Beautiful Beignets! :)

While originating in France, and being the official doughnut of Louisiana, this powdered deep fried fritter has thankfully made its next stop in the East Bay.

Powderface of Oakland has perfected the Beignet and offers this sweet treat daily. With Plenty of powdered sugar your craving is sure to be satistfied. All Beignets are made to order, and are best cosumed with a large coffee.

Making your own beignets is not as daunting of a task as one would think. Foodchannel.com offers this recipie that will make home feel just like Cafe du Monde. The Blueberry sauce adds a fantastic kick!

Whether you try at home, or sample Powderface, Beignets are a perfect delicacy.



Ingredients
FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE: 4 pints fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
FOR THE BEIGNETS: 1 cup warm milk (about 105 to 115 degrees F)
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (or more) all-purpose flour
Solid vegetable shortening (for deep-frying)
Powdered sugar
Preparation
1FOR THE BLUEBERRY SAUCE: Puree all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Strain through fine sieve into heavy medium saucepan. Season sauce to taste with more sugar, if necessary. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat until syrupy, about 20 minutes.
2DO-AHEAD TIP: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
3FOR THE BEIGNETS: Combine milk and yeast in large bowl; let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs and melted butter. Add 3 cups flour and stir to form moist sticky dough.
4Knead dough on floured work surface, incorporating flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes. Form into ball. Lightly oil same large bowl; place dough in bowl. Cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
5Heat shortening in deep fryer to 325ºF.
6Transfer dough to floured work surface. Punch dough down; cover with kitchen towel and let stand for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour. Using rolling pin, roll out dough into 12-inch square. Using pizza cutter, trim edges slightly to form perfect square. Cut dough crosswise into 4 equal strips. Cut each strip into 6 pieces, forming 24 rectangles total.
7Working in batches, fry dough rectangles in hot oil until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Using slotted metal spoon, transfer beignets to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
8Arrange 3 beignets on each of 8 plates. Ladle blueberry sauce over and around beignets. Generously sprinkle powdered sugar over beignets. Alternatively, place beignets on platter. Generously sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve blueberry sauce alongside.

Paella!

Paella is quite possibly one of the most personal meals to prepare . Somewhere, someone's Spanish grandmother has perfected her concoction and passed it down to the next of kin. The perfect Paella may taste wonderful to you, but there seems to always be someone who claims they have had or can make it better.

Pleasanton's Casa Madrid creates a wonderful Paella and adds a memorable experience. Single servings are brought to the table in it's cooking pan. All Paella's are cooked to order with choices of meat, shellfish, or vegetarian. It takes 30-40 minutes for this meal so be prepared for a wait.

For a much more personal experience Chef Raquel Hermosilla brings a very unique service wherever you desire. Personal Chef Raquel will come to your home and cook her perfected Paella fresh, and to order. Her personal chef services are available through out the entire bay area, and seem to be strictly Spanish so be prepared for an authentic experience.

Paella is a wonderful meal, and is sure to be next on your list of comfort foods.

Turkish Cup Of Joe

Finding a cup of great coffee in the East Bay is for the most part an easy task. Finding a fabulous cup of Turkish coffee might be a little more time consuming but worth the undertaking.

For the Turkish people coffee has been an established part of their culture since 1555. It was in that year that Syrian traders brought the first coffee beans to Istanbul. Beans were eaten whole at first. It was not until much later that a drink was made with the fermented pulp of the beans. As the recipes became more developed so did Turkish rituals and ceremonies. Soon coffee makers (or "Kahveciusta") and their forty assistants were depended upon by Sultans to serve a proper brew. As Coffee became more socially acceptable men began using it as their assessment for a quality wife. Women were trained at an early age to prepare Turkish coffee. If she wasn't able to do so, she risked her dowry.

Turkish coffee has become less ritualistic and places like Barneys in Berkeley have put their own spin on this Turkish delight. The very popular Turkish Shake is tasty and is sure to give you the buzz you need.

The Turkish Kitchen of Berkeley offers a much more traditional approach to the drink. At $2.25 you can dicover just how this drink should taste. The Turkish Kitchen's menu is "recession proof" as well! Just about everything is under $10.00, making it an affordable and exotic night out.

For as step by step on making this treat at home, Ineedcoffee.com gives a great tutorial.

Whether you make it at home, or venture out Turkish coffee is sure to leave a lasting impression on your tastebuds.

Hungarian Pastries

A sweet pastry is memorable, But a treat with history is unforgettable.

In the late 1600's the Ottoman empire was at the height of it's reign. As the wars continued Hungary was slowly being Vanquished. One morning a few Hungarian bakers arose to begin their daily work. Their early rise helped to warn the local villagers of an impending attack and claim one small victory over the Turks. In celebration, what is now know as 'Kifli' was created. Shaped like a Crescent, or the Turkish symbol, These small morsels were filled with an apricot compote in remembrance of that day. Regardless if the legend is true or not, one thing is for certain. Kifli has stood the test of time for a reason.

A handful of lovely Eastern European bakeries reside in the East Bay. Crixa cakes of Berkley not only offers a few different Kiflis but many Russian Delicacies as well. Crixia's Facebook Deal isn't to shabby either! Become one of their friends on Facebook, and every Wednesday you will receive a special word that gets you a nice discount from their Berkeley shop.

City Of Delights in San Ramon has quite the Eastern European Flare as well. Chef Atilla's Hungarian background and Chef Lynn's Asian heritage offer a unique blend of beautiful and flavorful desserts.

hand-crafted, and rich with stories, our own East bay bakeries continue the tradition of reflecting on the past to sweeten the future.

Afghan food! Yuuummmmm!

Trying a new cuisine can often be daunting. When that cuisine has some familiarity to your own culture it often makes it easier to be brave and take that plunge. Afghan food has just that appeal. Land-locked Afghanistan borders six countries thus creating a culinary melting-pot worth sampling. Grilled kabobs, lamb stuffed dumplings also known as Mantu are staples. A pilaf topped with pistachios, grated carrots, and varied stewed meats is the national dish.
Oasis Grille and Wine Lounge serves many of these items regularly and offers a very attractive happy hour. Don't feel like eating out? Bolani is a delectable Afghan flat bread and lucky for you it can be found at numerous east bay farmers markets. East and West Gourmet Afghan Foods proudly sells Bolani as well as other organic breads, sauces, spreads, and even jellies.
Afghanistan's colorful dishes are not difficult to make at home, and can wonderfully change up your typical dinner party. Listed below is a fantastic recipe for Mantu.
Mantu (recipe credit: virtualafghan.com)
Makes 3-4 Servings
1 Lb ground beef
1 1/8 tp salt
1 tp pepper
1 ½ tp coriander ground
¼ tp cumin ground
2 large finely chopped onions
2 cup & 2 tbsp water (plus boiling water for mantoos)
1 package wonton wrappers
2 tp tomato paste 6 tablesthingy oil
¾ cup yogurt
¼ tp dried mint
2 mashed garlic gloves

1) Filling: Combine ground beef, onions, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander ground and 1 cup water in a skillet; stir and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Let it cool off.

2) Place wrappers on a cutting board covered lightly with flour one at a time. Place 1 cup of water in a bowl. Using your finger, wet the edges of the wrapper with cold water. Place one tablespoon of beef mix on the bottom half of the wrapper. Bring the other half on top of the bottom half making a triangle. Take two opposite cornors each in different hands and seal them together making a bow. Place the oil in a bowl. Dip the bottoms of the filled mantoos in oil and place them in a (steam cooker); Steam them for 40 minutes

3) Sauce: While waiting, place the remainder of the filling back in the skillet with tomato paste and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

4) Yogurt: Add garlic, 2 teaspoons of water and mint to the yogurt mix.

5) To serve, put a layer of yogurt on a flat serving (ghori) dish; then place the mantoo on top of the yogurt. Put another layer of yogurt on top of the mantoo; then put a layer of the beef mix and sprinkle the mint.

"Beer me"

It is the third most consumed drink in the world (after coffee and tea). Beer has been thought to have originated long before the discovery of bread by prehistoric nomads. It has stood the test of time and is only getting better.
Just about every culture has it's own distinct brew but no single country takes the art more seriously than Germany. German beers are different solely based on "The Reinheitsgebot". Translated it means "Purity Law". This law keeps recipes dating as far back as 1516. Keeping with tradition, each German brewery takes recipes and the law to heart.
Although some East Bay Breweries do use the laws, some prefer a more creative route while still using German methods as well as German hops. Some stay true to the original brewing methods while others are swaying to new methods.
Our own East Bay has jumped on this bandwagon. Breweries like The Hopyard (locations in San Ramon and Pleasanton) and Jupiter of Berkley are pushing out fantastic Pale Ales, Pilsners, and even blends. Pyramid Brewery and alehouse (also located in Berkeley) offers fantastic food as well as their award winning Hefeweizen.
One East Bay restaurant seems to take the cake on its Germanic beer obsession. Speisekammer of Alameda offers Eleven German beers on tap and a menu that is nothing short of traditional.
So, if you don't have the funds to attend Oktoberfest in the next few months try what might be just as best in our own backyard.

Za'atar. for lack of a better title. . .

With a history as mysterious as its flavors, its no wonder the earthy spice blend Za'atar is slowly getting recognition in the east bay. A rich blend of toasted sesame seeds, Marjoram, and Thyme provide a perfect base for the simplest of dishes.

Za'atar is thought to have begun as simply wild Marjoram that was dried out in the sun. As time moved on so did the development of the spice. Women of the Arabic peninsula began creating distinct recipes that were kept secret. So much so that they would not even be passed down to next of kin. Each having it's own distinction explains the lack of an original recipe. It has now evolved into so much more. Many modern day Za'atar recipes now call for savory and sumac, which add a very floral dimension.

This Middle eastern spice is not limited in its uses which makes it a local favorite. Added to a first press olive oil, It makes for a delicious bread dip. Dry rubbed on lamb prior to grilling gives BBQ a one up . Pita bread or Nan can also be seasoned with Za'atar then baked.

Want to sample this spice first hand? Appropriately named restaurant "Zatar" in Berkeley offers many dishes that boast the unique qualities of this seasoning. If playing with the spice at home is more attractive, Whole Spice of Peteluma,CA offers an exceptional blend .

With Za'attars versatility and nutty flavor expect to see it showcased more often within the east bay for this culinary trend is on the rise.