Tag: vito mercado

A concert last weekend called Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park and a restaurant in Oakland called “Homeroom” lead us, of course, to our Great Gilroy Garlic Festival. “Homeroom” Co-owners Allison Arevalo and Erin Wade run a mac-and-cheese restaurant that serves up creamy goodness that is, by all accounts, “to die for.” At Outside Lands, which daughter Mariah attended, they served up 5,000 pounds of Gilroy Garlic Mac and Cheese in two and a half days, according to a story in the Contra Costa Times. Note to incoming G-Fest volunteer President Vito Mercado: Road trip to “Homeroom” is in order, meet Allison and Erin and get them to the festival. I’m thinking a booth for the Gilroy Garlic Mac and Cheese (near a microwbrew beer station) a guest appearance on the Cook-off Stage. Who wouldn’t want to take in a few mac-and-cheese recipe variations – and the recipes in their new cookbook “The Mac + Cheese Cookbook: 50 Simple Recipes from Homeroom, America’s Favorite Mac and Cheese Restaurant” are in the form of teacher lesson plans. That’s cool.

Barbecuing a beef brisket – wonderful cuts available by the way at Rocca’s Market in San Martin – takes about 10-12 hours to do it right, so you’ve really got a lot invested in time and technique. That’s why I appreciated this line so much after smoking a brisket last weekend and then continuing to make what’s known as “burnt ends” – tasty chunks of beef bursting with flavor. Alton Brown, Food Network Star and author of multiple cookbooks, nailed it: “Bimetal coil thermometers are about as accurate as a sniper scope on a nerf gun.” So, if Dad likes to BBQ, a good instant read thermometer would be a great gift …