Food & Wine

The Haus Citrus Flower aperitif

As a companion to our reporting on neighborhood quarantinis, Town Crier wine columnist Christine Moore sent a bulletin from her shelter-in-place sommelier activities in Mountain View: She’s been making a cocktail she’s calling Shelter in “Haus,” which features a California-made aperitif (learn more at drink.haus). Aperitifs are comparatively low in alcohol and loaded with complex botanical flavors, ready to sip alone or with bubbly water, and great in a cocktail with strong spirits.

Shelter in ‘Haus’

Courtesy of Zareen Khan

Local hospital staff pose in appreciation for a photo with their meals from Zareen's.

 Los Altos and Mountain View restaurants are joining forces with their customers to feed health-care workers on the front lines in the battle against the coronavirus.

Chef Chu’s and The Post in Los Altos and Blue Line Pizza in Mountain View are among the local eateries involved in serving the health-care providers that serve the community. Zareen’s and Hobee’s restaurants are collaborating with the nonprofit Frontline Foods to provide meals to doctors and nurses.

Courtesy of Christine Moore

A comforting Italian-inspired stew draws on interchangeable pantry staples.

Thank you for reading this article – we are connected through the conversation that takes place on the pages, both web and paper, of the Los Altos Town Crier.

Should you choose to make any of the recipes I share here, we’ll be connected through our cooking, too. These dishes are on repeat in my home. Odds are good that your family and mine might sit down to the same meal one evening. That’s a relationship I’m very grateful for as we all test how we can connect in a time of isolation.

Courtesy of Blanche Shaheen

Los Altos resident Blanche Shaheen recently published her “Feast in the Middle East” cookbook, which features recipes including Samak bi Tahini, above.

My “Feast in the Middle East” journey began 10 years ago when I wanted to re-create one of my favorite dishes from childhood, the dramatic Palestinian dish of Maqlouba. This Middle Eastern specialty is a massive rice “cake” flipped upside down to reveal steaming roasted chicken, fragrant rice, fried cauliflower, caramelized onions and roasted chicken inside.

Photos by Christine Moore/Special to the Town Crier

Lighting can create tranquility and set the perfect mood for an intimate night. A candlelit dinner or conversations around a glowing fire are two cozy lighting options for Valentine’s Day.

Hygge (pronounced hue-ga) is a Nordic notion of cherishing the comfort of home and togetherness through the cold, dark months of winter. By nesting indoors and taking time to enjoy the simple things in life, the Danes use stormy weather as an opportunity to grow in closeness with loved ones and friends.

Courtesy of Derek Wolfgram

Australian sparkling ale can be hard to come by in the U.S., but Beachwood and Alesmith teamed up to put their California spin on the style.

While IPAs, especially hazy New England-style brews, continue to dominate tap lists, California breweries are also seeking inspiration from various clean (and clear), light, refreshing beer styles from around the globe.