yoso-silly – Page 36

My Favorite Meal of 2006

January 7, 2007 mmm-yoso Memorable Meals, yoso-silly

This year I know better than to make resolutions I can't keep. So I think I'll leave that to those who are much more disciplined, and just do a quick post about my favorite meal of 2006. I know what you're thinking; it must be Urasawa. Well, Urasawa was probably my most memorable meal of 2006, if we're talking about a meal in a restaurant……

But if we're talking about my favorite meal of 2006….that's a different story; it's not only about the food, the restaurant, the service, the ambiance…..it's about the conversation, the laughter, in short, those that you are sharing your meal with. I have had very few experiences that have given me as much pleasure as my favorite meal of this past year.

The unfortunate thing is, in spite of food blogging for almost 2 years, this is the only photo that I took of that meal:

Sheesh what a pathetic excuse for a Food Blogger I am!!!! I case you're wondering, the restaurant is called Koshiji, and is located in Weller Court….basically a Yakitori restaurant. The food was fine, but the company was priceless!

Over the course of food blogging, I've been blessed to have been able to make the acquaintance of many other bloggers…maybe not in the person to person, face to face sense, but in that only in cyberspace way. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few food bloggers and have found them to be some of the nicest, generous, and kindest people one could imagine. From hanging out with Professor Salt, who generously shared His special tri-tip with me before the Four Q BBQ Team took Third place at the Beachside Barbecue contest in Imperial Beach, to having lunch with Jay from the Linkery, to having an extravagant dinner at Urasawa with Captain Jack, to grabbing lunch with the one and only Cathy, each one of these meals have been delightful. Who'd a thunk it could all have started with food blogs? (BTW, Jim I include you in all of this as well, though technically San Diego Sunday Brunchmaster isn't a food blog)

So my favorite meal started with a short email to the one and only Mrs. Daily Gluttony, to let Her know I'd be in the Little Tokyo area, and we could finally get together, have a meal and chat. I've always loved Daily Gluttony, from the very first post that I read…so you could say DG had me from the "Asparagus Pee". And DG sprung into action, and assembled a cast of my favorite LA Food Bloggers, who are some of my favorite people in the world. I was so very touched and flattered that everyone made such an effort to show up, and the time flew, and before we knew it Koshiji was closing…..so here's my tardy though very public thank you!

To Mr and Mrs DG – Thanks so much for setting everything up! You are such a kind and positive person, and when you smile, the whole world smiles along with you….your smile is that infectious. It's always a pleasure, and you never fail to crack me up! And Isaac, you da' man, you don't say much, but when you do, it's funny anf insightful. Talk about a dynamite couple. It was great to be able to spend some time with you both.

To BoLA and MS – BoLA, you're one of my favorite people in the world! It's funny, you always make me feel at ease…one of those people who I can just slide into a wonderful conversation with, no matter what the subject is! Thanks for coming, I know you had a very busy day, it's always a pleasure. And MS, great seeing you again, thanks for making that horrible 2 hour drive from your other function in the OC. BTW, the sake that BoLA likes is Kurosawa! And BoLA, I'll always owe you for the points scored by letting me know about Jin Patisserie!

To Diet Chili Cheese Fries – You, the great non-food blogging, food blogger! It's always a blast, you are so off the hook! I know you're working hard on your latest project…thanks for making the time, and I promise to eat some onion rings soon…though it's really hard to get past the Pho'. BTW, I'll be waiting for that Food Bloggers Mocu-mentary……

To EatDrinknbMerry – Dude, like finally! It was great meeting you….plus I feel a bit better knowing that there are those who are much more obsessed over food than I! We'll need to get together for a NRM crawl in the SGV one day…maybe just so the most uncool me, can feel cool, hanging with EDBM! (Do you think I used enough abbrevs there?)

To Miss Oishiieats – It was a pleasure to finally meet you! You have a warmth and a smile that could light up a room. You are so down to earth and funny….we still check out your future food bloggers post, and crack up…if there was a food bloggers hall of fame, that post should be there. It was so interesting when we were talking about our parents telling us "you should always try…." with regards to food. It makes us what we are as food bloggers…..

Funniest moment of the evening – As the food arrived no less than 5 ultra compact digital cameras suddenly appeared!

Best question of the evening – Miss Oishiieats; "Tell me, do you and the Missus really eat all that food?"

Best answers of the evening – All the answers to the question by CJ, "Why are there so many Asian Food Bloggers?"

A last observation….as everyone left it started raining quite hard, a part of me worried about everyone making it home safely, we just had to stagger over to the New Otani. A part of me thought about what we used to say back home…..whenever it used to rain during the most inopportune times we used to say, "ahhhh, look ,we're being blessed!"

Or to put it in other terms:

Round trip Train Fare from San Diego to Los Angeles – $58

2 day stay at the New Otani Hotel – $217

Dinner at Urasawa – $552

Hanging with the LA Food Bloggers – Priceless!

Thanks again for a great and unforgettable time!

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2007 mmm-yoso Cooking, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Happy New Year!

There’s usually a pretty large amount of shopping that needs to be done around New Years eve. The Missus and I usually celebrate both the Gregorian and Lunar New Year. Japan officially accepted the Gregorian New Year in 1873, and have been celebrating New Year based on the Gregorian calendar since then.

So that would mean a few stops. First Nijiya:

Armed with my list(which turned out to be incomplete), I completed my shopping rather quickly, which gave me a nice opportunity to check out all the Osechi-ryori(Traditional Japanese New Years dishes) on display.

To me it seemed that there was a smaller variety of Osechi "Sets" this year, but that could just be me….

The industrious guy on the top in the photo below, almost made his escape after I took this photo:

The Obachan in front of me purchased $250 worth of food for New Years!

The next stop, Mitsuwa:

I noticed a smaller variety of Osechi here as well.

I found alot of "boxed" Osechi…sort of your generic, preboxed, impersonal, Costco-ized, Osechi:

Is this the future of Osechi? I hope not, it takes all of the fun out of Osechi Shopping.

So having purchased everything for our New Years meals, with only a few item omitted…well, I always forget a thing or two, it just wouldn’t be New Years without me rushing out to market. If anything, I’m consistent.

I only took a few photos, since I was busy cooking(and eating):

Of course Soba:

This year I added Wasabi Tobiko(wasabi flavored flying fish eggs), which added a nice "crunch" to the dish.

My own Osechi:

Karei Karaage(Deep fried flounder):

Lightly dusted with Katakuriko(potato starch), and lightly seasoned with sea salt and Shichimi Togarashi(Seven-spice chili pepper), and eaten with just a the lightest squeeze of lemon, and a tiny bit of Yuzu Kosho, a salty-citrusy-spicy condiment made with the rind of Yuzu, chili pepper, salt, and in this case a tiny bit of bean paste. By far the Missus’s favorite dish.

The Shishito Tempura was a close second:

I made some Matcha-Shio(Green tea powder mixed with salt) for dipping.

And some shrimp tempura:

And various Tempura(Kabocha, Satsuma-imo, Tamanegi, etc…):

Some Tofu, the Yuzu Koshu came in handy here as well.

And I haven’t been able to "retire" from making my Nishime yet, but maybe next year.

I guess we ate enough this New Year…better renew that Gym membership.

Of course, it’s always nice to settle in to watch the television after a nice meal:

Happy New Year!

Rose Parade Preview…and food at Tops

December 31, 2006 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso is not on vacation. Cathy is blogging while Kirk rests. This one is interesting.

Hi. Its the end of the year and there are still some traditional things The Mister and I do. One of those things is going up to Pasadena, having breakfast and either helping or watching Tournament of Roses parade floats being decorated. Since I have this wrist injury and repetitive stress is out of the question, this is a year to watch.

So, we went to breakfast first at the Historic Green Street Hotel. The Hotel is now a Condominium Complex for the most part, but the building was built in 1898 and has been declared a Historical Site. …The food, its a brunch and not much selection.

Fruit, muffins, pastries, scrambled eggs, sausage and ham…as well as juice and coffee. We were not there for the food.

We ate quickly and waited to get onto the tour bus that took us about 1 mile south….this was the view, waiting to get to the top/overview area of one of the four float building company warehouses.

This is the Farmers Insurance entry for this year's parade. The little owl on Mother Nature's shoulder moves his head. They took the float out of the warehouse to make certain the mechanics were working and to do last minute touch ups before judging was to take place at about 1 p.m. today. Every square inch of the float that is visible has to be covered in something that is, or was alive.

Once you are inside you get a view of the nine floats that have been being assembled in this 'barn' for, really, the last year.

The City of Glendale float is the one with the bear, the Optimists have the one with the cat and dog being friends,

The City of Long Beach

made the one with the lighthouse and sailboats, the City of Pasadena did the birdhouse. McDonald's sponsored the one with the honeybees …

The Lutheran Hour has the one with the church, Lions Club International did the one with the cane for the blind.

Anyhow, these floats are essentially done, and beautiful. People talk about what they are made of…the living parts. But this isn't a good vantage point…HOWEVER…I have friends in High Places….oh, and I'm kinda sorta one of them….

Here is a photo from a few days before the parade last year, with a float still in the assembly stage. See the orange slices used so they look like goldfish scales?

(click on it and it will enlarge)

So, anyhow, here's some closeups..you can tell some of the materials without my help.

OK, so that was the majority of my day…but The Mister and I were tired and hungry and in Pasadena..and of course I *must* always have my camera with me.

Tops, 50 years in business, 'Voted Best Fast Food in Pasadena, Corner of Walnut and Allen'. Gotta try it.

Hmmm, similar to The Hat but with a larger menu….

So, we got what we know is good: the 1/2 pound burger ($3.89), pastrami dip($6.39) and small chili cheese fries($3.59)…

Simple, basic and pretty darn good…the burger is served with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and Thousand Island sauce; the pastrami was peppery, had a nice amount of fat and in a nice french roll…

OK, the burger looks, eh, smallish for 1/2 pound…here is what it looked like in my hand after I had eaten a LOT and was almost full….

Tops 1792 East Walnut Street Pasadena (626)584-0244 M-Th 7 am-11 pm; Fri/Sa am-midnight, Sun 9 am-11pm

I'll talk to you all next year, and thank you for making this one my most interesting in my lifetime! Watch football on January 1st… There's this game that is played in Pasadena….

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2006 mmm-yoso Cooking, yoso-silly

Yes, I realize I’m a bit late…..it’s been a pretty hectic couple of weeks, more so than anticipated. But things finally started slowing down at around noon on Christmas Eve, and the Missus and I managed to take in a movie, Curse of the Golden Flower, this isn’t a movie blog site, so I won’t say much except….."don’t bother"….really….

At least I managed to take my requisite Christmas photo:

After the movie, on the way home, the Missus decided that She wanted a home cooked, Japanese style dinner….say what! At 5pm on Christmas Eve!!!! Good thing Nijiya’s open. So, here are a few photos….no big deal, just some home cooked stuff. I didn’t get photos of everything, especially of stuff I’ve made before like Kabocha Nimono.

Let’s see…while at Nijiya, a young man was bringing out some nice looking Tako(Octopus), so we bought some, and I made my Mom’s Miso Sauce:

The Missus wanted Agedashi Tofu, but told me to "make it good this time; the last time you made it, it sucked."

This wasn’t too bad, the Missus enjoyed the tentsuyu, and I think She prefers this made with soft tofu, instead of silken tofu.

A Sunomono, made with whatever I could find…in this case Cucumber, Wakame, and Small Dried Shirmp.

Along with some Hijiki Nimomo, I also made some Daikon Nimono, simple simmered Daikon.

We purchased some pretty good Shiba Zuke(pickled cucumber and eggplant, maybe a tad too salty), and some really good Takana Zuke(pickled Mustard Greens), I really enjoyed the Takana, I wish I could find my Mother’s recipe for it…..

We both had Katsu Don, and today with the warm weather we’re having I made some Zaru Soba:

It was fun getting back into the kitchen, things had been so hectic, it had been a while. Plus the kitchen still smells real good! ;o)

I hope everyone is enjoying a great Holiday Season!

Some Revisits – Shanghai City, Golden City, and Other “Stuffs”

December 17, 2006 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Cooking, Niu Rou Mian, yoso-silly

Well, it’s been tough, since having that amazing dinner at Urasawa, I haven’t been able to bring myself to eat for over a week. HA, yeah, right! I’m obviously joking. I’ve got about 5 more posts regarding restaurants in the Los Angeles area, including places like Deerfield Garden, and Santouka Ramen, albiet the Torrance location. But I thought I’d return back to San Diego, and do a post on a few revisits to various restaurants.

Shanghai City

*** Update – Shanghai City has closed and is now Spicy House.

The recent cold and rainy weather was perfect for Niu Rou Mein, so we made our way to Shanghai City. Looking back at my original post, I realized how terrible my photos were, so I brought my camera along.

Every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm, Shanghai City features a Chinese Breakfast menu, and though prices have gone up a bit:

Most items are still priced at a reasonable $4.95-$5.95 range, and there is no discernable difference in portion size between the weekend specials and during other times. One thing I have noticed, is that Shanghai City is much busier during weekend mornings since we first started coming here in 2001. Also, the crowd is now a bit more diverse, with more than a few Non-Chinese customers.

I of course had my bowl of Niu Rou Mein($4.95):

Just as good as always, the broth is spicy and rich, the noodles still have a nice “pull”, and the beef is moist, and tender with a nice flavor.

In order to get me out of the Niu Rou Mein habit, the Missus decided to order a few different items, starting with the Chao Nian Gao(Stir Fried Sliced Rice Cake) with Pork($4.95):

Unlike the version we enjoy at Chin’s, this dish was totally overwhelmed with the flavor of Sesame Oil, and you couldn’t taste anything else. The rice cakes were very soft, but not mushy, almost like noodles, and I enjoy my Nian Gao a bit less cooked.

The Missus also ordered the Pickled Mustard Greens and shredded Pork Noodle Soup at Chin’s so She thought she’d order that($4.95), instead of her old standby, the Eel Noodles Soup.

And though the noodles were good as always, the mustard greens had very little in the way of flavor, ditto the pork, and the broth while it looked rich, was on the mild side.

And of course, we couldn’t leave without some Xiao Long Bao($5.95):

And though the quality of the Xiao Long Bao at Shanghai City can be wildly inconsistent, and the wrapper a bit on the thick side, we still think it’s the best in San Diego. We have also noticed that during busier periods the XLB at Shanghai City is a bit better, probably due to turnover.

Shanghai City
3860 Convoy St
San Diego,CA 92111
619-278-5883

Closed Tuesdays

*** An updated post on Shanghai City with new prices can be found here.

**** Golden City has closed

More Golden City – Yep, again! This time in the mood for some Roast Duck, we ordered a whole duck($15.95, $8.95 – 1/2 Duck):

I was surprised at how good this was! Really. Not oily, and not salty, roasted to perfection, this was much better than what I expected. Many restaurants will pour broth over the duck before serving to rehydrate the meat….no such thing here. It is not cheap, but quite good. I’ve never really ever gotten into the really sweet and lousy plum sauce that’s served with roast duck……And Duck Fried Rice made with leftover duck is always a good thing!!!

The Gailan with Dried Fish($9.95), is Chinese Broccoli stir fried with dried-roasted fish:

The first time we had this, it was sublime; the Gailan had been peeled and so was soft and tender. The crisp dried fish added a salty-sweet flavor, and the garlic added a nice punch to pull it all together. It had been stir fried to perfection. The second time we had the dish was on a Sunday evening, and it was borderline terrible, the fish was hard and almost inedible, the Gailan was not peeled and tasted bitter, and was extremely fibrous, and the garlic was burned, and worst of all the dish had not been cooked correctly and it was slightly oily. We put it down to it being Sunday, and perhaps it was the ‘B’ team cooks running the show. So third time a charm? Well this was sort of a “tweener”, the Gailan had not been peeled, but wasn’t very bitter, and had been cooked well, the fish was perfect, but only a scant amount was provided. The garlic was burnt and bitter, I don’t quite know what to say. Wildly swinging inconsistency is quite frustrating, and causes quite a dilemma…I mean, how can I recommend this dish if it’s never the same twice?

Golden City Restaurant
5375 Kearny Villa Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

Open Daily 11am – Midnight

I tried making the Gailan with Dried Fish, purchasing the dried fish from 99 Ranch Market.

I first toasted the fish in the toaster oven, peeled and blanched the Gailan, and thinly sliced a few cloves of garlic. I did a simple stir fry, and ended up with this:

It was okay, but I’m sure that I didn’t use the right type of fish, it didn’t taste right. Also, I should have used the Big Kahuna to cook this but was too lazy, high heat would’ve made a big difference. Still, it wasn’t too far removed…….

So stay tuned, between the various restaurants visited in the LA area, I’ll do a few posts on places like Kayaba, and even this place:

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Postscript – By request I added a photo album of Urasawa photos, and even did an album from the AKC National Championships.

Road Trip-Las Vegas (I found my thrill…)

December 8, 2006 Cathy Breakfast/Brunch, Las Vegas, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

Hi. I wrote this post a little ahead of time and Kirk and I were posting by alternating days of our road trips. I can't possibly follow the Missus' wonderful post from yesterday with anything as creative and beautiful. She truly is so talented with writing and projecting such beautiful imagery, I felt I was in China living Her life with Her. I think we all agree that She has a true gift, and look forward to seeing more of Her stories.

mmm-yoso actually is on another short vacation right now, and Cathy was on one recently, too. Both of us have been blogging, alternating days. Look and see what Cathy ate and did while she was out of town for a few days.

Hi. So, all of you know that Kirk and I blog about where we eat, and what we like … and after a while you have probably-sort of- figured out that mostly we go to places the Locals like.

So, this is Las Vegas. Its open 24/7. People have to work 24/7. It seems a lot of restaurants are open 24 hours. Where oh where is there a place that has good food that is not 'fancy schmancy"? Where do the Locals, the people who work in the casinos, eat? Who should I ask?? Ahhhh, Mr. Bally, of course (my brother, pay attention).

Well, first place Mr. Bally answers to my query is "Blueberry Hill". There are lots of locations all over town. I've seen them when driving on side streets, trying to avoid The Strip. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner anytime you want it. Its sort of a Coco's/Carrow's/Big Boy/Denny's/Jimmy's..a Family type place (Serving Las Vegas since 1987)…booths, nice waitresses who are friendly and would like to get to know you, striking up conversations. Just a good, home-like feeling.

What a menu! Two sided and detailed…

There is a list of "Side Order" prices on the table, and an explanation of why you hear a buzzer every so often (It's to remind the Employees to wash their hands-I do so love sanitation) and the Senior menu, which I find myself looking longingly at sometimes in some places where I would like to have a smaller portion.

..and pay less…I have found myself sometimes saying to The Mister "look, honey, in only x years, we'll be able to order off of this menu"… yes, this is what it comes to…from being irritated how many times I have gotten carded for "appearing to be under the age of 30" to waiting to be 55 and getting less expensive meals…

ANYHOW, I digressed. Sorry… So, we ordered some pretty neat stuff (it was an early breakfast).

Some *great* basic French Toast, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, great flavor, with some breakfast sausages (the good ones, with skin).

The 1/2 lb 100% Angus burger, cooked medium rare, the way I like it (looks burned in photo, but was nice and juicy and tasty)and poached eggs (one egg was 'misplaced' upon delivery and promptly replaced) and oh, those pancakes…light, fluffy, buttery tasting. Although Mr. Bally had recommended the waffles, I was not disappointed with these flapjacks. The coffee was good and kept constantly refilled.

Look closely at the menu- the Chicken fried steak is made with Angus beef…the other steaks are choice..and the prices are not at all outrageous.

The food here is fresh, fast, inexpensive, and you can get whatever you want whenever you want. Technically a local chain, family owned and operated.

Blueberry Hill -Multiple Locations in Las Vegas and Henderson. Ask your Hotel Concierge for the closest location (we went to the one at Green Valley and Sunset)

Ah…so there has been a little speculation as to why I am in las Vegas-and without The Mister- well, here is a small clue.

Hmm, Santa dressed like a Cowboy, and the words "Cowboy Christmas"…"The Official Gift Show of the Wrangler National Finals..what is that??? What is Cathy doing in Las Vegas???

And…was that it…oh, "I found my Thrill on Blueberry Hill"…the song…OK, kinda lame but matching the post…or is there more???

OH…Cathy said 'Girls Weekend Out'…I get it- Cowboys! Strong, athletic, muscular…ummm….thrill…

The National Finals Rodeo is a ten day competition of the top 15 contestants from the regular season of each event (bare back riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing and bull riding) competing in their event daily and the best of the best in each category after ten days walks away with some hefty prize money and the National Champion title.

Yes, the 5th day of national Finals Rodeo..on the Wrangler "Dare to Wear Pink" night. NFR and PRCA gave a check for $1 million dollars for Breast Cancer Research and the Cowboys, Cowgirls and horses all wore pink during the Competition…as did the opening act, Charlie Daniels.

Before the Rodeo started, you could mill around outside, listening to music and visiting Sponsors displays (for some reason, the Jack Daniels and Coors tents were far more crowded than the Dodge truck display) …

and for the Gentlemen out there, the Copenhagen Smokeless Tobacco Stage…

Yes, I go to National Finals Rodeo every year…and eat in Las Vegas…

The last day, when awards (the coolest belt buckles ever) (along with cash prizes) are handed out is today, Saturday (December 9)…and will be shown on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.

Road Trip-Las Vegas! (Green Valley Ranch Buffet)

December 4, 2006 Cathy Buffets, Las Vegas, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

Hi, Cathy here, on an iBook, in an obscure hotel in Las Vegas, with plans for something exciting tomorrow night.

I’m blogging what I ate, and then some…I left San Diego in the wind this morning..and stopped in Baker, to view the World’s largest Thermometer (and get a cup of coffee at Starbucks).

Dinner was at "Feast", the buffet inside Green Valley Ranch Casinos Resort and Spa. $17..and worth it. The Buffet was suggested by Mr. brother, hereafter referred to as "Mr. Bally"who, along with a few others, have made some suggestions as to where I should try to eat while here. Mostly photos…limited descriptions for now..I have to take a nap!…and no photo of the crab legs, chilled shrimp or Mongolian BBQ… I don’t take photos of people…smoked salmon, giant caperberries, fennel chicken salad…there is a lettuce part of the salad bar also…this was *far* more fun. My salad plate(s)..the carving station selections, well some of them anyhow…The Asian food section offered a wide variety of some great tasting food…Then the Italian section…That sauce in the back to the left (not the meatballs) was artichokes, mushrooms and olives…and soooooo goood!
The a sample of desserts:
Ah, so what am I doing here???Well, there is this competition…more tomorrow.
Green Valley Ranch www.greenvalleyranchresort.com

Quick Weekend in Los Angeles

December 3, 2006 mmm-yoso Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi, yoso-silly

Whew, just got in from a short trip to Los Angeles. Here are just a few photos of places I've posted on before.

Of course the Missus's favorite little Sushi Bar is Sushi Komasa.

**** Sushi Komasa has closed

The sushi at Komasa, though not spectacular, has always been consistently good, and is reasonably priced.

On this trip, the Hamachi(Yellowtail) was excellent, a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth tender. The Aji(Spanish Mackerel), was also good.

So tonight we had Ankimo, Maguro, Binnaga(Albacore), Hamachi, Aji, Hirame, Tai(Snapper), Negi-Hama, and Salmon Skin Roll, with Hot Tea, the bill came out to about $65. Not bad at all. You can check out previous posts for more info.

Sushi Komasa
352 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA
213-680-1792

Open Tuesday-Sunday 530pm – 11pm

Since we stayed in Torrance, we had to check out the Torrance Saturday Farmers' Market.

As I noted on my previous post, we used to make the 90 mile round trip to the TFM almost every Saturday when we lived in LA.

We loved the selection, and the low-key atmosphere. And were pleased to see things have not changed. There was still a wonderful selection of produce.

And lots of samples.

Tomatoes seem to be really popular today.

And of course the flowers.

And even Killer Snails!!!

One thing we've noticed is that the Food Court has sure expanded. Though we didn't have a chance to sample the offerings, I took a few photos.

Torrance Sat CFM
Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw
Sat, 8A-1P

I know, I know, you're saying, "Reruns, again?" Well stay tuned, I'll have some new posts on a few Los Angeles restaurant, including TianJin and ShenYang cuisine, and other stuff……

And as a great bonus, Cathy's also taking a road trip as well! So you'll be hearing from Her as well.

So why were we in LA? Well, maybe this helps:

Sorry, just being a bit silly. Here's the reason:

Yes, we attended the AKC National Championship. Over 3000 dogs were included in this years show. We'd never attended one of these, and thought this was a great opportunity.

Along with the P-B-G-V(Petit Basset Griffon Verdeen – won the hound group), the Glen of Imaal Terrier, Great Pyrenees, and Dandy Dinmont, we've always loved Havanese. And this was a great chance to check them out.

Hands down, one of our two favorite events was the Agility Invitational.

And it's not just the sporting dogs that compete, some of the biggest cheers were for some of the smaller breeds, like this Bichon Frise:

There were no losers…….

The other event we enjoyed was called "Meet the Breed", where every breed was represented and had a booth. We got to speak to alot of veteran dog owners/experts regarding the various attributes of specific breeds.

Of course there was the show.

As much as we enjoyed the "show" and prejudging portion, we enjoyed other aspects of the show more. Still, it was a great fun!

Meat by the Side of the Road-really

November 20, 2006 Cathy Cooking, What Cathy Eats!, yoso-silly

mmm-yoso!!! is NOT on vacation. Cathy is blogging while Kirk is not. You are here. Continue reading.

Hi again. This is a good, true account of my life.

One day, about 7 years ago, I had occasion to be driving to the house of a friend, daily, in Valley Center (Just north of Escondido, where the Wild Animal Park is located). It was the week before Easter and I noticed, in front of Fat Ivor's (one of 4 restaurants in Valley Center- google it) this yellow trailer, off the side of the road …it says "Optimist Hams and Turkeys" (for now, the turkeys is crossed out..more about that later)…and I drove on by. I asked my friend about it and she had lived in Valley Center and said she saw it there, on occasion, for all the years she had lived there (about ten years at that point) . As I was driving home, I had to stop (you all know I *had* to stop). Here is a better photo, with Fat Ivor's, which is perpendicular to the road, in the picture:

As you can see, some friendly, Valley Center Optimists are sitting under a cover, waiting to chat with you.

I was curious that first time…and back then they were selling half and full smoked hams and also smoked turkeys. The Optimists were using the smoke pit at Fat Ivor's after hours and then sealing the meat in double wrappers. They had a handout, indicating 100% of all proceeds would be used to help Youth in the area, like this handout this year:

Oh, and I happened to be *very* hungry that first time. Back then the half ham was $25…today its $35 and it is *well* worth the price.

The ham is not at all salty nor is it dry. It is deeply smoky, not artificial, and anyhow, I recall I tore through the two layers of thick plastic on the way home, while driving, to tear off a piece of that ham.

Remember, The Mister, born in Finland; smoked meat is something he craves, and he knows what he likes (smoked cheese by the way, is just plain *wrong*).

I've been getting a half ham every holiday since. The half ham is $35 this year, the full ham is $55. It became less cost effective to smoke turkeys. (Something about having to have them reach a very cold temperature within two hours after smoking).

Note that sometimes they run out, but you can order and pay and pick up another day. It's only available these three Holidays a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) and is *worth* the drive.

Aren't you glad I stopped? I am.

The yellow trailer, in front of Fat Ivor's 27961 Valley Center Road, Valley Center, CA 92082. Starting the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Saturday before Christmas and the Saturday before Easter

Saturday “Stuffs”

November 4, 2006 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

*** An updated post on Dae Jang Keum can be found here.

Here’s some updates and notes.

Boo Cho has gone through several Owners over the last few years. So I guess that the newest set of owners have decided that a name change was necessary, So Boo Cho has become Dae Jang Keum, or Dae Jang Kuem, depending on which sign you read……

The restaurant has sure gone through a major face lift, new glass doors, the bar next door, has been renovated as well. I haven’t had a chance to eat there yet, but will make sure to check it out soon.

One other restaurant has changed names, Ko Hayang Jip is now Go-Ba-Woo. I keep forgetting to mention the name change.

We’ve visited twice since the name change, and the food and menu is still the same.

Go Ba Woo BBQ
4373 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

I’m guessing that Chopstix is doing rather well. Chopstix Too has just opened in the former Samurai Sam’s location across from Mitsuwa Marketplace.

Chopstix Too
4380 Kearny Mesa Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

A few other upcoming events.

We saw this sign posted on Clairemont Drive.

In case you’re interested.

Imperial Beach Beachfront BBQ Competition.

Yes, a real BBQ contest sanctioned by the California Barbecue Association. The event will take place on November 10th and 11th. We’ll be there for sure, since one of our favorite fellow Food Bloggers Professor Salt, and the Four-Q BBQ Team, made up of fellow Food Bloggers will be competing.

You can read about it on You gonna eat that?

Good luck Four-Q!

Logo courtesy Four-Q BBQ team

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!