A Press Democrat Blog

Kitchen Talk

Turn up the heat on home cooking

Sazon launching new food truck on Corby Avenue in Santa Rosa

Friday, at 11:59 by

      One of the bright spots in the Sonoma County restaurant scene last year was the influx of pan-Latin eateries, including the warm and inviting Sazon, a Peruvian restaurant at 1129 Sebastopol Road that showcases  authentic ceviches and  sopas,  antichuco appetizers and  entrees made with the country’s famous seafood, pepper sauces and potatoes.     The only downside of dining at Sazon is that it is tiny. Sazon’s father-son owners  Juan Luis Navarro and Juan Jose Navarro Calvo-Perez hope to remedy… Read More »

Weird, wild food stories from 2011

Wednesday, at 11:22 by

    There was not a lot to laugh about in 2011, but now that it’s almost over,  it’s kind of cathartic to look back  at some of the weird and wild food stories that  gave us pause and  provided a bit of comic relief.  Here are a few of my favorites, collected throughout the year by myself and a few of my colleagues  at the Press Democrat: -          Jan. 14, 2011: The director of the California Department of Public Health warned… Read More »

Perfect pair: Prime rib and Yorkshire Pudding

Tuesday, at 11:38 by

     In our house, the classic prime rib roast has become the Christmas dinner of choice. It’s a decadent, once-a-year treat, and the rare, red meat is delicious  served with a simple au jus sauce and some horseradish .     Last month, Josh Silvers of Jackson’s and Petite Syrah in Santa Rosa demonstrated how to cook a Holiday  Prime Rib Roast with Classic Yorkshire Pudding at G& G Market during his monthly Cooking in Sonoma Show on KSRO Radio.    … Read More »

Chiarello chopped from “Next Iron Chef”

Monday, at 5:11 by

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Fans of Bottega in Yountville will be disappointed to learn that  Michael Chiarello lost out to San Francisco pastry chef  Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake  last night during the pre-finale battle of the Food Networks’ “The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs.”        Falkner and Chiarello went mano-a-mano with a “secret ingredient” elimination featuring appetizers made with Entwine wines and Townhouse crackers.  Falkner advanced by the skin of her teeth to face off with New York chef Geoffrey Zakarian… Read More »

LaSalette launches “Crab Stewsday” in Sonoma

Thursday, at 11:05 by

                                                                                                                                                                              Here’s a good deal for local Dungness crab lovers.  Chef/owner Manuel Azevedo of LaSalette Restaurant in Sonoma has launched a new Crab “Stewsday”  on Tuesday evenings through crab season,  showcasing his mother’s recipe for “ Caranguejo”  Portuguese spiced crab stew.    For $33.95, you can get a complete crab dinner with a hearts of romaine salad, garlic buttered penne pasta with Topo cheese , crab stew,  garlic bread and choice of house-made ice cream or sorbet.    The crab stew… Read More »

Winter season heats up with roasted crab

Wednesday, at 11:04 by

 I don’t know about you, but my life has improved immensely since the meaty Dungeness crabs arrived on our shores, ready to brighten the long winter days with their cheerful, red bodies and  tasty, sweet meat.     Normally, we  serve the cooked, cleaned crabs cold with a mayonnaise-lemon dip and a salad, but this weekend, I tried a roasted recipe from Josh Silvers of  Jackson’s in Santa Rosa, where the chef/owner  is serving  Dungeness  crab hot from the wood oven. To be honest… Read More »

Food gifts found through the Grapevine

Monday, at 3:23 by

      You heard it here first. The Grapevine Trading Co. will hold its annual holiday sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m . Sunday at the warehouse at 738 Wilson St. in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square.     Bottled under the California Harvest label, the award-winning  food products include pasta and marinara sauce, tapenades and olives,  honey and spices, olive oils and vinegars, and lots more. (Go to grapevinetrading.com to see the complete… Read More »

A Moroccan soup to warm you up

Friday, at 5:29 by

Chef Cindy Pawlcyn of Napa Valley is a self-confessed omnivore, but during her cooking class last month at the new Flavor! Napa Valley festival, she presented an all-Moroccan vegetarian menu inspired by the global Supper Club dinners she serves up at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. I’ve never been to Morocco, but I spent one winter semester during college studying in the French Alps.  One unforgettable evening,   my French family took me out for a big,  steaming bowl of couscous… Read More »