San Francisco Food Blog

On the latest installment of Modern Marvels on the History Channel, the time line of the other white meat is traced from the introduction to America by Spanish explorers to its current genetically super-boosted ride to the plate. But, for us, it's all about the late-in-the-episode appearance of our own chef Chris Cosentino, who opens up his kitchen at Incanto (1550 Church at 28th St.) to prepare a couple of intriguing dishes: Pig brains with chanterelles, capers, and lemon brown butter, and chocolate panna cotta flavored with pig's blood. Fascinating, and not at all for the faint of heart.

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FaltyDL readies his knife for sushi-making.

​For 16 years, the San Francisco-based magazine XLR8R has brought an eagle ear to a stylish, international beat, covering a wide swath of experimental music, art, and culture. But, as one of the latest features on the online XLR8R TV demonstrates, the company also has a good eye when it comes to shooting a cooking show. Check out electronic dance producer FaltyDL's sushi instructional and see if it doesn't motivate you to roll your own -- or at least go out and eat fish immediately.

Adobo Hobo may be famous on Filipino TV, but the Crème Brûlée Cart is a rap icon in the making, apparently. Fatty Boomblatty's "Foodie's Paradise" song and video immortalizes the fiery sugar salesman to the tune of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise."



As it turns out, the video was shot as part of Fatty's insanely dedicated entry in the Go Game Street Food Scavenger Hunt for the S.F. Street Food Festival last month. Competitors were asked to film them rapping for the Crème Brûlée Guy, and "Foodie's Paradise" is the one that has continued to propagate as a (micro) viral offering since then.

Three other teams took on that particular challenge as well, though Team Twin TuTu was very liberal in its use of the term rap. And Cincoamigos -- well, they couldn't even keep a beat. Local chocolatiers the Sôcôla Sisters have also posted their own video and song called "Creme Brulee Man," although this one isn't a rap exactly.

Something like a phenomenon? Watch 'em after the jump.

Last Wednesday, we told you about the Creme Man and his roving Creme Brulée Cart, and after learning via his Twitter account that he'd be rolling through Dolores Park on this glorious Sunday, I caught up with him to ask a few questions.

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I'm the kind of a girl that, if she watched the Super Bowl, would watch it for the commercials.

(Chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt and CocoaBella owner Michael Freeman)

Last Saturday, our intrepid Web editor Janine Kahn and I hit up the original location of CocoaBella Chocolates (2102 Union), joining about 30 others for the store's first Top Chocolatier Pairing of artisan chocolates and alcohol. You may view our slideshow here, and we now have video of the chocolatiers to share.

The handsome Fritz Knipschildt of Norwalk, Connecticut could easily be the pin-up of the chocolate world, and he enhances that idea since all of his luxurious chocolate pieces are named after women. Here he speaks on a special variation of his Hannah piece that he created, aging aged balsamic vinegar to his liquid caramel enrobed in sea salted chocolate, which we enjoyed with a glass of Cornet et Cie Banyuls Rimage.

In this exclusive interview, Executive Chef Jonnatan Leiva of Jack Falstaff discusses his fantastic year, highlights of which include being named a "Rising Star Chef" by the Chronicle and appearing on Food Network's Challenge: The Next Great Chef. He also talks about his recent travels in Italy and extols the virtues of bison, focal point of his "Beer and Bison" dinner on Tuesday, November 18. The three-course meal (which costs $85, excluding tax and gratuity) will be a collaboration between Leiva, Nopa's Laurence Jossel, and Ravi Kapur of Boulevard and includes bison carpaccio and fried oysters, butternut squash ravioli and beer-braised bison, and slow-roasted bison short ribs with smoked fingerlings and kale. Leiva thinks bison might just be the next big meat. —Tamara Palmer

Located on the northwest corner by Dolores Park, Lilah Belle's offers healthy organic single and family-sized meals to-go. The cute spot is named after the two-year-old daughter of chef/owner Traci Higgins, whom San Francisco named one of the "Top 5 Personal Chefs" in 2006 for her organic delivery service Dining [In!]. Her extensive resume includes working in the test kitchen for Weight Watchers magazine and contributing recipes to two of their cookbooks, and she keeps her creations here on the low fat and low calorie side without sacrificing flavor in the process.

I went to college in L.A. and still maintain close ties there. So when I heard that there was to be a Bay Area location of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the Beverly Hills treats that several friends and many media outlets have raved about, there was no question that I'd be there on the very first day, even if it was down in Palo Alto (at the Stanford Shopping Center). It would also be the perfect occasion to celebrate with Mike, whose birthday was yesterday and had the day off today, and Allison, whose birthday is tomorrow and managed to get off early this afternoon.

Lines form daily at the original 90210 location, so we knew we'd be in for a wait, but we didn't think about the weather.

After a 40 minute stay in 85-degree heat (which is withering for Franciscans), I happily took you with us on the first walk through the Sprinkles doors.

I saw a funny thing on my way home just now. . .

Wondering if these are the Goat Whisperer's crew? —Tamara Palmer

The White House Organic Farm Project travels the country to share the dream of building an organic garden on the lawn of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The group braved the mean streets of San Francisco on Friday night, getting their beautiful optical illusion of a school bus unceremoniously tagged with graffiti while parked in the Mission District. Yet, by Saturday afternoon, when they made their first appearance at the Slow Food Rocks festival, they were undeterred from the task at hand: Gathering signatures to present to Washington.

We asked TheWhoFarm's Daniel Bowman Simon to explain their mission to balance the presidential diet and "reconnect our country to its rock 'n roll and agricultural roots."

-- Tamara Palmer

(Video after the jump!)

Slow Food Rocks
Great Meadow at Fort Mason
August 30-31, 2008
Review by Tamara Palmer; Photos by Missy Buchanan and Tamara Palmer

Better than: Two days without brisk breezes, good tunes and creative culinary delights including Grateful Dead-themed chocolates.

The musical companion to Slow Food Nation provided nourishment for the body as well as the soul, with Saturday's headliners Gnarls Barkley a certain highlight. The deliciously leftfield band, spearheaded by singer/rapper Cee-Lo and production whiz Danger Mouse, have routinely been playing much larger venues. It even sold out the 17,000-seat Hollywood Bowl last month, so catching Gnarls Barkley at the relatively intimate environs of the Great Meadow at Fort Mason was a real treat.

At last night's preview of Slow Food Nation's Taste event, a scent of smoke wafted through the outdoor (and hallowed) Hall of Bread. The pair responsible: Oregon's Kiko Denzer and Hannah Field, authors of Build Your Own Earth Oven. The book details how one can create a working oven out of mud in under a day and enjoy a cooking ritual that's over 4000 years old. Field and Denzer, who are building a full-size oven during today's sold-out Taste sessions, took a moment to give us a quick look.

--Tamara Palmer

(Video after the jump!)

Wandering into Taste's chocolate pavilion, I met Shawn Askinosie of Springfield, MO's Askinosie Chocolate. I learned of his commitment to fair trade as well as a pretty sweet initiative to help the homeless and low-income citizens of his hometown, a program that he calls Chocolate University.—Tamara Palmer

(Video after the jump!)

(Click on the picture for a full Taste slideshow.)

Slow Food Nation's Taste Pavilions
Fort Mason Center
August 29, 2008
Review and Photos by Tamara Palmer

Slow Food Nation's Taste Pavilions were the hot culinary ticket in town this weekend, with all four tasting sessions sold-out in advance (and at $65 a pop, not including the additional cost of actually tasting the food and drink).

Friday's Taste was a special preview for special people, including the architects that built the individually themed pavilions which were dedicated to pleasures such as bread, meat, cheese, chocolate, olive oil, seafood and spirits. Their contribution was an unexpected delight, crafting a culinary playground that perfectly highlighted the artisan creations, whether the summer picnic motif of the jam and honey pavilion, the puffy white couches and pastel pillows of the ice cream wonderland or the buoyant umbrellas framing the cocktail area.

The evening's exclusivity was confirmed with an early spotting of Mayor Newsom in the beer pavilion. As he shuffled off towards the main hall, I hustled my way after him, intent to ask what he was looking forward to eating, but then quickly realized that chasing after him might actually be considered stalking. Besides, food was the star of this show.

Slow Food Nation is officially in full swing, and founder Alice Waters just gave her introductory remarks at a press conference held at the War Memorial Opera House. Enjoy the above video and stay tuned to SFoodie as I bring you nibbles from the sold-out Taste at Fort Mason tonight and sonic notes from Slow Food Rocks (at Fort Mason's Great Meadow) over the weekend. Once again, eating for the people.

—Tamara Palmer

In this week's Ask A Mexican Special YouTube Edicion, one spicy senorita wants to know what the best Mexican beer is. Our hero doesn't drink beer, but he does have an answer (and a...marriage proposal? Dang, this Mexican is quick!) for the lass. --Janine Kahn

After a two week hiatus, The Mexican is back - and boy is he thirsty! --Janine Kahn

Find out in this week's edition of Ask A Mexican:

Are our burritos better than the ones on every corner in Santa Ana? The Mexican has more than a mouthful to say about that. --Janine Kahn

As OC Weekly's web editor I produced a weekly video counterpart for columnist and author Gustavo Arellano's much-syndicated Ask A Mexican print column. As SF Weekly's web editor. . .I find myself somehow still producing these things and will probably keep at it till my friends in OC find a new web ed (have you applied yet?). It's too much fun.

Anyway, in this week's edition, The Mexican takes on El Pollo Loco's "El Caliente." Enjoy. --Janine Kahn