The new San Francisco Chronicle printing presses run by Transcontinental in Fremont during a parallel practice run. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle)

Here’s a European twist on the standard newspaper trend piece. Usually we hear about things like Kindle when talking about next generation newspaper delivery.

Starting today, however, the San Francisco Chronicle is delivering a glossy—or “high-definition”—look to the newspaper. No tech gadgets required.

Following in the footsteps of several overseas big-city newspapers, the new format will employ a full-color press which will allow for magazine-like quality. In addition, the paper will be shorter and narrower, pleasing bus and train riders everywhere.

Expectations are realistic for the new format and not expected to turn around the rapid transformation of the industry to the Internet. According to publisher Frank J. Vega:

“Even though newspapers are going through a traumatic period, we think there’s still a place for ink on paper,” Vega said. “We’re going to have what will arguably be the best presentation in the world as a daily newspaper. … People are going to reacquaint themselves with newspapers.”

The technology behind the production is impressive. Here’s a short video that explains some of the wizardry it takes to deliver the sizzle.

I am looking forward to a hands-on review. Possibly the best feature I’m guessing: no more smudgy, inky hands after the morning read. My clothes (and wife) will thank me for that!

[Source: SFGate.com Wrinkle-free era begins with new printing press]

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A nice piece of biscotti with a hot cappuccino is a wonderful way to end any meal, especially dinner. Yes, I know if we were in Italy it would be considered absolute sacrilege to have a cappuccino so late in the evening, but in the new world, we like to sometimes bend the rules.

One of my favorite types of these Italian cookies is a lemon biscotti with crunchy nuts and for absolute indulgence, a nice generous dip into dark or semi-sweet chocolate. The citrus notes cuts into the sweetness of the cookie, the nuts gives additional texture and crunch…all smoothed out by chocolate melting on a warm tongue.

The cappuccino is best with this dessert when served piping hot, no sugar is needed so it provides a nice balance to my Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti.

It is true that when you bite into one of these, you too would agree that “All’s well that ends well”. Yet the start of this biscotti recipe is not a chore either and the batter is irresistibly delicious too.

“All’s well that ends well” Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup toasted almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons of cold butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 fresh large lemon (it is always nice to have a lemon tree in your backyard)
• 8 oz of dark or semi-sweet chocolate to be used to dip the biscotti in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and almonds into a large mixing bowl. Ensure it is all thoroughly mixed. You may want to sift the flour and sugar to ensure all lumps are removed.

2. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Grate the skin of the entire lemon and add the zest to the bowl. Add the juice from only half the lemon. Whisk again to ensure all the wet ingredients are mixed together.

3. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Use your hands and fully incorporate the butter into the flour as you would when making shortbread cookies.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Use your hands mix the ingredients together until a uniform dough is formed.

5. Shape the dough into two logs, using a light sprinkling of flour to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to your working surface.

6. Place the logs nicely spaced apart on a well-greased baking sheet. Flatten the logs out as desired for the desired thickness of the biscotti you prefer. Some of this is very much a personal preference.

7. Place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown and the center of the logs are done.

8. Take out the logs and let cool for 7 minutes.

9. Cut the logs into uniform pieces. How thick or thin you slice them depends on how you like your biscotti. I like to make mine about 1/2 inch thick.

10. Place the pieces of biscotti on their sides on the baking sheet and bake for another 25-35 minutes. The longer to you place them in the oven, the crunchier they are going to get. So this all depends on the biscotti textures you enjoy. I personally like my biscotti nice an crunchy. Once done, take out the biscotti and ensure they are cooled before you dip them into the chocolate.

11. Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place in a double boiler. Increase temperature and keep the chocolate moving until it is fully melted. Then dip half the biscotti into the chocolate and place the biscotti on a sheet of foil.

12. The chocolate will take several hours to fully harden. When it does, peel it gently from the foil.

Place your biscotti in a sealed container and the next time you have a hairy day, just sit back with a cappuccino, grab a piece of Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti and know that, “All’s well that ends well”.

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A friend of ours went up to Tahoe for the long weekend and asked us to take care of their pets which are hermit crabs.

At first I was a little cautious, not knowing how much work this would be. My anxieties were quickly swept away when I realized that caring for hermit crabs is about as much effort as keeping pet rocks, and just as rewarding.

I’ve had the hermit crabs in our house now for two days—making sure their water dish is filled and a bit of food spread around. The hermit crabs are so boring that I noticed the shells have been painted various designs, I suspect to make them seem more interesting.

Well, if you are looking for a low maintenance pet, this would fit the bill.

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For those interested in adventurous world travel, check out Carl’s entertaining series on his trip to Bhutan which features the worst cyclone to hit Para in 140 years!

Plus, a wonderful story from Brytanie and Kyle who celebrated their honeymoon in Loreto and wrote a special article on their trip. They had written in to SSC a few months back, and we traded emails about their upcoming trip. And it sounds like they enjoyed all that is the beauty and charm of Loreto.

July is shaping up to be one of the busiest months on record for StarkSilverCreek in terms of event coverage. We’ll be heading up to wine country including Napa, Sonoma and Livermore several times. On the Arts scene, there are some opening nights and premieres we’ll be attending as well. At the end of the month is the Wine Blogger’s Conference in Sonoma which is shaping up to be an influential event, if even only in its second year.

All Things Wine

• How to pour wine in a tasting room
• Murphe Goode contest: Field narrows to 50 starry-eyed, wannabe wine bloggers
• Zinfandel Grand Tasting 2009 ticket winners announced for Seattle and Portland
• Chardonnay history and battonage demo at Wente Vineyards with winemaker Karl Wente
• Boon Fly Café, Napa: Kobe beef burger, yes! Tortilla soup, no!

Special Travel Series: Bhutan by Carl Orthlieb

• Bhutan 2009: Bangkok -> Calcutta [STOP]

Loreto Baja Sur News

• A Wonderful Honeymoon in Loreto! by Brytanie and Kyle Marshall
• Beck International launches its new Loreto Bay project website

Home and Garden

• Solar Update: June 2009, solar stats and PG&E’s SmartAC program
• DIY tips: Caulking baseboards

Recipes

• Baja-style piña colada recipe for a hot summer day
• “Spoil and pamper me, darling” steak marinade recipe

San Francisco

• Cable Car Museum, San Francisco: A detour into history on Mason Street

Tech News and Gadgets

• Google Voice: One number to rule them all

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We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, after a quick flight from LAX, including last-minute, $50 upgrades to first class! We met an American fisherman named Jerry on the plane who gave us some great advice for the trip. Once on the ground again, we were greeted by our concierge, Angie, from La Mision Hotel. On the ride from the airport she gave us a very friendly welcome and talked a little about the hotel and the town of Loreto.

La Mision Hotel was absolutely beautiful and we truly enjoyed our stay there. The rooms were very clean and the “continental” breakfast each morning was more like a buffet feast. The location of the hotel, right on the Malecón and the Sea of Cortez, is complemented perfectly by having everything just a short walk away.

On Monday we explored the city some and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon by the pool. We indulged in a great massage at the hotel and then dinned on their brick-oven pizza, which is delicious.

Tuesday brought a little more adventure with the renting of a vehicle. First, we trekked up the winding mountain roads to San Javier, nestled within the Sierra de la Giganta Mountains. The scenery and view along the way was spectacular. There is only one restaurant in San Javier, La Palapa, and we devoured our machaca quesadillas. This expedition to San Javier was one of the highlights of our trip. We definitely recommend it; just make sure to enjoy the drive to the town, as much as San Javier itself.

Out of the mountains and back in Loreto, we headed north to Mulegé along Highway 1. No more than 15 minutes out of Loreto, we were stopped at an intimidating military checkpoint; but thanks to Brytanie’s fluent Spanish, we didn’t have any problems. After Highway 1 winds through the mountains and meets back up with the coast, the water and white sand beaches are stunning. We made numerous stops on little dirt paths that led off the main road. Many of them ended in pristine paradise. Maybe it was just because we were exhausted, but in our opinion, Mulegé wasn’t as enjoyable as the beaches along the way. However, we did have some great calamari tacos at El Candil Restaurant.

On Wednesday, we took a tour arranged by La Mision Hotel to Coronado Island. We met our guide, Cecilia, and our captain, Tito, along with hundreds of pelicans, at the marina around mid-morning. The boat ride itself was very fun, with a pod of dolphins following our boat part of the way.

However, come Thursday, the wind had picked up and the water was fairly choppy. Instead, we opted to rent ATVs from the hotel and enjoyed speeding through the desert just north of Loreto. Once we were sufficiently dusty, we headed to La Picazón for some awesome fish wraps and a great view of Coronado Island. We wound our way back through the trails to the hotel and showered off for some relaxing time at the pool.

We used the break to read through the restaurant pages in the “Best Guide: Loreto” and decided to try Fonda Canipole for dinner. We walked just a few blocks down the cobblestone streets and were greeted enthusiastically by Alberto, Doña Sofia’s cousin. He gave us a hug, like we were old friends, and invited us into the restaurant. Alberto sat us in the “best seats,” which had a wonderful bell tower view of Loreto’s Mission. Sofia soon brought us some guacamole and that began a great night of conversation.

In celebration of our “luna de miel,” or honeymoon, she made two delicious mango margaritas. The mole sauce on the combination plate was outstanding and the fresh shrimp was as well. After dinner, we talked for a few hours, learning more about the family and the restaurant. She has every visitor write their names and a short message in a book. Doña Sofia showed us years and years of happy customers and even described a wedding she hosted. This wonderful evening was the second highlight of our trip. Sofia, Alberto, and the rest of the family were so friendly and welcoming. Their food was delicious and as we left, we promised them we would be back in a few years.

Friday brought with it the last day of our trip. We decided to pass on the hotel breakfast and ventured out for Café Olé. We had a hearty breakfast and then bought a few gifts from the shops in Loreto. We even considered purchasing a handmade chest from Conchita’s Curios Furniture; but we realized that it wouldn’t have been easy or practical to get it home.

Overall, our trip to the Baja Peninsula was magnificent. We couldn’t imagine a better place to have spent our honeymoon. Every person we met was so excited that we were in Loreto and so eager to share with us a piece of the town’s warmth and charm. We look forward with anticipation to our return.

[View slideshow]

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Even if you can’t make one of these right now, I hope this recipe will at least cool you off.

The recipe is very simple.

Piña Colada

• 2 oz light rum
• 1 oz evaporated milk
• 3 oz coconut cream
• 2 oz crushed pineapples

1. Put all ingredients into an electric blender with 2 cups of crushed ice.

2. Blend at high speed for a short length of time. Pour into a glass and serve with a straw.

3. Drink (optional: dream about Loreto).

Note: you can add the rum separately into each glass if you are throwing a party and some prefer a virgin cocktail.

* Recipe courtesy of the Inn at Loreto Bay

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Dom and I spent a lot of time trying to get answers with no success. I vainly tried to shadow our supposed airline liaison to see if I could get any information at all but she gave me the slip past the security guard who glowered at me from underneath bushy eyebrows while fingering his AK-47.

I think this experience is a good lesson in customer management. Set low expectations, communicate often, and if you don’t know something then say so, don’t make things up.

Did I mention the gourmet defying lunch of a tomato and cucumber sandwich with mustard?

At one point I had a heated conversation with the head of customs and immigration and this produced little fruit despite my insistence that they follow their mission statement (posted on the wall for all to see and me to wonder at) to honor and respect their customers.

Finally we were given leave to go back to the plane to get our personal belongings. It was blowing so hard that I nearly slipped on the gangway—sheets of rain assaulting us from the side.

Then they wanted us to hand over our passport. Our confidence level was at a low so Dom and I refused which caused a tremendous amount of consternation. I wanted to have a photocopied receipt. Because there were 22-odd passengers they did not like that idea at all especially when Dom and I let them know about the copies; they all started clamoring for a photocopied and notarized receipt (we really are bad). In they end they complied but not without a lot of yelling in Hindi back and forth between Mr. Mukherjee, the emasculated head man in charge, and his minions (more on Mukherjee later).

These taxis look like they were out of the 1950s or Cuba or a rip in the time-space continuum

To top it all off, once we reluctantly surrendered our passports, the lackey carrying the bag had it burst open spewing passports every which way all over the floor. The wind started blowing them around from a nearby open door as the passengers oohed and ahed and tried to scramble to pick them out of puddles on the floor that had been created by the leaking roof.

We were driven to the Hyatt without our baggage, which is locked up like so much contraband in the belly of the plane. We’ll have to turn our underwear inside out for tomorrow. Wake up call is at 3:15am.

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For my steaks, I like to throw them into a plastic bag and bath them in my favorite marinade concoction. It is a simple recipe, but a very effective one to tenderize and add flavor to turn any cut of meat into a star.

“Spoil and pamper me, darling” Steak Marinade Recipe

(Note: You can scale this recipe for the quantity of steak you have. In general, I’d like to have enough marinade so it generously covers all the meat. I will marinade meats sometimes for days to get full flavor penetration.)

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use a low-sodium variation)
• 1/2 cup of aged balsamic vinegar (I’d like to use at least 8 years aged)
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of freshly ground pepper
• (optional) 1 teaspoon of Paprika if you like some kick
• (optional) 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary for good measure (remove sprigs before grilling)

Make sure to mix the ingredients well and pour into a thick plastic bag. I like using plastic bags instead of a container because you can more easily massage the meat with the marinade and ensure even coating of each piece.

If you are working with a tough piece of meat or can only marinade the meat for a couple of hours, I would use a fork and poke holes into both sides of it so the marinade can more easily penetrate into the meat.

Place the meat into the bag, seal bag and massage the marinade so all the meat is covered. Place in fridge and occasionally flip around so all the meat has time to be completely submerged into the luxurious marinade.

When ready to BBQ, take the bag of steaks out of the fridge and bring to room temperature. Then grill as you normally would.

You’ve spoiled and pampered your steaks, so now your guest will feel just as spoiled and pampered too!

And at the end of the evening, you can look over at your loved one, having happily devoured one of your steaks and say in a sultry voice, “Spoil me and pamper me, darling”. Don’t forget to wink seductively.

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