Resto Recs

August 23, 2010

You Say Potato, I Say Ricatto

This post begins with a lovely, late dinner at SF hot spot, Frances. Dim the lights, cue soft “yazz” music, and pour yourself a bottle of house wine. The densely packed, haute diner offers a slim menu of seasonal delights. And while impromptu creation of two sodium-free dishes blew me away – a refreshing consume of tuna, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and jalapenos and a bowl of perfectly roasted eggplant, zucchini, shredded basil, and tomatoes – it was really my dining partner’s plate of fluffy dream clouds (i.e. ricotta gnocchi) that had me drooling. Since I try to avoid being the […]

July 9, 2010

WD~50

What do you get when you combine science, magic, and food? No, it’s not David Blaine trapped in a beaker glass filled with prosciutto, although that would be amazing. Instead, it’s wd~50, the literal brain child of grastronomic savant, Wylie Dufresne ,who you may know from such shows as Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and the all-popular, Iron Chef America in which he battled the Croc-wearing Mario Batali and sadly lost (even with his photo-printed sushi platter). Wylie is best known for his use of innovative techniques and ingredients that transform even the simplest ingredient, like a basil leaf, into […]

July 7, 2010

Dinner is Served

Say hello to a beautifully crafted, sodium-free bite of hamachi from Bar Crudo – the adorable raw bar and restaurant that sits on Divisidero street and serves up a flurry of fresh seafood, from sashimi to creamy clam chowder, that will blow your taste buds away. Who needed ’em anyways. And while your eyes are glazing over at the sight of this wanton-shaped slice of fish, I’m guessing that your mind is buzzing with a few questions; most prominently, the quandary of why I am writing about a restaurant in Northern California when I promised to talk about my New […]

July 5, 2010

The Big Apple

“A knife, a fork A bottle, a cork That’s the way We spell New York” – Dillinger If you haven’t guessed it yet (by the obvious post title and less-than-subtle poetics), I spent the last week in the Empire State. And although there was some work accomplished (hello, Fancy Food Show), most of the trip was pure pleasure and play. When I was younger, New York meant two things: musicals and retail therapy. And really horrible blisters – I never quite got the hang of breaking in my shoes before I hit the big city streets. But as both my […]

June 14, 2010

Salads, Dressed Up

Here’s the thing about salads. On the most basic level, I find them boring. I’d much rather order (and eat) a large bowl of steamed chard than graze upon a bed of butter lettuce. But I have to apologize, for this is a gross stereotype. Not all salads are made equal. And as I’ve learned from watching various episodes of Top Chef, making an outstanding salad is one of the most difficult accomplishments on the cooking scale. So why do I bring up this leafy subject? Well, there are two salads in my life that have almost brought tears to […]

May 26, 2010

Healthy Foods

Meet chard. It is a beautiful, leafy green vegetable whose stems come in an array of colors, from red, to white, to gold, to even rainbow. Chard is super healthy for you and an excellent source of vitamin A and iron. It can be sauteed, steamed, even baked and I throw it in everything from pasta to frittata. The leaves have a slightly bitter, salty taste (which is actually a plus for a low sodium cook as it provides savory notes, naturally). The stems have a bit more of a buttery flavor and add a great a great crunch to […]

May 19, 2010

Eating in the Emerald City

On Sunday, I followed the yellow brick road (a flight on Virgin Airlines), from Kansas (San Francisco) to the Emerald City (Seattle), to see the Wizard (my brother) receive his PhD in Astrobiology (well…that one is actually real). It was only my second time in this waterfront town and, while I don’t know much about its history, I do know it is home to some wonderful food. As a side note, it is also home to some wonderful music and people as well – just in case you are in the area. I was staying down the street from Pike […]

May 12, 2010

LA Eats

Yesterday, my plane safely landed back at SFO after a whirlwind trip to the City of Angels. I had just enjoyed five days of endless giggles, girl time, and plenty of champagne toasts – we were celebrating the upcoming marriage of one of our own angels- and usually after a run like this, my body is not only tired, but craving some low sodium, home-cooked meals. Travel anywhere can mean a lot of low sodium scrounging. Without access to your own pantry, it is hard to know where you will find your next filling meal. And since I tend to […]

April 21, 2010

Hot Pot, Hot Spot

This post has been a long time in the making and let me warn you, it is not for the squeamish (or the vegetarian). There is a lot of undressed, uncooked meat ahead of you. So please, shield your eyes accordingly. But I promise, what you see and read will be worth whatever “harm” you endure as the food I am about to show you encapsulates the ultimate dining experience for low sodium eaters. The mecca of low sodium friendly restaurants. Hands down, one of my favorite foods to eat is Shabu Shabu. If I were a betting woman, which […]

February 26, 2010

Let's Do Lunch

Imagine this: it has been a busy week of working late and stressful deadlines. You barely have the minutes to fit in friends, phone calls, not to mention laundry and the less pressing tasks of working out and brushing your teeth. You barely have the energy to pull off your boots before you crash into your comfy bed (which never felt so good) and the last thing you have time or energy to accomplish is preparing a hearty, low sodium meal for your lunch the next day. So what is one to do when noon thirty rolls around, the brain […]

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