I think this is a killer one-pot dish for a dank, inclement night although, in point of fact, I'm cheating, because neither beets, nor my protein of choice - young goat shanks, from the Owen Family Farm up in Hopland - are technically in season right now. But the mild heat and smoky undertone from the chilies, together with the spicy-sweet peppery jam of the wine, seemed a natural bedfellow for dense, rich, and slightly gamy flavors...
Where do you get 'em in Sonoma County?
The Costco Report: Episodic observations on where to port safely, and what to avoid like a pestilence, when navigating an ocean of consumer non-durables... In today's edition, a big finger wag at the Big C for abandoning some of our local dairies, and Taquitos From Hell.
First Munch Monday in Santa Rosa draws hundreds, and is leading to a shift in how we think about food
Gourmet market and cafe opens in Sebastopol
About a month ago, I bitched about out-of-season avocados, specifically the dark green monuments of Giza on display at my local Safeway, on sale at a seemingly unbeatable price of a buck per. For whatever reason - I, of course, speculate in that earlier post, but can't say definitively - they were appalling: Watery, mealy, flavorless, an ultimately disgusting pale green mush and affront to guacamole everywhere. Well, today (in point of historical fact, two nights ago) I got to eat my words: Said avocados are now $1.25, but - and this is the important thing - they actually taste pretty damn good.
At some point, I'll get around to writing a longer treatise on the wonders - consisting, in roughly equal proportion, of cardiac perfidy and gustatory revelation - of In-N-Out's "Animal Style" offerings. But not today. Today - and, if you saw my recent column on Savory Onion Jam, I guess you'd say all week - I have eyes only for condiments, and few condiments inspire like In-N-Out's insanely caramelized onions.
Downtown Santa Rosa eatery gets a new lease on life
Forthcoming nightclub to be called "Rapture"
Yesterday, as I was blabbering about cooking with friends, I tried to argue that the biggest prize from letting another cook into your kitchen is, aside from some help with the dishes, the potential to eat a meal that you'd not otherwise have thought of. A case in point comes courtesy of a dear friend's torrid love affair with thermal immersion circulators and my new favorite condiment: A pitch-perfect finger sandwich of pork loin sous-vide, local blue cheese, and savory onion "jam".
