Celery Root and Potato Pancake
Ingredients:
Pickled beets
- ½ baby red and chioggia beets
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 c. rice wine vinegar
- ¾ c. sugar
- ½-cup +2 Tbsp. water
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 small baking potatoes (about ¾ pound total), peeled
- 1 small onion
- 1 medium celery root (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 bulb fennel with fonds reserved
- Good quality smoked trout
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Put beets in a roasting pan with herbs, 2 Tbsp. water, oil, and salt. Cover tightly with foil and roast in oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Slightly cool beets and peel of skin with a towel while still warm. Cut each beet into six equal size wedges.
- Bring rice vinegar, remaining water, sugar, salt and pepper to a boil in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Pour hot liquid over beets and cool to room temperature.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk sour cream, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in pepper to just combine. Set aside.
- Line 2 wire racks with paper towels. Using the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disk of a food processor, grate the potatoes and onion.
- Working over a small bowl, squeeze the liquid out of the potato and onion and transfer the grated vegetables to a medium bowl. Let the liquid stand for 1 minute, then pour it off, leaving the potato starch at the bottom.
- Scrape the starch into the potato shreds. Grate the celery root and add it to the potatoes along with the eggs, flour and salt.
- In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. For each pancake, add a scant 1/4 cup of the batter to a skillet and flatten slightly; you should be able to fit 8 pancakes in each skillet.
- Cook the pancakes over moderately high heat until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared wire racks to drain.
- Shave fennel very thinly on mandolin just before serving. Toss with reserved pickling liquid.
- To present top a crispy latke with the horseradish sour cream, some smoked trout and shaved fennel. Garnish with pickled beets and fennel fronds.
Champagne Cake
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup butter r
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 6 egg whites
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups white sugar
- ¾ c. champagne
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10 inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.
- In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, and then fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 6 TB unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 TB whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 TB home made strawberry jam
- In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer beat the softened butter until smooth.
- Sift the confectioners sugar into the bowl, add the vanilla and salt and beat at low speed just until combined. Move to a higher speed and beat until smooth.
- Add the milk or cream and beat about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in the jam to taste.
About Baker & Banker:
Baker & Banker joins the ranks of San Francisco restaurants owned and operated by on- the-premises couples. These restaurants are often cited for high standards in food and service, but often it's something noted in passing - the fact that mom and pop are present and providing hands-on warmth and attention - that keeps the regulars returning time and again.
These are the restaurants that posses that je ne sais quoi that makes all the difference. Like Annie & Craig, Massimiliano & Lorella, John & Gayle, Chad & Elisabeth, Mike & Lindsay and Laurence & Allyson, Lori Baker and Jeff Banker, are opening the restaurant they've always wanted.
Baker & Banker is located in the space that housed Quince before it's recent move to Pacific Avenue and before that, Meetinghouse. "We loved the idea of creating a great neighborhood restaurant at this site," says Banker. "This is a magical spot for many people and we plan to continue our predecessors' traditions of quality, creativity and true hospitality."
About The Chefs:
Sharing over 30 years of cooking experience, Chef Jeff Banker and Pastry Chef Lori Baker, both in their mid-thirties, share a culinary direction: food from the contemporary American lexicon, elevated by attention to detail and technique and enlivened by the influences of the country's more recent immigrants.
Lori Baker, a graduate of Johnson and Wales, has been pastry chef at EOS, Home, Slow Club, Gordon's House of Fine Eats and Bizou and pastry assistant at Postrio, Bix and Fifth Floor under Laurent Gras.
She also did stages at Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium and L'Angolo Dolce in Lucca, Italy. She was most recently a professor of pastry at The California Culinary Academy.
Jeff Banker is a chef by training whose early stints include Patina in Los Angeles and Postrio in San Francisco. He was more recently sous chef at Acme Chophouse and Bix, Executive Chef for three years at Home restaurant and staged at Lucas Carton in Paris while attending Le Cordon Bleu on a scholarship awarded by the IACP.
Both have also filled in at their friends' restaurants Nopa and Delfina.
The Menu:
Banker's opening menu is subject to change but may include starters such as Cauliflower soup with Vadouvan curry and almonds, Dungeness crab salad, Satsuma mandarins, watermelon radish, and homemade black sesame cracker; Star Route mixed lettuces, Fuyu persimmons, goat cheese, and pomegranate molasses vinaigrette; Fall vegetable and shiso leaf tempura, spicy dip; house smoked trout with celery root latke, horseradish crème fraîche, pickled beets, shaved fennel; Squab and liver crostini, arugula, apples and Villa Manadori balsamic.
Entrees may include Musquee de Provence pumpkin ravioli, chestnut brown butter; Striped bass bouillabaisse, Spanish chorizo, cockles, Meyer lemon aioli; Dayboat scallops, sun choke puree, Brussels sprouts, Asian pear and hazelnut salad; Seared Liberty duck breast, duck and sweet potato hash, star anise-port sauce; Hanger steak, bone marrow-red wine butter, cast iron potato gratin, wilted spinach; Braised Pozzi Farm lamb shank sugo, Anson Mills polenta, salsa verde.
Baker's opening dessert menu includes Pumpkin cobbler, mace-candied pumpkin seed ice cream; Sierra beauty apple crisp cheesecake, balsamic caramel; White chocolate-cranberry pecan pie, cranberry swirl ice cream; Peanut butter caramel fudge brownie, roasted banana ice cream, salted peanut brittle; White grapefruit sorbet, pink peppercorn shortbread.
Housemade Breads will change daily and include Honey Whole Wheat, Soft Potato Rolls, Herbed Focaccia, Molasses Cornmeal, Challah and Buttermilk Herb.
Wine:
Wine Director Collin Casey worked in vineyards and learned as much as possible about viticulture and winemaking before heading to Oregon where he was assistant wine director at Andina under director Ken Collura.
Collura, who had overseen the world's largest wine list at Bern's Steak House in Tampa, FL, shared his encyclopedic knowledge with the younger man and provided encouragement and direction. In San Francisco, Casey was on-site sommelier at La Mar under master sommelier Emmanuel Kemiji.
Casey's initial list at Baker & Banker will offer about 60 bottles, grow to over 100, and reflect his interest in food-friendly, naturally produced wines from sustainably grown grapes. While most wines will be old-world, there will be a selection of choice domestic wines.
Old vintages from legendary houses will also make an appearance. Between 16 and 20 wines will be available by the glass and the list will change regularly, with most bottles priced between $40 and $60.
Interior:
Like the menu, Baker & Banker's interior is a contemporary take on an old sensibility. Designer Michael Brennan evokes the spirit of the site's original apothecary with charcoal black edged in tarnished gold leaf on the molding and woodwork.
Light caramel walls add a glowing warmth. A whimsical yet functional ceiling pipe system reminiscent of gaslights is the grid for contemporary light fixtures fitted with Edison bulbs. Chalkboards on the walls will announce wines by the glass and specials.
Banquettes upholstered in espresso leather and walnut hued butcher block tables and to the warm, casual ambience. The room will also sport a bar with six stools and a back bar with woodwork from the 40's.
1701 Octavia Street at Bush St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415-351-2500
Email: www.bakerandbanker.com
