Author: foodnerd

We found goose and duck eggs at Berkeley, which sadly I could not buy, along with some astounding golden balsamic vinegar that tastes like honey and melon (from Big Paw Grub, called “Jaymes’ Blond,” and it’s not on their online menu), which greedily I did buy, and a packet of hippy-dippy sundried tomatoes that I intend to make into a relish like the one at the seller’s stand: soak the dried tomatoes in some good vinegar, then add a bit of olive oil, and perhaps a bit of salt & pepper. Also, along the side of the road from Yosemite, amid the cherry and almond trees, we got some fabulous strawberries quivering on the peak of ripeness, about to tumble down the far side into decay. We ate them in piles for breakfast our first morning in Oakland.

After the abortive attempt to visit The Fatted Calf at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market on my trip to SF in March, thwarted by food poisoning which caused me to get to the market too late to find TFC anywhere about the place (i now know they sell out to the bare walls sometime around 1pm), I was hellbent on getting there this time around.
Ay caramba, Biggles, I see why you like this place!
I tried to let reason carry the day, but I couldn’t help myself and I snagged around $40 worth of fucking amazing meat goodness. And on reflection, considering how delicious it all has been, that’s pretty damn cheap, really.

I got rabbit crepinettes with roasted shallot & thyme, because I had no idea what a crepinette was, but they sure sounded interesting, and who doesn’t like rabbit with shallot & thyme? Turns out to be a sausage patty wrapped in a gorgeous netting of caul fat. Oh. My. God. I put these onto the grill, and they were so good. The taste is distinctly sausagey, but more delicate and sweet because of the specific ingredients. I could get very addicted to those for weekend breakfasts, yes indeed. (I must give credit to Sam for photo composition inspiration for the photo that came up when I googled “crepinette” — hers came out much better, but I liked the idea of including the pretty label along with the pretty meat.)

The rabbit pate is also delicate in the extreme, so delicate it was pretty well obliterated by the whole wheat sourdough bread I ate it with. I’ve started slicing off slivers late at night and eating them alone by the light of the fridge, which is working out much better, as it allows the quiet whisper of the sweet meat and herbs to hit the tongue clearly. I am not sure what companion I would give it in a more civilized presentation, but it would have to be something very understated indeed.
In polar opposite to this delicate creation is the robust pork rillettes, happily sitting under the veil of white fat in their stoneware crock, waiting to be scooped out onto that whole wheat sourdough that very well suits their spiciness and smooth yet meaty texture. Also good on Wasa rye crisps for breakfast with milky tea.

I got two confit duck legs, which I am hoping to use tonight in a dinner for my friends H & J. And I also got two calabrese sausages, thrown in as a lagniappe at the last minute when I picked up my goodies (as they were closing up shop) — my friend MissLudmilla happened to mention that they were her favorite order at Top Dog, and our man at Fatted Calf scoffed and tossed her the last pack of calabreses, telling her if she’d try them, she’d never go back to Top Dog again. Heh heh heh. That’s confidence in your product! Unfortunately, I took them with me back to Chicago by accident. I cooked them up in the skillet, and sliced them over pasta and sauteed greens and a bit of lemon zest. Fabulous. Lots of fennel, a bit of spicy pepper, and a rich almost gamey meatiness. Wow.
The thing that strikes me most is that all these products were so different stylistically, but all wonderfully well composed and well made. It is clear also, from seeing the market stand, and from reading Biggles’s posts, that these people very much enjoy their work. And from the frenzy of purchasing that did not cease, I would say the people of the Bay Area rather enjoy that work as well. I sure as hell did. Yum.

I just found out that the Edmar supermarket closed permanently June 5. It is to be razed and replaced by a Dominick’s. That just SUCKS. *anguished wail*
I seem not to have posted about the Edmar before, which is bizarre since when I discovered it a few months ago I raved to my friend J who also lives in the neighborhood, and vowed never again to set foot in the nasty Jewel in the neighborhood. The Edmar was a local, old school supermarket like J & I both remember from our childhoods in the 70s — and to sweeten the deal, it had both wicked cheap prices and a wide range of interesting ethnic products of the polish and hispanic persuasions, including locally made bread, nopales & tomatillos, unusual meat cuts, Mexican spices, various pickled pork products, polish jarred vegetables & jams, Kasia’s pierogies, etc. I once walked out of there with a large jar of red roasted peppers and a pound of grapes, and spent less than $2. It was a great supermarket, and right around the corner. I am SO VERY SAD.