On a Sunday evening, Ingo had the opportunity to go over to the Slow Food tasting pavilions at Fort Mason center. It was quite an experience. What a contrast to the Robogames, held a few months earlier in the same location. There was plenty of interesting food on hand. Below is just a sampling of what Ingo had the chance to taste.

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I had never paid much attention to this recipe in Richard Sax’s Classic Home Desserts until one day, I run across it while reading through a Nigella Lawson cookbook. She reprints it, exclaiming how wonderful it is. Figuring it must be a good recipe for one chef to reprint it in their own cookbook, I had to try it. And Nigella is right. It’s a great, flourless chocolate cake that’s not too heavy. Don’t skip on the whipped cream topping–that definitely adds a necessary piece to the overall mixture.

There is no better sandwich than a French Dip. Making one requires a well-cooked roast beef, with a dark flavorful “jus” in which to dip the sandwich. Growing up, Ingo would often ask his dad to make the roast beef, slice it thinly, and then pile it high on two slices of San Luis Sourdough bread for a special French Dip treat. This recipe for roast beef comes by way of the Culinary Institute of America’s The New Professional Chef. The method is fairly foolproof, and yields a good roast with a large …

This is a very old and incredibly easy method of preserving fruit. We couldn’t resist the amazing organic peaches, nectarines and plums at the awesome Alemany’s Farmers Market, but soon had to face the realization that there’s only so many fruit tarts and chutneys we could eat. If you love preserves with fresh fruit flavor, but are not ready to commit to canning at home–try this, there’s no cooking involved. The resulting spread can keep for several months in the fridge.

This recipe comes from the David Rosengarten cookbook, It’s All American Food. We’re big fans of this book, and it seems strangely underrated (I bought my copy in the clearance area of a bookstore), despite winning a James Beard Foundation Award. The basic premise of the book is to be an overview of the most popular and loved of American dishes, grouping them by the original ethnicity, but including the tweaks that make it the “American” version. You can find nearly any dish in here, from Coq Au Vin to …

Kaiserschmarren is a thick, souffle-like pancake, first created for the Austrian Emperor, Francis Joseph I. Oma and Opa Muschenetz grew up in Czechia, an area under the Austro-Hungarian Empire and full of Viennese influences. The dish was a “company-over-for-breakfast” kind of recipe in the Muschenetz household–a fancy treat that was unusual for American palettes and fun to eat. Light in texture, you could have seconds or thirds of it without feeling guilty.Â
Ingo’s mom, Karen remembers ordering Kaiserschmarren during a hike in the Austrian Alps. Traditionally served swimming in butter, Karen has adapted this …

Couscous is a simple, fast-cooking grain that goes particularly well with Middle-Eastern dishes like lamb. Often, we’ll cook couscous, saute some vegetables and toss the vegetables and couscous with some herbs, and cheese. This is one of the more successful combinations we’ve made.

We recently picked up a package of frozen lamb chops from Trader Joe’s and tried this recipe. It was a definite winner. The tart cherries, balsamic vinegar and port combined together to make an exceptionally tasty dressing. The sauce is not complicated, and the whole dish comes together relatively quickly.