What Cathy Eats! – Page 102

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto- Great Seafood in Tierrasanta

March 23, 2008 Cathy Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

Fish Bucket Grill is under new ownership: New Website

mmm-yoso is just a blog. Really. It's about food. Sometimes we tell you how we happened to stop and eat at a particular place, or why we found it, and sometimes we just write about a meal. While Kirk and His Missus are on their adventurous vacation, Cathy is writing about …you know…food.

Hello again. I am back…So, anyhow, I had occasion to be in Tierrasanta very early one morning and saw this place, on Santo Road, just off the 52, next to the Post Office. It is kind of new-opened in late December. I made a mental note to come back when the business was open.

So one day, it was lunch time. I decided to get the Fish and Chips, to go.

I only got the 1/2 order, (1/4 pound of fresh fish) with the spicy salted waffle fries for $5.95. You can substitute sweet potato fries for an additional $1.50, but I wanted to try a "basic" meal here.

As you can see, a very good serving size. Four large pieces of hand breaded with panko fresh fish, fried to a golden brown, a good serving of fries which were still crispy when I got home, a pretty large serving of cole slaw and a half slice of grilled garlic-butter bread.

As I was waiting, I snapped a photo of the fresh fish in the refrigerator. Prices are comparable to Anthony's and Point Loma Seafoods. Very fresh fish; no fishy smells in here.

I had to bring The Mister back one day and sit inside for a meal. We chose the Grilled Salmon Caesar salad ($9.95)- two salmon filets lightly charbroiled. The lettuce was Romaine and the dressing was good and garlicky and creamy, but I don't think made in house. The croutons were packaged and unnecessary and the grilled garlic bread was wonderful, crispy and fresh. A filling salad.

The Mister got the Fish and Shrimp plate ($11.95)- the panko breaded fried fresh fish and light lightly panko breaded fried shrimp, which were very large and juicy and quite flavorful. There were 6 shrimp and four pieces of fish on the plate.

All the fish served is fresh and when they are out, they are out. It is worth the stop to come here to eat.

Only seven tables inside and one outside and there was a sign on the awning about a Sunday Champagne Brunch, which I will be looking into very soon.

The Fish Bucket Seafood Market and Grotto 6030 Santo Road, Suite G, San Diego 92124 (858) 715-0221

Fast Food Breakfasts-without regard to calorie count, of course..

February 23, 2008 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and Cathy is today’s writer of her recent adventures in eating. Kirk will be back soon.

Hi again. Just a post showing what I eat/have eaten lately for breakfast, mostly while driving (yet never using a drive though window)-(that was my New Years Resolution a few years ago: I park my car and walk INTO fast food places…to save on fuel and get that little bit of exercise in my day) around town, apparently aimlessly… Anyhow…

It looks like this, wrapped.
Yes, the ubiquitous Chick Fil A breakfast biscuit and side of tater-tot-ish potato nuggets(about $4). A light, tender, crispy edged biscuit with a lightly crispy batter fried 1/3 chicken breast that is nice and tender. The potato nuggets are fried correctly: crispy and kind of cooked through in a good way on the inside. This is the only chicken breast biscuit breakfast I like (McDonald’s has tried one and so has Hardee’s back East; it isn’t the same) Chick Fil A only cooks…um…chicken fillets, and they do it right.
By far, my most favorite fast food breakfast…
Because you get all the flavors in every bite…and it is all good. For $3.22, including tax, you get a 1/4 lb burger, topped with cheese-and bacon-and a fried egg-and on the bottom there are Tater Tots-and ketchup.

I crave this sandwich. I just do.

I don’t care about calorie count (obviously). I do care about the taste, and this has *every* flavor and texture I want for breakfast.

Then there is the ever popular

McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin (2 for $3)- The Mister craves these: I don’t. They are OK and not bad, just not a craving…and those hash browns, I do admit I ..um…do crave. However, pretty much any potato I think is good with me…

McDonald’s has a new item- the McSkillet Burrito (less than $3 everywhere) and I was curious. Looks kind of plain…
But, as you can see, it is the only item McDonald’s sells that has *real* chunks of potatoes in it, along with a whole sausage patty and eggs and cheese and salsa. A nice little meal in one bite. The salsa is not mild, ot too hot-just enogh of a bite-and I like how the flavors blend.

There are more places where I eat when I am having busy days (as have been happening lately) and I do enjoy a a bit of variety sometimes. I hope you do, too.

www.chickfila.com

www.carlsjr.com

www.mcdonalds.com

Sage French Cake and Coffee-quality food and a New Year Resolution I have kept!

February 18, 2008 Cathy Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Desserts, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog, written by a bunch of friends about food we eat, sometimes with some side notes about other things we do while eating. Today, Cathy is blogging.

Hello. Cathy here. Part of my New Year Resolution for 2008 was to take time to relax every day. Even if only for a few minutes…an hour a least I think I told myself.

So, the other day The Mister and I were shopping at Nijiya Market and finally got ourselves over to French Cake, located in the same parking lot. Many people have told me to try it here, and I have said I would…and now, finally, in 2008, I have.

Should have done it sooner.

We tried the banana split mousse ($3.75)- a very gelatinous, firm mousse, with very strong, rich flavor of banana and blackberry syrup with a dense flavored thin slice of chocolate cake on the bottom and an unsweetened whipped cream on top. Perfect flavors for me- I don’t crave sweets and do appreciate the true flavors that were in each bite. Even the cocoa in the cake.

We got regular coffee from the pump pot. It was strong flavored and fresh.

One of my recommendations from Yummie Yummy was to try the tiramisu ($4), and I am so glad we did. An excellent rendition that was very fresh and very non sugared down, with fresh marscapone with cocoa and cake which was perfectly textured.

I will be stopping here regularly, as part of my wanting to stick to my New Year Resolution to relax for at least one hour daily- and not eat or drink in the car while driving…

Yeah…I made a New Years Resolution and somehow turned it into a reason to stop at a bakery at least once a week…I don’t want to hear it…

Sage French Cake and Coffee 3860 Convoy Street, Suite 112 San Diego, CA 92111 (858) 571-3484 Tues-Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6, Closed Mon

A Trip to the new Fresh & Easy

February 17, 2008 Cathy Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog and today it is Cathy’s turn. Kirk is busy.

Hi again. Hope you day has been going well. Fresh & Easy has come to Southern California, and the one closest to our home has (finally) opened, so I thought I’d show and tell what our sort of "average" purchase is in a quick post..

For those who don’t know, Fresh & Easy is a mini grocery store concept, brought here by Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, British based (Wal-Mart and Carrefour in France are #1 and #2) international grocery and general merchandising retail chain.

The products in the store are not from Britain, per se, but this one item I look for that seems to be sold out rather rapidly.

The "british-brand" uncured back bacon. ( no nitrates added except for naturally occurring nitrates in sea salt and celery juice) It is hand trimmed and hickory smoked.$5.59 a pound and *wonderful* stuff. The slices are not at all uniform- some thin and some thick, but I don’t cook a lot at once, so can keep an eye on the bacon in the pan.

Other items we buy on a sort of "regular shopping trip include:

Jewish Rye bread ($1.77)-this is thick cut, light(not dense) and has a hearty rye flavor. A pack of four cheese Danish ($3.59), light and crispy, buttery crust with a not too sweet, creamy filling. Smoked Polish kielbasa ($2.49) a one pound ring of not bad-but not like I grew up with- garlic-y kielbasa is a staple in our fridge …OH and that pint of Roasted banana gelato for $2.98 is my personal new addiction- it is pretty much Bananas Foster in cream form. Every flavor- butter and burned brown sugar- is there along with a wonderful, non-artificial banana flavor. I can’t wait for summer so I can maybe try other flavors, or just keep getting this stuff.

I also like the freeze dried banana/blueberry/raspberry mix ($2.50 for a 44g bag). This is a wonderful snack or add in to plain yogurt, or on top of salads and costs almost double when sold under other brand names in regular grocery stores. Freeze dried-light and airy crisp-not a hard and crunchy crispness-wonderful! The 24 ounce bag of carrots is only $1.03 and the 16 ounce low fat cottage cheese is $2.28, a good price in Southern California nowadays, where dairy prices have gone insane.

I don’t usually like orange juice from concentrate, but for $2.19, I tried it this time. It is not bad at all. The Greek yogurt (honey flavor and fig flavor) at $1.18 each, are a great deal. This time we bought the regular hot dog buns ($1.19) and a jar of sauerkraut (99¢) because we have some good skinned wieners at home that I think will be tomorrow’s lunch. The hot dog buns feel not soft, but the expiration date is about 5 days away- they were the freshest marked bread product there, so I am going to toast and butter the buns before eating and see how that works out. I think it will be dense but fresh bread…unlike the 99¢ generic hot dog buns sold in regular grocery stores.

Oh, the Huntsman Cheese is only $10.48/lb and one of my favorite treats, along with cured, dried meats, which we did not buy this time.

The store is known for its concept of having foods that are easy to prepare or eat (hence the name) and the refrigerated section is quite large. Sandwiches, salads, side dishes are not expensive and rather interesting. I just like to cook, so I only have purchased occasional of those items, when I am in a hurry. The lasagna is particularly good and, as I recall, $3.99 for a one pound serving.

As well as easy to eat and prepare items (make your own shrimp and salmon skewers- with sauce and a tomato on each of the 4 skewers -$5.99 for 13 ounces) (boneless skinless chicken breasts ready to bake with bell peppers, cream cheese and butter sauce for $7.99/lb), there are also other grocery items, like whole chicken legs for 79¢ a pound (they are 99¢ a pound at Costco) and 5 or 6 types of ground beef , including Angus (th 80/20 ground beef is $2.59). There are breakfast cereals, pancake mixes, syrups and baking goods, canned tuna, soups, oils and vinegars, both in popular brands and (about half the store is) Fresh and Easy brand. They sell plenty of Indian curry items, both fresh and frozen items (a 24 ounce frozen Mac and Cheese is $2.99) and some regular grocery store items, such as pet food, baby needs, cleaning items and drug store sundries, although not a full selection. Kind of a few notches above 7-11 in convenience and fanciness for those quick stops on the way home after a busy day.

It is an easy one stop shop, where you scan and bag it yourself. There are no sales: just everyday low prices. {They did have Whitman Chcolate 2 pound heart shaped boxes for $1.67 sold at the cash registers after Valentine’s Day, so I assume the prices were higher within the store prior to the holiday, but there are no sale flyers or things like that. } I do like it here and can do some regular, as well as some fancy shopping here. Addendum: The "fresh" items are marked down to half price after about 3 p.m daily (Including the flowers). The end unit you first hit when walking in the door has mark downs anyhow, but the half price stickers are fairly obvious on the items in the regular bins. There are no ‘weekly specials’ per se.

www.freshandeasy.com

Soup Weather! A revisit to Palomino’s-yes, soup but not pho.

January 5, 2008 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog. The bloggers are friends. The bloggings vary and are mildly interesting, informative and sometimes bizarre. Today, its Cathy, with her blogger-ish perspective of mildly interesting food.

Hi again. We are having lots of rain storms this weekend. If you are daring to venture out of the house and driving about and maybe want soup, but *not* pho…well, there are options, you know. Here are a few choices. Really. If you are going to any taco shop, you may have noticed (and ignored) the “soup” part of the menu. This weekend (and any time, actually) would be the perfect time to try some.

You may recall I did a post about non-pho soup abou this time last year, but that restaurant (Los Michoacaños) is in Santee and so this time I am doing a more central location, and showing more of the variety Palominos has to offer, just on the “Soups” (or “Caldos”) side of the menu.

There are 11 caldos listed on the menu on the wall above the cash register and I will only show you five, however know the “basics” of pozole and menudo have been extensively enjoyed by The Mister and myself, are plentiful and really good.

These first two photographs are of Caldo Talapeño ($5.99)..Yes, chicken soup…but there are three “chicken soup” choices listed on the menu board-the bottom one that is simply called “chicken soup” for $5.99 is just the “American” menu listing of Caldo de Pollo-the third soup I will be telling you about-below.

This soup was made with all chicken breast meat and had hominy as the starch.

As you can see, a LOT of chicken breast meat. There was no “add in” plate to top this soup. There was a chipotle pepper in it and that added enough spice. The usual vegetables- carrot, and celery as well as zucchini are in large chunks and barely cooked (i.e, not mushy). Also, there were a smattering of garbanzo beans, same size as the hominy at the bottom of the bowl. All in all, a good, home made chicken soup stock base topped with sliced fresh avocado.

The Caldo de Camaron(Shrimp Soup)($8.50) is an absolute delight! There are more than 15 of these large, juicy plump, flavorful shrimp in the bowl and the broth, tomato based, was a deeply rich and flavorful seafood stock and quite filling. The vegetables in the soup were carrots and celery. A simple and wonderful meal.

This side plate of cilantro, onions, limes, pepper and dried herbs(a mix or marjoram, thyme and some oregano) as well as a choice of corn or flour tortillas accompanied this soup. You can mix in at the start, or after you are eating. I usually enjoy the initial soup “plain” and then do add ins, to give myself a whole new soup later in the meal.

This is the Caldo de Pollo ($5.99), yes, a different, more basic chicken soup which comes with the sides plate, above, as well as the tortillas and the cup of rice as the starch, although, as you can see, there are corn, carrot, zucchini and potatoes in the soup…as well as a *lot* of dark, flavorful thigh meat. I really kind of was hoping this soup would have had more broth, but am not complaining. It is the same base stock as the first chicken soup (caldo de talapeño) pictured above.

Caldo de Res (Beef Soup) ($6.25) By far, the deepest, richest broth of those shown here. Plenty of non-fatty stew beef, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, corn and cabbage, served with tortillas and rice. This broth will satisfy you even more than the chicken broth if you are losing your taste buds due to a cold or flu. There also was almost too much meat in the bowl. Again, not complaining.

I’ll just end this post with the traditional Albondigas Soup ($5.99). At least five of these large meatballs, made with rice, celery and onion as well as the dry spice mix(again, mostly oregano) and in the mix, corn, potato, zucchini, cabbage and carrots. The broth of the albondigas is the same as the pozole broth(not pictred and usually what I have for breakfast when I come here)…kind of what I call “hollow” and absolutely the only broths here that I feel I have to add in those side items to give it a deeper flavor- the lime automatically enriches the flavor and the onions, cilantro and pepper flakes give the depth needed, especially on cold, wet days such as are in our midst right now.

To summarize: there are five main broths for ten soups: chicken, beef, seafood, the pozole/albondigas broth and the menudo. All are used for homemade, flavorful and filling soups. So, don’t be afraid to enjoy the soup at any of your local taco shops – not at all your everyday “Taco Shop” meal. If you are on Clairmont Mesa near the Registrar of Voters office, stop in at Palominos. Parking is tight at lunchtime, but not in the morning or after 3 p.m.

Palomino’s #2 9353 Clairmont Mesa Blvd, suite I San Diego 92123 (858) 292-8470 Mon-Fri 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Sat 6-9, Sun 6-8

The Very Last Day of 2007-and a preview of 2008! Behind the scenes at the Tournament of Roses! Oh, food, too.

December 31, 2007 Cathy Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food..and what some of us do to get to eat said food. Cathy is having her annual adventure North of San Diego and you get to vicariously enjoy!

Hi. It is the 31st of December and here we are. We made it through 2007, relatively unscathed and 2008 is right there staring at us. We have to learn a little different way to type or write the date; new calendars are out on the walls and on the desk, filled with so many blank pages, papers can be filed and gotten ready to start inputting into the new Tax Program on your computer, or in a folder to hand to your Tax Guy or Tax Gal…and still, there is time to relax, because the the first day of the year is a holiday! A lot of people have breakfast at home with family or friends and watch the Rose Parade on television. A spectacular event, planned almost a year in advance, yet assembled only a few weeks before it actually can happen, because every visible portion of each float must be covered with something that is, or was alive…thousands of volunteers have been working on the float decorations, sleeping overnight in Pasadena, waking to sticky, glue covered hands and clothing and going at it the next day…and yet, nobody will see these lovely pieces of art and architecture until tomorrow on television…except for you, dear readers!

Oh yes, The Mister and have this on our agenda every year…We just are skipping the sticky glue covered hands part this year. Yes. we merely woke up about 4 a.m. today and drove north to Pasadena, to have breakfast with the Pasadena Host Lions Club at the Historic Castle Green Hotel and then take a VIP tour of the final float preparations.

The Hotel is now mostly an apartment building and the eating area is still used for parties and such. We got some food from the buffet: Kind of standard stuff; scrambled eggs, potatoes, fruit, muffins, danish, ham and sausage. One trip only…coffee, cranberry and orange juice too. We didn’t care- we were here to take the VIP tour of the final decoration of the 2008 Rose Parade Floats! I am trying to give you views you will not see on television. This 25,000 pound Indian (Native American) float will be one you see on television, mid parade.

Remember, every square inch of every float has to be covered with something that is or was alive. The smells up close are wondrous…and also glue-like.

This is the back of the Lions Club International Float.. and this is what it looks like from the front. As I said, every square inch on every float must be filled in, and judging was about to happen in less than three hours. If you look close, you can see glue on the back of these Marguerite flower heads and the blank space they were being placed onto the float just behind. Other flowers had been cut and placed in water vials and were also ready to be used for ‘spot fills’. OK, here are some other floats…for a sneak peek! AND SO ANYHOW…It was lunch time and we were hungry, but the streets of Pasadena were starting to line up with people claiming a spot along the parade route and we wanted to stay away from those crowds, so jumped on the freeway, started heading East, and decided the"Covina" exit at Citrus Avenue sounded nice…and we saw this sign in a non-descript mall…and stopped The menu was simple- So. we ordered…The pastrami sandwich ($5.25).

Very large, lots of meat, juicy, nicely spicy(not too much pepper), good fresh bread. No jus to dip in, however, there was enough juice on the bread to make it wonderful as a last bite. I wanted the gyros sandwich special ($6.99) included fries and a medium drink…the gyros was wonderful, meat cut in thick slices from a spit and perfectly juicy and flavorful, topped with a tangy tzatziki sauce, chopped onions and chopped tomatoes. In my quest for wonderful onion rings and knowing they are pretty much always perfect from these Mediterranean places that have gyros, I ordered the SMALL size ($2.59). I was not disappointed in the size, nor the quality and spice of the breading and crispiness; I was merely disappointed in myself that I could not finish it all…

P&G Superburgers 1030 N. Citrus Avenue, Covina open 7 am-11 pm, seven days

We wish everyone out there a Very Happy 2008! (or "2000 ate" as ed so succinctly put it) Have a safe day!

Holiday Bowl 2007-a great tailgate, with 4 hours and 17 minutes of game interrupting it

December 30, 2007 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is just a little blog about food and things related to food. Today, Cathy is sharing a small adventure.

Hi, again, everyone! Hope you are having a nice time during this time of many holidays and parties and anticipating the New Year. The Mister and I have one annual event we *must* attend – the Holiday Bowl- one of 31 college football Bowl Games which are played by chosen ranked teams almost daily starting on December 20 and culminating in #1 versus #2 in the nation playing each other for the title of "National Champion" on January 7, 2008.

Truth be told, we don’t really care about the game much; we go to attend a tailgate in the parking lot, with about 100 of our closest friends from around the world (retired and active military as well as Lions, Rotarians and Optimists) not many of whom remember our names; they just know we bring the Garlic Beef.

About 18 pounds this year. It is small end rib roast, which was on sale at Albertsons, coated with a paste made of chopped garlic (about 5 pounds), oregano and paprika, held together with olive oil, salt and pepper and flashed for about 20 minutes in a 500° oven, then turned down to 325° for about 20 minutes a pound. We made 6 pounds of rolls to go with, and served with several horseradishes and mustards. (This "Atomic" horseradish is more pickled, or Kim Chee-ish in flavor and low in heat. One of the ingredients is parsnips)

So, anyhow, this year, 120 people brought some sort of food-and drink- to share, and we caught up on the past year when we really did not see each other much.

This table had mostly desserts. That bowl was filled with chopped fresh fruit and sangria. The yellow sheet pan in front was the most wonderful Italian ricotta based cheesecake which had rum soaked raisins in it (I have the recipe)…there were a few "regifted" items also, like Kirkland (Costco) brand Belgian chocolate cups, which were wonderful, and many homemade cookies and fudges.

There were sandwiches and pizza from Filippi’s, turkey wraps from Costco.

As you can see, a variety of items to share… there were three different "seven layer dips" and chips also, as well as barbecued and fried chicken…shrimp, sweet potato casserole, pasta salad, cole slaw…raw veggies and dip…you know FOOD!

This year, Mr. T could "only" find a 24 pound turkey to smoke starting at 3 a.m. the night before (it was still steaming hot when he cut into it).

Mr. T’s turkey is always stuffed with his famous rice stuffing, which I crave on this annual basis.

I am so sorry; I cannot rotate this photo on my iBook or on the PC, so turn your head.

All in all, there were eight tables packed solid with food from our group,

Along with three portable grills…

So, at about 4 p.m., we had to pack up everything and go inside the stadium, looking back and the full parking lot then finding our seats and watching the opening ceremonies (the unfurling of the U.S. flag across the entire length of the playing field, by the U.S. Marines, the flyover of the four F/A-18 Hornets from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar) Then the coin toss, the start of the game (when it was 53° inside the stadium…up until-finally- the end of the first quarter, when it was 40° inside the stadium) (there were a tremendous amount of game delays due to reviews by the officials), to sideline events (the photo of the awarding of the Weinerschnitzel Weiner National Championship Winner is one of those up there) to -finally- half time and the Marching bands, during which the Texas Band did a very nice routine in a traditional manner and the Arizona State Band did some unusual musical tributes, including Guns N Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" and Lynard Skynard "Freebird" done with marching band instrumentation..and finally the High School marching bands joining together in a tribute to the 70’s in a disco themed performance and ending in fireworks.

Usually the football game is close all the way, but this time, the University of Texas had the highest scoring (21 points) first quarter in 27 (of 30) Holiday Bowl games. So, anyhow, the game went *really* long (4 hours, 17 minutes) and a bunch of our group (as well as most of the stadium crowd) left before the game was over, but not all of us!

Yep; back out to the parking lot for leftovers…but since so many people had left, we "only" had three tables of leftover food to share.

and gallons of hot apple cider. Unfortunately, the people who usually bring the turkey chili could not make it this year, and the people who bring the hot water for the instant coffee (and Irish Whiskey additive), forgot the hot water thermoses at home.

We enjoyed our leftovers and hot beverages as we waited for the parking lot to empty.

I hope all of you have enjoyed your holidays also. One more to go!

Las Vegas Road Trip…Green Valley Ranch Resort breakfasts and National Finals Rodeo

December 19, 2007 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Las Vegas, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food…and stuff. I get to follow the soon to be infamous delightfully titled (and photographed) post by ed from Yuma. Here is more of a "stuff" post, with some food thrown in.

Hello, again. So…last weekend, Ms. T and I drove to Las Vegas and (again) stayed at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, just Southeast of the Strip. It is my annual "Two days away from home when I get to take a bath and watch rodeo cowboy athletes"-seriously. That tub is wonderfully huge and the room is luxurious. The bed has high thread count sheets and a down duvet
topped and bottomed with sheets, creating a wonderfully warm thermal effect…and the room is solid, safe and silent, and, this time, had a view of not only the "beach" and pool areas, but also the sunrise against the hills to the West of town. (Click onto the smaller photo, look at top left- the edge of the pool is a gradual entrance of sand)

Since Ms. T drove the whole way there, she was very tired the first night and stayed in her room to wind down and I was on my own, so just walked over to "The District" next to the Hotel and looked at the Christmas decorations, window shopped and then went back to the casino and gambled a bit .
When I went to my room, I was hungry, having only eaten breakfast with The Mister before we left and then the snacks I had packed for the drive over…but it would be time for breakfast soon enough and Ms. T. and I had no plans to meet until 9 a.m., so I ordered Room Service to be delivered at 6 a.m.
"The European Breakfast, for one"…The top left napkin had a wonderful fresh, light, buttery, crispy croissant inside of it…There were assorted dried meats (roast beef, salami and Prosciutto) two large chunks of Brie, Greek olives, assorted fresh fruits (melon, grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries) the pot of coffee (that ended up being four cups) with real cream, fresh grapefruit juice, the butter pats in the bottom left corner and grape jam and strawberry preserves. It was wonderful and with a room service charge and non-optional 20% gratuity, set me back $33. There was a lot of food I saved for my later afternoon snack…a lot. This was a tray for one. It was way more than enough.
So, Ms. T and I went shopping at the Cowboy Christmas and then to lunch and then back to the hotel and met later to drive to the Rodeo.
The opening ceremonies, where all the participants, line up and ‘salute’ the audience with a tip of their hats is always a good memory. The National Finals Rodeo is a ten day event, and the participants are the top 15 of each competition from the past year. The competitions (Bareback riding, cattle roping, saddle broncs, team roping, women’s barrel racing and bull riding) are held between those top 15 people daily and on the tenth day, after the cumulative scores are counted, then "Best of the Best" are awarded the National Championship (and a corresponding large belt buckle).

All in all, a very nice Day 5 of the NFR .

The next morning, we heard it was raining in San Diego and did not want to drive too early, to avoid any possible "black ice" on the road in the Cajon Pass, so we went to the Breakfast Buffet at "Feast" inside the Green Valley Ranch Resort Casino Hotel.
Ms. T. got an assortment of the exotic offerings- a breakfast burrito and quesedilla, eggs, chorizo and stew.

And I was still in that "European" mode and chose an onion bagel, cream cheese, smoked fish, smoked salmon, onions, tomatoes, some assorted cheese slices, pickles…oh, and that pear.
Then I went back for more "traditional" stuff- scrambled eggs (with my selection of toppings from the salad and salsa bar), bacon, sausage, ham, and a biscuit with sausage gravy.
Ms. T. went back and tried a blintz, a crepe and a slice of cheesecake.
All of the food here is excellent and fresh. The all you can eat breakfast is $7 and includes beverage.

Then we started our drive back to San Diego, stopping in Baker…
But, not here…
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Oh, I did eat when we were at the Rodeo, just a snack of chicken fingers(nice and crispy and slightly spicy crust not needing the dip, but the hot sauce was nice after a while) and garlic fries ($6) (Fried potato-not quite crispy enough- with a dollop of fresh garlic and parsley on top….needed to be dipped in the ranch dressing)and this horrible $6 glass of Budweiser…

Road Trip-Las Vegas!- Dae Jang Keum Korean BBQ

December 13, 2007 Cathy Korean Restaurants, Las Vegas, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog…all about food…sometimes with some interesting tidbits thrown in for variety and written by a small group of friends. Today, it is Cathy’s turn.

Hi. It is that time of year again-
Yes, The National Finals Rodeo is in Las Vegas -49th Annual, Best of the Best…and Ms. T and I drove there (and are back) and we had a wonderful time. We were here last year, you may recall.

We went shopping on Monday, to the Cowboy Christmas -an art, craft, gift and accessories show at the Convention Center, and then wanted lunch, and knew that the "main drag" for Asian restaurants was on Spring Mountain Road, so we just drove, looked and…stopped.Dae Jang Keum is in a Pagoda Themed Strip Mall on the South Side of Spring Mountain along with two other restaurants advertising "tofu" on their signage. We just picked this one at random and hoped for the best. (There was a sign on the front door advertising 20% off from 11 pm to 8 am, daily…it is open 24/7…for BBQ!…cool)
The interior is neat, clean and each table with a heat source has the ubiquitous fan (and table number) far above. The fans are extremely efficient-and quiet. I did not even think ours was on.We decided to play it safe, and ordered bulgogi beef and chicken-this is half of the serving.
and this is the other half. We could not finish all of the meat…(which was well marinated, tender and with a very slight malty-sweetness, which balanced well with a salty kick) because we got the wonderful side dishes:

lettuce salad, bean sprout salad, broccoli, rice, rice paper, various kim chees, oyster mushrooms cut in chunks, sauces, raw garlic and jalapeno slices…all refilled when they were emptied and all very fresh, very, very tasty, spicy and wonderful.
When we first ordered, we were hungry and also asked for the fried dumplings-and we devoured half of them immediately. Ten in a serving.
This is cross section of the juicy very flavored pork filled delights, which were fried to a very light crisp.
The whole bill-less than $53 and worth it. We did not know the servings would be so large or that we would get refills of kim chee or any of the other sides, or would not have needed to order the fried dumplings, but they were very tasty.

Dae Jang Keum 3943 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas 89102 (702)638-2222 Open 24 hours

We went to the Rodeo later that night. Very Bucking Broncos…

“An Event”. With food. At Nordstrom.

December 8, 2007 Cathy Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso. A blog about food. Mostly, written by a Kirk and occasionally some friends. Today, an occasional day and Cathy is blogging.

Hello, Cathy again. So…..My dear friend, Ms. T., has been able to acquire invitations to the two annual "Events" that Nordstrom Stores hold for "special" customers..one in the Spring, just before Mother’s Day and one in the Winter, just after Thanksgiving but before Hanukkah and Christmas.(For those who don’t know, Nordstrom is a more upscale store selling mostly clothing and accessories for men, women and children.)

These events happen at 7:30 in the evening and a particular store is closed down, candles are lit, alcoholic beverages are brought out, caterers brought in and the Store Employees greet you by applauding down either side of the main aisle when you walk in… and there are small gifts with purchase, double points given when you use the Nordstrom Credit Card to pay for your purchases and a few giveaways here and there that ‘regular’ shoppers may not get to take advantage of. (OK, lets get real here: you get invited because you have indeed charged more than X dollars at Nordstrom throughout the year and they reward you this way-just before some major holidays, when you are likely to be spending money anyhow…).

Yep, I bypassed the beer and wine and went straight for a Cosmopolitan. Let’s just say the vodka hit me as I was paying for my first (and actually only) purchase of the night. A strong mixed drink. I could feel a blush on my cheeks and up to my ears…A nice touch is the stem removed from the maraschino cherry-less for others to have to clean up. {Note: I was very sober before I left to drive home}
Pasta with peas in a vodka marinara sauce. (Let’s keep that vodka theme going, people!) served in red Chinese take out boxes. A very nice flavored sauce, more just tomatoes, which I like. The peas were still firm and tasty.
Baby new potatoes, stuffed with an artichoke filling. Even though small, these packed some great flavors; I could taste the potato and then the saltiness of the artichoke puree. Interesting and in the small bite, just the right amounts of each. I am unsure if I could do this with ‘regular’ sized new potatoes.
Basil chicken salad in a pocket. Not a pesto sauce, but basil and a touch of mayonnaise and pecans and quite a bit of white meat chicken. Wrapped in a wonton skin and tied with a piece of chive. This was a three bite appetizer; a good size.
Corn and black beans in a lime chipotle dressing which Nordstrom sells and offers in their Cafe. Topped with a piece of avocado and a corn chip. The idea was to sell the dressing. This was quite refreshing.
Small mixed green salad, topped with the Nordstrom Brand champagne vinaigrette. Very nice.
A Prosciutto wrapped fresh fig, stuffed with goat cheese that had a bit of chive in it. Wow. The sugar from the fresh fig, and saltiness of the Prosciutto and cheese…perfect combination. Perfect. If I can buy a lot of the proper sized and aged figs, I will do this at home.
There, of course, is a coffee bar…but you know, a Nordstrom in store-for-special-clients coffee bar…self serve.
The only "sweet" I got- hot apple cider. They also had some very thin, densely cocoa flavored brownies, maybe one inch square, that I didn’t care to try. Ms. T said it was good, though.
and, so, we left…Christmas gifts in tow…a very nice experience with some fun treats and ideas to try for at home.