SF Food Wars

21 Reasons to Dip Yer Chip : Official Teams & Salsas!

SF Food Wars — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:07:35 +0000

Some are spicy. Some are sweet. Some have peaches. One has beets.
Lots of chiles. Lots of lime. 21 salsas = flavor time!

Team # / Team Name / Salsa Name / Salsa Description

Tongueslap / SFiesta Cornfetti / “A fresh & flamin’ mouthful of sweet, crisp corn-on-corn-chip action. Fire-licked summer corn parties down with ginger-shallot jam, scallion, toasted nuts, green herb glitter. You finish it off with our house-made shot of lime and tamed-chili secret sauce. It’s vegan-friendly and gluten-free!”
The Average Foodies / Summer Sweet, Summer Spice / “A Carribbean style salsa with summer fruits, like peaches and pears, which are roasted to bring out those sweet sugars ideal to complementing the spicy side of this salsa. The sweetness hits your lips first, followed by the savory and spiciness of the peppers. Ingredients include roasted pears & peaches, roasted sweet peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, lime juice, onion, garlic, salt, white vinegar, fresh coriander, and parsley.”
Eat This Mexican / Gutsy Red Salsa / “A blend of organic local veggies, roasted chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and more that creates an addicting tasty salsa that has a fantastic depth of flavor.”
Macho Salsa / Macho Madness / “Red smoky smooth-textured salsa made with ripe roma tomatoes and special secret spices.”
The Soy Kitchen / Summer Lovin Salsa / “This rich and smoky salsa gets its flavor from organic fire-roasted heirloom tomatoes while chipotle peppers bring the heat and summer stone fruits add delicate sweetness.”
Ready, Willing, and Mable / Mango BANGO! / “Habaneros and mangos do the tango, creating a sizzling sweet cool but hot treat!”
Soul Cocina / Smoked Salsa de Cascabel / “Cascabel peppers lightly smoked with fig wood, hand ground in a molcajete with charred tomatillos, roasted garlic, fried chile de arbol and chile tepin.”
Cucuy’s Happiness / Cucuy’s Happiness / “This is a roasted savory tomato-based salsa with heat and a hint of cinnamon.”
Kaiya’s Garden / community | garden | salsa / “Heirloom tomato and corn salsa with tomatoes grown and harvested from the community garden plot that I tend with my 2 year old daughter, Kaiya, and from our neighbors at the community garden.”
Team Bodacious Beetliciousness / Bloody Beta Vulgaris Salsa / “It’s a simple salsa fresca made with un-typical ingredients. Red Beets finely diced and macerated in a touch of lime juice and a secret mixture of Tierra Vegetables chilies soak in the background heat. The beets are then combined with lime, salt, and more macerated chili, onions, plenty of cilantro, a few rushing red tomatoes and generous salt and pepper. The sweetness that screams from the Eatwell Farms beets is a beautiful match to the spice seeping from the chilis.”
A Fire Inside / Ass Volcano / “An enigmatic, engaging, and haunting salsa featuring the flavors of caramelized pineapple, vanilla bean, preserved lime, and fresh naga jolokia.”
MaliNumNum Treats / Hot Tropical Volcanic Magma / “A three-layered salsa consisting of: 1. Salsa Roja (cooked): roasted fresh peppers (habanero, jalapenos, et more), dried chili peppers, chipotles, onions, garlic, 2. Tomatillo Guacamole: roasted garlic, tomatilo, avocado, red onion, spices and citrus 3. Tropical Salsa Fresca: pineapple, mango, papaya, diced tomato, red onion, garlic, cilantro and spices.”
La Cabana / Salsa La Cabana / “A slow-roasted variety, in which the flavors of Northern Mexico blend into a singular, distinct flavor.”
Salstars / Josh’s Spicy Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa / “A refreshing and flavorful roasted tomato salsa accented with a smokey chipotle heat.”
The Black-eyed P’s / Peas and Hominy Salsa / “Experience what Southerners affectionately call “poor man’s caviar”: Peas & Hominy Salsa (or, as they might call it in Berkeley, Peace & Harmony Salsa), featuring farm-fresh heirloom tomatoes, earthy black-eyed peas, delicate white hominy, a rainbow of peppers and other special treats with a decidedly Southern flair.”
Shilantro’s Sassy Sauces / Ow-wesome Habanero Salsa / “A smoky, creamy, spicy, and oh-so-satisfying blend of habaneros, roasted tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and aromatic veggies blended with a touch of creme fraiche. Bright, rich, and smooth. But with a kick!”
Los Pocos Locos / Peach-o de Gallo / “Sweet organic peaches, fresh local strawberries, paired with fiery habaneros and refreshing herbs.”
Tomate Sabor / Salsa en Fuego / “Fire Roasted Capay Organic heirloom tomato salsa with sweet corn, black beans, and avocado, topped with cotija cheese.”
The Dalton Hollow Boys / Minniebelle’s Pecan Peach Salsa / “This dip was born when Granpappy Otis got caught helpin’ one of them painted ladies cross the street in town and although Granny Minniebelle always said she’d cut his thingy off if’n he ever did anything like that, she decided just to make him bunk out in the smokehouse for a week. Since all he had for grub was a bushel of peaches and a potato sack of last year’s pecans, he made up this tasty treat to snack on. Folks tell they can taste some bourbon, but Granpappy would never own up to that…that would’ve meant another week in the smokehouse. People have enjoyed its sweet, spicy crunch for years and I hope you will too.”
Jason Park / Sexy Salsation / “This salsa makes for a Sexy Salsation in your mouth thanks to the delicious flavors of fennel and corn.”
The Whole Tortilla / Simply Spicy Salsa / “Raw, fresh, natural, and nutritious! A perfect blend of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables; a salsa like you’ve never had–guaranteed to wake up the taste buds and provide an explosion of fresh, natural, juicy flavors.”

The Great Salsa ChampionChip! 09/12/10

SF Food Wars — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:56:39 +0000

illustration by Ghostshrimp

September is the perfect month for an outdoor Food War and it’s totally prime tomato, pepper, berry, and stonefruit season, so SF Food Wars asks you, San Francisco, to partake in a celebration of this fine city’s most awesomest salsa!!

“The Great Salsa ChampionChip” will take place in front of the iconic and picturesque Ferry Building at the very same spot where the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market happens! Our lovely co-host, CUESA, will furnish each of the 20 competitors with $15 worth of local produce from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market. Too cool!

So, do you make the best salsa ever to grace a chip? If so, read on below to learn how to apply to be a competitor.

We’ve got a bigger venue this time, and that means more tickets–300 to be exact! Tickets are $16 and go on sale Monday, August 16th at 12 noon! Attendees will scoop salsa with tasty organic corn vessels donated by local chip experts Casa Sanchez and hydrate in between tastings with educational tap water from Food & Water Watch and complimentary liquid delights from Honest Tea.

So, are you ready to experience and vote for SF’s best salsa? Read on below for ticket and attendance info.

This event will benefit both the SF Food Bank and CUESA’s Farmer Scholarship Fund.

***CLOSED***~~CALL FOR COMPETITORS:~~

Do you make delicious salsa? Do you not want to be the champion?

*Email us at with the following info to apply to compete: Your Name, Dish Name, Dish Description, Phone Number, Email Address

You must be prepared to make a lot of salsa! It is preferred that all salsas contain produce from the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market to which competitors will receive a $15 stipend. Timeliness and enthusiasm are key because we will select our competitors within just a few days.

TICKET SEEKERS:

Tickets (limited to 300) will go on sale on Monday, August 16, 2010 at 12PM noon! The “Get Tickets” button on this site, sffoodwars.com, will appear when they go on sale. Limit 4 tickets per ticket buyer.

30 tickets will be reserved exclusively for CUESA newsletter readers via this literary goodness.

Got questions? Check out our FAQ section or email us at .

Crowd Favorite Recipes : Hannah Banana Creme Pie

SF Food Wars — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:29:46 +0000

Smooth, fluffy, crunchy, chocolatey, banana-ey…Yes, these are the adjectives that fill the mind whilst devouring a slice of this Pie or Die crowd favorite! Team Quittin’ Time rocked the house with their version of the classic. Continue reading for the fabulous “Hannah Banana Cream Pie” recipe…

Hannah Banana Creme Pie
by Quittin’ Time

For the crust:
5 oz (half a bag) of chocolate cookies (I use Newman’s Own Alphabet Cookies)
1 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 egg white

For the filling:
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 C milk
3/4 C sugar
3 Tbs cornstarch
Vanilla extract
1 Tbs butter
2 bananas

Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

Start by making your crust. In a food processor, grind the cookies into a fine powder. Remove about one tablespoon and set aside, leaving the rest of the crumbs in the food processor. Add the melted butter and egg white to the food processor to make a dough. Using your fingers, press the mixture into a pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and sugar in a bowl. Scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add a quarter cup of the milk to your cornstarch and sugar mixture to make a slurry, and then add it back into the saucepan of milk. Return to the heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat again and add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly. Return to low heat, continuing to stir, for another minute or two. The mixture should be very thick. At this point, you can add a little vanilla to taste and the butter, stirring until it’s incorporated completely into the custard.

Slice the bananas and arrange the slices in the bottom of your crust. Pour the warm custard over them and refrigerate until cold (or overnight). When you are ready to serve, top with freshly whipped cream and sprinkle with the reserved cookie crumbs.

Winning Recipes : Photographers’ Choice : Rachel Berry Pie

SF Food Wars — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:56:29 +0000

Team Gleeks proved that looks do count, especially when your pie’s showing off glistening, ripe berries atop a fluffy custard cloud…a feast for the eyes before it all disappears into your digestive tract! For a mini-treat that looks as good as it tastes, you gotta try these Rachel Berry pies. Continue reading recipe…

Rachel Berry Pie
by Gleeks

This recipe should be enough to make 24 mini pies.

Pastry Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt

In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork and gradually add to the butter and sugar and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour and salt all at once and stir until the mixture forms a ball. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is chilled, divide it into quarters for easier handling. Roll out onto a floured surface until about 1/8″ thick. Don’t roll them too thin or the sides will collapse while baking and the whole thing will brown too fast. Cut into 3″ circles and press into a paper lined cupcake tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden, turning halfway through.

Almond Custard:
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornstarch

In a saucepan, warm the cream over medium-low heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cornstarch, and almond extract and stir to combine. When the cream begins to lightly simmer, gradually pour half the cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly and vigorously. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the cream and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and cover with plastic directly on the surface of the custard before chilling.

Toppings:
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup cream
strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
shaved almonds

Whip the cream with the honey until soft or stiff peaks form (your preference). Refrigerate until ready to use. Prepare fruit by washing the berries and halving/quartering the strawberries.

To assemble the pies, start by filling the crusts with the almond custard. Load them with any combination of fruits you want (for the contest, we used 1/4 strawberry, 1-2 bueberries, and 1 blackberry). Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of shaved almonds.

Winning Recipes : 3rd Place + People’s Choice Honorable Mention : Summer Love Peach Pie

SF Food Wars — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:34:11 +0000

Team Pie Love Baking joined in on the “double rainbow” victory trend, scooping up both Judges’ 3rd Place and People’s Choice Honorable Mention wins. A rosemary-infused crust brings this peachy treat to the next level! Continue reading for recipe…

Summer Love Peach Pie with creme fraiche whipped cream
by Pie Love Baking

Preheat oven to 425.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
5-7 organic peaches, peeled and chopped into 1.5″ pieces. Try a few different types of peaches to see which will be the best for pie. Hint: a peach that is good for eating on its own is not necessarily good for pie making. I think firm and not too sweet or overly ripe peaches are best for this. After it’s baked, I like to bite into a piece of peach, not a spoonful of mush.

1/8 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp lemon juice plus a pinch of lemon zest. If you’re peaches are sweeter, add more lemon. If you’re at the beginning of the season and they’re not too sweet, use less.

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbsp butter for dotting on the pie

For the crème fraiche whipped cream:
1 cup whipped cream

1 cup crème fraiche

The all-butter crust is basically a pate brisee. Recipes for that are easy to find. This dough is difficult to roll. As frustrating as it might be, let it be crumbly. I roll it onto parchment paper or a silpat to make life easier. Don’t overwork anything, you’ll develop gluten and that does not make a tender, flaky crust. Definitely let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. You will curse it. It will be delicious.

The key to the crust in this recipe is to roll it, and then sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary. Roll once or twice more to make sure the rosemary sticks in there.

Directions:

Mix the peaches, cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh rosemary, sugar and flour in a bowl. Roll out half of the pâte brisée slowly, sprinkling 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary in the last few rolls. Place the bottom crust in a 9″ pie plate with the rosemary side up.

Spoon the filling into the pie crust, making sure to get every last drop of yumminess. Don’t forget to dot the pie with 2 tbsp butter. I always forget this part and have to take off the top crust to get it in there. It’s THAT important.

Roll top pie crust and sprinkle rosemary again. Place this on top of the pie, rosemary side up. I trim the dough with kitchen shears, roll up the edges so that the filling can’t escape, and cut 5 slits in the top. I don’t bother brushing any milk or cream on top because there’s so much butter in the pâte brisée that it browns nicely on its own.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes more. Nothing is more disappointing than an under baked crust, so make sure it’s a deep golden brown before you pull it out of the oven. Seeing the filling bubbling is another sign that it’s done. I place tin foil sheets at the bottom of my oven to catch any juices that spill over. That way, I can quickly remove the foil (and recycle it) before it starts smoking, or between pies if I’m baking more than a few.

Let cool on wire racks. Try not to cut into it for a few hours. If you do, it will be a little runny but still delicious. I never have the willpower to wait until it’s fully cooled and therefore enjoy runny pie.

Top with creme fraiche whipped cream. To make: whip the cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk crème fraiche to loosen it. Add whipped cream to bowl and fold it into the crème fraiche. Yum.

Winning Recipes : 2nd Place : Sour Cherry/Sweet Berry Pie

SF Food Wars — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:04:03 +0000

Team Peace o’ Pie emerged victorious with a Judges’ 2nd Place win thanks to their balanced melange of tasty fruits cradled within a flaky butter crust. Be at peace with your sweet tooth by making this winning pie at home! Continue reading for recipe…

Sour Cherry/Sweet Berry Pie
by Team Peace o’ Pie

Adapted from 356 Cakes and Pies by Carol Prager (my sister!!)

Set oven to 425.

Ingredients:

*2 cups sour cherries (I used cherries I ordered from Michigan. they are canned in water..just too hard to find fresh in this area, but if you can, by all means use them!)
*2 cups fresh raspberries
*3/4 cup sugar
*3 Tablespoons instant tapioca beads
*Dash of salt
*1Tablespoon lemon juice
*1 Tablespoon butter
*1 egg combined with 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
*Raw sugar for dusting

Directions:

Combine sugar, tapioca and salt in a large bowl. Add cherries, raspberries and lemon juice. Carefully combine being careful not to crush the berries. Let stand 15 minutes. Pour into a 9″ pie plate lined with your favorite pie dough recipe (sorry folks, mine is a secret). dot with butter. Cover with another round of pie dough. Trim edges and flute for a pretty look. Brush the top crust with the egg and cream mixture. Cut steam vents in top crust Dust entire pie with raw sugar for that extra sweet crunch!

Place pie on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 45-50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

ENJOY!

Winning Recipes : 1st Place + People’s Choice : Check(mate) Please! Blackberry Lemon Chess Pie

SF Food Wars — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:46:20 +0000

Our premier Pie or Die “double rainbow all the way” winner was Team Eat The Love with their scrumptious “Check(mate) Please! Blackberry Lemon Chess Pie with Almond-scented Crust & Honey Humbleberry Sauce” earning them both Judges’ 1st Place and People’s Choice wins. So epic! The winners also wrote an excellent adrenaline-fueled recap of their experience, which you can read right here.

This is a long-ass recipe, but nothing worth doing is easy, right? Continue reading if you want to make your own version of this double-winner pie!

Blackberry Lemon Chess Pie with Almond-scented Crust & Honey Humbleberry Sauce
by Team Eat The Love

“This recipe has a lot of components. But hey, it’s an award winning pie, what do you expect? Once you read it through, realize that each component can be made on a separate day to save time, and you can skip certain components if you want to. I’ve made notes at the very bottom of the recipe explaining time saving methods and shortcuts and how to customize the pie. It’s actually a really basic pie when you come down to it.”

- – -

Almond-scented Pie Crust

This recipe makes two single pie crust pies (or enough for one double crust pie).
Adapted from More Best Recipes (America’s Test Kitchen) by the editor’s of Cook’s Illustrated

2 1/2 cups of unbleached AP flour
1/2 cup of almond meal or almond flour
1 tsp of kosher or sea salt
2 Tbsp of sugar
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) of cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup of leaf lard (see note) or trans-free shortening
1/3 cup ice cold vodka
1/3 cup ice cold water

1. Put 1 1/2 cups of AP flour and 1/2 cup of the almond meal into a food processor with the salt, sugar. Pulse a couple of times to blend and then add the butter (sliced into 1/4″ pieces) and the lard or shortening cut into 4 pieces. Process the mixture until dough/paste lump starts to form – about 15 seconds or so.

2. Add the rest of the 1 cup of AP flour to the mixture and pulse a few times to break up the dough. If the dough is still clumped up, open up the processor and break it up a little bit with your fingers or a fork and then pulse a few more times. You want the mixture to look sorta like cottage cheese lumps.

3. Pour the mixture into a bowl and sprinkle the vodka and the water over the dough. Using a large spatula fold the liquid into the dough. The dough should be a little sticky, but don’t worry about that. You’ll be adding more flour when you roll it out to compensate.

4. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Note: Leaf lard is different from the lard you find at the grocery store. It’s refined (but NOT hydrogenated like the grocery store stuff). It’s also a much higher grade way better for you. Don’t use the grocery store stuff. Stick with a trans-free shortening if you can’t find leaf lard, but if you can, it’s worth tracking down. You’ll make amazing flaky crust with it because it melts at a higher temperature (allowing for more air pockets in the dough. Air pockets = flakiness). Check with a local butcher and see if they can order it for you. Or split an order with a fellow baker and mail order a batch.

- – -

Blackberry Curd

This recipe makes more than enough for two pies. Save the rest and use it on toast or a bagel. It’s a great fruit spread.

4 cups of blackberries (fresh or frozen – picked over and any moldy one discarded)
1/4 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2 Tbls lemon juice
3 Tbsp arrowroot flour or tapioca starch

1. Rinse the blackberries gently and spread them out on a large baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels. Gently shake the baking sheet to dry the berries.

2. Put the berries in a large stock pot with 1/4 cup sugar and cook over medium heat until the berries start to disintegrate. It’s okay if some of the berries are still intact, but you want most of them to have dissolved into liquid. Remove from heat and carefully pour into a food processor. The liquid will be hot. Process the berries until smooth (being careful not to get any on yourself, it’ll burn! I recommend wrapping the edge of the lid with paper towels before you turn on the processor. It will splash out – or at least mine did as my walls can attest).

3. In a double boiler, or a metal bowl placed over a barely simmering pot of water, add 6 egg yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, the arrowroot flour/tapioca starch and 1/2 cup of blackberry puree. Stir the mixture with a whisk until it thickens up to the consistency of thick pudding.

4. Pour mixture into the food processor and process until smooth. At this point the curd is finished.

- – -

Blackberry Lemon Chess Pie assembling

This recipe makes enough filling for two thin 9″ pies (like my semi-disposable pie tins), or one deep dish pie (when I use my nicer glass pie dish, I can only get enough filling for one).

2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cups cream
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp medium grain cornmeal
1/4 cup of lemon juice
Zest from three medium lemons (roughly 3 Tbsp of zest)
1 tsp of vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.

2. Roll out the pie dough for each pie tin you are using, making sure to use a generous amount of flour (the pie dough will be sticky so use as much flour as you want). Fit the dough into the pie tins and crimp the ends decoratively. Take a fork and prick the bottom of the pie dough several times evenly across the bottom of the pie tin.

3. Line the pie dough with parchment paper or a coffee filter and fill with pie weights or rice or dry beans. Bake the pie dough by itself for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, and then carefully lift up the parchment paper/coffee filter filled with weights/rice/beans and bake the crust for another 5-7 minutes without anything on top of it. The pie crust should look a little dry and the edges just starting to turn golden. This process is called blind baking.

4. Cool the pie crust while you are making the filling.

5. Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer until it looks light. Add the eggs one at time, beating between each addition. Add the milk and cream and mix until incorporated. The filling should look quite liquidy.

6. Add the cornstarch, cornmeal, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

7. Spread a thin layer of the blackberry curd on the bottom of the prebaked pie crust (I used about 3 Tbsp of curd, but you might want more if you like it sweeter, or are using a deep dish pan). I wanted just a bare hint of the blackberry taste as a counterpoint to the tart lemon, but you might want more. Keep in mind the more blackberry curd you use, the sweeter the pie will be.

8. Gently pour the lemon filling over the blackberry curd bottomed pie crust, making sure not to disturb the blackberry curd too much. Don’t overfill the pie.

9. Now you can either decoratively spoon some more blackberry curd on top and then swirl a knife around, or you can pipe some blackberry curd in lines across the pie, and then draw a knife back and forth creating a feathered pattern. Or you can be insane like I was and cut out a grid and fill every other grid with blackberry curd and then gently lift the grid straight up from the pie to create a checkerboard pattern. I don’t recommend that one though. No one should be that insane.

10. Bake the pie for 35 minutes or until the top of the pie starts to get golden and the the center is set.

- – -

Honey Jumbleberry Sauce

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp arrowroot
4 1/2 cups of mixed berries (I used chopped strawberries, raspberries, tayberries, bluberries, blackberries but you can use whatever you want)
zest of 1 medium orange (about 1 Tbsp)

1. Mix the honey, orange juice, and arrowroot together and stir until the honey is dissolved.

2. Put the berries in a large stockpot with the zest. Add the orange juice mixture and cook over medium heat until the berries have dissolved and the sauce has thickened a little and looks shiny.

3. If you want to, you can puree it in a food processor, or just serve it a little chunky. If you want to get fancy, you can put it in a condiment squeeze bottle and drizzle it over the pie slices. Just remember to cut the tip of the bottle so it’s wide enough to allow for the seeds to go through. Or strain the seeds out with sieve. I was too lazy and too much in hurry to do that. People didn’t seem to mind.

This recipe seems super long and complicated. But it’s really a serious of components. Here’s how to simplify it and customize it for yourself.

1. Make the pie dough a day or two ahead. In fact, pie dough freezes really well. Just make a batch or two (the food processor makes it SO easy) and freeze a couple for future use! Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and you have pie crust, or better yet, roll out the dough, fit in a pan and then stick the entire pan in a large freezer ziplock bag and just freeze it whole. Pull it out and stick it directly in the oven no need to thaw (just make sure you are using metal pie tins, don’t freeze glass or ceramic pie plates and then stick them in the oven directly. They’ll shatter).

2. Make the sauce in advance. It keeps for a couple of days. Or skip the sauce entirely. It’s totally optional. The sauce, by the way, is awesome on pancakes and french toast.

3. Make the blackberry curd a few days in advance (it’ll keep for up to a week in the fridge). Or skip making the curd and use some store bought stuff. Or even skip that and just use some store bought blackberry jam or some other berry jam or preserve. I won’t tell, I won’t judge.

4. Go back to basics, as the lemon chess pie is a classic southern treat. Skip all the extra stuff, just use a pre-made storebought crust (but I did tell you the pie dough is easy to make with a food processor right?) and make the lemon chess pie filling all by itself without the sauce, without the blackberry curd. It’s a nice change of pace from the cloyingly gelled lemon meringue pies.

Everyone pied. No one died…hopefully

SF Food Wars — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:35:47 +0000

*Psst: You can check out all the Pie or Die photos at our Flickr page!!

“Pie pie pie. Pie pie pie pie pie. Pie pie.” This quote embodies what Sunday’s Pie or Die Food War was all about…sushi. Just kidding! It was about pie. Get lost in the hypnotic matrices of pies above and below!

Congrats to the Pie or Die winners!! It was truly a “double rainbow all the way” effect in the winners’ circle. So vivid. So very intense. What does it meeeaaan? It means SF has some top notch pie-makers!

Until next time, keep it classy San Francisco!

photos by Bryan Haggerty

Keep Your Pies on the Prize…Final Results!

SF Food Wars — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:27:21 +0000

Pie or Die winners saw an amazing “double rainbow” effect with judges and voters in a harmonious spectrum of alignment! Here’s how it played out:

People’s Choice:
Team #10 : Eat the Love : “Check(mate) Please! Lemon Chess Pie”
(Backyard home-grown lemons and local blackberries update this Southern classic chess pie with a California twist. Almond scented crust adds a contemporary touch, while a drizzle of berry sauce made with a touch of San Francisco honey adds homey complexity.)

People’s Choice Honorable Mention:
Team #18 : Pie Love Baking : “Summer Love Peach Pie”
(Sweet, organic summer peaches in a rosemary, all-butter crust, served with creme fraiche goodness.

Judges’ 1st Place:
Team #10 : Eat the Love : “Check(mate) Please! Lemon Chess Pie”
(Backyard home-grown lemons and local blackberries update this Southern classic chess pie with a California twist. Almond scented crust adds a contemporary touch, while a drizzle of berry sauce made with a touch of San Francisco honey adds homey complexity.)

Judges’ 2nd Place:
Team #1 : Peace O’ Pie : “Sour Cherry Sweet Berry Pie”
(Indulge in the fruits of summer with this tart and sweet ruby red berry pie with a flaky, crispy crust.

Judges’ 3rd Place:
Team #18 : Pie Love Baking : “Summer Love Peach Pie”
(Sweet, organic summer peaches in a rosemary, all-butter crust, served with creme fraiche goodness.

Photog’s Choice:
Team #15 : Gleeks : “Rachel Berry Pie”
(Bite-sized almond custard pies loaded with mixed berries, topped with honey sweetened whipped cream and shaved almonds.)

To-Pie or Die-For Prizes and the Sponsors from Whence They Came

SF Food Wars — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:54:31 +0000

Nothing beats bragging rights, but when you add over $3,000 worth of crazy good prizes into the mix, winning is the only option, youknowwhatimean?!! Our generous prize sponsors have outdone themselves once again, making for an unbelievable prize pool that will be enjoyed by the Pie or Die elite! Here are the details on all that glorious bounty:

People’s Choice:
$100 cash // 2-Day Workshop at San Francisco Baking Institute // Wusthof Classic 3.5 inch Paring Knife // Anolon Chef Clad 10-inch Deep Skillet // Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker c/o Chronicle Books // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit // Case of Honest Tea beverages

People’s Choice Honorable Mention:
1 year membership at 18 Reasons // Wusthof Classic 3.5 inch Paring Knife // Anolon Chef Clad 10-inch Deep Skillet // Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker c/o Chronicle Books // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit // Case of Honest Tea beverages

Photographers’ Choice
$50 at Photojojo // Wusthof Classic 3.5 inch Paring Knife // Anolon Chef Clad 10-inch Deep Skillet // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit // Case of Honest Tea beverages

Judges’ 1st Place:
$100 cash // 10 pounds of pie dough c/o Mission Pie // $25 at Omnivore Books // Wusthof Classic 6-inch Cook’s Knife // Anolon Ultra Clad 3-quart Covered Saucier // Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker c/o Chronicle Books // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit

Judges’ 2nd Place:
$50 at Bi-Rite Market // $30 at Tartine Bakery // Wusthof Classic 6-inch Cook’s Knife // Anolon Ultra Clad 3-quart Covered Saucier // Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker c/o Chronicle Books // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit

Judges’ 3rd Place:
Wusthof Classic 6-inch Cook’s Knife // Anolon Ultra Clad 3-quart Covered Saucier // Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker c/o Chronicle Books // Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzio c/o UC Press // $5 at Humphry Slocombe // SFFW Winning Chocolate Crackle Cookies c/o Sweet Constructions // Method Miracle Kit