mmm-yoso – Page 157 – As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.

Recently Consumed – Cream of Broccoli Soup and Hasselback Potatoes (sort of a recipe)

April 4, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

How are you hanging in there? Our hope is that everyone is in good health.

I know for a fact that many folks are cooking like crazy…….trying to keep busy during our "stay at home" during these challenging and unsettling times. We've been trading food with friends.

And the Missus keeps wanting soup.

I have a basic potato-leek soup recipe that I can use as a base for things, like the Cauliflower or Asparagus Soup. So, on this night the Missus wanted Cream of Broccoli Soup, which now, even though I've worked a full day (I've been going in at 530 am to do validation/tasks), I can pull off fairly smoothly.

Though on this night the Missus wanted Hasselback Potatoes….who the heck wants to make that on a weeknight? Aaaand She wanted it topped with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese.

Basically, to form the potatoes….I found some good sized Yukon Golds for this.

You line up two chopsticks on either side of the potato and make thin slices, leaving about a quarter inch of unsliced potato at the bottom.

Since I had made bacon, I strained the fat and brushed on the fat and used Maldon Salt to season the exterior and in between the slices.

I baked in a 425 oven on a rack over a baking sheet.

After 20 minutes, I noticed that the slices had started to separate, so I brushed on a nice coating of what remained of the fat along with some extra virgin olive oil.

After about another 25 minutes, it looked good to go. I turned the oven up to 500 and topped with some smoked cheddar that I had grated. Along with bacon.

After a few minutes it was ready…..but the Missus wasn't……talkin' about killing me!

Anyway, after a short wait, the Missus got Her soup and potato.

Not bad for a Wednesday night.

What have you been eating during these unsettling times?

The Pacific Seafood Mariscos Truck

April 2, 2020 mmm-yoso Food Trucks/Carts, Mexican Restaurants, Seafood

I noticed that this Taco Truck is again parked in the lot of V-Outlet, so I thought I'd go ahead and do the post.

A couple of months back, I noticed a Mariscos Truck parked in the lot of V-Outlet.

It's been a while since I recall a Mariscos Truck in the area. So, after a bunch of delays, I managed to make a visit.

It seems to be a nice husband and wife team running this truck. Their young daughter helped mom put the sign and up kept herself amused on the wall in back of the truck.

On this visit, I decided to get one fried and one none fried taco….I really wanted a Gobernador, but didn't see it until after I ordered ("Governor"), so I got a fish taco and a shrimp a la diabla and ate on the hood of my car.

The woman kindly offered me some consommé……

Super hot, though lacking in seafood flavor and too much celery.

The beer battered fish taco was the better of the two.

The tortilla was basic, but decent. The batter on the fish was light and crisp. The fish while not being of the highest quality (what do you expect for two bucks?), was moist and tender. The cabbage was crisp; the tomatoes in the pico….well, wasn't fully ripe, but the textures were nice. not bad.

The Shrimp al la Diabla, wasn't my favorite.

Well, this wasn't very spicy, though those cebollas de habanero had quite a kick and added to the taco. The taco was quite hefty, though there didn't seem to be much shrimp in this and it was fairly greasy and really lacked flavor. The double tortilla was a good idea, but this was just mediocre overall.

Well that fish taco wasn't too bad, so on my next visit a couple of weeks later, I decided to go with something fried (shrimp taco) and the "Governor" (Gobernador). I was again graciously given a cup of the consommé, which tasted the same as on my previous visit.

The Beer Battered Shrimp Taco was probably the best thing I've had from this truck.

There was a good portion of shrimp, like the fish taco, the batter was crisp and fairly light……as before the pico de gallo left something to be desired, but this was pretty good….I'd have it again.

The Gobernador; while not as bad as the Shrimp Diablo left something to be desired.

I did enjoy the avocado, but again there was too much vegetables and "stuff" compared to shrimp, which was overcooked and on the rubbery side. It also was on the greasy side and fairly bland.

Overall, some nice folks, the food is definitely not on par with the Mariscos Trucks in the South Bay. The shrimp taco was decent….I think staying with the fried stuff here might be the way to go.

And yes, I just passed by today and the truck was in the parking lot.

Pacific Seafood Mariscos Truck
In the Parking Lot of V-Outlet
3020 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 – Chicago Fire Grill, Bay Park Fish, and Beer From Harland

March 31, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Seafood

How is everyone doing? Here are a couple of stuff-to-go and a couple of cold ones. I'm not going to go into the food much here….it's just not the time for that.

Chicago Fire Grill:

I went to grab a quick lunch for the few souls who are still in the office….plus I wanted to see what "words of wisdom", George, the owner had. Anyway, upon getting there, I ordered from the doorway….George asked me if I could hear him……I told him, "I could hear you from Orange County….."

We all had a zillion calls during the day and with all the self-quarantine, it actually felt good to get out for 20 minutes to grab lunch and scurry back to the office and yet another call.

George says that he'll hang in there; though he wasn't totally sure about the hours….he's trying to keep it going at least for lunch.

Chicago Fire Grill
8935 Towne Centre Dr.
San Diego, CA 92122

Bay Park Fish Company:

During my short shopping stop at Seisel's, I saw this sign in front of Bay Park Fish.

And while BPF has kinda fallen from favor for us over the years; it along with Siesel's were the subject of one of my first posts back in 2005. So I went in and placed an order before I went to Siesel's. When I got out of Siesel's and walked over, my food was ready…….I decided not to take the 30% off and also tip a bit…….it's almost like my responsibility.

Got the shrimp torta and smoked fish stack.

Currently open from noon to 5pm for take-out.

Bay Park Fish Co.
4121 Ashton St.
San Diego, CA 92110

We've been trading food with Frankie's favorite auntie "Alle", who lives close by. One day, she had gone on a "beer run" to Harland and graciously gave some brews.

Here's the Harland Japanese Lager.

And something really special; the Harland MoMo Mochi IPA.

Nice, slightly fruity, mildly sweet, in the session IPA hoppiness scale….very nice Hazy IPA made with…well "Momo" (peaches) of course.

Thanks Alle!

Be safe everyone!

Recently Consumed: The Covid-19 Edition – It’s mostly soup (and beans)

March 27, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking

Sorry for the time gaps between posts; I've been working quite a bit and after making dinner and stuff, am pretty wiped out.

Anyway; here's a bunch of stuff I did, by request of the Missus….who is working even harder than I am right now.

In my previous post, I had a photo of the roped off area for Seisel's….I basically went there to pick up bacon and the ham hocks, my favorite in San Diego. I used up the bag of red beans from Rancho Gordo and made some Ham Hock and Red Bean Soup.

We've been trading dishes with Frankie's two favorite Aunties and each got some of the soup….Aunte "Alle" said it was really good.

For some reason, the Missus is requesting cream type soups, which are kind of a pain….but She's working really hard….so what the heck.

Her favorite is the Mushroom Soup I make, I'm basically using Jacque Pepin's Creamy Leek and Mushroom Soup recipe; except with more….a lot more mushrooms, both dried, and fresh.

I finally got to use the really high quality porcini we got in Italy. I also use tried and true additions (white wine) and techniques (starting the mushrooms in a dry pan), with twice the amount of dried porcini (1 ounce) and 12 ounces of cremini, with white mushrooms added at the end.

Of course the Missus added truffle oil and extra virgin olive oil….from the bottle we brought back from Avignon.

Of course you saw the cauliflower soup in an earlier post, and I made some potato leek soup, the base of which I used to make Cream of Asparagus Soup….which turned out to be another favorite of the Missus….go figure.

I've gone ahead and used leftover beans and veggies to make Cassoulet/One Pan Dishes as well.

This one is inspired from a recipe in Joe Yonan's wonderful cookbook, Cool Beans.

Much like I do for my Cassoulet, I mix the panko with duck fat….and in this base rendered bacon fat as well before topping the dish.

Having more leftover beans, I added some sausage, sliced zucchini, tomatoes, and red bell peppers….leftovers from other dishes and did kinda the same thing in my small cast iron pan.

I think the next time I make this; I'll forgo the panko and just top with a couple of easy over eggs….cooked in duck fat of course.

And while I forgot to take photos of the potato leek soup I made; I was amazed at how large the potatoes and leeks I bought were…..so I decided to measure them, using Frankie as a reference point.

While I assured "F" that he wasn't part of the recipe….he doesn't look convinced, does he?

Hope everyone is safe and healthy!

Grocery Shopping in the Time of Covid – 19…..Mostly a Bunch of Photos

March 22, 2020 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers

***** Some really great comments on this post. Check them out!

Unless you've just returned from several months on another planet; you know about our current Covid-19 outbreak. So, I'm just going to mostly go with photos….with just a smidge of text.

The first time I really ran into things was when I needed to make food for Frankie….I needed chicken thighs; I usually get them from Costco…but heck, there's no way I was going to make it in there. So, I tried to find some….going to everywhere from Sprouts….to Smart and Final….to Zion Market…..etc, etc, etc……

I finally found some at Sprouts on Genesee and managed to make him some food….I'm going to have to make more this weekend; but things have gotten a bit under control…..though I think rice (and toilet paper) seem to be in demand.

And soon enough, there were limits placed……

Along with modified hours.

And now, with social distancing in place……there are limits on amount of folks allowed in at once. I first ran into this at Seisels.

Here's the line today at Nijiya around 1030. They are opening at 10am and will close at 6pm.

It was very orderly and wonderful young lady working would ask if you want a basket or wagon and would spray sanitizer on it before turning it over to you.

And overall, I have noticed that people have been kind, thoughtful, and patient……other than that guy at Costco Gas who yelled at me, "you people are why we have Coronavirus". There's always one, isn't there?

And heck, if you're wondering if you have enough TP; you might want to use this tool (???). According to this I should have enough for 48 days at least.

I hope you are all in good health. Hang in there!

Eating (and drinking) in the Time of Covid-19 – Soup, Sandwich Emporium, and Beer from Bay Hill Tavern

March 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Cooking, Pubs and Pub Grub, Sandwiches

First off; we sincerely hope that your family, friends, and loved ones are in good health.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for me; I haven't had a day off in a couple of weeks. Still, we've had to make due with all the restaurant and bar closures.

I'm figuring most of you are eating like us….here's some Cauliflower Soup I made.

The secret ingredient, other than the truffle oil and bacon fat; is that I use saved up Parmesan rinds when making the soup. It adds a nice, milky-savory flavor to soups. So, go ahead and freeze those rinds; don't throw them away.

While the rational part of my brain wasn't surprised when the order came down to end dine-in service at restaurants; another part of me was jolted….I mean…..I kinda like eating out (in case that wasn't obvious). So what to do?

Well we are eating at home and such, and many places are closed, but there are lists like this one and of course Social Media, where you can find places that will deliver. And since one of those places and I go back to the beginning of the blog, I got some of the folks in the office to team up and place a pick-up order.

It was, like most times a decent sandwich. I think the fact that we were able to help out a place that is close to home made it taste even better.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Drive
San Diego,CA

Give them a call at one of the three locations to see what the hours are.

Speaking of close to home. I was driving home when I saw this……

While I'm sure there was a hint of humor here….after all, the crowds on most evenings from Wednesday to Saturday! I still felt something stir inside….perhaps I was thirsty?

So, I went into the parking lot; which is usually packed, today…..it was desolate. And decided, while I wasn't hungry, I was going to make dinner at home, I did need a digestif, right?

So tonight after dinner; I'll have my Duchesse…or as we were correected and laughed at in Belgium; a "Doo-Chezz"!

And nope, I haven't actually had a drink, nor eaten at Bay Hill Tavern yet……wouldn't it be funny if the first meal I had there would be during the Coronavirus outbreak?

I was told that they are open afternoon and evenings, with to-go brunch on weekends. You can check their website.

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Of course, who knows what tomorrow…or even tonight will bring?

Take care and best wishes from us!

Today its not about food…….

March 16, 2020 mmm-yoso Blog

I'm not going to overload you with information, there's a lot of that available elsewhere…….we here at mmm-yoso is hoping everyone remains healthy and gets through this.

Be safe, healthy and we'll see you on the other side.

Take Care!

Recently Consumed and a Recipe for Chile de Arbol Salsa

March 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Like I mentioned previously, it's been a pretty busy week. So here are some of the things I made recently and a recipe for the Chile de Arbol Salsa that I've been making recently.

Like my previous Recently Consumed post; we're still working thru the beans from Rancho Gordo. Here's a White Bean and Kale Soup.

The Missus had been requesting that I make Her favorite mushroom soup….so I finally made some…..last night.

She likes a ton of truffle oil on Hers……I go with some shaved Parmesan Reggiano and Extra Virgin Olive we bought in Provence.

I opened a can of Chipotle Chilies en Adobo and didn't want to waste, so I made some Chipotle Cauliflower.

And of course, pozole during the weekends.

And of course, one of the salsas I have on hand is one made with Chile de Arbol; I mentioned finding some from India in an earlier post. Love the heat in these; makes a pretty spicy, heady salsa.

Chile de Arbol Salsa:

8oz (weighed out) Dried Chile de Arbol, stems removed, wiped clean

1/2 cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tb Tomato Paste

1 Tb Ground Cumin

1 Tb Agave Syrup

4-6 Cloves of Garlic

1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped onion

Salt to Taste

Combine Apple Cider Vinegar and Lime Juice in a bowl

Warm a dry cast iron pan over medium-high heat and toast (do not burn) the chilies

Add the chilies to the Vinegar and Lime Juice, mix well and let the chilies soak for 20-30 minutes

Once hydrated add the chilies, cumin, garlic, Agave syrup, onion, tomato paste, and enough liquid in a blender and process to achieve the texture you desire. You can strain if you want to, but I just remove any stray seeds. I usually end up using almost all the liquid.

Taste and salt to taste.

Enjoy…..

The Missus really liked it with the Chipotle Black Bean Tostadas I made.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

TJ Dumplings – Almost Gou Bu Li (and no “TJ” does not stand for Tijuana)

March 10, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Xiao Long Bao

**** TJ Dumplings has been replaced by Tenkatori.

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so not much time to have lunch. I headed out to grab a sandwich and noticed a new business in the former location of Lai Chen and BT Chinese Kitchen, so I headed into the parking lot.

TJ Dumplings????? Even though the sign said they open at 1130; it was 11 and the place was open, so I decided to head in.

The menu was quite small; Xiao Long Bao, Baozi, Guotie, Jiaozi, and stuff like Pineapple Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken? No Chinese, all in English.

I asked the nice gentleman behind the counter about the name and was told; "it's our hometown". To which I asked "Tianjin?" He immediately brightened up and let out a sigh; "I know, we didn't think when we named the place….people think we mean Tijuana!" I was also told that they had just opened two weeks prior.

I immediately asked if the steamed bun was "Gou Bu Li" (the famous baozi of Tianjin) and he smiled and said; "it is based on Guo Bu Li; even the amount of folds!" So, of course, how could I resist. I got an order of the steamed buns and potstickers to go. I liked that the baozi took about 15-20 minutes, it meant they were steamed to order. I was happy that they packed Chinese black vinegar with my order.

When I got back to the office, I noticed that Calvin had finished his lunch, but still seemed hungry, so I shared some of this with him. It was too much for me. The bun was decent; it was slightly fragrant and fluffy, the filling by the book; moist, porky, good savory tones (slight ginger/scallion), fairly tender. Not bad at all…..no, it's not the best I've had, but perfectly fine for lunch.

The baozi had 15-18 folds which puts it in gou bu li territory.

I didn't enjoy the guotie much though.

It was mostly about the wrapper and cooking technique than the filling; which was basically the same as the baozi. The wrapper was too thick; chewy, and it had a certain greasiness to it that I didn't particularly care for. Call me spoiled by QingDao Guotie….yes, I've been indoctrinated.

Still; those baozi were pretty good. So, on one of the days where I was able to get away and Calvin had a meeting running thru noon, I headed back over to TJ Dumplings for baozi. Upon entering I quickly noticed all the "Peach" insulated bags on the tables and seats.

So, I guess delivered food is a big part of the business here.

I got the baozi, jiaozi, and Calvin was really curious about the Xiao Long Bao, so I ordered that as well.

First things first; the baozi on this visit was better than on my previous visit. The dough fluffier, though it also had a bit of sweetness this time; not sure if they are stilling trying to get their formula right. The filling tasted the same; but there was a bit of "soup" in the baozi making it very moist. Also, the meat in the baozi wasn't formed as tightly, making it very tender.

The jiaozi was just ok…..here's one I'm not going to order take-out in the future as the wrappers stuck to the take-out container. The wrapper were fine, a bit more doughy-chewy than I prefer.

While not even close to being my favorite or my MIL's, this would have been decent home-made jiaozi. One funny note; the lady working asked me how I knew the Chinese names of the dishes and I told her the Missus is from Qingdao. As I took my package to go she told me; "sorry, no pounded garlic for you." Which cracked me up. Pounded garlic with black vinegar is the signature accompaniment to jiaozi in Qingdao.

As for the XLB.

I was surprised they made it back to the office intact. The wrapper is thinner than most; but a bit too brittle and lacking in a nice pillowy pull.

The filling was basically the same as the jiaozi, but with a tad more sweetness and just a few drops of soup in them.

This wasn't bad; I've had worse, but it's definitely not the headliner here. For me, it's the baozi.

Which is not bad. A solid version.

And so, I'll try to drop by and actually eat in the place when things slow down a bit.

So there you go; it's "TJ" as in Tianjin, not Tijuana. And almost Gou Bu Li.

TJ Dumplings
6780 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92121

Soup Weather, the Old Standbys Episode – Mien Trung and Santouka. Plus, a Little Quiz at the End

March 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Bun Bo Hue, Ramen, yoso-silly

Well, that spot of warm weather didn't last very long, did it? To be perfectly honest; I enjoy cooler weather since it means I can hit up my old standbys. Like these two. I'll keep the post short; cause I've done so many posts on these two places.

Mien Trung:

Ok, I think I have at least a dozen posts on Mien Trung…..going way back to 2006! They seemed to have hit a rough spot for a while; but this last bowl was the best I've had in a while.

The Bun Bo Hue really hit the spot; the broth didn't have too much msg, there was a decent spice, nice lemongrass tones; the noodles were cooked to a perfect slipperiness. And to add to the joy of a nice bowl of bun bo hue; I got little red dots all over my shirt…..oh well, it was definitely worth it.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Santouka:

Funny thing; my first visit to Sanoutka when they first opened in San Diego in 2008 was auspicious. But over the years they've righted the ship and is a favorite of the Missus……let me beat that dead horse again; to the point that the Missus just had to visit the flagship shop in Asahikawa…in winter!

The funniest thing to the Missus is; that "even in Japan, Santouka's boiled eggs are terrible…." So there's some consistency for ya'. For us; it the Shio Toroniku style all the way. Rich, hot tonkotsu broth; noodles with a good chewy-crunch to them, pork cheek that tastes great with a short dunk in the broth……

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

And as a little bonus:

So, I was cleaning out some old photos, deleting most of them; when I came by a couple of oldies, but goodies…..places that are gone but not forgotten, at least by me.

So, can you guess the first two?