We are looking for a bakery where we can purchase fresh breakfast pastries, croissants, etc. Any suggestions?

Amazing. I never thought of doing that. Yum!

Anyone know if Martin Yan's new restaurant will be opening in the near future?

I received a gift of this wonderful tart...it has a thin, crisp crust, brushed with melted chocolate (and possibly melted caramel too), filled with delicious creamy custard and sliced banana. Topped with whipped cream, then topped with very thinly shaved dark chocolate. Tartine is a great bakery!

Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero Street, San Francisco
(415) 487-2600

I understand that they've reopened. They made the most wonderful chicken kabobs...anyone been back since the reopening?

Mi Pueblo (19 locations around the bay area) makes a mild tomatillo salsa that we enjoy. If you're there, consider purchasing a piece of their carnitas...add a package of their (often warm) corn tortillas and some cilantro and you'll have a nice lunch for the day after Thanksgiving! (Check first to confirm that your local store carries prepared food though!)

Just found it at Smart&Final, Sunnyvale, corner Mary and Fremont Avenues. One pound red waxed paper wrapped unsalted butter at $3.79. Seemed to have a good supply!

Whole Foods El Camino Real, Los Altos is once again carrying the 1-lb. unsalted red-wax-paper-wrapped blocks of Plugra for $4.99. Expensive, but not as bad as buying two of the half-pound packages at 3.99 each. We do like Plugra in our house!

Husband and I are in late 60's and were carded at Lihue airport (Hawaii) last week. We enjoyed our martinis anyway!

We've had a splendid lunch twice recently at Hog and Rocks, about a block away, and around noon/one o'clock, Radish has been really busy. I love the sound of their potatoes...we'll have to drop in to try them!

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Hog and Rocks
3431 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Unfortunately, passengers are limited to 3-ounce containers in their carry-on luggage. Consider putting in checked luggage, carefully padded, of course!

I opened a small jar of the extra bold this week, and really like it. Have only used it on fried and scrambled eggs, and on top of a salad. It's quite nice...very tasty, strong flavor. Next time I'm there, I'll buy the larger size!

I know, Capitola isn't quite in the Bay area, but consider driving down to Gayle's and pick up their rare tri-tip sandwich, complete with horseradish/mayo dressing, carmelized onions, lettuce, on their house-baked onion roll. Pick a beach (Sunset is good) where you can watch dolphins jumping and enjoy. Welcome back.

There's a new Korean tofu/sushi fusion restaurant in Sunnyvale, CA named olleh . It's awkward to arrange to meet for lunch at a place named "hello" backwards!

We plan to enjoy lunch on a Tuesday in May at Le Mani in Pasta...however, their website is a bit difficult! I believe it says that it's possible to reserve online, but no email address is given, and when I click on the reservation notation on their website it does not respond! Were you able to reserve online?

Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Caramel Fudge. Sometimes hard to find, but Safeway seems to carry it consistently. Yum.

My precious plastic bag of Japanese dark (very dark, looks like chocolate) miso paste. It lasts for two-three years (I use it for a lovely cashew chicken recipe from Joyce Chen's Small Eating Place in Cambridge, MA). It usually takes me around six months to locate a replacement. It's very salty and not popular these days, I guess.

Thanks. We'll check it out and report back in the next week or so.

Is it in the same shopping center as the CVS and Dollar stores?

Thanks...we're leaning toward a prix-fix dinner at RN74...still looking though!

In the past we've enjoyed traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Left Bank, Menlo Park. One year we feasted on Peking Duck at Hunan Homes in Los Altos. This year we would very much enjoy dinner at a location between San Francisco and Palo Alto, some place that is offering their regular menu. Any suggestions? Sure wish Slanted Door or Perbacco or Boulevard were open!

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111

Hunan Homes Restaurant
622 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Saturday night supper: franks and beans, growing up in a family with five children in Boston in the 40's and 50's. Less work for my mom, who must have been quite challenged to serve supper seven nights a week!

La Foret a french restaurant named, appropriately enough, for its lush forest surroundings. Located in San Jose!

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La Foret Restaurant
21747 Bertram Rd, San Jose, CA 95120

Thanks everybody! I think we'll steam in the microwave and toss with butter and snipped chives...skins and all. They'll go well with the gorgeous salmon fillet he also brought home from the farmers market.

At the farmers market this morning DH bought a pound of freshly dug small white potatoes. What's the best way to cook them? The skins are very thin and moist. Boil briefly? Is roasting a possibility?

Yesterday I stopped by CJ Olson's in Sunnyvale and picked up two new varieties for us: ruby and tavares. Both are dark, sweet, and juicy. $5.00 for a pint basket and worth every penny. They are having a cherry festival this weekend, which could be fun!

Thanks everyone, for your advice. I did slowly re-fry in small amount of oil, and they turned out fine, not dry, which was my main concern. I do like the idea of using the oven, so when next I have a batch of left-overs I will do that.

These were so good that next time I won't worry about getting them hot; I suspect they'll be lovely lukewarm!

Thanks! I think re-frying in a tiny bit of oil will do it.

These are delicate pan-fried croquettes that I made a month ago, freezing the leftovers. I have them defrosting in the refrigerator; what would be the best way to reheat them?

I do it all the time! Divide into portions, wrap in cling wrap, place all into a freezer bag, press out air, and freeze. I wouldn't keep it frozen more than a month. We make chicken salad, add to soups and casseroles. Best way to defrost is in the fridge overnight, or use defrost feature of a microwave.