tradition! la tradition!

As a certain milestone birthday approached last year, I reflected on the fact that I had promised myself I would move to Paris by then if I were to remain single. I had been tired of dealing with the ups and downs of dating and this move would have been my consolation prize. Four years ago I had perfected my "rrrrr's" and had my beret and luggage tags that read "Paris" ready. As luck would have it, it was then that I met my love, got married and we put the move on hold until our retirement. This means that until that day arrives, I will miss Paris, most of all the baguettes.

To me a baguette is not just a piece of bread. It is a symbol of tradition. Living in a society that went from buying Wonder Bread to Organic Spelt and Flaxseed bread from fancy bakeries, I admire the simplicity and continuity of buying the day's baguette fresh from the boulangerie each day on the way home for dinner. In Paris, I witnessed the sight of business men and women in their suits after the day's hard work followed by a cocktail and cigarette at a café heading home with two things in hand: a briefcase and a baguette. You rarely see this in the metro because the baguette is bought from your local boulanger right near home. And its always bare with just a 2-inch square piece of paper wrapped around its middle.

It is this very simple square piece of paper that got my husband in trouble during our honeymoon in Paris. We love riding the metro and getting around the city. The gypsies hop on the train with their accordian and sing a song, collect some change, and hop off at the next stop to catch the next car or train. It is so romantic to watch the Parisians kiss without oblivion. To stamp this trip to Paris as our "honeymoon" and make it stand out from the rest, we made it a point to find an amourous couple in the metro and each time kiss like them. At times to maintain stability this required holding the handrails. Afterwards we'd run back to our little apartment on rue du Dragon to wash our dirty hands. Our apartment was directly across from Boulangerie La Boule Miche and every day we asked for our "une baguette tradition, s'il vous plait!" A "baguette tradition" differs from the typical white French bread ("baguette ordinaire") we think of simply as a baguette. It is made by hand using a higher quality wheat flour with yeast and salt, sans additives, just like in the old days.

One particular afternoon, we stepped out of the metro stop and the sight of delicate pastries called us into a different patisserie/boulangerie. In addition to some lovely treats, I had a baguette in hand as we walked out. Hot from the oven, it was ready for a bite. I held out the baguette to my husband in a "you go first" gesture, waiting for his mouth to encircle the bread for his taste. Instead in painstaikingly slow motion I saw his hands, the ones that had touched what seemed like all the handrails in the metro, envelope the bare naked baguette above and below mine which was over the square piece of paper. He was looking for a firmer grip before his bite. Arrrghhh... he had ruined my hot fresh baguette with metro germs!!! In not so slow motion, my hand which never parted the baguette fiercely yanked it out his and I started to hit him over and over again on the shoulder with it yelling obscenities in French about his filthy metro hands. This passionate moment of baguette-beating rage was not a typical Parisian scene and luckily did not ruin our honeymoon although we re-enact it on every subsequent trip to Paris just for laughs. Who knew a new tradition could be born out of the "baguette tradition"?

suggestion:

Don't beat your husband with a baguette. Instead buy two and eat one fresh and hot on the way home.

where to find:

For the best baguette tradition, no doubt go to Paris and try a different boulangerie until you arrive at your personal favorite. In the Bay Area, the closest I've gotten to a baguette that reminds me in flavor of my Parisian favorite is from Brickmaiden Breads made with Sel de Guérande from France. A baguette costs $4.00. Brickmaiden does not have a retail location but can be found at the Sunday Marin Farmer's Market. The Marin Farmers Market takes place in the parking lot behind the Marin Civic Center on Sunday mornings 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. year round.

hello, my name is chandler

I have to admit that my favorite activity at the Marin Farmers Market is tasting strawberries. There are no two alike. I go from stand to stand trying them all and there is always one that no doubt stands out in flavor for that week. The following week its another. My mind goes crazy thinking about the abundant selection of quality farm fresh fruits and vegetables but my taste buds always remember strawberries when going to the farmers market. Funny thing is the best one I ever tasted is at the Noe Valley Farmers Market, not in Marin. I asked the lady at the stand in Noe one week why theirs was so perfect and she responded that they pick the berries only when they are ripe the day before the market. Looking at their perfect shape, I couldn't tell how ripe they were but the red morsel melted in my mouth instantly with unparalleled balanced sweetness.

As often as I visit farmers markets it wasn't until last month that I stopped to ask "what kind of strawberry is this? do you have any Chandlers?" A friend had mentioned the Chandler varietal as the best at the Marin market so I kept on searching for them. And one by one the farmers would either tell me that they don't grow it or they are out. I'd take a sample and move on to the next stand. I put Chandlers out of mind with a sigh thinking I'll be on the lookout for them early next summer. For now, Seascapes would come home with me.

At the Noe market this Saturday, I went to the only strawberry stand and stood in line. Why was I standing in line for berries when I have so many choices at the Marin market? Because I didn't need to taste this strawberry again to remember it had been love at first bite the last time I bought a basket. Not to mention it was the only stand at the market with strawberries. Takes the fun out of the game for me if I don't have to try all the choices. But oh well, we were here and so was my basket of berries from Swanton Berry Farm. Instead of paying $3.50 for one pint, I opted to take one strawberry and two beautifully ripe blackberry pints for $8.

As an afterthought while I was walking away, I turned around and asked, "Oh, by the way, what kind of strawberry is this?" to hear with a smile "We only grow Chandlers". Wow, so these were the darling beauties for which I would trek to Marin every Sunday and miss. It was right here in my neighborhood in front of me and I never stopped to ask its name. You can't expect a strawberry to stop you and say, "hello, my name is Chandler" but from now on, I will stop to ask the farmer stands their name.

suggestions:

Serve sliced berries on toast with goat cheese.

where to find:

The Noe Valley Farmers Market takes place in the parking lot on 24th Street between Sanchez & Vicksburg Streets every Saturday morning 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. For details go to: Noe Valley Farmers Market. Swanton Berry Farm also has a regular stand at the Marin Farmers Market on Sundays.

summer fog and arctic rose

Escaping SF's July fog is easy. Head to the Marin Farmers Market and you are guaranteed lots of sun. The chill in your bones from the fog disappears instantly and you're left with nothing but the heat of the summer's abundance. This week at the farmer's market, the sun was shining through in unbelievably sweet nectarines. I tried nectarines from every stand that was willing to share a taste but none stood out like the Arctic Rose.

The word "arctic" implies cold and tasteless which is farthest from the truth. Imagine a rose resilient enough to grow in a bitter cold environment and out of spite want to produce the sweetest tasting fruit imaginable. That's what this nectarine varietal tastes like. Super sweet with a white flesh, the skin cherry red in color with yellow spots scattered everywhere. A tasty beauty indeed. If at first the imperfect look and small size doesn't appeal to you, indulge in a taste before completing your judgment. After savoring its honey floral sweetness on your palate, the freckled flesh makes you rethink how you used to define beauty. Reminiscent of a red-headed lover bursting with passion, this nectarine is surely not to be passed by.

They're both at their peak in July and you get to choose: San Francisco fog or Arctic Rose nectarines.

suggestions:

Serve sweet nectarine slices with basil slivers and a dash of apricot brandy.

where to find:

The Marin Farmers Market takes place in the parking lot behind the Marin Civic Center on Sunday mornings 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. year round. For details go to: Marin Farmers Market . Look for Arctic Rose nectarines from Kashiwase Farms.

truffle salt & scrambled eggs

A foodie friend mentioned truffle salt. This led to my obsessive quest one morning to the Ferry Building Marketplace, earlier than the shop would open. Home to the San Francisco Farmers Market, the building boasts many exquisite shops... a foodie's delight. Some vendors open early to feed coffee and sweets to the ferry commuters. While fungi is not on an average commuter’s morning list of foods to consume, I was on my way to a meeting downtown and the delightful little morsels of truffle were clearly on my mind. It was worth risking a parking ticket to pull over at a white zone and run in. I must have looked like a dog trying to chase its tail as I paced back and forth in front of the shop’s closed gates, staring at the shop owner, wincing and almost howling, hoping to get my treat. Eventually the stares worked and I scored my very first jar of Truffle & Salt. The legitimate exchange of credit card for the delicacy occurred through practically closed gates, making it feel somewhat like a forbidden deal. With truffle salt in hand, I could hardly wait to go home and pop open the jar for a whiff of the black specks among the white sea salt sand dunes. I whipped up some soft and moist scrambled eggs to top with sprinkles of truffle salt and I was in heaven. It was my passion and the journey to find this tasty delicacy along with its memory imprinted on my taste buds that inspired this blog to be born.

ingredients:
3 eggs
¼ cup non-fat cream
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
salt (used very sparingly to taste)
truffle salt (to taste)

method:
Whip eggs with cream. Add a tiny amount of salt and half of the butter. Leave the butter as a chunk in the mixture. Melt the remaining butter in a hot non-stick pan. Add the egg mixture and using a wooden flat spoon stir gently until almost done and eggs still look moist and fluffy. Plate scrambled eggs and sprinkle truffle salt on top to taste.

suggestions:

Serve with plain multi-grain toast and darjeeling tea. Wishing you a memorable morsel and bon appétit!

where to find:
Click on shop for information on where to find truffle salt. Happy Shopping!