Spread the Love Jams and Jelly are Delicious
Marilyn Johnson may be a home cook, but thanks to the California’s Cottage Food law she is also now an official commercial jam maker, and her jams are worth a taste. Her firm, “Spread the Love Jams & Jellies,” is based south of San Francisco in Half Moon Bay, California.
We sampled three of her flavors to see if they stood out from the several other jams and jellies on the market. Marilyn uses a great deal of creativity in conceiving her creations. For example, she has flavors such as Apricot Pineapple, Pear Ginger, and Cranberry Habanero. However we felt what might really be a good test is to see how a staple flavor, like traditional Strawberry Jam, compared to others.
Fortunately we were not disappointed. The flavor was fresh, very present, and had a long mouth feel. In other words the flavor of strawberry lingered after you finished swallowing the taste. In addition, there was no need to put a large volume of jam on your medium (toast or crackers). Even a small amount spread to cover the entire surface, as well as deliver the full flavor of strawberry.
Says the company:
“We make our delectable jams with solely organic, non-GMO ingredients. All of the fruits used in our products were either bought directly from organic farms or wild harvested by the owner herself. For sweetening, Spread the Love uses low sugar non-GMO pectin and organic cane sugar.”
Based on this evaluation, our conclusion is that “Spread the Love Jams & Jellies” is indeed a welcome newcomer to the artisan confiture market.
Shanghai Noodles with Tofu Recipe
Sometimes you want the flavor of your favorite Chinese dish, without having to actually go to the Chinese restaurant. This is true for Shanghai Noodles, one that we often crave. Fortunately, the basic recipe for it is not only easy, it’s also very inexpensive and fast.
Plus, we get to use whatever pasta is lying around at the time, not just noodles.
There are variations that use Cayenne pepper, cornstarch, chicken or beef, peanut oil, sesame oil, cabbage, onions, peas, corn, and rice wine. Try all of those combinations if you wish, but here is a great starting point:
INGREDIENTS
- 3 Tablespoons of Hoisin Sauce
- 5 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons of olive oil (or peanut oil)
- 3 Tablespoons of minced garlic
- 3 Teaspoons of ginger powder
- 1 package of firm Tofu (in this case, Morinu Tofu)
- 1 package Penne pasta (or angel hair pasta)
PREPARE
- Prepare pasta according to instructions.
- Add oil to large saute pan or skillet, over a medium fire.
- Add garlic and ginger, and allow to saute (approx. 2-5 minutes)
- Add Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauce and stir together. Allow to saute for 2 minutes
- Dice tofu, then add into sauce mixture, allow to saute for 3-4 minutes (we also added some peas at the end).
- Drain pasta, then add 4/5th to sauce. Stir well to make sure that all pasta is covered in sauce. Saute for approximately 4 minutes, stirring slowly to continue covering the pasta (but not so quickly as to start breaking up the pasta).
- Serve.
Portuguese Fish Stew Recipe
A tasty recipe for Avos Portuguese Fish Stew Recipe, as made at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company in Half Moon Bay, California.
Excerpt from the “TASTEABLE: California” television series.
WATCH ON HULU
Lobster Rumble rolls across the Country, hosted by Tasting Table
Local Mission Market rolls before being sliced into more manageable portions
Tasting Table’s Lobster Rumble fundraiser/tasting event rolls across the country, and recently rolled into Northern California. Its stop was San Francisco’s Fort Mason Conference Center, and the event was packed with wine, beer, cars, and of course lobster. The lobster was prepared by a variety of local restaurants, each of whom competed for attendee votes to determine whose lobster roll was the best.
The participants included:
- Jack’s Oyster Bar & Fish House (serving up Maine lobster on a housemade pretzel bun with tarragon butter and hollandaise)
- Local Mission Market
- Anchor & Hope
- Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar
- Old Port Lobster Shack
- Waterbar (who had a non-stop line all night)
- Frank’s Oyster House & Champagne Parlor (Seattle)
- Half Moon Bay Brewing Company
To wash it down Santa Margherita Chianti and Pinot Grigio wine as well as Prosecco were served, along with cocktails, Coco Cola Life, and a variety of Stella Artois beers (with collectible glasses).
Desserts were also served, including ice cream from Humphry Slocombe and cinammon rolls from Biscuit Bender.
All of the lobster rolls were delicious, but if you are interested in the winner, here is the official statement:
The Old Port Lobster Shack took home the coveted “Golden Claw” last night at the Tasting Table’s “Lobster Roll Rumble” for the best lobster roll among 9 contenders, held at Fort Mason in the Marina.
The Old Port Lobster Shack’s crew served up more than 600 of their signature “lobstah rolls” with their classic New England presentation of a pickle, alongside of their crunchy coleslaw, another favorite.
Attorney “Greg” from last night’s event explains why Old Port’s lobster roll is his favorite. “They let the Maine lobster roll speak for itself, by keeping it the true star of the dining experience and don’t mess it up by adding a bunch of ingredients except for the grilled New England top loading bun in butter.”
The Deutsches are a husband and wife team who introduced authentic East Coast style seafood to Bay Area lobster lovers in 2007, giving New England transplants the food they had been craving and introduced lobster rolls to Californians who were unfamiliar. “After my first Red Sox game in Oakland and being surrounded by all the East Coast fans, I knew I was on to something,” said Russell Deutsch.
With three “Shacks” in the Bay Area (851 Veterans Boulevard), Portola Valley (3130 Alpine Road) and San Jose (Westfield Valley Mall/Fair Dining Terrace), these casual, family friendly, order-at-the-counter joints are the perfect balance of impeccably fresh seafood in a no fuss atmosphere.
Instagram printouts by Say Ya Photo Booth
Chianti and Prosseco from Santa Margherita
Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar lobster roll
Frank’s Oyster House & Champagne Parlor of Seattle
Event luxury partner, LEXUS
Happy campers
DARK DINING at Joya’s Chefs Table
Recently TasteTV had the pleasure of hosting a special Dark Dining event (www.SFDark.com) at Joya Restaurant and Lounge in Palo Alto, California, home of Stanford University and a multitude of tech startups.
The Dark Dining event was at the Chef’s Table of Executive Chef Fabrice Roux, of Joya. Fabrice is a very talented chef who has worked for years in San Francisco, France, Las Vegas, and other locales. Joya under his cooking has become the culinary hot spot of Palo Alto.
Fabrice prepared four courses for the dinner party, however he went even further by making each course actually 3-4 different items. As the diners were not able to see their food, this allowed him to challenge their tasting abilities in guessing the ingredients, textures, and finally, the dish. It was a delightful opportunity for the diners to talk with directly, as well as with each other… without being able to see a thing.
Wines served as pairing were Charles Krug Chardonnay, 2012 Sokol Blosser Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, Victor Vineyards Lawson Ranch Chardonnay, and for dessert the Chocolate Shop Sparkling Wine (“red wine with chocolate notes and festive bubbles”).
CHEF FABRICE ROUX’S DARK DINING MENU:
First Course (“Amuse Bouche”)
brentwood sweet yellow corn soup shooter parmesan cheese organic popcorn
Second Course
bay scallop aguachile ceviche/ chorizo corn dog cheese mustard sauce/ caramelized apple and morcilla
Third/Main Course
pan seared walu served with roasted spaghetti squash / mary ‘s rocky junior chicken breast served with chow mein jerk sauce/ roasted pork filet mignon with spaghetti cuban sauce
Fourth/Dessert Course
Deep fried arroz con leche with dulce de leche caramel / chia mango parfait with cilantro / molted chocolate cake with black berry
