haven't seen fresh masa but purchased corn husks for my tamale party at Market Basket.

If you decide not to do Italian, Montien for Thai on Stuart @ Tremont. The food is good, the service is fast and they do some nice drink specials.

I like House of Tibet and Amelia's as you approach Teele in Somerville. Amelia's is standard Italian, the food is good (some better than others) but the atmosphere is welcoming and should be quiet. House of Tibet has a nice intimate feel. Namaskar also for Indian (in Davis), second the recs for West Side Lounge and Highland Kitchen.

I wouldn't recommend Tory Row, Cambridge 1 or Miracle of Science simple cause they're usually way too crowded to talk.

I was over it two years ago and dismayed to see it come back (again). I'm sure the Recchiuti toffee is well done though, fwiw!

Neither of these confectioners' has stores that you can visit but a stop by Rainbow Grocery and/or the BiRite Market can hook you up with two of the BA's best confections: Poco Dolce chocolate tiles and Sweet Revolution organic maple-honey caramels.

A16 or Terzo recommended.

"Humphrey Slocumbe is more hit and miss.. much less consistent than Bi-Rite, and this won't win the texture wars, unless you're a sorbet lover. But I love going back, just to see what's new..."

Good to know I'm not the only one who is not in love with HS. I do agree that their flavors are interesting...but last time I went every single flavor was ridiculoulsly salted. salty vanilla, salty rosemary, salty olive oil...etc. Everything except the Jesus juice.

Maura Kilpatrick is the original Oleana pastry chef. She still works @ Oleana one day a week but has moved over to Sofra pretty much full time - you can catch Ana at Sofra too, I think on Mondays. The "other baker" you people refer to is ex - Upstairs on the Square PC Kate Henry.

thanks! keep the recs coming ;)

I had a slammin egg-cheese-croissant sandwich that was tasty, filling, decadent and a steal for the price. All the savory sandwiches and salads looked super good too. Also tried some blueberry-topped bread pudding that had a wonderful consistency-custardy and rich without being soggy, even if the cinnamon/warm spice flavoring didn't match the blueberry imho. agreed! i'd def. go back.

I'm looking for bakery bargains in san francisco...weekly deals, day-olds sold for cheap, or just plain something delicious that's sold for not too much money. While taste IS important I'm also interested in scope -ie, do certain neighborhoods have more bargains, do few have bargains, etc? Recession specials, if you will.

So far I've got on my list:
1. Philz coffee sells day-old pastries for super cheap
2. That Takes The Cake sells reduced price day-old cupcakes
3. Maggie Mudd -Wednesday sales

I know From Hollow in the Ferry Building used to offer pastry deals late in the afternoon after they'd stopped baking for the day but I know they've had some turnover and aren't sure if they still do that.

you guys would do better trying scream for sorbet and maggie mudd for coconut milk ice cream, as far as vegan desserts go. also ritual roasters has some (gross looking) vegan pastries if you really wanna try.

their cakes are baked, then frozen until needed, then thawed out and decorated. some cakes fare well/are unaffected by time spent in the freezer. some (ahem) are not.

i will say, i enjoy their graham crackers, but be careful when picking out a box to find ones that are not too dark and not broken!

sur la table or any specialty kitchen store also a good bet.

if he doesn't use cream OR eggs what is he using, just milk??

my mother would be too weirded out by the offal-ness of incanto...i'll check out la ciccia tho.

...and she wants Italian food.

I'm a cook, and I want something that's going to be good food, good desserts. Fun for me and for her. And on the night we can go (ie, my one night off during her visit) Perbacco only has super early reservations. So...go early, because it's worth it? Any other good recs? I've recently been to SPQR and I took her to A16 and Delfina on a prior visit. I was thinking of Il Cantuccio in the Mission but could switch to another choice...

thanks

I thought you used ripe hachiyas for dried persimmon. I'll double check the chez panisse fruit book when I get home, maybe I'm mistaken...
I would like to make a batch of dried persimmons...

I seem to be gelatin-challenged and need to learn about the substance for work. I understand in theory how to bloom gelatin and work with it, but don't really feel comfortable working with it. I've run into problems working with it where the base is too cold and the gelatin chunks up rather than nicely dissolving. I don't eat a lot of meat and so tend not to eat other people's gelatin desserts (mousses, panna cottas, etc...not just jello) nor create them myself. What experiences have you had when working with sheet gelatin and do you have any tips to pass along? After a whole afternoon in the library and a dose of Harold McGee I'm still not gelatin savvy...

Yes, the bomboloni are quite wonderful....

Ici occasionally has persimmon ice cream which is very good. Why do you want to roast fuyus?

For small plates I adored the brussels sprouts and thought the escarole was ok. (I don't eat meat either). I had a pasta with broccoli and found it to be bland and oversalted. Found the desserts (budino with quince, pistachios, caramel candy and the chocolate panini) to be less than wonderful.

What does your sister want to do with her career? Bakeries, restaurant work, morning pastries, breads? Depending on her area if interest I'd have totally different recs for you...

I've had the chicken momoss, paratha and the chicken saag from there. Paratha and momos good (if a bit skimpy on the sauce), but when I had the chicken saag it was all spinach and maybe two tiny, tiny pieces of chicken.

thanks! I'll look for it...but I guess the trick is to keep going back.

Thanks!

Where'd you get your recipe for apple cider donuts? I LOVE those.

What percentage Scharffen Berger were you using? If you were using 70% I have a hard time believing you could not tell the difference. I've baked many products only with that chocolate (at work it's all I have) and the taste is overwhelming, definitely not subtle. I've made recipes with all 70% SB and then made them again with half 70% SB and have a semisweet (51% e. guittard) and had the same item taste entirely different. I've used the 51% e. guittard exclusively and can detect its waxy texture.

Bakers chocolate it is ok, but you are paying more for SB (or valrhona, etc.) presumably b/c you like a richer taste. for cocoa powder, you can definitely tell so it's best to get high quality.

I am pretty sure I saw some at Rainbow last week...

I'd think there are plenty of places in the Mission that would fit your price line, and be open late. Closer to the Financial District gets more expensive than your price range...I'd suggest searching the boards here. Range is nice, but I'm not sure what the average meal cost is.