yummy.

Sunday afternoon, my husband and I had to head up to Santa Rosa to have lunch/dinner with the in-laws for my father-in-law’s birthday. The restaurant they chose was Tex Wasabi’s, a venture of Guy Fieri of Food Network fame. I had high hopes, since I’d liked what I’d seen of Guy, but as both a BBQ and a sushi elitist, I was skeptical.

As it turns out, I had reason to be. The food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t something I’d drive to Santa Rosa for, either.

My husband and I split a Red Dragon Roll ($12, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber & black sesame seeds with crunchy tempura bits & maguro on the outside). The spicy tuna did have a kick, but I felt like there wasn’t much else to the flavor of the roll. The maguro on top didn’t have much taste at all, though it was clearly fresh. Even the avocado - which is one of my favorite things - left me a bit flat. It was good, but not as spectacular as I would expect from a menu item which brags “over 20,000 sold”.

I, being the optimistic Memphis girl, ordered the Pork Slyders ($7.50, pulled pork with BBQ sauce & slaw on potato rolls). I’ll admit it: I’m a snob when it comes to my BBQ, especially pork BBQ. I’m spoiled from growing up in a town famous for it, but I’ve learned to be tolerant. My first warning, however, was the fact that they used the umbrella term “southern-style BBQ”. That phrase is more than a little misleading, as there is no single “southern” style when it comes to BBQ. For example, there’s Memphis, Carolina, Texas, and many more, some that are hiding in small towns that you’d have difficulty finding on a map. I’ll say this: the pork was tender and the potato rolls were soft. It warmed my little Memphian heart that they even had the slaw on my sandwiches. What didn’t impress me, however, was the sauce. It certainly wasn’t anything like any of the southern BBQ varieties I’ve tasted. It wasn’t the tangy, vinegar-based sauce of Carolina, and nor was it anything like the sweet smokey sauce of my hometown. It had a kick, certainly, but there wasn’t much actual flavor to it beyond that. It taste more like a spicy tomato sauce than anything else. I will say that the slaw mellowed it out some and add a little much-needed sweetness, but it wasn’t the same. I think my expectations would have been different if they had not pretentiously used the moniker “southern-style”, as the BBQ wasn’t what I’d call bad, but it wasn’t what someone who has had pulled pork in the south is going to expect.

My father-in-law, however, did not finish his beef brisket. He did not say exactly what he found unpleasant about it, but for a man who has a hearty appetite and a love of BBQ beef - and makes a darned good tri-tip himself - he did find it lacking.

My husband ordered the Johnny Garlic roll ($6, cucumber, avocado, seared albacore and garlic mayo). This was, aside from the tempura onion rings, the best thing I sampled all night. The albacore was perfectly seared and the garlic mayo added a wonderful flavor to the roll.

Overall, my feelings were mixed. While Tex Wasabi’s does both sushi and BBQ passably, it doesn’t do either particularly WELL. If I were in the area, or if I had a craving for both sushi and BBQ at the same meal, I’d consider it again as a place for a decent meal. I certainly wouldn’t refuse to go if invited again, either, as for all extents and purposes, the experience was pleasant enough. For BBQ, I’ll stick to either making it myself with my family’s “secret recipe” sauce (or my coveted Neely’s sauce I brought back from my last trip home to visit my family), or visit Everett and Jones in the East Bay. In addition, there are tons of far better sushi restaurants a lot closer to home right in Marin, and the prices are comparable for a better quality product (including Sushi Ko, a mere hop, skip, and jump from my front door).

I guess I just wasn’t hearing the “rock and roll” at Tex Wasabi’s.

My husband was munchy the other night and in his efforts to scrounge for food, he found a recipe for snickerdoodles on the Gold Medal flour bag. We decided to make them (and I actually got him to help!).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Mix 3 tbsp sugar and the cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

You know, I’ve been here on this site for a while, but I’ve been too busy with Culinary School, and work, not to mention the fact that I haven’t really had anything to write that I have been kinda absent on here. Well, no longer! Following is my adapted recipe from my final buffet, and a couple weeks earlier, to which this was a big hit. Now, I honestly don’t expect you to have fatback or pork butt handy to make this as I did in class, there are some good substitutes. And, as always, follow Josh’s #1 Rule: Always go with your gut, it probably knows more than you do.

Prep Time: ‘Bout a half an hour or so

Makes around 9 Servings (trust me, these will be going fast)

Cook Time: 45min to 1 hour

Equipment needed: Food Processor, Chef Knife, Muffin Tins, Oil for Tins, Plastic wrap, tin foil, bowls.

Ingredients:

• 1 Poblano Pepper
• 2 Chickens, fryers (or if you don’t know how to break down and de-bone a chicken, about 2 pounds of chicken - try for a good mix of white/dark)
• 1/2 Shallot
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 Onion
• 8oz of Tequila
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 Lime
• Tobasco
• 1 Jalapeño
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup of Breadcrumbs, soaked in a bit of milk (whole, preferably)

Sauce

• 2 Cups Mayo
• Other half of lime
• Whatever poblano is left over
• Some of that Cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Method: First, roast that Poblano on the grill, turning it every so often so the outside is all black. Wrap that sucker in plastic wrap and set that aside for a bit.

Break down and debone those chickens. It’s not as hard as you would think, but if you are (understandably) shaky on it, just get 2lbs of boneless chicken bits and cut them up in smallish chunks. Doesn’t have to be pretty, so go to town.

Dice up and mangle the shallot, garlic, jalapeño and onion. Saute them briefly in oil or butter, until the onion and shallots are transparent. If they go brown, don’t cry over it. Remove and reserve.

Into the chicken bits (which I hope you’ve been keeping cold), toss in a good bit of cumin, salt and pepper, chili powder, tequila and the juice from half the lime (the other half will go for the sauce). Chop up some fresh cilantro (about half the bunch) and toss that in there too. Let it sit a bit to marinade. After the above mention saute’d stuff has cooled down a bit, toss that in there too. Now, toss that whole mess into a food processor (well, you might have to do it in batches, but you get the idea), and grind that up. Be careful that you don’t pureé it (I would just pulse it rather than keep it going, but that’s me).

Once that’s all done, toss in the three eggs and bread crumbs. Mix with your hands and don’t worry about the very nice feeling of that between your fingers. Okay! you are almost there. If you are kind of wondering if this is gonna be good, take a small bit of it, form a small patty, and fry it up in a pan with some oil. Shouldn’t take too long, and you can add to the mix what it needs.

Now, take that poblano out of the plastic wrap, and clean/scrape all that black stuff off and dice that up (you can leave the seeds out if you want, I usually do).

All set? Sweet! Now fill up the muffin tins with the mix, poking a hole in it, not too deep and put some of that poblano in and close it up. Bake in the oven for about an hour at 350°. The inside temp needs to be at 165° - no exceptions! While that’s cooking, you can make the sauce!

Sauce is easy. Combine all the ingredients and whiz til smooth. Taste and adjust. Should be cool and fresh with just a bit of heat on the back end.

Once done, place two on a plate, spoon on the sauce and garnish with a bit of cilantro.

Sometimes, Jason will drive into the city and pick me up from work and we’ll go to dinner. Since my company recently handed out bonuses, we decided to have a nice dinner. We drove around for a while and ended up at The Beach Chalet on Great Highway near Golden Gate Park. We had been there before for lunch, but we’d never managed to arrange dinner at a time in which the place wasn’t packed to the gills. Today, however, we beat the crowd.

First, it’s good to know that most of the tables there have a fantastic view of Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean. This view probably is only second to that of the Cliff House down the street. Second, The Beach Chalet is also a brewery.

Jason ordered the Laura Chenel Goat Cheese Ravioli (with wild & tamed mushrooms, Savoy spinach, delta asparagus, English peas, and a mushroom & mascarpone sauce). This, I know, would be something that our own Padma would adore. While my husband did remark that the ravioli stuck together some, the flavor was excellent with the tang of the goat cheese and the mellowness of the sauce. He even liked the asparagus.

It was hard for me to choose, as there were several things that piqued my interest. I ultimately chose a glass of their Riptide Red ale and the seared day boat scallops (with herb risotto, roasted Roma tomatoes, and parmesan broth).

The first thing to take note of is that the scallops were perfectly prepared. They were seasoned well and seared with a slight crisp on the outside, but the inside was warm and soft and almost melted in my mouth. They were heavenly, and they were easily the best scallops I’ve had in years. The herb risotto added a pleasant color contrast on the plate since it was green and it was topped with the two slices of roasted tomato. A small pool of the broth surrounded it all, but the dish was not swimming in it. The risotto was subtle and creamy, not overpowering the delicate flavor of the scallops - something which is easy to do. I, not a real fan of tomatoes, actually enjoyed the roasted Romas.

The Riptide Red ale seemed a little more carbonated than I am used to, but it was crisp and had very little aftertaste. It was clean and pleasant and has easily become one of my favorite beers.

Overall, our experience at The Beach Chalet can be summed up in one word: excellent. Everything from the atmosphere to the service to the incredible food was impeccable. We will return again… if we can time our dinner right.

Before we start, yes, I’m talking about a food truck… one of the shiny silver emblems of urban life. Don’t let that fool you.

Today, when I left the office for lunch, I’d planned to just stop at Safeway and pick something up, but when the light seemed to refuse to change for me so I could cross Townsend, I walked past Seoul on Wheels and this time, I decided to stop.

I was greeted warmly and genuinely by the proprietor. She was inviting and helpful and you could tell she enjoyed her work. She offered me menu cards to take back to the office - she’d just gotten them from the printer after a long wait.

I ordered the rice bowl with chicken. The rice bowl also has the option of brown rice as well as rib eye or spicy pork as the meat. A regular is $5.50 and a large is $7.00. I am glad I opted for the regular, as it was massive and there was no skimping involved. I almost regret ordering the egg rolls which were pretty standard fare and nothing outstanding.

The rice bowl, however, was warm and flavorful, though I felt the meat could use with a little sauce of some sort. Nevertheless, it was tasty. If I hadn’t seen them, I would not have noticed there were carrots, but the mushrooms were a welcome addition, also, under that mountain of meat was a pleasant surprise: the thin cellophane type noodles that I love so much in various types of Asian cuisine.

Overall, I was pleased. I’ll almost certainly eat lunch there again - though I think if I get a rice bowl I’ll skip the add-ons. You can’t beat the price for a filling and delicious lunch.

You’ll have to find Seoul on Wheels if you want to try it, but I can take the guess work out of it:

6:45-8:45am @ Bryant & Main

9:15-9:45am @ Bryant b/w 4th and 5th

10:00-10:25am @ Harrison & 1st

10:30-11:45am @ 4th & Townsend

12:00-12:25pm @ Harrison & 1st

12:30-1:45pm @ Embarcadero & Bryant

It may not be gourmet, but it’s probably the best value for good tasting food you’ll find in South of Market.

This recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma’s website.

Ingredients:

• 6 lb. littleneck clams, rinsed well
• 6 oz. pancetta, diced
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (optional)

Directions

Working with 1 clam at a time, hold it over a bowl to catch the juices. Place the blade of a clam knife horizontally across the shell and squeeze to open. Using the tip of the knife, remove the clam meat by cutting it away from the shell; place the meat in a separate bowl. Strain the juices through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Add enough water to the juices to total 5 cups. Coarsely chop the clam meat. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the pancetta until crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat, then melt the butter in the pan. Add the onion, celery, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes, bay leaves and clam juice-water mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the cream, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Using a fork, lightly mash the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Add the clams and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the chives. Serves 8.

Wanting something different than the usual cheese enchiladas, the idea was suggested to go to a Brazilian restaurant.  I was definitely not up for the typical churrasco experience of a Fogo de Chao type of restaurant.  Sampaio’s was suggested as the alternative.  Having never heard of it and always up for trying new places, I was totally game.

 Sampaio’s is located off far west Burnet road, in a nondescript area of little shops and strip malls.  There is a cute patio off to the side, although the view of the traffic leaves much to be desired.  Inside, however, the ambience is greatly refined from the exterior.  Warm colors, comfortable booths, and low noise level indicated that we were in for a relaxing time.

 We started off with drinks.  I ended up getting a Brazilian mojito made with Brazilian sugar liquer [cachaca] and rum, after tasting my dining partner’s.  It was very smooth, had just the right amount of mint, and had a sharpness that finished off the sweet tones.  Unfortunately, as I am a lightweight, I stopped after my one mojito and was unable to try the Brazilian drink–Caipirinha–which was recommended by our server and is a mixture of lime, sugar, and cachaca.

 After getting the scoop on portions from our server, it was decided that we would share an appetizer and a salad.  We kicked things off with Bolinhos de Arroz.  These were rice puffs stuffed with potatoes, herbs, and mixed cheeses.  While the taste was complex and inviting, the texture was a little too dense for my liking.  The texture seemed to render the puffs too chewy to be really pleasant.  The romsemary and tomato dipping sauce was okay, but nothing spectacular.

Next, was the Salada de Maca.  This was a salad of romaine hearts and baby greens, topped with a Burgundy basted apple stuffed with goat cheese, raisins, and pecans.  I admit to skepticism when I read the description, but I was pleasantly surprised when the salad came to the  table, both in presentation and in flavor.   The apple was a beautiful ruby color, which contrasted nicely against the bed of goat cheese and greens.  The flavors blended well, with the exception of the rustic mustard vinegarette, which overpowered some bites.

I had a dish called camarao ao molho de cachaca.  The dish was made of jumbo shrimp in a Brazilian liquor and garlic butter sauce with tomatoes, onions, and peppers.  It was presented with a side of sauteed veggies and a mandioca griddle.  The mandioca griddle was similar to a piece of polenta and was a nice change from the typical starch.

The sauce itself was stellar.  There was a good combination of sweet and savory within each mouthful, with textural interest being provided by the tomatoes, onions, and peppers.  The shrimp melded with the sauce nicely, although they were nearly overdone.  While not being a heavy dish, or, one of gargantuan proportions, this entree was extremely satisfying.

The other dish tried was the pork tenderloin [porco tenderloin].  Presented with a coffee crust and glazed with a sour cherry sauce, this dish was the highlight of the meal.  The pork was tender enough to fall apart, with a pleasant bite and smokiness from the coffee crust.  The cherry glaze made a nice finish of the morsel of food.  The garlic mashed yucca accompanying the pork had great flavor, but the texture was a little too stringy.  All in all, the tenderloin was the star of the show.

I give Sampaio’s 4 out of 5.  There can definitely be improvement on the side dishes and the restaurant is rather pricey for the portions you receive to eat here on a consistent basis.  The main portions of the entrees are excellent and the drinks are made well.  The experience is capped by a helpful, but unobtrusive, staff.  With this level of service, one can hope that the overall consistency of the food improves and they become a 5 star establishment.

 The restaurant’s website can be found at:  http://www.sampaiosrestaurant.com.

To start off, my grandma lives down in southern France, just in the mountains in between Aix en Provence and Avignon, in the very heart of Provence. When she makes her Ratatouille it changes a little bit every time, depending on which vegetables are available, but I will give you the rough basics and you can change it if you prefer other flavors or like some better than others. The basic ingredients are, however, these (and in my opinion, they should never be left out for it to be called a ratatouille). The quantity may vary though, so use your head. If you want to make it for a dinner, I suggest you make it one day in advance, that way you can get all the flavors out really well, plus you can taste it and try your own way:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1-3 courgettes/zucchinis (all depending on size, there should be about 4 cups of chopped courgette) in quite big, half moon shaped pieces.
• 1 big yellow onion, in thin boats
• 3-4 cloves of garlic (rather a bit too much than too little, it will cook and be sweet and delightful)
• 1 bell pepper of each color (if you have to skip one, skip the green one)
• 1 aubergine (slice it in rather thin slices, mix with plenty of salt, put to press under something heavy to get rid of the excess water)
• 2 small cans tomatoes (these can be either fresh or canned, if you use canned, you use a bit less, if you use fresh you have to remove the peel and calculate the excess water into the equation, my advice, use canned)

Free use of following:

• Bay leaf
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Sage
• Pepper
• Sugar or honey
• Olive oil
• Vegetable bouillon (cubes)

Instructions:

Do the aubergine at first. It’s a good idea to do them an hour or so in advance, since the more time they have, the less excess water they contain.

Start with chopping everything, then pour about a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a quite big pan (rather have too much space than too little). Add the garlic and the onions and let them sauté without getting brown, just golden. Add the aubergines (which have had most of the excess water squeezed out of them) and let them get golden. Add the bell peppers and finally the courgettes. Let it all sauté, still try to avoid getting them more than golden.

Add the herbs.

Pour tomatoes over it all, stir.

Cook until the veggies are soft, but not too squishy. Taste often. Try not to add water - the taste is better if it’s a bit more concentrated. Add bouillon cubes if it needs more salt rather than actually using salt (as it gives you more flavor and a rounder taste). Remember that the aubergines will give off a lot of salt so be careful.

A pinch of sugar or honey (or other sweetener that you might prefer) might be needed as the tomatoes can be quite sour, add it little by little and try.

Make sure to stir often as tomatoes easily stick to the pan.

Serve as it is with some bread (preferably French sourdough) and maybe some cheese (may I suggest goat cheese?). It’s also good to eat with grilled meat as a side dish.

Ingredients

7 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. minced fresh sage
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups butternut squash puree
2 Tbs. olive oil
2/3 cup caramelized onions
2 cups Arborio rice
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add 1 Tbs. of the sage and heat until the butter browns. Strain the butter into a small bowl and discard the sage. Cover the bowl to keep the butter warm.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the caramelized onions and rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. sage and the rosemary. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. butter, the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
4 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1/4 cup canola oil
4 medium onions, chopped
2 cups beef stock
2 cups Guinness
5 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
4 parsnips, peeled and thickly sliced
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup pearl barley

Directions
Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. In a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Cook the meat on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from the pot. Stir in the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft.

Return all the meat to the pot and add enough of the beef stock and Guinness to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about an hour or until meat is nearly tender. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, and barley and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables and meat are tender and stew is thickened.