Chrysanthemum

Christmas Care Package for Law Students

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:04:00 +0000

My college best friend is currently in the Midwest with her other half studying for their law degree. I caught the traveling bug due to them. We've traveled to several big cities together and my most memorable time was when I stayed in Washington D.C. for a week. She interned at a newspaper publication and I got a chance to tour the area. I tried Ethiopian food for the first time (which i immediately loved) and took in the National Mall sights.

Anyways, it's finals and Christmas season and since I was baking cookies I thought it would be nice to send a care package. I looked around for ideas to send in a care package so here is my list:

Homemade cookies
Snowman cups (because I was afraid a mug might break) to fill...
Starbucks VIA coffee and Peppermint mocha
Various teas like chamomile
Starbucks gift card
Chocolate covered coffee beans
Lizano sauce (from my trip to Costa Rica, a great condiment for rice and beans)
Pumpkin flavored Hershey's kisses
Chocolate Santa
Instant Chinese milk tea
A small nutcracker ornament
Reindeer antlers for his and her

I think the best part was wrapping the interior of the box and I trimmed the edges with candy cane garland. It makes the care package a little more festive without looking too blah. I got a happy phone call from the couple when the package arrived.

Bacon Banana Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:10:00 +0000

When I first met Oz many years ago. He often raved about his mom's banana bread. She lives in another state and will send him loafs of banana bread for occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

I decided to combine Oz's favorites in cookie form - banana bread and reese's pieces (I added bacon bits for my own pleasure.) He loves his mom's banana bread because it is very moist, not too sweet, and san nuts.

I baked these cookies for the 2nd annual Food Blogger Cookie Swap.

Bacon Banana Reese's Pieces Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart

*The bacon is entirely optional. I added them to make them "Elvis"

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 1/4 Flour
1/2 Cup soften butter
1 egg
6 TBSP light brown sugar
6 TBSP sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ripe banana lightly mashed
3/4 cup of chopped resse's pieces peanut butter cups

6-7 bacon strips (optional)

Cream the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, and sugar. In a separate bowl mixed the flour, baking soda and salt.

Mix the creamed butterand flour mixture until full incorporated. Next mix the banana and lastly gently mix the Reese's Pieces.

Drop the cookies onto a greased sheet pan and bake for 10-12 mins.

*Lay bacon on a sheet pan and lightly sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 225 degrees for about 35 mins or until bacon is crispy and brown. Chop into small pieces.

*Press bacon pieces into tops of the cookies before putting into the oven.

A few tips (after baking over 8 dozens) - cream the butter mixture for at least 5 mins, be conservative with the cookie size pre-baked because they really expand, and the riper the banana the more moist the cookie.

The cookies have the essence of banana bread but in a cookie form. I also gave them to my friends and family and they loved it. Of course, the most important critic is Oz because I made them especially for him.

Spent a Day using the OrderAhead App

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:04:00 +0000

I was invited to use the OrderAhead App to experience what the company has to offer. OrderAhead is about simply clicking on the app, choose a restaurant, click on the dish, and the food will be hot and ready when I arrive. Basically, OrderAhead is reinventing the ordering experience to be easy, fast, and convenient; and as a frequent diner I was delighted to try it out.

The stars aligned and I did not have to work the same day the San Francisco Giant's had the ticker parade to celebrate the World Series win. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to use the OrderAhead and it merged seamlessly into my day.

My friends and I dressed in black and orange and began the day maneuvering around crowds, tiptoeing for a better glimpse at the baseball players, and holding in my hunger pangs as the afternoon closed in. When the parade was over, we squished our way through thousands of fans I whipped out my phone and opened the OrderAhead app. I decided on a lobster club at Prime Dip and I was ready to pick up the food in 15 mins.

Lobster Club

My lobster club was extra special and delicious after a morning of excitement and laughing with baseball fans. The best part was not having to wait to get to the destination, decide on my order, and wait for my food.

We spent the rest of the day shopping in downtown, sipping coffee in Union Square while people watching. After a long day, I wanted to go home for dinner and hang out with my dog. Again, I quickly whipped out my app and order dinner from Marlowe which is a stone's throw away from downtown.

Gourmet take-out dinner from Marlowe

When I arrived at Marlowe, the joint was hopping and I saw several guest wait over 30 mins for a table. I just walked by them and picked up my food and was on my way home. I had bone marrow (my favorite), baked oysters, beef tartare, and a burger. I was chowing on gourmet food watching Louie on DVR and my dog nozzle by my feet. I would say it was perfect ending to an exhilarating day!

I want you to try the OrderAhead app and experience what I did. For my readers on Chrysanthemum use promo code OA4BC and receive a $5 dining credit when you sign up. The promo code is case sensitive and expires in two weeks 12/10/12. (So do it quick!) Why spend any more time needed to order food when life is about enjoying food like this...

Thorny Rose Wine Launch Party at the Mission Bowling Club

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:08:00 +0000

Strike it Baby!

I was invited to the Thorny Rose Wine launch on November 15, 2012 held at The Mission Bowling Club. I was beyond ecstatic because I've been wanting to go to The Mission Bowling Club for dinner and do a little Fred Flintstone's twinkle toes. Thorny Rose promised a night of bowling, jenga, food, Creme Brulee cart, and, of course, Thorny Rose's wine.

We were welcomed in the very dapper remodeled warehouse turned restaurant and bowling alley. I began the night with a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon which was full bodied, round, and with berry notes. We immediately signed up to bowl and the night really began to take off - the crowd was active and buzzing with energy. The kitchen was pumping out bites of their famous burger, fried chicken, crispy fries with cheese, beet crostini, and I was fluctuating between gutter balls and strikes.

Creme brulee and Jenga

After completing our ten frames, we went upstairs for dessert at the Creme brulee cart. The creme brulee cart really speaks San Francisco, one of the pioneers using social media and the beginning of the street food frenzy. The sweet creme brulee lady (no pun intended) whipped out the torch to caramelize the crust and with a tap of my spoon I was in vanilla custard heaven.

Instagram time!

DIY bracelet charms at Thorny Rose

I ended the night with making my own arm candy (aka bracelets) and my date played jenga. There was also a station to print out photos that are uploaded onto instagram when tagged with #FeelingThorny or #MissionBowling -- such a cool and interactive concept.

"Thorny Rose; noun, a metaphor for life. With modern packaging, approachable positioning and bright-fruit, refreshing, medium-bodied style, Thorny Rose encourages you to enjoy wine drinking on your own terms"

Thorny Rose's launch party really embodies all of these characteristics, the wine really shone at the party. I had a fabulous time showing off my horrible bowling skills, nibbling on bites, sipping on some reds and whites, and adding more arm candy to my collection.

By the way, my favorite of the four wine varities was the Sauvignon Blanc, it was crisp, clean, with apple bites. I think I will serve Thorny Rose Sauvignon Blanc with green tea creme brulee at my next dinner party.

Brunches in New York City - Locanda Verde and Marea

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:39:00 +0000

Pastries of the day

We arrived Saturday early afternoon in Tribeca where there was a street fair. We manuvered our way pass children in makeup walking on stilts, a big red firetruck with firemen in their suits, and kids running around with their face painted. What a great way to start off the day.

After feeling like we got caught in a New York moment movie (such as You've Got Mail) we stepped our way into Locanda Verde.

The restaurant outfitted in many big windows the natural light was flowing like a waterfall. We quickly ordered the breakfast pastry plate. I was told not to miss Chef Karen DeMasco's baking, the plate had a muffin, donut, and a crumb cake.

Sheep's Milk Ricotta

Another not to miss item was the Sheep's Milk Ricotta served with truffle honey and brunt orange toast. The ricotta was light, sweet, fluffy, and then the contrast with the very crunchy toast, and lastly with the flavor explosion of the orange scent and slightly smokiness from the truffle honey. Yes, it was a not to be missed dish.

Shrimp and Grits

Hash and Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

The eggs were perfectly poached with the slow sexy yolk oozing onto my plate. If I lived in the neighborhood I can see myself coming in the mornings drinking a cup of coffee with their pastry of the day and getting my fix of Reddit before heading out to work.

Marea

Uni Lardo

Three years ago, I was showing a New York blogger around San Francisco and she said her current favorite place is Marea. She was also seated next to Meryl Streep when she had the bone marrow and octopus fusilli dish. Then a few months later Marea was all over the map - on blogs, media blogs, magazines, TV shows and more. The hype for me was building...

Lobster burrata

So about three years later I finally get to dine at Marea. I ordered everything on the most talked list - uni lardo, lobster burrata, and bone marrow and octopus fusilli. Because of the constant praise I did not expect less and I was right. Everything was fantastic. The succession of dishes worked well too, the uni lardo was rich but a small bite so it revved up our appetite. Next was the burrata lobster which was light and clean. Last was the pasta dish and it was sweet from the red wine and octopus. The octopus give it a crunchy bite and finished with chunks of bone marrow throughout the plate.

The restaurant was formal in earth light tones. The wide tables were covered in linen, comfortable chairs and fresh flower arrangements. The big windows was a great backdrop to see people coming and going to Central Park. It was nice to finish brunch and walk Central Park with scences of people in various stages of lives: joggers, mom and kids, tourist with maps, locals, teenagers texting, and cars swerving around jailwalkers.

Snacking in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:28:00 +0000

My best friend and I travel very well together. We did a spread sheet for our short 4 day trip to New York City and scheduled our trip around places to eat, shop, and sight see. I think we accomplished a lot in a few days which included some major dinner meals at Eleven Madison Park, Minetta Tavern, Soto, and Torrisi. Not to mention we were able to attend a roof top bar, a beer garden, a club and so much shopping at Soho, 5th avenue, Meatpacking district, Eataly and Chelsea Market. Thus, here is a photo essay with captions of places we stopped in between our shopping, sightseeing, and dinner meals...

9th street espresso. Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. Cereal soft serve and crack pie at Milk.

Big Gay Ice Cream - I thought there would be a variety of ice cream flavors but it was soft serve with toppings. We choose a coconut one and an original soft serve dipped in a chocolate shell.
Milk bar - Who hasn't hear about David Chang on blogs, TV, and traditional media outlets. I finally got to try the fame cereal soft serve which was fantastic and ingenious. I brought home the crack pie and cookies. They were devoured quickly, the crack pie is reminisce of a Vietnamese dessert. I will take a crack at making the Crack Pie for Thanksgiving.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack - The fast food burger world always pits Five Guys vs In-n-Out vs Shake Shack in the battle ring. I think each belongs in their own category of deliciousness. After walking the HighLine we stopped at one of the many Shake Shack locations. Our NY native friend schooled us about Pat LaFrieda meat company and Shake Shack's meat own blend. (Pat LaFrieda supplies to Minetta Tavern's Black label burger too.) Shack's burger was simply divine with the potato bun and meat juice dripping onto my hands. We didn't miss Ted Drewes concrete either, a introduction before I actually get to visit St. Louis.

Breakfast at Pastis. Sangria and Uni Panini at El Quinto Pino.

Pastis - After our red eye flight, our first meal was at Pastis which was fun place to people watch and eat Balthazar's bread.
El Quinto Pino - Our NY native friend penciled this place in our spread sheet because of the uni panini. After a stroll in the neighborhood, we stopped for a pitcher of Sangria and snack. The uni sandwich is about $15 but very light on the uni.

Lady M's crepe cake

Lady M - After shopping along 5th ave we stopped for afternoon tea at Lady M. The minimalist bakery was tiny with just as tiny tables. We ordered the mille-feuille and crepe cake. The crepe cake stands up to hype. - soft, creamy, bouncy, light, fluffy, and custardy - what clouds are made of.

Laudree. Kougin Amann at Dominque Ansel. Sweet Revenge. Rich to Riches.

Laudree - The only outpost in America so the lines were long. I grabbed a couple of dozens of macarons and jams to bring home. Situated next to the Celine store where I window shopped a 20K+ bag and across the street was the Louboutin store where there was a line to go into shop!
The kougin amann at Dominque Ansel was a dynamite surprise. The "croissant on steroid" was sticky and buttery.
Sweet Revenge - Since we arrived early for our dinner reservation at Minetta Tavern, we grabbed a drink at Sweet Revenge. A cupcake place where they are paired with beers.

Margarita Pizza

After unsuccessfully trying to get a seat at a few speakeasy bars we went to Pegu for cocktails. Our native NY friend told us it was one of the first places to make specialized cocktails. After our nightcaps, our friend brought us to Artichoke Basilles, he said it is one of the best pizza margaritas in New York City. The crust was thin and crispy with fresh tasting ingredients.

Doughnut Plant

Doughnut Plant - I couldn't wait to try the creme brulee donut and it was indeed excellent. The sweet custard housed in a donut and a torched sugar crust just like the dessert. The other donuts were not as memorable and since we came in the early evening the donuts were not very fresh.

Many Favorites at Redd - Yountville, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:25:00 +0000

The crispiest chicken skin

Redd is my staple when I visit wine country. One attraction at Redd is their dog friendly outdoor seating area. Redd is located in the quaint, cozy, yet bustling neighborhood anchored by the Thomas Keller empire; Redd's interior reflects the cozy, brightness of Yountville. If I had to style Redd into fashion, she is like Calvin Klein always perfect in the simple classic form - T-shirt and jeans. I've brought friends, family, dogs, and dates to Redd because "nothing comes between me and..." Redd.

Pork belly buns. Chicken. Arancini risotto and lamb ragu.

For me, the other attractions at Redd- the trio foie gras plate (pre-foie gras ban), excellent service and the crispiest chicken. Ever.

My favorite dish of all time and the many times I ordered it - Trio foie gras

Richard Reddington has a way of perfecting crunchy and crispy. The dishes we always order are the scallops and chicken. I don't usually like ordering chicken because it can be dry but Redd's chicken skin is so crispy it borderlines chicharron and the meat is flavorful and juicy. The chicken dish is usually served with liver mousse - perfection.

Another favorite and always with a fantastic seared color - Scallops

Duck confit and lentils. Prosciutto arugula flatbread.

Hamachi tartare and fried rice. Seared scallops

In the blog post I included pictures of my multiple visits which also includes desserts of Pastry Chef Nicole Plue before she won the James Beard award for Best Pastry Chef and left to Cyrus to showcase her pastry skills in a tasting menu format. Redd always has my favorites on the menu but the rest of the menu also has something new and in-season. I order my favorites and venture to try different dishes every time.

If I ever tear myself away from dining at Redd when I am in Yountville I want to try their sister restaurant Redwood.

Nicole Plue's dessert - Peanut butter milk chocolate gianduja, peanut honeycomb parfait and Peach.
Huckleberry and Goat Sorbet

Cocktails and Confections at Madrona Manor - Healdsburg, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Jewel Tone Cocktails

Chef Fimbrez and Mallgren

Chef Jesse Mallgren

A few weeks ago I was invited to Madrona Manor for a Cocktails and Confection reception to showcase new Pastry Chef Emmanuel "Manny" Fimbrez's desserts. In attendance was also Excuetive Chef Jesse Mallgren with a 13 year tenure and Mixologist Pam Bushling. While being encased in the natural beauty of Healdsburg the Manor itself was handsome and grand. (I don't want to forget to mention the owner was also on site and coordinated well with the Manor's handsome and grand characteristic.) Albeit, the physically beauty, the team of Mallgren, Fimbrez, and Bushling gave an aura of excellent chemistry. A feeling I have not have in awhile while dining.

Running late due to work, I arrived just in time for the first course pairing of Cheese Please - sheep milk, honey, almonds and cocktail Lola - watermelon, Herradura, silver tequila, Don Miguel Mezcal, lime, Hiwa Kai lave salt. Seated next to one of my favorite blogger Sandy of Foodhoe we started the afternoon. Chef Fimbrez started in July 2012 and was last at Saison, which was my best meal in 2011. One dish that stuck out to my companions and I at Saison was the cheese course.

Cheese Please

I wondered when I will get to taste that dish again, low and behold Chef Fimbrez had a similar version at Madrona Manor. Cheese Please was brioche piped with sheep's milk sprinkle in milk glass and honey. The milk glass depicting ridges like real shattered glass. I knew we were in for more visual avant garde dessert courses...

Milk and Cookies - dehydrated milk, liquid cookies paired with cocktail Pearsusian - estate-grown pears, ginger infused Junipero gin, lemon, Tempus Fugit Violet Liquor. On one side of the dish was liquid nitrogen milk infused with cookies and on the other side was dehryated milk cookies sandwiched with chocolate. The two almost dissipated upon mastication - light, airy, subtle in flavor and clean.

Milk and Cookies

Then we had Snap, Crackle, Pop - jasmin, puffed wild rice, orange blossom, rice ice cream paired with cocktail Basil Gimlet - Bombay Sapphire, estate-grown basil, lime. The meringue was infused with orange blossom. The rice ice cream was the stand out - Japanese rice seeped in the cream before delivering to the ice cream maker gave it a glutinous sensation between the lips. A texture in ice cream I have yet to experience and pretty amazing especially with the puffed wild rice. So many different levels of texture.

Snap, Crackle, Pop

When I have tasting menus, what keeps me alert and also at the same time revealing in the experience is texture. I can only imagine after the savory courses at Madrona Manor the mometumum is still kept up with the dessert part of the evening. This makes me want to try Madrona Manor's tasting menu for the full fledged experience.

The last course of the afternoon was Chocolate - basil, almonds paired with cocktail Casagrandes - house-made Limocello, Maker's Mark, ginger infused simple syrup, ginger beer. I was right about the avant garde plating, the chocolate dish was simply visually stunning. Chef Fimbrez saw dead oak and in his mind it equals to a plate. They cleaned the dead oak and dried them in the sun. The "dirt" is devil's food cake, piped chocolate cream and basil meringue.

Chocolate

The house mixologist Pam Bushling came out each time to explain the cocktails and her inspiration. The kitchen and bar are both inspired by the Manor's garden and the seasons. Bushling makes her own concoctions such as the Limocello that was part of our take-home gifts. The Lola was my favorite with the lava salt rimming the glass and the deep milk green of the Basil Gimlet. Bushling puts so much detail thought in her cocktails it is hard not to appreciate them.

Madrona Manor and Roses

Madrona Manor's Garden

We took a tour of the garden after the reception. We poked and peered through the sprouts, leaves, dirt, and flowers.

The current team at Madrona Manor is doing some fantastic things and really motivates me to plan a weekend in Sonoma. Pam told us about their Charles Dickens themed dinner in the month of December, whereas there are people who are dressed in the period costumes. In addition, if one attends the Charles Dickens dinner the hotel room is half off! What a great little secret to know. However, I hope to return sooner and since my sister's birthday is in November...it sounds like a plan...

Take home gifts - caramel popcorn, chocolate, Bushling's Limocello

A Few Getaway Days to Guanacaste, Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:40:00 +0000

The first night was magical. Sitting under the lights with tiki torches burning with the deep aqua blue sky fading into the night. The flight to Costa Rica was long and then it was a 45 minute shuttle to the JW Marriott from Liberia airport.

After a splash of cold water, a quick makeup retouch, and an outfit change we were ready for dinner. Everyone was in a good mood and dressed in vacation gear - Maxi dresses, Tommy Bahamas shirts and shorts.

Pina Coladas by the Infinity Pool

Costa Rica are about the excursions and baking in the sun by the infinity pool. I signed up for the Canopy Tour which includes zip lining and rafting. We also signed up to go horseback riding where we took the horses up the hill to the local Water Tower and back down by the beach.

We shuttled into the closest and tourist town: Tamarindo. The town is filled with young men and women on 'surfcations.' The few blocks of Tamarindo includes a Casino, clothing and jewelry shops, over-priced souvenirs, and restaurants.

Unfortunately, we took the concierge's advice and dined at El Coconut. As we approached the restaurant which was outfitted in Las Vegas style decor and had no locals dining I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a good experience. The seafood was overcooked and tough, our dining companion's shrimp was so overcooked the texture were like rubber bouncing balls which we couldn't even chew. Our lobster dishes were also overcooked, dry, and mealy. The seafood did not taste fresh and it is sacrilege to cook seafood this way. The prices were so ridiculously expensive, it cost even more than dining at a Michelin star restaurant in San Francisco. If the seafood was fresh and tasty then the price is justified but I would not recommend anyone to dine here.

Horrible dinner at El Coconut

We wanted to purchase Britt products such as coffee and chocolate to give as souvenirs to our friends. Instead of shopping at Tamarindo's souvenir shops, we took a short 3 min shuttle ride to the local Supermarket to stock up. We bought the coffee for a few bucks cheaper and also purchased Lizano's sauce and Cuban Cigars. Lizano sauce is a great discovery for me. It complements fantastically with black beans and rice and sunnyside eggs.

On our last day, we visited Tamarindo again to sit by the beach and admire all the handsome surfers. For lunch we dined at Nibbana, a restaurant where the tables are right on the beach. The prices were reasonable, although not a place for locals but much more in line with under $20/person. The food was surprising good.

Nibbana in Tamarindo, Costa Rica

The best meal was back at the JW Marriott Resort. Our colleagues went Sport Fishing at the crack of dawn and caught a healthy batch of Mahi Mahi. The resort's restaurant grilled the fish and accompanied the meal with black beans and rice and steamed vegetables. And of course, plenty of Lizano sauce for dinner. The meal was simple, fresh, and tasty; especially since it was caught by our colleagues. The night ended with a big bucket of Imperial beer by the pool.

When we first arrived, our local host told us that one US dollar can buy them a plate of black beans and rice AND a beer. So it puts the cost of living and work wages in perspective for Costa Ricans. Obviously, Costa Rica's national dish are black beans and rice. Our local host said it is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Baby Sprinkle (Shower) and DIY Personalized Baby Oneies

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 06:03:00 +0000

Red Velvet Cake and Cheesecake

This past weekend, my best friend and I co-hosted a Baby Sprinkle for our friend. This is her second child and she is having a girl! And naming her Emily so her nickname can be Emmy.

We decided to do a low-key, sweet, intimate, all-girls only, and served Parisian style food (including Mimosas!) Instead of playing cheesy games we opted for a DIY personalized baby oneies project.

Since we were throwing the Baby Sprinkle at the Mama-to-be's home I had to create a portable display for the baby onesies. After browsing Target for ideas I gathered a few items to put together the baby onesies display.

Croissants, Petite Fours, Mini cupcakes, Fruit Salad, Pasta Salad, Quiche

Favors: Grapefruit Slices from Fiona's Sweetshoppe in San Francisco

DIY Baby Onesies Display

Folding Foam Board Display
Baby theme wrapping paper
Ribbon
Flower Foam Cutouts
Pins
Double stick tape

Wrap the folding sides of the foam board. Instead of wrapping the entire board I did a simple scenario for the middle section of the foam board. I used the wrapping paper to cut out a sun, clouds, and grass area. I found some cute flower foam cutouts and stuck them in the middle with curling ribbon for dimension.

I used some heart print ribbons as the "clothing line" held onto the foam board with pins. We placed the display in front of the fireplace with baby oneies ranging from sizes 3 to 12 months. I bought a pack of non-toxic fabric markers and glitter squeeze bottles.

Baby Onesies Display w/o clothes

Baby Onesies Display with Clothes

Some people were reluctant to show their artistic skills. One guest claimed that even her stick figures are ugly. Other guests were really gung-ho about personalizing a baby onesie for Emily. I got the ball rolling with the pictures below. The kids were having a blast scribbling all over the onesies especially when we told the kids that Emily would be wearing the onesies.

I would suggest buying a prize and award it to the person with the most creative design. I think it would have been more energetic when people become competitive.

Original baby onesies design by Yours Truly

I decided she needed some blue eyeshadow

Vietnamese Che with Tropical Fruits and Jellies

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 18:36:00 +0000

The summer weather in San Francisco has been like a teenager's love life – one day hot, two days foggy, part-day sunny, and so forth. I like dessert recipes that do not require baking and if you check out my recipe page it reflects my dessert personality. We wanted something cool and refreshing for dessert but not cold on an ice cream level so Vietnamese che is perfect.

Vietnamese che (dessert) is basically a soupy dessert and can almost be consist of any of the usual Vietnamese dessert ingredients such as red bean, mung bean, fruits, jelly in a varieties of colors and flavors, kidney beans, and similar ingredients.

This recipe is very easy because almost everything is canned. We elected to use canned fruits because fresh tropical fruits are expensive and never really as good as the canned forms. Basically the recipe calls for a can opener and a spoon to mix. Anyone including Captain Hook can throw one together faster than Rachael Ray.

Che

1 20 oz can sliced Jackfruit

1 16 oz can Grass Jelly (sliced into cubes)

1 20oz can Lychees

1 20 oz can Logans

1 16 oz can Green Pandan Jelly

1 16 oz can Coconut Jelly

1 12 oz can Evaporated Milk

8 oz Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoon Condensed Milk

1 can Quail Eggs *optional

Drain each can and soak in water for a few minutes and re drain. Sliced the jellies into cubes if not pre-cut. Mixed everything together in a big bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 before serving or serve with ice cubes if used immediately. Spoon into pretty cups or bowls.

*Optional: Top each dessert cup with a few quail eggs

Topped with quail eggs

My sister likes her Vietnamese che with quail eggs which I never tried but she claims it to be wonderful. After much deliberation and “taste-tasting” and fulfilling my duties as a blogger, I can attest that eggs adds an richness to the dessert. The quail eggs give the dessert a little “something-something” in the background. The little “something-something” is quite delicious.

Tasting Menu and Jack Rose at Eleven Madison Park, New York

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:37:00 +0000

Jack Rose Cocktail: Apple brandy and frozen grenadine

Eleven Madison Park was our first dinner in New York City. Prior to visiting, our friend 'Patches' (a native New Yorker) asked me to comply a list of restaurants I would like to visit and he would take care of the reservations. I had Roberta's tasting menu and Eleven Madison Park as 'must-visit' places. And it turned out Patches' friend worked in the pastry department.

Thus, we had the opportunity to visit the 'Observation Table' in the kitchen. We opted for the tasting menu with the now famous table side craved whole Lavender Muscovy duck. After our succession of canapes we were invited into the kitchen.

Construction of the Jack Rose (video)

We saw a demostration of the cocktail Jack Rose equipped with hard liquor, liquid nitrogen, and grenadine. After the Ooos and Ahhhss we returned to start our tasting menu. Earlier, when we were welcomed to Eleven Madison Park we were greeted with a box ribboned in a bowtie, where we unwound the string to find mini savory black and white cookies, a signature New York cookie; and just like Eleven Madison Park whereas the restaurant is distinctively New York City. The theme is later reemphasized with an egg cream soda and at the end of the night with mini sweet black and white cookies.

Capanes (top to bottom) : apple thyme tea, quail egg, peanut butter, yogurt pop, panisse, clam bake, bread with cow and goat butter

My most memorable dishes of the night was the foie gras and goat cheesecake. The foie gras is cured and sliced thinly, sliced almost like a deli meat. It had a scooped ice cream texture, refined and where it had a stuck-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth quality.

The goat cheesecake was served with layer of panna cotta, orange sorbet and sprinkled with goat cheese meringue. The meringue was light, smooth and a refreshing addition to the panna cotta. The cheesecake was the favorite of the table.

While we were in the kitchen, Patches' pastry friend said she would send out different desserts for each person so we can get a taste of everything. The dessert that stuck out was the Chamomile with coconut sorbet, lime and jalapeno. The calm nature of the flavor was revved with a small kick of spice. We ordered the siphon coffee to end the night. Just watching our server make the coffee is a treat, she explained the process and even told us about cold spots in the room where it can take twice as long to siphon the coffee.

Left to Right: Cauliflower, Whey, Foie Gras, Cheese Course, Egg Cream Soda, Lobster

The night tied back together with a sweet version of the black and white cookies, like reading a book the end was reaffirmed to a satisfying conclusion.

As we parted from Eleven Madison Park, Patches told us a brief history of the building. The Eleven Madison building is registered as an National Historic building and was planned as a 100 story building but the Great Depression happened and construction stopped at 30 stories. I turned around once more to admire the building at the 1 am hour as I got back into the car to enjoy the rest of New York.

Lavender Muscovy Duck, Goat Cheesecake, 3 desserts, Siphon Coffee

*photos are taken with my iPhone so please excuse the quality.

So in love with a Girl and a Goat, Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:01:00 +0000

One month prior to my visit to Chicago I tried to make a reservation to the Girl and the Goat and they were fully booked up. I did not watch Stephanie Izard on Top Chef but I did follow her story on Chicago Eater with all the hurdles they had pass to open the restaurant. The style of food served at the Girl and the Goat is up my alley - meaty, fried eggs, offal, rich, light and deep flavors all at the same time.

Oysters

We took a chance and did a walk-in, the hostess told us the bar was first come first serve so within 15 mins we conveyed two cozy spot at the bar area. I was ecstatic because my second choice was Avec and the wait isn't any better over there. The place was bustling with laughter and pouring with good vibes all around.

Ham Frites

Grilled Baby Octopus

Hiramasa crudo

We wanted to order almost everything on the menu but narrowed it down to a few dishes that contained our favorite ingredients. The dish I would eat once a week if I lived in Chicago (because I would eat at The Girl and Goat once a week!) would be the Wood Fired Walter's Chicken - half of a roasted chicken served with yuzu harissa, fried pickles, brussel slaw and grilled nann. I like to wrap my own food whether it is fijitas, mu shu, or dosa, so this dish really spoke to me, especially with the sauces and toppings.

Wood Fire Walter's Chicken

The roasted pig face was divine and everything it promised from a pig's face - gelatinous, thick, sumptuous meat with a gooey egg yolk layered over each bite. The crispy potato matches gave contrast to the heaviness of the meat.

Roasted Pig Face

We were stuffed to the gills at the end of the night but the server caught our attention when she mentioned "foie gras marshmallow" and we had to order the chocolate cake. Very decadent, heavy, and oozing richness like Blue Ivy's trust fund.

Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream and Foie Gras Marshmallow

Alinea in October (second visit), Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:03:00 +0000

My first visit to Alinea was my best dining experience. Of course "best" is subjective because ripping crawfishes apart with my hands are also one of my favorite ways to dine. However, in terms of being blown away by surprises and the unexpected, Alinea was a grandstand.

This time I dined with my sister and I was very excited for her to share the same experience I had. I noticed the dress code wasn't as formal since I saw a guest in khakis and a plaid shirt and another in a sweater. The service is still exceptional and efficient with someone walking us to the car with an umbrella (it was storming really hard that night.)

Pumpkin

In my opinion, Alinea is still my favorite dining experience with Saison in San Francisco close to being number one. I won't go into too much detail since the meal was from October of 2011 and a meal at Alinea is like visiting the museum, experiencing the art in person versus viewing the print at home.

Mussel, Lobster, Razor Clam

Yuba with shrimp and miso, Scallop served with dashi

The dashi broth was made before our eyes in a vacuum fashion. Much like how Eleven Madison Park brews their coffee at the table, the dashi broth flavors penetrated quickly and was served with the scallop dish. It was very cool to watch the liquid pass back in forth between the two chambers.

Pheasant and burning leaves

Sea Bream, caponata, mint, panella

The Sea Bream is family-style served with caponata and chick pea chips. This is probably an unorthodox dish coming from Alinea without the smokes and vapors. We were told Chef Achatz made this dish because when he was traveling in Italy he couldn't find anyone who made caponata well so he came home and made it himself.

Wholly Pig served on a stick, Truffle explosion, Pork Belly

Wild Mushrooms

Hot Potato

Known as one of Chef Achatz's signature dish along with the Black Truffle Explosion. This is my personal favorite because of the juxtaposition of icy cold and burning hot. I read in the Alinea's cookbook that the most difficult part of the Hot Potato dish is making the wax bowls.

Venison

The pumpkin was the greeting centerpiece when we arrived and it unveiled a pumpkin bread bite so the "flags" were not seen until the middle of the meal. My sister was smitten with this dish, she liked how the dish was put together from beginning to end.

Squab

We were told Chef Achatz saw one of Miro's art piece and was in turn inspired to make this dish. The server first spritzed the tabletop with black tea and wiped down the surface, then he delicately laid each utensil artfully. Our server said there is no exact sequence to consume the dish but he said not to put too much time in between each bite. I overheard another server tell the table next to us to start from light to dark.

Anjou Pear, Lemongrass, Snow

Dark Chocolate, butternut squash, lingonberry, stout

The last and the most fun dish of the night. The first time I dined we had an memorable experience because Chef Achatz himself came out to prepare the dish. The dish ended with a big throw down of the chocolate ball filled with goodies - pinata haute couture food style.

I hope to dine at Alinea annually so I'm thinking of taking my best friend for her birthday here this year.

Red Wine, Guava, and Lychee Poached Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:57:00 +0000

Ever since my Christmas brunch where I had red wine poached pears with marscapone for dessert I could not stop thinking about them. I liked how the dish was so simple and refreshing as the last bite of a heavy meal. I procured a bag of pears from my local bulk warehouse and I also had a bottle of wine given to me as a hostess gift, so off we go...

My brother gave me a can of Kern's Guava juice for lunch the other day so I decided to mixed up the poached liquid with exotic flavors. And we segued into lychees because what marries better then lychees and guava.

Red wine, Guava, and Lychee Poached Pears

1 bottle of red wine (I used a Shiraz)
1 12 ounce can of guava juice
1/2 cup of honey
4 cups of water
Lychee liquid from one can of lychees
6-8 pears

Peel, core, and halve the pears. Drain the liquid from the can of lychee and reserve fruit for garnish. Put red wine, honey, guava juice, lychee liquid in a large pot and bring to a boil. Drop the pears into the liquid and bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cut out a circle piece of parchment paper to fit the surface of the pot. Place the parchatment paper on top of the pears to ensure they are all submerged. Cook the pears until fork tender.

Place the pears in a bowl and covered with the cooking liquid. Refrigerate the pears over night.

Before serving the pears, drain the liquid into a sauce pan and cook until reduced to a syrup (coats the back of a spoon.) Serve the pears with the reduced syrup and garnish with lychees.

If I wanted to be all fancy and bow tie affair-like, one can get gold flakes adorned on the pears. (I actually had that at my Christmas bunch.)

Grand Dinner at Shiang Garden. Richmond, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:41:00 +0000

Shanghai Style Layer Pork (Dongpo)

Our last night in Vancouver was a banquet feast at Shiang Garden. Their famous Shanghai style layer pork dish (Dongpo) won the 2011 and 2012 Chinese Restaurant Awards in the Alberta Pork category. The Dongpo dish and their desserts really blew me away. Living in San Francisco there are plethora of options in Chinese restaurants, a few good a lot bad; but the good choices in Richmond are ridiculous. I am glad my family picked Shiang Garden.

Assorted Appetizer Plate

Shiang Garden is one of the fancier Chinese restaurants with high ceilings glittered with chandeliers, lots of windows with natural light, seat covers, pretty silk table cloths and attentive service. My aunt prearranged the menu and the dishes were fit for a wedding. We started with the cold appetizer plate with jelly fish, roasted pork, etc,. Every dish in their category was amped up, for example, the pea sprout was sauteed with dried scallops. The fish was cooked 2 ways, one in a clay pot and another served with shrimp paste as a dipping sauce.

Pea Sprouts and Dried Scallops

Fish 2 ways

The Dongpo pork in Amoy sauce was the star for me. The pork belly is cooked for hours where the fat from the skin disappoints and become very soft. The meat is very tender and soft but still intact, the entire thing melts in your mouth. The dish is served with steamed mustard greens, fluffy buns, and the sauce is thicken with cornstarch. Reminisce of the pork belly in a bun fad of Momofuko. Dongpo pork will change the way you think about stewed pork belly.

Shanghai Style Layer Pork (Dongpo)

Scallion and Ginger Lobster

Egg White and Scallop Fried Rice

The desserts were really a wow factor because so many times it is an overlooked part of a banquet meal. We had two and started with the almond milk with tang yuan (glutinous rice dumplings.) The server told us they make their own almond milk which was lightly sweetened and served with the most bouncy and "pulley" dough on a tang yuan I've ever sunk my teeth into.

The next dessert was my favorite and I had to have seconds. The dessert was baked like a souffle with fork tender taro and sago for texture. Amazing. I am trying to replicate the dessert at home.

My mouth is already saliving for the Dongpo Pork when I visit in the summer.

Thus far MY best sushi experience at Hanako in Surrey, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:01:00 +0000

We accidentally met a gracious host and best of all, a person who seeks the best eats in Vancouver and beyond who also happens to be my cousin's girlfriend. In my other Vancouver-related posts I mention her, Kimbo, a few times because she took us around for sight-seeing and restaurant hopping. We immediately clicked when we talked about food and the places she visited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Europe. It is evident she has good taste.

After much discussion about all types of food. I mentioned that since we were in Vancouver it was imperative to eat fresh fish which means sushi, which also turns out to be Kimbo's favorite type of cuisine. She excitedly talked about her favorite spot -- Hanako in Surrey. And it was because of her I had my best sushi experience, thus far.

A little background: Kimbo and her sister have been around the block like Samantha from Sex and City eating at sushi joints around Greater Vancouver and Los Angeles. They both highly endorse Hanako as their favorite.

Crab Salad

I haven't found a place in San Francisco that is really great. I love sashimi and get the usual suspects like hamachi, salmon, halibut, but I feel it is never at its freshest potential. I am not a big fan of rolls because I like it simple, fresh, and clean. Hanako was so incredible we returned the next day for lunch before our flight back home.

Hanako is a small sushi joint in a small strip mall in a small town. The car ride from downtown Vancouver was a little over 30 minutes. We sat at the bar and the chef greeted Kimbo was a wide smile (she is a regular.) We let Kimbo do the ordering and sat back while the chef went to work.

We started with the crab salad, very simple but with depths of flavors and textures. Oh, the textures really made the salad go from simple to umpteen simply delicious. The salad consist of julienne jimaca, celery, yellow chives, crab, and cucumber on a bed of endives, taro chips, tomatoes and sprinkled with tobiko. The crunch from the chips, the bitterness of the endives and the sweetness of the crab felt like a "Whole Foods" exploded.

Fried Amaebi heads

Next up was baked crab head. The crab roe is already fantastic on its own but he elevated it with mushroom and spinach. Roe heaven.

The ankimo was my favorite. The liver was spotless, smooth, even color tone throughout, light yellow, sweet and buttery. Without doubt, the best ankimo I've tasted and physically the most beautiful too.

Ankimo

Now we begin our wave of nigiri. The only complaint is the progression of the fish. Again, I am not an expert but I do know toro should be the last fish eaten because it is so rich and fatty it can over take the palate. Of course there are no stringent rules but my personal preference would be to start from lighter to darker fish. The chef was making the nigiri quickly and started with the toro. I saved the toro for last.

I think by default, Vancouver has great access to an abundant of fresh fishes and seafood. Our hamachi, ika, halibut, saba, geoduck, wild sockeye salmon, and amaebi was fantastic. I have no other choice words. I can really distinguish each type of fish flavors. The amount of rice was portion for a perfect one bite; sticky yet each grain held its own shape.

Back to the toro. I never seen toro bleed fat like a kobe steak. Yes, I'll say it again: the toro was so rich and fatty it was bleeding fat. This is what dreams are made of.

Vancouver's Lookout, dinner at Italian Kitchen and dessert at La Casa Gelato, Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Vancouver's Lookout

Stand-up paddle was the scheduled activity of the day. The nice sunny weather turned gloomy and windy the next day so we had to find last minute activities. We decided to visit Vancouver's lookout since I felt like I needed to do something very touristy. After visiting other various "lookout" destinations like Empire State Building, Space Needle, and Sear's Tower; the best time to visit is right before sunset. After spending a good hour watching the sky turn from purple to orange to black with city lights we were hungry.

Kimbo (our cousin's girlfriend) told us when she entertains people from out of town she brings them to Guu, Italian Kitchen, and Hanako. She warns us to only order the bone marrow and the Kobe meatball dish. Again, Kimbo sternly told us those two dishes are enough to eat including leftovers!

...in one ear and out the other. We need supervision when ordering food, our-overzealous-selves over ordered. A typical downtown restaurant with a large bar area, outdoor seating with sliding doors that leads into the restaurant, and great candle-lit lighting for first dates especially after a few cocktails. We started with the bone marrow and beef tartare appetizer. The dish was substantial because of the richness of the bone marrow fat and chunky beef. However, having had beef tartare in so many variations and different places, Italian Kitchen's version is middle of the road.

Risotto Amuse

Bone Marrow and Beef Tartare

The Kobe meatball in a truffle cream sauce pasta is a very rich dish. The Kobe meatballs are moist, bouncy, and juicy. The alfredo-esque cream sauce hinted with truffle oil is good but too many things happening at once; like when someone is in trendy clothes from head to toe.

Kobe Meatball and Truffle Cream Sauce

In addition to our meal we ordered a side polenta, a little bland and more of a main dish portion. The mushroom pasta was also quite bland and the pasta was cooked a little over al dente. The ratio of mushroom to pasta was generous with enough to go around.

Tagliatelle Funghi

Polenta and Bolognese

Our friendly and sweet server packed our leftovers (we had hungry cousins at home) and we headed to La Casa Gelato for dessert (this was our third visit in a week.) The last time I was in Vancouver was when I was a wee little kid, like 4-5 years old visiting my Grandparents and World Expo. My Grandparents live near La Casa and they took me for ice cream a few times. I don't remember what I had BUT I remember how excited and happy I was to pick my ice cream.

Flash forward so many years later, I visit my Grandparents and get to bring my little cousins to La Casa. They house more than 200 flavors each day and they are as wild as Cheshire Cat's imagination. The really best part is trying out too many flavors until the tongue becomes numb and settling on a safe flavor like chocolate.

Bliss

Actually, I came back three times and indulged in the same flavors: durian jackfruit and guava mango. I don't see these flavor combinations often and it is usually artificially flavored. La Casa does not use artificial flavors and it was clean and sweet. Actually, the best part was visiting my Grandparents and then walking over to La Casa with my cousins and hope they will have the same memories as I did.

Cafe Medina for Brunch, Biking along the Seawall then Snacking at JapaDog, Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:36:00 +0000

The previous night we went out with my cousin (lets call him Tone Dog) and his girlfriend (lets call her Kimbo) for drinks on Granville Street. A very energetic, neon lights reflecting off windows, and young people of every fashion sense having fun in a bar, concert or club. We discussed what to do in Vancouver while sipping blueberry vodka cocktails and then sake bombs at Guu with Garlic, Kimbo volunteered to be our tour guide.

We wanted to dine at Cafe Medina for brunch because of their highly regarded reputation and Kimbo confirmed it was indeed a fantastic place. We arrived slightly before noon and there was about a 30 min wait. Medina is known for their Belgium waffles and the unique assortments of dipping sauce. There is a take-out counter for people to come and pick up a waffle quickly. Tone Dog was finishing a waffle while we were waiting because he had an appointment.

Lavender Latte

The cafe was full of natural light with the coffee bar occupying a quarter of the space. The exposed bricks and high ceiling gave it a very clean Loft-like space feel to brunch. I started out with their Lavender latte fully equipped with a leaf latte art, fragrant and satisfying from a previous night of drinking.

The waffles are a la carte, sold individually including the sauces. We picked three: berry compote, white chocolate pistachio rosewater, and chocolate lavender. The dipping sauces made it so much more fun eating a waffle which had a crispy exterior and oh-so-buttery.

Kimbo highly recommended the Fricasse - braised short ribs, applewood Cheddar cheese, potatoes and caramelized onion. Kimbo also ordered extra bread to mop up the sauce. The dish is very rich, hearty and smoky from the cheese and deeply caramelized onions.

Fricasse

On the lighter side of things the other dish is Saumon Fumé - smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado with an artichoke salad. As simple as the dish was, it was very clean and fruitful from the avocado and springy from the salad.

Saumon Fumé

We took a stroll to burn off calories and passed by the Vancouver's Olympic Torch and headed towards Gastown and was schooled about Blood Alley. Kimbo also pointed out the well-known Steam Clock.

Gastown Steam Clock

And then it was time to hit Stanley Park. A quintessential activity is to ride a bike along the seawall. The park is designed for such an activity with a bike rental shop at the beginning of the trail and it loops around the seawall and back to the rental place. The view was just...beautiful. One of the most beautiful waterfront I set my eyes on (and I walked Montreux's waterfront.) There are people everywhere doing various activities but one scene stuck out. There are oddly balanced rocks everywhere. I was wondering if it was made-man or an unexplained natural occurrence like crop circles.

Biking along the Seawall

Oddly stacked rocks all along Stanley Park

It was only appropriate to snack after biking along the Seawall and we had JapaDog on the list. Kimbo informed us about their storefront location on Robson street. We ordered some of their most popular hot dogs. The menu had unique and fun combinations like soba noodles, edamame, bonita flakes, and miso sauce. The dog and toppings were good with Asian flavors but the bun off set the whole experience. The bun was too soft and too much, the ratio from the bread and meat was overpowered by the bun.

Terimayo and Okonomi Dogs

I was more attracted to their selection of fries and choose dried seaweed. The fries are fried to perfection with the double fry method so the sticks were extremely crunchy but soft on the inside. The sprinkled dried seaweed more it so much more special.

McNoodle House, Cattle Cafe and Kam Do Bakery. Richmond, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:20:00 +0000

Shrimp Roe Noodles 蝦子麵

When McNoodle House first opened it was named Mak's Noodles without any relation to the famous Mak's Noodle in Hong Kong. I don't know if they changed the name because of new owners or because they were forced by Mak's in Hong Kong. Mak's is so famous they have their own Wikipedia page (a quote taken from the Wikipedia page) and since a child I've heard about their wonton noodle soup. I haven't been to Hong Kong and hopefully make it there in 2013. Trying not to stray off topic, McNoodle was highly praise by my Dad when he dined there over 7 years old.

7 years later, he returns to curve his craving for Mak's which has been building exponentially over the years. Like Mak's in Hong Kong, McNoodle is known for their wonton noodles and there is a constant (albeit short) wait for a table no matter what time of day.

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings and Pork Liver Congee

To begin our day before heading out to Granville Island and do some very tourist sightseeing we started with the beef liver congee. Then shared the shrimp wontons, shrimp and pork dumplings, and shrimp roe noodles.

The dishes were okay but nothing to fawn over for 7 years. My dad proclaim it is not the same with disappointment in his voice. The broth's sweetness is from MSG (not complaining, what is Asian food without a little MSG) but overly too pronounced for my taste buds.

My uncle highly recommended the shrimp roe noodles --- thin egg noodles with a sprinkle of dried shrimp roe. He instructed me to pour a little broth over each bite to soften the dryness. Simple but explosive of umami richness.

Preserved Egg Pastry

Taro Pastry

After McNoodle House we walked a few doors down to Kam Do Cafe, a restaurant serving Hong Kong style food but we were there for their bake goods. Kam Do is very famous for their wife cakes, along with the preserved egg pastry and the taro pastry. One of the best wife cake I've ever tasted, the winter melon paste is not sweet with a golden light finish and the flaky crust doesn't fall off after one bite.

We were most enamor with the preserved egg pastry. The versions I've previously consumed made me dislike the pastry even though I love preserve eggs. Kam Do's version is far-flung from what I've experienced. The lotus seed paste is also not too sweet and light without the heaviness of a brick texture. The dough is flaky but thick enough to hold up against the strong preserved egg nuisance. I brought back a few dozens for my friends.

Pork Chop and Chicken Wings

One night for a late night dining option (instead of going to 24 hour No. 9 restaurant) my aunt took us to Cattle Cafe. She said it is a new concept where one can pick your own toppings, type of noodles and broth. For about $10, a set menu includes a drink and a bowl of noodles. I picked the udon noodles with fish balls and pork skin in a Spicy Szechuan broth and my sister picked ramen noodles with braised brisket and pork intestines in a Laska broth. There is an option to add sides dishes for an addition $1.50. We added the chicken wings and fried pork chop.

Laska Broth

Szechuan Broth

The best part of Cattle Cafe is boldly typed on their menu: NO MSG guarantee. The Laska broth was our favorite, it was spicy with a thin layer of chili oil and coconut milk to add a slickness to the overall meal. The beef brisket was tender and sliced paper thin. My aunt recommends the fish and pumpkin broth but they were sold out so I'll have to try it next time when I return.

Granville Island

Aberdeen Centre and Park Place Mall Eats, Richmond, BC

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:21:00 +0000

A few years ago when my aunt moved to Richmond. She told us Richmond is the place for Asian food. Of course it is, majority of the population are immigrants from Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan. The city reflects the population with Chinese road signs, some businesses don't even have an English name.

Dim Sum at Fisherman's Terrance

The selection of Asian restaurants are vast and I did my best to sample the best around. My aunt brought us to Aberdeen Centre which was the first Asian themed mall in Richmond and recently went through major renovations. At first I was culture shocked at the mall, instead of Macy's there is Daiso, instead of GameStop there is a Lamborghini dealership, and instead of a food court with Panda Express there is plethora of really good Asian fast food (even one where they make their own dumplings.) Speaking of Lamborghinis the streets in Richmond is littered with expensive cars and I personally saw 6 different Lambos during my week long visit. I can't spit my gum without hitting a Maserati, Mercedes or an Audi R8.

We began the day with dim sum at Fisherman's Terrance located in Aberdeen Centre, whereas there was a lot of natural light pouring through the windows but views of the parking lot. The selection of dim sum did not vary too much from San Francisco. The quality is very good especially the pea sprouts, bean curd and ginkgo nuts dish.

After dim sum we walked the mall for some Hong Kong style fashion where I stumbled upon a pearl encrusted pair of flat shoes which was very Lolita style. A hop and a skip to Rome Station where they sell luxury consignment purses. I fell in love with a metallic gold Speedy which was only used once before the owner deemed it too passe. I later browsed Cube Inc which is a store where they rent out locker size cubes for people to sell handmade items. I bought a 3D size Hello Kitty iPhone case (very a la Judith Leiber.)

Lychee and Mango Shaved Ice with mochi, red beans, peanuts, ice cream, condensed milk toppings at Frappe Bliss

We stopped at the food court for Taiwanese shaved ice but not before we snacked on 5 spice chicken wings and offal assortment noodles. The shaved ice was insanely good at Frappe Bliss. They use flavored ice blocks and shave it into silky fluffy snow consistency whereas others do a snow cone rendition with chunky ice and syrup poured on top. Even other places who have flavored ice blocks do not match up to Frappe Bliss. It must be the toppings - fluffy soft mochi, dainty red beans, fruits and ice cream.

Flipping Jerky at Aberdeen Mall

Parker Place mall only a few blocks away has a hustling and bustling food court where some may even say the best Asian food court. My object of desire was Parker Place's roast pork. For years, the quality of roast pork in San Francisco has slipped. Roast pork was once a staple when visiting a Chinese deli but now I avoid it at all cost. However, Parker Place brought me back to delicious crunchy roast pork bliss. This is how roast pork should be - crackly, bubbly, crunchy skin with just a slight layer of fat with flavorful juicy tender meat. One bite should be a like a BLT with different layers and textures working together.

Fantastic and Famous Roast Pork at Parker Place BBQ deli

Park Place mall has my favorite Asian dessert: Turtle jelly aka Guilinggoa . Traditionally the jelly is boil down from a rare endangered tortoise shell for the nutrients (don't worry I don't condemn the killing of endangered animals.) Turtle essence jelly now use herbs similar to the benefits of turtle shell. The jelly is bitter and only slightly sweeten with simple syrup or honey. The herbal tea shop also had 28 flavor herbal drink (upped from the usual 24 廿四味 ) the drink is dark, thick, rich in bitterness and truly makes the sinus and body feel "cooling" after. Amazing stuff. It really reminds me to make more herbal tea at home.

Turtle Essence Jelly and 28 Flavor Herbal Tea

Last stop is Excellent Tofu and Snacks (ETS). My mom told me not to miss this place, she said one year when she was in Richmond she visited ETS every night for 7 days straight. With such praise from mom I couldn't miss this spot. ETS decor is bare minimum with a bar stretched from beginning to end. Everything on the menu is tofu related so I'm in tofu heaven (my favorite kind.) There are cold and hot desserts, soy milk, tofu shakes and savory snacks. Since I had limited stomach space I ordered my favorite type of topping - taro, and we also ordered red bean. The tofu is silky, soft, slippery and fresh. There was a steady stream of housewives buying gallons of soy milk and soft tofu to bring home.

Red Bean Tofu Dessert

Fresh Taro Tofu Dessert

This concludes a portion of my Richmond eats. I will return to post more about a fun filled night at the Richmond Night Market, a couple of visits to No. 9 Restaurant (because they are 24 hours!), gorging myself with baskets of Kam Do's wife, taro, and thousand year old egg cakes, best clay pot rice from a food court, Cattle Cafe and more. Let's just say Richmond, BC is an Asian paradise in North America.

Dinner at Guu with Garlic after Shopping on Robson, Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My first dinner in Vancouver was at Guu with Garlic. I researched Chowhound for the best place for Izakaya and it boiled down to Guu. Unbeknown through my research is that there are almost one Guu in every neighborhood in VAN, including one in Richmond where I was staying.

Tuna Tataki

My aunt recommended shopping on Robson street because of the boutiques and nightlife. We started our afternoon on Georgia Street with national chains like Apple and H&M. We stopped at a food court and snacked on Indian Butter Chicken Poutine fries and then worked our way down to Robson street. After a long warm day of walking downtown Vancouver we dined at Guu. We purposely dined later around 9pm because I heard the wait is long during peak hours.

Tako Wasabi

I was right, around 9pm we got immediate seating and poured over the menu. The staff was yelling out orders in Japanese, cheering customers to do sake bombs, and saluting their beer glasses. The atmosphere was energetic, loud with a tangible buzz of alcohol. A couple next to us, (who looked like they were on their 3rd date) the guy told us they like to come here and eat everything fried, the girl slightly blushed in embarrassment before nodding in agreement.

Fried Chicken Gristle

Everything we ordered was superb. The kimchi udon with salty cod roe as a sauce had so many textures and depths of flavor - chubby fat noodles, spiciness, saltiness with a picked up aromatic from the green onions.

Kimchi udon with salty cod roe

The fried dishes were light and not greasy especially the tender legs of the squid. I can see why people plow through pitchers of beer with fried dishes.

Fried Squid

Being in Vancouver the seafood is expectational. The sashimi sampler would be three times the price in San Francisco and half as fresh. The thick slices of fish and the wild sockeye salmon is so sweet it wasn't even necessary to add soy sauce with the natural flavors shining through. We regret not getting another plate.

Baked Oyster

Guu with Garlic was a wonderful way to began our trip in Vancouver. Also, unbeknown I would be returning the next night. The next night we met up with our cousin (let's call him Tone Dog) who lives in VAN and it turns out his girlfriend (let's call her Kimbo) is Guu's number fan. They frequently come to Guu to eat and drink late night. So after a few shots of Crown Royal (when in Canada do as the Canadians do) and a quick visit to Sip on Granville Street we ended the night at Guu with Garlic to do sake bombs.

Grilled Pork Cheeks

Grilled miso cod

Kimbo orders us some of her favorite dishes which was the grilled pork cheek and grilled black cod. A little background of Kimbo: she is a food gourmand eating around town and world. She filled us in on the best places in VAN and her recommendations. While I was eating the black cod she enthusiastically said how amazing the combination of crunchy aromatics and flavors are in that simple dish.

I agree Kimbo. I agree.

Guu is back on the list for my visit in Summer. I can hardly wait.

Vancouver at night

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Bark with Bay Area Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:37:00 +0000

After meeting Gina of Spcookie Queen and Visda of Eat, Drink, and just Be! at the Foodbuzz Bakerella event I really made some great blogger friends. Through Gina, I met Patty of Patty's Foods. Patty graciously hosted a Valentine's Day baking party at her home.

We began the afternoon with some appetizers, wine, and light talk about our favorite subjects - food, photography, and blogging. Patty made a festive heart shaped Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese Apple Quiche, Lisa of Authentic Suburban Gourmet made Stilton and Walnut Palmiers, Stephanie of Baking Barrister made Leek confit with crostini, Gina made Meyer lemon bread with blood orange jam and I made firecracker shrimp rolls.

Behind the scenes

We all chipped in to bake and decorate the cookies. Gina's daughter was there showing off some of her decorating skills she got from mama. While we were crouching over the kitchen island pipping icing with artistic flair like Jackson Pollock. Gina was tempering dark and milk chocolate to make our Valentine's chocolate bark. Like an expert cement mixer, she poured the chocolate on a baking sheet and we flung heart sprinkles, color sugar, and sugar pearls over the chocolate. The best part was when the chocolate bark was set, all 12 of our hands broke the chocolate sheet like a karate black belt breaking through a cement block.

Our photo setup

What is a blogger's baking event without a photo shoot. Patty had her Lowel Ego light set up on her table and we went to town. We styled the finished goods and each took a turn to snap away. Everyone was prepared and bought their dslr camera while I had my niffy iPhone. (Gina and Lisa even brought their own aprons! I bet they carry some sort of MacGyver measuring spoons on them too.)

I had such a wonderful and fun time with everyone. I can't wait for the next baking event.

Read Gina's version.
Read Lisa's version.
Read Patty's version.

Here's the recipe to Gina's Sugar Cookies.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Bark

Lunar New Year Dinner: Year of the Dragon

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:40:00 +0000

Chocolate Chinese Ancient Coins

Happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year, as the festivities are coming to a close. I wanted to share my Chinese New Year eve dinner aka the reunion dinner. There are so many dishes to prepare and each represents a positive and happy blessing for the on-coming year. Over the years, my parents have tone down the dishes as there are always too much leftovers. My dad does make a main attraction dish each year. This year's feature dish is abalone, sea cucumber and black mushrooms in superior broth.

After offering the whole duck with head, whole chicken also with head and uncut roast pork to the altar. We began our meal:

Sea Cucumber, Black Mushrooms, and Abalone in Superior Broth

Often we will take the leftovers and remake it into another dish for the coming days. The leftover roast pork will be sauteed with Chinese chives. The duck bones and meat are simmered with rice to make porridge. There is a Chinese lucky saying to have leftover so the rest of the year is full of prosperity.

My dad prepared the sea cucumbers days in advance. The dry sea cucumbers are soaked for a few day to reconstitute, and then simmered for a few hours. The Superior broth which makes up the sauce for the dish consist of chicken, Chinese ham hock, and other ingredients. The dish is luxurious with depths of strong flavors and textures from the slippery sea cucumbers, meaty black mushroom and chewy abalone.

Dry Sauteed Garlic Shrimps

Roast Pork

We had steamed fish in the following days, it is important to have fish because it represents longevity.

Steamed Whole Eyewall with Ginger and Scallions

On Chinese New Year day, my mother always made us eat vegetarian. As a kid I whined and whimpered about not being able to eat what I wanted. As an adult (where I eat vegetarian sometimes by choice) I look forward to this meal. Once a year, my mother would make the gluten vegan dish with gluten in various forms, thin clear vermicelli noodles, napa cabbage, straw mushrooms, carrots, wood ears, and flavored with red bean curd.

Gluten Vegan Noodles

Happy Year of the Dragon. In Asia there is an expected boom for 'Dragon Babies' because it the luckiest animal in the Chinese Zodiac. One of my cousin is currently pregnant with a 'Dragon baby' and her father and sister are also the year the Dragon. So I guess it runs in the family!

P.S. if your Chinese Zodiac is the Chicken it is a lucky year because Dragon and Phoenix are a perfect pair.

Banh Chung for Tet (Lunar New Year in Vietnam)

Birthday dinner at Saison Chef's Table

noreply@blogger.com (Bonnibella) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:54:00 +0000

Chef Skenes in Blue

Almost 2 months have passed since I had my birthday dinner at Saison. I've been meaning to go over the pictures to relive my meal because I have been thinking about it since. My best friend told me a few weeks ahead she was going to surprise me for dinner. I was guessing for weeks because we've dined almost everywhere together in San Francisco. I mentioned Saison a few years ago when it was a pop up restaurant, only open on weekends. I work on weekends and never made it out to Saison during its pop-up tenure.

As my sister was driving towards the Mission area I thought we were going to Range. Not only did she make reservations at Saison but it was for the Chef's table. I was surprised and excited.

1.) Please excuse the poor quality pictures because I used my iphone camera and didn't want to take more than 1-2 photos per course so I didn't hold up the kitchen and also enjoy the surroundings and conversation.

2.) I don't remember every ingredient from the dishes as I did not ask for a menu and the online menu only mentions the main ingredient.

3.) Saison changed their Chef's Table format after Thanksgiving 2011 to a prepaid reservation system which includes wine pairing, tax and tip for $498. I dined right before the change, the chef's tasting menu was $250 and wine pairing $180. I did not opt for the wine pairing because I can barely handle one glass of wine before sounding like Ozzy Osbourne on a good day.

Egg courses

Carefully stepping onto cobblestones with heels and approaching the hostess podium in the quiet dining room we gave them our name and she escorted us through the kitchen. The contrast of utensils quietly clanging together and soft murmurs in the dining room from the bumping soundtrack of the kitchen, it felt like a different restaurant.

Fish courses

The soundtrack. It is one of those soundtracks where I can sing-a-long to every song. Some Jackson 5, some Bryan Adams, some Mariah Carey, some Journey (because every soundtracks needs a little Journey) and just when I was thinking where is Tevin Campbell his song comes on.

Sommelier Mark Bright was thoughtful to fill our glasses with courtesy champagne for a toast before our first course. After exchange of sentences with exclamation points with my best friend and sister we noticed how calm and soft-spoken everyone was in the kitchen. Of course this isn't a diner where we hear people shouting, "Adam & Eve on a raft and wreck 'em" or reality TV where Gorden Ramsey is spewing profanity like it means unicorns and rainbows. The conversation between the cooks were barely louder than a whisper.

Oyster. Bread and Butter

My best friend, sister and I are usually very animated when we talk and maybe the two sous chefs in front of us noticed our restrained demure. He said we could ask them any questions and talk to them any time. My first question was where did they foraged their ingredients and he said it was a secret location he was unable to reveal.

Our meal began with 'eggs' unraveling in three courses from caviar to salmon roe to egg. Some of the next course followed in this pattern with two courses of oysters and 3 different types of fish course and so on...

My favorite dish of the night is the bluefin tuna tartare with a crispy cracker dusted with perilla. The dish was so sweet and tender and my only way to describe it is 'golden sweet' (金甜) in Chinese. After the prelude of the tuna was my second favorite of the night, the bone marrow of the fish. Gelatinous and a bit oozy.

The bread was presented after our 8th course, much like French Laundry which helps with pacing. At that point, I didn't even eat the bread because I was afraid of feeling the law of diminishing returns. Of course it does not happen at Saison because usually at tasting menus I expect a sequence of fish, meat, and sweets but every course was an unexpected discovery.

Lotus Roots. Uni. Foie Gras. Deer. Mushrooms. Salad.

There is a theme at Saison where most of the dishes are described as 'cooked over our embers' and 'foraged' by our chefs. Somewhat rustic but very clean and true. We started to talk about how 'embers' was repeated throughout our meal when we glanced to the left and watched a cook sear the fish with a coal. The coal clasped between a tong and quickly seared on the surface of the meat for 1 second, rotate, sear, rotate and sear. A labor intensive and detailed work for one dish. The dinner lasted over 2 hours but as each courses arrived it was love at first sight again and again.

We ended at 18 courses with popcorn ice cream. All the kernel goodness without any stuck in my teeth. Chef Skenes came over to ask if we had enough to eat. And yes, we did.

Since saison means seasons in French I hope to experience a meal there for every season. And maybe have a chance to try Skenes famous #days dried meat I see others experienced.

Saison was definitely one of my best meal in 2011.

Cheese. Lemon. Candied Raspberry Mignardises.

*Dedicating this post to my best friend who made sure I had a wonderful birthday this year which we celebrated into the weekend in Las Vegas. Men come and go but girlfriends and (sisters) are forever.

Hello Kitty cupcakes from Cafe Madeleine