San Francisco February 2019 Perched atop hills and filled-in marshland at the entrance to one of the Pacific s largest natural harbors, San Francisco has had an outsized influence on the history of California and the United States. Originally a Spanish (later Mexican) mission and pueblo, it was conquered by the United States in 1846 and by an invading army of prospectors following the 1848 discovery of gold. The Gold Rush made San Francisco a cosmopolitan metropolis with a frontier edge. On January 24, 1848, the first gold was found at Sutter s Fort, in the California foothills. Within months, San Francisco (renamed from Yerba Buena in 1847) became the central port and depot of the frenzied Gold Rush. Over the next year, arriving forty-niners increased the city s population from 1,000 to 25,000. The city was lawless and wild, its Barbary Coast district full of prostitution and gambling. Six major fires broke out between 1849 and 1851. In 1859 the silver boom of Nevada s Comstock Lode again filled the city s docks and lined its pockets. Construction of the Central Pacific Railroad funded by the Big Four businessmen Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, Collis P. Huntington and Leland Stanford drew thousands of laborers from China. Although many were later forced to leave by exclusionary U.S. policies, San Francisco s thriving Chinatown quickly became the largest Chinese settlement outside of Asia. In 1887 planners carved out 1,000 acres on the Pacific side of the peninsula for Golden Gate Park. On April 18, 1906, the San Andreas Fault slipped more than 10 feet, unleashing a massive earthquake later estimated at 7.8 on the Richter scale. The tremors broke water mains and triggered fires that raged for four days, killing 3,000 people, destroying 25,000 buildings and leaving 250,000 homeless. The earthquake and fire destroyed much of the city but barely slowed its momentum. The city rebuilt quickly with an improved city center and hosted the lavish Panama International Exposition just nine years later. ;San Francisco barreled through the 20th century as a center of wealth, military power, progressive culture and high technology. The 1930s saw growth both in the city and its outlying communities, and the construction of the iconic Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay Bridges.
On October 17, 1989, another large earthquake hit the city, damaging buildings, collapsing freeways and killing 67. A decade later, a boom centered on Internet technology began, drawing entrepreneurs to the city and raising rents, respectability and resentment in its rougher neighborhoods. The crowded city s population, steady for decades, began to rise again. identity. The Chinatown centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco, is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese enclave outside Asia. It is the oldest of the four notable Chinatowns in the city. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants in North America. Chinatown is an enclave that continues to retain its own customs, languages, places of worship, social clubs, and Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles offshore. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison from 1934 until 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation, with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Lombard Street is an east west street in San Francisco, California that is famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpin turns. Stretching from The Presidio east to The Embarcadero, most of the street's western segment is a major thoroughfare designated as part of U.S. Route 101. The famous one-block section, claimed to be "the crookedest street in the world", is located along the eastern segment in the Russian Hill neighborhood. The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system. The city expanded as cable cars enabled the city s grid to spread over its steepest hills. An icon of San Francisco, the cable car system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Of the 23 lines established between 1873 and 1890, only three remain: two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, and a third route along California Street. Some other key tourist areas/sites - Nob Hill, Ghirardelli Square, North Beach, Coit Tower, Haight- Ashbury, Little Italy, Japantown, Union Square, Presidio, and Fisherman s Wharf.
Menu The San Francisco cocktail Potstickers ------------------------------ Salad with Green Goddess Dressing San Francisco Sourdough Bread San Francisco-style seafood cioppino ----------------------------- Ghirardelli Chocolate Lava Cake Host choice of wines from Sonoma and/or Napa. Host purchase sourdough bread from Sprouts (brown wrapper sourdough) or other good bakery. Division of Labor 4 Cooks 5 Cooks Cocktail cook #1 cook #1 Salad cook #1 cook #2 Cioppino cook #2 cook #3 Appetizer cook #3 cook #4 Dessert cook #4 cook #5
Cocktail The San Francisco These must be made one drink at a time. 1 oz Vodka top up with Orange Juice 1 oz Crème de Banana Liqueur 1 oz Grenadine Orange slices and cherries for garnish In a tall glass and put in a few ice cubes. Add the vodka. Add orange juice, leaving room for the next two ingredients. Add the "creme". To finish, add the grenadine slowly but very carefully at the side of the glass so it will lay down in the bottom. Garnish with orange slice and a cherry.
Pot Stickers Makes about 25, estimate 2-3 per person. Dumpling Dough 1 ½ cups flour 3 oz. warm water 1 small/medium egg, beaten Mix flour with water and egg. Stir to mix well and knead until a soft dough is formed. Let stand 30 minutes before using. Filling 6 8 oz. lean ground pork 1 or 2 ½ inch pieces gingerroot, minced ¾ tsp salt 1 ¼ cups finely chopped Chinese cabbage 3 Tbsp soy sauce 3 Tbsp sesame oil ¾ cups chopped green onions Directions Mix pork with a small amount of water to make a paste. Add salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, gingerroot, and cabbage. Roll Dumpling Dough into a long roll about 1 inch in diameter and cut into 25 pieces. Count can be adjusted, dumplings will just be a bit smaller or larger. Flatten each piece with palm of hand and roll into a thin, round pancake about 3-4 inches in diameter. Place about 2 tablespoons pork filling in center of each dough round. Fold over to form a semicircle. Pinch edges together to form a crimped edge. Heat large skillet until a drop of water sizzles in it. Add 2 teaspoons oil and heat. Place batch of dumpling without overlapping in skillet. Cook over medium heat until bottoms are golden. Reduce heat and add 2/3 cup water. Cover and cook until water has evaporated. Drain any remaining liquid from pan. Place serving plate over pan and invert so dumplings are served fried side up. Transfer the pot stickers to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and repeat cooking the remaining pot stickers. Serve with dipping sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 medium scallion, thinly sliced 1 to 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek (optional or adjust to taste)
Green Goddess Salad Named after the play, and in honor of the actor George Arliss, The Palace Hotel came up with this dressing combining house made Mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, scallions, lemon juice, vinegar and anchovies and poured it on a simple bed of lettuce and tomatoes in 1915. Green Goddess Dressing Vary the proportions of the herbs to suit your taste. If you want, add some ripe avocado to the mix. Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: Makes about 2 cups DRESSING INGREDIENTS 2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 2-4 canned anchovies 1 small garlic clove, minced 3/4 cup mayonnaise 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup chopped tarragon 3 Tbsp chopped chives 2 Tbsp lemon juice Salt and black pepper to taste SALAD INGREDIENTS Lettuce chopped or salad greens Tomatoes chopped METHOD Put all of the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until you get an evenly smooth dressing, about 30-45 seconds. Serve with lettuce and tomato salad. The dressing should last about a week in the fridge and can be used as a dressing or dip. from Simply Recipes ~ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/green_goddess_dressing/
Tadich Grill Cioppino Cioppino is what happens when Italian and Portuguese immigrants have infinite access to cheap seafood. Almost every seafood restaurant of note in San Francisco has cioppino on its menu. It was created here in the late 1800 s by Italian immigrants from the Genoa region of Italy, who lived and worked as fishermen in the North Beach area of the City by the Bay. The story goes that when fishermen would return from an unsuccessful day of fishing out on the water, they would go around the docks and other fishermen would chip in a little something to the pot a crab or some mussels or a fish with the understanding that they too would have days in the future when they would come home empty handed as well and need to rely on their fellow fishermen. Some say that the name cioppino actually comes from the idea of chipping in, although the more likely answer is that it is derived from the name of a Genoese fish stew called cioppin, which is very similar to the cioppino that is so popular in San Francisco today A North Beach favorite, we ve found a recipe for the Cioppino at Tadich Grill, California s oldest restaurant and nearly oldest business, operating continuously since 1849. The classic cioppino served by San Francisco s Tadich Grill a 1998 James Beard Foundation regional restaurant award winner includes shelled prawns and crab to make the dining experience less messy. The clams are steamed separately and the fish sautéed with butter and olive oil for each serving before being combined with the hot sauce. The recipe was adapted for home cooks. Tadich Grill Cioppino Serves 8 1/2 cup olive oil 8 bay leaves 1 cup unsalted butter 2 Pinches of cayenne pepper 1 yellow onion, chopped 4 teaspoons minced garlic ¾ cup chopped celery 2 carrot, chopped 2 tablespoon chopped fresh fennel bulb 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 leek chopped 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste 4 cups water 2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme Heat olive oil and butter in Dutch oven or large heavy pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 1 or 2 minutes. Add celery, carrot, fennel, bell pepper and leek and sauté 5 minutes until softened. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper. Partially cover and simmer over low heat about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thick. Remove bay leaves. The soup base could be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Seafood 2 cup dry white wine 1 pound halibut, cut into 2-inch cubes 1 pound swordfish, cut into 2-inch cubes 1 pound lump crab - large raw chunks 16 cherrystone or little neck clams, scrubbed 16 mussels, scrubbed and cleaned 16 scallops 16 prawns, peeled and deveined leave tail on Chopped Italian parsley for garnish Get freshest (or frozen) seafood from Central Market, Capt n Dave s Fish Market, Whole Foods, or a good oriental market. It is OK to substitute similar seafood if you cannot find an item.
Discard any clams or mussels that are already open. Be sure to soak the clams and mussels in fresh water and scrub and rinse them well before cooking. Sometimes mussels have a fuzzy membrane known as a beard that need to be pulled off if they don t already come that way from the market. Final preparation: When you are almost ready to serve, heat broth to a simmer. Stir wine, halibut and swordfish into broth and cook 10-15 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Gently add scallops, prawns and cracked crab into the broth, and arrange clams and mussels on top. Cover and simmer until clams and mussels open, 5-7 minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that did not open. Separate the seafood between individual soup bowls, add broth to each bowl and garnish with chopped parsley. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Adapted from Tadich Grill: The Story of San Francisco s Oldest Restaurant, With Recipes, by John Briscoe and Michael Buich (Ten Speed Press).
INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES Servings: 8 Cakes Lava Ingredients: 7/8 (3.5 oz) 60%Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (Ghirardelli or other quality brand) Pinch Salt 1/4 cup Milk 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Lava directions: 1. Put the chocolate and salt in a small bowl. 2. Bring the milk to a simmer and pour it immediately over the chocolate. Shake the bowl to submerge the chocolate and cover it with plastic wrap for 3 minutes. 3. Uncover and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the butter and whisk until completely blended. 4. Refrigerate until the mixture is firm enough to scoop, 2 to 3 hours. 5. Use a spoon or small scoop to shape 8 balls; place them on a wax paper lined dish and put in the freezer until needed. Cakes Ingredients: 2 bars (8 oz) 60%Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (Ghirardelli or other quality brand) 6 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, cut into chunks 1/4 tsp. Salt 3 Tbsp. Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 3 large egg whites, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar) 1/3 cup sugar Powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional) Raspberries or strawberries, and mint for garnish. Cakes directions: 1. Spray eight 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins with vegetable oil spray and coat them with sugar, tapping out the excess.
2. Put the chocolate, butter, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel) and set it set directly in a wide skillet of almost simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is almost entirely melted. 3. Remove the bowl from the skillet and stir to finish melting the chocolate. 4. Whisk the cocoa powder, flour, and 3 egg yolks into the warm chocolate. Set aside 5. In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg whites and cream of tartar (or vinegar) on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. 6. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. 7. Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Scrape the mixture over the remaining egg whites and fold just until incorporated. 8. Divide the batter evenly among the cups (being careful not to deflate it by extra mixing or handling). 9. Center a ball of lava on top of the batter in each cup. Push the lava into the batter until it is about ¼ inch below the surface of the surrounding batter (it should not touch the bottom of the cup). Spread the batter to cover the lava. 10. Cover cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. 11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the lower third. 12. Uncover and set cups on a baking sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until the cakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center meets no resistance and emerges coated with a sauce that feels slightly warm when you touch it to your lip. 13. Let cakes rest for 3 minutes. 14. Run a thin knife around the inside of each cup, pressing against the sides to avoid tearing the cake. Cover each cup with a serving plate, invert and lift the cup off slowly. Dust cakes with a little bit of powdered sugar (if desired), garnish with fruit and mint sprig. Serve immediately.