So. These are the infamous malasadas from Leonard's. What can I say? It's deep fried dough.
Sprinkled with crunchy sugar and filled with creamy custards...
My limit is two malasadas in one minute. After that, I will need half a day to recover.
J and I recently made a trip to Honolulu to scope out the ceremony and reception venues. While we were there, we made sure to stop by some foodie haunts. One of our first stops was Eggs N' Things. This place is super popular...especially with Japanese tourists. I had pancakes on my mind...
And I got em! The banana pancakes were sooo tasty and fluffy. I was humming Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes song the entire time.
They had an assortment of tropical syrups. My favorite was the coconut.
We also tried their omelettes--which you can get with a side of rice. I didn't order vienna sausages, spam or corned beef hash but I saw that others did. Hawaii is so filipino friendly! :)
Me likey! I first heard about Foxboro Hot Tubs back in December on this morning show I listen to on the way to work everyday. Supposedly Green Day in disguise. Hmmm. Possibly. I don't care. They are gewd. 
Happy poppy music. Reminds me of when I first heard the Strokes...It was early winter in 2001 and I was washing dishes in the communal kitchen of my dorm in Amsterdam. The TV someone picked up off the street (crazy Amsterdammers throw everything away!) was tuned into MTV. I heard "Last night...she said..." and immediately stopped washing the dishes. Anyway, this is a good one. Check out Foxboro Hot Tubs on their web site.
A few weeks ago, I found Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking cookbook at Costco. One of the recipes that drew me in was "Chicken with Soy and Balsamic Dressing." I thought the combination was very interesting. I imagined all these different flavor combinations I had never tried...
I gathered up all the ingredients, de-boned the chicken thighs carefully to leave the skin on and intact. Then I mixed together the marinade. I couldn't wait until the chicken was cooked, so I excitedly tasted some of the marinade before I added the chicken. Sigh. No flavor revelation.
In the end, I realized I had just made plain old chicken adobo. How ironic...I buy a new cookbook (from a writer based in Japan!) in search of exotic new flavors and the first recipe I make in this Japanese cookbook turns out to be a filipino staple I know how to make and eat by heart.
Still it was tasty if not overly familiar. I did not simmer the chicken in the marinade like traditional adobo. Instead, I marinated the boneless skin-on chicken thighs in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic and black pepper. Then I pan fried the chicken thighs. The recipe suggests serving the chicken over cabbage that has been sauteed in butter. This turned out to be wonderful and very low-carb diet friendly. But plain white rice would also have been very tasty.
Today we had a mini-adventure through Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto--a little piece of Shattuck Avenue that has some really fantastic places to eat.
Our first stop was The Cheeseboard Collective. I was a bit intimidated by all the people waiting for cheese. Everyone seemed to know what they wanted and how they were going to get it. I knew neither.
After frequenting their sister bakery, Arizmendi, I figured the pizza was somewhere behind the counter. I was so wrong! It was in a different storefront a few feet down the street. The pizzas were already hot and ready since they only make one kind of pizza per day. Today's pizza was pistachio, roasted cauliflower, roasted onions, mozzarella onions, montalban cheese, garlic olive oil and Italian parsley. I figured a vegetarian pizza would be tasty, but this one blew my mind. Maybe it was the montalban cheese...maybe it was the pistachios.
We also went to Poulet, a French deli. I needed some ice cream because my throat hurt so I bought a tiny serving of Hagen Daz. Then the bread pudding caught my eye. The bread pudding was eggy and sweet. Some parts tasted caramelly almost like a cannele! I loved it.
We did not order chicken at Poulet even though this place is chicken-themed (and probably famous for chicken)--the main reason being that we were still stuffed from the bacon cheeseburger we shared at Barney's down the street. They use Niman Ranch beef, if that means anything to you. I don't always notice the difference, but here I could tell the beef tasted beefy. And the bacon...Oh bacon--glorious bacon!
On the way back to our car, I decided to get some cheese at the Cheeseboard. Afterall, that is what they are famous for, right? I picked up a card from the counter (you don't take a number to be waited on, you take a playing card) and I got a joker. SWEET! I was next because jokers just show their card to the clerk and cut in front of everyone. I waited patiently for someone to finish waiting on their customers (I estimated about 20 people packed in that tiny space vying for some attention from the cheesemongers). Then I said "HELLO! I GOT A JOKER!!!!" The lady behind the counter who heard me seemed more excited that I did when she yelled "YAY! We got a joker!!!" It was the yellowy nasty looking playing card if you're wondering.
After watching Ratatouille I had to try the mimolette which I saw scribbled on the big chalkboard. The lady scurried around checking every shelf and all the fridges. She asked me how I heard about it and I said "The rat in that Disney movie 'Ratatouille' mentioned it and I saw it on the board." She smirked.
Mimollete tastes like a very strong nutty parmesan but looks like a canteloupe.
I also asked for a camembert. I did not know what I was in for. They had several kinds and she let me try them all! I love that woman. The first one was mild but had a strange after taste. The second one I liked much more because it was pungent but the after taste was much more pleasant. The third one smacked me in the mouth and said "take that! WHIIEEEEFFF" and i could taste it the rest of the day. I opted for the second one which was nice and gooey.
The nice lady at the Cheeseboard gave me the box for the camembert, too. Me loves cheese acoutrements.
I have officially reunited with pink and gold. I really do hope I do not change my mind. I already bought my wedding shoes in gold. Grrr to me if I get indecisive.
A little over a year ago, J proposed to me at Limon in San Francisco. To celebrate the anniversary of our engagement, we decided to stay closer to home and have dinner at Michael Mina's restaurant in San Jose--Arcadia. I don't have pictures because I am an idiot and I hardly ever bring my camera with me anymore so words will have to suffice.
We shared the foie gras sliders (extravagant!). J ordered a 20 oz cowboy ribeye steak with classic whipped potatoes and creamed spinach (actually only ordered the spinach but the whipped potatoes were a happy accident). And I had the lobster pot pie in a truffle cream sauce. I had to! Even though I have never seen pot pie go for over $60, I believe it was worth every dollar. It was soooooo wonderful. The pastry was so buttery and crisp and the lobster was tender and sweet. The truffle cream sauce wasn't too overpowering the way some truffle sauces can be. The presentation is part of the fun. Our waiter brought out the copper pot with the pastry top and started arranging the lobster, but he noticed the lobster needed a few more minutes so he plated it in the back. I first saw them plating the lobster pot pie on Giada's Weekend Getaways when she went to Michael Mina's restaurant in San Francisco. Somebody actually videotaped the lobster pot pie being plated...
For dessert we had the napoleon creme brulee with a strawberry gelee and almond cake.
Last time we went there, we shared a squash/pumpkin bisque, lobster corn dogs with creme fraiche, a whole fried chicken with truffled mac and cheese and some really awesome fresh bread (a trio of olive, sourdough and mini-french baguette).
Here are some more pics from our trip to Pittsburgh. We took this one while we were on the Duquesne Incline. You can't tell, but it was really really cold and really really windy.
J and I also went to a Steelers game. It was really cold. and windy. and wet.
Hooray for my telephoto lens! Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten such a close shot of such tight pants! hahahaha.
Shopping around the Strip District was one of the highlights of my trip. They have lots of interesting food stores and shops. This mural reminds me of Lupe Fiasco's album cover.
This would make a great present for some people I know...
Some fine examples of "Pittsburghese"--Pittsburgh's unofficial language.
We also visited the Andy Warhol Museum. He's one wacky dude.
He wore corsets after he was shot in 1968. In addition to being really fashion forward, the corset's purpose was to protect and immobilize his torso.
The museum had a lot of very sexual pieces.
And a pillow room! Makes sense...
Did I mention Pittsburgh was cold and windy?
I've neglected my blog. Yes, it's true. But I had good reason. Besides the usual excuses about work being hectic, I went to Pittsburgh, PA for six days to meet my future in-laws and see what/who made my J who he is today.
We got to try the famous Primanti Bros sandwich. It is made with super light and fluffy Italian bread--a staple it seems in these parts. And yes, that is a fat stack of french fries and coleslaw in that cheesesteak sandwich. It is the #2 most popular thing on the menu!
The #1 thing on the menu is beer...
Another famous sandwich I had was Wholey's fish sandwich. J said he got to eat these sandwiches as a youngster...
Simple yet so good. Crispy fried fish filets, soft bread and lots of tartar sauce.
The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company was a foodie find if I ever saw one. Look at all that cheese!
The highlight of the trip for me was having some authentic pierogies. Pierogies Plus was featured on Food Nation with Bobby Flay and is famous in the area. It was so hard to find but so worth the trouble!
It may not look like much in this picture, but these were the best potato cheese pierogies I have ever had in my life! They were smothered in butter and soft sweet onions.
I had a lot of fun but I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of Pittsburgh's foodie scene.
Rachael Ray: 30-Minute Meals 2
I think this is her best book. She has so many user-friendly recipes that taste great and are easy to prepare. Nothing fussy or weird either.
Hugo Arnold: Avoca Cafe Cookbook 2
I have such great memories of my many visits to the Avoca store in Dublin. I always felt like this store was made for me with their Anthropolgie-like knickknacks, foodie favors and dreamy upstairs cafe. This cookbook is eyecandy as well as my Irish souvenir.
Huang Su Huei: Chinese Cuisine (Wei-Chuan's Cookbook)
First published in 1972, this is a classic and has some very good recipes that are easy to follow and produce authentic results. I am a fan of the entire series.
Giada De Laurentiis: Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes
Recipes in this book are simple, surprisingly good and are foods I would eat everyday.
Nigella Lawson: How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
I don't bake much, but when I do it is usually from this book. No regrets about the poundage gained after eating these lush treats.
Mark Bittman: How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
This has replaced The Good Housekeeping Cookbook and the Joy of Cooking as my go-to-reference cookbook when I can't remember how to cook roast beef or tilapia. It is a necessity in my kitchen.
Amy Besa: Memories of Philippine Kitchens
Reading this book makes me proud to be a Filipina and reminds me of my rich cultural heritage and the reason why I was (and still am) a chubby kid.
Rick Bayless: Mexican Everyday (Recipes Featured on Season 4 of the PBS-TV series "Mexico One Plate at a Time")
This book is so useful and once you try making his recipes, you gain a new appreciation for Mexican food and a realization that it's so much more than burritos, tacos and nachos. It's very exciting!
Nigella Lawson: Nigella Bites: From Family Meals to Elegant Dinners -- Easy, Delectable Recipes for Any Occasion
So many comfort foods and surprisingly good ethnic recipes. I am fascinated by this woman.
Mark Bittman: The Best Recipes in the World
This is probably my favorite cookbook evidenced by the fact that I use it so much. My favorite is the French-style roasted chicken which I make about once a week. Well researched and very useful.
Jeffrey Steingarten: The Man Who Ate Everything
This is such an inspirational book in that after you read a chapter, you feel like an expert in whatever you just read about and you also feel like a student eager to try to make things the right way and eat only the best possible foods you can get your hands on. I constantly quote this man.
Recent Comments