We suggest:

Robert Lambert Mother’s Day Fruitcakes, $34.99/16 oz: This cake is much like the Winter Fruitcake that we carry for the Holidays, but with a few substitutions in the lineup of fruits and nuts. Walnuts instead of hazelnuts, and a decidedly tropical turn with dried pineapple and mango added to the cherries and nectarines, all plumped in papaya and guava nectar. Yuzu (Japanese lime) and Celebes papeda (a kind of pommelo) peels join Meyer lemon, Rangpur lime and blood orange peels  for a citrusy kick.  The batter is similar to the White Fruitcake, but with papaya and guava nectar instead of orange juice, and scented with cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla.  And finally, the soaking cognac is infused with the rare, fragrant Shekwasha citrus peel. Topped with a beautiful spring flower, this fruit cake is sure to banish all thoughts of cedar boughs and holly!

Chocolat Moderne Unconditional Love, $14.99/5pc clear round available in white or dark chocolate and $39.99/12pc coral box available in dark chocolate: Thank Mom for all her years of unconditional love with this truffle collection.  Assortments include combinations of the following:

• Soft passion fruit caramel infused with a hint of cardamom
• Poire Williams pear and Eau de Vie caramel
• White chocolate ganache with Japanese matcha green tea
• White chocolate ganache with coconut milk, toasted shredded coconut dark Haitian rum
• Crushed, toasted pistachios with white chocolate and rice crisps
• Crushed, toasted macadamia nuts blended with white chocolate and candied ginger

Michael Recchiuti Butterfly Motif Box, $19.99/8pc: Eight of Recchiuti’s signature burnt caramel truffles decorated with whimsical butterfly images that are sure to delight Mom.

Michael Mischer Mother’s Day Box, $16.99/6pc or $29.99/12pc: Give Mom the gift of Michael Mischer’s blissful truffles.  The Mother’s Day collection includes lavender, salted caramel, dark chocolate, cherry, hazelnut, and coconut truffles.

Maison Bouche Macarons, $14.99: Inspired by the classic French pastries, this collection boasts interpretations in flavored chocolate arranged as a quartet (eight halves) in an embossed basket-weave box.  Available in either dark chocolate strawberry or milk chocolate peach & rum.

Theo’s Spring Confection Collection, $18.99/8pc: Featuring flavors that suggest the freshness of the season, Theo’s 8-piece spring collection contains both ganache and caramel confections: award-winning Pearl Jasmine Ganache, Honey Saffron Caramel, Lime Coriander Ganache, Lemon Ganache, Mint Ganache, Pink Salted Dark Caramel, and Coffee Milk Caramel.

Vosges Mama’s Chocolate Craving Kit, $24.99/9/.5oz bars: This gift set provides a chocolate bar to match every mother’s needs – savory, spicy, sweet, salty, sour, energy, digestive and Indian.  Here’s how those flavors break down: Red Fire (cinnamon), Naga (curry), Black Pearl (ginger), Barcelona (almonds), Oaxaca (guajillo & pasilla chili peppers), Mo’s Milk Bacon (Applewood smoked bacon), Amalfi (lemon zest + pink peppercorns + white chocolate, Bapchi’s Caramel Toffee, Woolloomoolo).

Vosges Petite Clementine & Ginger Botanical Toffee, $11.99/4oz: Sweet buttery toffee laced with ginger confit, lime & rooibos tea, enrobed in dark chocolate and garnished with clementine.

Printable Mother’s Day Menu

From the Kitchen

Quiche Lorraine (six-inch) $10.99/each Serves 2
With Gruyere and House-made Bacon

Poached Prawns$24.99/lb
With Eddy’s cocktail sauce

Herbed Potato Salad$5.99/lb
Baby potatoes, fine herbes, Dijon vinaigrette

Roasted Beet, Feta and Shaved Red Onion Salad $7.99/lb
Red beets, Bulgarian feta, lemon vinaigrette

Seasonal Fruit Salad $5.99/lb
includes Berries, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Mango

Grilled Asparagus with Shaved Manchego and Marcona Almonds $10.99/lb

Fresh Dungeness Crab Meat $34.99/lb

Printable Mother’s Day Menu

For a perfect toast for Mom, try one of Trac’s suggestions:

Celine & Laurent Tripoz Fleur d’Aligoté 2008 $19.99 – Fleur is French for flowers and what better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a “bouquet” of sparkling Aligoté, a white grape from Burgundy. This sparkling is delicious, with fresh butter aromatics along with lily and ham notes. It has flavors of lemon-curd and great bubble structures. A fresh and vibrant wine, Fleur de’Aligoté will make your mom sparkle with joy!

Maison Lillet Lillet Rosé $19.99 — For the first time in 50 years, we have a new Lillet and it’s pink! Lightly sweet and herbacious, Lillet Rosé is fabulous mixed with sparkling water or on the rocks.

Here’s what we can do: if you come in for your case early this time around–the three days before the Blitz–we’ll throw in a complimentary bottle of our 18th St. Syrah along with the Blitz standard 20% off your case purchase. Not to mention the real plus, beating the Blitz crowds to have your pick of our wine selection! Visit us Monday, May 14th through Wednesday, May 16th, mention the word “WELLS” to our wine team, and we’ll make your case a baker’s dozen.

If you haven’t tried our 18th St. Syrah recently, it’s tasting great right now! Crafted by renowned winemaker Wells Guthrie of Copain Cellars in Sonoma, the 18th St. Syrah shows wonderful notes of smoke, blackberry, and pepper spices. Try it with lamb, venison, or grilled veggies; it might become an everyday staple.

Looking for a wine that we don’t carry? Let us know! We’re happy to place special orders for the Wine Blitz — the sooner we hear from you, the easier it is to source that hard to find case of wine! Email me with any questions or special orders. 

We (the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses) and other SFMade member businesses will be celebrating annual SFMade Day on May 12th, and SFMade Week from May 7th-13th. The organizers are giving us so many ways to celebrate local products and the people who make them:

• Might I interest you in a cocktail party for 15, including appetizer platters and wine, catered by Bi-Rite Catering and delivered to your door? You can bid on that and more in SFMade’s Online Silent Auction.
• Party at Speakeasy Brewery for their Ramp it Up! Poured, Shaken and Stirred speakeasy themed celebration of local artisanal beverages.
• Take a tour of some of SF’s most well-known manufacturers–Ritual Coffee, Anchor Brewing, Timbuk2 and more.
• Meet local sweet makers–Cocoa, Kika’s Treats, and Barbary Brix–and taste the Mission’s newest brewery, Southern Pacific Brewing (I can’t keep away from their gorgeous space, you’ve gotta check it out!)
• Shop SFMadeDay: on May 12th, “keep your cash in the community” and shop with a local retailer selling SFMade products (here’s a map of participating businesses). We’re donating ten percent of our sales from that day (up to $500) to SFMade’s programs for local manufacturers.

The more SF Made businesses you’re able to support next week, the more you’ll be witness to our motto: “Yes, we still make things right here in San Francisco!”

Rosé City!

Savory Tartlets with Fava Bean Puree, Olives, Lemon and Pecorino

Grilled Asparagus with Marcona Almonds and Shaved Manchego (moms love asparagus!) 

Bi-Rite Creamery’s Banana Cupcakes with Pecan Toffee Buttercream

Find these and more on our Peak of the Season Menu; give us a call (415–241-9760 x 1) or email us if you want to brainstorm an upcoming event together!

In sharing the following recipe I’m not claiming it to be a legit Cheesesteak–I know it would never be possible for me to uphold the standards of what I hear about “REAL Cheesesteak.” I simply love the sandwich and I love this cheese we call Epoisses (from the land of French washed rind cheeses).  As a serious cheese nerd (cheesemonger) “it’s my kinda cheesewiz.”  I hope that everyone can appreciate the idea because it turned out absolutely delicious.

Dear French,

I am in no way trying to belittle the perfection of Epoisses…I understand that its origin is Burgundian, and it is best paired with Pinot, a baguette and solitude… However, I think this is an amazing addition to the Cheesesteak.

Look what happens when France meets Philly…I like this relationship.

Cheers!

Epoisses Cheesesteak

(Makes 2 cheesesteaks)

½ wheel Epoisses cheese

½ pound sliced roast beef

2 red peppers

1 yellow pepper

2 yellow onions

1 lemon

1 head garlic

1 pound Cremini mushrooms

2 crusty sub rolls

chili flakes

salt

pepper

olive oil

1)   Preheat oven to 375°F.

2)   On a sheet tray rub down your whole yellow and red peppers with generous amounts of olive oil, salt & pepper.

3)   Roast peppers until done, approximately 20 minutes.

4)   Cut the stem side off your garlic to expose cloves.  Wrap with a large square piece of foil and generously rub with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Twist foil to close and put in oven to roast with the peppers.

5)   Thinly slice onion into half-moons.  Heat pan, add olive oil, and caramelize onion slices.  Season with lemon, salt and pepper.

6)   Wash and slice mushrooms.

7)   In a separate pan add olive oil and heat until very hot, just before smoking. Add your sliced mushrooms and cook until they are brown and caramelized.  Add a pinch of chili flakes, salt and pepper to season.

8)   Once peppers are nice and roasted (dark color and soft) pull out and either with gloves or a towel remove the skin and seeds.  Julienne peppers.

9)   Combine caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and julienned roasted peppers in one pan.

10)  Turn on your broiler, and get plates ready.

11)  Partially split rolls, leaving them slightly connected.

12) Coarsely chop sliced roast beef.  Taste and lightly season if necessary.

13) Heat pan HOT, add oil, and add roast beef to crisp the tips.

14) Reheat vegetable mix if needed and add a generous amount to one side of the roll.  Next, place meat in the middle, and then top with Epoisses cheese.

15) Place sandwich under the broiler and watch the Epoisses heat and become even gooier and seep into the crispy meat. Yum!

16) Pull out of oven and enjoy!  You might want to share this one…it’s quite decadent!

Is it a sign that the challenges of our food system have hit a breaking point when academics deem their study worthy of a degree? (full story, NY Times)

An economist applies his strategic approach to eking out the best of what restaurants have to offer; his tips include “beware the beautiful, laughing women “, “order what sounds least appetizing on the menu” and “prefer Pakistani to Indian and prefer Thai to Vietnamese”: (full story, The Atlantic)

Two new studies challenge our beliefs about food deserts, finding that such neighborhoods actually have more grocery stores and restaurants than others (did they look at the quality of fresh food available in these stores?); they also found no relationship between the type of food sold in a neighborhood and obesity among its children: (full story, NY Times)

At least New York City’s authorities believe certain areas are in desperate need of fresh produce; since 2008 they’ve authorized 1,000 new permits for street vendors who sell only raw fruits and veggies as part of their Green Cart initiative: (full story, NY Times)

A growing “domestic fair trade” movement formally recognizes and rewards farms working to address social justice, and is pushing forward a new “Food Justice Certified” label for farms (such as Swanton Berry Farm in Santa Cruz, whose Chandler Strawberries are so tasty right now!): (full story, Civil Eats)

On the heels of the decision last month by the FDA to allow continued use of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in food packaging, here’s a look at how exposure to BPA and other chemicals through food-contact plastics impacts our health: (full story, Washington Post)

Demand for chicken legs and thigh cuts is climbing as diners tire of white meat, TV cooking shows tout dark meat’s richer flavor, growing exports to foreign markets favor chicken on the bone, and rising US immigrant populations have a preference for dark meat: (full story, Wall Steet Journal)

I’m keeping my eyes on four new SF food businesses by the Flour + Water team–Central Kitchen (which will have a weatherproof back patio with hydroponic heating), Salumeria, Parlour bakery/café and Trick Dog bar–and found this diagram of how the block will be laid out helpful: (full story, Mission Local)

As a sucker for a dinner party, I have yet to try one of the online dinner party planning sites; the newest one acts as an organizer for a gathering–a place to list the menu, invite guests, and offset costs by adding a “chip-in” price: (full story, Tasting Table)

As with most liqueurs, the recipe for Bénédictine is highly guarded, only known by a handful of people at one time. The distillers combine brandy with plants and spices from across the globe. Their website describes Bénédictine as having a “distinctive aroma of spices and citrus fruit, offering notes of crisp freshness, softened by a touch of honey.” Its unique flavor mixes well with other spirits, such as bourbon, vermouth and bitters.  It’s also wonderful on its own, served neat or with ice.

Apparently today’s cocktail has quite a following, as many of our guests and staff members have been excited to see us sharing the Vieux Carré.

Vieux Carré

(from benedictinedom.com)

1/2 part of Rye whiskey
1/2 part of Cognac
1/2 part of sweet vermouth
1 bar spoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice cubes, stir and serve.

With Earth Day a mere three days away, I’m here to bring you our final food waste challenge highlighted food: CELERY! This one is the big kahuna, with more of you saying you end up throwing out limp stalks than any other food we heard about. Here are a couple of the comments from our guests about the challenge of using up the celery in your fridge:

“I have never used more than a few stalks of celery out of a bunch before it goes bad. I guess I could just do the ants on a log thing.”–Tony

“Definitely celery…I freeze veggie scraps for future broth/soup making, but too often, they appear freezer-burned by the time I am ready to make my soup. “–Emily

“Celery tops are also a challenge. There are many Greek recipes that use lots of celery, including the leaves, but you certainly can’t use so much in stocks because it is a dominant flavor. A celery bunch can be stored in the fridge by putting the root end in a wide-mouthed jar with an inch of water and tent the top with a plastic bag. Celery strips are great
to serve with dips of all kinds. “–Carrie Rose

Before sharing our recipe ideas for celery, I want to let you in on the million dollar trick for buying celery at Bi-Rite: you can buy as many or as few stalks as you need! That’s right, we sell it by the pound, not the bunch, so you’re always welcome to take just as much as your recipe calls for if you’re worried a whole head is too much. And now, for the recipes…

Winter Celery salad

Alli, Grocery
Thinly slice equal parts celery and fennel (I use a mandolin to get them super fine).
Whisk fish sauce, sesame oil and light soy sauce to taste.
Toss together, adding cilantro, mint, or Italian parsley before serving. Delicious with fish!

Celery Leaf Salad with Blue Cheese, Belgian Endive & Citrus

Kirsten, Marketing

2 Belgian endive heads (or other chicory), chopped
1 C celery leaves, chopped
2 oz crumbled blue cheese
¼ C toasted and chopped walnuts
¼ C orange juice
¾ C olive oil
¼ tsp sugar or honey
Salt and pepper

Mix endive and celery leaves, reserving a few celery leaves for garnish.
Shake together orange juice and sugar. Whisk in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour ½ of dressing over celery and endive, reserving the rest for another salad later that week.  Mix well with hands.
Place walnuts, cheese and reserved celery leaves on top. Serve with roasted chicken, farro salad, or a really awesome burger.

Everyday Tips for Celery

• Don’t forget about ants on a log, the all-American snack! Smear peanut butter on a celery stick, top with a line of raisins, and eat those ants before they walk off! (Rosie, 18 Reasons)

• Check out Mark Bittman’s article from this week–16 recipes starring celery!

For day three of our Food Waste Challenge, we’re turning our attention away from the produce section and towards the dairy case–of all the dairy items our guests told us they have trouble finishing, the one that we heard most often was the luscious, the tangy, the unbeatable classic…sour cream!

 Here are a couple of the comments we received about the challenge of using up the remaining sour cream in your fridge:

“Sour cream — I only buy it when a recipe calls for it, but it isn’t offered in small containers, so I always end up throwing out the rest of the container.”–Daria

“I’m with you, I’d never use the whole container of sour cream. “–Rachael

To the rescue, a few of our staff’s ideas for sour cream:

Saturday Sour Cream Griddle Cakes

Steffan, Manager

Yield: 10–12 4” pancakes

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup (grade B, baby!)

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.
Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven.
Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in egg whites.
Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface, flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.

Everyday Tips for Sour Cream

• Make an anytime, anywhere dip, also great for using up leftover herbs: Mix herbs, lemon juice, salt and sour cream to taste to make a fast, fresh dip, perfect for veggies, pita chips, or falafel. Try the fresh dill, mint & lemon juice combo! (Alli, grocery)

• SUPER NACHOS: Use up your sour cream, herbs (cilantro, chives…), and citrus (squeeze of lime!) in one fell swoop.

• Tangy chicken salad: Mix in sour cream instead of mayo when making your next chicken salad (with leftover roast chicken, herbs, and celery!)

• Add a dollop to your next bowl of soup for a little creamy zing—sour cream’s not just for chili!