EPIC BLOG

Have you ever been wandering through your local farmers market or produce area of your super market and see those bizarre looking root vegetables and wonder what the heck they are and how do you eat them?

Root vegetables were a very significant staple throughout the colder months during a time when lettuces and zucchini were not available in months of December, January and February. Thankfully that time has passed and we are able to enjoy these lovely treats with some leafy greens, crisp peppers or squashes.

We decided that there are too many amazing root vegetables and fall fruits that do not get enough credit and should go unnoticed or unused no longer. Below you will find a quick guide to some of our favorites over here at Epic. We hope that at the end of this you are feeling a lot less intimidated about the crazy looking fruits and vegetables and that a whole new world of produce is opened up to you.

Some of our fall favorites that you can find on our menus are Kumquats, Quince, Salsify and Celeriac.
Let’s start with Kumquats; these tiny little orange fruits are both sweet and sour. The skin is edible and is actually where all of the sweetness comes from. You can chop and mince these with some parsley, capers and horseradish to make an impressive relish or muddled with Cachaca and sugar to make a Caipirinha.

Quince is a misunderstood fruit. It is inedible raw but when cooked slowly over a low heat for a few hours they are suddenly bursting with flavor. Quince is a great addition to a traditional apple pie or added to bread pudding for a delicious twist on an old favorite.

Salsify may seem weird but is very tasty. This member of the sunflower family is called the “oyster root” because the flavor is vaguely reminiscent of oysters when cooked. You can boil, steam, cream or mash salsify. Once it is cooked it has the texture of an artichoke and some say the taste is similar.

Celeriac is very flavorful once roasted. It has a sweet and somewhat astringent flavor. When cleaning celeriac be sure to get all of the “skin” off as it becomes quite bitter. It oxidizes quickly so it needs to be dropped in a mixture of water and lemon. Celeriac when roasted makes a silky smooth, delicious soup.

We hope this clears up some of the myth surrounding these root vegetables and fall fruits. Happy cooking!

Good evening Epic friends & family. It has been awhile since our last post and we thought what better way to get back in the swing of things than with some inside tips on making bread at home.

Here at Epic we truly are a family that likes to get everyone involved with what we do. So I asked one of our talented Chefs, Justin Belluomini, to help me with this. After all who better to ask than the gent that makes the bread here at Epic for our new & delicious lunch menu.

So first we will talk about the ingredients used in all bread making. It is as simple as flour, water, salt & yeast. Yes, there are other ingredients used in some breads but these four truly are the heart of all bread.

I know that the task of making bread can seem daunting, choosing the yeast, the flower and making sure you know how to work with all of the ingredients separately and together. Instant or active-dry- there is no appreciative difference other than instant is more convenient. When choosing flour be sure to select a bread flour to get the optimal results but if you don’t have bread flour then go ahead and use AP flour, just be sure to check your measurements because you will need more flour. This is also true depending on what salt you choose. Kosher salt you will need more, table salt you will need less. If you have a handy scale it is best to weigh everything out.

All breads are made the same way:
First, the ingredients are mixed together, then the bread is kneaded until the gluten is sufficiently developed, the bread is then allowed to rise for a period of time (this is known as bulk fermentation and is where most of the flavor is developed), the bread is then shaped into loaves or rolls and allowed to rise again (this is known as proofing)and then the bread is baked and cooled.
Here is a link to a video on shaping:
title=”Shaping bread”>www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPL2J8OZ&feature=related.

After the bread is baked it needs to cool completely before being cut, otherwise they will come out gummy and less flavorful.

Batch Risen Dough is designed to be made in a large batch, risen and refrigerated for up to a week. When you are feeling like some home-made bread simply snip off 14-16 ounces, shape it and bake it. the bread’s flavor will develop over the next several days and become more intense and even take on some sourness.

Below is our basic recipe for an Italian Batch Risen Dough.
725 grams of 90 degree water
14 grams of instant yeast
25 grams of table salt
925 grams of all-purpose (AP) flour, we recommend King Arthur

*Place water into an 8 quart container & mix the yeast until dissolved, then add salt and immediately add flour, stir with wooden spoon until fully incorporated and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours covered with a floured with a towel (not terry cloth) or parchment paper sprayed with oil, until it has slightly more than doubled in volume. Refrigerate dough for up to one week or minimum of 2 hours. When you are ready for that home-baked goodness, sprinkle flour across the entire surface of the dough and on your hand (to prevent dough from sticking), pull out around 14-18 ounces of dough. Loosely shape this into a ball and allow it to proof on parchment paper at room temperature for up to 90 minutes. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 205 degrees (digital thermometer is preferred.) Let cool completely and enjoy!!

We hope you all have a wonderful & Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone is excited about the upcoming holiday. I know I am. We will be hosting a special happy hour BBQ on our fabulous patio. Also hosting will be Anchor Brewing and Skyy Vodka.
We will be offering a special BBQ menu including first of the season heirloom tomatoes with hand pulled mozzarella, pork shoulder and Schmitz Ranch brisket, rotisserie chicken, baked beans from the wood oven, potato salad, corn on the cob (probably with BACON BUTTER…a preview of High on the Hog)and ice cream cones. All of this with an Anchor Liberty Ale or Skyy vodka cocktail for $35 plus tax and gratuity. There maybe, just maybe (well, most likely will be)some specials on Drakes Bay Oysters as well.
I am super excited. Give us a call and let us know you are coming. It is gonna be a swell time!!
-ben

Over my ‘weekend’ I volunteered at the St. Vincent DePaul Society Kitchen of Champions in West Oakland, California. The students were a blast to work with and I am so happy to be a part of their learning experience.
Epic Roasthouse donated all of the flour and butter that we used in the recipes. My wife, Karoline Boehm-Goodnick, general manager at Mission Pie, was with me as well.
I would like to encourage all of you to check out the Kitchen of Champions webpage and help in any way you can. My friend Diana Petes is the Culinary Services Coordinator and can help with any questions you may have.
-ben

Pork and Pinot is back. California wineries specializing in Pinot Noir, a western theme (including appropriate music) and lots of pig.
Our annual celebration is back this year on Saturday, September tenth. I’m not going to provide you with lots of details right now (I like suspense) but call 415-369-9955 for more information and to make your reservation.
I will give you a couple food teasers: corn with bacon butter, something roasted on a spit, lots of pulled pork, and plenty of house-made and artisian charcuterie.
We hope to see you there,
-ben

As many of you know the soul of our kitchen is a wood burning brick oven. It is made of twenty-two thousand pounds of sand, brick and stone. We burn up to three cords of almond and walnut wood per month.

Many restaurants have wood ovens. We are different because we use ours so much. It is not just a place for pizzas and such. It provides us with a hot and smokey spot to cook everything from giant ribeye steak to Mediterranean sea bass to baby carrots. You can taste the smoke.

Maintaining a live fire for 18 hours a day is a challenge for our cooks and one that teaches us all so much about the act of really cooking. I hope that you appreciate what our oven means to us. Stop bye and peer in sometime.

-ben

First of all thanks to everyone who made Easter brunch at Epic great! If you are looking for a place in San Francisco to celebrate with your mom, Epic is the spot. We will be offering a prix fixe 3 course brunch from 10am to 3pm on Mother’s day and would love to see all of you here.

-ben