matt pontificatingSAN FRANCISCO RECIPES & CHOW FOR NOW

Broccoli Cashew Summer Salad

2 broccoli crowns, chopped
1 box of small pasta
2 cups white or crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 blood orange, peeled and cut into thin wedges
2-3 cups roasted cashews
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1-cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Boil and drain pasta, and set aside to cool completely. On a heavy, oiled skillet, sauté broccoli for 10-15 minutes, until it is bright green and lightly singed. Add chopped garlic in last minute, then set them aside to cool. In a lightly oiled pan, sauté chopped mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, drain excess juice, set aside. Combine everything in a big bowl, leaving blood oranges aside to garnish. If you are making the salad in advance, wait to add the cashews until just prior to serving, to prevent them from becoming soft and gross.

matt pontificatingCream of Carrot Soup

3 cups chopped carrots
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
~1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ – 2 cups milk
3 tbl. Butter
3 tbl. Flour
paprika, s&p, cayenne pepper to taste

Simmer carrots, onion, garlic and potato in broth for 45 minutes or until soft. Blend in blender or food processor with the cream. Then, start a white sauce with the butter and flour, gradually add milk and stir until thickened. Season with paprika, salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Combine white sauce and pureed vegetable and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more or less milk to achieve desired consistency. Enjoy.

matt pontificatingBaby Artichoke and Chicken or Tempeh Sauté

16 California baby artichokes
¼ cup olive oil
4 half boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut
into chunks OR 2-4 large blocks of tempeh
2 yellow onions, sliced thick
6 cloves garlic minced
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound fettuccine, cooked and drained

For basic preparation of baby artichokes, first snap off the outer petals until you reach the more tender leaves, which are yellow at the base. Cut off the top cone of green. Cut the stem from the base and peel the hard skin off. Submerge the pieces into a bath of water with lemon juice or vinegar (anything slightly acidic will do) in order to prevent discoloration. Lastly, steam them or, if boiling them, make
sure that they are entirely submerged by resting a clean kitchen towel into the water. Brown chicken (or tempeh) in large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil; remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sauté onions until tender. Add artichokes to skillet and cook until artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes, adding garlic, basil, and rosemary, about halfway through cooking. Stir
in browned chicken (or tempeh) and drizzle with chicken or vegetable broth; heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot fettuccine.

CHOW FOR NOW: SAN FRANCISCO RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Villa Romana
731 Irving Street (SF)
415 731-2280

Since 1955, Villa Romana has been known as the "comfort food" connection of the inner sunset. With a wide variety of Italian fare it's hard to find anything on the menu that doesn't look appealing to the “carboluvah.” Their pizza is tops-thin crust cooked to perfection with subtle spices reminiscent of a trip to Naples.

But wait, how about a little fried calamari to wake up the tummy?... Not such a good idea. Grease is the word, and Mayo from the jar for dipping didn't quite make the grade. The Caesar salad fell short as well, with croutons from a box and dressing from the bottle.

Spaghetti and Meatballs were pretty good but the noodles were overcooked. The eggplant parmesan was "tangy" but the sauce was way too salty. Finally, for dessert we tried the Zabaglione-warm, fresh and light it helped ease the pain of a mediocre meal.

Overall, we recommend the Pizza, a martini and dessert and you'll hit a triple.