Farina - Focaccia & Cucina Italiana

I love Italian cuisine. When Farina opened up in SF, I was excited to try the Ligurian menu. Unlike other places where they do a California-Italian twist, this is the real deal. With a chef from Genoa taking the helm, the result is an impressive feast any formidable Italian grandmother will approve.

The Parma prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella focaccia made my taste buds tingle. The heat from the lightly fried bread contrasted nicely with the fresh and cool cheese. They specialize in focaccia so definitely make a point of ordering one. The butterfish and black cod crudo was refreshingly simple with just a splash of citrus.

The pastas are just amazing. Handmade at the marble counter, this is some of the best and most authentic I've had in a while. I feel like I'm in Italy when I ate the airy Pansotti al Sugo di Noci (tortelli filled with ricotta and borage). The delicate walnut cream sauce complemented perfectly with the velvety ricotta. The Tortelli con castelmagno al burro e tartufo nero (torteli filled with castelmagno cheese, butter, and black truffle) was to die for. The pasta was so thin it melted right onto my tongue, exploding into a cheese lover's bliss.

For dessert, get the Latte dolce fritto (sweet milk fritters with citrus salad and blood orange vanilla sauce) and the almond semifreddo with orange caramel and creme anglais. The gelati and panna cotta looked good too, but we didn't have any more room to try another bite. Try their Tai Snapper recipe below - the easy seafood dish will transport you to a quaint Italian seaside town...

Farina
Focaccia & Cucina Italiana
3560 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 565-0360
www.farinafoods.com

Dentice alla Ligure con patate

Ingredients:

2 pounds of fresh Tai Snapper
2 large potato tournet, halved and cooked in boiling water
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons of Italian pine nuts
15 black Ligurian taggiasche olives, pitted
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
Parsley, chopped
Sea salt
1 cup of Pigato wine ( Ligurian white wine)
1 cup fish stock

Preparation:

Clean and fillet the Tai Snapper in 4 filets leaving the skin intact.

Pan sear the Tai Snapper skin side first with 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the skin becomes crisp, turn the filet and discard the oil. Next add the cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, taggiasche olives, potato tournet, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and one cup of wine.

When the wine has evaporated add the fish stock, garlic, and chopped parsley, and cook in a 500 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes. When the fish is cooked, plate the potatoes and reduce the stock to a sauce like consistency. Plate the fish and finish with the pan sauce, tomatoes, olives, and pine nuts. Serves 4.

Recipe by Chef Paolo Laboa