Big Eat Day 11-Birthday Big Eat Part 5 of 5

Posted on February 20, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

I’m eating 100 Items off of 7 X 7s SF Big Eat List. You can see the rest of entries to this series here. On my birthday my friends took me to the city to make some hard-core headway on this list, it was fun. I wish you had been there with us. :)

Our original plan for my birthday was to eat a little, walk around a little, eat a little etc. We totally followed the plan, except for all the parts that didn’t involve eating. We literally ate all day. I’m sure you can see from the pictures that we didn’t have any fun at all.

At this point we were feeling full which is natural. If you don’t leave the Ferry Building full of delicious food, you did something wrong. We decided it was time to take a break from regular eating. It was time for tea and snacks.

#35 Soup Dumplings at Shanghai King

I had never tried soup dumplings before but my two friends with Chinese affiliations were very excited about them. Betty was actually very excited about the whole menu at Shanghai King and in charge of the ordering. This resulted in us somehow accidentally ordering a whole “pre-dinner” meal at Shanghai King. That Betty, she’s so bad she’s good!

Soup Dumplings are exactly what they sound like, steamed dumplings filled with soup. You eat them very strategically with chopsticks to hold the dumpling and a spoon to catch the soup.

They are not only fun to eat but they are delicious with a capital D. I usually do not care for brothy soups, but this liquid was just like heaven. I swear I heard the Cure playing as I bit into the first one.

Verdict: Eat them please. You will be smiling like these two if you do.

#36 Pistachio Meatballs at Flytrap at Zaré

After “tea” we had to haul-ass to meet our dinner reservation at the only “fancy” dining establishment on our agenda. We reasoned that after a hard day of non-stop eating it was time to have a relaxing sit-down dinner. Zare is a sort of Persian/Mediterranean style restaurant that is decorated in a very classic San Francisco style. It’s all about moldings, candles and burgundy walls. A perfect end to the night.

The task of eating pistachio meatballs somehow devolved into the bone-marrow, pulled lamb, pisco sour, pomegranate martini, deconstructed lemon meringue pie scenario as pictured below. To be quite honest I cannot recall much about the meatballs specifically but Zaré as a whole was a lovely experience. The service was perfect and the ambiance was classy yet relaxing. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

Verdict: I think the insane aftermath of our meal will tell you all you need to know about Zare. Go there. Eat anything and enjoy!

Thanks so much for following along on this culinary adventure. I hope that it gives you some great ideas for the next trip you take to San Francisco!

Noodlemania Week #3-Pad Thai

Posted on February 15, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

Pad thai is an accommodating meal. It has a huge dose of carbs to give you the happies (albeit temporarily and a sauce that holds sugar, salt and sour in perfect balance.

Did you want some crunchiness? It has peanuts!

Did you need something succulent? Shrimp for you!

Do you have celiacs? Welcome to pad thai’s gluten-free universe.

Homey? Two words: fried egg.

It is truly everything to everyone and a snap to make. I’ve tried out some different recipes but I really like this one which describes the dish as “pleasantly funky with fish sauce and comes from acclaimed Portland restaurant Pok Pok. Even my kid ate it! Thank you pad thai, you complete me.

Side Note: Despite putting on a heroic effort, I could not procure sweet preserved radish. The dish was still very good without it. Also, make sure that you soak the noodles enough to soften them completely, otherwise they will soak up too much sauce and be overly dry. I mean, I’m just guessing. I definitely didn’t get overexcited and make a second batch and was in too much of a hurry and made dry pad thai. I would never!

Big Eat Day 11-Birthday Big Eat Part 4 of 5

Posted on February 13, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

#33-Ahi Burger at Gott’s Roadside

Ahi Burger at Gott's Roadside

Gott’s roadside is when the crazy-town eating started to kick in. I don’t remember being hungry at this point, which is not to say that I didn’t want to eat more! Gott’s is a hamburger import from Napa, it’s kind of a farm to fast food kind of place. The ahi burger was refreshing, the tuna was seared well and the Asian flavored slaw gave it nice texture. On a normal day I would’ve been super-happy eating a sandwhich of this caliber, but… it was Big Eat day. A strange day when good food, suddenly seems… average.

Verdict: The ahi burger is good. I would eat it any day, but it did not change my life.

#34-Warm Egg Salad Sandwhich at Il Cane Rosso

During the process of procuring the Ahi Burger my friend Betty was left unsupervised in the Il Cane Rosso line where she was tasked with getting the Egg Salad sandwich. Despite the fact we had already eaten about 3 full meals she still came back with the sandwich AND a panzanella salad. What can I say? She can’t be tamed.

If none of us was blown away by the Ahi Burger, the blame can be placed on the Egg Salad Sandwich. It was so unique. The bread was almost like a focaccia crouton and the creamy salad was perfectly seasoned with tarragon and other (hmmm, it’s good, but what is it? fresh herbs). In a million years I would never have chosen to order this menu item. Quite frankly, I thought it sounded gross but it’s discoveries like these that make this adventure worth it. It’s so exciting to try something new and love it!

Verdict: Yes it sounds gross but it’s not, it’s the opposite of gross. It is marvelous!

PS-The panzanella was rockin too.

Noodlemania Week #2-Perez Improv Noodles

Posted on February 8, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

Perez Improv Noodles

There’s lots to love about Asian Marts: reasonable prices, endless aisles of sauces and live fish tanks. To my mind though the festive atmosphere is a distant second to the lack of mainstream values regarding physical space. Old ladies plow straight into you at the Asian marts and I love it! I think it’s fun to shove my way through crowds. I’ve woven my way to the front a lot as a short girl so having a place where this behavior is culturally acceptable warms my heart.

I’ll tell you though that Lunar New Years Eve at the Asian Mart was not my favorite. It was packed with people carrying roast duck which instantly filled me with unrequited envy. Plus, and no offense to all non-asians as well as 1/2 of myself but there were so many non-Asians there and they were not acting right! I felt extremely annoyed at all the good-natured white people wandering around the aisles, carefully reading labels and making chatter with their friends. “No, we need THICK SOY SAUCE” they’d shout to each other across the aisles. I wanted to shake them “NO, no, no. Stop behaving like this at the Asian Mart. You are supposed to bump people out of the way and grab things quickly!”

This of course is extremely hypocritical on my part becuase this is exactly how I act at the Asian Mart. It’s not like I can read Chinese so I’m pulling the same shenanigans myself, spending 20 minutes looking for frigging preserved Tianjin vegetables.

It’s a confusing cultural conundrum, or maybe it’s not. Maybe I was just dripping wet from the rain and in a ridiculous rage because it wasn’t my day to eat roast duck and get red envelopes from doting aunties. Poor, poor me.

The chaos at the Asian Mart was such that I spent 30 minutes there and still came home with only 80% of the ingredients needed for my dish. By this point I was wild-eyed with hunger and residual duck rage was threatening to spill out of my eyes in a self-indulgent sob fest. (Am I the only one who gets this upset when hungry? No? Just me and my toddler?) So, this week you won’t be reading about pad thai as I originally planned you’ll be reading about the noodles that I made up with the random stuff I bought. I present to you “Perez Improv Noodles”

Ingredients

1 packet of noodles (I used fresh shanghai noodles)
3 shallots
Lots of chopped garlic
1 Tbs curry paste
frozen shrimp (defrosted)
1 carrot-julienned
2 Tbs of fish sauce
2 Tsps of brown sugar
Green onions to taste ( I like a lot)
Cilantro for topping

Instructions

Cook noodles. Duh.
While noodles are cooking heat up the oil, it should be not-messing-around-hot. Add the garlic, shallots and curry. Stir fry for about two minutes or until fragrant. Pay attention. Don’t burn it!
Throw in shrimp, brown them, but don’t overcook. Rubbery shrimp is a gross waste.
Add carrots, fish sauce and sugar; bring to a boil.
Divide noodles between serving bowls and mix in portions of your topping. Top with green onions and cilantro.
Forget about the roast duck debacle. Slump in your chair with clear eyes and a full belly. Nap (optional-but suggested for rainy days)

Big Eat Day 11-Birthday Big Eat Part 3 of 5

Posted on February 6, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

#32 Sweetwater Oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co.

The SF Ferry Building is paradise. What is better than eating delicious food while looking out at the Bay Bridge? But scary things lurk even in paradise and when we came upon Hog Island Oyster Co. I knew my moment of reckoning had arrived.

Sweetwater Oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co

I’m not an oyster virgin (I had some crazy deliciousness when I was in NOLA) but I do have a tendency to develop food neurosis. This happened immediately prior to eating these beauties.

As I got ready to slurp the oyster my brain went crazy like this

“OMG. Are these things alive? Is it going to start wiggling in my mouth. I can’t handle that. Maybe it will wiggle down my throat. Holy crap! I have to eat it anyway, it’s on the list. I’m supposed to be brave and try new food experiences. EAT THE OYSTER. JUST DO IT WUSS.”

Obviously, it was a very calm moment. Get ready to experience it in picture format.

Hmmm. Emily ate one. I think I can probably do this. (Nervous laughter)

Don't wuss out. Just do it. DO IT.

I think it's alive. It might kill me. Help!

Yay. I'm done. I can now laugh in relief as Debi stares down her Oyster in consternation.

Ha ha ha! Oysters are funny. We triumphed over them. We are the champions!

Verdict: The experience was very harrowing. I have no idea if they were good but I ate one!

Noodlemania Week #1-Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Goujons with Noodles

Posted on February 1, 2012 by NotoriousMLE

Chicken Goujons with Noodles

I usually get home at 5:30 and turn out dinner by 6:00 pm. I am quite lit-er-ally (insert Rob Lowe’s Park and Rec character voice) on the 30 min. meal plan. Jamie Oliver said that this meal would take 4 minutes and 41 seconds to make. To that I say “Sign-me-up-Señor Oliver”

This meal was outrageously delicious considering how simple it was to put together. I think the secret is the onions and honey together, asian dishes are so good at balancing savory and sweet. As a bonus I had all the ingredients in house. No shopping necessary.

Party time. Excellent.

Let’s go.

Chicken Goujons with Noodles

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook “Jamie’s Dinners”

Ingredients for 2 servings: 8 oz egg noodles (use what you like, I used DanDan Noodles because I keep them on hand), 2 Tbs oil, chicken thighs (throw in as much as you want to eat, a typical portion is 4 oz. per person), 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and sliced, 1 fresh red chile (sub red chile flakes if you don’t have them), 1 tsp five-spice powder, 3 green onions (sliced-I used way more than three because I am an unrepentant onion lover), splash of soy sauce, 1 Tbs of Honey, cilantro and lemon

Cook the noodles. While they are cooking heat up oil then add the chicken thighs (cut in smaller pieces) ginger and chile. Toss together then add the five-spice powder. Once the chicken is browned, add the green onions, soy sauce and honey. Drain the noodles then add them to the pan along with the cilantro. Squeeze with lemon if you like. Sit down on the couch and eat greedily with someone you love, or the TV. Either will do.

I‘m making noodles once a week until the end of 2012. Have a recipe I should try? Send me the link!