San Francisco - That City By The Bay ♥

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I really do appreciate 7x7 Magazine living so close to San Francisco -- it's a great resource on all the latest info on food, culture and events. San Francisco is such an amazing city! I've lived within an hours drive or less of it my whole life but I still haven't learned all it's secrets or seen all it's sites. My husband Mark, worked in the "City" for over 18 years before finally finding a job closer to home {60 miles north in Santa Rosa}. After spending all week driving back and forth cross the Golden Gate Bridge he really wasn't in the mood to return for weekend fun. So we spent more time exploring The Wine Country {Sonoma and Napa County} instead. Over the past few years we find ourselves now returning to the City more often. Back in January -- I read an article in 7x7 about "100 places you should eat in San Francisco before you die" {actual title - 100 Things To Try Before You Die} and I thought I might share it for any of you traveling to Norcal anytime soon or for you locals who are always on the look-out for great food!

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The 2011 Big Eat San Francisco - 100 Things To Eat Before You Die

1. Ma Po Tofu @ Mission Chinese Food

2. Roast Chicken with Bread Salad @ Zuni Cafe

3. Coffee-Rubbed Pork Shoulder @ Range Restaurant

4. Carnitas Taco @ La Taqueria

5. Chasu Ramen @ Katana-ya

6. Puka Punch @ Smuggler's Cove

7. Morning Bun @ Tartine Bakery

8. Crab with Cellophane Noodles @ The Slanted Door

9. Eggs in Jail @ Outerlands

10. Hamburguesa @ Don Pisto's

11. Pork Sugo with Pappardelle @ Delfina

12. Porchetta Sandwich @ Roli Roti at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market

13. Xiao Long Bao @ Shanghai Dumpling King

14. Warm Egg Salad Sandwich @ Il Cane Rosso

15. Seasonal Sorbet @ Scream Sorbet (Ferry Building Marketplace)

16. Katsu Curry @ Muracci's Japanese Grill

17. Pizza Margherita @ Pizzeria Delfina

18. $24 prix fixe @ Cotogna

19. Thousand year old quail egg @ Benu

20. Salumi Misti Plate @ Perbacco

21. Tonkotsu Ramen @ Izakaya Sozai

22. Roasted Pork Banh Mi @ Saigon Sandwiches

23. Strong beer @ Magnolia Pub & Brewery

24. Loaf of Bread @ Tartine Bakery

25. Pistachio meatballs @ Zare At Fly Trap

26. Spicy baby octopus stew @ La Ciccia Restaurant

27. Tuna Tartare and a Gin Martini @ Bix Restaurant

28. Clam Chowder @ Anchor Oyster Bar

29. Tuna Tostada @ Tacolicious

30. Pupusas @ Balompie Cafe

31. Prime Rib @ House of Prime Rib

32. Steamed Bao With Pork Belly & Pickled Daikon @ Chairman Bao Truck

33. The Little Star @ Little Star Pizza

34. Burger @ Bar Tartine

35. Salted Caramel Ice Cream @ Bi-Rite Creamery

36. Soft garlic pretzels @ Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

37. Rotisserie Chicken @ Limon Peruvian Rotisserie

38. burger and fries @ Spruce

39. Paper Masala Dosa @ Dosa

40. Pierna Enchilada Torta @ La Torta Gorda

41. Ahi Tuna Burger @ Gott's Roadside (Formerly Taylor's Automatic Refresher)

42. Pho Ga @ Turtle Tower Restaurant

43. Tortilla Soup @ Chilango

44. Beer Sausage @ Rosamunde Sausage Grill

45. duck larb @ Lers Ros Thai Noodles

46. Secret Breakfast Ice Cream @ Humphry Slocombe

47. Chips and Salsa @ Papalote Mexican Grill

48. Belgian Waffle @ Blue Bottle Café

49. Ginger Snaps @ Miette Cakes

50. Belgian Beer @ Monk's Kettle

51. Maccaronara with Ricotta Salata @ A16

52. Carnitas @ Nopalito

53. The Laphroaig Project @ Rickhouse

54. Spiced Chocolate Doughnut And Four Barrel Coffee @ Four Barrel Coffee

55. Sweetwater Oysters @ Hog Island Oyster Co.

56. Chicken Porridge @ Out the Door

57. Sandwich No. 1 @ Lucca Delicatessen

58. Pork shoulder fried rice @ Sai Jai Thai Restaurant

59. Hamburger @ 4505 Meats (Ferry Building Thursday & Saturday Market)

60. Huarache with Cactus Salad @ El Huarache Loco

61. Egg Custard Tart @ Golden Gate Bakery

62. Dim Sum @ Ton Kiang

63. Pozole @ San Jalisco

64. Sand Dabs @ Tadich Grill

65. Cookies-and-Cream Cookie and Milk @ Anthony's Cookies

66. Pig Parts @ Incanto Restaurant

67. Meatloaf Sandwich @ Fatted Calf

68. Foccacia @ Liguria Bakery

69. Omakase @ Sebo

70. Shanghai Buck @ Heaven's Dog

71. Fried Green Beans @ COCO500

72. popovers @ Wayfare Tavern

73. Corned Beef Sandwich with Gruyere @ The Sentinel

74. Eggs Benedict @ Zazie

75. Super Carne Asada Burrito @ El Farolito

76. Onion Strings @ Alfred's Steak House

77. fried chicken @ Foreign Cinema

78. Apple Fritter @ Bob's Donut & Pastry Shop

79. Fried Shrimp Po' Boy @ Brendas French Soul Food

80. Chicken Hash @ Ella's Restaurant

81. Pickled egg with a Manhattan @ Comstock Saloon

82. Margarita @ Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

83. Curry Bun @ Sandbox Bakery

84. Cheese Slice @ Arinell Pizza Inc

85. Sesame Balls @ Yank Sing Restaurant

86. Buckwheat Crepe with French Cider @ Ti Couz Creperie

87. Coconut Buns @ Kings Bakery Cafe

88. Lettuce Cups @ Betelnut

89. Korean Taco @ Namu (Ferry Building Farmer's Market)

90. Albondigas Soup @ Mijita

91. Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog @ Mission, San Francisco, CA

92. Lumberjack Cake @ Frances

93. Seven Courses of Beef @ Pagolac

94. Irish Coffee @ Buena Vista Cafe

95. 3 AM Bowl of Caldo Verde Soup @ Grubstake

96. Ube Ice Cream @ Mitchell's Ice Cream

97. Lamb Schawerma @ Truly Mediterranean

98. Chicken Curry Lunch Special @ Punjab Kabab House

99. Fried Chicken and Waffles @ Little Skillet

100.Cracked Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab @ Swan Oyster Depot

Mid-Week Recipe - Jamie Oliver's - Zucchini Carbonara

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I am hooked on Jamie Oliver at the moment -- following his prime time show "Food Revolution"and catching up on past episodes of "Jamie At Home" on the Food Network. On the menu - this week - at our house, Zucchini Carbonara.

P.S. – Go Jamie!!!
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Zucchini Carbonara

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium green and yellow zucchini
• 1 pound penne (or any available pasta - I used fresh linguine)
• 4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces
• A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)
• Optional: a few zucchini flowers

Seves 4

Directions: (In Jamie’s Words)

“Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that's what really helps to make this dish amazing. I'm using a flowering variegated variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I've been told by Italian mammas (who I don't argue with!) that penne is the original, so that's what I'm using in this recipe.

Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.

To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.

It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)

Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you've managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.”

(Above Pasta Photo via Simple Recipes)