What Cathy Eats! – Page 74

How to: Tea Eggs

July 28, 2012 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!

Cathy here, adding a short post to mmm-yoso!!! while Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are busy with other parts of life.

Just a short Saturday post. Within other posts recently, I've alluded about my latest craving, tea eggs. These see to be the perfect snack-a portable protein with both salty and savory components. I've purchased prepared versions when I see tea eggs on the menu and have been trying to perfect my own version at home.

First, make hard boiled eggs- bring eggs in cold water to a boil and keep at a low boil/simmer for about five minutes.

Remove the eggs and tap the shell, slightly breaking it with a spoon. Into the still hot water used for cooking the eggs, add the above three ingredients- black tea, soy sauce and Five Spice (or whole anise). Of course,it depends on the size of your pan and the amount of water in it. You can't really add too much of any ingredient; the tea will end up flavoring the yolk and the soy and Five Spice will flavor the white of the egg. The ratios I have found to like (in my three quart pot) are: one Tablespoon of five spice: one Tablespoon plus one teaspoon of black tea (three teabags):1/4 cup of soy sauce. I do love salty…

Bring the ingredients to a low simmer in the pan and add the cracked eggs back in. Let simmer for 20 minutes. At first, the ingredients are not melded, as above.

After the 20 minutes of a low boil, the eggs are technically done, as above (you can see I added some star anise to the mix). You can leave the eggs in the liquid in the refrigerator for up to two days and the flavors really meld.

When peeled, the whites show the pattern left from the cracks. When cut, you can see the soy color has enveloped the egg white. The flavor of salt from the soy and tannin tart from the tea and almost sweet from the five spice are just what blends with other small snacks, as on the plate above, or is good by itself.

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Using the BBQ grill day-“Mexican” Corn, Lettuce and Spatchcock Chicken

July 27, 2012 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog is back today with Cathy blogging. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are researching subjects so they can blog again soon.

Hello again. With the crazy hot weather of late, The Mister and I have been cooking outdoors as much as we can, and keeping the inside of our home cool. I thought I would share some easy recipes and a few techniques.

Grilling corn in the husk is easy. Put the whole ears on a medium heated grill. Turn the ears every five minutes, as the husk burns. 20 minutes total.

Remove and let cool a minute and hold the 'tip' end.

Cut off the bottom/stalk.

Pul from the top and the silk comes off with the husk.

Clean, cooked corn! You can eat this as is, it's been steamed in the husk and if fresh, needs nothing added.

Or you can make Mexican corn, using cleaned corn with the above photographed ingredients: Mayonnaise or olive oil, Cotija grated cheese (it's like Parmesan- a hard cheese)(you can buy it whole and break it into small pieces) and Tajin seasoning(a chili pepper, salt, dehydrated lime juice mix).

If you put 'cleaned' corn onto the medium heated grill, brush with a bit of olive oil first then roast it until it is lightly charred (I do this with 'older' corn) it cooks in about ten minutes.

Slather the ears of corn with mayonnaise…

You need the stickiness so you can coat liberally with the grated cheese and Tajin. This tastes like summer!

Now, back to the grill.

This is a new flavor point for me. Grilled lettuce. Cut a head of Romaine in half, brush with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper (I have also done this with Italian seasoning and also salad dressing and both work, but I think each has almost too many spices for my palate).

Place the cut side onto a low to medium heated grill, maybe for a minute.

Turn over and place the other side on the grill(there will be some oil and salt/pepper on the grates because olive oil /salad dressing fell into the cracks; this side seems to be done very quickly). A simple salad.

On to spatchcocking…

"Butterflying" is a cutting technique- you butterfly shrimp, whole fish and steaks- cutting part way down and laying the shrimp or piece of meat flat..if you do that same technique to fowl the technique is called 'spatchcock'. Basically, I cut down the back of the chicken and flatten it, pushing down and breaking the breastbone if necessary.

This photo is a spatchcocked chicken that was placed onto an edged/jelly roll sheet pan and sprinkled with some seasoning and placed on the other/unheated side of our gas grill, using the grill like an oven. The chicken, and all fowl, cook faster using this cutting technique. This chicken was done in less than 30 minutes.

This 15 pound spatchcocked turkey was done in 90 minutes (at 325) this past Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. You can grill stone fruit (nectarines, peaches, plums) and just about every vegetable, using direct or indirect heat. Stay cool and eat well!

A Delight of France in Escondido

July 26, 2012 Cathy European Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Well, you have found mmm-yoso!!! and are probably wanting to read about food. Cathy is blogging today; Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are busy with other things.

The other day, The Mister and I found ourselves in Escondido around lunch time. I recalled that I had met a friend for lunch somewhere around here a few years ago and thought I had enjoyed it. So we parked, we walked and then I recognized the facade. It seems that there are several newly opened restaurants on Grand Avenue, this main street downtown, and even the ownership of A Delight of France has changed recently.

The interior is neat and clean and looks like I think it would look if located in France.

As with bistros, you walk up, order, pay and find a seat. I also fetched my own coffee and water and silverware. A very nice lady (I think the owner) came over and asked if I would like some bread. This half a baguette of still warm, crisp crusted French bread, along with strawberry preserves and butter was brought out while we waited for our food.

Soon, my plate- the French Deli plate ($10.75)- was brought out. A large plate filled with a selection of four meats, including pate, saucisson, ham and turkey, a grainy mustard as well as Brie and cheddar cheese , a hard boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber, pickles, olives, cornichons and a small scoop of a wonderful egg salad. This was a fresh, tasty selection and filling lunch.

The Mister ordered the Quiche du Jour ( a choice of ham and cheese or spinach this day) ($8.95). It comes with the side salad which is lightly dressed and, as you can see, a salad made of a variety of lettuces, cucumber, celery and tomatoes. The quiche was deceptively large/deep, filled with ham and cheese and a nutmeg flavored custard with a wonderful flaky light crust.

We did not have room for dessert, but the selection was beautiful and plentiful. Business was brisk, with the seating area filling up just after we had ordered. All in all, a nice lunch on a beautiful street that is reinventing itself. We will make an effort to visit more, especially the newer restaurants.

A Delight of France 126 West Grand Avenue (between Broadway and Maple-Broadway is the divider between East and West) Escondido 92025 (760)746-2644 website

Shopping and eating on University Avenue: Penzey’s Spices, La Casa del Maiz and Carnitas Las Michoacanas

July 24, 2012 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Casa del Maiz has closed.

This is the food blog called mmm-yoso!!! The bloggers here are usually Kirk, sometimes ed(from Yuma) and sometimes Cathy. Today is one of those sometimes Cathy days.

Well. This has been a crazy summer so far. The Mister and I seem to have something scheduled every day, but aren't overly busy…just home-type chores, which includes gardening and the occasional Home Depot and food runs. We have been cooking at home a lot and were thrilled when we found out that Penzey's Spices was opening a San Diego location. Kirk posted about one of his Penzey's stops during a Torrance Road Trip in 2010. The Mister and I get excited when the Penzeys catalog shows up every couple of months and usually make two orders a year, to save on shipping charges. The spices, herbs and blends are so fresh and interesting. We decided to take a drive West, to the Hillcrest area of town to see "our" new Penzey's store.

The store is located on University Avenue one block East of the Ralphs/Trader Joe's Center, in the same parking area that has the Starbucks. Apparently that little mall is named Hillcrest Colonnade.

The display area inside is mostly stacked wooden crates and even this kitchen vignette (I grew up with a Kelvinator refrigerator just like this one; a common sight in Detroit). See the larger jar in the middle on top of that fridge? That's a sample jar. There is one with just about every product in the store- you can smell the herbs, spices, whole chilis and blends (there are even glass bottles with the liquid extracts for you to sniff). It was like reading the catalog but live!

As I said, we have purchased items from here before and sort of knew what we wanted… but of course we got more than that. The blends are very convenient and have all the flavors we like and would end up mixing anyhow. (The Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning was our 'gift' when we presented a coupon from the catalog which we had received in the mail.)

Really, I only came here for the peppers- they are unusually moist and fresh…they smell 'rich' and almost buttery in the sample jars; that's the only way I can explain it. They are not all dry like the stuff from dusty packages on store shelves that need to be reconstituted or added to liquid to get at the flavor. I don't use much for the flavors I like and the smaller size portions available are just right for a few months.

We then headed East on University and in the newer City Heights mall area (with the Albertsons, McDonald's, Starbucks among other stores) made a stop (for the second time now) at this clean, modern tortilleria, La Casa del Maiz.

Basically a tortilla factory

which sells a few other related items

shelf stable milk, eggs, cheeses, salsas and a refrigerator of beverages, mostly Jarritos.

On this visit, we went all crazy and purchased a dozen flour and a dozen corn (you are given a choice of white or yellow) tortillas. The corn are wrapped in paper and are sold by weight. How much are these still warm , fresh made tortillas?

Yes. A dozen fresh, hot corn tortillas *and* a dozen fresh, nicely thin and flaky flour tortillas…that's the price.

Since it was close to lunch time, we continued East on University, down to one block West of the Kroc Center. This sign is on what used to be a Starbucks and can be seen from the street. The restaurant is just to the left in this photo.

Walk in and that's the menu: Burritos, carnitas by the pound, quesedillas, sopes, soups, tacos, plates, posole, tortas, tostadas maravilla and chilaquiles. The by the pound carnitas are not at all the only meat here, although (so far) I like it very much.

Neat and clean, there is seating for 60 inside.

If you order to eat in, sides are brought to your table when you order.

As well as a salsa bar at the front, if you are buying something 'to go'. As an aside, the green hot sauce tastes green-and is hot/spicy. The orange hot sauce is very pleasant and has a mild, if any, heat.

On our first visit we ordered one pound of carnitas ($10.99). It comes with rice, beans(cooked with lard and runny, in a good way) and a dozen corn tortillas.

The carnitas are just filled with flavor, moist with a little crispness, not fatty and just right. This serving of one pound was substantial for the two of us; we had leftovers (especially of the tortillas, which are good, but not when compared to those from La Casa del Maiz)

This was the recent meal- a carnitas taco ($2.39) and a cheese quesedila ($2.79)-filled with all white cheese and very good with the hot sauces offered.

The al Pastor burrito ($4.99). The marinated meat is tender, flavorful and plenty in the burrito, which has some rice and the wonderful wet beans, the al pastor marinade and avocado. This was a wonderful surprise and I now want to order the other meats on the menu…

All in all, a nice drive, great food and shopping and we were almost home. I hope all of you are having a good week.

Penzey's Spices 1274 University Avenue San Diego 92104 (619) 297-2777

La Casa Del Maiz 4403 University, Suite 100 San Diego, 92105 (619) 283-3566

Carnitas Las Michoacanas 6503 University Avenue San Diego 92115 (619)229-9574

Pasadena Road Trip-An early 2013 Rose Parade event and breakfast at Lucky Boy

July 19, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Hi there, person reading the blog called mmm-yoso!!! Sometimes Kirk writes here about meals and events and sometimes ed (from Yuma) writes about meals and events. Today, Cathy is writing about an event and a meal.

Well, it's been a hot and busy summer so far, probably for everyone. There are events every weekend it seems. Last weekend, San Diego was hosting both Comic-Con and Over the Line, the Orange County Fair opened and on Saturday, The Mister and I woke at 4:30 a.m., let the dogs out and back in the house, grabbed some snacks and coffee and jumped in the car and headed North, to Pasadena. In less than two hours, we were greeted by this sign.

Our reason for the trip and being here before 7 a.m.. Some of the floats that will appear in the 2013 Tournament of Roses parade were going to be road tested! There are at least three road tests for each float before the parade. This road test was mentioned on the Phoenix Decorating Company Facebook page and not on the website. The Rose Parade has fascinated both of us since we were children, watching it on television every New Year Day from our snow-bound homes back East and we are so happy to be able live here and be able to help decorate floats and also watch the progression of their creation every year.

This will be the Trader Joe's entry. You can see a few of the many kitchen gadgets (and cupcake holders) that will be part of the float. There will be some animation and those parts seemed to be the ones tested.

This is the initial sketch of the float. You can see the photo is facing the opposite of this drawing. It will be interesting to see the final product, which I am sure will be great.

Another float was being driven, with the Observer in front, directing the driver (who will be in an enclosed area in the middle of the float) down the street using headsets and microphones and then directing to a 180 degree turn at the end of the street to get back to the barn.

You can see the driver in this photo.

Other floats have the rebar skeletons covered and are almost ready to be marked for colors. This is the Shriners Hospital float. One bear depicts the Shriners Open Golf Tournament and the other bear depicts the Shriners Football Classic:

The rectangle cut into the belly of that bear will be where the Observer for this float will be looking out along the parade route.

Some of the floats are essentially ready for decorating, covered with foam and painted the colors where the various live and dried materials will be placed and glued. This is the 'off side' of the Nurses' float-the side the television cameras won't show.

This is the "camera side" you will see when you watch the parade on television. So beautiful.

The Rotary International float is very animated- that screw knob in the back spins and so do all of the gears! It was tested with nine riders.

The City of Hope float looks like a Chemistry Laboratory, complete with a spiral bound notebook and microscope.

There were eleven floats in all, all in different levels of being finished and tested for safety. It was fun to watch…and was all over before 9 a.m. There will be another road test on August 18. Dry decorating of the floats begins December 1. Volunteers are always welcome, but you have to sign up. Here are three links about decorating opportunities.

So, it was breakfast time and The Mister and I walked half a block North and over the Metro Gold Line tracks (this is the Fillmore Station)

to Arroyo Parkway and took a left,

and stopped at about two blocks North, at Lucky Boy…which is right at the corner with
the *Original* Trader Joe's location (the logo under the main sign is "Your neighborhood grocery store").

Anyhow, Lucky Boy. Walk up, order…

pay and wait for your number to be called…

A little peek inside the cooking area. The tortillas are cooked on a grill- and have grill marks.

This is a cross section of the famous Breakfast Burrito ($5.80). It weighs about one pound. Really. Hash browns, cheese, scrambled eggs and, in this case, ham-which was warm from the grill; nice. The salsa which came with was tasty and unique, a tomatillo based with some green chili and also a red chili with some heat.

We have been here before, but for lunch and dinner, and I usually order a pastrami something, but this time I decided to try a simple breakfast…

An egg sandwich, on rye toast. ($3.25)(not a typo). Soft scrambled eggs with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a really nice rye bread.

A perfect day. We stopped at a few places and were home by noon. The day had just begun!

Lucky Boy Drive In 640 S. Arroyo Parkway Pasadena, CA 91105 Website It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, otherwise it's open.

Hans and Harry’s Bakery-Bonita

July 10, 2012 Cathy Bakery, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog with varied daily posts. Today, Kirk is resting from the heat as is ed (from Yuma). Cathy is writing about another bakery she has enjoyed for years.

Hi. I've mentioned that one of my first jobs was working in a corner Polish Bakery in Detroit. Working there made me appreciate baked goods, both breads and pastries. There is one bakery I make certain to drop in to for a sweet treat whenever I'm near. Since I live in Santee, I am not near it very often.

Hans and Harry's is located in an out of the way mall, East of the E Street/Bonita Road/Plaza Bonita exit…way East, in the area where Bonita Road goes down to one lane each way, just past where the unimaginatively named Bonita Golf Course veers North from Bonita Road at Central (there is a Starbucks at that corner of the mall). The mall is pretty large, and has gone through many businesses and was very popular about 20 years ago. This was Old Bonita. The parking lot now is pretty empty and you can find Hans and Harry's easily, even though it is not right on a curb.

There are a few tables outside and inside and the selection of pastries are exquisite.

Real whipped cream cakes, fruit strudels, pies, tarts…all very fresh

as well as individual sized selections, including cupcakes, cookies, brownies, scones…pretty much any type of baked pastry. I can say nothing bad about this place. The freshness and quality are consistent. If you get here near clsing, the close to 100 daily available selections are down to a handful. Every day.

This is a $2 almond croissant that made it home. I enjoy the crispy sliced almonds on top of the crispy fresh pastry. The pastry is flaky and sweet on its own. Not too sweet, though.

Just the right amount of home made almond paste in the flaky layers. Just enough; it is not overstuffed; the way I like pastries. Because the pastry is the star. Very crispy exterior…

This is a $1.85 bear claw. This is a soft pastry dough filled with a layer of the almond paste and a cinnamon paste. Again, not too sweet. The softer, fresh pastry is a bit more sweet than the almond croissant pastry. .

Then there is the Danish for the undecided ($1.95). Soft Danish dough and filled with both cherry pie filling and the home made Bavarian Creme that makes this German Bakery famous. Looks kind of small?

NO! This is a pie shaped piece of Danish, the pie part being filled with the fillings.

Hans and Harry's is worth the drive and a stop.

Hans and Harry's Bakery Corp 5080 Bonita Road, Bonita, Ca 91902 (619) 475-2253 M-F 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m, Sat 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sunday Website

E & Drink- mini Hot Pot, Tea, Coffee and More- inside the 99Ranch building

July 2, 2012 Cathy Caffeine Fix, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

E & Drink has closed

Click here to link to a more recent visit

Hi. You've found mmm-yoso!!! the food blog. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy usually write about food and things related to food. Today's post is about food and Cathy is writing because Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are busy.

This is the Clairmont Mesa Boulevard entrance to 99Ranch Market. The 'back' parking area is closer for me, since I exit from the 52 at Convoy Street, but the other day I decided to get out of my comfort zone and did things a bit differently. The fountain, with its oxidation, is quite beautiful.

99Ranch Market has undergone renovations recently and is a regular stop for groceries (and, like most other markets The Mister and I frequent, has an eat in area-there will be an updated post soon). Once inside the building, you are in a long hallway which has several businesses along with the Market. Three of those businesses are are sit down restaurants.

Yes, three. At the North end ('my' parking lot entrance), across from Sam Woo in the former Video Store space, E & Drink has popped up.

The Mister and I had passed E & Drink several times in the past two weeks, checking out the menu at the entrance and making mental notes to stop in. They seem to specialize in Taiwanese Hot Pot and boba-like drinks and snacks. It finally was time. (See that orange rice cooker in the above photo? Tea eggs are being sold for $1 as a grab and go snack.)

Once we were seated, we were given both a beverage menu and a food menu. The lady behind this counter is making beverages. I like the idea of a dual level additional seating bar area. There are about 20 two person tables that can be reconfigured for groups in the rest of the eating area.

The decoration is modern, with one television and overhead music, which was on pretty loud until someone complained. We were here at lunch, but the menu remains the same all day with one small difference.

The Hot Pot Lunch Special includes green or black tea (hot or cold); no beverage is included with the Hot Pot Dinner. That's the black tea on the right. It is slightly sweet and has a nice tannin 'bite' to it. I did not order the Lunch Special, so no beverage came with and ordered my usual, (because I can't decide) a coffee milk tea ($3.55). The beverage selection is extensive and I have plans to try other items. Add-ins, like boba and sago are 25¢ and I think the prices are reasonable, especially for the size. The coffee milk tea tastes of all three flavors-very refreshing.

When we first sat down, two small plates of a sort of appetizer were brought out- cucumbers and cabbage, both lightly pickled. A nice salty accompaniment which we 'saved' to use with our meals; there are no condiments on the tables. Our utensils, small plate and napkin were also brought out.

We had also decided to try a tea egg appetizer ($2.50 for two)

This was really good. The egg white took on the flavors of anise/five spice and the egg yolk took on the tea flavor. (As a side note, the eggs in the rice cooker at the entrance are in there longer and have more flavor that the ones from the kitchen, at least if you come in to eat closer to opening time. In any case, all are good.)

Since The Mister had ordered a Hot pot, he was given a choice of five sauces to go with and chose the peanut and the spicy bean sauces (the ones he did not choose were soy, hot chili and bar-b-que sauce). Not knowing what was in his pot, he added on a side of cuttlefish dumplings for $2.25. Below is the menu page of add- ons for the Hot Pots.

Oh. His hot pot?

The seafood. Served in a mini wok on top of a nice stand which held a sort of sterno heat source which was lighted at the table, this didn't need any add ins and in fact, the dumplings could not be added in right away because the pot was filled. There were several pieces of a flaky white fish, some squid rings, two head on shrimp, fresh tofu, several types of mushrooms, fish cake, krab and an egg along with broccoli and bok choy. All in a very rich seafood broth which was not salty. There were also clear rice noodles on the bottom of the pot AND a choice of rice or noodles came with the pot. (The Mister chose the (very good) sticky rice) .

At first, I was going to try a few items from the "Small Dish" menu, then at the bottom, I saw the "E & Drink House Special" and had to for this first visit.

Quite a large serving of marinated pigs ears, marinated tofu, marinated seaweed and (raw) peanuts.($7.99) Wonderful! The marinade had sesame oil as well as the traditional marinade which includes cinnamon, anise, soy, pepper and garlic. This was a wonderful combination of flavors, a very large portion and in combination with the hot pot, a *lot* of food.

We will be back- to try other hot pots (there were about ten to choose from) and some of the fried items…

E & Drink 7330 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard San Diego 92111 *Cash Only* open 10:30 a.m.-midnight, seven days

The 2012 San Diego County Fair: Part One

June 24, 2012 Cathy Festivals & Events, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Sometimes the bloggings consist of events surrounding food, whether the purchasing and preparation, the adventure of getting to the city, county or country serving the food, or the exploration of the surroundings of where the food is served, Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy try to write about the background and history of the meals blogged about. Today, Cathy is blogging.

Hello again. Usually I post about the San Diego County Fair before it opens. This year, I thought I'd change it up. Also, I was at the Fairgrounds before most booths were set up.

As an example, here is a photo straight down the Midway: the Ferris Wheel wasn't even set up yet.

However, Chicken Charlie had his booth constructed….

That day, the Home and Hobby Competitive Exhibits were being judged…

Preserved Foods, the "heart" of the Fair, had a lot of entries this year. Above are some pickles being judged.

There are many Craft categories and competition is plentiful. So many entries.

As well as the Felting, Spinning and Weaving competitions.

The Quilting competition has many categories which always have many beautiful entries.

So. The Mister and I did go to the Fair for the first time this year one morning before the fog had lifted (yay June Gloom!). The Theme this year is "Out of this World". You can see Don Diego (above) dressed in a sort of astronaut suit.

It was busy that morning. You can see the Ferris Wheel all the way at the end of the Midway…

To the left of the entrance are the various Flower and Garden Show entries. Above, you can see some decorations incorporating the Fair Theme.

Other competitors made use of unusual plants which looked to be "Out of This World"

Other competitors use plants as well as all of the space given to share a vision of the Theme.

The Gems, Mineral and Jewelery exhibits are fascinating, as always.

Design in Wood always has beautiful items.

One local High School has an Instructor who supervised the students to create basic weapons-and enter them in the Fair. These are sling shots, trebuchets, catapults and marshmallow shooters entered by one class…

The Home and Hobby displays all the competitors, with their respective awards, ready on opening day.

The Preserved Food and Liquer competitors are also displayed with their respective awards.

The quilts are displayed all around the second floor of Home and Hobby.

Along with all the Collections…

This is a collection Started after June 1 last year. It is Max's fur brushed from him and formed into a cute display. This entry won a few prizes.

OK. The food at the Fair. This is a preview of some of the offerings- you can choose what you'd like to eat if you are there.

The Bacon A Fair booth is selling a 2 pound turkey leg wrapped with one pound of bacon. Yes, people are buying it.

If you walk over the Race Track, to the infield, where the Children's rides, games and a new Zip Line are located-go to the left.

The Lobster Shack, a new vendor, is here. Look to the right in the above photo.

Those two beautiful copper pots are filled with water and on top of a huge stove/heat source. You can see the basket to the left being filled with live lobsters.

A whole lobster dinner is $25. There is a person who will crack and 'start' your lobster for you. There are also other offerings for a bit less (lobster roll sandwich is $17) and those prices are not bad for this kind of fresh made meal.

However, this is the County Fair, so the once a year offerings are plentiful..

…along with the creative booths. As far as what The Mister and I ate on this visit?

My usual. An artichoke sandwich ($9, with $1 avocado added-$10, includes tax and the salad)

This is what I get every year. The roll- a hearty slightly crunchy, toasted wheat roll with melted cheese, olives, sprouts, the avocado, tomato and plain (not marinated) artichokes. It's just perfect.

This day, The Mister and I got all wild and crazy and spent $3.50 (instead of $3 for a single flavor whichis also a bit smaller) on a Neopolitan cream puff. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla whipped cream (the strawberry is nice, not artificial flavor) on a fresh made (we got to the booth before the puff pastry was finished baking that morning) flaky light puff pastry roll.

Oh, there are rides and a lot more I haven't shown. This is the San Diego County Fair, 2012 edition.

Here's the back side of the Entrance- a cute Exit sign for this year. We'll be back. There is a lot more that goes on at the 5th largest County Fair in the U.S.A.

San Diego County Fair Website. There are so many daily contests and events (This weekend is Beer Fest; July 2 will have Food Trucks on the infield) and also many ways to get disounted tickets. If you live here, you've seen ads since the beginning of May-Much more publicity this year. Go. Enjoy!

K Sandwiches- more than sandwiches

June 21, 2012 Cathy Bakery, Banh Mi, Caffeine Fix, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the Food Blog you have stumbled upon. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are not blogging today, for various reasons. Cathy has no reason to not be blogging.

If you go to the "Search" box at the top left column of this blog and put in "K Sandwiches", you'll get 2600 links to mentions of it on this blog. Between all of us blogging here, we haven't even written 2000 posts yet. Apparently we at mm-yoso!!! post about it, or places near it, using this former Bank Building on the intersection of Convoy where it turns into Linda Vista and Mesa College Drive where it turns into Aero Drive as a Point of Reference/Landmark as well as posting about the food here.

The parking lot is not this empty very often; such emptiness is unusual.

Inside, there is a small area with fresh baked breads, rolls and croissants.

As well as a "steam tray" area, with rice paper rolls and various other savory choices.

There is also a small area of fresh made dessert items(I don't have a photo, but there is Vietnamese yogurt here; it is different and very good).

Here is a view of the cash registers from a table against the wall. You order (the menu is just behind and above the cash register area-straight ahead when you walk in) and/or pay for items you have picked up. The steam tray and all the other above photographed area is just on the other side of the registers.

This is Sandwich #25- tuna salad ($3.99). The simple tuna and mayonnaise mix is spread on the fresh baked large croissant and filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and pickled jalapeños.

One day we picked up (from left) two shrimp cakes (50¢ each), a pate chaud ($1) the shrimp spring rolls ($2.50)and two eggrolls ($1). All fresh, light and crispy and filled with the corresponding meats.

Our latest 'must get' is from the steam trays- the chicken curry ($4.99). When you get it to 'eat here', it is served in this glass pie plate. The chicken is tender, and the curry sauce is fascinating- coconut milk is definitely part of the base, along with those chilis you see in the photo…and it is served with a fresh, hot, crispy roll. Lately, we make sure we get here before noon, so the curry won't be gone for the day.

Then there is another current obsession. Sandwich #7- the sardine banh mi ($2.85). A fresh crispy roll. The sardines -in a tomato sauce- are heated, crushed and served on the sandwich with the standard accoutrement-pickled daikon, carrot, cucumber, fresh cilantro (still on the stem…a bit annoying, but expected here) and raw jalapeño. It is perfect. The flavors are complimented by the hot cafe ($1.75)-strong coffee- I added half and half to it…and new/not on the menu but taped near the registers- mung bean milk (iced or hot, $2.75).

Always an adventure ending in a great meal. I hope everyone is having a good start to Summer.

K Sandwiches 7604 Linda Vista Road at Mesa College Drive San Diego 92111 (858)278-8961

Izakaya Sakura-lunch

June 15, 2012 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Well. You have found yourself at mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk is busy with work, recovering after a long vacation. ed (from Yuma) is busy with all sorts of things yet enjoying an early Summer day (within Yuma). Cathy is busy writing short posts for the blog.

It seems none of us has done any posting about Izakaya Sakura in about a year, yet if you go to the "search" box just at the upper left of this page, you will find that there are 959 mentions of "Sakura" on this blog. It's time to blog a more current mention of this favorite 'hidden' spot.

I say 'hidden' because Izakaya Sakura has no signage-on the street or the building in this mall, anchored by The Original Pancake House. Those three yellow awnings in the center cover the windows of Izakaya Sakura, which is next to the Armed Forces Recruiting Center.

There was a fire in one of the adjoining buildings a few months ago and Sakura had some remodeling done which included adding some window seating as well as putting the alcohol refrigerator slightly out of view of everyone. However the menu, food preparation and prices have remained about the same.

As always, a wet towel is brought out before the meal, along with chopsticks a napkin and my beverage of choice, hot tea.

There are always two lunch menus brought out; the regular one with many choices and the menu with a description of the Bento of the day written in English on one side and Japanese on the other. Only ten of these are available at the price of $12. Not only does it include miso soup, salad, a dipping sauce and preserved vegetable, but various preparations of beef, chicken, fish, shrimp and egg as well as the noodles with roe, pickles, warm radish with a pork sauce and rice.

I chose the "fish with mushroom" for my meal ($9). As you can see, it is accompanied by the miso, salad, rice noodle salad, pickles and rice. I had never ordered this before and was very pleased to see the quite large piece of fish was fried -in a very unique way- so that the crust stayed crispy crunchy for the whole meal even though it was covered by the very tasty three mushroom-spinach-egg sauce. As always, all of the food was excellent.

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Izakaya Sakura 3904 Convoy Street San Diego 92111