Baladie's Hummus

Baladie Gourmet Cafe on Kearny near Pine is a cheap and delicious spot for a Mediterranean meal or snack, and the hummus is absolutely to die for. Thick and creamy, it really is stellar. The Dip Platter is a gorgeous meal and offers hummus, baba ghanouj, two falafel, olives and pita wedges. Among many other items, also worthwhile are the Iron Bowl, lentil soup over rice with chicken, fresh spinach and sauteed onions; the Feta Pita Pocket, Chicken Gyro with amazing tzaziki sauce, Spinach Salad and the Fatoush salad. The portions are huge and the food is authentic and tasty. There are a few tables in the venue but it's more of a grab-and-go type of spot.

Baladie Gourmet Cafe

337 Kearny Street in San Francisco

Happy Hour at Mexico DF

I am quite a fan of happy hour generally speaking, but happy hours that offer up inexpensive drinks as well as free food? Something to be sought out and enjoyed for sure. Mexico DF is a charming spot just South of Market that has just such a happy hour on weekdays from 4 to 6pm. The bar area is somewhat small and can easily get crowded, but it adds to the hip and fun vibe for the most part. Decor is minimal but attractive - exposed brick walls, hues of golden wood abound, dim lighting via interesting and funky fixtures, and black and white electronic paintings featuring Mexican people, scenes and other landscapes that change over time.

Drink specials include house sparking, red and white wines as well as margaritas for $5. On offer last week as far as food goes was a neat trio of fried cubes of cheese, slices jicama with olive oil and cilantro flakes and spiced roasted peanuts. The cheese had a texture similar to feta but the flavor was a bit milder. The broader menu is appealing too if you decide to make an evening at the restaurant. Hope you can escape from work at a decent hour one day soon and enjoy happy hour at Mexico DF.

Mexico DF

139 Steuart Street in San Francisco

http://www.mex-df.com/

Healthy and Hearty Black Bean Chili

If the chilly and gray weather has you in the mood for a warm bowl of delicious and healthy chili, this recipe is for you. It's simple and tasty and perfect for warming up body and soul. Enjoy.

Black Bean Chili

For the seasoning mix -

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tablespoons of oregano

1 1/2 tablespoons of cumin

For the chili -

1 pound lean ground turkey (lean ground beef is good too)

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes with no salt added

1 28 ounce can of tomato sauce

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, cored and seeded, finely minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 16 ounce can of corn, drained

2 16 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained

Fresh parsley for garnish

Mix seasonings together. In a large pot, spray a bit of cooking spray and add meat. Saute until browned. Add seasoning mix and all of the other ingredients except the corn and black beans. Simmer for 2 hours. Add beans and corn during last 20 minutes of cooking. To serve, garnish with fresh parsley and add shredded sharp cheddar or jack cheese if desired. Enjoy with a nice glass of red wine.

SF Dine About Town

To help ease into the new year, why not take advantage of San Francisco's Dine About Town, whereby you can enjoy gourmet, 3-course meals at some of SF's best restaurants. The deal goes from January 15 through 30, and it's $21.95 for lunch and $31.95 for dinner, excluding tax, tip and beverages. For the list of participating restaurants please visit http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=4&ref=296&pid=67

These events aren't necessarily the best option for me since I already dine out fairly often and don't really eat dessert, but it is a great opportunity to try new places for sure. Notable participating restaurants include A16, bacar, Baraca, Cassis, Destino, Fringale, One Market, RNM, and The Public.

Enjoy!

Tasty and Hearty Frittata

Hope 2008 is off to a great start for you. I recently went to a friend's place for a little soiree she was hostessing, and I had a nice bottle of wine to share but also wanted to bring something that's fairly transportable and also generally appealing and great for snacking on. I decided to bring a delicious assortment of frittatas. This is a recipe for one of my favorites. Enjoy.

Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Frittata

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

3 small potatoes, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup cauliflower, chopped

1/4 cup zucchini, sliced thinly

3/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

6 slices of Prosciutto, roasted

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 fresh basil leaves, sliced in a chiffonade (pile the leaves on top of each other and roll up and slice)

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Roast the slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes or until the edges crisp and brown a bit. Let cool and slice into strips about 3/4-inch wide.
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. In an 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, shallot, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini and prosciutto, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To the eggs add the potato onion mixture over the top.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add a crumble of goat cheese and the basil across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven (be careful the handle is hot), cut into wedges and serve and enjoy. Great with a side salad and a glass of wine. Good for any meal as well.

Holiday Cocktails

Hope you are in festive spirits this holiday season. Passing along a few recipes for fun and celebratory cocktails. Enjoy.

Christmas Jones

5 fresh strawberries
1 part vodka
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
5 ounces of pineapple juice
Lime-flavored soda
Mint sprigs for garnish
In a blender, whiz the vodka, strawberries, sugar and pineapple juice together. Pour the mix equally into two champagne flutes. Top with 7-Up, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Grinch
3 ounces of Midori
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1 teaspoon simple syrup (equal parts of water and sugar simmered together)
1 maraschino cherry for garnish
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Mistletoe Martini

3 ounces of vodka
2 ounces of orange juice
3 ounces of cranberry tea, chilled
3/4 ounce of lemon juice
3 teaspoons of sugar
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses.

Candy Cane

1 ounce of berry-flavored vodka
3/4 ounce of Peppermint Schnapps
3/4 ounce of white Crème de Cacao
1/4 ounce of grenadine
Half and half
Soda water
Pour the vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, white Creme de Cacao and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass rimmed with crushed peppermint candy (but don't let the ice get into the glasses). Fill with half and half and top with soda water.

Half-Price Wine Night at Solstice

Solstice is a great neighborhood and also sometimes destination bar and restaurant that somehow manages to combine a hip and modern ambiance with a comfortable and inviting vibe. The space, which used to house Rassella's which is now located near The Fillmore, is dimly lit with comfortable tables and chairs, an attractive bar area and lots of plants, a large palm-like tree being the centerpiece of the dining room. There also is a lounge area just slightly down from the main space which is perfect for groups of 20 or so. On Mondays all wines by the bottle are half-price, just another reason to make a visit and start the work week off on a happy note. The wine list is interesting and generally affordable, especially on Monday nights. We sampled a few bottles between the group, including a very crisp and effervescent Portuguese Vino Verde, Mia's Playground Merlot from Sonoma, and Ringbolt Cabernet from Australia. The reds were both nice - fruity with a big flavor and a lasting finish. The Merlot was especially heavy on notes of sweet, ripe berries. We snacked on a few of the food items as well. The menu is fairly short but very appealing and features items that showcase local ingredients. We had Frites Two Ways which features traditional fries made with Idaho potatoes and serves with ketchup, and sweet potato fries served with a jalapeno aioli. The sweet potato fries were especially tasty, though I thought a bit of additional salt would have been beneficial. The Prosciutto Pizzetta, which features a thin and crispy crust topped with prosciutto, smoked mozzarella and roasted tomatoes, also got good reviews. The Gorgonzola Mac N Cheese is, well, a heaping pile of goodness featuring the pasta on a base of granny smith apples with lots of gooey cheese and topped with toasted walnut dust. All in all a very enjoyable evening, and an inexpensive one at that. Enjoy.

Solstice

2801 California Street in San Francisco

http://www.solsticelounge.com/