My mom has always been a jam maker. Back when I was little and my family lived in Los Angeles, we had several plum trees in the yard. Every year (that they produced fruit, they occasionally took a season off), she would cook up multiple batches of jam. Of course, that jam rarely jammed, mostly because she couldn't bring herself to use the amount of sugar necessary to activate the pectin.
The years passed and we found ourselves living in Oregon, land of wild blackberries and cheap, pick-your-own blueberries. My mom kept trying, came to terms with the necessary sugar and turned out jar after jar of gorgeous, richly colored jam. There were a couple of years there where she even made enough to sell at a local craft fair.
These days, everyone is making jam, putting my mom on the cutting edge of this particular trend. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, home canning (and home canning hobbies turned artisanal businesses) are back. I, for one, can speak to the satisfaction of having canning projects succeed. I made some apple butter last fall that I canned as holiday gifts and hearing the distinctive binging sound as the jars sealed was most delightful.
I know that some of you have got your Thanksgiving menus all set by now, since the big day is only a week and a half away. But for those of you who are still looking for a little last-minute inspiration, I've got another good resource for you.
The San Francisco Chronicle has pulled together all their Thanksgiving-related coverage together in one place. They've got video on how to carve a turkey, stories about holiday dinners gone awry, suggestions on how to cook smaller dinners and more recipes than you can shake a stick at. It's fun reading, even if you already have your meal all set.
If you don't have your Jack o' Lantern up yet for Halloween next week, go ahead and grab a pumpkin, do your thing, but save the seeds! Pumpkin seeds are awesome in everything from a deeply rich Pipian Mole to dessert, Candied Pepitas!
In most cases, they'd be barely legal, but with 20 years in food journalism, the Chronicle has got some street cred. To celebrate, they select their favorite recipe from each year, along with a runner up:
If this isn't an American dream story, I don't know what is. Ulises Valdez left the tiny village of Los Cuachalalates, Mexico, for Mexico City at the age of 10 to work for his uncle. After moving around from place to place, he eventually crossed the California border and made his way to Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley. There, he worked the fields, eventually gained citizenship, struck up a partnership, bought out his partner, and in July of this year, Valdez Family Wines launched.
The Chronicle's Wine Selection of the Week is Napa Valley Syrah. Of the 21 wines they tasted, three received three out of four stars (***): 2004 HdV Carneros Syrah, 2004 Sand T Cellars Brookside Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah, and 2004 Novy Page-Nord Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah.
To go with that Syrah, there is a recipe for Sausage and Lamb Bolognese. The Cheese Course is Comte,a A cow's milk cheese from the Jura mountains of eastern France, near the Swiss border, which a former Bay Area chef hand picks from the aging caves in France.
The San Francisco Chronicle Wine section has officially moved from Thursday to Friday.
Wine tasting isn't exactly a cheap pastime, but still, California wineries drew more visitors than Major League Baseball in 2003. Because tasting rooms are a critical source of income for many wineries, they're stepping up wtih creating fancier, more elaborate :destinations." If you're planning to go tastin gin the Wine Country, the Chronicle aslo has tips for how to do it like a VIP, and ratings/reviews of tasting rooms. This week, the ylook at Coppola and Parducci, both of which get three out of four stars (***).
The Wine Selection of the week is South Central Coast Zinfandels, which "could convert Zinfandel naysayers by demonstrating that high alcohol and fruit can be present but not overshadow the wines' other charms."
To pair with the Zins? Braised meatballs. If you're drinking something along the lines of "a red wine that is not too serious or weighty, such as a California-appellation Merlot," then pair it with Beecher's Handmade Flagship, a Cheddar-like cheese from Seattle.
We're no strangers to blends, but we're probably far more familiar with wines that have been made from blending different grapes in the fermentation tank. However, wines made from different grapes that were grown together in the field, called field-blends, are "aromatic, seamless...more than just the sum of its parts."
The Wine Selection of the Week is Sauvignon Blanc from the Sonoma County. The highest rated of the bunch is 2005 Gary Farrell Redwood Ranch Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc ($25), which received three out of four stars (***).
A summery gazpacho uses up the tomato harvest and pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc. Smoky Italian cheese, Scamorza, is a good stand-in for mozzarella.
The feature story this week is on the 
In most cases, they'd be barely legal, but with 
If this isn't an American dream story, I don't know what is. Ulises Valdez left the tiny village of Los Cuachalalates, Mexico, for Mexico City at the age of 10 to work for his uncle. After moving around from place to place, he eventually crossed the California border and made his way to Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley. There, he worked the fields, eventually gained citizenship, struck up a partnership, bought out his partner, and in July of this year, 
We're no strangers to blends, but we're probably far more familiar with wines that have been made from blending different grapes in the fermentation tank. However, wines made from different grapes that were grown together in the field, called 
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