Don’t forget to stop by the Kitchenette SF booth at the SF Streetfood Festival.  Today we pay homage to the national dishes of North America (sorry Mexico, we left you out here but, hey, this is the Mission…we’re pretty sure you are represented).  These 2 icons are street to the core and frankly a little trashy, but we’re giving them both the Kitchenette treatment and much deserved respect.  Organic, local ingredients.  Passionate effort.  Eat it up.

little marin sun farms burgers housemade mini-english muffins, blue cheese, pickled mustard seeds, caramelized onions  $3.-

kennebeck potato poutine guinea fowl gravy, 2 o’clock in the morning cheese curds  $8.-

housemade organic peach sodas fresh thyme syrup, local seltzer  $3.-

So, a few years ago I went to Spain.  I wanted to immerse myself into the culture as a living, breathing, working part of the population (read:  I was broke) so I got a job cooking for an upscale catering company in Madrid.  I learned about tortillla, paella, fedeua, squid, langoustines, hake, pimientos, pulpo, and pimenton.  But what really intrigued me was the contagious enthusiasm the Spaniards have for the pig.  Jamon Iberico, lomo, cured, roasted, simmered, stewed – whenever I asked questions about the pork dishes of Spain I was met with emotional orations dripping with passion and an adamant insistence on tradition and region.

It was about then that I asked about cuchinillo…the simple, rustic roasted suckling pig.  The cooks all said one word in unision:  Segovia.  So, about, oh, 10 minutes later I had a bus ticket to Segovia in hand and took the hour trip north of Madrid to the little medieval town of Segovia.  Segovia consists of a network of chaotic, narrow cobblestone streets, a few squares, and a dramatic castle (which I am told inspired Walt Disney to create Cinderella’s castle at Disney World).   As you walk up and down the alleys and streets, every restaurant window has suckling pigs in the windows…beckoning you inside to try their famous specialty.  But I had a specific address in mind:  Jose Maria, the temple of suckling pig.

Now, in segovia, the pig is paraded out to the tables and, in dramatic fashion, is cut by a plate to accentuate its succulent tenderness.  There are specific wines (mostly from Castilla y Leon, the region Segovia is located in) that are served with the pig and certain side dishes (patatas panaderas – potatoes roasted with onions, garlic, white wine, and the drippings from the pork…stewed fava beans…slivered vegetable salads) that are enjoyed by Segovians.  The experience is, well, amazing!  The food was super tasty and full of history.  I guess what really hit me, however, was how powerful an icon food can be for a community.  Everyone was really into it, and rightfully so!  There were people from Segovia mixed with tourists and Spaniards from other regions who traveled just to be part of the party.  Everyone was relaxed and the tradition of sharing the family-style meal gave rich meaning to the ritualistic nightly gathering.

Now, why would I be talking about this right about now?  Because, next Tuesday, April 27th, the KITCHENETTE SF crew is recreating this very special meal.  At Heart Wine Bar (1270 Valencia) we will be seating and serving our own, localized version of the Segovia experience…with Heart’s own Jeff Segal pouring some VERY VERY special wines that will make you VERY VERY happy.  If you have not yet been to Heart, this is a great way to check it out!  If you have, you know that the Heart setting is exactly perfect for this kind of food.  Seating is community, with long wood tables that will allow you to get cozy friendly with your table-mates.  We will be locking the doors to the public and getting loose with some good food and drink.  Who knows, you may even pass by someone you met at this dinner on the street and high five them spontaneously.  I mean, there is a weird comraderie that is created between people who share pig.  I never pass judgement.  What happens at Heart stays at Heart.  Interested?  Go here next!

-Douglas

We opened our doors to 8 artists and hundreds of Missionites, wine worshipers, art fiends, and street foodies last night…thanks to everyone who came out to raise a glass of the ancient elixer and to welcome us to the neighborhood!  (Thanks Judy for these awesome shots!)

…I meant to post this a long time ago but with today being Rick Knoll’s 60th Birthday I thought, what a better time!  I got this image while trying to get directions to the farm on a recent visit and was instantly enamored with it…could there be a better image to illustrate how different the small, organic, sustainable farm is to what exists out there in America? (Tairwa Farm is that little rectangle of crowdedness toward the top)

Surrounded by single crop monstrosities, Tairwa (Knoll Farm) is a miniature, barely-controlled oasis of what nature would be like without mankind around.  Fruit trees, herbs, greens, flowers, vegetables, bees, birds, and chickens run wild together in biodynamic balance, all fed by Rick’s magic fermented tea that waters his crops.   And yes, there are “rows” of herbs and fig trees, but this is a seriously organically laid out farm!

The result?  The best small tree fruits I may have ever tasted (with maybe even a faint hint of the herbs growing next to them!), greens that are deep in color and terrior, and herbs that are strong and bright in their respective flavors.  Thanks Rick and Kristie for providing our community with such an awesome, healthful, delicious product!!! (…and Happy Birthday!)

(onions curing in  fallen leaves by the side of a path, Tairwa’s famous figs)

…looking to minimize the distance from farm to table?  Come join a group of talented chefs (Bruce Binn: Spork, Bradford Briske: Gabriella Cafe, Jordan Grosser: The Alembic Bar, Phil West: Range, Charlie Hallowell: Pizzaiolo, Douglas Monsalud: kitchenettesf & LRE Catering, and others) as they pluck the goodness from Pie Ranch for this special evening benefiting Pie Ranch’s sustainable farming community efforts.  In their words, ” All proceeds from this event will help teach youth about healthy food and communities, train emerging farmers and create a more sustainable food system.”

The farm is really beautiful and it is just a short and scenic jaunt down the coast.  All foods will be from the farm itself including roasted Pie Ranch chickens, chicken livers, fresh pasta made from wheat grown and ground on the farm, sweet corn, garden lettuces, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh berries.  More info here.

We will reopen tomorrow, tuesday 07/07…sorry for any food-related inconvenience we have caused your stomachs!

…thanks to everyone who made it out to Mission Street Food last night to sample some KitchenetteSF food in support of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).  I hope everyone had as much of a blast as we did cooking and serving with the MSF crew.  Special thanks to Anthony, Emma, & Karen at Mission Street Food for making everything so smooth and easy and to Judy Parker for taking these amazing photos…

THURSDAY, JUNE 11th…

KitchenetteSF will be behind the stoves at Mission Street Food this Thursday!  Doors open at 6pm but get there early to get in on the first seating.  There are no reservations – show up, get on the list, make friends in line, or go get a drink.  We promise the food and drink will be good and affordable…and it’s all for good causes!  Eat well, feel good!

Our menu for the night was inspired by the former colonies of Spain and showcase how a cuisine can evolve by preserving a heritage of cooking but with the ingredients available to you locally.  This won’t be your great great grandmother’s colonial fare, however,…think house smoked beef tongue bacon & and a Marin Sun Farms pork “knuckle sandwich” with roasted apricot chimichurri… 

…hope to see you there!

(Executive Chef Douglas Monsalud, Chef de Cuisine Brian Dudley, Sous Chef Yasmin Golan)

Alert the authorities…the Kitchenette SF crew will be off on Monday 05/25!  If you can find the BBQ we are all at, well then…you can definitely have a Kitchenette lunch.

…is a friend indeed.  This Tuesday, April 28th, we’re very excited to open KitchenetteSF to Urban Peasant, which is hosting a modern homesteading workshop on the making of Home-Fermented Beverages.  Bacchus at Home’s Scott Mansfield, an award winning winemaker and writer, will lead the demonstration.  This is a great opportunity to learn an ancient craft from a master and to see where the kitchenette magic happens.  For more information & tickets please go to Urban Peasant’s website.