See Us Eat

Oakland "Streets Eats" Street Food Festival

2009-08-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

We decided to head over to the Oakland "Street Eats" street food festival yesterday, not sure what we'd find. It was way better than we anticipated. We'd never been to Jack London Square, and it was a very pleasant spot; right on the water, sunny, live band playing.

But the food was the star. We tried Gerard's Paella, which we have been wanting to try for a long time. It was truly delicious. Although we thought it would have been even better with a little spice added, we recognize that when you are cooking in a pan that easily feeds 100 people, you have to season to the lowest common denominator.

My great find of the day was LaLoo's Goat Milk Ice Cream. Since Ronin is allergic to dairy from cow's and I am breastfeeding, I haven't had any ice cream in about 7 month. I was so happy to see this stand! I didn't even know that goat milk ice cream existed. Also, it was surprisingly un-goaty. I was expecting a little tang, based on my experience with goat cheese. What I got was a lovely, deep chocolate, not-tangy-at-all, super creamy ice cream. Yum.

Another great moment was when we happened upon a tasting stand for Little Bug, a locally grown, organic, baby food company. Even Ronin got to taste something at this festival: peaches! Giao and I also tasted the fig baby food and it was tasty. Since I find it much more economical (and easy) to make my own baby food, I probably won't be purchasing any in the near future. However, if I were going to purchase baby food, this would be on the top of my list.

I think Giao took some pictures and we'll try to get those posted later.

Pineapple Jerky!?!

2009-07-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

We love jerky--any kind of jerky. But we'd never heard of fruit jerky before. We recently tried a product called "pineapple jerky". We weren't sure what to expect since we've only ever had jerky that was derived from an animal, not a plant. Essentially, it turned out to be dried pineapple, but without all of the added sugar and crap you find in most commercial dried fruit. This pineapple jerky was more like the essence of pineapple, but without the mess of a fresh pineapple. It was nice and tart and not cloying at all. And delightfully chewy. It was pretty darn tasty. I'd eat it again. In fact, I demolished all the samples in about 5 minutes.

Jerky.com also sells regular beef and turkey jerky. But what I really want to try next are their more interesting jerkys, like venison, elk, buffalo, ostrich and...wait for it...BACON jerky. Man, bacon jerky just sounds amazing.

(Full disclosure: we were sent free samples from jerky.com.)

Baby Hiatus

2009-02-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

We had a baby and the blog has been taking a backseat, and probably will for a while. But we'll be back at some point.

Fabulous Meal at Chez Panisse Cafe, Berkeley, CA

2009-01-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

My family was in town for the holidays and we thought it would be fun to go to Chez Panisse. Although I called a month in advance (and they only take reservations one month in advance), by the time I called they were all booked on the days we could come for the restaurant, so we made a reservation in the cafe instead. The cafe was still delicious and everyone really enjoyed their meals. When all was said and done, including drinks, the bill was about 15 per person.

Blood Orange, Fennel and Olive Salad
This was simple and delicious. The sweetness of the oranges truly complemented the anise notes of the fennel and the bright, dill infused, dressing was an inspired addition.

Serrano Ham and Cheese Pizzeta
Not sure why this was labeled in the diminutive form, because it was quite large for an appetizer. Anyhow, it was very good. Chez Panisse has some of the best pizza outside of New York, complete with a crispy thin crust.

Stuffed Squid in Ink Sauce with Artichoke Salad and Beets
The squid were very tender and the sides were interesting and tasty.

Stinging Nettle and Ricotta Pizza
This was another tasty pizza, with a super crispy crust. For some reason, despite falling into a nettle patch as a child, I'm always drawn to eating nettles.

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Whipped Cream and Pistachio
This was super chocolately and very rich. It should have been served with more whipped cream.

Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 3
Service: 2

Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, California 94709

Miso Udon with Beef

2009-01-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Thirty-nine cent packages of instant udon are a great thing to have around. For this quick meal, I simply made a quick miso soup, then added the instant udon and sliced of leftover grilled tri-tip. This week I seem to be reinventing leftovers all over the place.

Upscale Mexican at Maya, San Francisco, CA

2009-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

I'd been to Maya once before and hadn't been tempted to go back. But it's close to my work and I went with a coworker. It was a bit better than I remembered, but still quite expensive for Mexican food.

Guacamole $9
The guacamole was tasty, if a bit salty. It didn't stop us from eating it all, though.

Skirt Steak Torta $13
Once I took 1/2 the bread off, this was a tasty sandwich, although, it necessitated being eaten with a knife and fork. The fried potatoes were surprisingly tasty.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 1

Maya
303 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Pretty Good Thai at Osha, San Francisco, CA

2009-01-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

After some football watching at the bar, we headed to Osha next door for a quick meal before going home.

Spring Rolls $9
These were just ok. The wrapper was a bit thick.

Spicy Catfish $16
This was a tad sweet, but overall, very tasty.

Shrimp Paste Fried Rice $12
This is better at the Tenderloin location. For some reason at this location they add frozen peas and carrots, which is just weird.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 2
Service: 1

Osha Thai
149 2nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94105

Pasta with Lamb Ragu and Cucumber-Tomato Salad

2009-01-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

This was a quick meal that reinvented some leftover lamb stew. Alexis simply reheated the lamb stew and tossed it with some pasta. The salad was simply cucumbers and tomatoes, tossed with a homemade vinaigrette.

Peach-Dijon Lamb Chops with Parmasan Green Beans

2009-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Use of the George Foreman makes this meal super-quick to get on the table.

Peach-Dijon Lamb Chops
-8 lamb chops (cut from a rack)
-2 tb dijon
-3 tb peach nectar
-salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the lamb chops in a mixture of the other ingredients. Then cook on the George Foreman for about 5 minutes.

Parmasan Green Beans
-1 lb green beans, trimmed
-salt and pepper to taste
-handful of grated parmasan

Sautee the beans in a bit of olive oil over medium high heat until tender. Season with salt and pepper. When tender, plate and sprinkle on the cheese.

Bagels, and Whitefish, Too! at House of Bagels, San Francisco, CA

2009-01-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

We were craving some bagels and we heard House of Bagels had whitefish salad, so we decided to give it a shot. It was very satisfying.

Toasted Everything Bagel with Sundried Tomato Cream Cheese $3
Chewy, warm and tasty. The cream cheese was a little thin, strangely.

Toasted Everything Bagel with Whitefish, Tomato and Onion $5
You really can't get whitefish salad very many places in San Francisco, and this was a pleasant surprise.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1

House of Bagels
5030 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118

Health Code Violations

Simple and Delicious at Range, San Francisco, CA

2009-01-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

Although we hadn't been here in a while, we were happy to find that Range is still holding on in the crappy economy and serving up delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere. Also, although the waitress accidentally placed the wrong order for Giao (and he ate 1/2 of it before realizing), she graciously took it off the bill AND brought us a free dessert. This was a fabulous way to fix a service mistake.

Raw Yellowtail $12.50

The yellowtail was seasoned with pickled beets, Meyer lemon and tarragon and it was a nice, fresh way to start a meal

Duck with Spaetzle $25
Tender, juicy dusk and slightly crispy, yet yielding, spaetzle made this dish incredibly satisfying.

Fish with Beans, Baby Turnips and Baby Carrots $18, but gratuit
This was the dish that Giao didn't order, but he ate it and liked it anyway.

Butterscotch Pudding ($8, but gratuit)
Not a dessert I would have ordered, but it was quite delicious and opened my eyes to how great a well executed pudding can be.

Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 2
Service: 2

Range
842 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Winter Prix Fixe at Bar Bambino, San Francisco, CA

2009-01-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

Bar Bambino, in cahoots with Zagat, put together a beautiful winter prix frixe. Bar Bambino is definitely one of our new favorites. I think the 4 course meal was $55 per person.

Arancini
Perfect, tasty fried rice balls.

Pickled Trout with Greens
The fish was fresh and light.

Christmas Salad
This was an interesting combo of oranges, fennel, capers and pomegranate that worked really well and was quite beautiful.

Meat Ravioli in Broth
The pasta is freshly made and the filling was dense and hearty.

Lobster Ravioli with Red Sauce
These tasted less like seafood than I would have imagined, but they were still delicious.

Beef Stuffed with Pork
Meat stuffed with meat sounded like a bit much, but the flavors really melded and this was much lighter than imagined.

Stuffed Halibut
The fish was well cooked and the stuffing was flavorful.

Trio of Gratins
These gratins, brocolli, fennel and potato, were all equally delicious. They were tender and creamy and well seasoned.

Chocolate-Chestnut Pudding with Whipped Cream
This was a nice, not-too-sweet, way to end the meal. My only complaint would be that there should have been more pudding and less chestnut puree.

Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 2
Service: 2

Bar Bambino
2931 16th St
San Francisco, CA

Pig Soup

2008-12-04T22:37:00.001-08:00

We had some leftover pork, so I chopped it up and added it to a simple veggie/bean soup.

-1 onion, diced
-4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
-8 stalks celery, diced
-5 cans chicken broth
-1 lb leftover roasted pork

-1 cup mixed dry beans and lentils
-pepper to taste

Sautee the veggies in some olive oil in a deep pot until beginning to color. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add all the other ingredients. Simmer for about an hour, until the beans are tender.

Lamb Chops and Brussel Sprouts

2008-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Quick and easy, with leftover brussel sprouts.

Lamb Chops
-8 lamb chops
-2 tb dijon
-1/4 cup peach nectar
-salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the lamb chops in the other ingredients for about an hour. Then grill for about 5 minutes in the George Foreman.

Thankgiving at Home

2008-12-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

Another delicious Thanksgiving at home.

We kind of got carried away and forgot to photograph the pies before we dug into them...

Super Smooth Pumpkin Pie
I don't like pumpkin pie, but this one seemed like a hit last year, so I used it again this year.

-1 recipe pie crust (below)
-15 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-2 ts each ground ginger and cinnamon
-1 ts nutmeg
-1/2 ts salt
-1 and 1/3 cup half and half
-3 eggs, beaten
-1 ts vanilla extract

In a sauce pot, combine the pumpkin and spices over low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. This mellows the spices a bit. Dump the mixture into the food processor and puree for a minute. Add the half and half while pureeing, then the vanilla, then the eggs, one by one. Pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced

Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.

Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
A friend brought this, so I don't have the recipe, but I should ask her for it because it was absolutely delicious.

Classic Apple Pie

Apple Pie

-2 crust recipes (below)
-6 apples, peeled and cored
-1 ts cinnamon
-1/4 cup sugar
-squeeze of lemon

Toss the apples with the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and set aside while you pre-bake the crust. Bake bottom crust on 350, pressed into a pie pan for 10-15 minutes, until just beginning to color. Remove from oven and add the apple mixture. Roll out the other batch of dough and place over the top of the apples, pressing into the edges. Trim excess dough. Poke in several places with a knife or fork to allow for steam to escape. If you do not do this, your pie may explode in the oven. Bake on 35 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced

Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Super decadent and always a crowd pleaser.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
-1 recipe pie crust (see Apple Pie above)
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 ts vanilla extract
-1 pinch salt

Combine the sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a partially baked pie shell and bake on 375 for 45-50 minutes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Apples
This was a new recipe and the tartness of the apples really took the starchy edge off the sweet potatoes.

-5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in large chunks
-4 apples, peeled and cubed
-1/2 stick butter
-1 cup cream
-salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until fork tender. In the baking dish, bake the apples for about 40 minutes on 350, until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Brussel sprouts are a favorite veggie of mine for the holidays, although I hated them as a child. This was a tasty, bright rendition.

-3 lbs brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 cup grated parmesan
-salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, sautee the brussel sprouts on medium. When brussel sprouts are tender and slightly caramelized, season with the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Sausage-Sourdough Stuffing

-1 loaf sourdough, cubed
-6 sausages
-8 stalks celery, diced
-3 carrots, peeled and diced
-1 onion, diced
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 can chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only

Remove sausage from casings and sautee until browned, breaking up the sausage into small bits while cooking. Remove the sausage from the pan. In the same pan sautee the onions, carrot and celery until translucent. Pour the egg and broth on the bread and stir to coat. Add the sausage, thyme and veggies to the bread mixture. Spead the mixture in a large baking pan bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes, until crust is nice and brown.

Roasted Root Veggies with Pomegranite
A friend made a root veggie salad with pomegranite last year and I decided to riff on that for this year. The brightness of the pomegranite really contrasts nicely with the earthiness of the root veggies.

-seeds of 1 pomegranite
-5 medium beets, peeled and diced
-4 parsnips, peeled and diced
-4 turnips, peeled and diced
-salt and pepper to taste

Spread the diced veggies on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on 375 for about and hour, or until tender. Toss with pomegranite seeds and serve.

Dinner Rolls
This is Alexis' mom's recipe and these rolls are always a hit.

-1 pint milk
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 package yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 and 1/2 ts salt
-1/2 ts baking soda
-1 ts baking powder
-flour (there is no predetermined amount, read recipe below)

Scald the milk and remove the film from the top. Add the butter and the sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve. When milk is cool to the touch, add the egg and stir to combine. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, wait 10 minutes, and add it to the mixture. Then add enough flour to make a thin batter. Let this rise on the counter, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add the salt, baking powder, the baking soda and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and store in the refridgerator for 24 hours before using. Pull off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cheddar Chive Biscuits
We decided to call these "biscuits" this year instead of "scones". I think that did the trick, although we've always liked these, no matter what they are called.

-3 cups flour
-1 tb baking powder
-1 tb sugar
-2 ts salt
-1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
-2 cups grated cheddar
-2 cups heavy cream

Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the cream and stir until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more cream to get a dough to form. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a several times, until the dough is smooth. Separate the dough into 2 parts and form each into a disc about 1 in thick. Cut each disc into 8 trianuglar pieces. Spread out the pieces on a large, greased cookie sheet and bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
You really can't go wrong with bacon.

-1 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped
-6 slices bacon, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-pepper to taste

Sautee the bacon until crispy. Drain out some of the fat. Add in the garlic and green beans and sautee until tender. Season with pepper.

Whole Roasted Pig
We decided to have another Thanksgiving sans turkey because, really, no one likes turkey. This was the smalled pig we could order from Toon Kee, at about 20 lbs and $140. The meat was very moist, tender and flavorful and there was a lot of it. The skin was crispy and perfectWe sent people home with bags of pork and we ate it for days. It was also really nice to order the pig and just pick it up down the street right before we were ready to serve dinner. This allowed us full use of the oven for the rest of the food.

Lettuce Cups

2008-12-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

We hadn't had lettuce cups in a while and they were quite tasty. Click here for the basic recipe I use, but lettuce cups are a really great meal for using up odds and ends in the fridge. I always include some type of ground meat, chopped nuts of some sort, water chestnuts and/or bean sprouts for crunch, and whatever veggies or greens I happen to have lying around.

Chupaqueso Taco Salad at Home

2008-11-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

It had been a while since we had made use of the chupaqueso, so we decided to make some chupaqueso taco salads. We only had mozzerella, however, instead of the Mexican blend cheese we usually use, and it did not crisp up as well as the blend does. It was still tasty, however.

Go Go Cafe and Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

2008-11-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

We were lured into this Chinese place around the corner by the big sign for a crab special for $11.99. It turned out to be a quite tasty place.

Sauteed Crab $11.99
The crab was fresh and sweet, but the sauce was slightly gelatinous.

Fried Udon with Black Pepper and Beef $8
The noodles were more sauteed than fried, which was a good thing. This was a satisfying, simple dish.

Hot and Sour Soup $8
This enormous bowl of soup was really very tasty. The sour came from actual pickled veggies, and while I don't really know if it was authentic, it seemed that way.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1

Go Go Cafe
1830 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122

No Website
Health Code Violations

Spicy Shrimp and Mustard Greens with Noodles

2008-11-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Spicy and satisfying when served with ramen noodles.

-1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
-5 fresh peppers, seeded and chopped
-1/2 onion, chopped
-5 cloves garlic
-2 ts thai chili paste
-salt to taste
-1 lb shrimp, peeled
-6 tomatoes

-noodles, boiled

Puree the peppers, onion, tomatoes and garlic in a food processor. Sautee the puree over medium heat in a large pan in a bit of oil. After a few minutes, add the salt, chili paste and mustard greens and sautee until a thick sauce has formed. Add the shrimp and sautee a few more minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Serve over cooked noodles.

Lunch at The Butler and Chef, San Francisco, CA

2008-11-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

Although I work very close to South Park, I had never been to the Butler and Chef, a French cafe on the park. There were not that many things on the menu that both sounded good to me, and that I could eat, given the restrictions of pregnancy. The service was fast and pleasant and the food was decent.

Croque Monsieur $10
I decided on a classic, the croque monsieur, a hot ham sandwich. It was pretty good, but a bit soggy.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 1

The Butler and Chef
155A South Park St
San Francisco, CA 94107

Health Code Violations

Steak, Salad and Stuffed Tomatoes

2008-11-28T19:13:00.000-08:00

A simple, weeknight dinner.

The steak is simply marinated in worcestershire and steak seasoning, then pan fried in a bit of butter and oil for approx 4 minutes on each side (for med-rare).

The salad is just some lettuce simply dressed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

The stuffed tomatoes are a new favorite of mine.

Crab!

2008-11-23T19:38:00.002-08:00

A crab steamed in beer with garlic butter and lemon. I think this may be Giao's perfect meal.

Crepes with Nutella and Strawberries

2008-11-23T19:38:00.001-08:00

I used to make crepes all the time in college; sweet crepes, savory crepes, all sorts. I haven't made them in a while because we try to not eat too much in the way of refined carbs. However, we were having our neighbors over for brunch, and I've sort of thrown all eating restrictions out the window during this pregnancy, so I decided that crepes would be the perfect bunch food. These were as good as I remembered, and I am still very good at making perfectly round crepes.

-2 tb melted butter
-1 egg
-1 cup flour
-1 1/2 cups milk
-pinch salt

Whisk all the ingredients together and let sit for about 20 minutes. You want a really thin batter, but one that still stays together. I usually start out with 1 cup of milk and then keep adding a little at a time until I get the right consistency. In a large frying pan, melt a bit of butter over medium high. Place about 1/2 a ladel's worth of batter in the center of the hot, buttered pan and quickly smooth out the batter in outward concentric circles starting at the center until you have a thin, perfectly round crepe. When you can see that the edges are beginning to brown in the slightest (about 30 seconds), flip the crepe. After about 15 seconds flip the crepe out onto a plate and continue the process until all of the batter is gone. Spread with nutella, fold in half and then in half again and top with fresh strawberries.

Vietnamese Sandwich at Irving Cafe and Deli, San Francisco, CA

2008-11-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

Irving Cafe and Deli is just a few blocks away from us and while it's hours are a little strange (it closes daily at 6), the food is delicious and it is very cheap. The entire space is about 200 square feet and even so, they do have a few seats at a counter. The ambiance is not great, but the food and prices can't be beat.

Thit Nuong (BBQ Pork) Bahn Mi $4
This is the most expensive sandwich at Irving Cafe and Deli and it is delicious and packed with meat. The other sandwiches range in price starting at about $2.50. This is one of the best deals around.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1

Irving Cafe and Deli
2146 Irving St
San Francisco, CA 94122

Health Code Violations
No Website

Dinner at Tu Lan, San Francisco, CA

2008-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Not only do we love Tu Lan for it's delicious food, we also love Tu Lan because it is so cheap. Our total bill, including a few beers and tax, was $40. That means that the 4 of us were all stuffed with a delicious feast for under $10 per person.

Grilled Pork
This is my favorite dish. The pork is juicy and flavorful and perfect when dipped in the sweet-sour fish sauce.

Beef Salad
Cabbage, beef and svaory sauce. Yum.

Fried Whole Fish
This fish is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and the fresh ginger sauce is quite delicious.

Crab Asparagus Soup
This soup is one of our favorite dishes. It was a little more gelatinous than usual, but it was still amazing.

Shrimp Rolls
A tasty way to start a meal.

Fried Rolls
These are bigger than usual and were served without the lettuce for wrapping, which was a little weird, but they were very good.

Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1

Tu Lan
8 Sixth Street

San Francisco, CA 94103