california: December 2007 Archives

Carnitas was the last dish I cooked here in San Francisco.  It's Mexican, porky and delicious, and was therefore a very fitting final dinner in our apartment.  It's a Mexican classic and one I'd had many times at local taquerias.  You can find all sorts of recipes for carnitas, involving different meats, flavourings and cooking methods.  This pork 'n' lard version is the real deal.  My method follows that of the chef at Mexico DF restaurant, who shared it after we'd devoured several pounds of the stuff.  It is meltingly tender on the inside, crispy on the outside and wonderfully porky.  You will be in pig heaven.

Since the carnitas-fest we have been desperately trying to get round all the Bay Area restaurants we wanted to try, while packing up all our stuff. I now sit in a beautifully clean and empty flat, with a whole hour to go until we leave for the airport.  Never before have we been so timely and organised before catching a plane.

This one's for Tamar, Raquel, Megan, Carri and Will, who actually gave us money for our furniture.  Tamar liked it so much she decided it would be easier just to move in when we leave.

I admit to having said some not very nice things about eggnog in the past.  But that was before I tried Nathan's eggnog.  Heavy on the bourbon, light on the sugar and spice, and silky smooth on the tongue, this one is a creamy and delicious dessert in a glass.  Also, Nathan cooks (and bakes) at Chez Panisse, so we can trust him.  Having said that, eggnog would more traditionally be made with rum, brandy or whisky, but Nathan's from Kentucky.

Perhaps this should be 'California Christmas cake', due to the inclusion of apricots, dates and macadamias.  You don't have to use them - you can substitute pretty much any dried fruit and nuts you like.  These ones worked for me, but maybe because I ate it in a log cabin near Lake Tahoe after inching my way down the freezing ski slopes.  The use of two whole bottles of sherry, however, seems very British, and should work anywhere.