Category: San Francisco

Events, Holiday, San Francisco

Ina Garten’s Holiday Host Gift Ideas

While attending Ina Garten’s book tour event in San Francisco last fall, the queen of hosting and entertaining shared her host gift tips and ideas. “I don’t bring something that host feels that they need to serve.” That includes wine, cheese, or a particular course that needs to be included in the meal. She prefers things that the host or hostess can enjoy another time.

Ina Garten’s Host Gift Ideas

  1. Homemade Granola – This is her go-to recipe, updated from the original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
  2. Coffee – Ina’s favorite is Dallis Bros Coffee, particularly their Ellis Island Blend.
  3. Tea – Ina said on her appearance on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, “I start drinking tea around 10:30. Not at 10:29, not 10:31, but at 10:30 my brain goes — tea!” She didn’t specify a brand but she said she likes French tea. And in the summer, she makes this Herbal Iced Tea.
  4. Fran’s Caramels

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Chefs, San Francisco, Summer, Sweet Recipes

Dominique Crenn’s Cherry Clafoutis

my re-creation of Dominique Crenn's cherry clafoutis


I’ve always preferred eating cherries fresh, but this cherry clafoutis convinced me that they are delicious baked as well. When I worked at Williams Sonoma, we hosted a special dinner at Chef Dominique Crenn’s now-closed Petit Crenn in San Francisco. The menu was full of French classics like salade nicoise, ratatouille, and finished with a cherry clafoutis that I still remember to this day. The dinner was 6 years ago. I dug a giant spoon into the warm dish, revealing a glorious custard-y bake, dotted with the largest Bing cherries I had ever seen.

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Cookbooks, San Francisco, Sweet Recipes

Homemade Graham Crackers

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by pastrywithjenn • jenn yee (@pastrywithjenn)

 

I’m thrilled to share Miette’s graham crackers recipe from Pastry Chef and Owner Meg Ray. The San Francisco patisserie has been around since 2001 and truly no other shop is quite as charming. Whenever I pass by the Ferry Building location, I can’t help but look at the latest curation of candies, all perfectly packaged, but my sweet fix for candy seems to have gone away in my adulthood. Instead, I opt to go to the stand-alone freezer for one of the ice cream sandwiches, specifically the graham cracker with creme fraiche ice cream.

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San Francisco, Sweet Recipes

Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake

Making Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake recipe
Watch the how-to video for Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake

I was first introduced to this Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake recipe in pastry school. It was my assigned project during Cake Week. I had never heard of it before then, but it is a beloved treat that originated in San Francisco. It was invented in the 1940’s by Ernest Weil at Blum’s confectionery shop in Union Square, the first of several locations. A staff member overcooked some candy and Ernest smashed it into pieces to decorate the sponge cakes. And thus, the Koffee Krunch Cake (original spelling) was born.

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