Buffalo Bolognese

Here is a yummy recipe that is perfect for an evening in!

Cooking Time 1.5 Hours

Ingredients

1 pound ground buffalo (bison)

2 Merquez sausage (spicy lamb) or 4 ounces, casing removed

Salt and pepper

1 t. Ground Rosemary

1 t. Ancho Chile powder

2 -3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 cup red wine or beer

1 can whole tomatoes, 28 oz

1 can tomato paste, 6 oz

2 cups of chicken broth

Cooking Instructions

In large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, put a little olive oil in a pan and add ground buffalo. Using a wooden spoon break up the meat and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, rosemary, and chile powder. Cook for about 7 minutes. In a separate small skillet, add Merquez sausage and with a wooden spoon break up and cook thoroughly, about 6-8 minutes. Turn out onto paper towels to soak up oil. To the ground buffalo in the big pot, add carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until meat is thoroughly browned, another 8 minutes. Add cooked Merquez sausage to ground buffalo mixture. Add wine or beer and stir. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock and bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Serve over polenta or pasta. Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Browning ground buffalo meat

Add in onions, carrots, and celery to buffalo in pot

Add in whole tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock and bring to a boil

mmmmm :)

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Alison (Founder and CEO)

I Love Popovers!

This weekend my Dad was in town, so he took my sister and I to brunch at the Cliff House. I have lived in San Francisco for about 7 months but I had yet to visit this part of town. Let me just say, amazing! The views from both inside and outside the Cliff House were stunning and what a background to enjoy a nice meal over. And who knew San Francisco had an old bathhouse, Sutro Baths? Now that is cool!

Sunday was a perfect weather day and when we got to the Cliff House we had to wait a bit for a table but it was not unexpected with no reservation. The highlight of the meal were the infamous popovers. Let me just give you some background into the McCormick family.  We love bread and butter. I am not ashamed to say I am a carbo kid! If I had to live off bread and butter the rest of my life I think I would be one happy camper. So suffice it to say we were pumped for those little bread beauties to come to the table. To best describe a popover I took a look at the SF Weekly who awarded the Cliff House with the Best Popovers in 2009 and they state "Popovers are eggy, light, and almost hollow soufflelike rolls, with a fragile and glossy crust, and best served fresh." Are you salivating yet? They definitely lived up to their potential along with the other colorful food and even more stunning views.

So if you want to treat yourself to an extra special Sunday why not go to the Cliff House? You get a taste of old San Francisco with the Sutro Bath ruins and the history behind the Cliff House. Most importantly you can really take in the beauty of San Francisco while enjoying some great food too!

Here is the link to the Cliff House so you can check it out for yourself! http://www.cliffhouse.com/

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Erin

Fish and Granola? Yes!

Aloha from Maalaea Bay in Maui! 


Besides watching humpback whales playing in the ocean from our balcony, this is also a pretty good place to catch fish. My husband Craig caught some great local fish yesterday and we cooked them up in a delicious crust made of the island's famous macadamia nuts and our Gracious granola. It turns out the the tropical coconut in our granola makes an intriguing combination with the nuts, much tastier than the standard breadcrumbs.  I thought I'd share the recipe with you. 


ALISON AND CRAIG'S MAUI MACADAMIA ENCRUSTED LOCAL FISH
Bake Time: 10 minutes, makes 12 small filets

Ingredients

• Traditionally Mahi Mahi is used for Macadamia encrusted fish.  Fishing off Maalaea Bay though, it is more likely to catch snapper, trigger fish and gold spot.  My husband caught trigger fish some the day before so, that's what we used. Trigger fish are quite small, so you can use one fish per person. Halibut and Mahi Mahi would work just as well.  
• 1/2 cup or 1 mini pouch Gracious Granola, blended in mixer until finely ground
• 4 oz macadamia nuts, toasted in pan until lightly golden and then chopped fine
• Pinch of sea salt

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a shallow bowl, blend ground granola, finely chopped macadamia nuts and sea salt together.  Place fish filets skin side down on foil or baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Using a spoon, sprinkle nut mixture over fish,  press down with back side of spoon.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Remove fish from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Alison (Founder and CEO) 

Eating On the Road

It is sometimes tough to eat light and healthy when you are on the road. You are dining out all the time and sometimes left with dismal options. But there is a solution! Try this out...

*Mini pouch of granola (I used our Gracious granola - pecan, almond, and maple)

*Yogurt (I used Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt, Wildflower Honey flavor)

*Raspberries

It's that simple!

This is so easy to toss in your bag and you can have this for breakfast at the hotel or anytime you want a healthy snack. Just a nice idea to keep in mind next time you are packing for your trip.....mmmmmm!

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Alison (Founder and CEO)

Ten Reasons to See Next To Normal

There are more than just ten reasons to see the incredible musical Next To Normal but if these ten don’t entice you I don’t know what will! Treat yourself and get a ticket!

1. One of the best musicals I have ever seen
2. Amazing powerhouse voices- my personal favorite was Emma Hunton who plays the daughter Natalie
3. The lyrics- so brilliant and clever- Winner of the 2009 Tony’s Original Score (music & lyrics)
4. Every song is just as good as the next- no lulls
5. Alice Ripley winner of Best Actress in a Musical in the 2009 Tony’s is in the cast
6. People in the theater could not get out of their seats quicker to cheer the cast on during the bows
7. It is only in San Francisco from January 25-February 20 at the Curran Theater
8. Makes you leave the theater speechless but at the same time gets you thinking, analyzing, and discussing the show.
9. Makes you cry. Makes you laugh. Gives you chills!
10. The set and lightening is ingenious but not over the top - just an example that you don’t need crazy special affects to create an amazing show- it is all about the story, the music, and the talent! 

Here is a little taste!

For show and ticket information check out the link below

http://shnsf.com/shows/nexttonormal

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Erin 

San Francisco Yellow Go Car Rentals

This past weekend my close friend from NYC was here in San Francisco for a visit. I wanted to do something unique and then a bright idea came to mind. At times I spot these little yellow go cars driving around the city, and although a tad ridiculous looking I have always wanted to give it a shot. So that became the big plan for our Saturday morning.

We picked our cars up in Fisherman’s Wharf and were greeted by a friendly staff. The cars have a GPS guided tour and for one hour it is $49, for two hours it is $88 and any additional hour is $29 per hour. The go cars only fit two passengers and somewhat resemble Steve Urkel's toy car- please excuse my Family Matters reference. It runs similar to a motorcycle with the gas and brakes in the handles and lacks the ability to move in reverse. After a safety video we put the helmets on and got ready to cruise.

I was the starter driver and only after a few brief panic moments I got comfortable driving and it was amazing! We decided to turn on some tunes instead of the GPS tour and started to create our own tour (big thanks to my sister who was the lead tour guide). We drove along the water, through the Richmond and my favorite was driving through the park- driving past SF buffalo and the massive windmill. The car goes up to about 30 mph and only once did we have to hop out of the car to help it up a hill. Overall we felt very comfortable driving it amidst the large buses and steep hills.

The best part about the yellow go cars was seeing just how beautiful San Francisco is. Sometimes when you live in such a city you steer away from partaking in tourist attractions. You get into your daily routine and at times forget what an incredible city we live in. So my advice if you live here or if you are just visiting is go rent a yellow car. It is a blast and makes you appreciate where you live or just makes you want to move here!

Side note-we named the car Tina

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Erin 

Good Food Awards 2011

Last weekend, the first annual Good Food Awards took place at the historic Ferry Building in San Francisco. This event was hosted by the Seedling Projects, a group that focuses on initiatives and events that promote sustainable production and consumption. Previously, they played a large part in organizing events like Slow Food Nation (San Francisco, 2008) and the San Francisco Street Food Festival. 

This last weekend, the Good Food Awards celebrated the nation's best producers that produced authentic, organic, responsibly-produced products. The seven categories of food that were honored this year were beer, coffee, cheese, charcuterie, chocolate, pickles and preserves. The winners had a great variety of tastes from all across the country--ranging from an Organic Gingerbread Ale from Bison Brewery in Berkeley, CA to Savory Brussels Sprout Relish from Ann's Raspberry Farm in Fredericktown, OH.

On Friday, a private ceremony for all the winners was hosted on the upper floor of the ferry building. The space was transformed with an old-time American farmer feel--with wood crates, a large American flag and red, white and blue bunting.  Alice Waters hosted the celebration where all the winners were recognized. Afterwards, there was a reception on the main floor of the Ferry Building where all the attendees were given samples of all the winners products. Most called it an early night, as they had to prepare themselves for an 8 AM marketplace on Saturday.

On Saturday, all the producers arrived by 7 AM to prepare their products for the marketplace, which was held outside the Ferry Building alongside the normal Saturday Farmer's Market.  I was put in charge of the Pickle producers (one of the quirkier groups), making sure that everyone had what they needed. The winning products in this category were quite diverse, including Spicy Oregano Purple Carrots from Cultured in Berkley, CA to Purple Sauerkraut from Spirit Creek Farm in Bayfield, WI. I think that my favorite pickle product was McClure's Brine produced by McClure's Pickles in Detroit, MI. This brine is a popular drink that is used for mixed drinks, including Bloody Mary's and other pickled cocktails. It can also be drank straight, and I overhead one customer rave to his friends that it was "the new Kombucha". 

The most amazing part to me, was that the entire event was driven and organized by a few unpaid interns that worked passionately and tirelessly in the months leading up to the event. My twin brother, Gavin, was in charge of contact with all the producers and nailing down the nuts and bolts of the event. So much so, that I became a mini-celebrity at the event. I can't tell you how many producers came up to me with a huge grin, thinking that they were finally meeting Gavin, who they had been in constant contact with in the months leading up to the event.  They were soon disappointed that I was his less curly twin brother, but they had nothing but amazing things to say about how well the event was run, and how well they were treated by all that worked on it. Overall, it was a fantastically run event filled with great food and very interesting, environmentally conscious producers that truly represent the vision of sustainably produced food.

Reporting From 18 Rabbits, Christian

Broccoli Pesto Recipe

Inspired by Delarosa's orrechiete with broccoli pesto, I was determined to re-create this dish as part of our New Year's Eve dinner (with our own spin of course). Tossed with pasta, a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh parmesan, it pairs great with Champagne.

Broccoli Pesto recipe (as featured in Fireworks in the Kitchen on New Year’s Eve)

·      1 bunch of organic broccoli (about 1 pound)

·      A handful of pine nuts (1/4 cup if you want to bother measuring)

·      2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

·      Knob or 1 inch of parmigiano-reggiano or mitica or pecorino - hard cheese grated about 2 oz

·      2 t. sea salt

·      Pepper to taste

·      1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Steam broccoli until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Place all ingredients in a food processor until comes together. It's good to leave it a little chunky. Stream olive oil.

Serving suggestions:

· Toss with favorite pasta and some olive oil - we used homemade fusilli pasta.
· As a spread on Spelt multigrain from Grindstone Bakery, although any brown or rustic bread will do and cut up castelvetrano olives on top.
· Pairing: champagne Chartogne - Taillet blanc de blancs

Yummy and good for you too!

-Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Alison (Founder & CEO)

Fireworks in the Kitchen on New Year's Eve

Our founder Alison shares an eventful experience this past New Year’s Eve…

“While we all sipped champagne, my family was helping me in the kitchen make our New Year's Eve dinner.  My husband was putting together the pasta dough. My six-year old nephew (he was drinking water) was making the pasta - fusilli for this round.  I was cooking the Buffalo Bolognese and mixing the Broccoli Pesto. While three others were also in the kitchen lending a helping hand.

I had the bright idea to bring the pasta resting on paper towels over to the gas stove next to the boiling water when WHOOSH!!! The paper towels went up into flames.  I waved them about in the air. The flames spread until my French brother-in-law walked in and said calmly, "Just drop them".  I did just that and the fire extinguished on the tile floor without incident.  Who says you have to travel to see good fireworks?”

Reporting From 18 Rabbits, Alison (Founder & CEO)

Gazzaniga's Movie Review

This remake of the 1969 classic exceeded all expectations and dare I say, outshined its predecessor.  No small feat considering that the original starred the quintessential cowboy of all time, John Wayne AND the rising Robert Duvall.  The Cohen brothers casted their actors and actresses perfectly and launched what is bound to be the promising career of 18 year old Hailee Steinfeld.  Playing character Mattie Ross, a young girl whose father was murdered by the degenerate Tom Chaney, Steinfeld commands a presence on screen among acting juggernauts Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin.

I was pleasantly surprised by Jeff Bridges performance as US Marshal Rooster Cogburn.  Whenever I think of Jeff Bridges, a few things come to mind.  Bowling, White Russians, a rug that tied the room together, and nihilists.  That's right.  The Big Lebowski, AKA the Dude, Duder, or El Duderino if you aren't into the whole brevity thing.  So when I saw the preview for True Grit with Jeff Bridges as a badass cowboy I wondered if I would be able to shed all the images that naturally pop into ones head of him in flip flops and wayfarers.  As it turns out, he didn't need to because the character Rooster Cogburn had enough comedy and wit to compliment his intimidating ruthless nature, his true grit.  In one particular scene Cogburn found his way into a stash of whiskey before a long ride on a horse and swayed and mumbled in a very dudesque way.  But then again there were times when he became a frightening dark cowboy in a way i didn't know Jeff bridges capable.  All in all I give Jeff Bridges and A+ performance.

Matt Damon was equally as good in his role as a nerdy Texas Ranger.  His character Mr. LaBeef was cross between Linus from the Ocean's series, mark Whitacre from The Informant, and Jason Bourne from the Bourne series.  About 95% Linus and Whitacre, and just a 5% dash of Bourne to make him a fairly functioning cowboy.  Damon character is the perfect juxtaposition to the harsh environment in which he operates, the criminals he hunts, and the company he keeps.

Josh Brolin made a fine short appearance.  He didn't mess anything up.

All in all True Grit was a character piece where 3 extraordinary actors gave 3 flawless performances to make True Grit on of the most exciting movies to see in this last minute push for Oscar Nominations.

Predictions: Nominated for Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score.  Wins in Best Film

Zack Reporting from 18 Rabbits