Studies indicate that cage-free eggs have a lower salmonella. Check out this CBS article for more high-level detail on the studies. 

Guest Blogger Post by Emiko Taki

Editor's Note: This is Emiko's first Gratitude Gourmet Guest post. She is a food writer and photographer. Thanks, Emiko!

If you will recall, several posts back I brought back miso from Japan and shared about it briefly. I finally have a recipe that makes use of this special miso. It’s the kind made in the northern region of Japan with high quality Koshihikari rice and koji. They call it red miso, but the color is more of brownish red and completely different from Nagoya style red. This particular variety called “Kogane miso” was made with mochi rice, soybeans, salt and koji. It’s moderately salty and less sweet than white. I was so used to the Nagoya red which I grew up with, made with soybeans and salt only (pretty salty and bold due to two simple ingredients), the rich and complex flavor of Kogane miso by comparison is so much more elegant. 

Just like peanutbutter, there are basically two types of texture in miso: smooth and rough/grainy (I wouldn’t call it chunky because soybeans in miso aren’t quite crunchy). Most miso I’ve seen in the states are fairly smooth and it’s preferred for making miso soup. Yes, the reason why I say fairly smooth is because some miso can be extremely smooth to where it’s so creamy (i.e., Kyoto white miso). But I love the grainy texture of almost but not completely grounded soybeans in miso. It feels so much more real and wholesome. I even like it in miso soup. That’s probably why I fell in love with Kogane miso.

I’ve been enjoying it little by little and experimenting with various dishes for the past few months. If you find good quality miso that you can eat it raw, the best way to enjoy is to eat it as a dip. Simply cut up your favorite vegetables into sticks and eat them like a snack. If it’s too salty for your taste, you can mix miso with sake, sugar and dashi, or that plus a drop of ginger juice.
The best dish I made so far with Kogane miso was Miso Ratatouille. It made the vegetables taste so good that it just became my main entrée for that night. It made me proud that I’d made something so healthy and tasty! If you are lacking vegetables in your diet, this is a great dish to get your five servings of vegetables a day. The miso in this recipe is definitely a hidden yet the key ingredient in enriching the flavor. I added shiitake mushroom to further infusing the Japanese essence into the dish, but you can substitute that with any other mushrooms or completely leave it out. It’s up to you. I haven’t experiment with pale white miso or very dark miso and I’m not sure how it would work, but if you do try, let me know how it is.

Recipe of the Day
Miso Ratatouille
Ingredients: (serves 6-8)
1 med. onion 
1-2 carrots
1 med. Chinese eggplant
1 red bell pepper
4 shiitake mushrooms, remove the stem
1 can whole stewed tomato
3 Tbsp sake
6 Tbsp miso
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp EV olive oil for cooking

Wash and cut all vegetables in to 1 to 1 1/2” cubes.
Heat olive oil a large pot over medium-high, stir in vegetables in the order of onion, carrot, eggplant, bell pepper, and mushroom.
Add tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix sake, miso and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl. Add the seasoning to the pot and mix well. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

While in Rome recently, I enjoyed the coffee bars where you get your expresso or iced coffee on the go at a coffee bar. I even checked out a coffee bar where Pope John Paul II had his iced coffee.
The NY Times reports New York coffee shops are adding bars, and some are removing tables, and not making enough space for even an iPad (Ouch for some iPad owners). :-)  Starbucks' SoHo location was overhauled in April with a wooden bar and stools. Check out the NY Times article here.

I was very pleased to meet David Farrimond and Ashley Chard from the US Cranberry Marketing Association during the SF Chefs events, and their Media Tasting at the Waterbar on the Embarcadero San Francisco with a gorgeous, sunny view of the Bay Bridge was beautifully prepared. Waterbar's Executive Chef, Parke Ulrich, and Pastry Chef, Emily Lucetti, greeted us and explained their delicious creations. The Staff was also happy to prepare a vegetarian tasting for me for which I was very grateful.  
I have two videos below of: Jennifer Philpot, Waterbar Mixologist explaining how she made her cocktails: Summer Breeze and The Velvet Rope, and Emily Lucetti, Pastry Chef, describing how she created her desserts. Several pictures are placed both at the top of this article and at the bottom so make sure you scroll down to see the desserts! :-). 

Courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, here are the SF Chefs '10 Recipes. Let me know which ones you like!

Cocktails:
1. 99 Red Balloons
Encanto Pisco, Yellow Chartreuse, 100% cranberry juice, lemon, homemade cinnamon tincture, “Spiced” cranberry foam.
* spiced cranberry foam made by Bon Vivants

2. Radio Flyer
Wild Turkey Rye, dried cranberry infused Cocchi Americano, The Bon Vivants “Tomahawk” Bitters, pickled cranberry.
* The Bon Vivants “Tomahawk” Bitters is one of our homemade bitters – one of the dominant macerated elements is dried cranberry. The pickled cranberries will be a garnish. We will essentially be re-hydrating dried cranberries in our homemade pickling liquid.

3. San Cran – Grita
Tequila Ocho Reposado served with a traditional Jaliscan accompaniment – Sangrita
* Homemade 100% unsweetened Cranberry juice focused Sangrita with background elements including orange juice, lime juice, vanilla, cacabel chilli, chipotle chilli, guajillo chilli, cacao, cinnamon, clove, Combier Triple Sec. There will also be a freeze dried cranberry, salt, chili rim around the sangrita.

4. Pilgrim Punch
Plymouth Gin, White Port, White Cranberry Juice, lemon, Chamomile tea, bitters, cranberry ice block.
* Punch is one of the most historical methods of serving cocktails to large groups of people. We will furnish one of our large antique punch bowls for the events. Punches are traditionally served with one large block of ice so the punch gets cold with over-diluting the punch. We will make our large ice blocks out of cranberry juice so as the large ice block slowly melts over time, the color of the punch starts to redden and the flavors of the punch “season” if you will. The final aspect is that historic punches always are served with fruit elements floating throughout the liquid so when one is ladled a serving of punch, there will be dried cranberries ladled in with it.
Recipes Courtesy of the Bon Vivants

5. Cranberry Sunset
Glass: Collins Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. 4 shots Cranberry juice cocktail 11⁄2 shots Brandy 11⁄2 shots Orange juice 1 shot Apricot brandy Garnish: Slice of fresh orange. South of Manhattan Glass: Old Fashioned Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. 2 shots Southern Comfort 1 shot Sweet vermouth 1 shot Cranberry juice cocktail dash Angostura bitters Garnish: Fresh lime wedge.

6. Cranberry Citrus Breeze
Glass: Martini Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. 3 shots Cranberry juice cocktail 11⁄2 shots Gin 1 shot Grand Marnier 1⁄2 shot Lime juice Garnish: Curl of orange peel.
Recipes Courtesy of the CMC

7. Summer Breeze (blended drink)
2.5 oz light rum 3.5 oz cranberry juice cocktail 1/2 lime squeeze .5 oz pineapple juice 1 oz jalapeno infused syrup 1 spoonful Chantilly blend with ice garnish with 3 dried cranberries on top

8. The Velvet Rope
2 oz Vodka 1.5 oz 100% cranberry juice 1oz orange juice 1oz vanilla infused syrup .25 oz Grand Marnier 3 dashes peach bitters shake and serve up top with a splash of Prosecco garnish with a long orange twist or 2 skewered cranberries
Recipes Courtesy of Jennifer Philpot, Bartender, Waterbar

Sweet & Savory Dishes:
Summer Gazpacho and Spicy Cranberry Relish
- Summer Gazpacho (can be made one day ahead) 6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored, stems removed 2 stalks of celery, chopped 1 red onion, rough chopped
1 clove garlic 2 cups tomato juice 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar) Juice of one lemon Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Give several quick blends, enough to keep tomatoes chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may add a
splash of orange juice marinate overnight.
- Spicy Cranberry Relish
2 cups fresh or dried cranberries 1 large jalapeno, minced with seeds 1 orange 1/2 cup sugar
Zest orange and reserve juice. In food processor, pulse cranberries with jalapeno, sugar, zest, and orange juice. Chill. Can be prepared the night before and refrigerated, up to a week ahead.
Recipe Courtesy of Aiemee Low

White Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream Sundae with Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce, Pecans and Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1 pint vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips 1 recipe Cran Raspberry Caramel Sauce (see below) 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
Place a scoop of ice cream in each of 4 bowls. Spoon some Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce over the ice cream. Sprinkle pecans and cranberries over the top. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Cran‐Raspberry Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup Cran Raspberry Juice 3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Put the Cran Raspberry Juice in a small pot. Reduce to 1/4 cup. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Set aside.
In a clean pot, stir the sugar and water together. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase to high heat and continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar has caramelized and is medium amber in color. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in a couple of tablespoons of the cranberry and cream mixture. (The caramel will sputter as it is added, so stir carefully.) Continue gradually stirring in the mixture until all has been added. Let the caramel cool, stirring occasionally, until warm. Whisk in the butter.
Refrigerate until cold. Makes 2 cups
In Advance: The coffee caramel sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead.
Recipe courtesy of Emily Luchetti, Executive Pastry Chef at Waterbar