Friends, Clients and Prospective Clients:
Eating well is one of Berkeley's best amenities! It's worth it to go through everything you'll go through to buy a house in Berkeley just so you can take home the best take home in the country or walk to dinner at one of our wonderful restaurants. And I've just discovered a great website to guide you to some satisfying neighborhood eateries. All in all, Jerry and I agree with its descriptions: http://www-rnc.lbl.gov/Restaurant.
Now let's talk French, because that's what's on my mind. French used to mean fancy food with chocolate mousse for dessert. It can still be had - in the Midwest. Berkeley French is bistro style. You'll have good food and fun evenings at two places I can recommend: Nizza La Bella on San Pablo near Solano, or Liaison on Shattuck and Hearst. But make sure you plan ahead; these places have good reason to be popular, and you need a reservation, especially on the weekend. Then go and eat salade nicoise, or mussels, or steak with frites (and aioli). And drink a velvety Cotes du Rhone. For breakfast or lunch, there's LaNote on Shattuck downtown, with its wonderful patio, reminiscent of Aix-en-Provence, where you can enjoy a ratatouille of summer vegetables.
What are we eating at our house?
Every summer I pull out my favorite cast iron skillet for fruit clafoutis. A clafouti is related to a pancake, but really somewhere between a pudding and a tart. It can be made with whatever luscious, fresh fruit you've just found at a farm stand or a farmer's market (or Monterey Market or Berkeley Bowl). We make them with apricots, or cherries, or mixed berries, and sometimes we make several side by side for weekend brunch. You'll find clafouti on Liaison's summer dessert menu.
Recipes abound. Here's the general idea:
- Prepare the fruit first. You'll need 2 or 3 cups for a large skillet. Wash, stem, and pit as appropriate.
- Preheat over to 425 degrees. Beat 4 eggs, stir in 1 cup flour, then beat in 2 cups warm milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tb melted butter, a pinch of salt and flavoring (vanilla or a dash of liqueur).
- Butter the skillet, pour a thin layer of batter across the bottom, and put into hot oven for a few minutes to set the batter. Arrange the fruit over the batter and pour the remaining batter over it. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake clafouti for 30 to 35 minutes. It should be golden brown and puffed. Sprinkle sieved confectioner's sugar and serve with cold heavy cream, or creme fraiche, or slightly sweetened sour cream or yogurt.
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