Have you been to San Francisco during the Holidays? Last November, I took a few of my friends to the Ferry Building and beyond. We had an incredible foodie/cocktail day together walking through the city, enjoying the sparkly lights in Union Square, and spotting various bedazzled Christmas trees in many fancy hotels and restaurants. We tasted our way beginning at the Ferry Building, La Mar, Michael Chiarello’s Coqueta at the Embarcadero, and ending with delicious pastries from Tyler Florences’ Miller and Lux Patisserie and one last cocktail at the Clock Tower.
I was excited to finally get back to San Francisco at this time of year. My husband Ken and I have fond memories of taking our kids and his mother Nilda there over 20 years ago. It was an unforgettable experience decorating Cat and the Hat Cookies on the roof of Nordstrom and driving the streets of SF where Nilda was raised. She was thrilled to spend the afternoon and evening with her grandchildren in her favorite city. Now that she has passed, Ken and I try to get back to this incredible city to honor Nilda.
LuAnn, Sandra, Elyse and I were driven to Bart in Walnut Creek by LuAnn’s husband. It was a mere 45 minute commute ride to get to The Embarcadero stop. From there we walked to the Ferry Building where we bought a bag of rocky road chocolates at Recchiuti Confections, tasted a few pastries at Mariposa Bakery, visited Far West Fungi, got bagels to go at Daily Driver, and more.
On our walk to Coqueta, we meandered into the bar at La Mar. We saw the most beautiful Christmas tree which is what drew us in. There we stopped for a cocktail and started off our Holiday the only way we know how. I began the day drinking an espresso martini. I had never had one before and it didn’t disappoint.
The others ordered their favorite fun mixed drink or champagne and we sipped to good friends and a girls day out.
Our waiter Estevan at Coqueta was waiting for us as LuAnn had made a reservation. There we ordered several dishes to share. Croquetas de pollo, Ensalada Remolacha, Paella De Otono and a Tarta de Chocolate for dessert. I brought a Zinfandel from Biale Vineyards and our waiter was kind enough to not charge us for the corkage. The service was divine and the food was excellent. I will definitely go back. Sadly, the Chef and owner Michael Chiarello, who opened Coqueta died from a severe allergic reaction the month before. He was a pioneer in the food to table movement beginning in 2003 and a former Food Network Star celebrity hosting “Napa Style” back when cooking shows began to get popular.
After our extravagant Spanish lunch, we walked to Gumps where you can find beautiful gifts. I found a jar of hard candies to give to my Mom and some raspberry dark chocolate ganache which is extra yummy in the espresso I drink every morning. Harry Winston’s Fine Jewelry took us in and gave us a tour of the 1905 constructed building on 200 Post Street. This building is particularly rare as a pre-1906 earthquake example in San Francisco and was opened by the Shreve & Co. which was a maker of jewelry, silverware and retail goods in San Francisco beginning in 1852.
Tyler Florences’ Miller and Lux Provisions Cafe was where my taste buds carried me. I had been following Karla Marro, the pastry chef of Miller and Lux located in Union Square, for a few years and had been dying to try one. I purchased four of their desserts and was able to bring them home to savor with my family. The chocolate devils food cake was my ultimate favorite. The lime and yuzu tart was a work of art and almost too pretty to eat. One must try their Straus soft serve affogato, which is a rich vanilla swirl served in a croissant. Karla knows how to turn an ordinary treat into a spectacular piece of edible art. Do check them out.
The last stop before heading home was The Clock Bar at The Westin St Francis. We clearly didn’t need another drink or one more morsel to eat, but we had to complete the San Francisco experience. While we were ready to get on Bart, we learned of an incident that closed BART. Instead, my husband Ken came to the rescue and picked us up from The Westin St. Francis. It was a fun day with the ladies and I can’t wait for the next day out.
Huge thank you goes to Luann for planning this special day. Sandra loved her belated birthday celebration in San Francisco with the girls. Here is my blog from our excursion in San Francisco with our great niece and nephew last December.
Here is a recipe I make every Christmas. My sister in law Nancy has been making cream puff trees for many years and I needed to bring a dessert that everyone loves. Whether you top with a chocolate sauce or leave plain with confectioners sugar, they are divine. I usually fill them with whipped cream, but some prefer custard, pastry cream or vanilla ice cream in their profiteroles. I’ve been wanting to make them again since my chickens have been laying more eggs.
Fancy Profiteroles
Ingredients:
⅓ C Butter or Margarine (They rise better with Margarine)
1 ½ C Boiling Water
1 pinch Kosher salt
1 ½ C All Purpose Flour
6 Whole Eggs
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Directions: Melt Margarine or butter in boiling water. Add flour and salt all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook constantly til mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time while beating with a hand mixer.
Scoop dough onto a greased sheet pan. I use a large scooper for larger puffs, but you can make smaller ones as long as you leave about an inch and a half between each puff.
Bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the puffs dry out for 30 more minutes or overnight.
When completely cool poke a hole through the bottom of the puff and fill with whipped Heavy Cream with a little vanilla and sugar, or non dairy Pastry Pride found at Smart n Final Stores.
Frosting:
Melt 2 blocks of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate in a large glass bowl in the microwave or over a bain marie. In a small pan, melt ¼ C Margarine or butter. Boil water in a teapot.
Add 2 C confectioners sugar in the glass dish with the melted chocolate and the melted margarine. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix with a hand mixer adding at least 2 tablespoons of boiling water until the frosting reaches a nice consistency.
Dip each puff into the chocolate. Either stack into a christmas tree shape, or leave on a tray to serve. I always purchase See’s dark chocolate colored balls to decorate the tree and add a handmade cardboard star covered in foil to place on top.
Recipe makes @ 12 big profiteroles or 22 smaller ones. I usually double the recipe to accommodate our large family.
Keep cold in the refrigerator until served. Profiteroles can be made ahead of time unfilled and placed in the freezer in a sealed container.
Enjoy!
Let's Make Mud Pies 