In the waning weeks of summer vacation, with the days already getting shorter and the first day of school on the horizon, few of us want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  Now is the time to make the most of the incredible bounty of the August garden.

I’m talking tomatoes, here, of course.  As far as I’m concerned, nothing compares to the deep, sun-warmed flavor and chin dripping juiciness of a freshly picked tomato.  Whether it’s a salty, smoky Cherokee Purple or a nicely acidic Early Girl, a good tomato needs very little help to make a good meal.

A couple of slabs of ripe tomato and a sprinkle of salt is the perfect mid-summer lunch.  Add toasted bread and a salty bit of cured pork and you have a simple feast of the season that crosses continents and cultures.  In America, it’s a BLT.  In Spain, it’s pan con tomate, or bread with tomato. (more…)

Wandering around San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, camera in hand, for Penny de los Santos’ food photography workshop last week, I spotted this sandwich through the window at Tartine Bakery & Cafe.  It was so tempting with its plump asparagus spears tucked beneath a luscious blanket of bubbling cheese and bechamel.  But the line was long and time was short.

I left without tasting it, alas, and I couldn’t get that sandwich out of my mind.  So I resolved to make one for myself when I got home.  (more…)

Right now I’m up to my eyeballs in Thanksgiving preparations.  There are groceries to buy, rolls and pies to make ahead, a turkey to dry brine a la Russ Parsons, and a thousand little details to attend to before the big meal on Thursday afternoon.

By the time all the dishes are washed, dried and put away that night,  I’ll be ready to get out of the kitchen for a couple of days.  I don’t know about you but I rarely have the energy or dedication to rework leftovers from the biggest culinary marathon of the year into elaborate new dishes.

I’d rather make some sandwiches and give myself time to get out on a mountain trail or off to the beach after so many hours in front of the stove.  (Just the thought of shopping on Black Friday sends me into a panic.) (more…)

With our kitchen out of commission for a few weeks, we’re trying to simplify dinner.  Cooking isn’t really the issue — there’s always the grill or the camp stove— but I’m definitely not eager to wash piles of dishes by hand.

Sandwiches are part of our strategy. We’re not talking fast food here. My ideal sandwich is homemade on good bread with lively fillings and the fresh flavors of summer produce.

These tortas qualify on all counts.  Pork tenderloin, marinated for hours in a vibrant adobo sauce before grilling, is the star.  But it wouldn’t shine so brightly without a strong supporting cast:  Yeasty rolls (preferably fluffy bolillos from a Mexican bakery), grilled red onions, dead ripe tomatoes, salty Mexican cheese, lettuce and avocado.  Plus pickled jalapenos and carrots for a fiery jolt.  Together, they’re a irresistible combination of complementary flavors, textures and temperatures. (more…)

One of the perks of working in Silicon Valley for so long was the little ethnic restaurants found at virtually every strip mall. You could eat your way around the world without ever leaving the South Bay. And I did.

From Salvadoran pupusas in a converted burger shack to Indian dosas in a barely remodeled coffee shop, I discovered vibrant flavors and delightful textures in unexpected places. One of the things I’ve missed the most since leaving the Mercury News is the Vietnamese sandwiches, banh mi, that I used to grab for a quick lunch at least once a week at the hole-in-the-wall shop not far from my office. (more…)