Gene Burns's Page

It was a magic moment, the type wine lovers dream about but almost never experience--the chance to drink history!

When I accepted my friend Lorenzo Scarpone's invitation to attend the annual Porchetta lunch at his wine warehouse, Villa Italia, I expected superb food, excellent wine and conviviality

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For the Foodies of San Francisco and Northern California, this past weekend was a test, and I am delighted to report that we passed with flying colors.

The Golden Gate Restaurant Association, local chefs, food purveyors and many of us in the food media wondered why we did not stage an annual festival to celebrate our food and wine heritage. We are, after all, the Capital of American Gastronomy. Few places on earth if any have the depth and variety of restaurant talent, chefs, food pro

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I found myself in the fairly unusual position of being a food orphan last week. Close friends with whom I often eat meals were out of town on vacation, and it was not convenient to stop on my way in to the office to pick up meals. Cooking is a passion of mine, so my course was clear.

I decided to make a list of some of my favorite meals and then see if I could devise a strategy to prepare them without having to cook a new meal every day. My exercise, which was a success, reminded me of

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On May 4, 2009, as a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Cure-A-Thon, Gene Burns and Dr. Dean Edell hosted a dinner on the Signature Hospitality "San Francisco Spirit." Eighty guests, plus winery people and chefs, cruised around the Bay to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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The Star Princess docked at San Francisco's Pier 35 early Monday, April 27, completing my tenth cruise and my second with the Princess Line.

This 10-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera leaves me more convinced than ever that cruising offers first-rate vacation opportunities at a manageable and competitive cost. Cruises allow you to be as busy or as relaxed as you wish. You have ample time in advance to plan shore excursions, with options to cancel if, once on board, you find yourself ove

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If you're of a certain age you will remember the old standard "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"--"The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing, but I can weather the storm/ I've got my love to keep me warm."

Well, I'd like to offer three more antidotes for adversity caused by weather or economic pressure. Here are three recipes for main dishes that are delicious, easy and economical.

Few things are more comforting when it's damp, dark and drizzly than a big pot of homemade soup.

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Sunday's Super Bowl was, well, super! A great football game with two seasoned and gifted quarterbacks--and the outcome in doubt until the last 38 seconds. The game ending with a breathtaking catch in the corner of the end zone.

At my house the game was also great because I made one of my favorite comfort foods, Mac and Cheese. Super Bowl Sunday cries out for comfort food: chili, short ribs, beef stew, hot dogs and burgers, wings, dip and plenty of cold beer!

Over the years I'v

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Forget all those terrible things you've heard about holiday fruitcake. The Burns Family has for years made a dark fruitcake that's a family favorite. The recipe, over 100 years old, came from my maternal grandmother, Margaret Dominick Forness.

This year I set out to find a light version of fruitcake with a bit more tropical character. I narrowed the search down to 15 contenders and took the best from each. The resulting r

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January 3, 2009

Gene Dines Around, first with a Hanukkah dinner at the home of Dan and Lisa Weiss, then dinner at Joel and Robert's house.

Preparing a big holiday meal can be daunting, but Gene has advice on getting things organized so the guests and the hosts can enjoy the party.

• The big piece of meat, such as Kurobuta ham (Snake River Farms), a roast, or a turkey: Meat takes advance effort, but if you plan well, once it is in the oven you need not worry

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See the photos.

I share my birthday, December 3, with colleague and fellow foodie Anthony Licciardi. We celebrated in grand fashion this past Saturday with a splendid dinner at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga.

The restaurant has a Chef's Table in a private space separated from the kitchen by a glass wall. It is fascinating to enjoy Executive Chef Peter Armellino's food and General Manager Josh Weeks's phenomenal win

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Meatloaf, breakfast eggs and the Thanksgiving feast share a very important attribute: Nobody does them the way Mom does/did, and hers is the standard by which all others are judged.

A friend came by my house for dinner when I was in high school. The evening's bill of fare featured meatloaf. The presence of chopped green pepper in my mother's version of this classic rendered it inedible, my friend announced, while we, raised on this economical staple, cringed at the thought of a meatlo

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Halloween is upon us, and it's time for a trip to Farmer John's Pumpkins in Half Moon Bay to buy holiday decorations. As we slip deeper into autumn, food magazines are full of recipes for Thanksgiving feasting.

Dark and Spicy Pumpkin Pie

The proximity of pumpkins and Thanksgiving triggers my annual plea for adding a darker, spicier version of pumpkin pie to the dessert collection. It's amazing how the addition of amber maple syrup and freshly ground black pepper takes t

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"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

Whether this line triggers recollection of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes or has you humming the Byrds' mega-hit "Turn, Turn, Turn," surely you recognize its wisdom. Late summer brings creepi

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Yesterday found us basking in the sunshine and warm welcome from listeners at the Pleasanton Harvest Festival. Our original intention to broadcast the Dining Program from the Festival was made impossible by the early start of the Cal Bears game. As an alternative I spent two hours in conversation with guests from the wine and food world and came away with some great suggestions for you.

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You may have heard me mention that I am on the Cabbage Soup Diet. I've received some requests for copies, and I'm happy to share it. Given its heavy reliance on fruits and vegetables, this is the perfect time of year to give it a try. It does work, peeling off pounds and increasin… Continue

Some years ago, at the time I worked in Boston, I stopped at a produce market to buy vegetables. Among my choices were two large bunches of beets.

When it came my turn to check out the clerk solicitously said: "Here, let me cut those tops off for you." My reactio… Continue

You’ll have to excuse my rather pathetic imitation/adaptation of Paul Revere’s famous warning of 1775. It’s just that juicy, fragrant, lucious tomatoes really do excite me and their arrival always triggers a flood of the most pleasant memories. At the age of six or seven I picked plum tomato

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Having just returned from our live broadcast of Dining Around from the 30th Annual Edition of the world famous Gilroy Garlic Festival I have it in mind to make a BIG deal out of this small bulb. As a cook I think it would be hard to exist without garlic, but I want to make this unassuming staple into a star and at the same time give you a great summer meal or party idea that won’t break the bank. Further it will, encourage you to make something most people find uber-intimidating. Welcome to t

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The owner of Monica’s Pies in Naples, New York indulges in serious understatement when she observes in her brochure that wineries in the Finger Lakes Region of Western New York lost interest in Concord grapes as their businesses sought to compete with other areas such as California.

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As you may recall I traveled back to Western New York State last month for the Celebration of my 50th Anniversary of Graduation from Hornell High School the very same school from which my mother Gladys Forness Burns had graduated twenty-five years before me in 1933.

I was joined by my younger sister Roberta who has been working on the genealogy of our family. I should add that Roberta and I are the "bookends" of our family's six children, I as the eldest, she the youngest. As such I witnessed t… Continue