Category General

Need a Recipe for Mother’s Day Brunch?

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General, Menus and Recipes Tagged with , , , May 6th, 2010 @ 1:54 pm

Still haven’t figured out what you’re doing for Mom on Mother’s Day? How about whipping up this yummy Asparagus Breakfast Bread Pudding with Green Garlic and Fontina? A far cry from your typical scrambled eggs, this deliciously cheesy breakfast bread pudding is sure to impress!

Want to learn how to make more delicious brunch dishes? Treat Mom to Parties That Cook’s Mother’s Day Brunch Cooking Class in San Francisco or Chicago! Did we mention the complimentary mimosas?

Ingredients:

1 pound French bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, minced (about ½ cup)
1 spring leek, cleaned and chopped
2 clove garlic, minced (or 2 green garlic stalks, white part minced)
1 bunch asparagus, tough stems removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
10-ounces spinach, wilted in a dry pan, squeezed to remove water and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups grated)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
Cooking spray

Methods/Steps:
Dry Bread: Heat oven to 375ºF.  Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake until dry and stale-feeling, about 5-10 minutes. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.)  Set aside.

Sauté Vegetables: Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat.  Sauté minced onions and leek until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, asparagus, wilted spinach, and wine.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes.  Transfer to medium bowl; set aside.

Assemble: Whisk eggs in a large bowl until combined; whisk in heavy cream, half of the Fontina cheese, sautéed vegetables, thyme, parsley, lemon zest and juice and salt. Add bread. Combine then let sit for 5 minutes so the liquid can be absorbed.

Bake: Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray (or 8 ramekins). Spoon bread mixture into the pan; sprinkle remaining cheese over surface.  Bake until both edges and center are puffed and slightly golden, about 25-30 minutes.  Cool slightly; serve. Serves 8 as a main course for breakfast.

Recipe created by Parties That Cook® www.PartiesThatCook.com.

The Latest Bay Area Gourmet Ghetto

2 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General Tagged with , , , , May 4th, 2010 @ 2:12 pm

You may have heard of Berkeley’s famous “gourmet ghetto” around Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse, and you’ve surely heard the term applied to SF Mission’s 18th Street strip since the opening of Tartine Bakery, Delfina, Pizzeria Delfina and Bi-Rite Creamery.  But have you heard of the gourmet ghetto on Fillmore?

With TacoBar finally opening up for dinner in Pacific Heights last night and Citizen Cake reopening in its new location in the heart of Fillmore Street this month, what exactly is the deal with the latest dubbed “Gourmet Ghetto? “  According to Parties That Cook’s founder, Bibby Gignilliat, who also lives in the neighborhood, the Gourmet Ghetto designation comes from the real estate world alluding to the fact that hot restaurateurs and chefs have recently moved or opened satellite locations in the Upper Fillmore section of Pacific Heights. While this section of Pacific Heights was unaffordable to those same chefs and restaurateurs when they first started on the scene, now that they have become more established they have flocked to the area to create an incredible new foodie haven.

Shelly Lindgren, of A16, opened SPQR with Italian inspired cuisine and wine on Fillmore in 2007.  Pizzeria Delfina finally got into their space on California Street in 2008, after getting beat out for it by Zao Noodle Bar when they first looked at the space several years ago. Charles Phan, of The Slanted Door, opened Out the Door, combining Vietnamese cooking technique with local ingredients, late last year on Bush Street.  Dosa, an urban Indian dining experience showcasing regional Southern Indian specialties, recently opened up a second outpost at Fillmore and Post.  Other notable mentions in the area include Woodhouse Fish Company, Fresca for Peruvian cuisine, Florio for French fare, and La Boulange Café & Bakery (part of the Bay Bread Group).

With a plethora of cuisines from around the world, whether it be Mexican, Peruvian, Indian, Italian, French, Vietnamese or simply pizza or fresh bread, how can you resist paying a visit to this Gourmet Ghetto?  Familiar with any of these restaurants?  Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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