Oxo Sink Strainer - Gift From The Kitchen Gods

We've landed here in Woodstock. The house we're in is lovely -- spacious and open. And the kitchen is big and beautiful. I will post some photos soon. In the meantime, I wanted to share my favorite new gift from the kitchen gods with you all. 

Although I love the sink in our new kitchen, I did not love the drain covers that came with it. They're your typical drain cover type deals but their little push-pull mechanisms never work for some reason so they make it nearly impossible to let the water drain out without removing them. But, of course, removing them lets too much food go down the drain (this is composting country, after all, not in-sink garbage disposal country.)

But then I happened upon these awesome Oxo drain strainer on one of my many recent trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond or somesuch place.

They're made of silicone, which is very flexible and allows you to just flip the thing inside out over the compost bucket or garbage can for super easy cleaning.

And they look nice, stay put, and won't scratch your sink, too. At $6 a pop, what's not to like?

Browse through more Gifts From The Kitchen Gods:

• Better Than Bouillon
• Fresh, Frozen Herbs
• Ginger Syrup
• Immersion Blender
• Microplane Zester
• Plastic Pot & Pan Scraper
• Pomegranate Molasses
• Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale Mustard
• Soft Skin Fruit and Vegetable Peeler

The Edible Schoolyard

As our time in Berkeley draws to a close, I'm going through the sad process of saying goodbye to all the people, places and things I've grown to love here.

One of those places is the Edible Schoolyard, a one-acre garden/kitchen/classroom located in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School just a few blocks from our house.

The Edible Schoolyard or "Edible" for short, was created by Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Foundation in 1995 to "give urban public school students a chance to participate in all aspects of growing, harvesting, and preparing nutritious, seasonal produce with the goal of fostering a deeper appreciation of how the natural world sustains us and promoting the environmental and social well-being of the school and community."

In addition to those extremely worthwhile goals, it also offers a beautiful place to stroll, meet some chickens, admire fruit-laden kiwi vines, drool over the outdoor wood-fired brick oven, watch kale seedlings sprout, inspect a serious composting system, and more. Here's a little photo tour of some of its many charms. I'll miss you, Edible!

Fuzzy little kiwis growing on the vine.

A riotous arch of kiwi vines shades a path in the garden.

Gardening gloves hanging outside the shed.

A student-made sign marks a row of kale.

Chickens in their coop, accompanied by a metal chicken sculpture made of found objects.

Nesting boxes in the coop. Look closely at the box on the left, there's a hen hard at work laying in there and you can just make out her face.

Baby figs on a tree in the garden.

César, Expensive But Delicious Tapas In North Berkeley

I was rather shocked the first time a friend suggested we go to a topless bar -- it just seemed so out of character for her (and for me).

Thankfully, she realized my mistake and gently explained that she'd suggested a tapas bar, not a topless bar. Once that embarrassing little misunderstanding got cleared up, I was finally introduced to tapas. I'm happy to report that I took to them like a duck to water...

In case you're not familiar with them yet, tapas refers to a wide variety of Spanish appetizers that are served on small plates. Although they're considered appetizers or bar food in their native Spain, here in America, tapas has become a cuisine in its own right.

César is a small tapas restaurant (there's a larger parent restaurant in Piedmont) that has become one of my favorites in our North Berkeley neighborhood. The food is great, especially anything involving steak or shrimp.

My only complaints about César are: 1) It's really noisy so it's almost always hard to hear your companions, and 2) The plates are small, but the prices are not! But in the end, the food is worth it.

Below are photos, descriptions and prices from a meal I shared with my favorite restaurant review friend, Naushon. Not only is she patient enough to wait until I've photographed everything to dig in, she's also always willing to offer comments on the food. Thanks, dear!

Setas (porcini mushrooms) a la plancha (grilled) with garlic parsley oil. These were to die for -- the mushrooms were tender and juicy - Naushon said, "very meaty but also delicate." Apparently, porcinis have a very short season so get 'em when you can. $10.75

Gambas (shrimp) a la plancha with smoked paprika and sea salt. These were my favorite part of the meal. They were juicy, salty, messy and good. Perfectly grilled and nicely balanced flavors with just a little bit of heat. $13

Hangar steak a la parilla with salpicon (a mix of red and green peppers, hard boiled egg, parsley, vinegar, onion or shallot, capers) served over a piece of hearty toasted bread. This steak was nicely sliced and tasty. The salpicon was good on the steak but not amazing in its own right. $13.75

Papas fritas with herbs and sea salt. This tall pile of crispy potatoes shoelaces is deep-fried with fresh sage and rosemary, sprinkled with sea salt and served with aioli. One of my very favorite things to order! $8.75

I also ordered a d'Arbo Austrian sour cherry soda which was very nice - $2.75. Although I don't drink the al-kee-hol, myself, if you do, it looks like they've got a great selection of drinks (it is called a tapas bar, after all). Total was $54.60 ($65 with tax and tip.)

César

1515 Shattuck Avenue

Berkeley, CA 94709

(510) 883-0222

www.BarCesar.com

Mon-Sun 12 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Click below to browse more Garden of Eating restaurant reviews.