Blackberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Eating blackberries when they are that gorgeous red wine color is the best! They have such a wonderful sour taste. Unfortunately, berries of this color only seem to be available when they are found growing on a blackberry bush. I just don't have as much enthusiasm for blackberries that are that typical bluish-black. However, I wasn't able to pass up a great deal on a quart of blackberries I saw at a market. But what do I do with them? Then it hit me - bake with them!

Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup blackberries

Streusel Topping:

1/8 cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1//8 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup chopped almonds

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the brown sugar and butter. Mix in egg and buttermilk. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Gently fold in blackberries. Pour batter in muffin tin. To make the streusel topping, pulse flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and almonds in food processor. Spread streusel topping over muffin batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Is an award-winning ice skater capable of teaching, inspiring and entertaining me, when it comes to food? I had a hard time believing from the promos that Brian Boitano could pull it off, but he does. Brilliantly. Here are the top five reasons why I LOVE the show, What Would Brian Boitano Make?

1. It's all about the food.
Brian Boitano's recipes not only look terrific, but are creative and inventive. Take for example his Chicken Paella Burger made with ground chicken, chorizo and scallops or his Garlicky White Bean Dip. They are dishes I would cook in my own kitchen with ingredients I know, using straight forward techniques.

I know food tastes great when you use tons of butter and cream, but that's not how I cook. Most of Boitano's food is reasonably healthy and I like that. He gets flavor without always relying on tons of added fat, unlike some other Food Network personalities who will remain nameless. His food is home cooked, not chef food, not restaurant food, and yet it's exciting and appealing. He's also not afraid to make things a little bit spicy.

Finally the proof is in the pudding, right? Take a look at the user review of his recipes and you'll see, this isn't just my opinion. His recipes get mostly 5 stars across the board. His recipes clearly deliver.

2. It's funny.
I mean, REALLY funny. If you watch much food television, there is a formula and cliche style often with catch phrases, that gets old. Brian breaks out of that mold and actually pokes fun at the way those other shows come across. You'll just have to watch to see what I mean. He's cheeky and charming and makes me smile.

3. It's real.
Ok, it feels real. I know it's still a TV show but the menus seem plausible and workable. The food is cooked in Brian Boitano's actual home kitchen, not a fake looking set or fantasy kitchen with ultra pro appliances and cookware.

4. It's set in San Francisco.
I love the backdrop of my own town, my neighborhood and even my own local grocery stores. I guess that adds to the "realness" factor for me. How cool is it he's actually my neighbor? I am not sure I will ever get over that fact.

5. It's Brian Boitano!
Let me explain. I grew up around the corner from an ice skating rink. I took lessons and skated weekly for a while. I love ice skating. As someone who generally hates pretty much all sports, this is really saying something. To me, ice skaters are not just amazing athletes but like dancers, they are artists. And now, it turns out at least one of them can also cook!

The new season of What Would Brian Boitano Make? premieres: Sunday, March 7th at 1pm on the Food Network.

Penne with White Wine Tomato Cream Sauce

There is a little Italian restaurant just down the street from where we live. It is an unassuming place, a place with mismatched decorations and televisions broadcasting news and sports. It is also a place where honest, simple, and delicious food is made. This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite dishes from that restaurant.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
28 ounces tomato puree
15 ounces crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 cup white wine
lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lb penne

Ingredients
Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot, and sauté shallot, onion, and garlic until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, basil, rosemary and thyme. Simmer for 25 minutes. Add white wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and let the wine reduce (about 20 minutes). Add heavy cream, butter and parsley. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Cook pasta according to directions and serve with sauce.

Five Ways to Find Dining Deals

In the past I've purchased discount restaurant gift certificates from sites like Restaurant.com, but lately I've discovered a number of new sites that also offer great deals on dining. Each one leverages group buying power in order to get great deals. Subscribe to the sites and you'll get offers sent to you in daily emails.

This is the way it works, a new deal is emailed to you each day, the deal is not "on" until a certain number of people buy it, so you may want to share the deal with friends if it's a deal you want in on. Once enough people decide to buy it, the deal is on, and you will be billed. Deals are limited in time and number so you must act quickly. Once you've purchased the deal, you generally need to print a coupon to take to a store or restaurant. The discount may expire in a year or even six months, so read the fine print carefully before you buy.

All the of the following sites offer deals in San Francisco, and are adding cities all the time so check to see if your city is listed as well. Many of the sites also offer you a referral fee if you get friends to sign up and they make a purchase.


Groupon (think "group" and "coupon") is the largest of these sites. Recent deals in San Francisco include $25 for $50 worth of food at Luna Park, $15 for $30 worth of food at Kasa Indian Eatery, and $10 for $20 worth of food and drinks at Goat Hill Pizza. There are also deals for spas and entertainment. Groupon offers deals in over 50 major cities in the US.


TownHog has recently offered deals such as $20 for $40 worth of food at Ramblas and $10 for $20 worth of hot beverages, like their scrumptious hot chocolate, at Bittersweet Cafe. You'll also earn $10 for each friend who signs up and purchases a deal. TownHog offers "hot deals" in 42 cities.


My Joffer offers another similar program. Recent deals include $17 for $33 worth of cupcakes at That Takes the Cake and $15 for $30 worth of pizza at Bruno's Pizzeria. They also have a lot of spa specials. MyJoffer offers deals in about 17 cities and some deals are nationwide.


Living Social offers sends out daily deals, and a recent offer was 50% off Indian cuisine at Rotee. You can also use the site to keep track of collections of things such as a virtual bookshelf where you collect, rate and review books that you own. An added feature is an iPhone app if you prefer to get your deals sent directly to your phone. Living Social deals are available in 8 cities but the other features are available everywhere.


Fresh Guide doesn't have as many restaurant deals available as some of the other sites, but the ones they do have are very good, such as a $25 for $50 worth of Italian cuisine and drinks at Sociale. Fresh Guide is available in 8 cities so far.

One more!

This morning a friend told me about BloomSpot. BloomSpot offers hotel discounts in addition to spa and restaurant deals. Recent restaurant deals include $20 for $40 worth of food at Colibri, $10 for $25 worth of food and drinks at Roots and $15 for a $30 prix fixe dinner at Heaven's Dog. BloomSpot is only available in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, but they will be adding more cities.

Phở Bò Tái

Eating Phở is fun - it is such an experience! I love getting that steaming bowl of noodles and beef slices swimming in a fragrant, savory broth, finding that perfect balance of toppings to make the flavors really pop. Add in fixins lime, bean sprouts, scallions, basil, hoisin sauce, and fresh jalapenos (for my husband...) and a delicious feast is born. Eating homemade pho is an even better experience, because after just a few hours of work, you get to sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Ingredients
1 ginger root
1 onion, peeled
smidgen fennel seeds
dash coriander seeds
1 cardamom pod
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise pods
14 cups water
2 lbs beef shank
1 lb oxtail
1 teaspoon salt
2 anchovy fillets
2 shitake mushrooms
1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 lb rice vermicelli noodles

Toppings:

Thai basil
scallions
limes, quartered
bean sprouts
cilantro
jalapeno
hoisin sauce

Instructions
Broil ginger and onion until charred. Toast fennel, coriander, cardamom, and clove for 2 minutes, or until they start to become fragrant. Make a bouquet garni with cheese cloth - place the toasted spices, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and star anise pods in the cheese cloth and wrap. Tie with kitchen twine. Bring water, beef shank, and oxtail to a boil, skimming off foam as necessary. Add charred ginger, onion, bouquet garni, teaspoon salt, shitake mushrooms, and anchovy fillets. Simmer for two hours. Strain the stock, and place the liquid over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon each of sugar, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook noodles for 5-7 minutes in boiling water. In individual bowls, add some cooked noodles, sliced beef, and onion slices, and pour stock. Beef will cook in the hot broth. Garnish with toppings as desired.

Sweetest Treats in the Mission

I love the Mission District in San Francisco. Today check out my picks for the Mission's"sweetest eats" on Frommers.com. As soon as Bi-Rite Creamery reopens, I will do another post on all the fabulous ice cream to be found there too. My top picks are Mitchell's, Humphry Slocumbe, Bombay Bazaar and Bi-Rite. What are yours?

Hibiscus Shortbreads

An afternoon tea break calls for an afternoon snack. These shortbread cookies, with their slight crunch and subtle flavor, are a great accompaniment to a perfectly brewed cup of tea.

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dried ground hibiscus leaves

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars. Mix in flours, salt, vanilla extract, and hibiscus. Roll dough into a log and slice. Bake 8-10 minutes.