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Atelier Crenn – Three Michelin Take Out
I’ve been to a decent amount of Michelin Restaurants, I’ve been to two-three star Michelin restaurants, and I promise under normal circumstances, there is a ZERO percent chance that any of them thought they would ever be doing take out. Yet here we are. Atelier Crenn, headed up by superwoman star Chef Domenique Crenn, is a three Michelin star powerhouse in the Marina. Crenn notoriously had a two star rating for many years before finally pushing over the edge to finally achieve the final star. She also owns Bar Crenn, a 1 Michelin Star restaurant, next to Atelier Crenn, and Petit Crenn in Hayes Valley In case you have never…
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How to Make Pancakes Like Cowgirl Creamery
My girlfriend said this was one of the best things I have made her, and only took about an hour our so start to finish. As easy as pancake mix is, there is always something missing, and this takes you away from a traditional syrup topping, which is nice. Cowgirl Creamery is an amazing artisan organic cheese producer in Point Reyes, I don’t think there is a cheese I don’t like from them. Even better that it is local. A cookbook may seem weird for a cheese producer, but when you do a little digging and start to learn more about owners Peggy and Sue’s background, it starts making sense.…
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How to Make Chocolate Pudding from Tartine
I haven’t had pudding in a longggggg time. I think of snack packs, Billy Madison, and little kids when I think about pudding, until I saw this recipe from Tartine. The Bakery is a mission district staple and frequently has long lines. I usually do not make these types of items either, so everything was a little foreign overall. Just a heads up, there is a good amount of hand mixing needed, so time to muscle up. I was shocked by the amount of corn starch in the bowl, I don’t think I’ve seen that much outside of a can, but I promise it works out. There are a few…
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How to Make a Tacolicious Margarita
The T-lish Margarita. Classic. The Marg is arguably the best after work drink in my humble opinion. Tacolicious us known well for their margaritas, and their over priced tacos, but most are in agreement that it’s all worth the price of admission. Well, what if I were to tell you, you cold easily make the T-lish Marg at home? Well it really it easy, there is only one small refinement that the restaurant takes that maybe a normal amateur at home bar tender would not, and that is making agave syrup. Agave syrup is made from 1 part Agave Nectar, and 1 part water, much like making a simple syrup.…
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How to Make Green Beans from Slanted Door
Looking to elevate your green beans? Yeah me too. Slanted Door is a modern Vietnamese establishment that has moved through a few locations in the city before landing in the Ferry Building. I really love their cookbook and its simplicity, and also has the best cookbook story about when Bill Clinton as president dropped in unannounced when he was visiting Chelsea while at Stanford. I wouldn’t say these are the best green beans I have had, those go to Hawker Fare, but this is a great start to elevating your green bean game. Chefs note – I actually halved the green bean amount and kept everything else about the same…
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How to Make Pan d’epi Bread Like Bouchon Bakery
Bouchon Bakery is a pretty amazing place. Nestled in the town of Yountville in Napa Valley California. Yountville is a very small town with one main street lined with amazing restaurants, particularly lined with restaurants owned by Thomas Keller. Other TK establishments on the block at Ad-Hoc, Addendum, Bouchon, La Calenda, AND THE FRENCH freaking LAUNDRY. If you are going just for the bakery, there is almost always a line. So be prepared for that. Just about everything I have had there is awesome, it’s a place to always stop by when you are there, unless the line is seriously out of hands, but still kind of worth it. There…
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How to Make Pizza Dough from A16
The Marina classic establishment. Known as a staple on Chestnut street, A16 has some of the better Italian food in the area. They focus on Neapolitan style pizzas, gutsy slow cooked meat dishes, and handpicked wines. If you have not had the chance to dine here, it’s a great spot and highly recommend. Pizza should be fun. Which is why I wanted to show you how to make a high caliber dough recipe, and then leave the rest of the Za up to your imagination. This recipe yields 4 dough balls. One thing to keep in mind with this recipe, like most of the ones I review, take a good…
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How to Make Churros from Nopalito
Who doesn’t like a churro? Honestly? Nopalito has a great reputation in San Francisco with two different locations in the Inner Sunset and Panhandle. It was actually one of the first dates that I went on with my girlfriend, so it happens to hold a special place in my heart. But so do churros. This past Saturday, we had a pretty serious sweet tooth and looked up this recipe. We also happened to have all of the ingredients, and I think what this showed was how much you can elevate you cooking with a little bit of effort. Are they hard to make? Well, not really but kind of is…
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How to Make Ravioli with Ricotta and Quail Egg Ravioli from SPQR
SPQR (An acronym for the Latin translation of The Senate and the People of Rome) is a 1 Michelin star restaurant in the Fillmore district of San Francisco know for their handmade pastas. I have multiple friends who count this as their favorite pasta place in the city. The cookbook is rather interesting as it is self described in the second paragraph “not intended to be a restaurant cook… rather it is a slow paced passeggiata, an Italian stroll, taken along the ancient Roman roads of central and northern Italy. While that sounds great and all, me personally, I am looking for more of the restaurant cookbook to learn more…
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How to Make Irish Coffee Like The Buena Vista
An SF classic. The Buena freakinggg Vista Irish Coffee. They were the ones that literally made the Irish Coffee famous. BV is a favorite of mine, families, and friends. It’s a strange place where locals and tourists somehow mesh together in the almost unvisitable Fishermans Wharf area. The Irish Coffees at BV is so good and warms your soul instantly on those cold days that Karl is in full force over the bay. Also, if you are in a rush, you can actually get one to go (local secret). The Irish Coffee is simple, but complex. However, very doable if you follow the right steps. Some of the bartenders have…