"bay area" news and stories

Increasingly, the under-10 crowd is showing up at Bay area restaurants, and the restaurants happily accommodate.

The Baja meets the Bayou with fish tacos and accompanying fiery salsas, beets get an undeserved bad rap, the Roving Feast goes to Berlin for Potato Salad and Big Meatballs, and a Hae-muhl Pah-jun, Korean seafood "pancake," pairs well with wine.

The liquor of the moment is absinthe, with recipes for Sacred Heart, Sazerac, and Death at Dusk.

Ten years ago, a ban on commercially harvested abalone was put into place, but today, eco-friendly farmers are able to cultivate abalone. Olivia Wu provides a 10-minute video on how to handle fresh abalone, and there are recipes from Bay Area restaurants: Koi Palace's Abalone Poached in Rich Sauce, Manresa's Abalone, Meuniere Style.

Other recipes this week: Sake-Steamed Tai Snapper, Tofu Miso Soup, Hearty Chickpea & Broccoli Rabe Soup and Lamb Chops with Turkish Carrots & Yogurt Sauce.

Out on the dining circuit, The Musical Offering Cafe combines food, music, and books in Berkeley. Karola Saekel gives it an overal two-and-a-half stars.

In just a few short weeks, we'll be giving our undivided attention to turkey, but until then, we might give another bird a try: duck. The idea of cooking duck at home might instill fear, but the San Francisco Chronicle went to Bay Area experts to find out the best, easiest way to prepare the bird. The accompanying recipes are: Nancy Oakes' Slow-Roasted Duck, Cindy Pawlcyn's Roast Duck, Bay Wolf's All-Day Duck, Bay Wolf's Seared Duck Breasts with Spice Rub, Manka's 'Shut Up' Duck Legs, and Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms with Duck Confit.

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!

Flatbreads are the most consumed bread in the world, whether eaten plain, or as part of a dish: Thyme Bread (Manaqish bil-Za'atar), Moroccan Flatbread (R'ghayef), Turkish Meat Bread (Etli Ekmek), Yemeni Fried Bread (M'lawwah), and Yemeni Cilantro Chutney (Z'houg).

The Working Cook keeps within the Mediterranean theme with Chicken and Eggplant Kofte with Bulgur, then does an Asian Spicy Shrimp with Lemon-Peanut Kale & Rice. The Moveable Feast also does Asian with a Mu Shu Vegetable Wrap, and Vijay Bist, owner of Amber India restaurants in Mountain View and Santana Row, shares his recipe for Konkan Steamed Mussels.

There's a whole slew of new restaurant openings around the Bay.

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:


1989