My California

Last June, my husband and I pulled up stakes yet again, and moved to Petaluma, California. Until we came down here house hunting, I had only been to California once in my life and that was over 20 years ago. I was immediately smitten with the area (despite the lack of rain), and upon our return to Seattle, I couldn’t wait to come back and discover all my new home has to offer.

For months now we have been making our way across Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties finding people and places offering wonderful food and experiences. Here in Petaluma I will introduce you to the pleaasures of Della Fattoria, where they make some of the most delicious bread and pastries I have ever had the pleasure of eating. In December we’ll pay a visit to “The Fatted Calf” a charcuterie shop in Napa where I will be taking a holiday themed class on sausages and terrines. There are so many interesting people and places from spice merchants to olive oil producers, I can’t wait to tell you all about them, through the “My California” series I am kicking off here today.

Check out the photos and captions I’ve complied here for a preview of life here in northern California.

I had first seen Della Fattoria when we came house hunting, but forgot all about it until an incredibly smart person Denise of Chez Danisse mentioned how wonderful it was. Their pain levain, meyer lemon rosemary bread and ham and cheese croissants are the things legends are made of. I can’t wait to tell you more about this unbelieveable bakery in the coming months.

I don’t even like meringue and these have my hypnotized!

Cowgirl Creamery is a name many of you will recognize. I have been a longtime fan of their gorgeous cheeses, so you can imagine my surprise when I found that the creamery is a five minute drive from my home! I can’t wait to take the tour, which I hear includes a cheese filled sample bag. That’s my kind of tour!

So many luscious cheeses!

I feel a bit melancholy  knowing that I will never taste this particular bowl of strawberries again. Never in my life have I had such a perfect berry. We picked these up at a lonely farmstand on the side of the road between Petaluma and Point Reyes, called Kitty’s (I think). Everything there is certified by Marin Organic, and it shows.

Kitty’s sells the freshest organic eggs, the quality of which I have never seen. The yolks were gigantic and so intensely yellow, they actually acted as a food coloring in a recent batch of gougeres I whipped up.

The Bovine Bakery of downtown Pt. Reyes is a destination all it’s own with cyclists braving treacherous roads with blind corners, cliffs with no guard rail or shoulder for their tasty treats. The pain d’amande made here is one of the most perfect pastries I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The almond is delicious, but does not mask the butery, salty perfection of the pastry actually complimenting it. They also do a cheddar chile scone that rocks my world

Central Market is a glorious slow food restaurant in downtown Petaluma. I never expected this. The importance placed on food here is outstanding, with even the most humble of restaurants serving locally grown and often organic foods.

I just discovered Purple Leaf yesterday and I wanted to include it not just because they offer delicious creative takeout, but because they seem to encapsulate the friendly spirit I find in the people of Petaluma. Phil and I were strolling around town taking photos, when I stopped to look at the menu of this new takeout restaurant. As we began to move on we suddenly heard a woman’s voice calling to us from across the street, it was Gail the owner offering us a tasting. Of course we accepted, tasting torshi, an Armenian pickled veggie mix, chicken with currants and pine nuts and pork with golden raisins. Everything was very south and eastern Mediterranean with lots of spices and fruit and then a bit Asian as well, but it didn’t seem random, just delicious. We ended up buying dinner there, it was a huge help seeing how I am a menace in the kitchen these days with the sling and all.

I cooked in this style several years ago and it took me back. I think I’ll have to dig out a few of those recipes to share with you.

This is our local wine shop, it has a wide selection as well as a wide price range and knowledgeable proprieter. We are so lucky to have a place like this nearby.

This is Walnut Park on D Street in Petaluma and the host of our Saturday Farmer’s Market. While there isn’t much in the line of meats and cheeses here, they have a wonderful array of heirloom fruits, veggies, local oil, vinegar and baked goods.

This is Petaluma Market a local market with a long local history. They carry wonderful specialty ingredients most often from local sources. They were the only ones in town who didn’t balk at my request for pork belly.

I have also included a few non-food related photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!