Through the store’s front window, you can watch the cook mix and knead the dough, roll it out, and cut out and form every item that goes into the large deep-fryer behind him: cake, buttermilk and raised doughnuts. The same dough used for the raised doughnuts yields jelly-filled doughnuts, chocolate and maple bars, cinnamon rolls, and cinnamon twists.

Demand usually outstrips supply, so you need to call the morning before if you must have something specific or have a large order. Or come really early. We call ahead because we drive out from Robertsville in San Jose , about 12 miles away. What’s on our list each time one of us makes the time to drive to Stan’s early on a Saturday or Sunday morning?

Chocolate bars and maple bars – These 3 x 6-inch bars are fluffy and moist on the inside, with a thin golden crust on the outside, topped with a ganache-type chocolate or maple frosting. You can’t get them anywhere else.

Cinnamon rolls – Approximately six inches across, the buns have cinnamon nestled throughout the ring of dough, topped off with a sugar glaze. These rolls are reddish-brown in color, light and moist inside, a bit crusty on the outside.

Cake doughnuts with chopped peanuts, shaved almonds or colored sprinkles – A bit crusty on the outside, firm but moist on the inside, these 4-inch treats are topped with a ganache-type chocolate frosting and a generous amount of nuts or sprinkles.

Every loyal patron of Stan’s has his or her favorite, and we’ve all learned to deal with the queue out the door. My wife and son choose their maple bars over everything else, while I prefer the chocolate bars or the chocolate cake doughnuts. No need to twist our arms to have a cinnamon roll, either.

Some like their doughnuts with coffee. My wife has to have a tall glass or cold milk, our son pours himself a glass of orange juice, and I prefer a mug of black tea. Since I watch my blood sugar closely these days, I limit myself to one cake doughnut or, when I know this is brunch, one chocolate bar. Regardless, it’s an indulgence I hope I can continue to enjoy.

I question continuing to patronize Stan’s because now there is a dark side to this food destination. The attitude behind the counter seems to have changed. The staff are no longer smiling, friendly and accommodating, particularly a young-ish Hispanic man who was rude and abrupt. When he said there was no record of the order we called in the day before, he practically insinuated that I lied about calling it in. One of the ladies behind the counter assembled my order (I wonder what would have happened if the elements of my order were no longer available) and took my payment.

I then saw a tray of cake doughnuts with multicolored sprinkles over chocolate frosting that would have looked great in my blog post. As I pulled out my camera, I got off one shot of the crowd before the same rude man behind the counter barked out, “No pictures!” in a very annoyed tone. A bit full of himself, in my opinion. One of these days he will bark out once too often and this family business will be out of business. I really miss Tina and the old crew, all of whom retired over 10 years ago…They knew how to treat their customers.

2 lbs pork shoulder or loin, cut into 1½-inch cubes
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/3 C soy sauce
2/3 C palm or white vinegar
2/3 C water
1 t whole black peppercorns
1-2 pinches salt
1-2 pinches ground black pepper
1 t sugar
2 T cooking oil

In a large stainless steel or enameled casserole heat oil to medium-high, then fry garlic until tender. Add meat, sprinkle with salt and ground pepper, and fry until pieces are browned on all sides. Add soy sauce, vinegar and water; do not stir until the liquid boils. When liquid boils, add peppercorns and bay leaves, then stir. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until pork is tender. Stir occasionally to thoroughly coat pork pieces in liquid. Bring liquid back up to a boil, sprinkle sugar, stir, then allow to boil for 1-2 minutes.

At this point you have two options:
1. Reduce the juices to desired thickness. Serve with juices to pour over rice or as a dip for puto (steamed rice cakes).
2. Reduce liquid completely and let pork fry in the remaining oil or fat until crisp. (Usually more of an option if you use pork loin with skin, since more fat is rendered while you cook.)

Note: Remember that the bay leaves are not edible and that the peppercorns do not taste good if you bite into them.

Flowering plum tree at Rodrigue Molyneaux vineyards

Saturday, February 13, 2010: “We had a decadent day.”

My sister-in-law summed up our Saturday quite well at dinner last night. Although I started the day running a bit late and a lot hungry, I really had nothing to complain about at the end of the evening.

I’d forgotten to make time for breakfast, so by the time my wife and I dashed out of the house to meet my brother and his wife I was belching from hunger. And we had to stop for daytime cold meds on the way to Fremont from San Jose.

After meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law, we headed to Livermore. Today was the release party for Noah’s 2008 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. There would be food and barrel tastings at the Retzlaff Winery and we would be joined by my wife’s best friend.

One of only two barrels of 2008 Noah's Lake County Zin

We entered the barrel room shortly before noon, took our glasses, and tasted the 2008 Lake County Zinfandel out of the barrel. It was already soft around the edges, exuded dark red fruit, had just a light touch of acidity and pepper, with a dark, rich color. I could have drunk from the barrel all day, but was told that there were only two barrels of this wonderful stuff and the futures were only $110 a case.

Fresh, raw oysters from Washington

It’s amazing how well zinfandel pairs with raw oysters. Complementing the oysters was a very simple sauce made with red wine vinegar, green onions, and jalapenos. The oysters were from Farmer Tom’s ranch in Washington State. They were sweet, succulent, and not at all fishy.

Noah and son

Also on the table were tri-tip sandwiches. Winemaker Noah Retzlaff Taylor had marinated the beef in salt, pepper, garlic, and Jack Daniels. His wife Farah provided an aioli made with mayonnaise, roasted chipotle peppers, and olive oil. The tri-tip sandwiches and oysters were a great way to ease my hunger pangs.

We played with Noah and Farah’s baby, checked out the jewelry vendor, and all went in together on a case of the 2008 futures. What a deal!

Our next stop was the Wood Family Vineyards, where Rhonda Wood was offering tastings of her Grenache, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and old vines Zinfandel. We all agreed our favorite of the day was the Grenache.

We headed to Les Chenes to taste what Candace and Richard were pouring and pairing. The syrah and chocolate soufflé pairing was great, but we walked away with a bottle of their tawny port-style dessert wine. Not overly sweet, a pronounced by not overpowering flavor of hazelnuts, and a hint of lemon in the back of the mouth.

Garry Rodrigue in his tasting room

Our last stop was at Rodrigue Molyneaux, where we had to pick up our quarterly club shipment. The flowering plum and cherry trees beside the tasting room were already in bloom. Garry, Nancy and Tom were surprised that we were there, since we’re usually among the last to pick up our shipment. We collected our bottles of Amianco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Barbera. My brother and I declined the tasting to allow our palates to recover for dinner.

Our bargain cymbidium orchid

So we said goodbye to our friend and headed back to my brother’s house. On the way, we stopped at a plant and pot wholesaler near the Sunol golf course on Andrade Road. My wife picked out a purple and yellow cymbidium orchid plant in full bloom – priced at only $10 – and an 8-inch glazed pot – red, of course, for good luck and priced at under $9 – for one of our pot-bound house plants.

My brother knows far more about burning meat than I do. So I put the rib-eye steaks we had brought for dinner in his hands. He patted them dry and sprinkled them with kosher salt, then set them aside while his wife prepared steamed artichokes and baked potatoes. While we waited for dinner to cook, my sister-in-law whipped up some chili-cheese nachos. And she toasted a few thin slices of pimiento bread for the pate.

As the artichokes and potatoes came close to being done, my brother washed the salt off the steaks and re-seasoned them with fresh-cracked pepper. He cooked them on cast-iron pans at high heat – medium-rare for him and me, medium-well for our wives.

1966 Medoc: Still luscious after all these years!

While my brother cooked, he asked me to open the wine he had planned to serve with dinner. He had bought this bottle at auction about 15 years ago and stored it carefully. It was a 1966 Grand Vin de Leoville Saint-Julien-Medoc. Very special not only because of its age; 1966 was the year my brother graduated from high school.

The rabbit cork-puller didn’t work! So I switched to an ah-so. That worked better, but left a quarter inch of the cork in the mouth of the bottle. I carefully pushed the cork fragment into the bottle as I decanted and strained the wine.

After waiting a while for the wine to open up, we were rewarded with a sweet, robust nose and a beautiful, deep purple color. No trace of mold or dead leaves in the nose or on the palate. To our great surprise the nose gave us a strong whiff of dark red fruit and mild spice. We tasted dark plum, black licorice, and just a hint of tar. The wine did not drink like an old, dusty bottle; this wine was alive and ready to join the party.

The steaks and wine were a great pairing. The steamed artichokes were a pleasant, lemon-kissed complement. The baked potatoes, with sour cream, bacon and cheese, were a firm anchor for the meal. We lingered over the last few sips of the 1966 Medoc.

The last of Audubon Cellars late harvest chardonnay

Dessert was simple. Angel food cake, fresh blackberries and whipped cream. My brother paired dessert with a 1997 Audubon Cellars Napa Valley Late Harvest Chardonnay. Not too sweet, fruity, with light and bright notes of citrus. It’s a pity the vintner no longer makes this wine.

We capped the evening with Apolo Anton Ohno’s exciting dash to a silver medal and Olympic history, and J.R. Chelski’s unbelievable bronze in the men’s 1500-meter short track. A special note: Chelski is half Filipino, so people are cheering on two sides of the Pacific.

How do I define decadence? More delight than I am allowed to have. Good food, great wine, beautiful flowers, quality time with family.

I agree completely. It was a decadent day.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 slices sandwich bread
Butter
1 slice each cheddar and pepper jack cheese
1 large basil leaf, julienned

Place griddle on medium-high heat. Apply butter to both sides of both slices of bread. Place one slice on the griddle, add one slice of cheese, the julienned basil leaf, the second slice of cheese, then the second slice of bread. Flip the sandwich over when one side is golden brown, then grill the other side to match.

Slice in half, then serve warm.

Scale the recipe to make the number of sandwiches you need.

* * *

Tomato Basil Soup

2 T olive oil
2 t finely sliced garlic
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 t minced garlic
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3 cans (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
½ C chicken broth
10 large basil leaves, chopped
2 large basil leaves, julienned
½ C heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a small frying pan heat 1 t olive oil over medium heat. Fry the sliced garlic until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on some paper towels.

Transfer the warm olive oil to a large pot and add the remaining olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and minced garlic in olive oil until the onions are transparent. Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Puree the mixture with an immersion blender. Adjust the flavor to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cream, then adjust the flavor again as desired. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring frequently.

Serve hot, garnished with crisp garlic flakes and julienned basil.

1 turkey carcass

6 carrots, peeled and cut to 1-2-inch pieces

6 celery stalks, cut to 1-inch pieces

1 large leek, cut to 1-inch pieces or 1 medium yellow onion, halved then quartered

1 1-lb bag of frozen peas

1 1-lb bag of frozen whole green beans

1 C pearl barley

Salt and black pepper to taste

Saffron to taste

Cut the carcass if needed to fit a large casserole. Cover completely with cold water. Place on medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam. Add the carrots, celery and leek, and bring back to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours. Add the barley, bring back to a boil, then simmer again for 1-2 hours, until meat on the carcass falls off the bones. Remove the bones, scraping off any remaining meat into the soup. Add the peas and beans, then simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, black pepper and saffron as desired. Bring back to a boil for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

We kicked off the evening with Italian sweet peppers stuffed with herb cheese, roased garlic, deviled and lobster-stuffed eggs, bagel and lox. We added lumpiang shanghai and a roasted duck with plum and hoisin sauce. Appetizers were complemented by a 1996 J Brut Sparkling and a 1997 J Brut Sparkling – a touch of honeysuckle and orange blossoms on the former and toasted almonds on the latter.

We took a break to exchange and open gifts, always a fun and raucous time of the evening. We had gifted our niece and nephew a bit of cash, encased in miniature Christmas stockings that we had sewn shut. Why do we always feel like we made out like bandits?

We couldn’t wait any longer for dinner, and its centerpiece was my brother’s horseradish-crusted prime rib. Also on the table were a Honeybaked ham, haricots verts with crisp-fried shallots, sautéed mushrooms and onions, oven-roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots, roasted broccoli florets, and Yorkshire pudding.

To accompany dinner, my brother opened a 1996 Opus One – luscious and smooth, dark berries, well-tamed tannins, just the right amount of pungency. That was followed by a 2005 Edizione Pennino zinfandel – fruit-forward, a touch of black pepper, soft and rounded texture.

We waited about a half hour before diving into dessert. We had brought homemade cannoli. Our son makes the shells from scratch, a long and arduous process. Someone had brought chocolate chip cookies and another purchased a fresh mango mousse cake. Rounding out the selections were some Point Reyes blue cheese with candied walnuts and sliced apples and pears, and homemade marshmallows. And an incredible Donna Fugata Ben Rye Sicilia Passito Pantelleria dessert wine.

Our son and his cousins concocted some Romulan Ale – a lethal mix of Blue Curacao, 151 Rhum, and Everclear. Flammable and frightening.

We all tasted a candy unique to Baguio in the Philippines called Kulangot. Translation: Booger. It’s actually a little bit of coconut jam in a nut shell. Gross name, delicious little morsel.

After dessert we took another break and headed to our cousin’s house in the next town. We visited with our aunt (our uncle’s widow) and five of her six children and their families – a nearly full house. We brought them some lumpiang shanghai and brought our aunt an orchid plant for Christmas. We shared stories of loss – we had just lost our eldest brother in Southern California and she had recently lost her younger brother in the Philippines. We sampled some of the food on their groaning board – baked lumpia, purple yam jam, fresh pineapple, grilled jumbo shrimp.

When we returned to my brother’s house we finished off the last of the Ben Rye and watched a little Filipino TV. Then it was time to call it a night. Until next year…

All photos courtesy of my niece. Please follow her as @foodiesecrets on Twitter.

Passionate Pink Christmas
1 oz. Alize Red Passion liqueur
Champagne to fill
Garnish with Star fruit soaked in pomegranate juice (to color red)

Pour Alize liqueur in an old fashioned champagne glass. Add champagne and garnish with star fruit slice.

Blue Christmas
2 oz. Vodka
½ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. Blue Curacao

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake and strain into a martini glass. Add frozen blueberries to garnish or a blueberry candy cane.

Snowy Cosmopolitan
1 ½ oz. Vodka
¼ oz. Triple Sec or Cointreau
¼ oz. white cranberry juice
¼ oz. lime juice
Garnish with a thin apple slice, in the shape of a snowflake.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with apple slice in the shape of a snowflake.

Elfin Magic
5 oz. warm hard apple cider
1 oz. southern comfort
Green candy cane for garnish

Pour warm cider into a glass mug. Add southern comfort and garnish with candy cane.

Red-Nosed Reindeer (non-alcoholic)
5 oz. chilled cranberry juice
Splash of chilled ginger ale
Splash of chilled pomegranate juice
Frozen strawberries (instead of ice)

Fill glass ¾ full of frozen strawberries. Add all chilled ingredients and stir. Serve with a straw.

Crisp Kringle

1 oz Cranberry Juice
Splash of white crème de menthe
3 oz Moet and Chandon Champagne
Mint sprig for garnish

Pour cranberry juice, white crème de menthe and then the champagne into a champagne glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Mistletoe Martini

3 oz Belvedere Vodka
1 oz Cranberry Juice
Splash Chambord
Red and Green sugar for the rim
Cranberries on skewer for garnish

Rub a lemon wedge along the rim of a martini glass and dip half into red sugar and the other half into green sugar. In a martini shaker with ice, add Belvedere Vodka, cranberry juice and Chambord. Shake and strain into the martini glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries on a skewer.

The Belvedere Yuletide Martini

Shake 2 oz Belvedere Vodka, 3/4 oz
Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur and 3/4
oz milk with ice. Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Santa’s Beard

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream
8 oz. of cold Cherry Soda
Topped with whipped cream
A peppermint stick for garnish

Pour cold cherry soda into a tall glass. Add two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream and a peppermint stick.

For more great holiday ideas, please refer to David’s new book America Entertains, log onto DavidTutera.com or contact his office at (212) 925-1248.

1 lb large shrimp

2 T butter

1 t chopped garlic

1 T lemon juice

Dash of white pepper

Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Set aside and keep cool.

In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Sweat the garlic, then add the shrimp and toss lightly. Add the white pepper, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss until shrimp are pink and white.

1 C flour

1 ½ C milk

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine all ingredients. In a blender, mix until batter is smooth. Set aside for 30 to 60 minutes.

Place small amounts of beef drippings into muffin pan. Place pan in oven until drippings sizzle.

Pour batter into muffin pan. Bake until the dough turns puffy and brown.

Makes approximately 1 dozen.

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com.

The preparations for Thanksgiving dinner started in early November, with an initial plan to feed eight people. Over the next three weeks the list would grow and we would adjust the menu. Our family and friends would bring appetizers and desserts, and we would take care of the main meal.

If we could buy the ingredient early, we did – French-fried onion strings, nuts, seasoned bread stuffing, orange marmalade, dates, butter, seasonings. We made a list of the remaining ingredients and items that we would need – croissants, carrots, haricots verts, apples, oranges, celery, onions, fresh sage. We ordered for two free-range birds weighing at least 12 pounds each at my local Lucky store (Custom turkey orders at Lucky: Who knew?).

Three days before Thanksgiving, we hedged our chances that we had enough food by asking my wife’s best friend to pick up a crisp roasted duck at 99 Ranch, one of the local Chinese grocery stores.

Main Table

"Children's" Table

The day before Thanksgiving I stopped by the Lucky store to pick up the birds and came home with a 12- and a 14-pounder. I also picked up the rest of the perishable ingredients. I brined the turkeys overnight and my wife and I made the cranberry compote, dressing and sweet-and-sour sauce for the Shanghai-style lumpias. We defrosted and baked a no-sugar-added apple pie from our favorite farm store in Placerville’s Apple Hill. We set the tables and cleared the hall closet for our guests’ coats.

Lemon-basted Rotisserie Turkey

On Thanksgiving morning the turkeys came out of the brine. The smaller bird got bouquets garni with celery, onion, orange, lemon, rosemary, and thyme, and was placed on a rotisserie on the kitchen counter. We would baste it with an emulsified mixture of lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. The larger bird got bouquets garni with celery, onion, apple, orange, sage, and thyme. I separated the skin from its breast and rubbed it with sage butter, then placed it in the over breast-down for the first two-and-a-half hours. I would turn it over to finish roasting it on its back. We began prepping the side dishes.

By mid-afternoon, our friend walked in with the duck and other family and guests began to arrive with their share: cheeses, spinach quiche squares, tossed green salad, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, lemon-scented meringues, and fresh fruit pizza. Our friend also helped fry the lumpias. We started opening wine bottles.

Haricots Verts

Crispy Roasted Duck

Carrots with Garlic and Orange Marmalade

The turkeys came out of the oven and off the rotisserie at 4:00 p.m. and rested while we laid out the side dishes. The birds were carved and dinner was served.

Fresh Fruit Pizza

When everyone had eaten, the dishes went into the dishwasher and we sat around, drank wine and talked for about an hour before we brought out the desserts and after-dinner wines.

My niece and I took a break to bring her parents to SFO for their flight to Manila. When we returned, most of the guests were still there and they called it a night at about midnight. My niece and one of our friends spent the night and departed after dinner on Friday.

Lots of work? Probably more than there should be, and we tend to over-produce events we host. Lots of food? Probably more than we needed, since we sent friends and family home with leftovers. Lots of people? Probably more than the capacity of our dining room, but these were the people we were thankful to have as friends and family. We’re already looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving next year.

(The recipes for some of the dishes on this year’s Thanksgiving table are on my food blog: Fed n Watered.)