mmm-yoso – Page 415 – 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.

Kaelin’s Mi Pueblo- A surprising market in El Cajon.

April 25, 2011 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Hi again. You are reading mmm-yoso!!! It's a blog about food in all its forms. Today Cathy is blogging, because Kirk is on an adventure somewhere in the world and ed (from Yuma) is busy. Really busy.

Kaelin's Market has been in the same location in El Cajon on Main near Greenfield for more than two decades. It has had its ups (it was THE fancy IGA in East County) and downs (it got pretty scary for a long while) and recently is under new ownership. It is still IGA.

There are always weekly specials in each department.

It's been cleaned up and the variety of selections have expanded, in a good way. Prices are excellent. Some surprises have been added.

As with other Ethnic markets I have posted about, there is a small area inside where you can order food to eat in or to go. The Taqueria area near the doorway offers five different Aguas Frescas daily(three more five gallon jars are along the other side of the counter). Next to the cash register, you can see small bowls of salsas and other condiments. There are burritos and tortas sold here, in addition to what I am showing in these photos.

The salsa and condiments include grilled onions, radishes, lemons and three types of salsas. However when you order, a 'proper' salsa is put on your item.

Tacos are $1. Every day. (The fried fish taco is $2). The store sells corn tortillas, sopes, hurrache shaped corn tortillas, flavored (chipotle, cactus and other flavors, depending on the day of the week) corn tortillas in the store. Those fresh tortillas are used for the items sold at the counter.

The carnitas tacos have been simmering and are rich flavored. Those are my favorite. The fish ceviche tostada ($3) is fresh and brightly flavored. Both carnitas and ceviche are sold by the pound at the Deli counter in the store, as are guacamole, salsa, refried beans, chicharrones…

The birria, a beef stew, is very good here. I have had birria made with pork or goat and never beef. This version is really good, tender and rich flavored.

On another visit, we got a pork adobada taco ($1). The pork is marinated in a vinegar based marinade and that breaks down the meat to be very tender. The hot sauce which was made for this was complimentary and negated the tartness of vinegar.

Mulita ($2). Two corn tortillas, each with melted cheese surrounding (in this case) al pastor beef. You can choose the meat for this quesedilla on steroids…excellent, filling, fresh. Worth it. Of course, beef made in the al-pastor style is cooked on a spit…

The most interesting aspect of the new Kaelin's is noticed as you are walking in
Two spits of meats- Al Pastor and schawarma. Yes, schawarma.

Just past the spits, there are ovens for baking flatbreads.

The Mediterranean flatbreads sell for 75¢.

Gigantic super sized flat bread, as large as the top of the indoor picnic table where we eat. Hot from the oven…the freshest you can get. Fresh hummus ($2.99) sold in the refrigerator next to the cash register, is the accompaniment.

Then there are the kabobs. Beef kabobs $1.25 each (or 99¢ each if you buy ten). You read that right. These are large, juicy, nicely spiced, beef (or chicken) really meaty, tasty kabobs. Five is too many for The Mister and I to eat for a meal. We always order five and always end up taking at least 1 1/2 home, to use for breakfast the next morning.

This store is not at all selling only Mexican foods.
The Meat Department is NOT Halal. It can't be. Know that Kaelin's sells spices, vegetables, and ready to eat items are Mediterranean based and this is not just a Mexican Market. Stop in if you have the chance.

Kaelins Mi Pueblo 1435 East Main El Cajon 92020 (619) 440-1423
Here is a photo of a carnitas quesedilla ($2) to show you the size perspective, as well as a flour tortilla…The quesedilla is very stringy melty cheesy…

I hope everyone is starting out the week on a good note!

Kaelin's Mi Pueblo Market 1435 East Main Street El Cajon Ca 92021 (619)440-1423

Cardoon Gratin – a green, in-season side dish (using those fuzzy green almonds)

April 22, 2011 Cathy Recipes, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Food consumed, food prepared then consumed, food in general. Today, a Springtime recipe from Cathy.

Hi. I haven't shown you a $5 Friday and a while, and with prices the way they are, not many meals are falling into that category, but as part of my New Year Resolution, I will share some recipes and meals which still fit that criterion.

This recipe uses seasonal, local ingredients, which is the mainstay of keeping costs low.

Some of you may not have seen, or known what to do with what you have seen in the stores. Both of these items were purchased at Vine Ripe Market, in La Mesa, this week. I think you can find the cardoon and green almonds at other Ethnic markets and maybe even some Farmer's Markets.

Green almonds, which look like immature oval shaped peaches are available for about one month every year- you eat them whole…skin and all, except maybe the small brown hard part which is attached to the stem. They are located in a bin to your left at the doorway into Vine Ripe and cost $1.49/lb.

Cardoon sort of looks like celery but is a relative of the artichoke. It is priced at $1.49 for the piece. This casserole recipe tastes like artichoke hearts.
Green almonds are a 'preview' of the almond to come. A snack in Greece, the Mediterranean and Middle East, treasured because of being somewhat 'rare'…kind of taste like a raw pea pod, but with a tartness. An intense flavor, if used in a recipe (and cooked), they are used more to compliment the dish than as the main course, hence the slicing thin for this recipe. The center is jelly-like now, with a thin white skin and, with age, the hull and shell will harden and the center will form a crunchy nut, which will end up being the only part eaten.
When you separate the stalks of the cardoon, you can see how it resembles both celery and an artichoke in appearance. There are spines on a cardoon. The cardoons sold in stores now are the younger, more tender ones. If older, the spines will be more prominent and the stalks will be tougher. If using those older cardoons in a recipe, it is best to discard the woody exterior stalks, cut the center stalks into bite size pieces and parboil first.

Cardoon is a member of the aster family and is a naturally occurring variant of the same species as a globe artichoke. It is native to the Mediterranean/France and I have seen it grown in several home gardens around here; it needs a long , cool growing season and that certainly has been our weather lately.
The recipe is pretty simple and you need only 3 other ingredients- some flour, Mozarella and Parmesan. I used this Italian blend of shredded cheese, since it was on sale. You won't use a lot, depending on the size of your casserole dish.
Slice the peeled/cleaned young cardoon (about one pound) into bite size pieces, maybe 2 inches long. Slice the almonds (about 1/3 lb) thin. Place into a buttered baking dish (this is a 9×13).
Sprinkle a little flour over the whole dish. This will help absorb any liquid given off by the cooking.

Top with a layer of the shredded cheeses. I also put additional grated Parmesan on top.

Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. The cardoon, if pricked with a fork will still be firm and not mushy, but will not be as firm as in its raw state.
This tastes like the best part of that artichoke heart Parmesan dip appetizer you have tasted…all artichoke sweetness, a bit of citrus and some cheese. The green almonds add the lemon/citrus taste which compliments everything. This tastes good cold or reheated in a microwave.

This ends our food adventure for this week. I hope everyone has a very good weekend!

[I've heard from Kirk and The Missus. They arrived safe and sound and are very much enjoying the first part of their vacation.]

Cardoon Gratin

One whole cardoon (about one pound), peeled clean and stalks cut into bite size pieces

1/3 lb (about 15) green almonds, sliced thin

2 Tbs flour

1-2 C shredded mild cheese (Mozzarella/Provolone mix is good)

Combine as above, top with flour then cheeses. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

Today's breakfast- a part of the sesame bread ring from Vine Ripe (50¢), bananas (69¢/lb at Vine Ripe), leftover cardoon gratin, a basted egg topped with Fines Herbes and a sliced and sauteed green almond. The cardoon is still crispy and a bit stringy. The flavor is all artichoke. The sauteed almonds are even more pronounced in the citrus flavor.

Fat Ivor’s and Meat by the Side of the Road-Valley Center

April 21, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Diner, Sandwiches, Stuff, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk is on vacation and Cathy is blogging in his place. ed(from Yuma) is in Yuma, not on vacation and not blogging.

Hi again. Long story short, I drive up Valley Center Road quite frequently, regularly noticed signs next to Fat Ivor's Rib Rack and back in 2002, I finally decided to stop and see what the signs were all about. I wrote a post about this in 2006.

In reality, the signs were only out near Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter…it took me a while to realize that was when I was driving regularly to Valley Center. Here's an accurate photo of my viewpoint. The yellow sign closest to the road is "Optimist Hams for Kids", next to a "Got Ribs? We do" sign, then there is that trailer with the Optimist logo on it and the sign for Fat Ivor's Rib Rack. Meat. By the side. Of the road. The driveway is at those signs and the parking area is for Fat Ivor's.

In the back of the parking lot, you can see the smokers, being used for the Optimist's hams, as well as for the beef and pork used on Fat Ivor's menu.
Walk into the restaurant through the left door and seat yourself. The right door is the outdoor Bar area. Fat Ivor's has been in Valley Center for decades and was rebuilt after it burned down two months after the original owner, Tommy Thomas, died.

The restaurant is decorated with American flags, pictures of President Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, patriotic items and is frequented by locals, especially at lunch time.

Locals take advantage of the "Lunch Specials", as well as the "Extra Lunch Specials" (which include a side and beverage if you get it as a half sandwich). You'll notice there aren't any smoked meats on the daily specials menu. This is a diner.
So, The Mister and I ordered from the regular menu and his meal started with a fresh, but unexciting salad with blue cheese dressing…which had chunks of blue cheese at the bottom, but was pretty watery overall.
The main part of His meal was a whole farmed trout-deboned and spread open gently, so as to stay in one whole piece. Lightly cornmeal breaded and perfectly fried, with skin on the bottom, this was fresh and a good, firm fish. It was a 'Lighter Meal' and came with cottage cheese ($10.95)
I ordered the BBQ pork sandwich ($7.95) which comes with a choice of two sides. Baked beans (meaty baked beans) and a lightly dressed cole slaw were my choices. The pork is smoked and sliced (not pulled). Real BBQ. The sandwich is topped with a homemade sauce, which seems to be sweetened with molasses. The sesame seeded bun is well toasted so the sauce doesn't permeate the bun to fall apart.
About midway through, I used the BBQ seasoning (that isn't red pepper) from the tabletop condiment choices. The very nice blend of seasonings, including hot chili, black pepper and salt complimented my sandwich.

Yes, Fat Ivor's is known for the all you can eat beef ribs, which are $13.99, seven days of the week. I've had them. They are well smoked, a bit fatty and better without sauce. People travel here for the evening meals.

Oh. The ham.
The best smoked ham ever. The Optimists use Farmer John hams and smoke them deeply with hickory. We could not wait. It was tonight's dinner…tomorrow's breakfast and lunch… and many more meals, including pea soup. We're having Turkey for Easter.

Fat Ivor's 27961 Valley Center Road, Valley Center, CA 92082 (760) 749-0600

Arigato Japanese Restaurant-La Mesa

April 20, 2011 Cathy Japanese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hi again. Kirk is on vacation. mmm-yoso!!!, the blog, is not on vacation. Cathy and ed(from Yuma) will be temping in the interim.

Located in the corner of a strip mall at the NorthEast Corner of Baltimore at Lake Murray, is what used to be an eight table (with three chairs in front of the sushi bar), unassuming, local Japanese Restaurant, Arigato. Fast forward more than 20 years, and it has expanded into the next two storefront units, adding another 12 or so tables and a small private banquet room.

Not fancy. Excellent food.

When you are seated and start to look at your menu, your beverages and a small bowl of edamame are brought out. I've noticed different preparations and presentation of edamame lately and will try to document in the future. These were simply steamed and cooled fresh soybeans…no salt added, crisp and fresh in flavor. The green tea is complimentary also.
It was lunchtime and we ordered three items, and all were brought out at the same time. The kitchen staff is efficient.

The soft shell crab appetizer ($5.95). Perfectly fried, not at all greasy. Light batter. Served in this boat shaped platter with a light sauce which was not needed if you had already squeezed the lemon onto the crab. I did, however, dip some of the cabbage, which was a cushion under the crab, into the sauce and the flavor of the sauce went with the cabbage. This was a very good size crab and appetizer.
The Mister ordered "Pork Mayonnaise- thin slices of pork in a special sauce" ($8.25). This was a wonderful tasting dish. The pork was moist, not crispy and had a very rich flavor…no sauce on the plate, just somehow absorbed into the meat…we are looking to see if we can duplicate this dish at home.
The Mister's plate included the rice and a miso soup (good, with lots of tofu) and this extremely crisp salad. (Both were brought out before the three dishes from the kitchen, if you were reading along and not just looking at photos.) Unusually, remarkably fresh crispy tasty romaine lettuce topped with a gentle sesame-ginger dressing. I can't emphasize the freshness of this lettuce. The small grape, instead of a tomato was a colorful touch…

I wanted to try the Sunomono, described as "Variety of rawfish with cucumber, seaweed topped with special vinegar sauce" ($9.95). There was a small amount of lettuce, a lot of thinly sliced cucumber, an interesting, curly black seaweed, the radishes and burdock, as you see…that bit of octopus tentacle and a shrimp, some crab, hamachi, albacore, salmon and some bits of a cooked fish.
Here is a better photo of the unique seaweed. It was tasty and firm, not slimy. Different and the vinegar based dressing was excellent.

All in all, this was another excellent meal. I wondered why we stopped regularly eating here…the menu for lunch and dinner is the same – no price increase. I suppose because there are no lunch 'specials'…we had started going elsewhere. Now I realize we don't need 'specials'. The quality of food and service here are excellent, as always. Arigato is back on 'our rotation'.

Arigato Japanese Restaurant 5775 Baltimore Drive, Suite 110 La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 469-3157 Open Mon-Sat 11:30-3:00 and 5:00-9:00

Panda Country Restaurant- The one in Santee

April 19, 2011 Cathy Chinese Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! That's us. A few friends writing about food they eat. Kirk is on vacation, ed (from Yuma) is busy at work, so Cathy is writing today.

Hi. San Diego County has an area of about 4200 square miles. There are a few restaurants which have multiple locations here. I hesitate to call them 'Chains', since they seem to be more or less family owned and run. However, the reason they expanded is because the first location did well and they thought to spread out in a nearby community. One of those restaurants is Panda Country. Albeit an "ABCDE" (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment), and Kirk not being overwhelmed by the food he consumed at 'his' location on Clairmont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego, the Santee location enjoys a steady business and has tasty food. It has been in this same mall since 1979, moving to a new building when the Movie Theater was demolished. (Yes. 'The' movie theater.)

There are lunch specials, which cost about $8 and then also a daily lunch special for $5. In any case, every meal starts with this:

Plum sauce, hot mustard, plate of fried wonton skins…and the ever present Chinese Zodiac placemats. The plum sauce is a pretty pink and has the texture of applesauce, but the flavor is tart and not sweet.

The Mister and I decided to go completely ABCDE and ordered an appetizer we used to share when we were dating: shrimp toast ($4.95). The ever craveable paste of shrimp, salt and sugar slathered onto a piece of white bread, pressed into sesame seeds and deep fried.

Here is a cross section view. It isn't greasy, has just the right crunch. You can taste the toasted/fried sesame seeds and the shrimp and even the bread with its crunch is yummy…it brings back memories.

This was a Friday Lunch Special ($4.99). Three ingredient taste: shrimp, beef, chicken, peanuts, scallions and a mildly spicy, rich sauce. This came with a cup of egg drop soup and a fried vegetable egg roll. Everything tasted fresh and 'bright'-The Mister's description.
I wanted to try the Moo Goo Gai Pan ($7.25) from the menu. The waitress called it 'mushroom chicken'. It is wonderful. The white sauce is not sticky and has a chicken base. As you can see, fresh mushrooms and broccoli are part of the dish at this location.

As with all Chinese restaurants, you get a Fortune Cookie with your bill. See what is different here? These are not pre-packaged Fortune Cookies. Not a big deal, I suppose, but different..and tasty. These cookies are thicker and seem to have a more pronounced vanilla with a touch of almond flavor.

I found these photos from a February dinner. As you can see, a tablecoth is used, along with cloth napkins. I missed the Chinese Zodiac placemats, even though I pretty much have them memorized. However, you get the same house made plum sauce, hot mustard and fried wonton strips as soon as you sit down and look at the menu.

We started with a seaweed eggdrop soup ($4.94). Amazingly fresh tasting and not at all salty.
Because I order this wherever I see it on the menu, I chose the vegetable egg foo yung ($8.45). Basic egg and bean sprout cakes, cooked to a nice , non-greasy crispiness- but made with cooked (rather than raw) bean sprouts…a very different taste and texture than egg foo yung made with raw bean sprouts. The three cakes were topped with fresh mushrooms and sugar peas. I like this version. The gravy that comes with is not gloppy/cornstarchy, but smooth and mushroom flavored.

As you can see, we also got a colossal sized gigantic bowl of rice. The rice bowl was larger than the soup bowl.
The Mister, on the other hand, always likes to order Ma Po Tofu when he sees it on a menu. This version has just the right amount of spicy heat, enough that you can still taste the pork and the silky bean curd. ($8.45)

On the menu, this was described as spicy ground pork with bean curd…

However, the pre-programmed description for the bill is different.

Oh yes, it has the same decor as the Clairmont location…

I don't know if the food at this location is better than Panda Country closer to Kirk's home. When The Mister and I first moved to San Diego, we lived just down the street from that San Diego Clairmont Drive location, but never tried it. In any case, the food at the Santee location is fresh and tasty.

Panda Country 9621 Mission Gorge road Santee, CA 92071 (in the Vons Shopping Center) (619)449-7061

Stone Flats- flatbreads, salads and soups.

April 18, 2011 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Stone Flats has closed.

Hey there. You are reading mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog based in San Diego. The part usually played by Kirk is being played by Cathy.

In about November of last year, Stone Flats opened in the Mira Mesa area, in the same mall as the Trader Joe's (East of the I-15). I had been curious about it and had a chance to meet Mr. C (my partner in food adventures when The Mister isn't available) for a quick lunch and exchange of paperwork last month.

There is a menu above the counter or you can just start talking with the very helpful and informative workers behind the counter… just walk along…it is sort of like Subway in the way of ordering…

You first pick a flatbread (it is thin and crispy and fresh) in white or wheat and in regular ($5.50)or large size (large costs $2 more and is wider and a bit longer than the regular size)

Pick a meat : chicken, steak, pepperoni, sausage, bacon
Choose vegetables: tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, sauteed mushrooms, basil, cilantro, scallions, pepperocinis, black olives, basil… (and pineapple)
Choose cheese: Goat cheese, Feta, Mozzarella (regular and low fat), smoked Gouda or Blue cheese.

You also can choose a sauce: marinara, roasted garlic or BBQ sauce. When I was here the first time, hummus was also a sauce, but now it seems to be off the menu.

Nothing costs extra, unless you want more meat. Really, the portion size is enough. If you eat light. The flat bread is just that: flat, more of a cracker crust, not pizza crust.

You pay, get a number and get your own beverage and have a seat. The interior (and exterior) is decorated with steel bar framed tables and chairs-modern. Considering how high the ceilings are, the noise level is low and you can have a conversation here.

The flats are placed into the oven (it is a gas oven…I don't know where the "stone" comes in) and heated so that the cheese is melty.

You can also choose a salad, to make it a combo($8.50) Pick a lettuce/green -I chose spinach in this case- topped only with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, with a balsamic dressing (there are several dressings to choose from). This was a good size and fresh. A side salad by itself is $3.50.
You can also order a combo with soup. This is a cup of pulled chicken and rice soup. It is very good and not salty. It has a touch of a spicy 'kick' to it.

Soon enough, the flats are delivered to your table. My Flat- the regular size, wheat. I chose the hummus, grilled mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, red onions and olives, the goat cheese and steak. I didn't want any 'sauce' and the hummus was nice, the goat cheese tangy. The steak was good but not powerfully flavorful…it was enough.
Mr. C's Flat. The large size, also wheat. He chose a garlic olive oil for the base and topped it with grilled mushrooms, green peppers, olives, basil, Mozzarella and steak. The combination of basil and the garlic oil was an excellent choice. (The large size is wider and a bit longer, so it is more than just two more servings, as you see cut)
I returned with The Mister for another visit a few days ago. I chose a combo with a cup of tomato soup with basil on top.This was an excellent tomato soup.
The Mister's entree salad ($7.95) He chose the lettuces, toppings, goat cheese and grilled chicken as toppings. The regular size salad is a very good portion, the large looked crazy huge.
My (large) flat: whole wheat, with the garlic olive oil sauce, pulled chicken, Mozzarella, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, basil, arugula and black olives. Melted cheese is wonderful!

I really like the freshness and more healthy aspect of the food choices here. It is a great idea and fun to be able to sit down with a friend and share a meal and good conversation. I have overheard some people saying that the 'could make this at home' and I know you could…just as you can with any food item…if you have the ingredients and inclination.

Stone Flats 9844 Hibert Street San Diego 92131 858-444-2280 Open 11-9 daily Website

Yes, it’s that time again………

April 16, 2011 mmm-yoso yoso-silly

And no, I don't mean it's time for Sammy and Frankie's pre-Easter haircuts and degrading Easter "gear"…… I do love Sammy's expression though. It's almost as if he knew how silly he looked. And here I thought dogs don't have a sense of "self"!

Frankie on the other hand, doesn't really care so long there's a treat to be had at the end of this silliness.

No, it's time for the Missus and I to go on vacation……..

So, as always, I'll turn things over to Cathy, and we'll see you in a couple of weeks!

Here are photos of some of our recent meals….. nothing new really, but I had to use these photos sometime, right? Somewhere in here lies a clue of where we're headed….

Thanks for dropping by! We'll see you in a short while!

Fried Chicken Friday: Annie Belle’s Famous Wings and Greens

April 15, 2011 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chicken Wings

**** Annie Belle's has closed

While driving to Bonnie Jean's I noticed a restaurant that looked rather new, it had popped up since my last visit to the area last year.

The next afternoon I had some time on my hands so I decided to check th e place out.

The dining area looked very nice and new….. nice booths, along with at least five televisions lining the wall so those with short attention spans have something to keep themselves busy I guess.

The menu was pretty large…. with almost every single "side" known to mankind…. wow, so many choices. I was looking for fried chicken. And while you can buy it by the piece, the name of the place is "Annie Belle's Famous Wings and Greens", so I went with the Wings and Greens House Special ($8.49), They call the wings they serve here "Granny Wings" and there are two served with this special. Two wings? That seemed a bit pricey, I hope they weren't what came off a "Granny Hen"….. and they weren't.

These were actually two whole good sized wings…. pretty much what other places would call four wings. And while the batter at Bonnie Jean's was light and crisp, this was thick and crunchy, almost hard. They obviously use a lot of leavening in their batter. The wings were moist, but I found the whole thing to be on the salty side, without anything else much going for it.

Along with the wings was a large portion of collard greens.

Again, this wasn't bad, it was a portioned very generously. But I prefer my greens a bit less mushy, these were a little too over done for my taste, closer to creamed spinach than the kind of greens I got used to eating in Georgia and other places down South. There was a ton of "liquor" which was again too salty for me, and lacking in the light smokey flavor I love in greens.

This came with two very moist, but bland cornbread muffins.

You'll be needing that butter for these.

I will say that I enjoyed the woman serving me. She was very nice…. after bring food out to another table she turned to me and said, "don't worry honey, you next…. and it's going to be gooood!"

Annie Belle's Famous Wings and Greens
1746 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92102

Please read Mary's post on Annie Belle's here.

Dry Cooked/Twice Cooked Mushrooms

April 14, 2011 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

We've seen this as both Dry Cooked Mushroom and Twice Cooked Mushroom on menus in China. It's sort of both. It's also one of those "non-recipes", that will kind of list the process rather than exact quantities……

This one is for "KenB" who asked for a recipe in the comments of last night's post. Ken has given us so many great recommendations, that I thought it only right that I do something right away. Anyway, this is what the first couple of efforts looked like:

We were given a box of Cordyceps Mushrooms as a gift in China. The ones we've seen at places like T S Emporium in LA are priced in the $30 + per pound range! I really didn't want to mess these up.

I basically took about a cup and a half of those mushrooms and soaked them in warm water for about 30 minutes. After that time, I removed and drained the mushrooms, but saved the soaking liquid. I sliced the rehydrated mushroom lengthwise, and patted them dry. I also rehydrated some dried Lily Buds and sliced some Chinese Celery.

I then heated my wok until smoking and added about a cup and a half of canola oil until it shimmered. I then did a quick fry of the mushrooms until the edges were crisp.

I removed the mushrooms to a paper towel lined plate, and drained all but 1-2 Tb of the oil, which had a nice fragrance. I waited until the oil hit smoking, then scalded a couple of dried red chilies that had been de-seeded. From here it was basically a stir-fry, starting with a dash of Shaoxing wine and white pepper, with the following added for flavoring:

1-2 Tb Premium Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tb Premium Light Soy Sauce
1-2 Tsp White Sugar
Mushroom soaking liquid to taste

It turned out great, savory and slightly sweet, but I just can't bring myself to part with nearly forty bucks to keep making this. So what to do when my mushrooms were gone? (I actually have enough for one last batch). I decided to try this out with King Mushrooms:

I julienned the mushrooms lengthwise into matchsticks. I also replaced the lily buds with mung bean sprouts which would bring more crunch and a nice flavor to the dish.

These rest was basically the same process, except I added some Mushroom Dark Soy Sauce for additional flavor. The water from the bean sprouts renders out during the stir-fry process which keeps the dish moist.

It was different, but also delicious……. and very easy……you really don't need a recipe for this.

So there you go. Sort of like that eye test….which looks better?

Number 1?

Or number 2?

Nanjing: Dinner

April 13, 2011 mmm-yoso China, Chinese Restaurants, Nanjing, Travel

We strolled (well, I limped) back to our room. After a pretty, well, I guess you could say eventful day, we decided to stick close to the hotel. I really needed to rest my foot. Across the street from the hotel was a bunch of smaller hotels and restaurants, and we finally chose this one (photo taken the next morning):

I gotta say we kinda lucked out on this one. In spite of the busy dining area, full of cigarette smoke and demanding customers, the service here was just righ for us. Friendly, without being overbearing. The woman running the dining room seemed to have great control over the employees…… we felt very comfortable here. Our server was quick with a smile, and seemed to enjoy explaining the specials to the Missus.

The Missus translated the menu to me, and I selected a classic Nanjing dish I wanted to try; the Nanjing Salted Duck:

A dish with a long history, this was delicious; fragrant, not too salty, much more tender than I expected, with a mild "wild game" flavor. I really enjoyed this.

The other dish that caught our fancy was the Dry Cooked Wild Mushroom. Man these Cordycep mushrooms were outstanding.

These mushroom were obviously twice cooked, first "passed through the oil", then stir fried with Chinese celery which added a nice palate cleansing flavor to the salty-sweetness of the soy and dark soy sauce and sugar. We ended up ordering this dish when we saw it again later. I've made this dish several times at home, perhaps I'll post a recipe one of these days. This was a very nice dish.

The Missus also enjoyed the simple stir-fried vegetable.

I didn't care much for the soup, which I thought was really bland, but the Missus loved it.

She thought it was light and rejuvenating.

Overall, this was a very nice meal, it was just what we wanted and needed. We simply crossed the street and headed back to our room for a good night's sleep.