Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Ocean Beach-PCH-Beach Chalet Cafe out and about with my zany fun friend Lara Light Haesbaert and my new Vespa 300 GTS!

Spiffy new tile job, another fun quarantine project in the books! As it usually happens, it took a 9 hour Sunday to finish the job (including clean up), a little longer than my predicted 4 hours. I guess not calculating in the old learning curve properly I was off by about 5 hours (oh well). All in all a satisfying day.

Dear friends, check out Leigh Barbier's very cool "Pandemic Worry Doll" window installation @ Great Highway Gallery, 3649 Lawton/ 43rd ave. Brilliant exhibit now through April 4th. Nice cafe and micro brewery on either side of the installation so it makes for a great outing! @spongebarbier #artinsf

Culinary Salon patched, primed, painted, caulked, tiled, freshened up and ready to go!!! New LED lighting too! Can't wait till we can reopen, hopefully May or June 2021. I'll keep you posted. Cheers, Chef Joe

Well, the Sock Monkeyscouldn't wait for classes to start up again so they're having classes of their own in the window! I can't believe it's been almost a year since we've had to shut down due to Covid but happily, as soon as it's safe, we'll be up and running and having a blast with you cooking up a storm! Best for now and tons of love, Chef Joe

After the rain, San Francisco, Dec 26, 2020 Saturn Stairs, Vulcan Steps, Corona Heights, Courtney's, then Home.

That zany ol' Santa gave me a bucket of porch and floor paint and an old paint brush for Christmas! Thanks a lot Santa.

Basque Lamb Stew (w/ recipe) Merry Christmas Everyone! PS: Gift Certificates are available and are good for all future classes once it's safe for us all to reconvene, no expiration. Here's the link or go to website and click in gift certificates (https://sites.google.com//theculina/index/giftcertificates)

Santa's little Elves must have wrapped up all the Lebkuchen Cookies while I was fast asleep. Merry Christmas Everyone!

With the new stricter shelter in place orders, it was time to shampoo the carpet and rug!!! Woohoo so much fun I can hardly contain myself. I'm still going to make my traditional Lebkuchen cookies and Tarte Alsace even though no one's coming over. Maybe a lucky neighbor or two will get a cookie served on a pizza peel at a safe distance. Cheers!

Happy Holidays everyone and greetings from your favorite little cooking classes in San Francisco ! Should the spirit move you, gift certificates are available for future cooking classes at Chef Joe's Culinary Salon and have no expiration date! Just go to the gift certificate link on my homepage. Looking forward to healthy, safe and fun 2021! (www.theculinarysalon.com)

Thank you all for the kind birthday wishes!

Hey all you neighborhood Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins, Happy Halloween! Please feel free to drop by Halloween night for some hot mulled wine and pre bagged treats for the kids. This year we'll be out on sidewalk in lieu of the traditional indoor open house. October 31st/ 5:30 pm to 8:30-9pm. Chef Joe's Culinary Salon 16B Sanchez street.

Before and After...Ready for Movie Night, power point and other groovy fun stuff! (8' x 6' screen)

New Window! Happy Halloween Everyone! The Sock Monkey's AaaaRrrrr back! On Halloween evening we'll have a table set up outside the front doorway with yours truly handing out cellophane bagged up treats for the kids along with lots of delicious home-made Mulled Wine for the grown ups! Look forward to seeing you (at a safe distance of course) Cheers, Chef Joe

New heat gun and knee pads! Old vinyl tiles here I come! #morequarantinefun

Pantry done before and after pics , Now on to the kitchen, entryway and other surprises that await. Wish you were here! @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

More quarantine fun at the old homestead. I had stringer and treads replaced on back stairs and whole stairway completely painted (looks great and safe). Now I'm taking on the even more joyous task of reflooring the back of my flat. Wooohooo, let the games begin! If you're thinking to yourself, hey Joe, how can I get in on some of those fun filled festivities? The answer is, easy, just come on by with your favorite mask and I'll let you loose on a room all your own!

Lemon- Cardamom Crinkle Cookies aka Biscuits au Citron @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

My first little dinner gathering in over 4 months! All safe and tested Covid free so we could enjoy a little al fresco dining: Grilled T-bone steaks with compound butter, twice baked potatoes, gingered shrimp brochette, salad skewers with gorgonzola dressing, tomato-onion- tarragon-basil-arugula salad and fresh fruit tart. It was so nice and fun having company! @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

One of my favorites: making homemade falafel, lemon-tahini-garlic dressing, fresh veggies and turning it all into a deluxe Falafel Salad Makes for a delicious, most satisfying, vegetarian meal! We've made versions of this before in my classes and when we get up and running again (I hopesoon) it will be on the "Journey to Jerusalem" class along with other Middle Eastern delight's. @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Many have asked, "what did I do with last night's leftover Rack of Lamb dinner?" Easy peasy, I made Poached Eggs over minced Lamb-Potato Hash. Saute a little chopped bell pepper and onions, as they get tender, gradually work in the chopped: leftover potatoes, Provencal tomato, lamb and even the garlic green beans.(everything chopped small) Over continuous medium heat, turn hash several times with a metal spatula until golden brown, plate and top with your poached eggs @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Tonight's dinner. So bizarre to make rack of lamb for just one. Delicious!, but I can't wait until this is over and we can break bread together again and have nice conversations. (Also pictured, Tomato Provencal, Roast Rosemary Potatoes and Blue Lake Beans from the Garden ) @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

My favorite, making meatballs in tomato sauce aka: Polpette al Sugo @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Stocking up the freezer at Chef Joe's! Chicken Stock, Lamb Curry, Hungarian Pörkölt and more! We'll be making the Pörkölt (Hungarian Goulash Stew) this fall in our Prague to Budapest class along with Pear Strudel, Czech Dumplings and Stuffed Peppers! I sure miss everyone and can't wait til' we can be back together again, cooking up a storm in our funtabulous classes! In the meantime if you have any cooking questions feel free to call, email or message. Ciao-ciao! Chef Joe @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon

Hmmmm..., well the Christmas Cactus is Blooming (it's May!) I'm starting to see some yummy Snow peas and the snap pea vines are getting nice and bushy! Dalia, snapdragons, geraniums, fuchsia, hydrangea in bloom. Waiting on green onions and sweet 100's and others that got a late start. @ Chef Joe's Culinary Salon