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what we love...
This is a delightful area where we will post short correspondence every few days on what we love ranging from products to recipes to who knows what, and updates on our new products. Feel free to stop back and see what we have added. We have intentionally built this page so no comments can be added to keep it clean and easy to maintain - so we can work more in the kitchen! Please note nothing here is an advertisement. |
September 4: BBB - Best Belgian Beer
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It has been unusually hot in San Francisco, and we are talking the 80s here. Beer is best, and when it comes to the best, Belgians know beer. And one of the most interesting is the Tripel Karmeliet. Tripel or Triple beers use three grains - which here are barley, oats and wheat. Then yeast is added to the bottle and further fermentation takes place - kinda like champagne - kinda but not really. This is why the bottles are usually so thick - to withstand the pressure, and why when you open them, they foam up so much when you pour. Now, like so many things, there are classifications, and when tasting Belgian beers many have similar taste characteristics, but this particular brew stands out for its unique taste. We only know of one place so far that sells it in SF called PlumpJack, so good luck finding it. But if you do, enjoy! |
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September 3: Favorite Farmers
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We are still reeling from the Slow Food Nation event this past weekend that we participated in both as vendors and our apricot jam was featured in the Taste Hall. It was such a totally amazing experience. For those of you who came to our booth and bought our jams, pickles and bbq sauce, thanks so much. We were lucky to also have the two ranches we buy our fruit from at this event: Van Dyke Ranch and Blossom Bluff. Yes, we did start making jam from our one Blenheim tree in our backyard, but that isn't enough to meet demand, so since last summer when we started selling to the public, we purchase our fruit exclusively from these two family-run orchards. We encourage you to buy the fresh fruit they sell directly, or at the farmers markets they sell at. |
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September 2: Yuzu Pepper Paste
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We love this Japanese yuzu citrus and pepper paste. You can buy it at Japanese markets such as Nijiya in California. It has a bitter citrusy flavor with some heat from the peppers. Last night we made crab cakes with a little (1/2 teaspoon) of it added in for some zing. We don't know what type of peppers are used, but from the picture they obviously are green. We use the paste in a variety of ways, but one good place is in crab cakes. Check our our recipe. |
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July 27: San Francisco Blenheim Jam
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Eric's brother lives in San Francisco and recently moved into a house in Potrero Hill - one of the sunniest and warmest areas in the city. The neighboring house surprisingly has a small blenheim apricot tree in the back yard. The fruit on it was beautiful with a deep orange color, pink blush and was blemish free. We were shocked to see a blenheim growing so well this far north, but it must be the sunny disposition of the neighborhood. The fruit was ripe much later than in the Santa Clara Valley that is much hotter in the summer - about two weeks behind. So, when we saw this tree, with amazing fruit still on the tree, we asked if we could pick it and make jam. The owners agreed and soon we will have a very small amount for sale. If you have a Blenheim tree in the Bay Area, we might do the same thing next year if you ask us - and we have the time. We just did this today so we haven't thought this through. Details about pricing and such would have to be worked out. But we like this idea of jam from single tree fruit from backyards. Isn't this the way it is supposed to be where everyone grows something to eat on their property and the surplus is shared? |
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July 24: Sean Thackery
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The month of July for us is basically non-stop apricot jam production where all else in our lives comes to a screeching halt. Sleep is rare, mail piles up, house cleaning ceases, socialzing evaporates, and hard physical labor predominates (loading 1000 lbs of apricots into our car every two days, hand washing, cutting, cleaning and inspecting hundreds of pounds of apricots every monrning for example), and all the complexities of a very carefully controlled process that is always tested by the follies of nature, make our summers anything but relaxing. After a long 14 hour shift, pleasures other sleep are few. However, a nice glass of wine with a quickly prepared dinner is something to look forward to. Sean Thackery is a master wine maker who makes some of the best wines that are almost impossible to find outside of restaurants. His affordable Pleiades is truely outstanding for $23. A blend of Syrah, Barbera, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Viognier etc. make for a haunting, tantelizing wine that never lasts more than a few hours. Thackery's website is full of translated ancient texts about wine, and a winefinder where you can locate his wines - both the budget we drink and the fancy stuff we have yet to find.
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May 29: Slow Food Nation Event
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From August 29 to September 1 the first national event by Slow Food USA will be held in San Francisco. We will have a booth in the Civic Center where we will have our Blenheim apricot and Elephant Heart plum jams available for pickup for local customers, and both products will be featured in their Taste Hall where you can sample them. This will be an amazing event that brings farmers and artisan food producers from around the US together. We highly encourage you to visit - what a perfect excuse to come to beautiful San Francisco! The Blenheim apricot, the mariposa plum and the elephant heart plum are all on the Ark of Taste by Slow Food USA - which is a list of foods that are in danger of extinction. The theory is to eat things to save them. By giving farmers a reason to grow these varieties isn't just about preserving amazing tasting foods, but keeping agricultural traditions alive throughout the American regions these crops have traditionally been grown. We are passionate supporters of Slow Food and encourage you to learn more on what you can do to save good food from disappearing. |
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May 10: Growing Apricots
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We snapped this photo today of some apricots on our tree. You can see the early blush that is created on the side the sun has the most exposure to. They also get freckles that when we cook the apricots and the skin becomes transparent look like black spots floating in the jam. We try to remove these since they don't look very nice, but if you get a jar with some little black spots in it - you know they are apricot freckles! In late March for a few hours it dropped down to freezing and ruined some of the early fruit of local trees. Luckily our tree survived as well as the orchard we get our additional fruit from. But there have been crops almost completely ruined years past from either too much rain or freezing temperatures. In our technologically advanced world, nature still has the upper hand when it comes to farming. |
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May 9: Rudolf Steiner and Skincare
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Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian occultist who is today best known for his invention of biodynamic agriculture used mostly in the wine industry. However, two companies that focus on personal care products use his idea of biodynamic farming: Weleda and Dr. Hauschka. We are big fans of both companies for their vision, corporate philosophy, quality products and environmentally friendly approach. Both products are found mostly in health food stores, but you can also buy them online. |
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May 8: Recycline
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We just discovered a company called Recycline that makes all kinds of cool kitchen and personal items out of 100 percent recycled plastic. While we prefer stuff made out of non-petroleum-based substances, the simple fact is some things are made of plastic, and there is tons of plastic being recycled that needs a new home. We like the toothbrushes and razors that you can mail to them when you are done for free and they will recycle them again. Current toothbrushes and razors etc. go in the garbage and sit for hundreds of years probably in landfill. Check out their products at their site and find a store near you that sells them: |
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April 21: Lawrence Weiner et al
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If you missed the show at the Whitney, it is currently on view at the MOCA in LA. Lawrence's work is very thought provoking and we love the manhole covers he did for NYC. You can also see the Weiner work online: |
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April 3: Van Keppel-Green
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Eric is currently writing a book on the industrial design team Van Keppel-Green, who were responsible for developing the concept of indoor/outdoor design. You can read more about VKG on a simple site he has made. |
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March 25: Screw Caps!
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If we had a dollar for every bottle of wine we bought and opened before dinner only to realize it was undrinkable because the cork allowed in air that ruined the wine, we probably could go on a very fancy vacation, somewhere exotic and for a long time. When we buy wine, we look for screw caps. We even wish wine shops had screw cap only sections to make our searching easier. While wine properly stored so the cork is always in contact with the wine can survive a long time, the reality is most wine is improperly stored. And what a horrible waste. Many people are resistant to screw caps since historically cheap jug wine used screw caps and due to this prejudice, wine shops don't buy that many. We would like to simply add that screw caps are great. They are better than cork. We have never had a corked bottle of wine with a screw cap, and there is never the trepidation when opening a screw cap bottle of wine that what is inside is some foul smelling, disgusting slosh. We spent years developing a naturally fruit infused soju (type of Asian vodka) but didn't follow through because manufacturing costs based on our process was just too expensive (think starting a new, aged-scotch-whisky business). However, we used only screw caps for aging in small bottles, and can say with authority that aging in a screw cap is better than cork. We have bottles that have been aging since 1999 and with bottle-to-bottle comparisons, quality is consistent and the few we did with cork didn't hold up, And the taste - oh, if only this were for sale. You would go nuts! Passionfruit, plum, cranberry, raspberry...., dry but not too dry, all organic and natural color from the fruit and full of antioxidants. But the subject of wine... One of our customers works for Quixote winery and they use only screw caps. And there is also the Loring Wine Company. If only more wineries did this! |
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March 25: Individual Biscotti
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We will start offering for wholesale single biscotti individually sealed in a compostable cellophane bag. These are perfect for coffee shops to place by the register, or any retail shop. The photos you see aren't the most beautiful, and if you look closely you can see the label is stuck on with clear tape since we just designed these yesterday and this is a mockup we printed out to see how it will look. These are currently for sale at a few shops in San Francisco such as Cal-Mart, Bryan's and Rainbow Grocery. If you are interested in purchasing these for your shop, drop us an email: |
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March 11: Best Biscotti
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Well our biscotti are finally for sale. The first flavor offered is one we have been making for nearly a decade. They are filled with Belgian chocolate, raw local almonds and hazelnuts we roast ourselves, and our own hand-made candied citron. The flavor combination is unlike anything you have ever tasted and incredibly delicious. We are the first food company to use a 100 percent biodegradable clear bag made from cottonwood trees. Just about all food packaged in plastic uses plastic that is not recyclable or biodegradable. We care about the environment and the health of people, so we do things differently. |
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January 23: Fukushu Kumquat Marmalade
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January in California is the height of citrus season and one of our favorite citrus is the fukushu kumquat. Now some people are scared of kumquats. You can eat the rind - yes that is weird at first, and the inside is lip puckeringly sour. Who would want to eat one? Well, it seems lots of people since kumquats have been grown and cultivated in China since the 14th century, in Japan since the 16th century, and California since the 1900s. The meiwa kumquat is the only variety sold in supermarkets and virtually all produce sections. The fukushu is really so much better. The rind is very sweet and has the most delicious tangy/orangey flavor. The pulp is sweeter than other kumquats, but still sour so it is traditionally eaten whole to get the sweet and sour flavor combination. We think of the pulp as just a tad less sour than a meyer lemon. So of course since the fukushu is the best kumquat we have tasted, we just had to make marmalade from it. This is marmalade like you never have tasted before. Other marmalade is of inferior quality fruit and the process to make it strips it of all its flavor. We have our own special way of making this jam (just like all our jams) that makes the flavor so true to the fruit, and so intense. We sold out within 24 hours. Next year we might make more. |
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January 10: Clean Dishes!
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When it comes comes to cleaning up after a party nothing beats a machine that will flawlessly clean even the heaviest soiled pots, glasses, plates and silverware in 2 minutes. Yes - two minutes! Welcome to the big leagues. Hobart is the most respected manufacturer of dishwashers, rack ovens, mixers etc. for the food industry and we can't say enough about how great their products are - even if they are designed and priced for professionals. And their LXi undercounter dishwasher, at a cool $5000, is the best you can get for home use. Not only is it beautiful, it is a beast when it comes to cleaning and sterilizing. If you do a lot of dishes, this machine is blazingly fast and very water efficient. |
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January 9: Creative Cooking
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We love public libraries and pay them a visit at least once a week it seems. Where else can you see your tax dollars put to good use? A few days ago we noticed this cookbook from the famed restaurant at the super luxe Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, Calif. and took it home. It is really special because not only are the recipes very creative in the use of ingredients and techniques, but this book is a great place to get ideas. At first glance recipes look complex and have many steps, but after spending some time reading the book, the steps are short and simple, and what is really nice is you can pick say one step such as a sauce, or a technique for tying a strip of fish into a disc, or grinding dried procini mushrooms and using the powder to coat fish to create a crust (not all recipes are for fish) - that you can incorporate into your own recipes. If you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen as much as we do, this book is a terrific source of inspiration. And unlike most cookbooks, this one you can actually curl up in bed and read. |
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January 8: Best Juicer
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We love freshly squeezed juice and if you don't know it already, freshly squeezed juice changes flavor quickly - and not for the better. That is why the fresh squeezed juice you buy in the market never tastes as good as if you squeeze it yourself and drink it right away. You can do a taste test yourself. Squeeze some fresh citrus juice and put in in the fridge for a day. Then compare it to freshly squeezed. The difference is amazing. Recently needed to find a juicer to help us gently press lemons for our upcoming Meyer lemon rub we will be making. After doing some research we settled on this Amco commercial juicer. Manual juicers are more gentle with the fruit, not to mention quiet, and this particular model is so powerful that you hardly need to apply any pressure and it extracts all the juice and pulp with little waste. You can use it with any type of citrus. The cheapest we could find was on Amazon for around $112. Just do a search online for "Amco OrangeX Commercial Juicer" and see what you can find. |
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January 5: Addictive Chips
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Almost impossible to find, these are really delicious corn chips worth seeking out. Made in Laguna Beach, Calif., and with no website, and in few stores, it will be a real treasure hunt to find a place that sells these. But get your hands on a bag and it is sure to disappear quickly. Today we just went shopping and bought a bag after a long, long hiatus and before we were home it was gone. Seasoned with soy sauce and a bit of lime, and ultra thin, these are amazing chips. Great with guacamole, but be careful they might be gone before you are finished making it. |
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December 22: Love Chocolate?
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Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé and written by Dorie Greenspan is one of the most beautifully photographed and well written cookbooks. If you love to bake, and love chocolate, this is the book for you. While some recipes have multiple steps and are perfect if you have time to spare and enjoy being in the kitchen, others are shorter and faster. As with all good cookbooks there is ample text explaining the recipe and its background. A definite must have and a perfect gift. |
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December 20: Best Skincare
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When it comes to staying healthy there is nothing like eating in moderation good, healthy and delicious food (this includes desserts), lots of physical exercise, maintaining a positive outlook, and of course skin care. Looking good means feeling good. And when it comes to skin health there is one company that is hands down the best. SKII. One of us has been using SKII daily for nearly ten years and while we aren't exactly Dorian Gray, this stuff works! The active ingredient, pitera, is derived from fermented rice. The best products are the all important facial treatment essence, the facial treatment milk and the advanced signs treatment. |
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December 18: What to Watch?
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We spend a lot of time relaxing while watching films. These can be those on the big screen or that we rent. When it comes to DVDs, The Criterion Collection offers a wonderful collection of independent-minded celluloid representations. |
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December 16: Buy Biodegradable
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We try to buy and use products that offer biodegradable packaging for our personal use as well as for the items we sell. Each time we see some type of product packaged with plastic we cringe. This stuff is normally not recyclable or biodegradable. Once you start to be on the look out for this, you will realize how many products come wrapped in plastic or use plastic in the packaging that cannot be put in the recycle bin or will break down in landfills. Fortunately there is a movement afoot to offer products that are easier on the environment. They are made from a wide range of organic matter such as sugar, corn, vegetable starch and specially grown trees. For example, the clear cellophane bags we package some of our products in are made from cottonwood trees and being 100 percent biodegradable, will break down in a compost pile in 30-60 days. More and more products are coming to the market like this and we encourage you to seek them out and use them. Email companies that aren't using biodegradable or recyclable products and demand they do. We purchase our products from a local company that sells all kinds of cool stuff like biodegradable cutlery, plates, bowls, to-go containers etc. online: Here are some other site for companies that sell biodegradable products: |
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December 14: Good Wood
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Today while shopping for presents we stumbled on a new shop that was selling some terrific cutting boards. What caught our eye was the cut out holes in all of them just like our labels. And who can't love bird's eye maple? They are made by Edward Wohl. Perfect for serving cake, cheeses, or if you are adventuresome enough, wax the bottom and take it for a ride down a snowy slope! |
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December 2 : Massaged Persimmons
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It's hoshigaki season right now. We love hoshigaki, which are dried persimmons that have been slowly massaged daily for a month to soften them and bring their natural sugars to the surface as a fine white powder that you can see above. The art of making hoshigaki is dying out and we are trying to keep it alive. This year we bought 60 lbs of the best hoshigaki we could find and sold it to our customers. Next year we will buy more. |
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November 14: Best Energy Drink
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Our new favorite way to keep on the go is the Sencha Shot. Unlike those other energy drinks loaded with sugar and more vitamins than you need, this is packed with green tea for a caffine boost as well as 152 mgs of catechin tea antioxidant. The flavor is a refreshing grassy clean taste with a hint of bitterness. |
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November 14: Delicious Dorie
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Dorie Greenspan has authored some excellent, must-have baking books such as Paris Sweets, Baking: From My Home to Yours, Baking with Julia, and her work with Pierre Herme (amazing books with stunning photography). She also has a great food blog that is lots of fun to read and offers recipes, great insight into all things dealing with French food, updates on new restaurants and shops, and so much more. |
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November 3: Indian Pizza
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We love all kinds of Indian food including chaat and yes, even pizza. Luckily we live in San Francisco where the very best, and perhaps the original Indian pizza is made. Imagine a traditional pizza with cheese but with curried spinach, cauliflower, eggplant, green onions and cilantro on top. Yum! There is also a meat version, but we have always gotten the vegetarian out of habit. If you ever visit SF, you have to visit Zante Pizza. |
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