Food Favorite

Last week on the Epicurious blog Tanya Steel wrote about serving a Proscuitto and Taleggio macaroni and cheese to a friend who it turned out, preferred the blue boxed verson. When I was little I enjoyed that mac and cheese that comes in a box too. But years later when I tried it again, I realized it wasn't very good. The sauce made from powder was artificial tasting and the macaroni was pasty. As an adult there is no question, my tastes had changed.

The other packaged food I remember liking way back when, was Stouffer's French Bread Pizza. I still remember how tasty that crunchy pizza was. Of course, if I tried it now I would probably not be as impressed, but as a 13 year old babysitter, it seemed like a very delicious treat.

I'd rather recreate what I loved about those french bread pizzas than be disappointed trying the original version. This recipe took a couple of tries to get right. It's a little messy but also savory, crisp and cheesy. In other words, delicious! Once you have the technique down, you could probably make other versions too. I developed this recipe to go with an Argentinean Malbec.

Portabello & Sausage French Bread Pizza

4 to 6 Servings

1 loaf French bread
3 Italian sausages, hot or mild
1 Tablespoon flour
1/4 cup red wine (Malbec is perfect)
2 large Portabello mushrooms
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices Provolone cheese, about 8 ounces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the bread lengthwise and in half so you have four equal portions. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about five minutes then remove while preparing the topping. Meanwhile prepare the mushrooms by wiping clean with a paper towel and removing the stem. Thinly slice the mushrooms and set aside.

Remove casing from sausages and crumble into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and continue cooking for another minute or two. Add the wine and stir the mixture then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up the bottom of the pan. Mushrooms will release their juices and turn brown. Cook another few minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Take skillet off the heat and mix in the Parmesan cheese.

Spread the sausage and mushroom mixture evenly on top of the bread halves. Cut each slice of cheese in half and place on top. Bake for five to ten minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut each piece in thirds to serve.

Enjoy!

FOOD

Ever since Lee's doctor told him to eat a little chocolate everyday, I've kept a stash of over 70% cocoa chocolate bars in a drawer in the kitchen. My everyday bar is Chocovic's Ocumare which uses Venezuelan criollo beans. That's probably why I am so fond of Michael Mischer's chocolate bars which also rely on the Venezuelan criollo. They aren't easy to find in San Francisco but today you can not only find them, but also find Michael Mischer of Michael Mischer Chocolates from noon until 2 at Fog City News. You just know there are going to be samples, right?

Fog City News sells one of the largest selection of chocolate bars anywhere. They sell all kinds of chocolate and are a good place to find something unusual or hard-to-find from the world over, including Valrhona’s new 2006 Vintage Estate Grown chocolate bars, Coppeneur of Germany, Rococo of London, Domori of Italy, and more. The shop is located downtown just a hop skip and a jump from the Ferry Building. If you are in the neighborhood stop by and pick up something to add to your stash. After all, variety is the spice of life and one great chocolate bar deserves another.

Next Monday, May 7th from noon to 2 you can meet Lloyd and Lindy Marin of Chocolate Visions in Scotts Valley. I know nothing about their chocolate so if you do check it out, report back! It does appear they make confections as well as bars so perhaps you'll find something for Mother's Day?

On Wednesday May 9th one of the great American chocolate innovators, Katrina Markoff of Vosge Haut Chocolate will be in the shop from noon until 2.

And finally on May 10th you can meet another local chocolatier who actually supplies the chocolate to many local confectioners like Charles Chocolates and Recchiuti. Gary Guittard of E. Guittard line of chocolates will be at the shop from 1 until 2:30.

Fog City News
455 Market Street (between First and Fremont)
San Francisco
415.543.7400
Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm
First Saturday of the Month from 11 am – 5 pm

FOOD + CHOCOLATE

I have ice cream on the brain. And it's not that headache you get from eating too much of the stuff, it's the feeling that everywhere I turn, there it is again. Symptoms include a combination of the publication of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz and A Passion for Ice Cream by Emily Luchetti plus several newish places that have sprung up where you can get premium crack ice cream. I'm beginning to think ice cream is the new cupcake.

So what's a girl to do? I have no room in my packed freezer for a canister to make ice cream, I barely have room for a pint. The idea of an old-fashioned ice cream maker or even an electric version that uses rock salt and ice won't work for me. It's just not apartment friendly. I desperately want that Glace-A-Tron 6000 that Derrick keeps talking about. Speaking of which, cut it out, Derrick! Even on sale the monster costs over $200. The ice cream in David's book are really what have me itching to make it myself, especially the chic flavors like Roquefort-Honey, Prune-Armagnac and Orange-Szechuan pepper.

For now I'm stuck getting the fabulous fresh banana ice cream from the Original Swenson's (not affiliated with the Swenson's chain) just up the block from my house and ordering Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream when I happen to be somewhere that serves it like Gialina in Glen Park. When I find myself around Fourth Street in Berkeley there's a good chance I'll be at Sketch, my favorite Italian style ice cream shop. But if anyone wants to sell really top-notch ice cream in San Francisco, please come to my neighborhood. Swenson's could use the competition.

READ MORE Over at Bay Area Bites is my take on a new computer game called Chocolatier.