I love picnics! Whether it’s a solo morning hike in the fog-shrouded hills with a thermos of coffee and muffins, or more elaborate fare shared with family and friends, I’m always game. So when the kids wanted to take our seventeen-year-old houseguest, Mahi Titus, kite flying on the shores below the Golden Gate Bridge, I sprang into action.

Mahi is from New Delhi, India and had come to spend a few days with us before heading to the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC and a United Nations event in New York City. We’d done a whirlwind tour of Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, and snaked her down Lombard “the crookest street in the world”. Our kite-flying destination offered a breathtaking view and the perfect winds to get our dragon kites airborne.

My three rules of picnicking are easy, easy and easy. So lunch was lots of sliced cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, black olives, munchies and cold drinks. For dessert, I packed up a platter of freshly baked chocolate Guinness cupcakes that I’d just finished testing for the website that morning. We also had a large, crab-shaped sourdough bread from Fisherman’s Wharf, whose claws would make fun sandwiches.

As the kids worked together on the kites, I set a big checked tablecloth with bright plastic plates and piled on the food. I couldn’t resist licking a bit of chocolate-cinnamon buttercream off my fingers as I arranged the cupcakes. One taste settled it—the kids could have the meats and cheeses; my lunch would be several of these decadent treats!

The kites provided plenty of drama—particularly for little Sammy, who wailed in distress as the green dragon crashed on the rocks. Fortunately, his sunny mood was easily restored by a huge supply of black olives. He fitted an olive on each tiny finger and cried out happily, “look, I’m an alien!” As the olives disappeared into his mouth, we all agreed that he looked more like a chipmunk.

As I savored my second (alright, third) cupcake, I reflected on the incredible power of simple food in a beautiful outdoor setting, shared with people I love. It’s what summer is all about.

Meet Executive Chef Gianni Audieri, partner and guiding spirit at American’s oldest Italian restaurant, the Fior d’ Italia in San Francisco. Gianni has joined the Beyond Wonderful panel of culinary experts as our esteemed guest chef. He’ll be sharing his extensive knowledge and classic Italian recipes adapted for home cooks in the months to come. 

Gianni began his culinary career in Milan, Italy at age 14 and studied French cooking in Switzerland. Over the decades, he polished his craft at hotels, private clubs and on cruise ships before settling at the Fior in the early 1980s.  

One of the thrills of working with Gianni is, of course, eating his fabulous food. I’ve enjoyed his rich soups, seasonal salads, plates of pasta, beautifully prepared meats and his famous tiramisu mousse dessert. With so many memorable dishes, it was hard to decide which recipe to share first at Beyond Wonderful—until I tasted the calamari. It’s the best I’ve ever had; tender, incredibly meaty and delicious. When I asked Gianni his secret, he laughed and said, “everyone wants to know my secret ingredient but there isn’t one. It’s fresh calamari dredged in flour.” Gianni pointed out that he uses Atlantic calamari, since it tends to be meatier than the Pacific variety. He also cuts the tubes—known as “mantles” —in strips, rather than the more common ring shape.  

As we talked, I realized that those passionate about calamari usually order it at restaurants but are hesitant to try making it at home. Fear no more! I’ve discovered that delicious fried calamari is simple and easy to make when you know what you’re doing. 

Gianni took me to his kitchen, gathered some fresh, pre-cleaned calamari mantles and tentacles, rinsed them under cold water and placed them in a strainer to remove the excess moisture. Working quickly, he cut the tips off the mantles, made a vertical slit down the side and opened it flat. “Now, I cut them in ½-inch strips and pat dry with a paper towel.” Within seconds all the mantles were prepped for the next step. 

We moved down the line where he produced a shallow pan of flour, dropped in the calamari and gave it a couple of quick tosses upward. As everything went airborne, he said, “be sure to shake it well to remove all the excess flour.” I was impressed. How did he get everything breaded and returned to the tray without dropping anything on the floor? This was definitely a skill that I wanted to master.  

We moved to the deep fryer that contained preheated vegetable oil. “Barbara, most cooks fry this at 350 degrees, but I do it at 375 because the temperature drops the minute you add the cold calamari. Cook it 2–3 minutes until it’s the palest golden color. Don’t overcook the calamari or it will get tough.” 

Instinctively, Gianni pulled the basked out of the fryer at the perfect moment and gave it couple of good shakes to remove the excess oil. He put it in a spacious bowl and salted it, then tossed the finished calamari into a lined wire basket. A sliced lemon and a couple of dipping sauces completed the dish, although Gianni pointed out that “the sauces are an American thing” —the true Italian presentation uses only lemon. 

I eagerly dove in and asked Gianni where the home cook could find Atlantic calamari outside of the East coast. After all, he has clout with his daily 100-pound orders for the restaurant, while the rest of us just need a small amount. “Talk to a good fish monger and see what he can get,” he advised. “You won’t find this at supermarkets—not even most high-end markets. If you can’t find it, the Pacific variety is okay.”  

Gianni and I will be cooking together in the coming months and I’ll have more of his wonderful Italian recipes adapted for your home kitchen. Each will have a printable recipe and illustrated, step-by-step How To for easy reference. 

Today, check out the Calamari recipe and How To Make Calamari. 

Strawberries are in season so Jackson and I headed to the local berry farm to pick enough for shortcake and a good stash of popsicles. This three-year-old loves strawberries and has already helped plant a large pot of them in the backyard. He’s also been known to sneak warm, sun-ripened berries from his school garden during playtime. (If he’s not actually caught in the act, the juice dripping down his chin is a dead giveaway.)

Armed with small white baskets, we got down on the ground amid rows of fruit-laden plants that seemed to go on forever. I lifted up the leaves and exposed the red treasures that Jackson sought. We talked about the small white flowers and how they become baby berries that grow in to the big juicy ones that he loves. Along the way he explored the insect population and found a pill bug. “Here, you hold him while I eat.” The kid is lucky that I’m not squeamish. With our full baskets plus an extra pre-picked flat, we were ready to head home and tackle our projects.

The strawberries filled the kitchen with an intoxicating fragrance that screamed summer. I prepped the berries and started the macerating process with sugar and water. A few hours later, Jackson joined me for the fun part of making strawberry popsicles—squishing the fruit into tiny pieces. We giggled and had great fun reducing the berries to just the right consistency. Part of the joy of cooking with kids is watching them work. Jackson concentrated intently with his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he carefully filled each popsicle mold. The joy of accomplishment was all over his face—along with quite a bit of sticky red juice—once all the molds were filled.

The next morning Jackson woke up early and headed to the freezer for breakfast. This is the ultimate reward for a job well done. Our day was joyful and Jackson learned a bit about plants, harvesting berries and the satisfaction that comes from making your own food—especially this sweet treat.

A recent trip to the local farmers market left me with a hankering for simple stuffed eggs made with the freshest eggs, homemade mayonnaise and a sprinkling of chopped, just-picked herbs like chives, tarragon and Italian parsley. Their clean eggy flavor and luxuriously creamy texture is unlike traditional “deviled eggs” made with supermarket eggs, bottled mayonnaise and spices that are often overwhelming.

Have you ever eaten a farm-fresh egg? If not, you’re in for a treat as they are very different from their supermarket counterparts. Crack one open and you’ll see that the yolks are much brighter and deeper in color. They range from brilliant yellow to orange and sometimes red—all determined by what the hens eat. The yolks are round, surrounded by cloudy whites that fit tightly in the shell with minimum air—a sign of freshness. And the flavor is extraordinary; clean, rich and perfectly wholesome. In other words, just what you’d expect from happy chickens that feast on bugs, an occasional snail and good things from the earth.

Unlike mass-produced eggs, farm eggs are typically collected daily and sold very quickly. Supermarket eggs are harvested from hens pumped up with antibiotics and crammed in cages at large production facilities. They are often held in cold storage for weeks before shipping out to the markets for sale. (The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows a full 30 days between when grocery eggs are packed and their last date of sale.)  Mass-produced eggs do not have the same taste as farm eggs; their yolks are flatter and the whites are runny and translucent.

Back in the kitchen, it’s time to hard-cook my eggs so that they are creamy and not overdone with evil green halos around their yolks. It’s easy! Just place the eggs in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and let sit for 11–12 minutes. Drain the eggs and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel them when cooled.

Stuffing the eggs is quick and easy—and the mayonnaise can be made in under a minute.

Ingredients:
18 medium farm eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and halved
5–6 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
~   chopped fresh herbs such as Italian parsley, tarragon, or chervil (optional)

Instructions:
1. Scoop the yolks from the halved eggs and place the yolks in a food processor or electric mixer.

2. Add 5–6 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise and the salt and pepper. Process until smooth.

3. Spoon or pipe the filling in to the halved eggs.

4. Sprinkle with herbs, if desired.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Print the Simple Stuffed Eggs recipe and an illustrated,
step-by-step How To Hard Cook Eggs for easy reference.

In a world filled with superstars, Mario Batali shines bright. He’s the real deal; top chef, television star, restaurateur and author. Best of all, he’s human; always warm and engaging with his fans. Mario was in town this week promoting his latest cookbook, Italian Grill. I joined 220 self-proclaimed “foodies” and fans at the Book Passage Cooks with Books luncheon at the Il Fornaio restaurant in San Francisco. Many had taken the day off to see their star up close and personal.

Excited guests got their first glimpse of Mario as he signed books in a small private dining area. There is always a bit of nervous anticipation as one approaches a celebrity chef, but Mario set everyone at ease, chatting animatedly and posing for photos. It seemed like everyone brought a camera to record their moment. One lady giggled when she saw that he was dressed in his trademark orange croc shoes, shorts, button-down shirt and zippered vest. “He’s so cool! I just love him.”

With signed books in hand, we headed to our assigned tables and I noticed that the entire wait staff was wearing bright orange crocs with their black and white uniforms—arranged for by Mario and the CWB team. I felt lucky to be a part of the fun as an excited buzz filled the restaurant. This was turning in to a party!

Traditionally the Cooks with Books menu is taken entirely from the author’s cookbook and prepared by the restaurant. Because of Mario’s tight schedule (three signings and three restaurant stops on this day!) the Il Fornaio chefs prepared their own main course of grilled chicken breasts, as well as their own sinfully delicious chocolate mousse dessert.

Mario provided the stuzzichino course with a salumi assortment and charcuterie. The delicacies came compliments of Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, the Seattle-based store owned by his father. Our table dispensed with formalities, sampling the meats with our fingers. I enjoyed their diverse yet balanced flavors so much that I went online and ordered a selection for my family and friends. We also savored a delicious appetizer of grilled portabella mushroom with arugula and Parmesan Reggiano cheese—a recipe from the Italian Grill cookbook.

Mario spoke to the crowd between courses and took numerous questions from the lively group. Fans wanted to know the behind-the-scenes details of his wildly successful Food Network shows, Molto Mario and Iron Chef America. Someone asked if he hung out with any other celebrity chefs, and we learned that Anthony Bourdain is a good friend.

Questions came rapid-fire, with topics bouncing back and forth between juicy tidbits and practical tips. I learned that San Francisco chef Jeremiah Towers of Stars fame is a constant inspiration to Mario when creating and running his many restaurants. One person yelled out “hey, Mario, how do I cook restaurant-style pasta at home?” Mario told him “remove the pasta from its cooking water a minute-and-a half early and finish it in the cooking sauce.” Who knew? We were all having the time of our lives.

It’s not difficult to see why Mario Batali is a success. Not only is he talented, intelligent and hard-working, but he is also passionate about life and his work. Above all, he displays a warmth and generous spirit that inspires both colleagues and fans.

A friend of mine attended his last book signing of the day at the Book Passage flagship store in Marin. After his long, grueling day, she described Mario as “energetic, real, and generous,” with plenty of time and energy to answer her questions about favorite local restaurants. He’d recommended Pico’s, so naturally she and her friend headed there for dinner, only to find Batali dining with friends on the patio. They sent him a glass of wine, thrilled, as I am, to have shared a moment with him.