Playing With My Food ~
A journal about food, thought, travel, and life; by Chef & Raconteur Chaz French.

Pics, it happened.

Mendocino Botanical Garden

A few photos from my weekend at Syd & Ken's fabulous Mendocino hideaway.     … [Continue reading]

Baked Sundays: Recipe: Banana Bar Bites

Banana Bar Bites

This weekend I was away visiting my friends in Mendocino, pics from that to come.   While i was staying with Sydnee & Ken I got to watch as Ken made this recipe.  It's strangely fascinating to watch someone else make something from my … [Continue reading]

Getaway

CaliCoast

Spring Break for the kids at school and the adults that work there too. I'm in a sacred place far from the likes of partying spring breakers and girls 'gone wild' a spot  in the 'Emerald Triangle' of California full of aging hippies, bikers, weed … [Continue reading]

Baked Sundays: Banana Bar Bites

Banana Bar Bites

I really have to apologize for going all 'Food Porn" on my Baked Sundays posts, but here we are with another experiment that is almost perfect, but I need to verify the recipe works one more time before sharing it. My goal today was simple, bake … [Continue reading]

Baked Sundays, a little early

Chocolate Cake Test 2 & 3

Hola!  So while I will be baking on Sunday, the site will be undergoing some background maintenance and I won't be able to post tomorrow's baking until Monday.  And yes, I said a little early up top because, I have for you test 2 and 3 of the … [Continue reading]

Misadventures in gluten-free baking

Raw, like you like it!

No, I am not going "Gluten-Free" or "GF" it ain't happening. But I have friends with gluten issues from confirmed celiac, to people who just feeling better without gluten, so I've decided to see what's involved in faking gluten.  So far what's … [Continue reading]

Baked Sundays

Chocolate cake with yogurt and ginger

Welcome to Baked Sundays, wherein I bake and share on Sunday.  The photos at least you get today, the recipe was a first draft, so while you'll get to see my chocolate/ginger/yogurt cake, and I get to eat it, you have to wait a bit to try it … [Continue reading]

Orange Loaf for Lionel

Orange Bread for Lionel

So, my buddy Lionel is a dessert man but he prefers the use of chocolate to be limited; he feels it's overused in desserts, and he has a point. And it was a chocolate orange bread from Nigella Lawson, that got me thinking about an orange loaf, but I … [Continue reading]

Persian Kotlet

Persian Kotlet

Kotlet is a Persian dish made from ground meat, mashed potato, onion, herbs and spices.  It's damn tasty, and dead easy to make.  If you can make a meatball, you can make this, it's that easy.  It's also an easy way to impress your friends with how … [Continue reading]

Penzeys Spices

Penzeys Select Whole Star Anise

People often ask where I shop, when I lived in the NYC metro area my answer when it came to spices was Penzeys at Grand Central Market.  Since moving to Berkeley I've had to get my Penzeys fix via their website. I got a shipment from them on Friday, … [Continue reading]