Fruit of the Bloom
The Bay Area provides a bounty of beautiful – and edible – flowers.
by Joanna Currier

Like something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, where the likenesses of strawberries taste like strawberries, and those of snozzberries taste like snozzberries, it may surprise you to know that flowers on bean plants taste like… beans. And pea flowers? They taste like peas. So says Love Apple Farm owner Cynthia Sandberg (see our story, page 32). When asked, Sandberg can rattle off nearly 20 edible blossoms at a clip, but that’s because she knows a gardener’s secret: Most flowers born of vegetable or herb plants are not only edible, but taste like the vegetable or herb itself. Add to those the many simple, garden-variety flowers that are safe to eat, and you might start eyeing bouquets as though they’re salad bars – especially in spring and summer, when chefs seem to delight in the surprise factor of adding intact blooms to various dishes and preparations.

Though still not exactly an overused ingredient – delicate flowers can be tricky to harvest, work with, and don’t have much of a shelf life – there are some that are now standard in assorted California repertoires. Cheese stuffed zucchini blossoms, for example, are long, lithe, orange-yellow flowers transformed into crispy, gauzy, deep-fried heaven at many upscale and Cal-Med restaurants. Though dainty, the blooms are surprisingly meaty, with a succulent, zucchinilike flavor.

Bay Area diners and farmers-market-goers are also probably well familiar with colorful mixes of greens laced with bright yellow and orange nasturtiums. The wildly pungent nasturtium blooms could be compared in flavor to the fruit of the black pepper plant. They are beautiful, to boot – petals are wide and fancy and veined with every color of the sunset.

Other garden-variety flowers thrown into salad mix might include many varieties of pansies (featuring grassy, minty flavors) and calendula (also called pot marigold, bright orange and slightly bitter). Otherworldly borage, also called “starflower,” has a vivid blue bloom with honeylike flavor. For dessert, one of our favorite floral dishes is rose petal jam – rose petal anything, in fact – dense with the scent and sweetness of the bloom that really is good enough to eat.

For those who may be squeamish about munching something so decorative, think of hibiscus tea – from there, it’s not a far stretch to picture petals on a plate. On the other hand, those who are too enthusiastic, beware – random flower eating can be a Darwinian exercise. Never eat a blossom unless you are absolutely sure it’s safe and grown for that purpose. Not only could the wrong plants be covered in pesticides, but many varieties of flowers are poisonous. Trust only chefs and careful gardeners to your precious petal-snacking needs.

Garden Confidential
Love Apple Farm produces its best crop daily exclusively for Manresa.
by Joanna Currier

Love Apple Farm owner Cynthia Sandberg’s two-acre kitchen garden, cultivated for Manresa restaurant and chef David Kinch, has come to represent freshness – of produce, of ideas, and especially of the evolving state of Bay Area cuisine.

“Love apples,” Sandberg’s famed heirloom tomatoes, are what originally drew Kinch to her farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shortly thereafter, they formed a partnership both old-fashioned and wholly modern – she dismantled her dahlia garden, filled in her swimming pool, and agreed to produce a variety of about 200 types of fruits, vegetables and herbs exclusively for Manresa.

Together, Kinch and Sandberg perform the methods integral to biodynamic agriculture – a holistic, sustainable form of gardening that involves tapping into the natural cycles of the Earth and cosmos. The involved, organic preparations are said to balance and enrich the growing process – and above all, create exceptional results. Kinch forages the farm for its freshest foods, feeling, smelling and tasting for peak ripeness and flavor. Ingredients often head straight from the ground to Manresa’s kitchen to become part of the evening’s menu – particularly, Kinch’s famous dish “Into the Vegetable Garden…” (a favorite of the tablehopper’s, see page 56), which is often a tiny facsimile of that day’s uncommon yield.

As the days start to get longer, movements at Love Apple Farm transition from the winter to the summer garden. During this in-between time, heat-loving seeds – tomatoes, peppers, squashes – are set up in the greenhouse to prepare for transplant. Sandberg’s tomatoes alone are a seven-month process; diligent labor now won’t bear actual fruit until midsummer. Every week through March (and for some plants, as late as May), as a winter crop is harvested, a young summer one is planted in its stead.

According to Sandberg, Chef Kinch remains enamored of some of the cooler season’s crops, but is starting to experiment with some tender new greens. Some of his favorites at the moment from throughout the garden include:
Bordeaux Spinach – A newer, sweeter hybrid that features unusual, deep green leaves with red ribbing.

Ficoide Glacial – A favorite of the French, this succulent salad green is salty with a burst of spring. It has a crunchy, fresh flavor. Kinch prepares the green either raw or cooked.

Red Sorrel – Also used frequently in French cooking, leafy sorrel has a lemony flavor. Red sorrel features beautiful, spear-shaped leaves.

And Sandberg’s current favorites?

“I’m going to have some red, frizzled mizuna on a sandwich for lunch today, that’s for sure,” she said. “It’s got a sharp, pungent, spicy flavor that’s just gorgeous.”

Cynthia Sandberg gives classes in tomato growing, gardening and farming, and sells her award-winning seedlings. For more information, visit www.growbetterveggies.com.

Black Magic
Licorice and its family of similar flavors help sweeten the dishes of spring.
by Joanna Currier

In almost sly little touches – a lick here, a drop there – the tangy, slightly medicinal taste of licorice is adding candylike zest to meats, vegetables, drinks and, yes, desserts in some of the Bay Area’s most popular kitchens and bars.

A favorite flavor in seemingly every country and culture in the world, the licorice plant is harvested for its sweet roots, which can contain up to 50 times the sweetness of sucrose. The root extract is then blended into syrups, chews, drops, whips, allsorts, elixirs and liqueurs. (It’s important to note that here, the original stuff is known by the term “black licorice,” while the “red” version is simply unrelated chewy candy.)

Plants within the same family of flavors include refreshing fennel – a crunchy spring vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked – as well as anise, an aromatic herb, and its unrelated counterpart, star anise, made from the fruit of a Chinese evergreen tree. Both types of anise are commonly used in teas and liqueurs and, like licorice root itself, are purported to have many health benefits. (Who can deny the soothing, medicinal properties of an anise-flavored pastis?) All three ingredients share a chemical compound called anethole, which gives them their licoricelike flavor.

In his October 2007 interview with The Wave, chef Robert Sapirman of Parcel 104 described the fun of adding licorice root to a barbecue sauce for lamb, and how “people went nuts over it.” “I think your palate remembers the flavor from when you were a kid,” he explained. “Everyone ate licorice, whether they loved it or hated it – and as an adult, that flavor makes an even stronger impression.”

This is certainly true at Aussie chef Luke Mangan’s San Francisco restaurant South Food + Wine Bar. His deeply flavorful frozen licorice parfait touched up with lime syrup has caused a sensation in the city, while becoming one of the restaurant’s signature items. Also in the city’s South of Market area, restaurant Coco500’s chef Jennifer Biesty, soon to be featured on Top Chef 4, treats lamb shanks with licorice-infused braising liquid, and has also expressed an interest in adding licorice flavors to sweetbreads recipes.

Here in the South Bay, James Syhabout, chef de cuisine at Manresa and a James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee, has publicly professed his personal love for the “licorice notes” of ingredients such as fennel and pastis. At Quattro Restaurant at the Four Seasons, fresh licorice root is used to glaze white asparagus served with soft poached quail eggs, while roasted suckling pig is served with a side of licorice risotto. At Los Gatos restaurant Trevese, chef Michael Miller is current using licorice greens in one of his playful salads.

When it comes to spring food fashions, licorice is clearly the new black.

New Arrivals
As ever, new restaurants are budding on the Silicon Valley dining scene.

ROUX LOUISIANA KITCHEN
3055 Olin Ave., Santana Row (408) 249-8000
www.rouxkitchen.com
Carlos Oropeza-Legorreta, owner of several Bay Area restaurants (including Consuelo Mexican Bistro at Santana Row), looks to further spice up the shopping center’s dining scene with the Mar. 13 opening of Roux Louisiana Kitchen. Roux will serve Southern-style comfort food and innovative cocktails, while featuring live evening jazz Wednesday thru Saturday, and during brunch on Sunday. Expect funky and eclectic New Orleans style décor and a fun, upbeat atmosphere.

XANH
110 Castro St., Mountain View (650) 964-1888
www.xahnrestaurant.com
While it’s not new, this popular modern Vietnamese restaurant is in a new location. Less than two blocks from its original home, XAHN features the same engaging modern décor and cuisine, but now offers an expanded menu, a private dining area, and live music – jazz and DJs – on select nights. The wine list, which focuses on California and European vintages, includes more than 60 selections, with 20 available by the glass.

FUEL
385 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose (408) 248-0018
www.fuelsj.com
If its cuisine is as striking and well executed as its décor, Fuel looks set to become a popular dining destination. The colorful and beautifully lit dining room, features large-scale portrait paintings and a striking wine wall. Amidst this, proprietors Gene Yee, Andy Nguyen and Laura Nguyen (executive chef and chef de cuisine, respectively) serve up contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. Think crispy crab and shrimp rolls with taro, glass noodles, lettuce, mint, cilantro, and nuoc cham, or their Jungle Prince chicken, with carrot, glass noodles, shiitake mushroom, bok choy, eggplant, celery, zucchini and golden evil sauce.

CIN-CIN
368 Village Ln., Los Gatos
Reportedly opening in mid to late April (taking over the space once housed by Café Marcello), Cin-Cin is the latest project from Cascal owner Don Durante. The menu for this wine bar, lounge and restaurant will offer international small plates made with local, sustainable ingredients. Plans for the décor will feature eco-friendly materials, including bamboo, cork, recycled glass and reclaimed black walnut. This green attitude will even extend to the wine list, which will include organic and biodynamic wines, many of which will be offered by the glass.

Gelato a Go-Go
The Italian treat that makes an idyllic spring day even sweeter.
by Julie Engelhardt

The word “gelato” often conjures up images of a sunny Italian trattoria, but, thankfully, there is an abundance of local cafes and gelaterias (Italian for ice cream parlor) serving up this delightful creamy confection. Gelato is derived from the Italian word “gelare,” which simply means frozen. Its main ingredients are milk and sugar, to which different flavorings — including fruit, chocolate, liqueur, spices, and nuts — are added. Once combined, the gelato ingredients are cooled, and the resulting product contains very little air, which makes it denser and more intensely flavored than American ice cream. The word “gelati” is simply the plural form of gelato. With sunny spring days on the horizon, now’s the time to head to a local parlor and enjoy this concoction in its deliciously plural form.

CAMPBELL

Gelato Classic Downtown Campbell
191 E. Campbell Ave. (408) 370-9020 www.gelatodessertcafe.com
Gelato Classico serves up 40 flavors of gelato and sorbet. Gelato flavors include strawberry cheesecake, fresh banana walnut, and Bavarian mint; sorbet flavors include lemon, strawberry, blackberry cabernet, and pomegranate acai.

LOS GATOS

Dolce Spazio Gelato
221 N. Santa Cruz Blvd. (408) 395-1335 www.dolcespazio.com
Flavors such as Chocolate Liqueur (rich, dark chocolate), Oreogasmic (vanilla gelato with Oreo cookie pieces), and Snickelicious (a light chocolate base with crushed Snickers candy) keep regulars coming back to this much-loved cafe. Also featured throughout the year are rotating flavors like T-Fifty Two (a chocolate base with toasted coconut, mini chips, tequila and Grand Marnier).

MOUNTAIN VIEW

Gelato Classic Italian Ice Cream
241-B Castro St. (650) 969-2900 www.caffeclassicofoods.com
This company started out in 1976 as a single, family-owned store in San Francisco. Today it’s regarded as one of the top gelato makers in the US. Their stores offer more than 40 varieties each month, but the company has more than 250 recipes. Flavors include tiramisu, green tea, vanilla bean, and caramel pecan.

Gelayo Gusto
856 W. El Camino Real (650) 938-1333 www.gelayogusto.com
This great little Mountain View parlor serves up tasty gelato, as well as sorbet and frozen yogurt. Twenty-two flavors of gelato include the ever-popular cookies and cream and chocolate, as well as their Tony Spumoni flavor, which combines almonds, chocolate, and pistachios.

PALO ALTO

Gelato Classico
435 Emerson St. (650) 327-1371 www.caffeclassicofoods.com
Like the Campbell and Mountain View locations, this gelateria serves up 40 flavors of melt-in-your mouth gelato, including chocolate hazelnut, caffe mocha, and dark chocolate.

Michael's Gelato & Café
440 University Ave. (650) 322-8200 www.michaelsgelatoandcafe.com
Michael’s is definitely a little slice of Italy in the heart of Palo Alto. This two-story café serves 32 different flavors of gelato. Favorites include Borgia (a combination of dark chocolate and Grand Marnier) and dulce de leche (a smooth mixture of caramel and vanilla).

SAN JOSE

La Crema d'Italia
Oak Ridge Mall, 925 Blossom Hill Rd. (408) 227-8922
Gelato here is made from scratch using a secret recipe. Their cantaloupe and berry flavors are popular in the springtime, while pistachio, hazelnut, and other nutty flavors are customer favorites all year round. On average, 36 flavors are offered daily, but around 50 flavors rotate throughout the year.

Melt Gelato
Eastridge Mall, 2200 Eastridge Loop, Ste. 2095 (408) 528-6358 www.meltgelato.com
On offer here are 33 flavors of gelato, including mocha almond fudge, white chocolate raspberry, cookies and cream, and tiramisu.

Yogoz Fine Gelato and Coffe
1111-5 Meridian Ave. (408) 266-9246 www.yagoz.com
The artisan gelato here is made in small batches, using all natural ingredients. Flavors include peanut butter crunch, cherry chocolate chip, vanilla bourbon (they say it’s far more intense than your average vanilla, but you can still drive home safely after a cone), and zabaglione (wine custard).

SANTA CRUZ

Gelato Mania
110 Cooper St., Ste. 100-B (831) 426-7117 www.gelatomaniadesserts.com
In downtown Santa Cruz, locals and visitors alike enjoy this store’s beautifully displayed selection of flavors. House favorites include the Papa Rocks (rocky road), Crema de Oscar (crema with strawberries or black cherries), pink grapefruit, and tangerine.

SARATOGA

Frutti Gelato & Yogurt
18562 Prospect Rd., Ste. B (408) 446-0272 www.fruttiblog.blogspot.com
Since opening in September 2007, Frutti has become a big hit with the locals. It carries 11 or 12 different types of gelato at a time, but there are more than 30 flavors year round. Cookie Monster, a combination of Oreo cookie flavors and chocolate chips, is a customer favorite.

Hoppin’ Around
Marcia Gagliardi on where to eat in the Peninsula and South Bay.
by Joanna Currier

Food writer Marcia Gagliardi’s weekly e-column tablehopper (www.tablehopper.com) has grown invaluable to San Francisco foodies and industry types since its inception in 2006. Witty, natural and impressively detailed, each installment provides lively restaurant write-ups and up-to-the-minute information on the city’s dining scene.

It’s no wonder Gagliardi writes about food – the San Mateo native’s love of cuisine was cultivated in the 650 and 408 under the watchful eye of her extended Italian family. Her Calabrese father – owner of the ARCO on Woodside Road – cures his own meats, olives, and makes his own wine, while her mother is an avid cook who hasn’t missed a week of shopping at the San Mateo farmers market in years.

Here, the tablehopper reveals some of her favorite hometown spots, her deep love of sandwiches, and where she takes her grandmother for sushi:

“The Village Pub is right behind my dad’s service station on Woodside Road. After years of directing people there, I finally convinced my folks to go for their anniversary, and they had a lovely, lovely time. They adored the salumi platter, the spot-on service, great wines... One of their most memorable meals in a long while, and they know their stuff.

“Just down the street, Dan and his family at the Woodside Delicatessen have been taking care of our meat and cheese needs since I was a little girl. My dad would swing by for our weekly supply of salumi and cheese and dry pasta. Their Godfather is seriously the best sandwich in existence. I’d drive an hour for it, uphill, in the snow, both ways. It’s meat and cheese perfection. I like to eat half, and save the other half for later – like two hours later, if I can stand it. The roll is firm and chewy, so it holds up well. Here’s a rundown on the ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, oregano, lettuce, onion, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, Toscano salami, coppa, prosciutto, mortadella and provolone – i.e., bliss.

“As a city slicker, I really appreciate super-fresh produce, so the ‘Into the Vegetable Garden...’ dish at Manresa just blew me away. It’s so simple, yet so extraordinary. The produce coming from [chef David] Kinch’s partnership with the biodynamic Love Apple Farm is transcendent – such clear flavors.

“During high school (Aragon, go Dons!) the Kaimuki Grill was my favorite place for kara age udon – delicious pieces of fried chicken atop springy chewy udon noodles and a mighty tasty broth. Such a winning soup. Their sushi was a little pedestrian – although I would always end up with their Cali roll, it was a good one. In the end, though, it’s all about the noodles. Slurp.

“When I want sushi in San Mateo, I beeline for Sushi Sam’s – or if I am with my grandma, we go to Kisaku, because she loves their izakaya-style small plates, especially the chicken kara age, and gyoza. The miso soup there is quite special. Sushi Sam’s is legendary for several reasons: the Arctic char, the ‘special’ unagi (that’s right, ask for ‘special’ unagi), baby lobster tail, long-shell scallops, California handroll made with fresh snow crab salad, shima aji, seared toro with lime and Japanese salt, and the chawan mushi.

“Half Moon Bay is where you’ll find Mezza Luna, an Italian place that’s my dad’s second home – it’s like The Calabrese Connection over there. I usually stick with their pasta and fish of the day specials, but the supple gnocchi are almost impossible to pass up. I also enjoy sharing some salumi and a pizza with my dining partners – mighty tasty sauce. And just wait until you taste their house-made bread – they could open a bakery with the stuff.”

The Village Pub
2967 Woodside Rd., Woodside (650) 851-9888
www.thevillagepub.net

Woodside Delicatessen
1453 Woodside Rd., Redwood City (650) 369-4235

Manresa
320 Village Ln., Los Gatos (408) 354-4330

The Kaimuki Grill
104 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo (650) 548-9320

Sushi Sam's Edomata
218 E. Third Ave., San Mateo (650) 344-0888
www.sushisams.com

Kisaku
47 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo (650) 347-4121

Mezza Luna
459 Prospect Way, Half Moon Bay (650) 728-8108

Mind Your Table Manners
What if momma didn’t teach you right?
by Joanna Currier

Stop us if this sounds familiar: You’re dining out, the restaurant is romantic, cuisine and presentation lovely – aside from the food visible in your date’s perpetually open mouth. You try to avert your gaze when, without warning, they reach over and finger-swipe some sauce off your plate. Or eat the last piece of bread. Or cause a scene about the absence of barbecue sauce on the table. Uh, check, please?

It’s no accident that so many dates, deals and job interviews often include a meal. Hardheaded or oblivious slobs may find the idea of table manners pretentious, but the truth is that improper table etiquette can be a real deal breaker, be it romantically, culturally or professionally. Why? Because whether your background is blueblood or backwoods, table manners involve much more than which fork to use – they reflect your level of respect for the people around you.

Some quick basics that can quickly and easily up your perceived class factor:

• Don’t rush through a dish. Take small bites to avoid embarrassing mouthfuls or messes. Never, ever eat with your mouth open or talk with your mouth full.

• Unless it’s chicken wings, pizza or other traditional finger food (including sushi), never use your fingers to eat or push food onto utensils. Putting them in your mouth, or picking your teeth at the table, is also unseemly.

• Unless offered, do not eat the last bites of shared dishes – you might come across as greedy and self-absorbed.

• Don’t eat off anyone’s individual plate but your own without permission.

• Your napkin is a fabulous ally throughout any meal. Place it in your lap as soon as you sit down, and use it frequently. If a bite of something doesn’t agree with you, discard it discreetly into your napkin and ask for a fresh one.

• Hold any wine glass by the stem – it prevents the warmth of your hand and fingertips from changing the temperature of the wine (not to mention, prevents unsightly finger marks).

• When eating soup, spoon it gently away from you, towards the center of the table, rather than towards your lap.

• When finished with a meal, place the utensils together at the center of the plate.

• And remember: Truly elegant people refrain from judging or embarrassing anyone at a table. Don’t openly criticize what you feel are poor manners – instead, lead by example, while creating a feeling of welcome and warmth.

Picnic Perfection
An extravagant Northern California-style spread for the ultimate springtime picnic.

Those sunny spring days just begging for a picnic are not too far away. So we approached the Draeger’s gift basket department and asked what they’d put in the “perfect picnic basket” – though it soon became clear that such a thing is difficult to define.

hat’s perfect is really subjective, and at Draeger’s, each picnic or gift basket is tailored to the customer’s tastes, occasion and budget. Want a Russian-inspired picnic? They can add some Sevruga caviar at $170 an ounce. Perhaps you’d like a spread reminiscent of springtime in Paris? Selections can be made from Draeger’s huge array of French cheeses, chocolates and wines. Want a British-themed basket? They might include Walker’s Shortbread, high-grade Earl Grey tea, a Versace teacup, a jar of Marmite, and Devonshire some cream.

We decided to keep it local, so Draeger’s put together a basket showcasing the wonderful fare grown and produced here in Northern California. This sumptuous spread is ideal for any food and wine lover who feels the urge to jump in the car on an idyllic spring day and head to their favorite picnic spot. Because what makes a better setting for a fine gourmet feast than the great outdoors?

The Ultimate Picnic Basket

Basket:

Optima handwoven willow basket from England includes plates, wine glasses, knife, fork and spoon sets for four, cotton napkins and tablecloth, and a cruet set.

Products:

Silver Oak cabernet from Napa

Pahlmeyer chardonnay from Napa

Cowgirl Creamery and Cypress Grove cheeses

Lulu of San Francisco truffled artichoke tapenade

Fresh baguettes from Draeger’s award-winning bakery

Boar’s Head golden classic oven-roasted boneless skinless chicken breast

Boar’s Head maple glazed honey coat ham

Columbus Salame Company dry coppa and prosciutto

Napa Valley Olive Company pitted olive medley

Charles chocolates from Emeryville

Slice of chocolate decadence cake and an individual mango mousse cake

Half dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries from Draeger’s bakery

Assorted seasonal fruit

The total price for this delectable picnic basket is around $950. This includes the $300 basket, which you’ll have for all future picnic outings. You can downgrade by choosing a less luxurious basket and table setting, or more budget-friendly wines. Or you can upgrade, adding Cristal champagne for $300, or a cheese board and accoutrements, including the Global cheese knife for $60. Head to www.draegers.com for a selection of other baskets, such as their Wine and Cheese Connoisseur for $119, or custom-make your own “perfect picnic.”

Our thanks to Esther Brooks, manager of the Draeger’s San Mateo Gift Basket Department, for putting together this ultimate picnic basket.