Gualala and the Napa Valley – February 2011

With Southwest airfares at an all time low ($30 each way!) I decided to fly to Oakland and drive up to Gualala.  I took the Bart from the airport to San Francisco as I wanted to turn in the car in San Francisco in order to visit some of the great museums when I returned on Friday.  Enterprise Car Rental was minutes from the Bart stop so I was on my way to Yountville over the Golden Gate Bridge in a flash! 

First stop was lunch at Redd Restaurant (www.Reddnapavalley.com) for tuna and hamachi tartar with Asian pear dice and crispy rice and their signature sautéed scallops on cauliflower puree with toasted almonds and raisins – yum.  Over to highway one and a beautiful, winding drive along the coast to St. Orres in Gualala (www.saintorres.com) where I was to have dinner and stay the night.   There are wonderful little creekside and meadow cottages you can stay in scattered over the grounds among the forest trees, some with ocean views.   I had booked “fern canyon”, a little creekside cottage but was upgraded to the luxurious black chanterelle complete with sauna, jacuzzi and spacious patio with a view of the ocean.  Dinner was in the inn’s ornate dining room with Chef Rosemary Campformio presiding.  My wild mushroom ravioli and  huckleberry bread pudding with caramel sauce were outstanding with both mushrooms and huckleberries foraged by Rosemary!!!  Breakfast consisting of fresh squeezed orange, fruit fruit, homemade granola and milk, scrambled eggs on crisp English muffins was delivered to the door in a bento box promptly at 8:30 a.m.   So, I made some coffee, ate my delicious breakfast sitting on my patio and enjoyed the quiet of the forest and the wonderful view of the ocean – it doesn’t get much better than that!!!

Sea Ranch (en.wilipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Ranch._California) is about 20 minutes south and quite a community in itself.  It is noted for its distinctive architecture which is not permitted to detract from the scenery.  A friend of a friend lives there so I was able to visit one of the ocean view homes.  Although just a simple timber frame structure there are glass windows everywhere overlooking the ocean!!!  I borrowed their sea ranch pass so I could walk the bluffs along the ocean but first made a stop at the famous Two Fish Bakery (www.twofishbakery.com) nearby for some banana bread and coffee.  It’s a tiny little place where everyone seems to know everyone and has great pastries!!  The day was beautiful and sunny so I walked down to the black beach and along the water before heading on down to Yountville.

Along the way in St. Helena I stopped at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen (www.cindysbackstreetkitchen.com) for lunch.  My udon salad with seared ahi tuna was excellent.  I walked along main street visiting some of the shops then drove to Yountville where I stayed the night at The Bordeaux House (www.bordeauxhouse.com).  I wandered down Washington Street to Ad Hoc (www.adhocrestaurant.com), one of the many Thomas Keller restaurants in town, where I had dinner.  There is only one menu per night and it is always excellent.  The restaurant is casual, bustling with activity and filled with people.  Thursday night’s menu was endive and watercress salad with capers and tapenade, grass feed steak with roast vegetables, blue cheese with honey and cinnamon beignets with chocolate sauce and cream.

I took a lovely walk in the morning through the vineyards and then had breakfast at Bouchon Bakery nearby.  They make a nice selection of French pastries and croissants hot from the oven.  After breakfast I drove back over the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco and returned the car.

Lunch was at A16 near Scott/Chestnut Streets where it’s fun to sit at the bar and watch the cooking going on.  My arugula salad with dates, whole roasted almonds and ricotta salada, mushroom pizza with dandelion greens and chocolate mousse tart were all delicious.  Afterwards, I took a bus to the Legion of Honor (www.legionofhonor.famsf.org) to see the Pulp Fashion exhibit by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave.  She has created elaborate hand painted fashions, jewelry and even shoes out of rag paper.  The miniature paintings and illuminations by Arthur Szyk also on display were delightful.

Dinner at Frances (www.france-sf.com) that night was great fun.  I made my 9:15 p.m. reservation two months in advance and was lucky to have that!  It is a tiny space serving little interesting plates of food.  Tables are close together but everyone is having such a great experience it doesn’t seem to matter.  I had baby golden beets with oranges and arugula, octopus with radishes and red onions, scallops on parsnip puree and a persimmon cake.  The F bus back me back very close to the Crescent Hotel (www.crescentsfcom) where I like to stay arriving about midnight!!!

After breakfast the next morning at Sugar Café (www.sugarcafesf.com) nearby, I walked down market street to the ferry plaza farmer’s market (www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) , which is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.  There are vendors selling fruits, vegetables, spreads, chips, Indian sauces, etc.  as well as restaurant trucks serving everything from huevos rancheros to sushi!!!  I often see unique fruits and vegetables I have eaten just days before for sale, i.e cardoons. 

The Contemporary Jewish Museum is only 5 minutes walking distance and I wanted to see the Curious George Saves the Day exhibition before lunch and my flight home.  There were about 80 illustrations and books on display in which the lives of their authors and illustrators, Margret and H.A. Rey, are intertwined in many ways.  A final lunch at Chez Papa Resto, a French Bistro (www.chezpaparesto.com) was wonderfully French, i.e. fresh pear and arugula salad with almonds, tuna Nicoise salad with quail eggs and fingerling potatoes and a pistachio ice cream filled éclair with warm chocolate sauce poured over the top.  Fully satisfied I boarded the Bart and headed to the airport and home.  Until next time…

Sesame Wonton triangles with Smoked Salmon and Dill

16 square wonton wrapper
2 Tbsp. white sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
1/4C olive oil
1 egg white

6 oz. smoked salmon, cut into 32 pieces
32 dill sprigs
1/2C crème fraiche

Preheat oven to 350F.  Whisk olive oil and egg white together in a small bowl.  Mix sesame seeds together in a small bowl.  Brush the wonton wrappers with olive oil mixture and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds.  Fold over to form triangles.  Brush with egg olive oil mixture and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.  Cut each into 2 triangles.  

Place triangles on a baking sheet and bake until golden – 6 – 8 minutes, turning them over halfway through the baking.  Cool on a rack.

Divide triangles among platter.  Top each with a dollop of crème fraiche, a piece of smoked salmon and a dill sprig.  Serve immediately.
MAKES:  32 triangles

Big Sur, Calirfornia

My favorite spot in California is Big Sur and I drive up once or twice a year. I was so fortunate with the weather this year – it was warm and sunny and the drive was lovely, especially listening to one of Alexander McCall Smith’s books on tape along the way. First stop were the premium outlets in Camarillo (www.premiumoutlets.com) where you can always find something you like. It is the Carmen exit off the freeway to the left and over the freeway. There must be at least 50 stores to choose from.

Lunch in Santa Barbara at the Hungry Cat (www.hungrycat.com) – delicious autumn squash salad with pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds and arugula and the crunchy warm chocolate bread pudding for dessert!!! On and on up the 101 until the 68W into Pacific Grove where I stayed at the Green Gables Inn near the ocean (www.greengablesinnpg.com). After spending 8 hours in the car, I checked in and just
wandered around the little town, picking up a little something to eat at the red house cafe  (www.redhousecafe.com) nearby. In the morning I sat by the window and had a peacful breakfast overlooking the ocean. Since there are bikes available at the inn I chose one and rode along the water to the lighthouse and back. It was a gorgeous day!!! After a leisurely stroll down lighthouse avenue and a look into some of the cute little shops, I drove into Carmel. Visiting the art galleries and unique stores off Ocean Avenue is always a treat.

If you arrive at Sierra Mar (the restaurant at Post Ranch Inn) (www.postranchinn.com) at 2 p.m. you can tour some of the unique rooms, spa and swimming pool before lunch. The rooms are very expensive but well worth it, I am sure, as everything fits into the landscape and is environmentally friendly. Sierra Mar sits high on a hill with a panoramic view of the ocean and is particularly nice during the day. My lunch of grilled prawns with broad beans, roast root vegetables and French bread with homemade hummus was awesome. The vanilla crème brulee and homemade chocolate chip cookies were a nice finish. Afterwards I checked into Deetjens Big Sur Inn (www.deetjens.com) just a mile or two south, where I would be staying two nights. It is a charming historical inn with adorable rooms with latches. A light dinner at Big Sur Bakery (www.bigsurbakery.com) up the hill of toasted barley with roast squash/celery root and spinach and a cinnamon crème brulee as I leisurely read my book “the fall” by Simon Mawer was a nice ending to my day.

Friday morning I took a walk along the ocean before breakfast at Deetjen’s restaurant. Breakfast, to be sure, is what they are famous for. I love the yogurt parfait with its layers of homemade granola, berries and yogurt and a few very thin slices of apples on top – yum!!. My first hike of the day was down to Partington Cove about 10 minutes drive south. A bit hard to find but with careful instructions before I left I finally found it after
a couple passes. A steep but leisurely walk down to the cove takes about 15 minutes and it is a spectacular view of the ocean. Next stop a visit to the waterfalls in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park nearby. Returning north I stopped at Coast Gallery which displays local art and even has a little café. Finally a nice one hour hike into the Andrew Molera State Park. Because of all the rain some of the trails were closed.

As it was getting close to 2 p.m. and lunch time I headed to Carmel Valley Road to find the Café Rustica (www.caferusticacarmel.com) where I had a fresh vegetable salad with peanuts, raisins, roast eggplant, carrots and blue cheese with optional fresh baby spinach instead of romaine and a warm chocolate cake with caramel sauce for dessert. Nearby is a public library which is a great place to use the internet as cell phones don’t work too well in the Big Sur area. After checking my e-mail, I drove back to Carmel for another quick look around and found a great shop selling quartz singing bowls which are used for their sound as well as their healing vibrations. The owner was very forthcoming on their history and the next thing I knew I was in the Pilgrim Bookstore nearby listening to Karma Moffett’s “ocean bowls” CD! Back to Deetjen’s for a quick shower and then up to Sierra Mar for dinner. The dining experience is different at night as you can’t see the  ocean but most of the tables face the glass windows overlooking the ocean. The food is always very innovative; although quite a bit more expensive than lunch. I had a baby beet salad with pistachios and feta cheese, a risotto with lamb and mushrooms and a mini chocolate devil’s food cake with Clementine sorbet. Sierra Mar has a very peaceful atmosphere which is pleasant to linger in. Sometimes there is someone outside on the balcony with a large telescope through which you can see the planets if the weather is clear. Last time I was there I say Saturn surrounded by its rings as clear as ever.

The next morning after a walk along the ocean and another delicious yogurt parfait for breakfast, I headed home, only stopping at La Super-rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara for a No. 8 (chicken with peppers, onions, mushrooms and 3 tortillas) and a No. 20 (gordita filled with spicy refried beans). There is always a line but the place is casual and the food is good so it doesn’t really matter.

I am already planning my next trip back up to Big Sur!

Pork Tenderloin with bacon corn relish

Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1/2C Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/4C basil leaves
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 

Bacon Corn Relish
4 slices bacon, sliced thin
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 ears corn, shucked
1 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves
1/4C maple syrup
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, process the parsley, garlic and basil until chopped.  With the machine running add just enough oil to make a paste.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Rub the tenderloins in the herb mixture and set aside.

For the bacon relish:  Sauté the bacon and onions in a sauté pan until the bacon is almost crisp.  Add the corn and basil and sauté until the corn turns bright yellow.  Add maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Heat a sauté pan until hot; add 2 tablespoon oil and heat.  Sauté the pork on all sides, cover lightly with foil and bake until tender.  Slice pork and divide among plates. Pour pan juices into the bacon corn relish and spoon on top.

 
MAKES:  6 servings

Paris and Spain: two of my favorite places...

The best time to travel to Europe is the beginning of October when the tourists have left and it is the “low” season. I always fly in and out of Paris as what better way to start a trip but in the “city of lights”.  I book a stay through parissweethome (www.parissweethome.com) and choose the Alesia apartment on a cute little street, a 5 minute walk from the metro stop.  As I have been to Paris many times I like to take the train to somewhere new each year.  This year I went to Vaux Le Vicomte (www.vaux.le-vicomte.com), a castle built for Nicholas Fouquet in 1656.  It takes about one hour by train to get to Melun and another 10 minutes by bus or taxi to the castle.  Le Notre designed the beautifully crafted gardens and went on to design the gardens of Versailles. 

One of my favorite places to dine is Le Salon d’Helene Darroze (www.helenedarroze.com) where incredible tapa style dishes such as the foie gras de canard with fig chutney are served.  Daniel Rose’s Spring (www.springparis.blogspot.com) had a fabulous prix fixe menu, the sea bass wrapped in a green chard leaf being a highlight.

I left Paris on the overnight train to Barcelona where I “sat” in a reclining chair from 10 p.m. until arrival at 7:35 a.m. the next morning and slept very well indeed!!!  A 5 minute walk from the Francia train station was my delightful little hotel called la casa de marcelo www.casademarcelo.com .  From their window, I could see Cal Pep, the best tapas restaurant in town, but, desafortunadamente, being a Sunday it was closed!!!!  My last trip to Barcelona I missed seeing the Fundacio Miro (www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org), located near the Parc de Montjuic so that is where I headed first, finding it easily by local bus.  After wandering through Miro’s masterpieces for 2 – 3 hours, I sat at the counter of Tellar de Tapas nearby and had a delicious little rocket salad with quince cubes, shaved goat cheese and toasted whole almonds and a small platter of crisp baby artichoke slices - yummy.

Gaudi’s Casa Batllo (www.casabatllo.com) was next as I hadn’t seen it as yet and I find his works so whimsical.  My last stop was the La Sagrada Familia, an ongoing work also by Gaudi, which may never be finished but is breathtaking all the same.

In the morning I caught the train to San Sebastian arriving at 2 p.m. as the train was delayed.  San Sebastian is a delightful city with its famous playa de la concha.  Dinner at Urepel was rather old fashioned but the sautéed cepes with foie gras were exceptional. 

The next day I rented a car and drove to a little port city outside of town, took a ferry across to the other side and just wandered around until lunch time.  My 3 hour lunch at the famous three star Restaurant Arzak (www.arzak.es) was one of the best meals of my trip.  The plates were small, very creative and delicious.  Elaine, who cooks with her father, came out to greet me and I was able to visit the kitchen after lunch.

On to Bilboa where I arrived about 8 p.m., parked my car and walked to the Guggenheim Museum.  It is so beautiful to see it at night reflected in the water.  In the morning I visited the old indoor market and then   the museum where there was a fabulous exhibition by Amish Kapoor (www.anishkapoor.com), the artist who created the cloud gate in Chicago as well as many other very impressive pieces displayed all over the world.

I drove to Santillana del Mar after a quick lunch at the Guggenheim Museum and was delighted with my spacious room at Parador Gils Bras (www.paradores-spain.com).  Santillana del Mar is a small, tourist town but I found it charming.  I had dinner at Gran Duque Restaurant and was the only diner so had a delicious meal of fresh fish/salad and great service!! 

Nearby are the original caves of Altamira which have been closed to the public for many years.  I was able to visit the replica which was made in 2001 and gives you a good idea how the bison looked painted on the ceiling.  There is also a great prehistoric museum.  Afterwards, I stopped in the little town of Comillas nearby to visit El Capricho, charming summer home built by a young Gaudi in 1883. 

Gijon was my next stop as it was too far to drive all the way to Santiago de Compostela in one day.  I stayed at the delightful Casona de Cefontes (www.casonadecefontes.com), one of many such casona all over Spain.  These are old, restored houses, 10 or 15 minutes from the center of town.  I had dinner at the Michelin starred La Solana (www.restauranatelasolana.es) where the pork short ribs with pineapple confit were succulent and the “pastel” oozed with rich chocolate.  The next afternoon I arrived in Santiago in pouring rain after a stop in Lugo, a very interesting walled city.

Santiago de Compostela (www.santiago-compostela.net) is the Mecca for pilgrims who start a 780 km walk from St. Jean Pied de Port, France and walk for 6 – 8 weeks to Santiago.  They stay in albergues (hostels) along the way and carry all their belongings on their backs.  They have a card stamped each day to prove they are underway and arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago where they receive their Compostela, proof that they had made the pilgrimage.  I met three English ladies on the train to Paris who had completed this trek and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about their experience.

Santiago is an old, medieval city filled with churches, museums, quaint cobblestone streets, etc.  I spent two days wandering around the streets, in and out of churches, etc.  My most memorable meal was at Casa Marcelo (www.casamarcelo.com) where the food was incredible.  From the crab “cappuccino”, wild raw and cooked mushroom soup to the fresh coconut sorbet, the unique and wonderful dishes never wavered.

I drove back to San Sebastian, stopping in A Coruna to visit the lighthouse, Luarca to visit the port city and on to the Picos of Europa National Park, a beautiful side trip through lush countryside and gorgeous lakes.  

It was nice to have another whole day in San Sebastian before taking the train to Paris.  You can walk to the west end of La concha (the beach) and take a funicular up to the top of Mount Igeldo for a breathtaking view of the city.  Lunch at Bodegon Alejandro (www.bodegonalejandro.com) was a delicious last meal in Spain.  My favorite dish was large slices of sautéed cepes (mushrooms) served with a poached egg to dip them in!!!

Our train to Paris was delayed so I ended up with only an afternoon which I used to just wander the Latin quarter and soak in the atmosphere of this great city.  My final dinner was at a little French bistro called L’Ardoise (www.Lardoise-paris.com) where my lamb and crispy potatoes were expertly cooked and the chocolate tart was scrumptious!!!  A perfect ending to a “grand voyage”.