May 2009 – Page 2

Spicy Daikon Salad – Liang Ban Luo Bo Si

May 19, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Dishes with raw vegetables are pretty rare in Chinese Cuisine, I haven't seen very many of them. So when I saw this recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty(I know, yet another recipe from that book), I was intrigued. In addition, it used Daikon, one of my favorite ingredients. And yet, I bookmarked the page, and pretty much forgot about it. For some reason, I bought some Daikon before our trip to Vegas, and never hada chance to use it. I still am not sure what my intentions were with regards to that radish..…and when we returned, it was sitting on our dining table staring at me. I didn't want to waste it, but what to do, it was too hot to make a nimono(simmered dish). And suddenly I recalled, the recipe from Land of Plenty.

There was one big adjustment I had to make, I didn't have any Chinese pickled chili paste on hand, so I improvised using Sambal Olek and some additional vinegar. It turned out surprisingly good, and was very easy (as all my recipes are) to make. I've made this a few times since, once for the In-Laws who enjoyed it. A nice refreshing dish………

So here goes:

Spicy Daikon Salad

1 Lb Daikon thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
4 tsp white sugar
1-2 Tb Sambal Olek or similar chili paste
4 Tb Chinkiang Vinegar
2 cloves of garlic finely minced or grated
2-3 tsp chili oil
2 scallions green parts only finely sliced
Cilantro leaves

– Sprinkle the daikon slivers with salt, mix, and spread out in a colander. Let the daikon sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
– Before serving, combine the sugar and vinegar, whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
– Add chili paste and garlic, and mix well. Add chili oil.
– Shake the daikon to remove excess water, put the daikon on a plate, and pour the dressing over the daikon.
– Top with scallion and cilantro.

I tried making this dish using cucumbers, it turned out fine, but it just didn't have that refreshing bite that daikon has……

Chinese Kitchen (Chi Tu Thanh Nha Hang) – A revisit

May 18, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Chinese Kitchen has closed

When someone mentions "hole in the wall", the first place that comes to mind is Chinese Kitchen on University Avenue near College.

When I first did a post on this little shop back in 2006, it was literally that, the ordering was done at a "hole in the wall". Here's a photo from back then.

Having a food blog, is sometimes my stomach's worst enemy…..it seems that I'm always distracted by those "shiny things". New places, new recipes, and new dishes, and places that I enjoy like Chinese Kitchen fall to the wayside. So I recently made an effort to drop by the restaurant.

And my has the place been spiffed up……some new paint, and actual fixtures that look like they belong in a restaurant! Though I'll miss ordering at the hole-in-the-wall, which has been replaced by a counter. The menu, or should I say "menus" look the same, with the huge selection of Chinese Fast-food, which I've never had a chance, nor desire to sample.

In spite of the name, I instead pay attention to what I call the "real menu" of Vietnamese Dishes.

And even beyond that, there's only one item I order here…the Bun Mang Vit (Duck and Bamboo Shoot Soup), and I'm rather surprised it's still five bucks. I've found that I prefer to take my Bun Mang Vit to go…..for a reason I'll explain later.

Take out comes in three parts, the duck, which is made inhouse(I remember being told it was acquired "very fresh"), shredded cabbage, shredded banana blossom, Rau Ram (Vietnamese Coriander), and bun comes in one tidy container. Another contains the sweet, and slightly spicy Nuoc Mam Cham, which also contains minced garlic. And the soup, in which a good amount of bamboo shoots lay rehydrating.

And though it didn't look like that much, it felt pretty hefty, and if you start placing items in plates and bowls you realize that this is a pretty good amount of food.

The reason I usually do my Bun Mang Vit to go, is simple…..I want the bamboo shoots to "steep" in the light broth, which adds a nice earthy-woodsy flavor. I will place the soup in a pot and heat slowly on the stove. After placing the Bun in a bowl, and pouring on the broth, you realize that this is a pretty good sized meal.

I almost miscalculated, which would have led to an overflow. The soup is a good as always, the duck tender and full of flavor, the banana blossom added a very mild bitterness, but not the soupy-astringent flavor that banana blossom can have, to the dish.

Just as good as always, so I guess you can just read my original post, though I think there was much more bamboo shoots this time around. And still five bucks. I still haven't deviated from this, so maybe you can make some additional recommendations for Chinese Kitchen. Though I'm more than happy sticking with my Bun Man Vit.

Chinese Kitchen
6160 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92115

619-286-8778

Off to Lake Atitlan, San Juan La Laguna, and Comedor Elenita

May 17, 2009 mmm-yoso Guatemala, Guatemalan Food, Latin American Cuisine, Travel

"Oooooooo-wee……Oooooooo-wee".

That's what the bird outside our window said at the crack of dawn. I awoke every morning to that distinctive call, and came to love it. I also enjoyed Antigua in the morning, at 6am, the streets are almost empty, and there are no cars in sight, as folks haven't come to work yet.

The streets are clear, the air is fresh, and the colors really pop. As we walked back to our room after grabbing some coffee, we spotted a young man selling roses.

He seemed to be quite popular with the local folk walking to work.

The Missus asked the young man what a bunch of roses cost. His reply? 10 Quetzales ($1.25)! So of course we bought a bunch.

But what the heck were we going to do with roses? We were off to Lago Atitlan (Lake Atitlan) in an hour…… We had decided to give the roses to the folks at Casa Florencia, which really surprised the Woman working. It was kinda nice to see the roses we bought blooming in a vase at the front desk when we returned from Flores a few days later!

We quickly learned the "shuttle drill"……someone will meet you at your hotel or pick-up point. He'll give you the receipt and paperwork, and you'll pay him. A bit later the minivan will be by to pick you up. The uneventful drive to beautiful Lake Atitlan took about 2 1/2 hours, driving through several villages, and winding it's way to Panajachel. We saw two shuttles stopped on the side of the road with carsick folks losing their breakfast. We were dropped at Tzanjuyú Pier (muelle), and swarmed with folks trying to get us boats, some for $20-30 a person!!! The word to remember is "publico"……there is a semi-formal system of "lanchas" that serve the various villages around the lake. We had been told that our Hotel, Lomas de Tzununa had it'sown muelle. We finally made our way down the pier, and we were squeezed into a boat. Pricing for tourist "vary" on the lanchas, this trip cost us 30 Quetzales each, which turned out to be the most expensive of all the boats we caught. And so it came to pass…..here I was wedged in the bow of a boat that seemed to barely rise above the clear waters of Atitlan, squeezed between two propane tanks, and two cases of doritos.

You've heard of Chicken Buses? Well, I called this the "Chicken Boat"! Lomas de Tzununa is a bit isolated from the other villages, and has its own pier. The water of Lago Atitlan is crystal clear, and deep.

Lomas de Tzununa is located up the cliffs from the lake…….and it's four hundred steps up to the hotel.

Doesn't sound like much, but these seemed like four hundred leg burning, lung bursting steps….I hadn't felt this wiped out since Pisac. Even though our backpacks averaged 8 kilos…it might as well have been 800! There was a really nice young man with the biggest smile, and a shotgun to match who offered to carry our luggage up the stairs, but I couldn't let him do that. Thierry, who along with his wife Maria run the hotel met us at the top, and handed us our keys so I wouldn't have to struggle with the dozen or so steps to the main hotel restaurant and lobby.

So why go through the trouble? The isolation, the four hundred steps? Well, each of the ten rooms at Lomas de Tzununa are very clean and spacious…and what you're really paying for is this:

Each room is it's own "bungalow", and are located on the cliffs above the Lake. There's no television (this will play in later), but you've got views like this morning, noon, and night:

For us, it sure beat the tourist heavy scene at Panajachel or San Pedro, whose lights you can see here at sunset.

Of course, the Missus wasn't one for sitting still for long….soon enough it was back down those four hundred steps. Standing at the dock, the Missus and I gave each other one of those, "ok, now what" looks. But not for long, right off the dock is a little cabin, and there is what seems to be a father and son, who run the private lancha, and do all the lake activities. They asked the Missus where we were headed. And as a boat was passing what seemed like a hundred miles away, he whistled. And sure enough the lancha made it's way to the muelle. This boat was not nearly as packed.

We got off at San Pedro La Laguna, a popular tourist destination, right on the Nothern Slopes of the San Pedro volcano. Our destination was a village a 2 kilometer walk from San Pedro, San Juan la Laguna. We walked along the shores of the lake,passing women doing laundry on the shores of Atitlan.

Arriving at the top of the a hill, we could view the village of San Juan below….it was such a serene sight.

We followed the few vehicles into town……..it wasn't very hard….San Juan is a fairly small village, and home to Tz'utujil Mayan. It is a small, peaceful, yet colorful village.

San Juan is known for its local Artisans, and the murals made that very clear.

As in Laos, Cusco, and Siem Reap, we bought a small painting that displayed what we thought symbolized the trip for us. It was a beautiful painting, from a little shop on the way to the pier. Later we would come to know that the gentleman and his wife that we dealt with were pretty well known in the area.

We hadn't eaten since the evening before, so the Missus and I were on the lookout for a comedor. We passed several, but many were pretty empty, and I really couldn't get a good "feel" of any of the places. So the Missus started asking around. A group of schoolgirls headed home for lunch, looked at us curiously, and told the Missus "Comedor Elenita". We still weren't sure though. As we walked pass the school the Missus asked another woman, who also recommended Comedor Elenita. The woman walked us to the street and pointed us to the colorful restaurant. When we arrived, that table had pots and a tray of "pollo frito" on it that was selling like crazy.

I trudged up the rather high step(my thighs were still rather shakey from the 400 + 400 steps), peered into the place, and knew this was going to be a decent meal.

How did I know? You see those five heads on the left? Those were all Police Officers having lunch…and you know what they say about where the cops eat! The menu here was simple, the Menu "Del Dia" (menu of the day) is written on a greaseboard. The jolly gentleman who waited on us was a bit confused why we would order three items, but we were starving.

I ordered the Pollo Frito (fried chicken) which along with the Sopa de Pollo, was what we saw everyone eating. As with similar comedors, the food took a while, but it arrived with the chicken still sizzling.

There are a couple of interesting items to note. First, this was a typical meal for the area we visited…..there were three starches, in this case, rice, papas fritas (french fries), and tortillas, something for the tortillas, in this case guacamole, and some veggies thrown in for looks. I really like the guac, it was very simple, but had wonderful flavor, the avocados used for this must have been super. The fried chicken, was moist and juicy, and the flesh was soft and had flavor thorugh and through. Overall, this was in the top three with regards to fried chicken (best tasting flesh) on this trip.

The Missus ordered the Pescado Frito (fried fish).

A good sized fried fish, moist, but very mild, along with the same sides.

The Missus also ordered the Sopa de Pollo (chicken soup).

This came with a quarter of an avocado, lime, rice, and tortillas. It also came with a half cob of corn, which the Missus loved; She believes that corn in the states is much too sweet, this was more like what She ate growing up.

The soup was decently flavored, though not nearly as hearty and rich as what I had at the Mercado Central in Cusco. The meat was undoubtedly Gallina (old hen), as it should have been, tough and dry. We noticed that folks seem to think that tourists want "pechuga" (chicken breat)……which is what was got. After this, we started requesting, "no pechuga por favor"…….

There was one food item I learned about during this lunch….the item on the right in the photo. In the areas we visited in Guatemala and in Copan Ruinas they called it Encurtido, and based on what the main ingredient was in it, perhaps Cebolla(onion) Encurtido, Coliflor (cauliflower) Encurtido, etc…. I made sure to request it with every meal. This version was very good, as you can tell by the jar….sweet, refreshingly sour, with a mild spicy bite.

After lunch we slowly made our way down to the muelle.

We envied this guy……..

San Juan is a relaxed, and sleepy little village.

We made our way to the dock, which, just as the town, was still and peaceful…..

I couldn't help but start mumbling:

"Sittin' in the morning sun,
I'll be sittin when the even comes….."

We had wondered if Lanchas would actually stop here, but sure enough, one of the boats saw us, and made its way to the pier. At this point, I felt fat and happy, but than I realized that four hundred steps was in my future!

An Uni – licious Saturday – Live Uni from San Diego Kelpbed Products, Little Italy Mercato

May 16, 2009 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Seafood, Sushi and Sashimi, yoso-silly

I readily admit that I don't do a good job on keeping tabs on what is the latest, or greatest "thing" going on. But on occasion, I will read something that will grab my attention. This past Friday, I was "surfing along", when I decided to check out The Readers Food and Drink section, and lo' and behold, Ed Bedford's column was on a stand selling live uni at the Saturday Little Italy Mercato. Way to go Ed….….

So this morning I headed over to Little Italy, found parking with no problem, and walked a block over to the Mercato. Traffic, both the four wheeled and two legged kind was very light, and right at the South end of the Market, I saw the booth for San Diego Kelpbed Products.

And yes, there it was…….wriggling quills moving with slow, pulsing, almost mechanical smoothness. Heidi explained that these were Red Sea Urchin, and than raised her hands showing me the red pigmentation that the urchin gave off.

The booth is manned by Heidi and her daughter Rosemary. Heidi is treasure trove of information on Sea Urchin. Stuff like sea urchins can live a very long life(100 + years), and can keep reproducing until they are very old. As such, harvesting these keeps the population in check, which in turn does our Kelp Beds a favor. And then the magic words were spoken, "would you like a taste?" Are you kidding me????

Rosemary set to work, and had a much too easy time cracking and cleaning the uni……she cracked with the skill derived from tons of practice.

These 'nads had a bright almost reddish-orange color, with a nice, mild sweetness, and rich, briney flavor…..call it the kiss of the ocean if you desire. The flesh was creamy without disintegrating, and the fragrance hinted of the sea. And at four bucks a pop, I bought two…….

When I arrived home, I placed my uni in some old pasta bowls I had and put them in the fridge. I had been told that the uni would live two to three days in my fridge. You can tell they're alive by touching them……the spines will move. Of course, every half hour or so, I'd open the fridge, and pet my uni……

After completing all of my chores, I finally set out to work on my urchin. I have had more than my share of uni, but I had never cracked a large one myself. Back home in Hawaii, I've eaten smaller seas urchin (called `ina ), but had not really eaten the bigger "wana" (vana). After watching Rosemary, I was sure that I could do at least, a third rate job. Rosemary worked with a small slotted spoon and a pair of kitchen shears. Unlike what one of my friends say….you don't need a "special tool" to remove the gonads from the urchins. Though I wish I had a small slotted spoon…..

Actually, cracking it was easy….first you remove it's "beak". I used my pairing knife to cut around the "mouth". Someone once told me that the Old Hawaiians would place salt around, and in the mouth of the "Wana", and let it sit overnight. Cracks would then form around the mouth, making the uni easy to crack. I was much too impatient to even think about trying this.

Mouth removed, the uni looked like this:

I turned the uni over and drained the kelp(and other stuff) speckled seawater into the sink. I than found two of the seams, and cut along them, splitting the uni in half. I than scooped out the orange 'nads, and placed them in a bowl of clean water. I carefully scraped all of the detritus off them. I moved the cleaned uni pieces into another bowl of clean water, just to make sure I got everything off. I dried the uni briefly on paper towels, and ate them up…..plain…..it was excellent. I won't win for style or presentation points, you can pay your extra twenty bucks for that……

As I was washing the red pigment off my fingers….I wondered why I hadn't done this before. Perhaps it was the $4 a piece price……or maybe just watching the ease with which Rosemary went about cleaning the uni…..or maybe it was just the right time.

Funny thing was, the other uni, which I had this evening was even better…the flesh was that reddish-orange hue….and it was just sublime. Folks say that San Diego has some of the best Uni in the world…..so why don't you try it out, and form your own opinion.

And while you're at it, enjoy the Little Italy Mercato, on Saturdays between 9am and 130pm, located on Date Street, between Kettner and Union.

I picked out some other stuff as well……

Pork, Kale- are on sale this week. So, a $5 meal for two

May 15, 2009 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog and $5 Fridays are back! Cathy makes a meal for two for about $2.50 a person. I walk in a store, see what is on sale and have the makings for a meal.

Hi. I'm back, eating and enjoying blogging. Here is yesterday's dinner.

Pork loin roast is $2.99/lb at Henry's. You should not be eating 2/3 lb of meat per person, but this was the smallest package I could find. There were leftovers.

Kale is 79 cents a bunch (organic kale is $1.49 a bunch). I love kale and if you are growing any, this is the time of year when it is ready to eat from your yard.

A can of beans is priced between 69 cents and $1.50. I buy canned beans when on sale and had these at home. (These were Great Northern beans. You can use and kind of White or Navy beans or black eyed peas or even garbanzo beans..whatever you like.)

I marinated the pork in the juice from 2 lemons, some olive oil and some Herbes de Provence for about 30 minutes.

I put the pork and marinade in an open piece of foil on the center grill of my 3 grill BBQ- and turned on the heat on *both* sides, *not* the center. Radiant heat. Like being in an oven. Close the BBQ lid. I let this go until the inner temperature was 150 degrees. (If cooking in a stove, it should cook at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes per pound, again, until inner temp is 150- you take it out and it will continue cooking to the 'proper' inner temp of 160)

MEANWHILE, a side dish.

Hot pan.

Cold olive oil.

When olive oil gets hot, put in about 2 Tbs butter. Let it melt.

Put the can of beans, drained(but not rinsed) in a single layer onto the butter/oil mix.

Let the one side get crispy, sizzle, kind of get burned.

Yes.

Flip the beans over (so the "raw" side will start to get crispy) and top teh crispy side of beans with raw, chopped kale. It is going to steam while the beans cook.

Wait until you hear the beans sizzling again, then scrape them up, stirring the kale so it will cook in the pan.

When it looks like this, it is done. You can taste it. Some people now add garlic, onions and stir fry some more. I like the butter/oil/fresh kale/crispy burned bean flavor myself.

I put it in a serving bowl, topped with some olive oil and grated parmesan.

The pork, cooked and cooled forms a nice light crust, is flavored with the Herbes de Provence and lemon and is tender inside.

There it is, food for two for less than $5 total.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Roast pork

Marinate pork in a mix of lemon juice, olive oil and Herbes de Provence

Cook by radiant heat until inner temperature is 160 and remove from heat source to cool and continue cooking (or cook in oven @325 for 25 minutes per pound-until inner temp is 160 and remove since it will continue cooking)

Kale and beans

Cook drained/not rinsed canned beans in single layer in pan that has had olive oil heated and then butter melted in the olive oil until the beans start to "pop" and turn crispy on one side.

Flip beans over, top with one bunch chopped kale (about 8 cups) and let beans crisp on other side. (Kale will be steam cooking). Scrape beans, moving kale to bottom of pan and continue cooking until kale is finished. You can add onions or garlic now and let that cook in pan.

Remove from pan, top with olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.

What are you craving?

May 14, 2009 mmm-yoso Korean Restaurants

It's just that simple question for today. Since we've returned from vacation, the craving bug has it……some of them have been kinda strange, like Magnolia Coconut Ice Cream, others like rice(Jasmine and Koshihikari) are not so strange. Since we've been hitting places that I've posted on many times before (i.e. Banh Mi Bo Kho from Pho Lucky), I haven't bothered taking photos.

I was looking through some of my photos….and suddenly another craving hit.

Even though I had some for lunch…..I'm craving panchan and rice.

Of course, if I could have my (meat) cake and eat it too…….

I realize that it's kind of weird to have a folder titled "panchan", with just photos of panchan in it…..

So tell me what are you craving? Or even better, have you ever craved anything strange after returning from a trip?

Inquiring minds want to know……..

Antigua: La Fonda de la Calle Real, and Antigua at night…..

May 13, 2009 mmm-yoso Guatemala, Guatemalan Food, Travel

I'd readily admit that I did almost no research on where to eat before our trip to Guatemala. Work and other commitments kept those efforts to a minimum. In the end we had to depend on guidebooks, and other info to guide our eating. There was one restaurant that seemed to always be on the radar on all the Antigua websites and in all the guidebooks; La Fonda de la Calle Real….simply known as La Fonda. La Fonda serves upscale "Comida Tipica"……upscale enough for Bill Clinton to eat there during his visit, and is an institution in Antigua with three locations.

We chose the location on 5 Avenida Norte, because…..well, we were in the area, and two, we were starving after our morning tour of a few of the surrounding villages. There's quite a bit of ample seating in the large restaurant, and we were taken to a table in the bright and sunny courtyard area. In the rear is a kitchen and grill area which the Missus headed off to…..and proceeded to have every pot opened…asking a zillion questions…all of which was answered with good humor.

After placing our orders….in which I made a faux pas of ordering the same dish twice (ok, since it was pretty good), a plate of garnishes and seasonings was placed at our table.

It included a chili powder, oregano, lime, and cilantro and onions. We ended up using all of the cilantro and onions and lime.

We also used up all the green "Salsa Picante" to the amazement of the staff, who warned us beforehand, "muy picante, muy picante…" We even had a refill.

This was nice and tangy, and mildly hot. We found the food we ate in Guatemala to be fairly mild in the heat department.

The bowl of oregano was also a nice touch, as it came in handy with a few of the "Caldos".

We started with an order of Tamalitos de Chipilín (16Q – $2):

This proved be very dense rectangles of masa, and in spite of the menu saying it was flavored with Chipilin, black beans, and cheese, quite bland and dry. The salsa ranchera was a bit watery for our tastes, and on the mild side.

I had ordered a bowl of Kac-Ik ("Cack-ik", "Caquik"), a turkey soup that is from the city of Cobán in Central Guatemala (54Q – $6.75).

The soup was accompanied by mixed rice and a tamal. The broth was thin, but had a pleasant hint of onion and garlic. The addition of lime brought some of the background flavors out….I detected what I believe was mint and perhaps clove in the soup. I also added the onion and cilnatro for some bite. In spite of the color, the soup was mild in the heat department, with whatever combination of chilies used added a mild smokiness to the broth. I really enjoyed the turkey meat, it was gamey, and didn't look at all like "Western" turkey. In fact, the Missus didn't believe it was turkey…..She thought it to be lamb. I had to grab one of the Servers to explain to the Missus that this was indeed turkey!

We also ordered the Frijoles Volteados (31Q – $4), your basic Guatemalan refried black beans:

To my amusement, this was the Missus's favorite dish of the meal. This is where Her love affair with Frijoles Volteados began. I'm not quite sure what it is, but the Missus, an avowed frijoles hater just loves this. The hand made tortillas provided were grilled over an open flame, making them crisp…..on the menu it said it was "tortilla chips", but this was way better.

The Missus went to work on the frijoles, which when combined with the salsa picante, onions, and cilantro made for quite a treat.

So much of a treat that the Missus's main course, Estofado de Cordero (79Q – $10), went unheralded.

And yet, it was very good! This stew from the region of Tecpán, had a nice tomato tangy richness, and the "cordero" had a good "flavor of the pasture."

I selected the El Comal de los Recados (76Q – $9.50), which was a sampler. I neglected to notice that Kac-Ik was included in this as well. But since we enjoyed it, that wasn't a problem.

In addition to the Kac-Ik, the rice, and tamal, this sampler included Revolcado de Pollo, a thin stew of sorts. There was a mild chili flavor, with hints of garlic and onions, and you could tell that offal played a big role in the making of this stew. It was a bit too strong in flavor for the Missus (I didn't tell Her about the offal until later – when I displayed the small minced livers).

Also included was a dish I really wanted to try, Pollo de Pepian, a dish that I've read about.

The base of the stew is a seasoning mix that includes "Pepitoria" (pumpkin seeds) and a variety of chilies. Every version of this I ate was different, so it's hard to really get my bearing on this dish. The only thing in common was the use of pepitoria and a tomato base. This version was much milder than I thought it would be, though the chicken was nice and tender.

There was something quite deceptive about this meal….it was very heavy…..major food coma heavy. A group of women on the table next to us, ordered in a similar fashion, each got an appetizer, a main (which they polished off), and they even each got a dessert, which they demolished. We, on the other hand were totally finished off. La Fonda is not cheap, in fact it was the most expnsive meal of our trip coming it at close to $40. But we managed to learn a bit about eating in Guatemala (and even Honduras), meals are leisurely, and very hearty. We headed back to our room and passed out!

Later that evening we decided to take a stroll…….and found an interesting mixture of people. Youngsters heading home from school and workers headed West toward the buses. Tourists were wandering about, looking for a place to eat, perhaps a hostel, or in search of liquid refreshment.

And even at night Antigua is very photogenic.

We headed to Parque Central, where we found rows of people with their camera gear out….tripods, remote flashes….you name it. All cameras were aimed at the beautifully illuminated Cathedral of San Jose:

After for a while sitting and watching people set-up, line-up, adjust, set-up, line-up, check settings…..set-up, line-up, it seemed that very few photos were actually taken……we headed back to our room. We were still feeling a bit sluggish from lunch, and settled for two pieces of chicken and a few tortillas for dinner.

Tom’s Chinese BBQ

May 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Chinese BBQ, Chinese Restaurants

When we first moved to San Diego…….almost eight years ago today, we'd drop by Tom's BBQ for some roast duck every so often. Back then it was pretty darn good, excellent skin, nice balanced five-spice flavor, fairly tender meat. But over the next year or two, the place seemed to go South….the same folks, in the same looking shop, but the roast duck became rubbery, bland, and the roast pork was even worse. Over time, Tom's became a bit of an afterthought for us…..once when the Missus went to Panchita's Bakery next door, I remember telling Her, "it's been a real long time since we've been to Tom's, maybe we should see if the roast duck has regained form." Only to forget about that a few hours later. So……I guess a revisit to Tom's BBQ was way overdue.

Time hasn't been real good to ol' Tom, the interior, never the picture of spic n' span cleaniless, seemed coated with the residue of a thousand ducks, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The place is starting to look a bit worse for wear.

The prices at Tom's have always been good, and are still on the inexpensive side….except for the roast duck which now costs $18.50. A half duck goes for $9.50, the most expensive of all the take-out Chinese BBQ places in San Diego!

So of course I got a half roast duck:

The duck looked nice and juicy, and this version did not have "jus" poured all over it. Actually, this duck could have perhaps used some of the drippings, as it was fairly bland. The skin was flaccid and tough, as was the meat. In my opinion Cam Ky down the street is a better choice.

I also ordered a half pound of Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork – $3.50):

Having never tried the Char Siu, I quickly noticed that Tom's uses a minimal amount of red food coloring. The meat is very lean, and looks dry, but was better than I thought. It could be more moist, somewhat lacking in the umami and sweetness, but this was not bad.

The roast pork on the other hand (1/2 ln $4):

Was very dry, and bereft of flavor. The skin was hard, and not very good. Guess, what Da' Boyz had for dinner with their rice???

I can't help but wonder what happened to Tom's? I guess my next move is a revisit to Cam Ky, and perhaps another roast duck from Golden City(though technically not a Chinese BBQ joint). In the end, I can't help but wonder if perhaps I'm tilting at "roast duck windmills" in a Quixote-like quest for good roast duck in San Diego? Or maybe I should set my standards lower? Not very likely though……..

Tom's Chinese BBQ
4414 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Sheng Jian Bao in (mostly) pictures

May 10, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking

The Missus's Parents were nice enough to watch over Da' Boyz while we were away on vacation. And my MIL brought along a "new wrinkle" on this trip, as we had mentioned in this post…. Sheng Jian Bao! After hearing how much I enjoy(and I'm not the only one) Sheng Jian Bao (aka Sheng Jian Mantou, aka "SJB"), my MIL set about experimenting. And by the time they arrived, the results were quite good!

So I thought I'd document our one SJB making session. There is one caveat however, much like my post on Her Jiaozi, these are made using the senses, and not any set recipe. I'm fairly certain that you can use your handy dandy Mantou recipe (like this one from Eat.Travel.Eat!) and start with that.

So without further ado…….of course it all starts with yeast (a half envelop Fleischmann's).

And some sugar to make it "happy".

The water should be warmed to about body temperature (assuming that you don't have swine flu, of course).

My MIL adds flour by hand, without the use of a measuring cup, until it "feels" right.

If I recall correctly, (and she'll correct me if I'm wrong) She uses a mixture of Arrowhead APF and Bread Flour.

After achieving the correct texture, she covers the bowl, and lets the dough rest in a mildly warm area for 15-20 minutes.

After that period, the dough is pounded down, kneaded again, and it's off to another rest period.

After which it's time to get "rolling"…….

The one area where I actually do have a clue, is in cooking the SJB. You should have a pan heated to medium high heat. Add about 2-3 tablespoons(or more) of oil to the pan and swirl it around to coat. Place the SJB into the pan, and gently coat the bottom of the Bao in the oil.

Fry until the bottoms of the Bao attain a light golden brown color.

To get the Bao steamed, pour about one-third of a cup of water around the rim of the pan. Do not pour on top of the Bao, as this will ruin the texture. Cover immediately(watch out for the splatter) and let steam until water has evaporated. Add another one-third cup of water in the same manner, and cover. From what I've read, you can make this a slurry with some cornstarch if you want the Bao to stick together. Once water has almost evaporated, you can check to see if the SJB is ready. Gently touch the SJB; if the dough springs back into shape, the SJB are ready. Also, check the bottoms of SJB to make sure you've attained the desired crispness.

On this occasion my MIL made two different fillings, a pork with chive and scallion, and a chicken filling. Of course, I enjoyed the pork much more. I'm thinking that next time, adding a bit of pork aspic to the filling (a la XLB), will make these even juicier.

So there you have it.

But wait, that's not all! Did you notice something interesting in one of the photos above?

Yes, that straw mat………

I was told it's a traditional Jiaozi mat, and the Missus's Aunt brought it all the way from QingDao on a visit last year.

I was also told that using this mat makes Jiaozi taste "even better"!

And if this batch of Jiaozi, that the Missus's Mother made right after the SJB is any indication, I think they're right. It was some of the best I've ever eaten!

You won't get any argument from me…….

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Mom’s Almond Cookies

May 9, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

A few weeks ago, I was organizing my huge mess of a cookbook collection, when this popped up. I've written about this very special spiral notebook before. I found it after my mom passed on in 1996. It's one of the very few things I have from my mother…..the two cases of MD toilet tissue she had hoarded away in her small closet is long gone. The notebook fell on the floor, and opened up to the page with an almond cookie recipe. As a child, I could never help myself when faced with the inevitable jar of almond cookies at the cashier counter of a Chinese Restaurant, or at the register at "Lau's Market", the small store on the corner of 8th Avenue and Waialae. A wave of nostalgia rolled over me……

Very few readers of our humble little blog know that the Missus is a pretty good baker. She bakes weekly, sometimes several times a week for Her co-workers. For some reason, She has never consented to have me do a post on Her cookies or cakes. But in this case, She decided to make this exactly as written.

So how did it turn out? Not bad, perhaps a little paler than I remembered, but more than enough to soothe the soul or break the resistance of a fourth or fifth grader.

Instead of typing out the recipe, I thought I'd let my Mom tell you, in Her own words:

You can click on the photo to enlarge.

As silly as it seems, there's a part of me that would like to believe Mom was telling me something?

Anyway, to all you Mothers out there, we'd like to wish you a wonderful day….not just tomorrow, but everyday.

Also from the little red notebook….how's this for a blast from the past?

1974!!!