Provence in Berkeley
Posted on | May 26, 2010 | No Comments
Socca
My friend Blanche is spending the year in Provence. She’ll meet her family in Paris for the holidays, but basically she’s staying in Provence and reports that it is very hard work to obtain the visa for a year in France. It involves standing in long lines for many, many hours in Nice. That made me remember the long lines in the Cours Saleya (the big Nice market) in front of the Socca stand because a Socca is just the right snack to get you through the morning, especially if you are shopping for the week’s fruits, vegetables, and flowers, a coveted antique, or even just souvenirs.
What is Socca, you ask? It is the most delicious thin pancake made of chickpea flour and cooked on a huge flat griddle until it is crispy on the edges with a slight pull and chewiness.
I never thought of trying to make Socca at home until I read Mark Bittman’s column in the New York Times. He calls them Tortillitas, and says they originated in Andalusia, but in my book a pancake featuring chickpea flour is pretty much a Socca. Here’s Bittman’s recipe. He uses shrimp, Read more
Market News circa 1906
Posted on | May 5, 2010 | No Comments
If you want to see an entirely different Market, check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k
In Albany, You Are Steps Away From Everything!
Posted on | April 28, 2010 | No Comments
Image courtesy of Kanna Aoki 2003 Albany Twin
For homebuyers seeking a quintessential small town with the vitality of a major city, Albany has it all. This community-oriented city boasts low crime rates, manicured homes, friendly neighbors, grassy parks and playgrounds, a charming main street, a host of services, programs and wholesome events for children, families and the elderly, and excellent schools.
A haven for people watching, Albany’s Solano Avenue is a pedestrian-oriented street dotted with gourmet and ethnic grocers, florists, a post office, charming boutiques, antique shops, cafes and both inexpensive and sophisticated restaurants.
Within only a few blocks you will find not one but, two classic French bistros: Nizza La Bella and Rendez-vous Cafe Bistro. Stroll up to the Albany Twin Movie Theater for a first run film and across the street for ice cream. Why not? You had a great work out at the Albany YMCA. 5 Little Monkey’s has a plethora of children’s clothes and toys, Zarri’s Delicatessen is an old-time Italian treasure, and Jodie’s Restaurant and Barbeque has the best fried chicken around. And that’s just within the first six blocks of Solano Avenue. Read more
Easy Mediterranean Feast
Posted on | April 21, 2010 | No Comments
In the past 25 years, I’ve eaten my way through France, Italy and Mexico. In 2004 I discovered the wonderful foods of Spain during a whirlwind trip to Andalusia with friend Suzanne. We ate tapas everywhere, but also wonderful wild mushrooms sauteed with eggs outside Ubeda, shrimp pancakes and octopus salad in Sanlucar, paella in Ronda. We sampled partridge pate, cazuela made from chickpeas, artichokes or thistles, and wonderful fresh cheeses with toasted walnuts and honey. Now I dream in sangria and menus as of late have reflected back to the food sensibilities of Spain.
Easy Mediterranean Feast
It’s easy to put together a Mediterranean feast. The first course has to be olives, probably green olives from a local olive bar. I had some fine green olives recently that were stuffed with tangy pieces of lemon. With a little more trouble, you could chop the olives and mix them very lightly into a log of chevre-or just spoon some chopped olive tapenade into the chevre. Serve with crunchy crackers or toasted baguette.
How about a plump roasted chicken for the main course??? Read more
Piedmont Avenue…A Great Place to Live—and Eat!
Posted on | April 14, 2010 | No Comments
Piedmont Avenue is one of the most interesting and eclectic shopping districts in Oakland. There are wonderful old-time stores, long staples of the street, and newer one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants and cafes—some spilling off onto several side streets—all thriving side-by-side down this long corridor of neighborhood charm and diversity.
People who live in the surrounding neighborhoods actually come out to the Avenue to shop, dine, go to the movies or enjoy coffee or tea. This is the street that has the annual family friendly Halloween parade and takes pride in the small town feel. Local residents love the area because it feels like a village.
You can get just about anything you want on Piedmont Avenue: there’s a 
post office, a public library, a drug store, video store, wine store, cleaners, fitness studio, stationary, books and comic books, flowers, 2 day-spas, gift stores, antique stores, clothing stores, a movie theatre, at least five coffee shops (Peet’s, Starbucks, Caffe Trieste, Gaylord’s, Rooz Cafe), L’Amyx Tea Bar, the impressive Piedmont Grocery as well as the well-stocked independent Monte Vista Market AND restaurants galore!
At the top of Piedmont Avenue is Mountain View Cemetery, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Read more
