Ingredient Title Chef Category

A restaurant named the "Fly Trap"

Could you ever come up with a less appetizing name for restaurant than the "Fly Trap?" It brings thoughts of those terrible long swirls of sticky tape, studded with flies, that kept at least some of the flies away from food during fly season before we had sprays.

But there is a restaurant in San Francisco by that name and it is one of the oldest in the city. It was started in 1898 when horses powered the streetcars. Passengers from the horse-cars and flies from the horses both patronized an eatery called Louis' Restaurant on Market Street. The Proprietor Louis Besozzi placed good food on his tables to attract customers and a square of flypaper on each table to attract flies. The presence of the flypaper prompted the G.I.'s of that era to identify the place as the "fly trap."

The new Fly Trap Restaurant, located at 606 Folsom Street in San Francisco, was taken over a year ago by a Russian mother and daughter team, Irina and Valentina Frolova. Valentina, the mother, owned and operated restaurants in Russia for 27 years. Today's menu is a list of international classic favorites but with the welcome addition of some items seldom seen, such as sweetbreads and calf's brains. Both of which my father longed for and my mother never prepared. He would have loved the Fly Trap.

Here is one of the Fly Trap's recipes plus two other recipes that saved me a lot of time and trouble when served to guests the other night.

The Fly Trap's Jerusalem Chicken

So named because of the Jerusalem artichokes in its delicious sauce. Only fresh artichoke hearts are used at The Fly Trap, however, frozen will do when fresh are unavailable. Credit for the recipe goes to Chef Glen Tinsley

1 large chicken, cut in 8 pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Salt and white pepper, to taste
8 baby artichoke hearts, peeled (if fresh), cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
16 white mushroom caps
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup sour cream
1 pint heavy cream

Debone chicken legs; reserve bones. In stock pot place chicken bones, wings, necks, etc., onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns. Fill with 3 quarts water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 to 3 hours, skimming frequently. Strain, reserving liquid. If time is a problem, low-salt canned chicken broth can be substituted. Blanch artichoke hearts until tender (8 to 10 minutes); cut in half. Heat olive oil in large pan. Season chicken generously with salt and white pepper. Place chicken skin side down in pan and brown well. Turn chicken and add mushrooms. Allow to cook 2 to 3 minutes. Drain excess fat. Add wine to the pan and simmer to loosen cooked bits from bottom (deglaze). Add cream and 3 cups chicken stock. Place in 450 F. oven until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Half way through the cooking process add the artichokes. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Place pan on burner and reduce liquid to sauce consistency. When reduced, whisk in sour cream and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Each plate should have 2 pieces of chicken, 4 artichoke pieces and 4 mushroom caps. Generously ladle with sauce and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Easy Tomato Tart

This crust is simple to make but a frozen crust could be used. Make it on a pizza pan or in a tart pan. It makes ample for 6 in a tart pan, about 8 pizza pieces. This a great first course, or luncheon dish, or accompaniment to a salad. You could, of course, add anchovies or tuna fish to make it a heartier dish.

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter

Filling
4 to 5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 medium to large tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or dried thyme
Basil, fresh or dried, to taste

Crust: As much as a day ahead, combine flour, cayenne pepper and salt in a bowl. Mix in butter with your hands; gradually add small amounts of cold water, stirring with a fork, until you can gather dough into a ball. If time allows refrigerate 30 minutes, well wrapped. (This can be frozen for up to a month.) Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface or simply press it into pan, right up to edges. Bake 10 minutes or until it is just beginning to color. Remove to a rack.

Filling: Turn oven down to 400 F. Spread crust with mustard. Core tomatoes and if they are very juicy, cut in half and squeeze out some juice, shaking out most of the seeds. Cut into slices about 3/8-inch thick and place in a single layer on crust. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake about 30 minutes or until tomatoes are shriveled and hot and the crust is browned. Serve hot or warm. Makes 8 portions.

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard & Fennel Seed Crust

This is an easy dish to prepare ahead and then stick in the oven after guests arrive. It is nice and moist because it is baked with apples and onions.

1 pork tenderloin, about 2 pounds
Salt and pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup whole grain Dijon or brown mustard
4 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 large onions, sliced
4 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup dry white wine or apple cider

Preheat oven to 450 F. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and sear until all sides are brown. Transfer pork to a plate and cool slightly. Spread mustard over top and sides of pork, press fennel seeds into mustard. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add onion slices and apples; saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Spread evenly in skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork atop onion-apple mixture. Transfer meat to oven and roast until center of pork registers 150 F. (about 20 minutes). Transfer pork to platter and tent with foil. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pour white wine over apple-onion mixture in skillet. Stir mixture over high heat until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Cut pork into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon apple-onion mixture onto plates, top with pork slices and serve. Makes 8 portions, or more.

Three ain't no flies on these recipes!

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