Everyone’s giving Christmas cookies this season, but how many cookies can we eat? Ok, don’t answer that. Every Christmas, in an effort to be a little bit healthy, I make a big batch of granola and give out bags of the crunchy goodness to family and friends. This year, I [...]
Still looking for an elegant stuffing to impress your guests on Thanksgiving? Here are two recipes from two winery chefs – one in Napa, and one in Sonoma – that go above and beyond. The first recipe is from Jeff Mosher, chef at Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. If you don’t [...]
Maybe it’s the early morning light and the cool nights, but I’ve found myself turning to the slow cooker once again for making hearty bean dishes and braised meats. This Mexican Pot Roast from Santa Rosa Junior College cooking instructor Mei Ibach, which she adapted from a recipe from John [...]
“An excellent lunch or light supper need be no more than a good soup.” – Julia Child I spent Friday night cooking up some of Julia Child’s favorite soups with chef Mary Bergin of Sur La Table, a pastry chef who worked with Child on her [...]
Even though the fall days have been warm and sunny, autumnal evenings cool off quickly. In the kitchen, I have started thinking about comfort foods such as braised meats, which can be slow cooked to perfection in a complex, deep-flavored sauce. After stopping by Sur La Table recently and tasting these [...]
Restauranteur Charlie Palmer takes on a new role as guest judge on tonight's episode of "Top Chef"
The Gravenstein apples are dropping off the trees quicker than you can say apple pie. And behind them, there’s a whole slew of heirloom apples ready for slicing, dicing and baking through October. Here’s a recipe from Josh Silvers of Syrah Bistro in Santa Rosa for a yummy apple cake [...]
For years, Santa Rosa has been missing a key ingredient for its sweet success: a really good, high-end ice cream shop. Sebastopol has Screaming Mimi’s. Healdsburg has the Downtown Bakery. Even sleepy little Sonoma has a Ben & Jerry’s. Now, 38 years after it launched its first three flavors from its home base in the Bronx in New York, a Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop has opened in the former Bud’s Coffee space in the Santa Rosa Plaza. Not only that, but for its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 15, Haagen-Dazs is going to award one lucky customer free ice cream for a year. That’s right, you heard me. We’re talking 365 scoops of pure, guilty pleasure. And as the cherry on top, the store will be giving away another 500 scoops of free ice cream that day to the first 500 customers to walk through the door. In your favorite flavor, natch. Owner Todd Reed, a North Bay native who used to own Toobtown and Q-Zar in Rohnert Park, opened the store in early June along with a sister franchise, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory shop. “I hooked up with Rocky Mountain first, then added Haagen-Dazs,” he said. “Ice cream and chocolate seemed like a pretty good idea.” Reed is getting a kick out of watching people’s faces when they duck into his shop for a quick treat. “I see everybody – kids, ladies and guys,” he said. “They just start smiling and giggling.” Can you name those first three flavors of Haagen-Dazs? Here’s a hint: Crème brulee wasn’t one of them. Since we’re talking ice cream, here’s a recipe for one of America’s all-time favorites: a root beer float. Place a glass mug in the freezer until frosted. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the mug and slowly pour the root beer on top. Then top with a second scoop of vanilla. What kind of ice cream and root beer? That’s up to you. Tell me your favorite and I’ll enter it into another contest we’re cooking up around here: a root beer float tasting. […]
Welcome to the new Kitchen Talk blog. Here's a run-down of what the different categories mean on the right-hand side of this blog. Entries will be grouped in those categories, when appropriate. Categories: “What’s Cooking” focuses on seasonal ingredients, tips for leftovers, cooking on a budget and ideas for keeping [...]
Kitchen Talk, by Press Democrat staff writer Diane Peterson, is the ultimate guide for Wine Country home cooks who want to know the secrets of transforming our fresh bounty of veggies, cheeses and meats into simple but elegant meals worthy of a Michelin star. Whether you cook every night or just on holidays, you can channel your inner Thomas Keller when you know where to find the best ingredients along with recipes that won’t break the bank, or your confidence. Pour a glass of wine, grab a cutting board and learn to shop and chop like a pro. You’ll be healthier and wealthier – with change in your pocket for that special bottle of wine or dinner out – and you’ll be eating better to boot.
