Happy Sunday!
Before breakfast this morning I sprinted down to Whole Foods to pick my ingredients for this week’s Challenge dish. With almost no one in the store (ahhhhh, how grocery shopping should always be), I poked around the produce department for the feature ingredient:
FENNEL
Another completely new ingredient for me! I got a little overzealous and decided the dish I have in mind would also benefit from the feature ingredient in another form, fennel seed, so I then meandered over to the spice section.
Since it’s an overcast day in San Francisco, I’m thinking some comfort-food, a glass of wine and a movie with Rob are in order tonight. I can’t wait to share my fennel-creation with you! We also have a new bloggie Challenger, Tiffany from Como Water! Welcome, Tiffany! Check in tomorrow to see fennel five six different ways!
On to the delicious, old-bread breakfast I made for Rob and I this morning. We had a 2 day old Italian Ciabatta loaf that we hadn’t touched since we’ve been dining out with friends so much! Instead of letting it go to waste, I turned the loaf into yummy, cinnamon and nutmeg French toast.
It’s all about thick slices of bread, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, a splash of milk,
and a large, lightly buttered pan.
They were so delicious, especially with fresh mango on the side!
Last night, Rob and met up with two of our good friends, Karen and Jason, for a special dinner at a staple San Francisco establishment, Zuni Cafe.
In such a foodie city, it’s pretty common to see eating establishments come and go but Zuni is one of those places that’s been around for over 30 years and isn’t leaving any time soon. They accept reservations only 1 month in advance, and yes, people actually make reservations this far in advance. From what I’ve heard, their two signatures are the Zuni Caesar Salad and Roasted Chicken for two. The Caesar was served with whole leaves of Romaine lettuce lightly coated in a delicious home-made dressing, that wasn’t the slightest bit heavy, the tastiest croutons I’ve ever had and fresh Parmesan cheese.
Their other signature dish is the fire roasted chicken which was served over red mustard greens, scallions, currants and pine nuts. Seasoned veterans (like the couple we were with last night) order the roast chicken before they even get to their seats since each chicken is roasted to order and takes 1 hour to cook. The chicken arrived and we quickly dug in, but I snagged a photo before we devoured it! My friend Karen actually got Zuni’s cookbook as a bridal shower gift so she could make the chicken at home and yes, she’s sharing the recipe with me! This chicken is no joke.. definitely the best chicken I’ve ever had. Sorry, Mom. I’ll definitely be making this as soon as I get my hands on the recipe.
Check out the rest of their amazing dinner menu! It’s a good thing Karen and Jason knew what to order… there are so many amazing choices I couldn’t have picked just a few.
Rob and I are enjoying our last day together in SF… lazy Sundays are the best. Make sure you check in tomorrow to scope out the Ingredient Challenge Monday dishes created by myself, Dixie Chik Cooks, Marci Gilbert, And Love It Too, From the Little Yellow Kitchen and Como Water, tomorrow!
Have a great day!
