As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
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Well, I’ll be taking a short vacation. Be gone for a few days, not really a food destination, but hey, I’ve got to eat.
No laptop, so I’ll have very intermittent Internet access.
I’ll be back with a new post on either Sunday or Monday. Along with my vacation destination. First real "airplane" trip in two years, so it’ll be fun!
Best wishes from us at mmm-yoso!!!
Kirk
Well, I’m actually a day late…..still operating on "Hawaiian Time", I guess. So what to do to celebrate? I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so no slice of cake with a candle for me…….but I did find a substitute:
I hope that I’ll be able to remove the melted candle wax from the Nori, as I do plan to eat this.
Seriously, 175 different restaurants, 30 or so Markets and Bakeries, 295 posts, and 4900 or so comments later, and all I can say is wow….. I honestly never thought anyone would actually read this stuff. When we started, the Missus and I thought that doing a food blog would be a good way of recording where we ate, what we ate, and information on various restaurants, mainly for our own use. Over time mmm-yoso!!! has sort of developed a life of it’s own; and I don’t quite know how to explain it. So rather than attempt to explain it, all I’d like to say is:
Thanks to all of you for visiting and commenting, for all the kind Emails and recommendations, for always bringing a smile to my face, and most importantly, sharing that most precious of all resources with me, your time!
We send all of you our most delici-yoso regards! And thanks for visiting!
If you’re like us, you’ve been running around, buying, wrapping, and delivering…buying, wrapping, and delivering….
But I just wanted to wish everyone a most Merry and Safe Christmas.
One of my favorite items, is the Oatmeal/Raisin Cookies that a really good friend of ours makes.
Those that know me are aware that I really don’t care for "sweets". But this is one of my weaknesses. Just great, old-fashioned cookies, that she does so well. A few years ago, she found out that I really enjoy these; and nowadays, in addition to a "tin" of assorted wonderful cookies, she makes me a "tin" of all oatmeal! Here’s to wonderful, thoughtful friends! I have to be careful not too eat too many though…ahem, there’s alot of roughage in oatmeal! LOL!
Merry Christmas!
As all you regular readers can tell. there have been no posts over the last couple of days. There have been some problems with Typepad, the Web Blogging Service I use. I had a few posts in the "queue" that are now lost in the vapor of cyberspace.
But will have new posts starting (hopefully) on Sunday. I’m hoping to be back on my regular schedule.
Mahalo,
Kirk
A quick note about Hijiki. A regular reader, sent me some links regarding levels of Inorganic Arsenic in Hijiki which I used in one of my Nimono Dishes. So I just wanted to pass them on to you all:
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2004/jul/hijiki
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/foodfacts/arsenice.shtml
http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/chemicals-in-food/hijiki-arsenic/
And a few more:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040731f1.htm
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v18je17.htm
This interesting post lists the Brands tested by the Food Standards Agency in the UK; it also reveals that the FSA did not take into consideration the rinsing and cooking:
http://www.simoncox.com/mt3/2005/11/itsu_bean_and_hijiki_lunch_roll.php
As with all info of this type I think the same New Zealand FSA article linked above had the following:
"Does this put my health at risk?
Exposure to low levels of organic or inorganic arsenic is not a health concern. Organic arsenic is commonly found in seaweed and other marine foods but has not been linked to any human illnesses.
Inorganic arsenic, formed from the combination of arsenic with oxygen, chlorine or sulphur, is more toxic and is known to add to the risk of people getting cancer if it is regularly consumed.
However it is not usually found at high levels in food. Hijiki does contain high levels of inorganic arsenic."
And the New Zealand FSA sent out this additional press release that states:
"the New Zealand Food Safety Authority says that it is very unlikely that anyone consumes enough each day to be at any risk."
http://archives.foodsafetynetwork.ca/fsnet/2004/10-2004/fsnet_oct_21.htm#story1
I really don’t eat alot of this; so this won’t stop me from eating the little bit of Hijiki in my Onigiri, or with my bentos. In addition, many people I’ve known have been eating Hijiki their entire lives, and have not suffered any negative effects. But I thought that some sort of full disclosure is necessary. Call it "food for thought".
Thanks for the links Anna!
I’d just thought I’d do a quick get well soon post for Clare of Eat Stuff, who’s been Admitted to the Hospital due to an unfortunate incident. Take care, and best wishes for a complete recovery!
This morning we decided to pay a visit to Lucky Star Restaurant:
Lucky Star is known for reasonably priced Dim Sum, Seafood, and Cantonese dishes. We’ve been here more then a few times. In fact, we call it the "Big Red Barn", due to its large size, and reddish-shingled roof. The interior is cavernous, and there is a stage and dance floor for those ballroom type events and celebrations. In fact, I’ve recommended Lucky Star to more then a few people. But today, they’ll be no food in this post. Why? Well because we never got to that point. Let me explain:
We got to Lucky Star at around 1045 this morning, and were seated promptly. We quickly noticed that the restaurant was less then a third full. Well, the table we were seated at was covered with a layer of oily residue, which meant that it really hadn’t been cleaned well. But heck, I’ve eaten under worst circumstances. So we sat….at 1050 I looked at my watch, I noticed that most of the staff were busy cleaning up tables, even though the place is basically empty. And no had yet even acknowledged our existence. The table next to us with Four Guys sitting there obviously knew someone, because they were getting their water refilled. Next time I looked it was 1053 and the servers were milling around, and it still seemed we were invisible. At 1055, the Missus flagged down one of the Servers and asked for Tea and Water, she was told "Well, what kind tea?" So we said Jasmine is fine. 1059, our tea was dumped on our table with a simple "Here…tea". Funny, still no Dim Sum carts at our table, and where’s our water? 1105, we noticed people who got seated after us are getting served, tea, water, the carts are there…. At 1109 we had seen enough. As we walked out the Missus had a few words with the Hostess, so I intervened. I explained what the situation was, and she asked if I wanted to speak to the Owner. I asked if it would really make a difference, and she said "No, not really". So we left. I also said if your servers think it’s more important to bus tables in a restaurant that is two-thirds empty, then to get tea and water for patrons who have been sitting and waiting for 15 minutes, you’ve got some problems.
To put it bluntly, Lucky Star will never, ever see, another dollar of my hard earned money. period!
Very soon everyone in San Diego can have the very same heartburn that Angelino’s have been having for years! Actually, I like Tommy’s, but the Missus always gets heartburn from the chili. Saw this while waiting for a light on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, and took a picture, and immediately called the Missus! We had just been talking about heartburn (I’ve only had it once in my life!).
This is for Jack B. and Beth’s Hubby, who both can now get heartburn like they’ve never had it before! Lot’s of Love!!! Burp….
The last heat wave really put a damper on my appetite. All I really wanted to eat was Hiya Yakko (cold) Tofu.
So utterly simple, yet refreshing. All I do is add some shoyu and green onions, and maybe some Asazuke Kyuri (pickled cucumbers). This is comfort food of the highest level to me. The only problem was finding a brand of tofu here on the Mainland that I enjoyed.
I was looking for a nice balanced, beany taste, like my beloved Aloha Tofu back home. I've finally settled on Nijiya Organic Tofu($1.49). It has the right balance of beaniness, along with the firmer texture I enjoy. The one thing I don't get is how this tofu lasts so long – back home tofu would expire in a couple of days, makes me a bit worried when I see that tofu will last for more than a month!
I ended up having a whole block of cold tofu 4 times last week. And enjoyed it each time. Here's to simple cold tofu! Comfort food of the highest order.
A little over a week ago Reid from ‘Ono Kine Grindz tagged for this meme. He in turn had been tagged by Clare from Eat Stuff. So with sincere apologies for my tardiness in completing this I’ll give it a shot here. This is all off-the-top-of-my-head, so I’m pretty sure this list would be different on every attempt.
The rules of this meme are simple. Write about five foods from your childhood that you miss…what’s the catch? There is none, really. AND so that the people that started this darned thing can keep track of it, here’s something else that you need to do:
Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog’s name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross-pollination effect. Then tag three people and you’re over and done with it all.
1. Do Or Do Not
3. eat stuff
5. mmm-yoso!!!
Ohhh-Kay let’s get started!!!
1. For the faint of heart, time to leave. It’s funny but from this humble beginning, I somehow ended up eating what I eat. Mayonnaise and Ketchup, yes, you heard me mayo and ketchup, mixed together. It had to be Best Foods Mayo and Del Monte Ketchup. So how did I enjoy this pseudo-Thousand Island dressing. On rice, of course! Yeah, yeah, yeah, you heard me right. Dressing on rice,very, very nice! Even before my kim chee and rice, there was ketchup and mayo on rice, french fries, plain macaroni, bread, basically any starch. But rice was #1! I hated the lumps though, so would have to smooth out the mayo before adding the ketchup, after all – Ya Gotta Have Standards!
2. Woolworth’s Fried Chicken. This was love at first bite. Remember "You do the pickin’ when you buy chicken at Woolworth’s"? Mom & I used to catch the bus down to Fort Street Mall, and buy the chicken, which they put into a foil bag, than go and sit and eat it on one of the many benches along Fort Street Mall. Years later, before all the Woolworth’s were closed down, I went in and ordered the fried chicken. Unfortunately it wasn’t very good at all. Made me wonder if the recipe had changed, or maybe you can "never go back home again"?
3. Pork Chow Mein. I’m sure you’re wondering, what about Pork Chow Mein? Well, as a youngster, I was a bit of a "pokey" eater, never really ate much. Then, when I hit the 3rd grade a strange thing happened; I developed an appetite, I mean an appetite! This coincided with our patronization of a certain Chinese Restaurant, whose name I can’t remember. If anyone knows the name of this place, please let me know. It was located on corner on Waialae and 10th Avenue, on the Mauka side of the street (in other words it wasn’t King’s Garden – too "high maka-maka" for us). I’m sure the Pork Chow Mein here wasn’t any great culinary masterpiece by any means, but I went from hardly being able to eat a few fork fulls, to eating an entire order in one sitting. I remember that one of the Waitresses would sit and watch me eat, totally amazed! Maybe I missed my true calling in life – Side Show Attraction? So when people would look at my Elementary School pictures and wonder how a sudden" growth spurt" occurred between 3rd and 4th grades, I’d always answer, "pork chow mein". ‘Nuff said!
4. Chow Fun. I guess I have a thing about starch. But there’s a particular Chow Fun I’m talking about. I’ve only had it about 4 times in my life, and again I don’t remember the name of the place. But it was located on Front Street in Lahaina. My Mom, was born and raised on Maui, so we’d get to Maui every so often to visit. There used to be a place that had this wonderful chow fun – they used to wrap it in pink butcher paper. The Chow Fun had pieces of french fries in it, a carb-lover’s dream! There was a 20-plus year gap between my last visit to Maui in the late 90’s and my previous visit in the early 70’s. It felt kind of sad, I didn’t recognize a single thing except the old Banyan tree in Banyan Tree Park.
5. Vienna Sausage. I really can’t stand the stuff anymore. But as a kid I loved to eat Vienna Sausage and musubi! I remember my Mother putting the Vienna Sausage into a thermos, pouring in hot water, than closing the thermos. When we hit our destination, she’d open the thermos and pour the water out; and viola! Hot Vienna Sausage, perfectly sized finger food.
So who am I tagging? A trio of fun, interesting, Food Bloggers – Pam from Daily Gluttony, Elmo from Monster Munching(Elmo – don’t tell me you don’t have any childhood memories, ok!), and another Ex-Pat Kama’aina and Rookie San Diego Food Blogger, Annie from Green Beans in San Diego. Have Fun……