These chocolate balsamic truffles are romantic and a perfect gesture to your special someone. They are made with few but fine ingredients. I used a chocolate box I bought for $1 at a bakery down my street. The sign is made on construction paper. Doesn’t it look pretty! Such a wonderful recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.
According to SF Weekly, Taco Bell‘s getting sued by a California woman who is pissed that the fast-food chain’s beef products contain so little actual meat, they’re guilty of false advertising.
“The class-action suit, which does not ask for money, objects to Taco Bell calling its products “seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef.” It says Taco Bell’s ground beef is made of such components as water, isolated oat product, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate, as well as some beef and seasonings.”
Hmm…interesting because that is not what Taco Bell’s President, Greg Creed, says.
I love apples. I eat about 2-3 Fuji apples a day. I buy them all around the city…Chinatown to Haight, mom-and-pop shops, grocery chains, and even, if I am lucky, straight from the growers. I thought I’d share some of the great health benefits of these crunchy, juicy, sweet, and colorful fruits.
Here are ten reasons to heed the advice of that old proverb ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’
Bone Protection
French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.
Asthma Help
One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.
Alzheimer’s Prevention
A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Lower Cholesterol
The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.
Lung Cancer Prevention
According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.
Breast Cancer Prevention
A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.
Colon Cancer Prevention
One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.
Liver Cancer Prevention
Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.
Diabetes Management
The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.
Weight Loss
A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.
Synesso Hydra at Contraband Coffeebar
We’ve been waiting on Contraband Coffeebar so long it was starting to feel like Christmas. And in fact, after finally resolving permitting issues, the Larkin Street café opened its doors on Christmas Eve. It was an early present to the neighborhood. Despite being a longstanding bustling retail corridor, Polk Gulch has never had a destination coffee spot. Hell, there hasn’t even been a relatively good coffee shop in the area. But Contraband changes that. It serves great coffees in a pleasant setting. In short, it was worth the wait.
The cafe has a gleaming interior with lots of clean lines and white walls, and ample seating. I liked how many of the seats were arranged in a shared fashion that discourages laptop campers from taking up an entire table. Seats at the bar, along the window, and at a large shared table in the middle of the cafe should ensure nobody will have to stand with a drink while another customer takes up a table and two chairs while surfing the Internet. But of course the setting just serves the service, which was great.
The Synesso Hydra espresso machine on the front counter is both gorgeous, and a great way for San Franciscans to check out a new pressure profiling system that isn’t a Slayer (pressure profiling allows baristas to use different pressures to suit a particular roast). Contraband was also serving pour-over from V60s, and I spied a Chemex on the shelf outfitted with a Coava Kone, the first Kone I’ve seen in a café in the wild in San Francisco.
And not only do they have a great setup, Contraband even roasts its own beans. On my visit, there were four coffees to choose from, two Latin Americans, one Yirgacheffe from from Ethipoia, and an Indonesian from Bali. All can be ordered as pour-over drip coffees, or as espresso drinks.
I ordered the Balinese two ways, as an espresso and also served as a pour-over drip. The espresso was perfectly prepared, and was deliciously tangy and fruity. My only complaint was that it was served in a shot glass. (I’d prefer a demitasse.) But both the espresso and coffee were well-roasted and prepared, with lots of stone fruit flavors, and were overall quite delightful. So, too was owner Josh Magnani, who was enthusiastic about finally surmounting permitting issues to open and talking the cafés range of coffees
If you want to check out Contraband’s range of coffees, they offer tastings on Saturdays at 2:30. That’s also when they break out the Kone, which isn’t normally used for regular drink service. In short it’s worth a trip, and if you’re a coffee geek who lives in the neighborhood, this should be your new regular spot.
Source: 7×7.com: Locked & Loaded: Meet Contraband Coffee, the City’s Newest Roaster
The skinny on the city’s newest chic/bad-ass coffeehouse…Contraband Coffee Bar.
The space is located where long-time running bar, John Barleycorn, served up stiff drinks to loyal customers in Lower Nob Hill. Since the place closed down over three years ago, no business has been executed in the space. The neighborhood agrees that there has been sufficient amount of time to mourn the loss of the bar.
So the question was, who would have enough kahunas to take over? Enter: co-founders Josh Magnani, from Mission Beach Cafe, and business mind Nathan Wyss.
San Francisco natives and gourmets, Magnani and Wyss want only the best coffee and local delicacies for the bar. The beans solely come their roaster based out of Oakland and espresso served up in shot glasses. An homage to John Barleycorn himself? Most likely. The cafe will feature empanadas from a local baker, Dynamo donuts, and a few other pastries featuring local artisans. Also, art from bay area artists will be displayed on the sleek walls and rotated monthly.
Contraband Coffee Bar is to open December 15, 2010.
1415 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Meet renown baker and Tartine Bakery co-owner Chad Robertson as he signs his latest book, Tartine Bread.
Considered by many to be the best bread baker in the United States Robertson developed his unique bread over two decades of apprenticeship with the finest artisan bakers in France and the United States. The book provides delicious recipes, gorgeous photographs, and step-by-step inspiration for making this daily staple in your own home. Tartine baked goods will be served!
Robertson will also be joined by his wife, pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt, to sign copies of their acclaimed cookbook Tartine.
For information on location and directions, FunCheapSF
What is it about Nutella…the creamy chocolatey rich hazelnut spread?
It’s delicious and feeds every person’s inner child. The Italian equivalent of American peanut butter, Nutella is so versatile and satisfying. Spread it on a slice of toast or eat it with a spoon. For the sake of the holidays, let us bake!
Nutella Linzer Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart
)
makes 2 dozen cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup nutella
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse hazelnuts, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to a bowl. Add butter and granulated sugar; mix until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out circles with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the circles with a 1/2-inch cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake circles until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Spread nutella onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones.
Off The Grid is one of my favorite San Francisco foodie events. On a sweet and sour note, tonight is the season finale of Off the Grid 2010 at Fort Mason Center – but they’re going out with a bang.
The hours are extended from 5pm to 10pm and there’s a whopping 26 different food trucks and street food vendors include brand new ones, Tastey Food Vietnamese and the JapaCurry Truck.
Four live bands rock out for five hours while you eat including Funcheap favorite Soft White Sixties with their swaggering and sexy rock and roll starting around 8:30pm.
Rain or shine, go on out and see what this city has to offer.
Info from FuncheapSF
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The Cute Epicure 