Oola's Baby-Back Ribs

In April, we attended a New Zealand Wine Tasting Event in San Francisco. A restaurant named Oola's was offering free samples of their baby back ribs. I took one bite and got back in line for a second sample. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and crispy. The sauce was sweet and savory and totally addictive. My march to become more of a vegetarian came to a halt right there.

Although we returned to the wine tasting (which was wonderful), I kept wondering if I could disguise myself enough to stand in line for a third sample of those ribs. When I decided that I probably could, I made my way back to their booth but couldn't disguise my disappointment when I saw they were out of ribs and closing down their operation. I took one of their business cards and promised to visit them soon.

We headed for Oola's a few weeks later. Could those ribs really have been that good? Truth is, they were actually better than I remembered. The secret? The ribs are braised for hours then deep fried ...yes, deep fried! You wouldn't know it unless you read the recipe ~ check it out.

Pre-ribs, we ordered a few appetizers and I can only sing more praises for the Cheeseboard, the Beet Salad and the Steak Tartare. Each provided pops of flavor that stopped all table talk. (Mmmmm-ing while eating = really good. Silence= outrageously good, talk to you later.)

The Beet Salad deserves a special shout-out: beets and watermelon, another surprising combo that really works. I wonder who imagined that partnership...or maybe they were just too close to each other on the cutting board one day and Voila! Or should I say "Oola!"

The All-In-One Sandwich~A True Man-wich

Imagine this: you are fed up with having to put down your sandwich to eat your fries and then, oh bother, you have to pick up a fork to eat your coleslaw. Well, that must have been going through the mind of one (or both) of the Giordano Brothers when they decided to throw it all between 2 pieces of bread. Their All-In-One Sandwich is one manly objet d'art. You don't have to let go to have it all!

And to think, I didn't even want to try it. My husband and daughter invited me to come along and watch while they did. (How could I refuse an offer like that? I'm joking.) So I went, prepared to observe and watch them struggle to eat the thing.

Somehow the Bros managed to get your choice of meat, a slice of provolone cheese, a fistful of coleslaw and an order of fries smashed between two pieces of crustless white bread. The secret has got to be the bread. It doesn't crack, fall apart or explode. It's spongey but not soggy. You get the picture? I don't know what it's made of... but it works to hold it all together.

Both daughter and hubby were doing that humming thing...like "mmmmmmm, this is good. You gotta have a bite." So I did...and it was surprisingly good. The french fries added a salty, crunchy texture. They would have been terrific on their own. The roast turkey meat was fresh. The coleslaw was not dripping with sauce and added a veggie-crunch to the mix. The cheese got lost and I didn't know it was in there until I saw it on the menu. And that bread, their secret weapon, held all those ingredients together and tasted fresh.

It actually took 3 of us to eat one sandwich but I saw several tables of guys who weren't sharing theirs.

Larger than LIfe Fruit

Art, whimsey and a food theme are a delightful combination. When I saw larger than life fruits and vegetables from the Cohn-Stone Studios displayed in an actual garden, I was certain one of their pieces belonged in my kitchen window.

Cohn-Stone are known nationwide for their hand blown glass pumpkins which are gorgeous and come in all sizes. What really caught my eye was their new pieces which include very large glass apples, pears, squash, peaches, tomatoes, pomegranates and flowers. How could I pick just one? It was Mother's Day, it was raining and they were having a Mothers Day Garden Tea and Spring Sale, so off we go.

I was leaning toward selecting 3 large pears until I saw what they had on sale. The choice ended up being between an apple or peach. So I picked an apple that I could turn in a way that the color and shape could look like a peach. I sent a picture to my daughter and she responded by asking "What is it? A peach or an apple?" Good, it worked...I had a two for one.

"How big is my luscious apple-peach?" 9 1/2 inches tall with a circumference of 24 inches. I'm delighted ~ it absolutely glows with the light from the window. And there is plenty of room for that garden to grow!

Donut Muffin: A Trip to the Source

My brother, who is one of my first "followers" on this blog, asked what I would be writing about. He commented that I just couldn't keep writing about the Donut Muffin. Well, actually, Bro, I could...they are that good. And did I mention they are "baked" not "fried"?

So here is the sequel: Donut Muffin: A Trip to the Source. The motivation: as the weather got colder and damper, the donut muffins available at the outdoor booth at the SF Farmer's Market got colder and damper. Not so good. The fix: Drive to the source ~ Healdsburg and the Downtown Bakery and Creamery. Goal: to get them when they first came out of the oven. I called to confirm the time the first batch would be ready and was told 7:15 am. The dilemma: Healdsburg is over 2 hours away, would we really get up early and drive there by 7:15 am? Probably not.

Then when my daughter needed a ride to SF airport for a very early flight... the plan started to come together. My husband & I would drop her off at 5:30am then head for Healdsburg. We were up anyway. It was perfect.

I didn't know they had such thick fog inland but I saw nothing on the 1 1/2 hour drive except the pavement several feet in front of the car. Joe slept, this was my obsession and I was determined to arrive just before those muffins popped out of the oven.

We parked in front of the Bakery and watched them open the doors. I'd like to say the Donut Muffin adventure had a happy conclusion, it did not. Disappointedly, the muffins were warm but they fell flat...literally, the tops collapsed or never rose. I figured there was a glitch or the real baker took the day off. I cheered myself up with a sticky bun, an apricot pastry and a chocolate croissant. Wondering if I should at least let them know their muffins were small, flat and not at all like the ones at the Farmer's Market! They had displayed the muffins with the collapsed tops in a glass case. I decided to let it go. By this time the line of customers was out the door and I was tired and sinking in to sugar shock from my consolation pastries, which were excellent, by the way.

But, yes, my friend, there is still a happy ending. We ordered breakfast. And here is where the morning hit a high note ~ The Poached Eggs on Polenta became my new best friend. If you've never had those two together it is really worth trying. I silently forgave them for the botched Donut Muffins (I'd wait until spring and resume my trek to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market) and savored my new discovery. The dish also included fennel, spinach and goat cheese...absolutely divine and well worth the drive.

One Weekend, Two Hikes

I'm still exploring how to use this blog. I never know how the pictures are going to arrange themselves. Looks like they just made a looong column down the middle ~ so I hope you scroll down to find my "story".

This past weekend was one that reminds us why we live in California ~ cloudless, azure blue skies, warm breezes and, since it's spring, those soon-to-be golden hills are cool, green and lush. Wild flowers tinted the hills in pastel purples and blues. It was the perfect time to be outside.

We decided to take advantage of the great parks we have nearby. Coyote Hills Regional Park is near the Dunbarton Bridge (east side). The hiking trails go along the Baylands and provide some terrific views of soaring birds, rolling hills and the Bay. See middle picture above. The trails weren't crowded and have gentle grades so we could enjoy the view.

The second day we headed inland for Sunol Regional Park (bottom picture). We hiked the trail out to "Little Yosemite". Given our recent rainfall, we figured the creek and waterfalls would be flowing. And they were. (top picture). This trail was more challenging with a little steeper inclines. When we saw the families with strollers moving right up those inclines, we decided to start working out again.

Then comes the best part, we set-up our camp chairs under a big tree near the creek and pulled out our latest books and read for about an hour. The entire forest became our living room. We could hear the creek, the birds, the breezes rustling the tree tops...and another familiar sound. Yep, Joe was snoring. I guess with two hikes in two days he deserved a nap.

Downtown Bakery's Donut Muffin

If I could sing, I'd sing a song to celebrate the Donut Muffin. It was love at first bite. With it's crunchy sugary top, cake-like texture and no hole ~ it combines the best of two worlds.

Don't know how we first found them at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer's Market. Somehow we ended up in line at the booth with the banner that read: Downtown Bakery & Creamery ~Healdsburg. People were recommending the sticky buns, the apricot pastries and the donut muffins. We got them all. They were all excellent...but the donut muffin , that was something special.

You'll find me most Saturdays up in SF with a donut muffin in one hand and a Blue Bottle Coffee latte in the other...totally blissed out. Join me?

Bouquets to Art ~ De Young Museum, SF

If you love flowers and art this is the most amazing event ~The 26th annual Bouquets to Art Exhibition was held at the de Young Museum on April 20-24. It featured 150 floral displays interpreting the museum's permanent collection.

Florists from around the Bay Area created original and very unique arrangements that mirrored the color, line and feeling of a specific work of art. I've included my favorites here. My friend, Maureen, and I were marvelling for several hours at the amazing creativity and the unique materials used. The way each arrangement caught the essence of the painting was truly remarkable.

Glad I finally made it..only missed 25 of them...but I'll be going back next year for sure!