Mi Pueblo

Another East Bay gem of a super market with a character all its own. The range of groceries and produce is excellent and one could spend the better part of an hour just perusing the menu at the take-out deli or in the meat and fish market section. Every city should be blessed with a Mi Pueblo for the range of products and the reasonable prices, as well as the upbeat atmosphere.

This colorful market sets the mood as you walk in; life is a fiesta at Mi Pueblo. I don't know how I was able to walk away from the prepared foods section with its homemade tortillas and classic Mexican entrees, aromas swirling around olfactory nerves like hookah smoke surrounding the caterpillar in Alice In Wonderland, but I did manage it and went on to the cold case section. Unique could describe this visually exciting area, since dairy products share the space with the butcher shop. This 2nd photo shows Mi Pueblo's flavored yogurts. Bulk yogurts and puddings were lined up in neat rows, like soldiers in a military parade. They came in a variety of pastel shades and were decorated with tattoos of various fruits, sliced and arranged into flowers and butterflies. Small children must certainly skip to this part of the store, it is just that fanciful and delightful.

The meat counter was especially colorful with a large selection of meats that were enhanced with spice rubs and marinades. What a nice way to introduce the uninitiated to Latin cuisine. Have you ever seen so many fresh squabs at a meat and poultry counter, in a modestly priced market or even a high end market? The low price encourages me to try my hand at cooking them. The unadorned meats (sans spice rubs) looked beautifully fresh in pink and red hues, sure signs of a quick turnover in the meat department.

Even the fish was decorated with cucumber coins and orange twists, while the pickled pigs' feet had to settle for carrots and red onions. Looking at this particular counter, I knew I had to come back when I had more time, to identify more of the selection and to fully comprehend all the unusual features of this store. As I walked by the diary cases on my way to the produce section I saw lots of bulk dried beans, fruits and vegetables that were neatly displayed, but my eye kept wandering to the large wooden crate of something yellow. Like a pirate on the hunt for a treasure chest filled with gold doubloons I made my way to the box that was filled to the brim with squash blossoms. At $4.99 per pound, these were definitely a treasure.

Saving the best for last, I snapped this photo of the tortilla team working at breakneck speed to keep pace with the tortilla juggernaut. What a place!

Magnum for Lunch Bunch

The one bright star in the firmament of Portuguese food options on our recent trip to Portugal was the Magnum Bar. We've seen Magnums in other European countries but the Double Caramel will for us, forever be associated with Portugal. When the bar melts slightly, the caramel becomes gooey and luscious and becomes the perfect, sweet foil for the dark chocolate.

I had grown up thinking that my Portuguese side of the family just didn't know how to cook, but it turns out that my grandmother and aunts cooked Portuguese fare perfectly by boiling the life out of all vegetables and failing to use spices for punctuation, along with overcooking any and all meats and poultry. As a result of this culinary failing, we decided to skip all lunches and simply eat a Magnum. It was the meal we looked forward to the most. When an aquaintance asked my husband what he thought of the food in Portugal, he smiled and told the man that he especially liked the lunches...it's our little joke.

Farmer Joe's

The East Bay has another fine, family run market and it's name is Farmer Joe's. The name gives a nod to it's owner Joe Tam and helps in identifying itself as a place to buy farm fresh organic produce. My favorite aspect of this market is the bulk foods department where I stop from time to time for my occasional purchase. Living in San Francisco precludes me from becoming a regular customer, but if they ever decide to expand their small 2 store empire I'm all for a new location across the bay. We could use more family run operations in San Francisco.

First and foremost this store is known for it's produce department that was meticulously arranged on the times I visited the market. The variety was broad but not expansive and it was a delight to see quite a few varieties of tomatoes, beyond Roma, Beefsteak, and Cherry. That's a big plus in my opinion. The bakery aisle had old bay area favorites like Grace Baking Company and Semi Freddi so the quality was evident even with a cursory look, and the condiment section was a good size.

What attracted me the most, and what I will go back for are the bulk spices at good prices and the olive oils and balsamic vinegars at equally good prices. The variety was quite large for a store of this size and the oils came from several countries including Australia, as well as from California. I don't think I have ever seen Australian olive oils anywhere else. The best part is the fact that they sell small bottles, so you could easily buy several varietals and blends for taste comparisons. This is a great resource for anyone contemplating a "Tasting Party". Balsamic vinegars come in various fruit flavors that inspire ways to vary your salads from one meal to the next, and of course, the fruit flavors inspire the addition of dried fruits. They would make fine flavor elements in sauces for poultry too. I've included some of these balsamics in recipes for home made cranberry sauce and other fruit preserves. This section of the store is absolutely inspirational when you evaluate your options.
A broad selection does not end with the olive oils and vinegars, just look at this wall of eggs. It implys the importance of this single ingredient, so much so that I feel the need to purchase more eggs on a regular basis. A friend is always talking abut how good the fish is at Farmer Joe's and after looking at the case, I believe him. Every piece looked off-the-boat fresh and glistened like pebbles on a rocky shoreline.

http://www.farmerjoesmarket.com/

3426 Fruitvale Ave

Oakland CA 94602

(510) 482-8899

Cooleeney...Cool

It is very lucky to be able to travel and see and taste what other cultures produce, but some of us don't have that luxury. KerryGold Butter and Dubliner Cheddar cheese have made a favorable impression in America and we are fortunate to be able to find them in more and more stores. They are a clear indication of the quality of Irish dairy products. I have wished for many years that we could import their milk, since it has been the very best I have ever tasted. Now after a trip to Ireland last year, I can add Cooleeney cheese to that wish list. It must be the Irish answer to brie or camembert as it is creamy, rich and unctuous, so very buttery on the tongue.

www.cooleeney.com

The Spice Shop

This British culinary institution started because the woman who owns it was looking for extra income to complete grad school. Her weekend spice stall turned into an international business, the shop now sells its products all over Great Britain and Ireland and exports all over the world. This photo was taken in a small gourmet grocery store in Westport Ireland, but more about that later. Upon entering the small, postage stamp sized store in London just blocks from the Portobello Road antiques market, I was stunned at the amount and variety of spices that lined the tall shelving. With insufficient time to really shop I grabbed a few packages and made my way back to the hotel, with plans for a more thorough visit the next time I go to London. I would highly recommend a visit to the store or a purchase over the Internet.

www.thespiceshop.co.uk

1 Blenheim Crescent
London, W11,
United Kingdom
+44 20 7221 4448

San Francisco Civic Center Farmer's Market

While there are many cross over vendors at all 3 of the major farmer's markets in San Francisco, Civic Center has a larger Asian presence and influence with a broader selection of Asian foods including fish and even live poultry. Some of the vendors sell very good quality produce, and some sell, what appears to my personal aesthetics to be, inferior quality produce, yet every stand has clients making purchases. I probably edit more photos at this market than at Alemany or Ferry Plaza, due to a less formal approach by the vendors in setting up their "wares", yet some are very engaged in their activity and set up their stands in such a way, I believe they are true works of art. I only wish I could take credit for the arrangement in my photo shown here.

Except for the smoked fish vendors at Ferry Plaza and Alemany Farmers' Markets, there is no other fish being sold at our outdoor markets unless you come here to Civic Center. the selection changes from week to week with some staples like tuna, prawns, smelt, and large squid. I've only seen the green lipped mussels once in 3 months.

It isn't hard to identify the catfish, but without signs, it's a guessing game for some of the fish being sold here. Admittedly, seeing the fish frozen and thawing out in the sun poses a few concerns about food safety at this stand, but it's still tempting to purchase something when the prices are better than what you'd pay at a supermarket.

If you click on the 1st photo you'll see about 20 people standing in line. The 2nd photo shows the back side of a live chicken being held by its legs so it can be shoved into a paper bag that will be stapled closed. Is this legal? Seems like animal cruelty to me, and yet there is a large market for these birds. So are these birds being adopted or will they be home slaughtered? It seems "a chicken in every pot" comes in a bag at Civic Center.

The market also has vendors selling garden plants, dairy products, mushrooms, honey, preserves, bakery goods and flowers. There are many more items that grace this market along with vendors selling prepared foods, although not as many as at the other major San Francisco markets. These photos show a bit of the diversity.

After having made a point of going to the markets for several consecutive months, there is one trend that has caught my attention and that is price increases. They fluctuate as does the freshness and quality of the produce. The $4 flats of eggs are now $5 several months later and 5# of almonds went from $12 last November to $15 last month. I inquired about that change and the vendor told me that when the product becomes more scarce at the end of the season, the prices go up. Fair enough.

Wednesdays and Sundays on Market St between 7th and 8th

I Hate To Keep Talking About Chocolate.....

Yes, I'd much prefer to be eating it, but alas, my stash from our last trip is long gone and but a memory. The Swiss really do excel at making chocolate and there are many more vendors than we are exposed to here in the U.S. While it would not have been impossible to consume chocolate every day of our 1 1/2 week trip to Switzerland, I did manage to limit myself to less than 11 bars. My two favorites are shown in the photograph. While looking for a website for Suchard, it became apparent that the company may no longer exist, although the name is still being used. It was originally a Swiss company and seems to have been sold to Tobler, then got picked up by Kraft Foods and in many cases is being identified with Belgian chocolates rather than Swiss. Since it is my habit to only try regional food items on vacation I'm sure the milk chocolate bar I ate was at the very least made in Switzerland. It, like so many other milk chocolates was rich and sweet and easy to savor.

The Camille Bloch filled chocolate bar was outstanding and like no other chocolate bar I have eaten. The caramel mousse was light as a feather and not overly sweet; the sweetness was left to the chocolate enveloping it. Most certainly I will try more of this fine chocolate whenever I'm lucky enough to find it again. The website informs me that it may be as close as Quebec!

http://www.camillebloch.ch/index.php/en

Switzerland..Dairy Good

It must be clear to most people who travel that Switzerland is a great country for chocolates and cheese, both utilizing milk from cows grazing on alpine pastures. I knew that going in, bit it never occurred to me that the Swiss also make phenomenal yogurt. As is evidenced by the above photo, the flavors are exotic and very imaginative. The chocolate and coconut combination is a natural, but I've never seen that at home, nor have I ever seen or tasted a citrus/exotic fruit blend like the Lychee/Pomelo blend. Both of these flavors were fresh and delicious. The Mango/Guava would please the entire southern hemisphere. Since Hirz brand is a Nestle product, one can only hope they might consider distributing it in the States. Our tastes have become more sophisticated than to settle for only Swiss Miss Cocoa, Quick, and Nestle Crunch bars, especially since we now know about Banana Split yogurt!

A New Meaning for "Hot Chocolate"

Lindt, the international Swiss chocolate manufacturer is selling this semi sweet chocolate in Italy. I've tasted chocolate with chili peppers in Italy before and have liked it. That heat hitting the back of one's throat is remarkable, slightly surprising, and just enough of a kick to allow the flavors to linger in your mouth for a few seconds more. If you get a chance try one of these products, please do. I may have to try to make a hybrid version at home, since I can't seem to find this product in stores locally. At the very least I am hoping to recreate a chocolate torte with chili that I ate at Al Mascaron in Venice. The Vosges brand of chocolate that is available locally has a few bars with chili peppers included, but their heat is mild in comparison to the European chocolates. Still, no one can compete with their bacon chocolate.

Country Cheese

Tucked away mid block on Hopkins St, in the middle of Berkeley's "gourmet ghetto" is a small store with an amazing collection of high quality products. Country Cheese is not just a cheese store. I stumbled upon it as I walked between Monterey Market where I purchased dirt cheap produce and Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, where I intended to adopt some tomato plants for my garden.

Cheese, teas, coffees, spices, chocolates, condiments and much more pack this small 3 aisle store. It has become a most valuable resource for finishing salts because their prices are excellent. Fume De Sel is the most expensive at $60 per pound, but who needs a pound? At $3.75 per ounce it's affordable to everyone. The Salish alder smoked salt is one of my favorites of the smoked salt group and is priced lower here than anywhere I have seen it on the Internet. At $12 per pound they are giving it away. For texture it's difficult to resist the black lava salt with it's square, concave crystals.

Besides the 3 salts listed above, they also sell Murray River pink salt from Australia, one of the most popular finishing salts of all, as well as Hawaiian Alea salt. But we can't stop at the salt... the cheese selection is commendable, but fairly small for a store that has cheese in its name. I did expect more. the selection is nice and many were perfectly ripe and ready for immediate use, a big plus in my estimation.

This small purveyor of comestibles also had a very broad range of exceptional chocolates including Vosges of the bacon/chocolate, wasabi/chocolate, pink peppercorn/lemon chocolate fame. It's worth a trip there just to see what boutique chocolates are currently on the market. One Easter, instead of a dessert, I supplied my guests with a tasting of Vosges chocolates and we all had a wonderful time guessing the ingredients.

(510) 526-1333
1578 Hopkins St

Berkeley CA 94707