recipes

appetizers

bbq oysters with wasabi-ginger butter. A luxurious starter that's perfect for a special meal...
fava bean crostinis. These earn raves because of a secret ingredient...
italian stuffed mushrooms. These mushrooms are real crowd pleasers at a cocktail party...
prosciutto-wrapped melon balls. An easy take on a classic Italian starter...
tomato, basil, and mozzarella skewers. A bite-sized version of the traditional Italian caprese salad...

salads

dungeness crab, avocado, and grapefruit salad. Crab is in season in San Francisco from Nov. through June...
spinach salad with figs, bacon and goat cheese. Bacon makes everything taste good...
summer heirloom tomato salad. You might want to eat this every day from late July through September...

soups

avgolemono soup. The traditional lemon, egg, rice, and chicken soup...

sides

celery root puree. I can't believe it's not mashed potatoes...
herb-roasted new potatoes. A versatile side dish that's easy to clean up...
roasted asparagus with feta. An easy alternative to steamed asparagus...
wild mushrooms with chestnuts and thyme. A great topping for beef that satisfies vegetarians too...

main dishes

beef tenderloin with Madeira green peppercorn sauce. An example of how easy it is to make a sauce to go with pan-fried or roasted meat...
hot hummus salad. A stunningly colorful main platter...
risotto with wild mushrooms and prosciutto. A rich fall dish that works well as a side or on its own...
roasted bell pepper and wild mushroom lasagne. A do-ahead dinner that's perfect for dinner parties...

dessert

candied citrus peel. A sweet, fruity candy that's perfect for holiday gifts...
carmelized banana with rum sauce. A perfectly elegant and easy dessert...
farallon's ranger cookies. These cookies are served as part of the nightly "family dinner" for the staff at Farallon, near Union Square...
mixed berry tart with mascarpone cream. Both easy, impressive, and absolutely delicious...
pluot galette. A simple and delicious way to showcase summer stone fruit...

dad's sunday breakfasts

dad's buttermilk pancakes. The best pancakes you've ever had, guaranteed...
dad's popovers. Easy to make with dramatic results (and the least fattening of the whole list)...
dad's dutch babies. A cross between an omelet and a popover, with a sweet crispy topping...
dad's buttermilk waffles. These waffles have a crispy crust without being too bready in the middle...

odds and ends

raspberry smash cocktail. An elegant and romantic way to start an intimate evening...

I've compiled this list of favorite recipes from cookbooks, magazines, websites, friends, and even from my own imagination. Many of these dishes are great for showcasing locally-grown ingredients from the Bay Area.

Also see the menus page, where I've grouped several of these recipes into complete meals.

I have successfully tested each recipe as written -- if you experience any problems with the directions, please let me know!