally watching others watch and talk. Most crowded around the table for a shot at slicing, or volunteered to help grind once the ingredients were assembled. "This is probably used in extreme interrogation techniques," quipped one dude as he eyed the sausage stuffing apparatus.

The sausage, ground

People capable of paying 60 dollars to learn how Bi Rite butchers make sausages using $2000 grinders can afford to buy sausage at Bi Rite any time they want. They don't need to learn how to make sausage at home in order to save money or make their lives easier. Prussian statesman Otto Von Bismarck (an abundantly mustached practitioner of Realpolitik who probably put away many many sausages in his day) famously compared the crafting of laws to the processing of sausages. There was once the idea that people wouldn't want to eat sausage if they saw how it was made. Now, people want to know where they can find fresh pork blood and a good deal on a professional grinder.

Those who show up at 18 Reasons for something like this aren't just amassing knowledge for themselves. They're making a personal investment in an enduring artisanal tradition and, by extension, a community. "The more people that use this space the healthier it will be," said Maki when I asked him what he wanted out of the gallery. The neighborhood has definitely taken notice. Every person walking past with laundry and grocery bags stops to peer in. Maybe they all won't shell out the ducats for a class but they'll maybe come to a free event, or at least read up on something they saw posted on the board outside.

If you want to get involved, now is a good time. Classes on the horizon promise to please. On Tuesday, July 7, Maki will teach the first section of a two-part course on Pig Butchery and Curing, in which participants will learn the basics of swine disassembly as well as several principles and techniques of curing in preparation for smoking or curing. The cost is $60 for non-members. Buy your tickets here.

Photos by Michael V. Chopko