Have you ever been somewhere so special that you immediately want to tell everyone about the amazing experience you had?  Well, that’s what I felt like when I entered Mes Amis Café in the beautiful Somerset area of the UK. That’s right – I was enchanted from the moment I walked through their doors on a cold, wet and windy lunchtime last week!

Mes Amis may seem “far off the beaten path,” but Beckington, Frome is just a short drive outside of Bath, and you’ll pass through some stunning Somerset scenery en route.  Once you arrive into the charming oldy-worldy village of Beckington, you’ll see Mes Amis just on the “high street.”

Once you enter the café, you’ll be greeted by the lovely proprietress and chef, Elaine (in the blue and white striped top, featured with just some of her amazing dishes on offer), Marilyn (in black – and also responsible for Mes Amis’ delicious delights), and Jude (in white, who has been with the café since Elaine first opened its doors six years ago).

They serve a variety of savoury dishes, including fresh soups and salads, and the best toasted baguettes, and you can even opt for a “salad sampler.” I indulged in a toasted parma ham, tomato and cheese baguette, with a side of their delicious pesto chicken, but I ended up even loving their beet root and garlic tapenade and various salads (says a typically-salad-un-loving foodie).

I must admit, I was caught off guard, not expecting to find such a great, local café that day, so I didn’t have my normal camera gear with me. I’m just hoping I’ve done justice with my “point and shoot,” not least to their DIVINE strawberry pavlova with real clotted cream (a gorgeous combination that I’m dying to try at home)!

The whole café is a delight; with its rustic décor and gifts and accessories for purchase (YES – SHOPPING, TOO!), and buzzy atmosphere, Mes Amis is a great place to catch a quick bite or linger over multiple courses.  If you visit during peak times, you may need to wait for a table, but I promise you, it’ll be worth it!  Because, although I say this is a “hidden gem” (so hidden they don’t even have a website), enough people know about Mes Amis to make it a popular gathering place.  In fact, I mentioned it to my friend from Bath and she had mentioned that her other friends had raved about this fab café, too.  I also found out that they cater for private parties/events, too!

Here are the contact details for the lovely Mes Amis Café:

Address:    12, Bath Rd, Beckington, Frome, Somerset BA11 6SW
Phone:        +44 (0) 1373 830 723
Email:        mesamisfood@hotmail.co.uk

This is a guest post by Jennifer De Guzman Rolfe, an ex-pat Californian foodie now based in the UK.  Jennifer is the owner of Jen’s Just Desserts.

Choccywoccydoodah’s London store is now open!

After having visited both of their Brighton, UK locations, I was really excited to visit their new London shop. The shop’s location near Carnaby Street in SoHo is the perfect setting for their uniquely kitsch offerings.

The ground floor houses all of their amazing chocolate confectionary and cakey creations… so many treats and gifts to choose from – in a gorgeous setting.

You can then walk up the stairs to visit their bar/cafe area, where you are spoilt for choice variety of delicious, homemade cakes, hot cocoas, milkshakes, and other sweet treats on offer.

This area also features lovely seating areas, many with views over Fouberts Place.

The 2nd floor will open soon and is being designed as a “Choccywoccy Boudoir, which can be reserved for special occasions.

The store manager, Ben, and his team were all very gracious and welcoming, enhancing the overall customer experience.

I indulged in a slice of Choccywoccy coconut cake, drizzled with molten Belgian chocolate and raspberry coulis, and topped with vanilla ice cream, AND a dark chocolate hot cocoa to wash it down with.

Both were deliciously decadent.

With so many friends and family visiting from all over the world, I know where I’ll be taking them for a divine and chocolatey afternoon tea!

The London Choccywoccydoodah shop is in the heart of Soho, just off Carnaby Street: 30-32 Fouberts Place, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS.

This dish is great for nights when the weather is slightly cold or dreary.  The leftovers can be used in sandwiches the next day – guaranteed to bring a smile!  You can serve these meatballs as an entree with a simple side salad or over pasta or bread.

You can experiment with both the meatballs and the sauce.  Sometimes I like to add pinenuts to the meatballs.  I also like to herbs to the sauce when the herbs are in season.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
2 medium shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 medium eggs
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
3/4 cup  freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or your favorite bread crumbs, very finely processed)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
cracked pepper

For the sauce:
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cans (20+ ounces) or boxes of great quality chopped Italian tomatoes (I use Pomi chopped tomatoes that come in a box.)
1/2 cup good quality wine (I typically use a Sangiovese in this and then serve the rest with the meal. Make sure it is a wine that you like to drink, not what is known as “cooking wine”.)
1 teaspoon sugar
Fine sea salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon and then taste to see if you need more. I typically use about 1 teaspoon in mine.)
Cracked pepper
Fresh basil or oregano, chopped (optional)

You will also need:
Large mixing bowl
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Very large skillet
Large spoon
Tongs
1 cup of water, divided into 2 half cups

Instructions
Make the meatballs first.  Finely chop the shallots.  Slice the two garlic cloves in half and remove the green sprout.  Finely chop the garlic.  Place the chopped shallots and chopped garlic into the mixing bowl.  Add the ground beef, eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the bread crumbs.  Add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and some cracked pepper, to taste.  Mix it all together and form meatballs that are about an inch and a half in diameter.

Set them aside.

Make the sauce by removing the skin from the six cloves of garlic.  Cut them in half and remove the green sprout inside.  Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat.  Add the garlic halves and saute them until they start to become slightly brown and aromatic.

Pour in the tomatoes and the wine.  Add the sugar.  Stir to blend.  Add chopped herbs, if using.

Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add salt, to taste, along with cracked pepper.

Add the meatballs.  Pour 1/2 cup of water over the top and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn the meatballs.  Pour another 1/2 cup water over the top and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 10-12 minutes until the meatballs are done.

Before serving, sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the top, along with chopped fresh basil or oregano, if desired.

Serves 4 (with hopefully some leftovers for sandwiches).

I loved this dessert as a child. We made it often in the summertime to feature the wild strawberries that grew near my grandmother’s farm.   We used whipped cream for the topping then, but I have changed the recipe a bit to use creme fraiche.  Either will work beautifully.

One note on the butter:  I prefer to use European-style butter.  It has a bit more butter fat and less moisture than traditional butter, and I think it gives a better taste and texture to the shortcakes.

Ingredients
4 baskets fresh strawberries
1/3 cup sugar

2 cups self-rising flour (see * below)
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, plus a little more for the pan
Approx. 3/4 cup buttermilk
A little extra self-rising flour to scatter on countertop

1/2 cup creme fraiche

You will also need:
Large bowl
Aluminum foil
Food processor
Biscuit cutter (approx. 2.5″ in diameter)
Baking pan (a 9″ round cake layer pan works great)
Knife
Individual serving plates

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the strawberries, take off the caps and slice the berries into about 4 pieces each.  If the strawberries are really small, then just slice them in half.   Add the sugar to the berries and stir well.  Cover with aluminum foil and set aside.

Put the flour into the food processor.  Cut the butter into 8 pieces.  Add the butter, one piece at a time, to the flour and pulse about 5 times after each addition.  When all butter has been added, the flour should have a corn-meal consistency.  Slowly add the buttermilk and pulse until the flour starts to come together.   You may not need exactly all of the buttermilk so add slowly.  When the mixture is moist but not too wet, remove the blade from the food processor and gather the flour mixture into a ball.

Scatter some flour onto the countertop.  Press the ball out to about 1″ thickness.

Smooth the edges and the top.  Using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into 7 or 8 circles, gathering up the dough that is left and using it , too.

Butter a 9″ round cake pan.  Place the shortcake circles into the pan.

Bake for 18 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Cut one of the shortcakes in half, forming a top and bottom piece.  Place it openface (cut side up) onto an individual serving dish.  Spoon some of the strawberries and juice over both pieces.  Top each with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Repeat with the others.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

* Note:  Self-rising flour and plain flour are not the same thing.  Self-rising flour has baking powder and salt already added in.  We used it for biscuits, shortcakes and cobblers when I was growing up.  If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own.  Mix together 2 cups plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Artichokes and Meyer lemons are a great pairing.  And I love them both roasted.  I first had a similar dish at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena, California.  I went home, picked some Meyer lemons from my tree and started experimenting.  I have been making this dish ever since!

Ingredients
4 medium to large artichokes
4 cups water
1/2 bottle white wine (Sauvignon blanc or chardonnay will work fine)
3 Meyer lemons, cut in half
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole mixed peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel

You will also need:
1 large pot
1 large baking dish
1 chef’s knife
1 paring knife
kitchen scissors
Large slotted spoon

Instructions
Prepare the artichoke by trimming the stem down to about an inch and removing the small outer leaves at the bottom.  Cut the tops of the leaves off so that there are no prickly thorns to surprise anyone.

Cut the artichoke into quarters and remove the choke (the fibrous area in the center) from the each quarter.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with the water, the wine, two of the Meyer lemon halves, the bay leaf, the peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add the artichoke quarters and bring back to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until the artichokes are just starting to get tender throughout.  Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the artichokes from the liquid with a slotted spoon and put them into a large baking dish.  Drizzle the artichokes with olive oil, rubbing each one to make sure that it is coated with the oil.   Rub the remaining 4 lemon halves with olive oil and place them, cut side up, in the baking dish, as well.

Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes,or until the artichokes and the lemon halves are browned.    Remove from the heat.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel (sea salt).  Serve the artichokes along with the roasted lemons.  Squeeze the roasted lemon juice over the artichokes for a real treat.

You can, of course, also serve this dish with your favorite aioli, mayonnaise or yogurt dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

The Fremont Diner in Sonoma is truly a diner.  But one with farm-to-table fresh ingredients – and housemade bacon.  I like that their food has a bit of a Southern flair. And the old truck parked outside definitely adds character to the experience. I love the indoor charm, as well. 

On a recent visit, we tried their slow-cooked beef brisket hash with fresh sage and an over-easy egg.  It was perfectly seasoned and the meat was fork-tender and full of flavor. 

Being quite particular about biscuits, I couldn’t wait to try theirs, fully expecting a less than satisfactory experience.  I was dead wrong!  Their biscuits were moist, flaky and tender, with crispy edges.  Pretty perfect – and a great accompaniment to their housemade bacon. 

Slow-roasted pork BBQ is also a Southern treat about which I am particular.  Theirs did not disappoint me.  The sandwich was quite generous in size, and the meat was cooked to perfection – falling apart tender.  And the sauce was good, too.  The bun was slightly thick for me, but overall, it was a great sandwich. 

I topped it off with a dish of collard greens.  Theirs had a nice spiciness and vinegar finish – really good.  

The indoor dining space is small, but there is a huge space for outdoor dining, given good weather conditions. 

The Fremont Diner is located between Sonoma and Napa on Highway 121.

This was a year filled with extraordinary food and beverage adventures.  It was difficult to narrow down a “Best of the Best” list, but here are my picks for 2011:

Best Overall Coffee Experience: Roasting beans and doing a comparative tasting with Scott Miller, owner of Ogeechee River Coffee Company, Savannah, Georgia.

Best new chocolate confection chef: Chris Kollar of Kollar Chocolates in Yountville, California.  Especially love his passion fruit, coconut and peanut butter chocolates.

Best foraging adventure on a farm: La Petraia in Radda in Chianti, Italy, with owner and chef, Susan McKenna Grant.  Foraging was followed by a cooking class and lunch that featured our foraged ingredients!

Best wine harvest experience: Goosecross Cellars, Napa, California. Was such a learning experience to follow Winemaker Geoff Gorsuch during the pressing and crushing of the grapes for their Viognier wine.

Best new chocolate bar: Askinosie Chocolate, Springfield, Missouri.  I absolutely adore their new single-origin bar made with cacao beans from Honduras.

Best organic olive oil discovery: Castelas’ Biologique Olive Oil, Les Baux de Provence, France.  Grassy, aromatic, spicy and delicious.  This is a perfect finishing oil.

Best dish using brussel sprouts: Bottega Restaurant, Napa Valley, California.  Their new crispy brussel sprout salad is phenomenal.  I was upset that they took their shaved brussel sprout salad off the menu but this new salad is truly superior – so full of flavor and crunch!

Best new diner: The Fremont Diner in Sonoma, California.  Farm-to-table, Southern-inspired dishes such as BBQ pork sandwich, collard greens and housemade biscuits.

Best sugar discovery: Wasanban from Shikoku, Japan.  Wasanban is a very fine-grained sugar that is made from a thin sugar cane plant grown in Shikoku.  A friend in Japan sent it to me.  I have been using it to sprinkle on dessert crepes and cookies and to sweeten tea.  I love its delicate texture and sweet flavor.

Best affogato (gelato with a shot of espresso): Poggio in Sausalito, California.  They dress their affogatos up with slices of toasted almonds and candied orange peel.  Exquisite!

Best caramels: Jacques Genin in Paris, France.  These caramels melt in your mouth and dance on your tongue.  The flavors are rich and the texture is perfect.

Best wine education experience: Les Printemps de Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France.  Was there in April for a tasting of grenache wines from several different soil types and microclimates within the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation.

Best new artisanal salt: Jacobsen Hand-Harvested Pure Sea Salt from Netarts Bay, Oregon.  This salt has a wonderful crunch and a bright, clean flavor.  Excellent finishing salt.

Best hamburger in San Francisco: 4505 Meats, San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.  Haven’t tried every hamburger in town yet, but this was my favorite of the ones that I tried this year.

Looking forward to discovering what new “Bests” 2012 will bring!

Note: Top photo taken by Oliver Seidel and Nicky Stich of deliciousdays.com.

Meyer lemons are abundant year-round on my trees in Sausalito.  I try not to waste a single lemon.  I give a lot of them away as gifts to friends and neighbors, and I look for new ways in which to preserve these treasures.

I started making Meyer lemon marmalade several years back, and it has now become very popular with my friends.  In order to keep the rinds from becoming too chewy, it is important to add an equal amount of water to the mix.  In fact, I use a 1:1:1 ratio – chopped Meyer lemons:water:sugar.

This marmalade is especially good with freshly-made scones.

It also goes well with goat cheese.  I simply spread some crusty bread with fresh goat cheese and then spread Meyer lemon marmalade over the top.  It is always a hit!

Ingredients
8 cups Meyer lemons, thinly chopped (approx. 16 lemons)
8 cups water
8 cups sugar

You will also need:
Chef’s knife
Large pot, such as a Dutch oven
Large spoon
Skimmer
Candy thermometer
Large open pan for sterilizing jars
6-7clean jars with new lids and rings
Canner
Jar tongs
Kitchen towel
Canning funnel, clean and sterilized
Paper towels
Regular tongs

Instructions

Place the chopped Meyer lemons, water and sugar into a large pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat and cook at a medium boil, stirring frequently to keep from sticking.  Skim any foam from the top. Continue to cook until the marmalade reaches 220^oF or until thickened.

Meanwhile, put about an inch of water in the bottom of a large open pan.  Add the clean jars, open top down.  Bring to a slow simmer and let the jars cook for at least 10 minutes.  Keep hot.

Put enough water into the canner to completely cover your jars by about an inch.  Put it on a back burner and bring to a boil.

When the marmalade is ready, remove a jar from the hot skillet using the jar tongs and place the jar upright onto a kitchen towel.  Place a funnel into the jar.  Ladle the hot marmalade into the jar until it is almost full.  Leave about ¼” of space at the top.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel (a damp paper towel works best).

Drop one of the lids into the skillet with the hot jars and leave it there for about 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water with tongs and place it on top of the jar filled with marmalade.  Place a ring on the jar and tighten it.

Repeat until all of the marmalade has been ladled into the jars.  Gently place each jar into the canner (the water should be hot by now).

Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and boil the jars for at least 5 minutes.  I typically do it for 7 minutes.

Turn off the heat underneath the canner.  Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and place them on the countertop to cool.  You should hear the lids pop within a few minutes.  If the jar is sealed, the lid dips slightly in the middle.  If the lid sticks up in the middle, then the jar has not sealed and the marmalade should be refrigerated and consumed within a week.

Be careful with the marmalade until it completely cools – don’t shake it around much.

Makes about 6 (8 oz.) jars of sunny marmalade.

Note: Several photos courtesy of McArdle Images.

There is just something about the flavor of cardamom that makes a super pairing with espresso.  This ice cream is very simple to make.  It is made in the same style in which we made ice cream when I was growing up on my grandmother’s farm in rural Georgia – with fresh cream, milk, sugar and natural ingredients, but no eggs.  It is rich and creamy and intensely flavored!  My obsession with the cardamom ice cream affogato came to me a few months back while at Oxbow Market in Napa.   I spotted cardamom ice cream at the Three Twins Ice Cream shop.  Since it is right across from Ritual Coffee, I asked the Ritual folks to put a shot of espresso in the bowl.   I liked it so much that I started experimenting with making cardamom ice cream at home. 
 

Ingredients
1 cup cream
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds (I buy whole seeds and crush them myself using a pestle and mortar.)
4 green cardamom pods (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk

Espresso shots for serving

You will also need:
Small saucepan
Paring knife
Large spoon
Ice cream maker (I use a Cuisinart ice cream with a compressor in it).
Pint-sized freezer-safe container with tight-fitting lid
Espresso maker
Ice cream scoop
Glasses or dishes for serving affogato

Instructions
Pour the cream into a saucepan and place over medium heat.  Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream.  Drop the vanilla bean into the cream, as well. 

Add the crushed cardamom seeds, the cardamom pods and the sugar. Mix well.  When the mixture starts getting bubbles on the sides (just before a full boil), turn off the heat, cover the mixture and let it sit for about 20 minutes for the flavors to infuse.  

Remove the vanilla bean halves and the green cardamom pods.  Add the milk.  Cover and place into the refrigerator to cool for at least an hour.  

Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and pour into the container of your ice cream maker.  Freeze the mixture according to the instructions for your machine. 

Remove the ice cream from the machine, place into a freezer-safe container with a tigh-fitting lid and place into the freezer.  The ice cream will need to freeze to a firm consistency.  I find that overnight is best.
   

Makes 1 pint of ice cream.

To make the affogato, remove the ice cream from the freezer.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out a serving of ice cream and place it into a dish.  Pour a shot of hot espresso over the ice cream.  Serve immediately.