As part of my Christmas dinner I'm making a Veal and Trotter pie w/ chantrelles, swiss chard and carrots (though I may swap the carrots for leeks or something else more fitting).

I don't have a recipe, so I'm rying to work this thing out myself.

I've got a couple of questions.

1. I plan to braise the veal and the trotters. I've found braising methods for both with minor differences. Should I braise them together, or separately?

2. I've been debating over whether to do a wine based braise or a Guiness and Hard Apple Cider braise. I'd think this would work well for the veal, but I've never had Trotters and I'm wondering how the flavors will play.

Comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

Merry Christmas.

I'm heading to SF/Napa Valley with my mom. This is kind of a celebratory trip as I am moving from LA to London, but first driving back home to Seattle where I am from - my mom is accompanying me. We're looking for what I would call 'contemporary rustic.' For me this is food/atmosphere/decor that feels current, but also loving of its past - without being lost solely in nostalgia: Tartine Bakery is a perfect example. These are the kind of places that for me, meals go long and I feel the need to linger because I love the atmosphere as much as the food. Its where you revel in the satisfaction and fullfillment of the meal. If you're famliar with Silverlake in LA, Cafe Stella is another perfect example. French is my favorite, but I'm interested in other European options. For cheaper meals I'm open to whatever you might suggest.

Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrive in SF late afternoon - head to a bar, preferably where we can sit outside. looking at something would be nice, but i know how views tend to mean decline in quality and increase in prices, but maybe this isn't the case in sf. i'm a fan of belgians and obscure american beers - or american takes on belgian style beers. i've been enjoying Wits lately.
Dinner: La Taqueria - we want to do something cheap this night and i thought it would be a great chance to compare LA mexican to SF mexican.

Day 2. Tartine Bakery (been here before, love it, not really interested in eating elsewhere, though i'm open to suggestions)
Lunch: The Sentinel to take on the Land's End walk
Afternoon bite to eat/bar - view? beautiful interior? oysters (somehow i've still never had them)
Dinner: I have reservations for Bar Tartine. The interior looks like the kind of place worth lingering - which is exactly what i'm looking for. A cold, modern, sparse interior isn't what i'm looking for for this evening. I'm very open to other dinner suggestions.
ALSO i'd love a suggestion for a place where we can get a great pre dinner drink.

Day 3. Breakfast: Either Four Barrel (do they serve any food??) or something near it, since I want to try their coffee
Lunch: Bahn Mi

Day 4/5 Napa Valley. Now i know this is a big area, but i'm curious as to whether people can recommend places in the sort of vein i'm talking. Hell, we could go anywhere - Russian River, Sonoma, Calistoga anything.

Thanks for the suggestions guys and girls.

- Ian.

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Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110

La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Bar Tartine
561 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

i think these guys were on cooking channel - yeah great reference, thank you.

blogs, cannelle et vanille and nordljus, are prime examples of what i look for in a home cooking blogs: creative, tasteful recipes that are also elegantly presented (emphasis on plated presentation, not just the photography). these blogs post the sort of recipes that i would expect to find in higher tier restaurants and go-to patisseries, there is clearly a level of expertise at play in their work. the problem is they are centered around baking. for a long time i've been looking for something comparable but focused instead on cooking: amuse bouche, first's, mains, etc. - and, there should be a lot of focus on meat.

an added note, what's so great about the aforementioned blogs is that while their dish ideas and presentation feel current, fresh and enticing, they are rarely centered around wildly expensive and difficult to find ingredients. instead its about the way these ingredients come together that makes for something elegant. i am not looking for the french laundry cookbook in blog form.

any suggestions would be really helpful and if you know of any blogs, websites or youtube channels that focus on food presentation that would also be a great resource.

thanks a bunch.

bonjour,

i'm making stuffed quail for christmas - the stuffing will be comprised of butternut squash and pancetta, and possibly a dried fruit element added to it. but i'm in need of a sauce.

sides will be buttermilk mashed potatoes supporting the bird as well as some garlic & butter roasted mushrooms.

I'd like to do something with a cream texture, but it needs to be refined and delicate. i was considering a a sauce i saw in Thomas Keller's 'Bouchon': creme fraiche & mustard with the remains of the deglazed pan. but 1. i don't know how well butternut squash and mustard would go together 2. after browning in the pan, the quail really only need to be in the oven for a short time - i don't know that there is much de-glazing remnants to be had from such a short time.

so i'm looking for suggestions for something sophisticated in texture and beautiful in color. all suggestions welcome.

merci

- ian.