The Complex Amateur Food and Drink Blog

This is a great cookbook if you don’t have it already. It feels old based on the type of paper, barely any fancy marketing photos, and fairly straight forward recipes for the masses to enjoy. The writer and Chef at Zuni, Judy Rodgers, even explains that the recipes are not overly complicated, and that arguably the most important quality in a chef is picking out fresh ingredients. This Citrus Risotto dish is definitely one that highlights some of the local produce from the SF Ferry Building famous farmers market (yes it is still open on Saturdays!). Risotto actually sums up the blog pretty well. It tastes freaking amazing, but a…

French Fries are something most people don’t think about making at home unless it’s from the frozen aisle or maybe baked, but it can take those at home meals to another level with a small amount of extra clean up. If you aren’t familiar, Shake Shack is a dominant burger joint that has spread throughout the country with 249 locations at the time of this posting! Ridiculous burgers, amazing buns (which they don’t make in house, fun fact! Otherwise I would have done a post on it), and awesome fries. I think something that makes Shake Shack iconic besides the burger is their crinkle cut fries. Ever thought how they…

If there is one recipe I would recommend to my readers, this is the one. In the Ad-Hoc book, it’s the first recipe off the bat, and Mr. Keller even says, “If there is a better fried chicken, I have not had it”. Ad-Hoc is an amazing restaurant in Yountville (Napa) that differentiates itself from Keller’s other restaurants by focusing on family style dishes and making it a more casual affair compared to Bouchon or French Laundry. Monday’s is fried chicken night, so either head on up there or give this recipe a try so that you can compare it to the real thing. Cookbook – Ad-Hoc at Home Ingredients…

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…

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…

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…

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…